・・・ ix ・・・

"I'm sorry. This must have been really sudden for you, wasn't it?" Rie apologized.

She was sitting with him on the bench.

By their side were paper bags filled with the decorations they had bought.

He quietly shook his head.

They were inside the mall.

Around them, themes of Christmas were portrayed at every glance.

There were faces of Santa Claus plastered in front of stores.

The ceiling was glittering with huge silver snowflakes and reindeers.

From the building's speakers, a faint, jolly song was being played.

Christmas...

That's right. It's almost Christmas.

He had forgotten about it.

After all, he didn't celebrate it anymore.

He blinked, looking at his childhood friend.

Leo was standing a few feet ahead of them,
talking to a storekeeper about which Christmas tree they had on display was the best.

Apparently, they needed to get one because he claimed it wouldn't be a real 'Christmas' without a star on top of a tree.

Ao didn't understand why Leo was stubborn about it.

Years ago, he had decided there was no point in celebrating anything.

Leo, however, seemed to think otherwise.

・・・ x ・・・

Of course, in the end, Ao relented.

Leo was often always the one who won in their arguments, even from before. Though that only applied to childish things, however.

"Leo-kun... is a really kind person, isn't he?" Rie suddenly said.

Ao turned to her, slightly surprised.
Then, he nodded slightly.

"He... is."

He always was.

She shifted in her seat and tilted her head.

"Hey, Ao-kun... If you wouldn't mind me asking..." she trailed off, sounding cautious.

"... How long have you two known each other?"

Ao blinked.

He paused before answering,
the words hesitating in his throat.

"A... long time."

His voice was quiet to his ear.

"... We were still little when we first met."

A warm smile appeared on Rie's face.
She made a small laugh.

"Hmm, I'm really jealous. I've always wanted a childhood friend, too. I think it's amazing how you're still close despite how long it's already been."

Ao glanced at the floor as he heard her say that.

Ah.
I wonder if that's true...

Again, the only thing he could do was shake his head.

・・・ xi ・・・

"Oh, that reminds me... which college does Leo go to? I don't think I've seen him before in ours."

Rie asked this after a few moments.

Ao parted his mouth and answered carefully.

"That's... because he doesn't go to our uni.
He's studying abroad, in America."

Rie blinked in surprise. "Eh? Really?"

He nodded.

"Leo is a half," he said. "Their family owns a corporation in America."

"E-Eh? Really?"

He nodded once again.

"That's... amazing...." Rie trailed off, her expression filled with awe.

She looked over at Leo.

"Ah, but what about his studies?
Why is he in Japan right now?"

Ao followed her gaze.
He hesitated, his own words a small whisper.

"... I don't know," he said.

He recalled what Leo had told him when he had asked about it.

'Oh. That. I... went on a break.'

When Leo had said those words,
there was a slight change in his tone.

Ao knew that reaction too well.

There was something he was hiding.
Something he didn't want him to know.

For a few seconds, Ao wondered what Leo had really meant by those words.

・・・ xii ・・・

In the end, they had finished shopping by four.

Leo was the one who paid for everything.

"No worries. I have no problem with money," he said with a grin.

"And after all, I was the one who suggested the whole thing."

On the other hand, Rie would be staying a little longer at the mall.

She told them she was going to buy groceries.

As they prepared to part ways,
Leo frowned at her.

"Rie, we could go with you. It's not that bothersome... and you came here with us in the first place," he said.

She shook her head.

"No, it's okay, Leo-kun. Plus... I'm sure Ao-kun would like some peace and quiet now.
We dragged him here after all. It's okay."

Rie glanced at Ao who was standing silently behind him.

"You both should go already," she urged. "You... have a lot to talk about, I'm sure."

As they separated, Leo waved her goodbye.

Ao nodded slightly.

Rie smiled at them.

Like last time, they watched her fade into the crowd until she disappeared.