You walked down the streets, rubbing and warming your bare hands with your breath. Of all the days for your gloves to be in the laundry. Minus the hand wear, you were properly dressed for the weather though. But your body continued to shiver anyways. How did you get into this situation, again? Oh right, it just had been your luck that you were tasked to go buy some more decorations for the party.

Yes, the year is finally nearing it's end. Everything that happened feels like happened just last month had in fact been much longer. It sure felt like you still have a long time to go while you were still in the middle of the year, it definitely didn't now. Time flies, huh?

"Hey, you listenin' to me?" A voice and the snapping of fingers in front of your face cut your thoughts. You look at the perpetrator. "Back to Earth now? Come on, it's freezing out here, y'know," they whined.

Ah, yes. How could you have forgotten. Back while you were contemplating out loud how unlucky you were to get decor shopping from a lucky draw, the young lad next to you right now, have overheard everything you said. And knowing him, became irritated by your continued muttering before shouting, I will go with you as long you stop the muttering. And thus how you were put into this situation.

"We did it, everyone. We found the real life Sherlock Holmes," you said in fake excitement, adding hand gestures for extra effect.

Hiroto rolled his eyes. "Let's just go and get this over with," he groaned in annoyance. Minus your teeth clattering, you continued to walk in silence until you reach the craft store. "You have the list, yea'?"

"That, I do." You turned your phone on and opened your notes and showing it to him. "It's gonna take a while if we go together. I suggest we split up to make it quick. I'll send you the list," you said while copy-and-pasting half the list to his chat room. His phone chimed and he fished it out to take a better look of the list.

"Right, we gather back near the cashier once we're done." And with that, you two split up and searched the store for the items needed. It took you quite a while to find all of them as the items written, or well... typed down, were very specific. Seriously, who decided on these things!? You had to ask the staff working there multiple times to get the specific item you were looking for, which under circumstances is fine since technically helping customers is their job. But it didn't help that you are socially awkward human being.

After a good amount of time, you managed to get everything on your side of the list. Or well... most.

Your phone chimed and you take a look at the sender from the notification preview.

God striker: U done yet

You: Not yet (Read)

You: Only fireworks left (Read)

God striker: Seriously?

You: All the other stuff took a while kay (Read)

God striker: Where r u rn

You: Party streamers section (Read)

You: Y?

You waited a for him to respond, which he didn't. Didn't even read your last message. You tucked your phone away and walked towards the fireworks section. And not to your surprise, you were met with a variety of them. You take a look at the list. Out of all the things to not be specified, it was the fireworks. Screw your luck. Now how are you gonna choose from all this...

"There you are!" You turned back to see the gray haired lad with his signature thunder bolt tattoo. "I thought you said you were in the party streamers section," he huffed.

"That's the keyword, smarty. "Were." It means it was in the past," you grinned. "And speaking of which, I thought you said to gather at the cashier once we're done."

"Yea, which I was." He raised his basket full of items to prove his point. "You took too long so I came over. Were you that indecisive on what to buy?"

"I'm going to ignore that last part. But you did come at the right time. Now help me pick out the fireworks." He gave you a confused look. "Of all things that they didn't specify, it was the fireworks," you explained and showed him your part of the list.

He groaned in annoyance and walked over to a shelf. Scanning the selection for a while, he picked up a couple packs and put it in your basket. "That'll do."

"You sure?" Your arms were pulled by the now much heavier basket. "If they complain, I'm gonna say it was you."

"Well they should've specify what kind they of fireworks they wanted instead of what kind of wrapping paper," he smirked and started walking towards the direction of the cashier.

"Touché." You followed behind him. "We're using your credit card by the way."

He whipped his head towards you. "Excuse you, you were the one tasked with this. Use your own."

"Bold of you to assume I have one," you said rather smugly for some reason. Though it was only a guess, you were slightly surprised that he indeed have a credit card. Guess you shouldn't be too surprised since he is the heir of Kira Zaibatsu. "Besides, it's not cause I don't bring my wallet. I just didn't expect that we would end up with this much, the prices were also higher than expected. So I probably didn't bring enough money." After laying out your reasons, he clicked his tongue.

Despite his complaining while you two headed towards the counter, he still payed. Yes, he and only him. In your defense, you did tell him that you at least had enough to pay to half of it. But he wasn't listening to any of it. While you were heading back, your hands didn't just hurt from the cold, now it also hurt from carrying the heavy load. There was no way you were able to bring all this back had you gone alone.

"Gimme that," he sighed and snatched the back you were carrying and put it on the ground beside him. He then took off his gloves and shoved them into your hands. Guessing that you were suppose to use them, you did. A bit oversized, but nice and comfy otherwise. These are some nice quality stuff. He then proceeds to give you back the shopping bag. But once you were holding them, you noticed they were lighter. You looked at the content of the bag and they weren't the stuff you were carrying earlier, they were Hiroto's. You deduced that he have swapped your bags. Without saying anything, no jabs, teasing, or anything, he continued heading back. How... Not Hiroto-ish..?

You ran up to catch up with him, glancing at him. "I get that my face is handsome and all, but you should probably look where you're going," he teased with a smirk.

"What 'handsome face'?" You retorted, which earned you an elbow jab to the arm. "Ouch, and here I was thinking that you were gentleman. Guess not," you have the most exaggerated pout you could muster.

"Stop that. It looks disgusting." He faked throwing up and you elbowed him back. You both laughed.

"But seriously, thanks." He raised his brow. "For paying and the gloves. Oh, and the shopping bags, too. Would've gone pretty badly if I left alone."

He looked back ahead and said it was nothing. He was really good at keeping a straight face but the flushed tips of his ears really said everything you needed to know. You take back everything you said earlier, you're definitely glad that Hiroto came along now.

"We're back!" You shouted from the front door. After taking off you shoes, you were rammed by a body flying at you and now legs wobbling because the said body was hooked unto your neck. "Nae-chan! I'm gonna fall, I'm gonna fall!!"

And with that, you slipped along with her. You shut your eyes and prepared yourself, waiting for the impact to come... which didn't. It didn't? You took a small peek.

"Are you okay?" Worried grey eyes stared into yours. Realizing someone was supporting you from the back, you opened both your eyes confidently now.

"Ah, y-yes. I'm fine. Thanks, Shirou-kun." You got on your feet. You looked over on the other side, which had a similar scene but with Atsuya and Nae-chan instead. "Nae-chan, you're my best friend and I love you, but for the love of soccer, why did you do that?"

"'Cause~..!" She wrestled her way out of Atsuya's grasps. "You were gone for so long. Of course I was worried!" She said and latched unto you, again. You smacked her back light as a plead for her to let go, she was squeezing you pretty hard and you aren't too sure how should you feel about having breathing difficulties after just returning from the freezing cold.

"Shiratoya-san, they were only going to the craft store," Shirou-kun intervened. "I doubt that it's very dangerous. If dangerous at all."

"Aniki's right. And let go of her!" Atsuya came to your rescue and pried her iron squeeze off you. "You're more dangerous if anything right now. Were you trying to kill her?"

"What? Of course not!" She puffed her cheeks. "And of course it was dangerous, Shirou-kun! what do you mean 'not dangerous'!?"

"Now I'm interested what you mean by 'dangerous.' Explanation please?" You looked her her while rubbing the place where she rammed into you earlier.

"What!? You don't know, either!?" She looked at you like she was about to cry. "How can you be so unaware. Don't you know how dangerous wolves are!?"

"Wait, what- Wolves? What wolves??" You're swear you're starting to get a migraine from her antics.

"Kira-kun of course!" She flailed her arms around childishly as she said it. "You have to be more careful! What if he-"

"Woah, woah, woah..! Hold on a sec!" Atsuya cut her off. "Are you saying he tried something!? What did he do?" This time you were confronted with Atsuya instead.

"Wait, hold on." You rubbed your temples. You were definitely getting a migraine. "You're saying Hiroto is a wolf?"

"Yes!"

"Shiratoya-san, I don't think you should be saying something like that about Kira-kun. He's rough around the edges, but he's a good person."

"Finally, someone with sensible," you sighed. "He's right. I have absolutely no idea where you two are coming from."

"Ooooh, you just have no idea, do you?" Nae-chan looked back and forth between you and Shirou-kun, while Atsuya was glaring daggers to the direction of the living room which Hiroto have disappeared to earlier to deliver the bags of decor.

"Know what?" You raised your brow.

"That he-" She was cut off by a hand flying to shut her mouth. She struggled to get the hand off, but alas, Atsuya was much stronger than her. And thus leaving, what you assume are muffled complaints.

"Atsuya," Shirou-kun scolded lightly. Atsuya let her go and she stick her tongue at him childishly. "Sorry, what were you about to say, Shiratoya-san?"

"I was saying that Hi-"

"There is nothing wrong," Atsuya cut her, again. "There isn't anything wrong, I just misheard something and thought it was a big deal. Nae is just fooling around, again. Isn't that right?" He gave her a warning look.

"Yeeees. That's right. Nothing wrong," she said in a clearly fake smile as the edge of it was twitching ever so slightly.

"Are you sure?" You pressed.

"Yup! Nothing!" She say louder. "In fact, why don't you go now and help Shirou-kun and the others decorate the place, hmm~? I have something I want to talk about with Atsuya-kun first." She grabbed both you and Shirou-kun and pushed you out the premises.

"Okay, if you say so. Shall we go then?" Shirou-kun looked at you.

"Sure." You let Shirou-kun lead the way. "Which room are we in charge of?"

He chuckled. "Not exactly a room. I'm in charge of the backyard."

"Out in the cold, again, huh. Just my luck," you sighed.

"It's not that bad. Come on." And with that, you two head to the back.

________________________

Tori: Hey there everyone, this is it for my New Year's special part 1. I will be continuing this again later. And I promise it won't be like a month later or something

Haizaki: You better

Tori: Huehue... Yes I promise kay TwT

Haizaki: There are some more details regarding some changes that happened in Tori's other book (Inazuma Randoms) which was published earlier. Feel free to check that out.

Tori: That's right. Well with that out of the way, thank you everyone for reading and have a Happy New Year and best wishes! Stay safe everyone! Bye!

Word count: 2097
31.12.2020