The falling powder snow flutters down covering the ridge of the mountains and rooftops of houses white.

A home in a small village lies a man in his late 30s, his name is Rentarou who was working on some papers.

"Sir." A male with purple hair finished his cardfight taking off his glove. "Can I go home now? It's getting late and it's Christmas Eve. Shouldn't I even get the day off?"

"Hm?" Rentarou turned up to his co-worker, Kurosawa. "yeah no, the organization needs more cardfighters to test the new model for vanguard's future."

"b-but.." a knock on the door cut his co-worker, Kurosawa.

"Ugh who the hell?" Rentarou was about to open the door until the door slammed open revealing his sister.

"Hey big bro, it's me your sis." The girl went into his house with a huge smile.

"hngh.." He groaned before closing the door. "Lucina, What are you doing here?"

"Oh you know, i was just gonna invite you to a party that Osui was throwing, everyone's invited, so I just thought you'd come." She mentioned with a grin.

"No Christmas sucks, now get lost."

"Well okay then. If you wanna come you still can~." Lucina walked out of the door and close it.

"Alright get outta here, you're even lucky you got a holiday tomorrow." Rentarou looked at Kurosawa.

"Thank you boss, Merry Christmas." Kurosawa smiled and bowed.

"Screw Christmas reeeee."

During that night when Rentarou was laying down on his bed, he was about to go to sleep before he heard faint noises of his name.

"WAKE UP YOU ASS!" The voice yelled as Rentarou jolted out of bed.

"My god, you're still lazy as ever." The voice that seems like a spirit cross his arms.

"..Zahame? Is that you?" Rentarou trembled in fear seeing his dead friend as a spirit.

"Yes you fool."

"How could you even be-"

"That's not the point now! I'm here to deliver you a message to stop being a greedy little bitch, if you don't you'll be carrying these heavy chains forever." Zahame quickly explained showing his chained body.

"ahuh, yeah sure keep talking." Rentarou didn't look like he's interested in the message his old partner was giving.

"This is not a joke! At the beginning of midnight you'll be visited by three ghosts, they'll teach you the true meaning of Christmas. I have to go now, I have labor to do..." Zahame's spirit started to fade away.

"hmpf, I shouldn't have drank a lot of wine." Rentarou went back sleep closing his eyes.

When the clock strikes at midnight, Rentarou open one eye hearing the clock.

"I knew he was lying. Ghost, spirits aren't even real."

"Nope we're 100% real." A male with blue aura came out of the bathroom, he has a Christmas crown full of mistletoes.

"Holy-" Rentarou jumped out of his bed. "Who the fuck are you?!"

"I'm Kyouyo, the ghost of Christmas Past~!" He said enthusiastically hangs upside down in front of Rentarou.

Rentarou swayed his hand around Kyouyo. "You are a ghost..." He muttered.

"Yee boi." He grinned and booped Rentarou's nose as a blind light shine brightly taking them back to Rentarou's past.

"Where.. where are we?" Rentarou asked the ghost who pointed at his old house. "This is when you were a young boy, look at yourself." He cooed at the young Rentarou who was eating fresh baked muffins from the oven.

"OMG you looked adorableeeee." Kyouyo squealed. "Unlike the meanie you are now."

"Shut up.." He sighed before Kyouyo snapped his fingers and it took them to another house, it was bright, joyful and warm.

"This is when you were just a teenagers, enjoying the Christmas party, giving out presents, etc." Kyouyo explained looking out of the window. Rentarou just sighed at the sight.

"I was an idiot back then." He thought to himself.

"No comment?". Rentarou simply shook his head.

"That's it for me then. See you."

Rentarou soon was back at his bed under his covers, he was breathing heavily. "God.. Was that just a dream?"

"Nope it's all real." The next ghost was sitting down on a table. She seems smaller than the others and having a green aura surrounding her.

"Gah!" Rentarou pulled up his covers near his eyes.

"Am I really that bad looking?" The ghost sighed and pouted.

"N-no.." Rentarou chuckled nervously. "I'm guessing you're the-"

"Kizara, the Ghost of Christmas Present." Kizara introduced herself.

"...mkay."

"Let's go and get this over with.." Kizara sighed and transported them to a bungalow.

"This is.. Osui's house.." Rentarou looked at the window of the bungalow.

"Correct."

Inside was a crowd of people eating, dancing, drinking, talking and many more.

"So Rentarou isn't coming?" Osui looked at Lucina while drinking a wooden beer cup full of eggnog.

"Nope, he said that Christmas sucks." Lucina sighed.

"He wasn't the most cheerful anyway, so I'm not really surprised." Osui put down his beer cup.

"that's true sadly."

"I can't wait to see what happened to him if his company got bankrupt." A girl came up to them,

"well.. Amoi, it won't end well that's for sure.." Lucina muttered silently and sigh getting thoughts what if he did got bankrupt.

"Tch those jackasses." Rentarou glared at Osui and Amoi. "I can't wait if he got broke instead of me."

"there's one more you have to witness, before I'm done with my job." Kizara took him to a small ruined shack.

"Who the fuck lives here?"

"It's your co-worker, Kurosawa. Watch how he spent his Christmas."

"Are ya hungry buddy?" Kurosawa looked at the small boy who he lives with who just nodded.

"Is he alright?" Rentarou looked at Kizara with concern.

"No not exactly.. He has severe depression from losing his parents and got bullied at school in addition."

"Oh..." He mumbled with slight sympathy.

"I'm done, Goodbye." Kizara disappeared leaving Rentarou back in his bed again.

"Mmf.. Hopefully all of this is just a dream.." Rentarou touched is head and closed his eyes sighing. When he opened back his eyes, a ghost appeared infront of him, she was wearing a black cloak with a gray aura.

"T-The ghost of Christmas future...?" A shiver ran down of Rentarou's spine.

It just stayed silent taking out its sycthe stomping it to the floor taking them to a cemetery.

"Is this a cemetery..? Why did you bring me here?!" Rentarou looked around and the ghost just pointed at a grave which was surrounded by a couple of people.

"What..?" Rentarou walked over and widened his eyes. The gravestone said 'Rest in Peace, Rentarou Mizuki.'

"Finally, he's gone.." Osui sighed in relief.

"It's quite sad." Lucina place down a bouquet of lilies on top of his gravestone.

"Thanks to him I couldn't raise Sato anymore." Kurosawa sighed then left the graveyard followed by Osui then Lucina last.

"Everyone hates me..?" Rentarou stared at his grave.

"No shit sherlock."

"..I wanna change it.."

"Then change your cruel heart because you decide your own future."

Rentarou glance at the ghost. "I understand now.. Can you please take me back?"

"if that's what you want." She stomped her scythe once more.

Rentarou woke up in his bed looking out of his window. "Oh God.." he look at his phone. "It's Christmas Day!"

He quickly dash down to prepare some presents then went to buy some food.

Sometime later he went down to his sister's house knocking on the door.

"Rentarou..?" Lucina rub her right eye confused at her brother's current actions.

"Here you go." He gave her a present. "Merry Christmas~!" He then walked off with a huge grin.

"Thanks.." Lucina chuckled taking the present in closing the door.

Rentarou made his way to Kurosawa's house, when Kurosawa opened the door, he was surprised on what his cold hearted boss was doing, giving presents and food.

"Sir.. what's all this for?"

"It's for Sato and you of course." Rentarou smiled at Kurosawa who just smiled back at the man.

"Thank you so much.. sir."

"I feel like I wanted to change my ways that's why.. and cut the sir, Kurosawa."

He just chuckled. "Merry Christmas then Rentarou."

"Merry Christmas, Kurosawa."

-----

"the end." Akari closed her book smiling softly.

"Woah that's an amazing story!" A young girl around at the age of 11 smiled.

"Now off to bed little one, you have a big day tomorrow."

"Mm.. okay, goodnight mommy, I love you." The little girl snuggle up on her bed falling fast asleep.

"I love you too, goodnight sweetheart." Akari stood up from the little girl's bed switching off the lights.

--------
If you're wondering who was the ghost of Christmas future is well, it's Haruka :)

And yes this is canon.

Thanks for reading, bye bye 👋