Boxing Day.
On this rare early morning, all members of the Arius Squad gathered in one place. Even Misaki, who usually woke up as early as Saori to go to school, was present on this particular day.
The gifts exchanged among the squad members were all quite similar. Not only was it their first time giving and receiving presents at Christmas, but they also knew each other’s tastes and interests well since they had known each other for a long time.
The only difference among them was probably how Misaki had changed her affiliation to the Rescue Knights.
Atsuko and Hiyori, for instance, had used the pocket money they received from Mika to buy medical books as gifts for Azusa and Saori. After receiving such gifts, Misaki grumbled that they were futile, but she couldn’t hide the slight quirk of her lips.
Unlike previous Christmases, this year’s celebration held a special meaning for them. As the circumstances and mindsets of the squad kids changed a little, they found the energy to care about the day and its significance for the first time.
Especially Atsuko and Saori, who had occasionally ventured into the labor market to earn a significant amount of money using their skills, were in a financially freer state compared to the early days when they first received pocket money from Mika.
Based on this financial power, Saori had used Mika’s connections to buy SRT’s neck mics and weapon lights as gifts for the squad members, saying, “So, you mean you also gave this to Mika, right?”
“…Yeah. Is there a problem with that?”
“Leader, you’re such a fool…”
“…?”
“…Exactly. Isn’t it better if Mika just takes you two along with her?”
“Wait, Misaki. I don’t get it. What did I do wrong?”
“Not knowing is fine. You two still have a long way to go…”
Shaking her head at Saori, who was adorned with a ‘?’ over her head, and Azusa, who had a ‘???’ above hers, Misaki felt perplexed. Saori was one thing, but why was Azusa, who usually mingled more with others, acting that way?
“I actually think it’s great because it suits Saori. Mika isn’t expecting a huge gift, after all. Yes, I learned that what’s important in a gift is the thought behind it.”
“Then that’s a relief.”
“So what did the princess gift?”
Misaki asked Atsuko, who was taking something out from a gift box resting on her lap and placing it on her head.
“I gave her a flower suitable for Christmas. I went over the precautions because it’s cold, so I guess it slipped out… but still, I’m glad she liked it.”
“If it’s Mika, she probably expected the princess to give her flowers anyway. But what about that floral crown…?”
Atsuko adjusted the position of the crown on her head and pulled out a note from the box.
“A crown for the princess (laughs)…?”
“Hmm, it’s not fresh flowers. That’s good; they won’t wilt.”
With a giggle, Atsuko picked up the next gift box.
“Oh, it’s from Mika. Where…?”
As soon as Mika’s name came up, the eyes of the other four members were drawn to it. Pretending not to care, Misaki couldn’t help casting a subtle glance that way. Regardless of everything, she couldn’t ignore someone who indirectly nudged her toward a new path.
“…A badge?”
The first thing that came into Atsuko’s hand was a badge emblazoned with the symbol of the T-party. It clearly indicated that Atsuko was chosen as a member of the T-party, but Atsuko casually put it back in the box and pulled out the real gift.
A booklet detailing how to care for forget-me-nots, roses, and cornflowers, along with some seeds included. After perusing the booklet entirely penned in Mika’s handwriting for a while, Atsuko smiled softly and hugged it closely.
Seeing Atsuko’s expression, the other kids began unwrapping Mika’s gifts in silence.
“Eh, eh?!”
“What’s wrong, Hiyori… hmm?”
“This is… the latest A~pad.”
“And an A~pencil too.”
“A diagram of how to easily sauté gorilla like a cake? A to Z?”
Hiyori’s eyes were shaking intensely. This was obviously a push for her to study clothing design. After all, other than school and the forced training imposed by Saori, all she did was browse fashion magazines! She had no vision for her future, but still, for someone to dictate her career path like this…!
“Hehehe… Can I just cling to Mika-chan for life…?”
“…Your mindset is all wrong. This, I can say for sure Mika did well.”
Though saying so with her mouth, Hiyori immediately clutched the box containing the A~pad to her chest and turned her attention away from any other presents to unwrap her book.
Across her, Saori was half-dazed after seeing a pouch filled with high-end cosmetics and the note inside.
[Misono Mika’s curated collection☆]
[If you want to learn how to do makeup, feel free to come anytime.]
Saori scratched her head, pondering when she had ever shown interest in cosmetics to Mika, but no clear answer came to her mind. How could Mika have known she was abusing her privileges as a possessor?
“C-cute…!”
Suddenly, Azusa’s exclamation drew everyone’s attention, but their curiosity quickly faded into coldness. They were all wondering what was in the oversized gift box that was about Azusa’s size, but once it was revealed to be a custom-made gigantic Skullman plushie, no one showed any further interest.
At the same time, Hifumi, who had received a similar Peroro plushie, felt her heart stop, likely sharing Azusa’s sentiment, but sadly, the Arius Squad’s Momo Friends were shockingly indifferent.
Nevertheless, while cuddling the plushie and rubbing her cheeks against it, Azusa discovered her second gift.
[This is a birthday gift♡]
[Happy birthday to our squirrel!]
Now that she mentioned it, today was her birthday.
The squad members hardly celebrated their birthdays, and they had no emotional bandwidth for it, so even Azusa herself had forgotten. It seemed Mika remembered it, or had confirmed it through Momotalk beforehand.
Thinking Mika was more likely to remember, Azusa opened the box.
What popped out was…
[Access to the Bamboo Grove is prohibited for three months starting today.]
“…?!”
Azusa’s eyes widened. The note that popped out contained something completely unexpected.
The Trinity Bamboo Grove was like her lifeblood, so how could they do such a thing…
[Instead, if you succeed, I’ll grant you one wish.]
Exactly 30 seconds later, a message appeared on Azusa’s phone screen confirming the deletion of the Bamboo Grove app.
Finally, Misaki, checking one last gift from Mika, had a strange expression.
Two tickets for a hot spring inn.
[Go and relax with Serina-chan☆]
…Was there a hot spring inn in Trinity?
Holding back that question, Misaki closed her eyes upon seeing the beaming smiles blooming on everyone’s faces.
To Saori, who wouldn’t let her be swallowed by a lifetime of pain.
To Mika, who broke the chain of that pain.
And to Serina, who took care of her so she could escape from the shadows, Misaki thought endlessly about her gratitude…
*
“Uhe~ Shiroko-chan, look at this! A fish-patterned scarf, Mika-chan’s sense really touched this old man a bit. Just as practical as the whale cushion I sent as a gift. But… umm. I’m not really sure why this means I should return the scarf I stole~?”
“…?”
“This is a gift for Shiroko-chan—— Ugh, phhht! Phew, ugh, the sandstorm just keeps getting worse…”
As Hoshino spat out the sand that got in her mouth, Shiroko, the girl with wolf ears who received the gift, tilted her head. Distinguished by heterochromia, her name was Sunaokami Shiroko. She would later become the most notorious bank robber in Kivotos.
“I did need a new scarf, so I guess it’s fine… yawww.”
Saying that, while yawning in front of Hoshino, Shiroko suddenly shifted her weight forward when someone unexpectedly hugged her from behind.
“Oh, Shiroko-chan received a gift too? Mika-san looks even more thoughtful than expected!”
“…More thoughtful?”
“Yes, more thoughtful. From the outside, I mean… uumm, she seems like the type who might occasionally make bizarre mistakes? That’s the feeling I get.”
None of them knew how accurate Nonomi’s assessment was. In fact, Shiroko had never met Mika, so it was natural for her to be unaware.
“So, what did Nonomi-chan get? If it matches even half of this old man’s beautiful scarf… Uhe~?! What the?!”
“Huh? What could it be, Hoshino-senpai? Of course, it’s a gift from Mika-san☆”
“T-this is discrimination…!”
Spotting the clover-shaped earrings dangling from one of Nonomi’s ear lobes, Hoshino exclaimed playfully. Although she had no dissatisfaction about her gift, jewelry was just cumbersome in a fight, so it was clear she wouldn’t wear it even if she received such gifts.
“Okay! Now it’s Shiroko-chan’s turn~☆”
“…Mm.”
Zzzz.
Shiroko, nodding slightly, roughly tore off the wrapping paper.
“…Uhe?”
Siiiich. Siiiich.
“…”
Surprisingly, Mika hadn’t paid attention to what was going on, but for some reason, it made the two watching feel overly cautious.
Shiroko’s eyes widened upon opening the box. Inside was something that distinctly tickled her fancy.
“Nonomi-chan, this old man is a bit… worried about Mika-chan’s mental state.”
“Oh? Hoshino-senpai too?”
Those two were completely oblivious. How could they have such thoughts about such a brilliant gift?
[The Murderers]
From the title alone, to the cover depicting the protagonist riding a motorcycle through explosions, it was a movie enough to ignite fire in Shiroko’s heart.
“…Ah!”
“Hmm?”
“Oh, speaking of which, I completely forgot to send a gift.”
“How on earth did that happen? This old man never forgets those kinds of things.”
“Well, yeah. We were planning to use Mika-san as our school uniform model to attract new students, but now it might be better to scrap that plan.”
Abydos awaited a bright and glorious future.
…Probably.
