From taiyaki, tamagoyaki, daifuku, and tri-colored dango to crepes and ice cream cones, the two spent quite a while wandering outside—until snowflakes as light as willow catkins began to fall.
Fortunately, the sudden snowfall was light. Kaoru quickly pulled Ichinose into the shopping center, their hair and shoulders only lightly dusted with snowflakes that soon melted away.
"Your hair's a mess." Ichinose stood on her tiptoes, leaning closer as she reached up to adjust his bangs.
"It's a little damp. Hold still, let me wipe it for you."
The girl always carried her own handkerchief—a blue one with floral patterns, faintly scented, much like the citrus fragrance that always lingered around her.
Kaoru stayed still but gently brushed the snow off her shoulders.
After their time outside, her cheeks were flushed red from the cold, and even the tips of her ears peeking out from her scarf had a delicate pink hue.
"These dango are pretty good." Kaoru held a box of tri-colored dango in one hand, spearing one with a stick and casually offering it to Ichinose's lips.
"Hmph, this is the most popular dessert from the most beloved sweets shop among girls." She took a bite of the dango he offered while tucking her handkerchief away.
"Mmm, that should do it."
Just as Kaoru was about to speak, he noticed her pulling out a gray scarf with a cross pattern from her small bag, casually wrapping it around his neck.
"I was planning to give this to you at the end, but since it snowed, it's perfect timing." Ichinose took a step back, eyeing him up and down.
"It suits you, just like I imagined."
Kaoru touched the scarf.
Though he couldn't see how it looked, it was undeniably warm.
"Do you… not like it?" Ichinose watched him nervously.
This was her first time giving a gift to a boy, and she couldn't bring herself to admit she had knitted it herself.
Yes, back when she had jokingly "reserved" him for Christmas, she had already decided to knit him a scarf.
While preparing for final exams, Ichinose had hidden in her room knitting, which was why she had rarely seen Kaoru during that time.
Thanks to her past experience, she hadn't struggled at all—in fact, she had knitted four or five scarves in different styles.
But thinking Kaoru might not prefer anything too flashy, she had settled on a simple, elegant design.
"Quite the opposite, I like it immensely."
In truth, Kaoru already had an inkling—this scarf came without packaging, and its design differed from store-bought ones.
"Good thing I wasn't planning to buy a scarf, or I'd have missed out on Honami's gift."
"If you'd bought one, I wouldn't have given you this," Ichinose puffed her cheeks slightly in displeasure.
She'd been observing Kaoru carefully, after all!
Had he owned a scarf, she would've opted for gloves instead.
And if he'd had gloves too, she still had other gifts in mind.
"Just kidding. No store-bought scarf could ever compare to Honami's gift. I'd throw away any others without hesitation." Kaoru chuckled.
Receiving a handmade gift from a girl was priceless in itself—let alone a handmade scarf from his girlfriend.
That sounded exactly like something he'd do. Ichinose's cheeks flushed slightly pink.
Noticing this, Kaoru promptly handed her the box of dango and picked up her handkerchief, carefully drying the snowflakes from her hair.
"I might've gotten a bit carried away."
"That's alright. Kaoru can be surprisingly gentle sometimes."
"Don't say that—I'm just returning your kindness."
"Have I changed you at all, Kaoru?"
"I suppose you have."
"Then isn't it perfectly natural for the Kaoru I've changed to become more gentle?"
"That does sound logical."
As Kaoru worked, the girl's long hair cascaded freely.
He handled it with deliberate care, avoiding any roughness that might disturb her carefully arranged style.
Many girls took great pride in their meticulously styled hair and wouldn't tolerate anyone mussing it up.
Perhaps due to their height difference or the earlier haste, he could see that Ichinose Honami's coat had shifted slightly ajar, revealing a glimpse of her white sweater beneath the scarf.
The snug garment tightly embraced a pair of full, perky fruits, allowing one to almost visualize the shape of tender pink flesh pressed together in delightful abundance.
Ichinose stood still, allowing him to wipe her long hair without noticing his gaze.
Even if she had known, she wouldn't have minded.
She took a bite of a dumpling, then mimicked him by skewering one and bringing it to his lips.
Having already shared kisses and more intimate moments, this kind of mutual feeding was now a trivial, everyday occurrence—though the first time had been a little nerve-wracking.
Watching him bite onto the skewer she had just held between her lips, the girl pursed her own, her mind swirling with thoughts.
"Should we go see a movie next?" Kaoru asked.
Though Keyaki Mall had decent facilities, it couldn't compare to the vibrant world outside.
It merely met the basic needs of students.
Places like amusement parks, arcades, and aquariums were practically nonexistent here.
Besides, after two semesters of living on campus, they had already explored every corner worth visiting.
But wasn't this supposed to be the gift-giving part?
Though it felt a little odd, Ichinose didn't dwell on it.
She knew Kaoru wouldn't forget something like that.
"Sure, let's watch a movie."
Kaoru withdrew his gaze from the top of her head and took her small hand in his.
The two strolled leisurely toward the screening room, passing Kouenji along the way, who was shopping with a few senior girls.
This was a small theater with only two screening rooms, often struggling with low attendance.
As a result, showtimes were limited.
Today, however, the place was unusually packed, with the best seats nearly full.
Left with no choice, the two settled into seats near the back, quietly waiting for the film to start.
But several other young couples had also chosen the rear rows. In the dim lighting, the suggestive atmosphere seemed to stir impulsive urges—Kaoru could already spot a few pairs kissing.
Ichinose noticed them too.
Her hands unconsciously gripped the hem of her clothes, her cheeks flushing.
Had she made that same expression when kissing Kaoru?
"There's actually something I wanted to tell you," Kaoru said slowly.
"What is it?" Ichinose snapped out of her thoughts, her mind racing with possibilities—perhaps something about his harem.
Kaoru reached into his pocket and pulled something out.
In the darkness, she could barely make out the shape—something slender.
Just as confusion set in, he uttered two soft words.
"Hair clip."
The girl froze.
Kaoru placed the clip in her palm.
The texture confirmed it—a delicate little hair accessory, likely adorned with a cute design.
It had been so long since Ichinose had touched a hair clip.
From the time of her apology to her enrollment in this school, over nearly two years, she had deliberately avoided all hair clips—even anything resembling one.
Even though she had long since moved past that emotional knot, the old fears and guilt flickered through her mind, making her fingertips tremble slightly.
"Eh… i-is this a gift from you, Kaoru?" Her voice wavered, her expression stiff.
But surely he couldn't see her clearly in the dark.
Yet Kaoru shook his head.
"This is a Christmas present from your little sister."
Ichinose's eyes widened instantly, even more stunned than before.
She completely forgot about the hairpin, staring at Kaoru in disbelief.
"Y-you mean... my sister? Are you joking? Is this for real?"
Faced with her agitation, Kaoru nodded.
"I went out yesterday and ran into your sister. I told her I was your boyfriend, and she gave me this hairpin, saying it was her Christmas gift for you."
"You left the school yesterday?" Ichinose was dumbfounded.
What shocked her even more was—'Not only did you go out, but you actually found my sister?'
"I checked the school's admission records and saw the name of your previous school. After that, I asked around the area and happened to meet your sister," Kaoru explained simply.
"She didn't believe I was your boyfriend at first, so I showed her a photo of us together."
"W-wait, why did you have to show her that?!" Ichinose's face flushed completely red.
"She looked really skeptical, so I had to prove it," Kaoru said. "After seeing the photo, she suddenly became really friendly and even took me to your house—"
"S-stop! Don't say anymore!" Ichinose covered his mouth, her face burning.
Her heart pounded wildly—what kind of situation was this? He actually went to her home?!
Kaoru gently pulled her hand away and continued.
"I told her how you've been at school. She was happy, but also a little guilty. She felt like it was her fault that you were so down for so long."
Ichinose fell silent, the blush on her face slowly fading.
"This hairpin was something she picked out herself. She asked me to give it to you." Kaoru picked up the hairpin that had fallen to the ground earlier and placed it back in her hand.
Ichinose clutched the hairpin tightly.
In the dim light, it was hard to tell whether she was happy or upset—only that her shoulders trembled slightly.
"I... I never blamed her. Not once. I've always loved her, loved my sister, loved Mom... They're my favorite family. She didn't have to do this..."
No matter how hard she tried to suppress her emotions, a hint of tears still seeped into her voice.
"That's not it," Kaoru countered. "It's not about whether you love them or not. Even though you're the older sister, sometimes you need to understand how your little sister feels and accept her apology."
"A-apology?" Ichinose watched as he pulled out his phone, confused by his actions.
"At home, she was too embarrassed to say it to you directly. But if it's through a phone, it should be fine." Kaoru held the phone up, pressing the speaker close to her ear before playing a recording.
The next moment, a familiar voice reached Ichinose's ears.
"Big sis... how have you been lately?"
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