Chapter Twenty-One: Warm

For Michi Fukuhara, the holidays were not a special time. The first few years of her life had been nothing out of the ordinary. Just like any other family, Michi's parents had spent Christmas with their daughter, and for New Year's they would go see other family. Truthfully, Michi had few memories of this time.

When she got older, she had just gotten to the age that she was able to look forward to such occasions, but that changed quickly. Her parents told her they had both gotten new jobs and now would be traveling a lot. They said that it was going to be for the best, because they'd have more money and be able to do more things. Explaining that to a child was difficult, but Michi came to accept it. If her parents getting new jobs meant they could be a better family, then that was a good thing. That was the conclusion Michi had drawn.

Of course, that conclusion quickly turned out to be wrong. Before she knew it, Michi's parents were gone for months at a time with hardly a word. On the rare times they did come home, her mother and father spent more time with each other than their own daughter. It wasn't as if they didn't care about Michi. Rather, they just simply treasured each other more.

So, if treasuring the person you chose was apparently more important than being with your own blood, Michi decided she'd follow that. If it worked for her parents, then it must be able to work for her too. Besides, she was tired of being alone. The every day was bad enough, but the holidays… those were especially painful. Sitting by herself in an empty apartment felt awful.

A few years later, Michi's parents moved her into her own apartment. There hadn't been much of an explanation, but Michi hadn't really asked for one either. It wasn't like she was attached to where she was. She hardly had any friends nearby, and she wasn't close with them. Most of her family was far away too, so that wasn't much of a factor either. Although, if Michi did have one complaint, it would've been that she was simply moving from one lonely apartment to another.

Starting at Iwanai Municipal Junior High School, Michi at first was very quiet. However, it only took weeks for her to find her first real friend, which was then followed by a couple more. Soon enough, she was spending her time with Kanako, Mayu and Itsuki like they had been friends for years. It was nice. It was something she hadn't had much of before. Now that she did though, Michi never wanted to let it go.

Naturally (and despite her best efforts), things changed, and Michi had found herself alone again. At least, that's what she believed at first, but looking around, Michi saw that it was different than when she was a child. If nothing else, there was one particularly flashy girl that wouldn't leave her alone no matter how much Michi told her to.

But while on the school trip, unexpectedly, Michi had made new friends. They were different from Kanako, Mayu and Itsuki, but they weren't bad either. Recently, she had been spending quite a bit of time with them, and she found she didn't mind it. Michi had fun with them.

Going into this holiday season, Michi had thought she was going to be alone again. With so much distance between her and her old friends, there was no way she could expect to go to a Christmas party with them like they had in the past. Knowing that hurt Michi's heart. She loved those parties, but thanks to her own stubbornness, it wasn't going to happen. She knew it was her own fault that things had gotten to be how they were. It almost felt fitting that she'd be by herself.

To her surprise, Michi had gotten a last-minute text inviting her out to another Christmas party instead. It was from her new friends, who all had seemed to take a liking to her for some reason. For a moment, she considered not going, but eventually Michi decided that spending time with someone was better than being alone in an apartment.

So, dressing for the occasion, Michi had gone out. It was a long walk, and felt even longer thanks to the cold, but Michi endured it. Something about the prospect of being invited had done a great deal of good for her souring mood. When she arrived, she was greeted warmly, and overall, the party had gone quite well.

She was… satisfied. It felt weird to call it that, but Michi couldn't come up with a better word. Saying she was satisfied almost felt like she was casting away her old friends for good, but at the same time, she knew that wasn't true. Although, for how much longer her relationships with Kanako, Mayu and Itsuki could hold out, she didn't know. Michi wanted to repair things right away, but she also knew it wouldn't be that easy.

As luck would have it, just as she had been thinking that, she had stumbled across Kanako. The girl was clearly in rough shape, and Michi knew that if there was ever a chance to fix her friendship with Kanako, this was the perfect time to try. It would only be the first step, but taking one step forward was better than taking none at all.

…

Had she messed up? Before Michi had known it, Kanako was dashing out the door. She had wanted to chase after her, but the words Kanako had shouted kept her pinned to her seat. There was no way to refute what she had said. In the end, it had been Michi who had forced Kanako to choose between her and Haruna, and Kanako had chosen Haruna. How that connected back to the rest of what Kanako had said, Michi wasn't completely sure, but… she couldn't shake the feeling that she had an idea of what Kanako had meant.

Putting that thought out of her mind, Michi went back to wondering if she had just made things worse. "Actually, can it really get any worse between the two of us anyways?" Michi thought. She felt like they had already it rock-bottom. Maybe Kanako one-sidedly venting at her was actually a step in the right direction. If she was saying how she really felt, that could only turn out to help in building back up the trust and friendship they once had.

Leaning back in her seat, Michi sighed. "Even if it is a step in the right direction, she didn't have to be so mean about it." Kanako had cut right to the heart of the matter. That was something of a specialty of hers. If Kanako got mad enough, her words became like razors, piercing every sore spot with pinpoint accuracy. Michi had pointed that out to Kanako before, but apparently the girl herself was not aware of how frightening she could actually be.

Just as she was lamenting, Michi heard her phone vibrate. Pulling it out of the bag she had with her, she looked down at the screen. "…" She was silent. Across the top was the word DAD in plain white text. "...So he actually remembered it was Christmas, huh?" Michi muttered absentmindedly. Slowly, reluctantly, she swiped the screen to answer the call.

"Hello? Michi?" the voice said. "Hi Dad," she said back. "Hey. Just thought I'd call to wish you a Merry Christmas," he said. "Yeah, sure. Merry Christmas," Michi said back flatly. "Do you want to talk to your mother?" her father asked. "What, she's not too busy for her daughter?" Michi spat sarcastically. She couldn't help it. If she didn't get at least one jab in, it felt like she'd just explode with anger. "Michi…" her father said, sounding wounded. "Your mother and I-" "Save it. Have a good holiday," Michi said, cutting him off and then abruptly hanging up.

For most of the year, Michi was sure she didn't care. Her parents were hardly ever around, so it wasn't really necessary for her to feel anything about them. Why bother when it felt like they did the same? And yet, whenever this time of year came around, Michi couldn't help but lash out a little herself. Her parents calling her just felt fake. Why did they even bother calling? Did they just feel obligated? The thought alone irritated Michi to no end.

She had just tossed her phone to the side when it started vibrating again. "I swear, if it's them again…" she muttered, but when she looked at the screen, her eyes went wide for a moment. Then, faster than she meant to, she answered. "Hello?" she said quickly. "Huh? Wow, that was fast Mi-chan. What, you dyin' to hear my voice or something?" the gal on the other end teased. For some reason, rather than get annoyed, Michi suddenly found herself feeling… peaceful.

"What do you want Chiyo?" she asked, trying to regain her usual edge. "Oh, I was just calling to see if ya wanted to spend New Year's with me and my big sis!" Chiyo said. "Huh?" Michi let out. She had gotten to go to a Christmas party with her new friends, but when the topic of New Year's had come up, they had all talked about their plans. That had led Michi to the impression that she was going to be alone at least for ringing in the new year. And yet, when she was just starting to get down… "How do you always…" Michi said softly, the speaker barely picking her up. "Hm? You say somethin' Mi-chan?" Chiyo asked.

"W-Why would I want to spend my holidays with you?" Michi tried to huff, but even she could hear how hard she was trying. "This is just pathetic…" she thought. Then, it was quiet for a second. "...You really won't?" Chiyo asked finally. There was something in her tone that made Michi flinch. What was it? She wanted to think about it, but she also needed to answer. "What…" she began. "What would we do that night?"

Michi wasn't really sure why she asked. Maybe she was just trying to stall on giving an answer. Or maybe… she just wanted the conversation to go on for a little longer. "What would we do? Hmm… Well, we could play games, or tell stories, or play games-" "You already said playing games!" Michi pointed out. But as she spoke, there was something that slipped past her. She had shouted her words, sure, but there was more to her voice. A laugh had been infused within it, and following that was a small smile. She was enjoying herself.

"So, you comin'?" Chiyo asked. Michi didn't know how to respond. She didn't, but as it turned out, her mouth did. "Sure. I'll be there." "Really?!" Chiyo exclaimed. "Awesome! This New Year's is like, gonna totally rock!" "Stop yelling! You're going to blow out both our speakers!" Michi shouted. "Pfft! And who's yelling now?" Chiyo teased. "Ugh, whatever! I'm hanging up!" Michi declared, but just as she was about to do just that, she heard a "Wait!" call from the other end.

She brought her phone back up to her ear. "What?" she asked. There was a momentary silence, and then… a feeling. It was a feeling that conveyed warmth, almost like receiving a person's smile when it's meant for you and you alone. Somehow, even through the phone, Michi could feel that within that silence.

"Merry Christmas Mi-chan."

"...Yeah. Merry Christmas Chiyo."

On that note, they both said their goodbyes and ended the call. Only minutes ago, Michi had been fuming about her parent's fake sincerity. Hearing the words Merry Christmas come from either of them didn't make her happy at all. But now, it felt like Chiyo had overwritten those words with her own. They were the exact same words, and yet they felt entirely different coming from the gal. What had once been an awful feeling had now been replaced by a pleasant one.

As Michi sat on the couch in the dark, she thought about her new plans. "New Year's with Chiyo, huh… Who would've thought…" With the now-comfortable feeling coursing through her, combined with the dark of the room and the exhaustion from the party, Michi soon found herself drifting off to sleep.

*****

When the day came, Michi began to have second thoughts. "Is this really a good idea?" she wondered. A part of her still had a slight aversion to Chiyo. The idea of spending New Year's Eve with the gal made her a bit uneasy. They wouldn't be entirely alone, but it was very nearly just the two of them. If Chitose left the room, would something happen? Thinking back, Michi recalled several times when she had been alone with Chiyo and the gal had gotten closer than what she was comfortable with. "I just hope she behaves herself…" Michi sighed.

She had already agreed to go nearly a week ago, so it would be incredibly rude of her to cancel at the last minute. The clock on her phone already read 6:30 p.m., which meant it was time for her to leave. So, calling a ride, Michi headed out, then got in the cab that came and made her way to the Wakabayashi's.

Upon her arrival, the first thing she noticed was the size. "It's small," she commented. Chiyo's house wasn't large by any means, and in fact, in comparison to the few nearby houses, it seemed to be only half the size of those at best. It was a light brown on the outside, a natural contrast to the snow piled all around it. Making her way up to the front door, Michi looked around nervously, although where those nerves were coming from, she wasn't sure.

Raising her hand, Michi knocked. "Coming!" a voice immediately called out. Seconds later, there was a click, followed by the opening of the door. "Mi-chan!" Chiyo exclaimed happily. "Come in!" Michi listened, and soon found herself inside. As it turned out, the cozy interior fit the exterior quite well. "Huh. So this is where you live," she commented as she looked around. "It ain't much, but it's home," another voice said. Turning, Michi spotted Chitose coming out of the area she assumed was the kitchen.

"Heya Mi-chan," she said casually. "H-Hello," Michi said back. Ever since she had met Chitose, there had been something about her that made Michi shy. It was even worse if Chitose went to scold her, because Michi felt like the only thing she could do was cower, sputter and nod like a scared child. The fact that she always felt that way around Chitose did bother her, but there was also admittedly something about Chitose that Michi liked. She did give off a cool sort of vibe, so maybe that was it.

"Make yourself at home. It'll be a bit before dinner's ready," Chitose said as she strolled back into the kitchen. "Is your sister cooking for us?" Michi asked. "We've been cooking together," Chiyo answered happily. "It smells good," Michi said. "What is it?" "Soba, duh!" Chiyo said like it was obvious.

To most people, that would've been obvious, but for Michi, who had very few holiday memories, remembering that soba was traditional on New Year's was an unlikely thing to happen. After all, what's the point in remembering something that you never get to do? But, now that Chiyo had brought it up, Michi was reminded that that was usually the norm. "Soba, huh…" she repeated quietly.

It was simple, and yet it made her feel… happy? Was that it? Michi wondered if that was really the right word. Take out the holiday and all she was getting was really simple soba. There was nothing special about that. There wasn't, and yet… it felt special.

For a moment, Michi looked at Chiyo, then looked in the direction of where Chitose was. And then, without even realizing it, she smiled gently. It just felt… good to be there. She couldn't describe it any better than that, but she also didn't have to. Just understanding that feeling was enough.

It wasn't much later that dinner was ready. Chitose brought out the steaming hot pot of soba noodle soup, then followed it up with a sweet red bean soup with mochi in it. Placing it at the table, the three girls sat down, gave their thanks and began to eat.

"Mmm, it'sh sho good!" Chiyo said. "Hey Chi, maybe swallow first before ya speak," Chitose lectured. "It is pretty good," Michi added. "Glad ya like it," Chitose said with a smile. "Did you make the mochi in this soup too?" Michi asked. "No way," Chitose said with a laugh. "That stuff's just store-bought. Although, Chi was pretty insistent that we should try to do make it ourselves this year. She kept sayin' it was a special occasion because you were comin'." "Ahhh!" Chiyo cried in a panic.

As Chitose laughed loudly at her little sister's frantic waving, Michi stared at her food. "It's special… because I'm here?" she repeated in her head. It almost felt wrong to think that. Other than the few Christmases she had spent with friends, there was never anything special about the holidays to her. In fact, thanks to her parents, it almost felt like… no one really wanted her.

Now, here she was, being told Chiyo had wanted to do something special just because Michi was coming for New Year's. She could hardly understand it. Michi couldn't stand Chiyo. She wanted nothing to do with the flashy girl. She had thought that time and time again and even said it to the gal's face. And yet… time and time again, Chiyo came back with her kindness. How was it possible for someone Michi was so mean to, to be this nice to her?

"Mi-chan, somethin' wrong?" Chiyo asked. "Huh?" Michi let out. "Ya looked like you were in a little pain," Chiyo pointed out. "Ah… no, I'm fine," Michi said. Apparently, her feelings had been showing on her face. "There you go again…" she thought. "You're just…"

Briefly, Michi looked to the other girl at the table. For some reason, Chitose was smirking at her. "What?" Michi said harshly. "Oh, nothin', nothin'." Chitose said with a wave of her hand. "Just thought you had a funny look on your face, that's all." She said that, although Michi definitely felt like she was saying more than she actually was.

Dinner passed by without any further incident. Everything that had been brought out had been delicious. Michi was fairly confident in her cooking skills, but she had to admit that Chiyo and Chitose both had pretty good skills themselves for not having any sort of training.

They all helped clear the table, and when they were done, the three of them all sat in the living room while the TV played typical New Year's programming. Chitose sat on the floor, a beer can in her hand, while Michi sat down on the couch. Then, flopping down right next to her, was Chiyo.

"Too close!" Michi shouted as Chiyo nearly landed on top of her. "Hm? A little skinship is good for ya though, don't ya think?" Chiyo cooed. "I do not! Now back up!" Michi exclaimed. However, Chiyo did the opposite, leaning her face in close to Michi's. "W-What?" she sputtered. "Hey Mi-chan," the gal whispered. Then, Chiyo leaned in closer so that her lips were right by Michi's ear so that only she could hear. "You're looking kinda hot."

The words dripped with so much seduction that Michi could feel her face going beet red. "W-W-W-Wha-" she panicked loudly, but before she could get out another word, Chiyo pulled away and broke into a fit of laughter. "I'm just talking about your face Mi-chan! You looked like you were getting warm, that's all. Oh, or were you thinking of something else?"

"You-!" Michi shouted, slamming her hand into Chiyo's cheek and pushing as hard as she could. "Get away from me!" "Hey, I don't mind if ya flirt, but don't start a fight okay?" Chitose said. In a split-second, both girls faced her and spoke simultaneously.

"We're not flirting!"

Surprised, Chitose raised an eyebrow before simply shrugging. "If you say so," she said, taking a drink. Michi's reaction hadn't been all that surprising, but hearing Chiyo say it too was what had really gotten Chitose's attention. "After everything you've told me…" she thought.

As the rest of the night went on, Chitose had several more drinks before eventually passing out. In the end, they hadn't pulled out any games or cards, so Michi and Chiyo had remained on the couch just watching the TV. Despite Michi's best efforts, Chiyo was still right next to her, the gal's hip pressed against her own. Although, for as much as she had fought it, Michi found it to be somewhat comfortable now.

"Can't believe my big sis is already out. She's gonna turn into an old maid at this rate," Chiyo said with a bit of disappointment. "Well, the number of cans on the floor is probably a good reason why she's asleep," Michi said. "Yeah, she doesn't drink much, but when she does, she does a lot," Chiyo said, then muttered, "I'm just glad she didn't say anything she shouldn't have..." "Huh? Like what?" Michi asked, catching Chiyo's comment. "Oh, nothing…" the gal answered cryptically.

They went back to sitting in silence, the only sound coming from the TV speakers. The scene was nothing special. If anyone saw it, they'd probably think it was boring. But, to Michi, this was perfect. She wasn't alone on New Year's. She was having fun. She was spending time with…

She turned her eyes toward Chiyo, and almost immediately, Chiyo turned in kind. It was almost like she knew when Michi was going to look at her. "Hm?" the gal let out. "Like something ya see Mi-chan?" Surprisingly, Michi didn't retort right away. Instead, she just turned her gaze back forward, but instead of remaining silent, she spoke.

"Around when I was four years old, my parents started leaving me by myself," she began. "I spent nearly all of my time outside of school alone, and that meant even the holidays. When I met Kana-chan, Mayu-chan and Itsuki-chan, that made things a little better, but I was still alone more often than not."

"Lately, things have been… weird between all of us. I'm not even sure if they still consider me a friend… not that I would blame them. On top of that, I've been spending my time with my friends I made on the school trip, so maybe they think I abandoned them or something…" Michi thought back to the words Kanako had said. They weren't directly related to what Michi was talking about, but they matched all the same. What Kanako had said hurt a lot. It made Michi wonder if Mayu or Itsuki had similar feelings.

"The girls I've been hanging out with are nice. They even invited me to their Christmas party. I really liked that, because that meant I wouldn't be alone on Christmas. But, that did still leave New Year's. I thought I'd be sitting in my apartment by myself, but then… you called. Tonight has been a lot of fun. I'm really glad I came."

Next to her, Chiyo sat in silence as Michi spoke. "Ugh, I don't know why I just told you all of that stuff though," she groaned. "Maybe it's cause you like me," Chiyo joked. Then, abruptly, Michi looked straight at Chiyo. "Yeah… I do like you," she said. "I mean we're…"

"...friends, aren't we?"

Chiyo's eyes went wide. She was stunned. Hearing Michi actually call her a friend was one of that last things Chiyo had expected Michi to say. But, just as quick as she became surprised, she broke into a big smile. "Yeah, of course we're friends!"

*****

The night went on, and soon enough the clock struck midnight. "Looks like it's officially a new year," Michi said, but Chiyo shook her head. "Not yet it's not." "Huh? Of course it is, look at the time," Michi said, pointing at the clock on her phone. "It's not official until we go to a shrine!" Chiyo declared. "It's too cold for that!" Michi whined. "Aw, c'mon Mi-chan! It totally won't take long! There's one like, five minutes from here, I promise!" Chiyo begged.

After about several minutes more of pleading, Michi relented. "Fine, we'll go. But it better be close like you said!" So the two of them got on their coats and headed out into the air of the new year. Naturally, it was even colder now than what it had been when Michi had left earlier.

As it turned out, Chiyo was right. It was only a few minutes later that they arrived at the shrine. There were a couple of people around, but with so many shrines available in the area, plus being in a small town, there wasn't much worry about crowds. Chiyo and Michi were able to easily stroll up to the shrine itself and pay their respects.

They both offered a 5-yen coin, bowed twice, rang the bell together twice, clapped twice, and then prayed. When they were finished, they bowed once more before then walking away. "So, what'd you wish for Mi-chan?" Chiyo asked. "Good grades and health," she answered simply. "What about you?" "I… prayed that everyone who's looking for happiness finds it," Chiyo said with a soft smile. "I don't think five yen is enough to cover that big of a wish," Michi said.

"But still, this past year was certainly bizarre," she continued. "Who would've thought I'd ever call you, the infamous Chiyo Wakabayashi, my friend?" "Guess you couldn't resist me forever huh?" Chiyo joked. "Oh shut up," Michi said with a slight pout. "You know, just because we're friends doesn't mean I'm going to start being nicer to you. There are still so many things about you that bother me. Your obnoxious fashion choices, how loud you can be, the way you-"

Before she knew it, Michi had gotten several steps ahead of Chiyo, and in that time, the gal had stood still. Her face was pointed toward the ground, but with Michi facing away from her, no one could see the expression on her face. But, as Michi started listing things off about Chiyo that she noticed, the gal just couldn't stop herself. With steps in quick succession, she bounded toward Michi, wrapping herself around the smaller girl's back.

"...What are you doing?" Michi asked. There was no anger or annoyance in her voice, nor was there any surprise or nervousness. It was just simple curiosity, to which Chiyo answered in a way Michi hadn't expected. "You're so warm, Mi-chan…" she whispered. "A-And, like you said earlier, it is cold outside… This way, we can both warm up together."

The explanation she offered fell flat on Michi's ears. She wasn't sure why, but she could tell Chiyo was making some sort of excuse. "You should get off. There are other people around. I don't want to get weird looks from them," Michi said. "Let them," Chiyo said, barely audible. "Huh?" Michi let out. "Let them give their weird looks," Chiyo said. "Who cares what they think? We're friends, so this much is normal."

In the past, Michi would've shaken Chiyo off or yelled at her until she let go, but this time, she remained still and quiet. The warmth she could feel physically was certainly better than just standing separately. However, it was a different warmth that preoccupied her mind. They way Chiyo had spoken, it felt like there was more to her words than what she was really saying.

She wasn't wrong. Michi had finally said it herself. They were friends. But, as Chiyo continued to hug the back of Michi, creating a feeling in her she hadn't felt before, a question came to her mind. "Is this… really normal for friends?"

End of Chapter Twenty-One.