Upon returning to the community center kitchen, I found Yukinoshita slumped in a chair and Yuigahama munching away on some cookies. Uh, those cookies are for the gift bags at the end… Well, if there was extra, it was fine.
"Hey. Did you finish all the cakes?" I asked.
Yukinoshita pointed to the counter. "We made it in time, somehow… How is the play going?"
"Good. It's about time to carry in the last one." I lifted the final cake. Yuigahama finished her last cookie, dusted off her hands, and stood, and Yukinoshita followed.
"I wish I could've seen the play, too," Yuigahama lamented.
"You can see the last scene, so that works out, right?" I suggested. "Let's go." And then with the final cake in hand, we went up the stairs, carrying it to the hall. We'd already carried in the other finished cakes.
In front of the double doors to the hall were a few of the preschool kids and the day care workers. The vice president was also there with an earpiece on, sticking close to the doors.
"It's time," he said. "Counting on you to get it ready."
"Right," I replied. I entrusted my cake to Yuigahama, then put my hand on the door opposite the vice president. During a certain scene, we would open both doors at the same time.
Cracking open the doors to peek at the stage, I saw they were approaching the final scene.
"Then put the pork chops on the stove," said the kid who played the husband, and they had a modest Christmas dinner onstage. What followed was a narration by the other elementary school kids.
"Of all the people giving gifts, these two were the wisest."
"Of all the people who exchange gifts, the wisest are the ones who would do the same."
"No matter where you are in the world, people like this are the true magi."
"…So from us to them, and to all of you. We offer the gift of our hearts…"
"Merry Christmas!"
The overlapping narration of many voices concluded the story, and then, an angel popped out onstage.
"Merry Christmaaaaas!"
Appearing from the wings of the stage was Kawasaki's little sister, Keika. She was wearing an angel costume and carrying a cake. Glancing over at the audience, I saw Kawasaki watching her nervously. Are you her mom, or what?
The entrance of the adorable angel made the audience excitedly exclaim, "Ohhh!"
That moment, the vice president and I exchanged an eye signal, and without missing a beat, we opened up the doors to the hall.
Preschool kids in angel costumes came in holding cakes, just like Keika. The itty-bitty angels carried the cakes to the seniors in the audience seats. The cuteness of the little kids made the seniors burst into smiles.
But the performance wasn't over yet.
"Merry Christmas!"
On the stage, Keika, Rumi, and the kid who played the husband lit candles, then went around lighting the candles the angel preschoolers had distributed.
The candles onstage and the ones held by assistants in the audience were lit at nearly the same time. The only electric lighting now was the single spotlight onstage. One by one, the angels ignited the tiny flames in the audience, spreading to fill the whole hall with warm, soft light that brought stage and audience together.
As the audience become part of this singular spectacle, sighs could be heard from their seats. The same went for the three of us, watching from the back of the hall.
"…Well, I'd give it a passing grade," Yukinoshita muttered, watching beside me. Despite her remark, she had a rather broad smile on her face. She just can't be honest about these things.
The essence of service is the degree of the audience's satisfaction. A one-time diversion hinges on their level of satisfaction as it happens. It's only enjoyed once, so the experience of the mood in that moment is enough.
This was the answer Isshiki had arrived at, using Yukinoshita's suggestions.
I was impressed she'd planned this. I guess this is the Destiny Land effect? Hey, wait…
"Oh, this is so nice, like a something-or-other-fire," Yuigahama said, pulling out an English word.
Yukinoshita replied calmly with the correct English terminology, "It's a candlelight service."
"Did you mix that up with campfire?" I asked Yuigahama.
"Th-they're similar, right?" she retorted indignantly, and I smiled wryly at her.
Then onstage, the curtain call began. The performers and narrators were called in and introduced, and then they bowed.
When angel Keika came out, Kawasaki was taking pictures like mad. Seriously, are you her mom or something?
Then at the end, the star of the show emerged. The particularly loud applause seemed to confuse her, but when everyone onstage joined hands, Rumi took a big bow.
At the very back of the hall, beyond the candlelight of the audience seats, I was watching now. I found myself tearing up a bit at Rumi's big moment. I feel blessed as her producer, seriously.
I'll never forget this performance today!
After that, we shifted right into a Christmas party, with tea, cake, and gingerbread cookies as refreshments. Both the Kaihin and Soubu students pecked at the cakes as they chatted with one another. We staff members joined the party as we took turns serving the little
kids and the seniors. I also walked through the hall checking for empty cups or utensils to take away.
When I looked around, my eyes caught Tamanawa's as he was eating cake. He swept his bangs aside with his fingers and turned away. Nearby, Orimoto was clinking paper cups with her friends and laughing.
Close to the stage by Hayama and his friends was a little crowd of people. It seemed he'd been discovered by the elementary school kids. He was just as popular as he had been during that camping trip.
And surprisingly, Rumi was among them.
I don't know what she was talking about with Hayama and the others.
But the smile on her face then didn't cause an ache in my chest. It lit a small yet warm light, like a faint candle.
I walked through the school building at dusk.
By the time we were done finishing the event and tidying up, it had gotten pretty late.
While cleaning up, we'd carried the tools and other things we'd used for the event to the student council room, but that place was already overflowing with Isshiki's personal effects. We had nowhere to store them.
I had tried to throw away the tinsel and ornaments, but since Isshiki had insisted we might use them someday, we were holding on to them. That's such a classic example of failure to clean up, you know… Left with no choice, we wound up temporarily dumping it in the Service Club room, a task I'd left to Yukinoshita and Yuigahama.
After that, I'd been forced to help organize the student council room, but I'd finally been released from that duty. Now I'd go report to the other two back in the clubroom that I'd finished, and then we'd go home.
Because winter break had begun, no one was walking through the hallway of the special-use building except for me. The sound of my footsteps rang particularly loud in the quiet hallway.
I put my hand on the door of the clubroom. That moment, a nice smell wafted toward me. When I went inside, it was a little warm.
"Oh, welcome back."
"Done working?"
Yuigahama was sitting in her usual seat, while Yukinoshita was in the middle of pouring tea. I sat down in my own chair and gazed at the tea on the desk. Was this what that scent and warmth had been? I hadn't seen this for a whole month, and it felt like even longer.
"It's ready, Yuigahama," Yukinoshita said when she was done setting out black tea.
On the desk was a mug printed with a sagging, apathetic-looking dog and a pretty teacup on a saucer. Each of their owners took them in hand.
There was one more serving, a Japanese teacup with Ginnie the Grue printed on it.
Steam was wafting from the handleless teacup.
"Huh? What's with this?" I figured the tea was probably for me, but I was pretty sure they'd been pouring me tea in a paper cup before.
Yuigahama and Yukinoshita both replied to my question simultaneously.
"A Christmas present!"
"It's not a good use of resources for only one of us to use paper cups."
They were not on the same page with their reasons… I turned to Yuigahama, silently asking which one of them was right. She seemed pleased, explaining excitedly, "The two of us bought it! I chose the cup style, and Yukinon chose the pattern!"
I can tell… The taste involved in the selection of a Japanese teacup, even though we drank black tea, along with the Grue-bear print, had given me the gist. But what I didn't understand was when they'd had this exchange of presents. Hey, I never got an invitation.
"Uh, but I didn't get you anything…," I said, scratching my cheek with an apologetic tone, being on the receiving end with nothing to return.
Setting her teacup down on her saucer, Yukinoshita said calmly,
"Don't worry about it. It's just for you to use instead of a paper cup."
All right, so you're sticking with the paper cup argument until the end, huh…? Well, that was fine. Even if it was just to replace a paper cup, I wasn't stubborn or childish enough to get angry over receiving a present. "…Thanks for the cup." The thanks was quite sincere, for me.
Yuigahama replied with a smug smile. "You're welcome!"
Also, if I was going to say thanks, there was one more I had to offer. "And th…thanks…for your help…on the request, too. We pulled it off because of you two." I immediately lowered my head in a bow, then stayed like that for a while.
I'd thought I'd never make it to the end of the event, that no one would take responsibility until it was all over, but by making this request of them, we'd managed to finish it without a hitch. I didn't know if I'd managed to take personal responsibility, but I wanted to bow my head and give them the thanks they deserved.
"The request isn't over yet, is it?" Yukinoshita said to my bowed head. Not understanding her reply, I jerked it up again.
She traced the rim of her teacup with her finger, looking a little embarrassed and a little exasperated, and smiled. "…I said I'd accept your request, didn't I?"
"Uh, but that's done. What is this, some kind of riddle?" I asked.
Yukinoshita broke into a sudden, pleasant smile. "Yes, maybe it is."
Her smile and mischievous voice were angelic. She seemed different from how mature she usually came off, and I got the feeling I was seeing a side of her I'd never known before. Nonetheless, I didn't know the answer to the riddle.
Yuigahama, who'd been spacing out watching our exchange, suddenly made a tiny "Ah!" Looking nowhere in particular, she muttered, "I…get it… Maybe you don't need to know, Hikki." "What?" I tried to ask back.
But Yuigahama energetically slapped the desk and stood up. "Well, anyway! What're we gonna do for our Christmas? Like after this? Oh, or tomorrow! It's still Christmas! Let's have a party!" "Uh, no, let's not…," I said.
But it seemed Yuigahama had no intention of listening to my answer, and she turned to Yukinoshita. "Do you…have plans, Yukinon?" Her tone was cautious—she was probably worried about that casual, superficial conversation before, when she'd asked Yukinoshita about her Christmas plans.
But Yukinoshita responded with a peaceful yet wry little smile. "…If you're doing something, then I'll make the time."
Yuigahama lit up at the answer. "Really?! Yay! Then it's settled."
"You're not gonna ask me for my plans…? Or are you trying to say indirectly that I'm not invited?"
"I mean, you obviously won't have plans, Hikki… Oh, the party! I'd like to eat your cake, Yukinon!"
"The cake you were just eating was one I made, though… And besides, I don't want to make another. After that many, I don't want to bake any more for a while…" Apparently, the task had been hard on her; Yukinoshita had clearly had enough.
Uh, I feel like you were pretty into it when you were making them, though…
Seeing Yukinoshita's reluctance, Yuigahama moaned. "Urgh…if you won't make them, Yukinon…then, oh, should I make one?" she said, pointing at herself proudly.
Yukinoshita's expression sank into despair. "If you say that, I'll have to make one whether I like it or not…"
"That's a really mean way to put it! Oh, then why don't we make one together?!" Yuigahama examined Yukinoshita's face with a smile, and Yukinoshita couldn't reply for a moment.
Then she seemed to give up, breathing a short sigh with a smile. "…Yes, I could consider that."
She's fallen… Looking between that broad smile and that little one, a little smirk rose to my lips as well as I looked away.
When I happened to look outside the window, the setting sun was dazzling. The last rays came in before it sank into the sea, and for the briefest moment, the room was filled with light. Still, the night would come, and the cold with it.
But today was Christmas, and I didn't mind the warmth for this one night.
If wishes can be granted, and if I could get what I want.
I'm sure I wouldn't wish for anything or want anything.
Because anything you're given is most likely fake, and you will one day lose it.
Your wishes are formless; you can't touch your desires.
And it's possible that if you do get them, you may ruin your greatest treasure.
I still don't know what happened after the ending of the story I saw on that shining stage.
Which is why I know I'll keep trying to find out.