Christmas Eve – Ichijou Residence
Snow fell gently outside the window, sparkling under the streetlights already decorated with Christmas ornaments. In the large living room of the Ichijou family home, a tall fir tree stood with warm-colored twinkling lights, adding a festive atmosphere even though the house was actually the headquarters of the Yakuza.
Raku sat on the sofa holding his phone. His face looked slightly tense, fingers moving over the screen, composing short messages full of hesitation.
[To Shu]: "Hey Shu, you're coming tonight right? I've prepared something for you. Don't be late."
[To Ruri]: "Ruri, I hope you'll come too. I want to give you something. Sorry if it's a bit troublesome on Christmas Eve."
[To Onodera]: Raku stared at the screen for quite a while, thinking hard. His heart felt strange—something unfamiliar but also warm every time he thought of Onodera. Finally, he typed, "Onodera-san, I hope you can come tonight. There's something I want to give you."
[To Chitoge]: Lastly, he looked at the contact named Chitoge. His face turned slightly red, remembering what happened a few days ago. Carefully, he wrote, "Hey… if you have time, come tonight. I also have a present for you. It's at my place."
After pressing the send button, Raku let out a long sigh. "Haa… I hope they'll come," he muttered softly.
Ryunosuke, who was pacing around arranging the table and making sure all preparations went smoothly, glanced at his master. With a small smile he said,
"Don't worry, Bocchan. They'll surely come. Christmas Eve… who could refuse such a warm invitation?"
Raku only smiled shyly while holding the neatly wrapped gift box.
Elsewhere – Chitoge's Room
Chitoge's room was filled with winter decorations—Christmas stockings, teddy bears wearing red scarves, and little bell ornaments hanging by the window.
The blonde girl was lying on her bed, playing with her phone. Suddenly, a notification sounded. Her eyes widened when she saw the sender's name: Ichijou Raku.
"Eh…? From Raku?" she whispered, quickly opening the message.
Chitoge's face instantly turned red as she read the short message. She gripped her phone tightly, her heart pounding uncontrollably.
"He… invited me? On Christmas Eve, to his house? And… there's also a present?"
Chitoge jumped up from the bed in a hurry, her expression a mix of panic and happiness.
"What should I wear?! A dress? A sweater? Ugh… I'm so stupid!"
She ran to her wardrobe, pulling out clothes while grumbling. "Why is my heart beating like this? That Bean Sprout… even after losing his memory, he still makes things complicated for me!"
Chitoge stood in front of the wardrobe, staring at the rows of winter clothes. Her hand hesitated while choosing—normally she didn't care much about clothes as long as they were comfortable. But tonight felt different. There was a strange feeling in her chest, nervousness mixed with hope.
In the end, she chose a maroon coat with a simple black belt, paired with a warm cream-colored dress underneath. She left her long blonde hair down, only adding a small white ribbon headband on top.
When she saw her reflection in the mirror, Chitoge murmured softly.
"Why am I… trying so hard? Isn't he… even forgetting me?"
A sharp ache pierced her chest, but also a kind of push. As if she didn't want to lose to the circumstances. She clutched her phone, opening Raku's simple message again:
"Chitoge, if you can come tonight. It would be really nice if you could be there."
Just a few simple words, yet enough to make her heart race. She took a deep breath, then smiled faintly.
"Stupid forgetful Bean Sprout… if I don't come, I'll only end up being annoyed with myself later."
Outside, the Kirisaki family's black car was already waiting. Claude stood beside the door, bowing slightly.
"Ojou-sama, the car is ready."
Chitoge got in, and the car slowly drove along the snowy streets. From the window, she saw the city bustling with Christmas lights. Trees were decorated with colorful lights, children ran around wearing Santa hats, and couples walked hand in hand.
Her hand touched the cold glass window. Her voice was soft, heard only by herself.
"Everyone's celebrating Christmas with someone important… And me? Am I still someone important to him?"
Claude, sitting in the front seat, glanced through the rearview mirror.
"Ojou-sama looks restless. But… perhaps tonight will give you the answer."
Chitoge flinched, her face turning red.
"I-I'm not restless! It's just… just a bit cold!" she retorted quickly, hugging herself, though her tone was clearly unconvincing.
Claude only gave a faint smile and continued driving calmly.
The car slowed as it approached the main road leading to the Ichijou residence. From afar, Chitoge could see the lights and the silhouette of a large Christmas tree standing in the yard. The lively sounds could be faintly heard even from inside the car.
Chitoge stared, unconsciously holding her breath. Her heart pounded hard.
"…Raku."
The car stopped at the gate, and Claude immediately got out to open the door. Chitoge stepped out, the tip of her shoes touching the soft snow. She stood for a moment, gazing at the house, then took a deep breath as if gathering courage before walking inside.
Elsewhere – Onodera's Room
In a warm pastel-colored room, Onodera sat on the edge of her bed, staring blankly at her desk. The small bedside lamp lit her gloomy face.
Her phone vibrated softly on the desk. Onodera glanced at it without much interest, but her heart started racing when she saw the sender's name: Ichijou Raku.
Slowly, she opened the message.
"Onodera-san, I hope you can come tonight. There's something I want to give you."
Onodera froze. Her eyes widened, trembling slightly. She reread the message several times, making sure she wasn't mistaken.
"Ichijou-kun… invited me? He even… wants to give me something?"
But the warmth in her heart quickly clashed with bitter reality. The memory of their last meeting, when Raku looked at her in confusion and didn't recognize her, hit again.
Her hands trembled holding the phone. Tears slowly welled up in her eyes.
"If he doesn't remember anymore… is this gift just… an obligation?" she whispered softly.
She lowered her head, pressing the phone to her chest.
"But… even so, I still want to see him. I… want to be by his side, even if he doesn't remember these feelings."
Onodera wiped her tears, then stood with quiet determination. She walked to the wardrobe and began choosing her best outfit. Nothing too flashy, but sweet enough. This Christmas Eve, even though her heart still ached, she didn't want to miss the chance to be near the one she liked.
Onodera stood in front of the mirror. She carefully combed her soft hair, letting it fall naturally with a small dark-red ribbon on the right side. She chose a simple white wool coat with a light blue scarf, contrasting with her cheeks blushing from the cold.
On the desk lay a small paper bag containing a box of cookies she had made herself. She looked at it for a moment, then gripped it tightly.
"I hope… he likes it," she whispered, as if to encourage herself.
Her phone vibrated again. This time a message from Ruri:
"Onodera, Shu and I are already in front of the station. Let's go together."
Onodera took a deep breath, put on her coat, then grabbed her small bag and the gift she had prepared. She closed the door carefully, greeted her mother briefly, then hurried out of the house.
In Front of the Station
The night air was biting. Streetlights glowed, and many young couples walked side by side, some holding hands while laughing softly.
Ruri stood leaning against a lamppost with her usual blank expression, wearing a long black coat with a gray muffler. Beside her, Shu casually waved at Onodera who had just arrived.
"Yo, Onodera-chan! Wow, you look so elegant tonight," he said in his usual playful tone.
Onodera blushed, lowering her head slightly.
"T-thank you… I just wore something simple."
Ruri glanced at Onodera with sharp eyes, but with a rare hint of gentleness.
"At least you look serious about tonight," she said shortly.
Shu chuckled. "Hahaha, the mood's getting tense. Anyway, let's get going. If we're late, Bocchan might already be waiting."
The three of them walked side by side along the sidewalk. Light snow fell, covering the streets with a white sparkle under the streetlights.
Shu, as always, broke the silence with small talk.
"Funny, isn't it? This is the first time we're going to Raku's house on Christmas Eve. Usually, he's the one coming to us. So it kind of feels like a small reunion."
Ruri turned briefly, her voice flat but meaningful.
"It's just that… this time, the Bocchan we know is not the Raku from before."
The atmosphere fell silent for a moment. Onodera clutched the cookie box tightly, her lips trembling slightly.
"B-but… even if he doesn't remember us, we can still… start over, right?" her voice was soft, almost swallowed by the night wind.
Shu glanced at her, his expression more serious than usual.
"Onodera-chan… yeah, you're right. That's exactly why we're going. So he won't feel alone."
Ruri only gave a small nod in agreement.
Snow kept falling gently, their footsteps leaving white traces on the road leading to the Ichijou residence.