Secret Santa 2020 - Story collection

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Hacksorus
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Re: Secret Santa 2020 - Story collection

Post by Hacksorus »

Mirage_GSM wrote: Sat Feb 13, 2021 10:53 am When reading this Secret Santa Submissions I always think about what I would have done if that prompt had reached me. Most of the time I feel thankful that it didn't :-)
This time I almost immediately had a picture in my mind of Hisao organizing a Christmas party with the Student Council and dragging Shizune along behind him for a change. :lol:
That sounds wonderful honestly. Do you take commissions? :lol:
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Re: Secret Santa 2020 - Story collection

Post by Silentcook »

Hacksorus wrote: Mon Feb 15, 2021 8:39 pmThat sounds wonderful honestly. Do you take commissions? :lol:
Ahem.

Keep it to PMs, please.
Shattering your dreams since '94. I also fought COVID in '20 and '21, and all I got was this lousy forum sig.

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Re: Secret Santa 2020 - Story collection

Post by Hacksorus »

Oh, sorry. I thought it was clear enough that I was joking. Will play it more safe in the future.
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The Last to Leave - SS20 for Downix

Post by Feurox »

The Last to Leave

Empirically speaking, we are made of star stuff. Why aren’t we talking more about that?
Maggie Nelson, The Argonauts

The bell rings, and any interest I had managed to encourage in my class immediately dissipates. Chairs screech, and the chatter rises quickly as nearly everyone races for the door. Some of the slower-paced students pack up quietly, or finish their notes, but whatever momentum I had has well and truly vanished.

After a while that feeling gets a little less disappointing. If you want to be a good teacher, you have to learn to not take things so personally. Some kids just don’t care for physics, some just don’t care.

Maybe part of the job is that you’re supposed to make them care; maybe I used to see it that way too. Well, I don’t anymore. You’re either passionate, or you’re not, we waste too much time in our lives wasting time. That’s a valuable lesson you learn after you really needed it.

Life does that to you a lot, it teaches you a lot after you need it most. Maybe we’re all destined to grow older looking back with regret, looking back into a past that we half-imagined.

Still, there are a few things about the past I’m sure I didn’t imagine.

I slump back into my desk chair as the last of my class disappears into the hallway. It’s the end of the day, so most will be heading to club activities like band, or track. A few will be heading for the bus stop, or to their dorm rooms. There’s probably a fair number of students who rarely leave campus at all; I can think of a few in my class like that. I pull my sleeve up to check my watch, it looks like I have about thirty minutes to kill before I can leave.

The sensible part of me knows I should use this time to go over tomorrow’s lesson plans, but I just can’t seem to get into the mood. Instead, I reach into my bag and pull out a familiar, time-worn, book and open it around the middle mark. It’s been doodled on, flowers, sunbeams, snow-droplets… images from the window, the doodles of a child. I smile, and then I stop, and put it back.

I’m not in the mood for that either.

The empty time is the hardest. Not because you can’t fill it, but because you don’t want too. Or maybe because nothing can.

“Akio.”

I turn to face the door. Yamaku’s resident nurse is standing with his hand on the frame like some heartthrob. He does that on purpose to be funny, and sometimes, I admit, it is.

“Giro, you’re early,” I say, and scoop the last of my things from the desk into my satchel. “I take it that means we’re ready to head home?”

He nods and stands up straight. His rucksack looks ridiculously threadbare, but from what I gather it’s because he takes his work home with him, and he has a lot of work.

He’s a little shorter than me, and about fifteen years younger, but he makes for a good pal. He offers me a can of coffee as we head out. It’s the crap from the vending machines but I’m not one to turn down a free drink.

“Busy day?” I ask over the gentle hiss of the can. He cracks his open and takes what can only be described as a glug.

“More paperwork than usual, you have a new student tomorrow, it appears.” We take the stairs together, but he skips a little fast for my liking.

“Yeah, maybe this one will be interested in my lectures.”

“Nah, this one will be the literature type,” he says. “Shall we make a bet?”

I consider it for a moment, but better judgements prevail.

“I’ve lost to you on less risky bets, I’m out.”

It would be nice to have another science type, like Molly Kapur, but it’s unlikely. For whatever reason, most of the kids we get are more of the artsy types, literature, music, that kind of thing. Maybe I’m not selling the sciences enough, or maybe people have a predisposition to be interested in certain fields that is only further brought about by the unique situations that lands them here. I’m probably overthinking it, and under-criticising my teaching style.

“One day I hope to sneak into one of your classes, I hear they’re exhilarating,” Giro teases, taking another long glug and pulling his phone from his pocket. “This new night-nurse has a lot of questions for someone several years my senior.”

We laugh and continue the rest of our walk in relative quiet until we reach the main entrance, and I hold the door for us both. Giro taps another text into his mobile, before finally putting it away and finishing his canned coffee in a final swig. I force mine down as well; it should at least help keep me awake for the drive home.

“So, are we making a detour tonight or heading straight home?”

I consider suggesting the coffee house but shake my head. I’m already fairly exhausted and I doubt I’d make for excellent company right now.

“I’m tired, so I wouldn’t be much company.”

“You never are,” he jokes a bit flatly, before sitting down in the passenger seat. “How’s the new apartment?”

I start up the engine and half-laugh, half-cough.

“It’s cramped,” I admit, and Giro nods. “I haven’t really unpacked, so that probably contributes to the feeling.”

“Well, let’s hope it’s only temporary, heavy rains make for bountiful harvests.” He says with a thin smile, as I pull out of the gates and head off down the hill past the town.

“That isn’t a saying, I’m not even sure it’s true.”

“It doesn’t have to be true to be a saying,” he laughs quietly. I’m thankful that he doesn’t seem to mind the rather sombre attitude I’ve been carrying with me the last few days. Good friends do that, I think, they weather the stormy weather. There’s another made up saying.

“I guess,” I half-heartedly admit. I’m amazed at how dark it’s gotten, despite it not being that late, but it’s been threatening to rain again for a while; the menacing darkness is probably just that.

Sure enough, a single raindrop lands on my windscreen, and then another. And then the whole sky falls down.

“About time, I suppose,” I say, switching the windscreen wipers on. Giro is replying to another text but laughs non-the-less.

“It really never ends,” he laughs.

“The winter?”

“Work.”

“Oh.”

We keep driving into the rain, and I pull off the main road into the city side-street. Thankfully, Giro lives only a short drive from my apartment, though his place is considerably nicer and in a far nicer area.

I pull up just before his apartment and turn off the engine.

“Same time tomorrow?” Giro asks, still occupied on his phone.

“Let’s make it thirty minutes earlier, we can get a coffee before work.”

Giro laughs, and finally puts his phone away.

“You read my mind. We’ll get something warm instead of a can.”

With that, he opens the door and steps out. The rain pelts him, but he doesn’t seem to care and chuckles dryly again.

“Wonderful weather, so refreshing,” he says with a cheesy grin.

“Go for a run or something,” I joke.

“I may just,” he replies, before shutting the car door and walking calmly to his apartment entrance. Nothing phases Giro, he’s always so composed. He’s younger than me, but his life is so much more together.

I sigh and start up the car again. The rain has gotten heavier, and the evening has gotten a little darker too to a cool purple colour. That kind of colour is Rayleigh scattering, I mutter to myself. I wonder if any of my students would know that. It takes the car behind me honking before I realise, I’ve completely stopped, and I continue down the road a few streets until I reach my run-down little place and park up. Everything feels so close but miles away… I’ve felt that way before. The optimist in me hopes that this too shall pass, but you just can’t shake reality.

I climb the steps through the rain, and crash onto my couch.

A familiar film is blaring from the small box television, but I don’t catch much of it, and slowly zone out of reality.

A gruff looking American man yells out on screen, and I snicker as the recognizable line bounces around in my head.

“Yippee ki yay,” I mutter into the sofa pillow, and drift away into a world where it isn’t too late.

A world somehow separate from this one.

All that flashed into my eyes were the countless shapes of people walking by to nowhere. Again and again, I called out for Midori from the dead centre of this place that was no place.

Haruki Murakami, Norwegian Wood
I yawn and stretch out my arms. Mari giggles beside me and snuggles by my side.

“I thought this was your favourite?” she asks and pokes me a little too hard for my sleepy state.

“It is, but I guess I might have seen it too many times now,” I admit, “knock it off you monster. Who pokes a sleeping beauty?”

On screen, McClane crawls through the vents, his eyebrow bloody but his face determined. I smile, and Mari giggles again.

“Let me guess, you know every word?” she asks, well, accuses.

“Well, my English isn’t great…” I narrow my eyes and take a mock serious expression. “But yes, I do.”

The DVD stutters and skips, so I let out a sigh and untangle myself from Mari, much to her protest.

“Yippie ki yay,” I groan and shake my head.

“You’ve watched it too many times,” she laughs.

“It’s just a story that speaks to me,” I return, thumping the top of the player. I’m a physicist, not a tech wizard. “It’s a story that proves its never too late to be the hero,” I explain, and she laughs again.

I turn back to face Mari. She’s still wearing her lab coat, and she’s splayed out onto the sofa like she’s posing for an oil painting. There’s some ‘scientists grime’ on her sleeve, but it’s probably just ink or lead smudges.

Even in her work clothing, half-asleep, she looks gorgeous and timeless. Behind her, out the window, the city lights are roaring and it’s sprinkling with snow.

“Something on your mind?” she asks with a sly smile.

“I’m just admiring you,” I answer.

She blushes, and sits upright, stretching her arms out wide to be hugged. I’m more than happy to oblige, and I wrap my arms around her back as the movie continues to play, only to be interrupted by a loud thump from the hallway.

Mari sits up from the sofa with a smile and kisses me on the forehead.

“It’s your turn,” she says quietly. There’s a somewhat guilty look on her face, but I don’t mind at all, and separate myself from her to deal with the thumper in the hall.

I stomp to the doorway and begin huffing and puffing, making each movement and sound exaggerated, as the tiny sound of giggling comes from around the corner.

“There better not be any little ladies up past their bedtime,” I say in my evil villain voice.

Another giggle is cut off by a squeal as I round the corner and see the little lady in question. She’s tiny, and very, very guilty looking.

“Give me one good reason not to put you up for adoption, Emicia,” I joke, and the little criminal karate chops me in the leg. “Ow!” She splutters into a violent cough, but just as I kneel down to make sure she’s okay, it passes, and she smiles at me.

“Because I’ll beat you up,” she blurts out confidently, before hitting me again.

“You take after your mother, little goblin.”

“I heard that,” Mari laughs, “and trust me, I hit harder.”

I rub the back of my neck and exaggerate my sigh, before picking Emicia up and carrying her into the living room. Mari gives me an affectionate smile as I drop her down on the sofa, and John McClane continues to look out from the TV, paused.

“I don’t have to trust you, I already know,” I quietly mumble, before either of the little demons can whack me. Both do, and I mock yelp.

Emicia snuggles into her mother, and I resume the film. I’ve made Emicia watch it multiple times by now, but this is actually the first time Mari has sat down to see it. Actually, this feels like one of the first times Mari has sat down in a while… She puts her hand on mine and squeezes.

“Have you thought more about that job offer?” she asks, Emicia looks like she might be dozing off.

“I turned it down,” I answer and avert her gaze. “I think teaching might suit me but…”

“But money matters,” she sighs.

“Besides, if I do teach, it won’t be at some high-end snob factory, I want to really make a difference.”

Mari squeezes my hand again and bring it to her lips before letting go and stroking Emicia’s hair.

I take a look at my watch, and smile.

“What?” she asks, lowering her voice, but Emicia opens her eyes, nonetheless.

“It’s twelve,” I chuckle.

Emicia sits upright and doesn’t try to hide her excitement. She coughs violently again, but quickly settles down again, and Mari’s concerned look vanishes.

“Christmas!” she exclaims.

Mari laughs.

“Well, you know it’s a romantic holiday girly, I was hoping Akio and I could spend it without you,” she bops her daughter on the nose and earns herself a mean look.

“Now hang on,” I laugh, and release myself from the comfortable sofa. “I know it’s a western tradition, but I couldn’t help but get you both a present.”

Emicia claps her hands together excitedly, but Mari just looks on with a quizzical expression.

I round the corner into the hall and open up my satchel. At the bottom of the bag, two messily wrapped gifts have been waiting all night to come out. I place both behind my back as I re-enter the living room.

“Okay, first, little demon child.”

“That’s me!” Emicia jumps off her mother and grabs the present from my outstretched hand.

“Akio, you really didn’t have to…” Mari begins, but trails off as I offer her the second, smaller present.

She juggles it between her fingers, feeling the weight of it. It’s small, but, as she begins to peel the wrapping, I feel my heart jump up my throat.

Emicia hoists her own present into the air, the wrapping all over the floor now. It’s a book that reminded me of her, about a little girl who breaks the mould by speaking up where no one else will. She opens it and begins thumbing through the pages as she settles onto the floor.

“Thank you,” she whispers, already engrossed in the first page.

I nod, and return to Mari, who has opened the box and is… crying.

I kneel down and take her hand in mine.

“Yes,” she whispers. Emicia looks up, not understanding what’s really happening.

“Yes,” Mari whispers again.

“Yes,” she whispers once more, her heart forever bound with my own.

__________________________________________

I ended up scrapping about 7,000 words on this one, maybe to be reworked someday, hence the delay. I can't say this prompt spoke to me, and I'm dreadfully sorry it's so late Downix. (I also still haven't watched Die Hard).

I figured it was best to get this out so you at least have something, despite it not being worth the wait at all, and then I can move on from it as well.

For any curious, my prompt was:
Thought to take it up a notch this year and bring out the true spirit of the holidays with a Christmas movie themed idea. It needs to incorporate the ultimate Christmas movie, Die Hard, in some manner, but otherwise it is as open as can be. Kenji saving the school from terrorists, Hisao bumming out at movie night, girl’s night sleepover watching it, do whatever you want to!
Happy April, all. Bah Humbug.
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Re: Secret Santa 2020 - Story collection

Post by Downix »

*applause*
Love it!
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Re: Secret Santa 2020 - Story collection

Post by brythain »

7000 words? What a bummer!
Post-Yamaku, what happens? After The Dream is a mosaic that follows everyone to the (sometimes) bitter end.
Main Index (Complete)Shizune/Lilly/Emi/Hanako/Rin/Misha + Miki + Natsume
Secondary Arcs: Rika/Mutou/AkiraHideaki | Others (WIP): Straw—A Dream of SuzuSakura—The Kenji Saga.
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Re: Secret Santa 2020 - Story collection

Post by PsychicSpy »

At long last, a very late S11. My apologies to Crafty; I really should have gotten it done earlier, but I just had massive writer's block. I really hope that you enjoy this!


Prompt: Someone at Yamaku is having a bad time: either they were involved in a bad/neutral end, or someone else took the good end. Regardless, they need some time to come to terms with things. With the help of another character, however, they're able to let it go, and look ahead to the future.
An Ibarazaki Guarantee


“Jingle bell, jingle bell, jingle bell rock! Jingle bells swing and jingle bells ring!” The tinny Christmas music rang out of the radio in the student council. Hisao had never been great at English, but he could make out a few of the words in every verse.

If he was being honest, he didn’t feel like celebrating at all in the moment and wanted nothing more than to turn the music off, but Misha had been adamant about it. This was a Christmas party, so they needed Christmas music, she had reasoned, albeit with more loud laughter interspersed in her explanation.

Hisao sighed as he looked out of the window at the campus grounds, which were blanketed with snow. The moon cast its glow down upon the snow-crested hills that surrounded Yamaku, the stark light illuminating the spindly, bare tree branches and leafless bushes, giving a drab reminder of the harshness of winter.

“Hey, stranger. Long time no see,” a familiar voice said. Hisao turned to see Emi leaning against the counter, looking at him. She was dressed in the spirit of the holiday, with a snowman sweater and a Santa hat on her head.

“Hey, Emi,” Hisao responded, turning back to the window.

“It’s been a while, Hisao; I haven’t seen you try to outrun me in a while.” Emi slid over to him, looking out at the winter night too.

“I just haven’t felt like it.” Hisao mumbled.

Emi paused for a moment before going down a new avenue of conversation. “Pretty nice party, right? I think it was all Misha’s idea.”

“Yeah, the party is nice,” Hisao echoed, tapping his fingers on the countertop impatiently. He wanted Emi to leave him alone. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Emi’s smile grow into a look of concern.

“What’s wrong, dude? Something’s up,” she questioned.

Hisao didn’t look at her. “Nothing.”

“Are you still thinking about her?” she asked carefully.

Hisao knew it was pointless to lie; when Emi sniffed something out, she would hound it until she got what she wanted. “Yeah.”

“Hisao, it’s been months since Lilly left,” Emi said. “I understand wanting to be sad for a little while, maybe even a month, but it’s been several months.”

“Is that the only reason you came over here?” Hisao grumbled. “To criticize how I’m feeling?”

“No! I just wanted to see how you were doing and where your head's at,” Emi replied defensively.

“Well, I’m just fine, so you can go back to enjoying the party.” Hisao expected her to walk away at this point, but instead he felt a hand grasp his wrist and roughly pull him towards the door.

“C’mon! We’re going for a walk, Hisao!” Emi dragged him out of the room and down into the entrance hall, ignoring any of his protests. She pushed the door open and pulled him out into the frigid air.

“Emi! Let me go back!” Hisao turned to go back inside, but Emi got in between him and the door.

“No. We’re gonna talk about what happened, Hisao. You’ve been essentially working like some kind of stupid robot since Lilly left. You get up, go to class, do your work, then go back to your room and read or whatever it is you do in your room. You barely talk to anybody anymore.”

“I’ve just decided to focus on studying at this point, that’s all.”

Emi stamped her prosthetic foot, sending up a poof of snow flurries. “That’s not a good enough answer, Hisao. I know what self-isolation looks like.” She looked off in the distance wistfully, before turning back to him with determination in her eyes. “I’ll make you a deal: we go on this walk, we talk about what happened, and then I never ask about it again.” She stuck her hand out for a handshake. “I’ll even throw in some of my mom’s home cooking. Deal?”

Hisao thought about it, and against his better judgement, he half-heartedly shook her hand. They started to walk down the paved sidewalk, which had much less snow on them.

“I know that you spent time with a bunch of different people during your first week here,” Emi started. “Why don’t we start there?”

With some hesitation, Hisao began to talk about what happened between him and Lilly. He talked about the first meetings in the tearoom, shopping for Hanako’s birthday, and Lilly’s first trip home. Emi listened carefully throughout all of it, keeping an uncharacteristically serious expression on her face.

The words began to tumble out easier as he continued, describing their trip to Hokkaido, especially the incident with his heart and the scene in the field with Lilly, while leaving out some of their escapades. He continued on, describing their fancy date, his talk with Akira and how he found out about Lilly leaving. Summarizing the night Lilly had left was the hardest part, and Hisao didn’t even notice the tears rolling down his cheeks until Emi gently brushed them away with her gloved hands.

“Thank you, Emi.”

“No problem.” Emi stepped away as they turned the corner to walk through the courtyard between the school building and the gym. “So, what about after that? What happened after she left?”

Hisao looked down. “Well, we tried to keep calling one another, texting back and forth, but things were different- I mean, how could things not be different after she hid that our relationship was being built on a time limit?”

“Yeah, I can see how that would really impact you two.”

“Yeah. Eventually our conversations grew fewer and shorter, and a few weeks ago we just didn’t bother to call each other. She only sent a text telling me it would be better if we broke up completely and didn’t talk, for both of our sakes.”

“That really hurt, didn’t it?” Emi said quietly, looking at him with sympathy in her green eyes.

Hisao felt his chest tighten. “It did. It felt like it made the distance so much more permanent.”

“Did you feel that maybe, at some point, she would come back, or that you could go to her, or something like that?”

“Yeah, honestly, somewhere inside me I did think that, as pathetic as that sounds.” He felt Emi wrap her arms around him and pull him into a hug. Slightly surprised, he embraced the shorter girl back as they stayed silent, with tears slowly streaking down his cheeks.

“I don’t think it’s pathetic,” Emi said, muffled by his coat. “I know that with the loss I’ve felt, somewhere in my mind I’ve prayed that one day I’ll wake up and it will all be a dream.”

Hisao stayed quiet but hugged her a bit more firmly, wanting to console her as much as she did for him. After a few minutes, they broke apart, before continuing their route back to the school building.

Emi spoke up again as they turned the corner towards the door. “I can see how much this affected you.”

“It has, as much as I hate to say that, especially in this weather.” Hisao gestured around. “It’s very gloomy and dead during winter.”

“Maybe you should look at it in a different way.” Emi pointed to a tree on campus. “That tree looks skeletal now. The snow has blocked all green life from the world, and you look at it through the lens of your Lilly issues.”

Hisao considered this, then nodded. “I guess that’s true. What’s your point?”

“Winter might be this time where things look dead, but plants are strong. Those trees still survive without their leaves. When spring comes, the trees and things that look dead are reborn as vibrant and colorful. You could see winter as a time of renewal and rebirth, don’t you think?”

“I guess I see what you’re saying,” Hisao replied, stopping at the door.

“In the same way, it’s ok to be sad. It’s ok to feel hurt. However, remember that this time will end. It will lead to your rebirth and renewal. It won’t be like this forever; you’re an eligible guy. You can and will find somebody who really cares about you, and that’s an Ibarazaki guarantee!”

Hisao smiled. “Thanks, Emi, for the kind words, and for taking me out on this walk. I think that it really helped.”

Emi lightly punched him in the arm. “Of course, Hisao. Even though you don’t come run with me, you’re still my friend. I still care about your well-being. You needed this. Now c’mon; let’s go enjoy the rest of this party before Misha eats all the Christmas cookies!” Emi charged into the building like she was leading the cavalry.

Hisao chuckled before following her, leaving the cold of winter behind.
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Re: Secret Santa 2020 - Story collection

Post by Oddball »

Well, better late than never.

Overall it wasn't too shabby. It had a nice simple sweet feel to it.
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Re: Secret Santa 2020 - Story collection

Post by Craftyatom »

PsychicSpy wrote: Wed Sep 15, 2021 7:50 pmAn Ibarazaki Guarantee
Excellent! I can't fault you for having some trouble coming up with ideas for the prompt, since it's a bit open-ended, but you definitely did it justice in the end!

I did find myself thinking that I enjoy fics where Hisao is sad - perhaps sad Hisao is easier to get right? But of course I loathe a sad ending, hence the prompt!

Thank you very much, and of course (as I know very well) - better late than never!
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Re: Secret Santa 2020 - Story collection

Post by Mirage_GSM »

Added the two late additions to the index.
Looks as if there are still at least five missing unless they are somewhere in the threads I haven't gotten to yet.
The Last to Leave has a more subtle sadness than is usual for Feurox. Still a very nice story. You really need to watch Die Hard at some point. Just the first one. The others are inconsequential.

An Ibarazaki Guarantee was also nice. I don't think the prompt was open ended at all. In fact it specified the whole plot including the ending except for the specific characters involved.
Emi > Misha > Hanako > Lilly > Rin > Shizune

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Re: Secret Santa 2020 - Story collection

Post by NoticeMeOppai »

Since Prof put out an open season on the remaining prompts from last year here's one for Xeraeo;

A Winter Jog

The noise of Emi's running blades cut through the still silence of the early winter morning as she threw herself into the first corner. The weak rays of sunlight cast long shadows across the frosty ground. Fortunately the school had agreed to grit the track during the cold season, or she would have had to give up these morning exercises for the past month or so.

As she pelted round the corner she found a good line and powered out along the straight. Normally this was where she'd really start to push herself, having finished her warm-up laps, ready to train in earnest. But today something wasn't right.

Her breath started to come in hitched little gasps, the cold air caused her chest to tighten. There was no way she was out of breath already. As the star of the track team, it should take way more than some gentle warm-up laps to get her breathing like this, but the evidence seemed to indicate otherwise.

Her vision blurred and she slowed to a walk, not willing to risk a fall on the cold ground. It wasn't till she felt the wetness on her cheeks that she realised she was crying.

***

Earlier that morning, Emi awoke with the sound of her alarm blaring in her ears. Groggy from sleep, she shook her head and blinked blearily as she reached over to shut off the infernal racket tearing her from her slumber. Despite the early hour, Emi was a morning person at heart, and within a few seconds her trademark cheerful grin appeared on her face and she sat up, already reaching for her blades.

This was the last day most of the students would be at Yamaku before Christmas. This year her best friend Rin would be joining her and her mother for the holidays, so Emi was naturally excited. Throwing on her running kit, she skipped across the hall and banged on the door facing hers.

"Oi, Rin! Wake upppp, you still have to pack and I'm not doing it all for you again!" She knew she probably would end up doing it but had no intention of letting her friend off too lightly.

The answering grunt let her know that Rin had at least sort of heard her and she jogged down the hallway on her way for one last run at the track. Trotting lightly down the stairs she happened to glance down the corridor below as she passed, a small movement catching her eye.

There, in the middle of the hallway stood Hisao. Half hanging out her doorway, attached to his face, was Miki. He was clearly in the process of sneaking out before the staff woke up judging by the dishevelled look of his hair and clothes. Well, his clothes anyway, his hair was kind of always like that. She'd heard they were seeing each other but seeing them together like this brought her to an abrupt standstill. She stood there staring, open mouthed, for several moments watching them, and would likely have stayed longer if Miki hadn't opened her eyes and spotted her.

"Enjoying the show?" A predatory grin slipped across Miki's face as she drew Hisao closer into a showy hug, draping her tanned arms around him. The cold morning air and the thin fabric of the t-shirt she was wearing combined to leave little doubt there was nothing underneath, and she pressed up against him in a very unsubtle display of ownership.

Hisao to his credit at least had the decency to look a little sheepish as he looked around and saw who his new lady friend was talking to. "Uh, morning Emi."

Her throat felt weird, like she would throw up if she tried to talk. Instead, she made a rude gesture at Miki and jogged down the stairs, then all the way to the track. Not stopping to do her usual warm ups, she hit the track and accelerated into her usual lane.

Which is how she found herself sitting on the ice cold ground halfway down the track bawling her eyes out. She thought she was over this. She'd been the one to end it after all. It's not like she needed someone in her life who was that pushy, trying to put his nose in where it didn't belong. Trying to get her to talk about things she wasn't ready to discuss. She punched the ground in frustration, barely feeling the skin peeling back around her knuckles as she did, each thought punctuated by another punch.

The realisation hit her suddenly, knocking the wind out of her far more effectively than anything she'd done to the track. He'd just wanted to get to know her. Just wanted to help. And she'd pushed him away. Just like everyone else. Just like she always did.

Shit.

*****

Hope you enjoyed it, sorry you've had to wait so long!

Prompt: Something that takes place AFTER the Emi bad ending. Must include either Hisao or Emi, may include both but does not have to. Ideally, somewhere around a week to a month after the ending, when the hard feelings are still fairly fresh, but could also take place long after, close to Christmas, since that would make more sense for the theme. Emi's bad ending was the very first ending I got on my very first day playing KS, and it still hurts. I don't think I've ever seen any fics taking place after that particular ending, so I'd like a little closure, please. Thanks, and happy holidays, merry Christmas, or joyful whatever-doesn't-offend-you!
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Mirage_GSM
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Re: Secret Santa 2020 - Story collection

Post by Mirage_GSM »

So, this is a belated entry for last year’s Secret Santa that the Prof put up on the discord. I really wanted to get this out before Christmas, but December unexpectedly got a lot more hectic than I planned for…
As always, the prompt as well as my author’s notes will be at the end of the story.

A Not So Silent Night

One of the ceiling lights is flickering, pulling me from my reading.

I put down the journal and squint up towards the lights, but now they’re shining as if nothing is wrong. Just as well, because I probably wouldn’t find anyone to change them over the holidays.

The clock at the wall shows that it is almost three in the afternoon, and it is already getting dark outside. I rise from my desk and walk over to the window looking out over the school grounds.

Outside snow is gently falling, and the school grounds are covered with a white, almost pristine coating. Just a few tracks are visible leading from the entrance over to the dorms. I’m surprised to see any at all: There aren’t more than a dozen students who are staying over the holidays, and they have little reason to leave the school grounds on Christmas Eve.

To be honest there is little reason for me to be here either, but someone from the faculty has to be in case something happens that needs an administrative decision, and since I don’t have family that job usually falls to me.

I turn away from the window and walk back to my desk. I’ve already read all the articles in the journal that I found interesting and was only reading the rest of them for lack of anything better to do. I consider finishing the bit of grading work that I still have to do, but not even I would do that today. It’s just a matter of principle.

Just then the phone on my desk is ringing. Probably just the principal who has just remembered she has saddled me with this duty again and is trying to absolve her conscience by wishing me a Merry Christmas.

I take up the phone. “Yes?”

“Hey Akio, it’s me! Can you come over to the boys’ dorm for a sec? We need your help with something.”

So nurse has also been stuck with staying here today. Must suck not being able to spend the holidays with his girlfriend. “Sure. Did anything happen?”

“Nah, not a big deal. Just some dispute we need you to mediate.”

“Okay, I’ll be right there.”

I hang up and switch the phone to relay calls to my mobile. A dispute? On Christmas Eve with so few students being around? I mentally go through the list of students I know are staying here. The most likely culprit has to be Setou…

***

As I approach the dorm I see quite a few tracks in the snow, but the building itself is mostly dark.

I enter and feel around for the light switch when suddenly the lights all flare up.

“””MERRY CHRISTMAS MR. MUTOU!”””

As I blink away the stars from my eyes I see about a dozen students along with nurse and two of his assistant nurses. In front there’s Hisao beaming at me with a broad smile; next to him are Ibarazaki, Tezuka and – to my surprise – Ikezawa; the rest are mostly first and second years.

“What’s going on here? You said…”

“Oh yes, the dispute.” Nurse grins like an imbecile as he usually does. “Now front and centre you two.” He shoves Hisao and Ibarazaki to the front.

Hisao looks at me sheepishly. “Well, you know we weren’t sure. I was saying that if we were organizing a surprise Christmas party for you there should be classical Christmas songs…”

“Hogwash,” Emi interrupts him, “there’s no way Mr. Mutou would listen so something so boring! It should be pop songs, right?”

“I… Uhm… Actually I do prefer the classical songs…”

“See? I told you so.”

Hisao grins at his short girlfriend as she sticks out her tongue at him, then she turns around and cheerily shouts. “You heard him Saki, the first CD please!”

A moment later the melody of Silent Night is coming softly from some loudspeakers. Trying to get my bearings I look around the common room.

The room is covered end to end in Christmas decoration, but there is an obvious mismatch: One wall is decorated with confetti and paper streamers, another with fir branches and cones, the third with paper angels and stars, and the last is covered with a huge canvas with an abstract painting of what I think is supposed to be a purple Christmas tree.

As I take the scene in Hisao, noticing my confusion, speaks up. “Well, we put some people in charge of decorations, but since they were all in different classes they apparently didn’t communicate all too well…”

“As much as I don’t like to admit it,” Ibarazaki pipes in, “I guess Shizune would have done a better job of getting things organized than you did.”

Hisao sighs. “Well, she had to go home over the holidays, and you certainly didn’t volunteer to do it…”

“Hisao, don’t let Emi get to you so easily! You should know by now that she’s just teasing you.”

I look past Hisao to see a young woman I don’t know coming from the kitchen, a huge bowl in her hands. She turns to nurse. “Now be a dear, and make a bit of room on the buffet table. The hot punch is ready.”

Nurse quickly makes his way to a couple of tables lined along the back wall. On them there is a wild assortment of cookies, Potato chips, sausages and other snacks - probably the same problem as with the decorations…

He shoves a few of them closer together, and the woman – who I assume is Ibarazaki’s mother – puts down the bowl.

“Now line up with your cups everyone!” She dips a ladle into the bowl and begins filling the cups the students hold her way.

I eye the bowl suspiciously. “So, just to be sure…”

“It’s fruit punch, of course,” she interrupts me. Then she winks and continues a bit more silently. “I have another, smaller bowl for the adults back in the kitchen.”

I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn to see nurse’s familiar grin. “I know you’re on duty, but you’ve got to try at least one cup. Nurse’s orders. Meiko’s hot wine punch is to die for.”

“Are you sure all three of you can be here? There’s nobody in your office, is there?”

“Well, all the students who stayed on the campus are here, so there’s no problem.”

“Everyone?” I mentally go through the list of the people who should be here. I don’t know every single student by name, but the number should be correct, except for… “What about Setou?”

A girl – Kitamiya? – speaks up. “Is that the one who always cosplays as Harry Potter? He came down about an hour ago when we were decorating. He just screamed ‘It has begun!’ and ran back to his room.”

Nurse grins. “See? Everyone is accounted for.”

Suddenly the door opens behind me, and a surge of cold air is flowing in. I turn around to see Miss Miyagi standing in the door, her thick winter jacket almost entirely covered in snow.

“I’m sorry I’m late! I wasn’t able to drive my car up the hill in this snow, so I had to leave it in town and walk.”

One of the nurses – Uehara if I recall her name correctly - hurries over to her pats the snow from her jacket. “Don’t worry Makoto, he only just arrived as well. See, he hasn’t even taken off his jacket yet.”

I notice that it is getting quite warm in the room with this many people around. I shrug off my jacket, and Ikezawa of all people steps up to take it from me while Ueahara takes Miyagi’s jacket, and the two disappear into another room, presumably to hang them somewhere to dry.

Miss Miyagi sidles up to me and apologizes again. “I’m still sorry. I wanted to be here for the surprise, but I didn’t think the snow would be so bad over here.”

“It’s not a problem, Miss Miyagi, they never clear the snow on this hill on holidays.”

“Please, it’s Makoto. This is not official business.”

“Well, technically I am on the clock, but… well… Akio.” I’m not sure if it is the cold from outside, but I think she blushes a bit as I say that.

Behind us there is some clinking noise. We turn around to see nurse hitting his cup with a knife. “So, now that everyone is here, let’s get this party going, shall we? The buffet is open!”

***

The party has been going for a few hours now, and the punch bowl is nearly empty. The same goes for the special bowl in the kitchen, but as both I and nurse and his two assistants are on duty, Meiko and Makoto did most of the work on that bowl, and both of them are quite a bit tipsy.

Nurses Ueahara and Ogawa have retreated to the kitchen – maybe to surreptitiously finish of the special punch.

Kitamiya and Yoshida are trying to describe the - for want of a better word - -Christmas tree to Mori who is intently listening and now and then asking questions of Tezuka.

Ikezawa and Katayama are sitting in one of the corners reading books. Hisao and Ibarazaki are sitting in another corner… and I probably shouldn’t look too closely at what they’re doing.

Meiko is more leaning against nurse than she is standing on her own. “’m not schure I can drive home like schis…”

Nurse puts an arm around her waist to pull her upright. “Don’t worry. In one hour the next shift will be here, then I can drive you home. I’m pretty sure Emi will want to stay over, so we can get her and Hisao tomorrow.” He looks at her. “But you should better sit down somewhere for now.” He nods at me and leads – or rather drags – her to one of the couches.

I look down at Makoto. She is not quite as sloshed as Meiko, but she has been clinging to my arm for a while now, so I’m not quite certain how steady she is on her feet.

“What about you? Are you feeling okay?”

“I… I’m fine I guess, but I don’t think I should drive home today…”

“Don’t worry.” I take my mobile out of my pocket. “I can call you a taxi.”

“NO!” She grabs my hand, and as I look at her I am rather certain that her blushing is neither due to the cold nor the hot wine punch. “Would… Would you drive me home instead?”

***

So, that is my story. Merry Christmas ChattyWheeler… AND Merry Christmas Capn-Cold!

When I read through the prompts that the Prof put up on the discord I noticed that two of them were rather… synergistic, so I thought I could fulfil two wishes with one story. Here are the two prompts:
”ChattyWheeler” wrote:A character of your choice is all alone on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day/New Year’s Day at Yamaku. With everyone either at home for the holidays or out spending time with friends, the character of your choice feels like they have been forgotten and resolves to spend the day away from others. That is… until another character of your choosing unexpectedly appears. Perhaps, the first character of your choosing wasn’t so forgotten after all… This story can be fluffy, dramatic, somewhere in between, or whatever tone that the author wishes to invoke. Please have fun while writing this! Good luck, and happy holidays!
”Capn-Cold wrote:Hisao enlists the help of Emi and others in an attempt to create a holiday 'thank you' to Mutou for all the help he's given Hisao since he arrived. There's only one problem: No one can agree on what to do.
I think the result is mostly fluffy, but I left the end a bit ambiguous, so the drama fans can also fantasize 😊

I name-dropped a few characters from an earlier story of mine which I’m pretty sure few people who are still around have read…

Again, I’m sorry I couldn’t get it out before Christmas. I had the story mostly worked out in my head, I just needed a bit of time to write it down – and it mostly wrote itself once I started.
Last edited by Mirage_GSM on Sun Dec 26, 2021 6:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Emi > Misha > Hanako > Lilly > Rin > Shizune

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Re: Secret Santa 2020 - Story collection

Post by Chatty Wheeler »

Ah! The day has finally come! A big thank you to Mirage for taking one—or in this case, taking two—for the team to wrap up the last of the S11 prompts. This was a really nice surprise to wake up to. :D

As for the story itself, I'll be honest, as I was creating my S11 prompt, Mutou was probably the last character I would have expected to be picked as the main character, but in hindsight, I'm guessing that that's precisely why you chose him. It was heartwarming to watch him finally get his due recognition—and maybe even a girlfriend by the end of it. :wink:

Thanks again to Mirage for writing this story! It was short, sweet, and clever. I had a big smile on my face while reading.

Take care, everyone. Happy holidays!
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Re: Secret Santa 2020 - Story collection

Post by brythain »

Sorry I'm running later than usual.

Just managed to put up ProfAllister's story for 2020: 'Something Arrives, Something Leaves'.

Enjoy!
Post-Yamaku, what happens? After The Dream is a mosaic that follows everyone to the (sometimes) bitter end.
Main Index (Complete)Shizune/Lilly/Emi/Hanako/Rin/Misha + Miki + Natsume
Secondary Arcs: Rika/Mutou/AkiraHideaki | Others (WIP): Straw—A Dream of SuzuSakura—The Kenji Saga.
"Much has been lost, and there is much left to lose." — Tim Powers, The Drawing of the Dark (1979)
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Re: Secret Santa 2020 - Story collection

Post by brythain »

Here's EuroBeatJester's story for 2020: 'Returns'.

I hope you like it, EBJ!
Post-Yamaku, what happens? After The Dream is a mosaic that follows everyone to the (sometimes) bitter end.
Main Index (Complete)Shizune/Lilly/Emi/Hanako/Rin/Misha + Miki + Natsume
Secondary Arcs: Rika/Mutou/AkiraHideaki | Others (WIP): Straw—A Dream of SuzuSakura—The Kenji Saga.
"Much has been lost, and there is much left to lose." — Tim Powers, The Drawing of the Dark (1979)
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