12 Roses

16 | The Sound of Laughter

Being awoken at 6:00am on Christmas morning was not an unusual experience, especially since it was Tsumiki's favourite holiday. Except, to everyone else, it apparently was quite foreign.

You slipped out of bed around 6:15 after a long and mundane dream involving shopping with Maki to try and get her to wear something other than fitness attire and her uniform, and visiting the hospital with a boy with sea urchin-like hair. You recognized him, just slightly, but you couldn't put your finger on where you had seen him.

Maki remained in bed, while you walked out and went to the washroom. Usually, you and your parents would be on your way to the Christmas celebration that was held in the centre of town around the big tree. You'd meet Tsumiki and her mom halfway and they'd help your dad bring the absurd amount of food he always made.

This time, however, the sun rose but the house did not raise with it, as no one moved from their beds until around 7:45am, when Maki woke up and finally moved towards the washroom.

"Good morning," you greeted when she entered the living room to investigate the light that radiated from it, her pyjamas still on and her toothbrush sticking out from her mouth.

She waved drowsily and left again. I should've taken a photo of that.

After a short while, everyone was gathered in the living room, with gifts hastily wrapped beneath the fake pine tree, illuminated by artificial lights of red and green.

Gifts from you were wrapped in light brown paper and twine, with neat and professional looking folds.

Yuta put all of his in gift bags and a tag hanging from the string handles.

Maki's were wrapped in generic Christmas wrapping, although its age was evident from the yellowing of the paper.

Panda's were a poor attempt of wrapping, with tape and prayers holding them together.

Toge's were wrapped like lunches, cut into circles and pulled together with a ribbon.

"Whose gifts first?" Panda asked.

"Might as well start," Maki said, slapping her knees before standing from her spot on the couch. She took each gift and handed each to their respective owners.

Panda gasped. "Maki!" he exclaimed dramatically, holding up a long knit scarf. "Did you make this?"

"Of course not."

You grinned and held up sneakers with embroidered flowers on them to show Toge, who grinned back and held up a sweater with a band you've never heard of across the chest.

"Wasn't this expensive?!" Yuta questioned when he saw the brand name on the across-the-chest bag he had gotten.

"Not that expensive," Maki muttered, crossing her arms.

Panda put aside his panda head and grinned. "Group hug!"

"Get away from me!"

You each clung to her (save for Yuta, who remained seated a couple feet from her), and she groaned, pretending to hate it.

Then, Panda handed out his gifts, which each of you took in the same way you would take a handful of glass shards, careful not to break it nor cut yourselves on the paper's edge.

Once you all opened your gifts, stifled laughter sounded through the room upon seeing a common theme of panda related things. You got a big blanket with panda print, Toge got panda slippers, Maki got a panda sweater (ears and all), and Yuta got a pack of panda socks.

"So you guys think of me," Panda said with a playful grin.

Yuta's gifts were quite generic, seeing as he had only known the lot of you for a month.