Time slipped by lazily, the winter sun filtering through the curtains.
Meanwhile, Alya was in full goblin mode—darting from her wardrobe to the mirror, then back again, mumbling to herself like she was plotting a bank heist.
"What about this one? No… too plain. This? Ugh, no. The colour makes me look like I haven't slept in a week," she muttered, tossing yet another sweater onto the growing mountain of clothes on her bed.
Sera sat at the dining table, chin propped up on her hand, watching with a mix of boredom and mild amusement.
"Just wear something pink—it suits you," she said flatly, like this was the fiftieth time she'd had to give fashion advice to a panicking Alya.
"PINK?" Alya spun around, eyes wide. "What if his grandma hates pink?"
"Then she needs new taste," Sera replied without missing a beat. "Problem solved."
"That's not the point!" Alya groaned, grabbing a scarf and throwing it dramatically onto her bed. "First impressions are everything, Sera! One wrong move and I'll be branded as the girl who wore the wrong colour for the rest of my life."
Sera took a slow sip of her tea. "Right. And the two hours we still have before we even need to leave… what's the plan for those? Changing outfits twenty more times?"
Alya froze mid-step, then narrowed her eyes. "…Possibly."
Sera sighed, leaning back in her chair. "Fine, fine. Take your sweet time. Just don't burn yourself out before you even meet the grandma."
But Alya was already back at her closet, muttering about "plan B colour palettes" like a soldier preparing for battle.
Meanwhile, Rei was sprawled across his bed, enjoying a lazy afternoon nap.
He cracked one eye open, grabbed his phone, and checked the time.
"Still two hours left? Sweet. That's… at least one more dream," he mumbled before happily sinking back into his pillow.
Sia was curled up on the couch, absentmindedly stroking her cat. "Hmm… a flower-designed kimono? Or just a hoodie and jeans? Or maybe—ugh, forget it, I'll just wear something," she muttered, clearly losing the mental battle with her own wardrobe.
Souta, on the other hand, was completely unbothered—sitting cross-legged on the floor, controller in hand, eyes glued to his video game like there was nothing else going on today.
In his room, Chris sat at his desk, calmly sketching, pencil gliding across paper. No rush, no panic—just quiet focus, like he had the whole day to himself.
Airi was tucked into a chair, a recipe book open in her lap. She was flipping through the pages slowly, a small smile tugging at her lips. Clearly, she had a very particular "someone" in mind.
And Haruta? He was in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, surrounded by the warm smell of freshly cooked dishes.
"We've already made plenty of main and side dishes," he said to the maid, a satisfied look on his face.
"Now… let's make dessert."
"What dessert, specifically, Master?" she asked.
"Cheesecakes and custard-stuffed muffins," Haruta replied without hesitation.
"Okay," she said, heading for the pantry.
Haruta's voice dropped to a whisper, almost to himself.
"It's her favourite… after all."
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They all met at Sia's doorstep, breaths visible in the chilly air. The snow crunched under their boots as they started walking together toward Haruta's place.
"Man, it's freezing," Rei muttered, shoving his hands deeper into his pockets.
"That's what gloves are for," Airi said, holding her own hands out like she was showing them off.
Chris was walking quietly, watching the snowflakes land on his sleeve. "They look like tiny stars," he murmured, more to himself than anyone else.
Alya was practically skipping. "This is so nice! It's like one of those slice-of-life anime scenes."
"Yeah," Souta said, glancing at her. "Except in those scenes, no one's ears are about to freeze off."
Sia laughed, pulling her scarf higher over her face. "Come on, it's not that bad."
-- to be continued
-~Rei