"Excuse , did you happen to see the girl I was walking with just now co back this way?"
"She's a little shorter than , wearing a light pink coat, with her tea-colored hair in a single braid."
"Um... Excuse , where can I charge my phone... You don't know... Ah, it's fine, thank you."
Shido walked with hurried steps, weaving through the park searching for Yutsuki's figure. However, the results were not promising.
In this massive park, with tens of thousands of tourists visiting, the existence of a single person was as inconspicuous as a grain of rice falling into a desert. Searching for Yutsuki in this vast sea of people was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
"Hah... Hah..."
Shido panted heavily. Sweat dripped down to the corner of his mouth, bringing a hint of saltiness and bitterness.
"Haha, I really am useless... I thought I prepared very thoroughly, but just because I forgot to bring a charging cable and a power bank... it turns out like this."
Before, he always felt everyone on the Fraxinus was a bit unreliable. But in reality, every ti he went on a date with a Spirit, he received imnse help from them.
Even though Yutsuki didn't like people interfering during her dates, the strategy team would still try their best to formulate plans and make various preparations in advance.
But this ti was different. From asking Yutsuki out, the date location, the ti, the activities there, and even the amusent park entrance tickets for today, Shido hadn't relied on anyone's help, preparing everything entirely with his own ti and money.
This might just be his petty pride and stubbornness. But precisely because today was Christmas, because Shido understood what kind of day today was for Yutsuki, he wanted to use his own power to give Yutsuki a beautiful mory.
"If I just knew what the text ssage said, at the very least I would know where Yutsuki went..."
Looking at the completely unresponsive phone in his hand, Shido couldn't help but sigh again.
Honestly, even if the text ssage read, "I feel a bit bored, I'm going ho first," delivering a critical ntal hit, Shido would still chase after Yutsuki and find a way to make up for it.
[Ding-dong—— Now broadcasting a lost person announcent. From Itsuka-san of Raizen High School, your classmate is waiting for you at the lost children's center, please co... Repeating once more, from Itsuka of Raizen High School...]
Right at this mont, the amusent park's speakers suddenly broadcasted such an announcent.
"Soone is waiting for , could it be..."
Shido widened his eyes slightly, rushing toward the lost children's center without hesitation.
"Yutsuki?"
"Ah, you're here. Itsuka-san."
Seeing Itsuka Shido appear, Saoto Natsutake waved and called out to him.
"You are..." Shido looked at Natsutake, asking sowhat hesitantly, "In Yutsuki's class... the Princess Bamboo?"
"Saoto Natsutake, the class representative of Yutsuki's class." Natsutake explained helplessly.
"Ah, sorry. Is Yutsuki... not here?"
Taking a deep breath and exhaling it, Shido gradually cald down. Looking around, he didn't spot Yutsuki.
"...I see. Indeed, the broadcast said 'my classmate' instead of 'my acquaintance' or 'my companion'... It is very much Yutsuki's style. Natsutake-san, did Yutsuki ask you to tell sothing?"
"Ah... mhm." Natsutake nodded in surprise and answered, "She said, I will wait for you at the location of the final stamp."
"The final stamp..."
Hearing this, Shido hurriedly took out the flyer from his bag. After observing it carefully, he seed to understand sothing.
"I know where it is! Thank you,Princess Bamboo!"
"I told you not to call that! There are a lot of kids here, what if they take it seriously—"
"Princess Bamboo, is my papa not here yet?"
"Princess Bamboo, read a picture book?"
"Princess Bamboo, are there really rabbits on the moon?"
"Princess Bamboo, I heard five noblen proposed to you before, who did you choose in the end?"
"Ah..."
Saoto Natsutake sank under the children's bombardnt.
———————————
At dusk, the crimson sunset slowly receded, and the dark blue night sky gradually enveloped the heavens.
Then, points of light gradually lit up in the park. Red, pink, yellow—colorful lights flickered and gathered on the pitch-black earth, forming a magnificent river of light.
"Wow, it is so beautiful."
"The night parade is taking place at the plaza over there, let's go check it out."
"Okay."
Moving against the flow of tourists preparing to watch the night parade, Shido ran quickly. The amusent park was very large. Even though Yutsuki's ssage narrowed down the scope to one area, finding her was still no easy task.
[Well, there's no helping it. For the remaining stamp location, I'll let you choose, Shido.]
(My choice?)
While chatting, Yutsuki wanted to hand the right to choose the final stamp location to Shido, but Shido didn't give a definite answer at the ti.
In other words, rather than Yutsuki testing Shido to guess "where is she?", it was more like she was testing whether she had "guessed where Shido wants to go?"
(If it turns into "I'm guessing that Yutsuki guessed I want to go to that place?", it'll just beco an annoying infinite loop. In that case—)
He could only trust Yutsuki. Making up his mind, Shido charged toward that spinning, shining Ferris wheel without hesitation.
Hm? Why the Ferris wheel?
Who knows since when, but no matter which amusent park it was, there was always an urban legend like "riding the Ferris wheel together will bring happiness."
(Furthermore—Riding a Ferris wheel with the person you like! It is a man's romance!!)
...
Attracted by the parade lights, the tourists on the road gradually gathered toward the plaza like moths drawn to a fla.
The originally long queue for the Ferris wheel now had only a sparse few people left, looking a bit deserted.
Yutsuki stood quietly in place, silently watching the tourists attracted by the parade approach the river of light, becoming part of the Christmas revelry.
"Hah~ It's starting to get cold."
Blowing hot air into her hands, Yutsuki muttered softly.
As night fell, the surrounding temperature dropped compared to the dayti, making the wait feel even more agonizing.
(Shido... will probably co here, right?)
Yutsuki couldn't help but wonder in her heart. Although she asked Satsuki to pass the ssage to Shido, there were many attractions where they could stamp the final dal, so it would take so effort for Shido to find it.
"Ah, found you."
Hearing this, Yutsuki subconsciously turned her head to look. Seeing that the source of the voice was a completely unknown couple, she awkwardly rubbed her nose.
"I clearly heard it wasn't Shido's voice... Ah, this really isn't like ..."
Yutsuki sighed helplessly, an indescribable sense of loneliness washing over her.
Honestly, she herself felt a bit strange right now. On one hand, she enjoyed this ga of hide and seek with Shido, feeling happy that Shido was running around everywhere for her. On the other hand, she looked forward to Shido finding her quickly so they could continue enjoying the date.
Today, she was still like this, swayed by this strange emotion, doing many things that even she found unbelievable.
"Ah... He is here."
Finally, seeing Shido's gradually approaching figure in the distance, Yutsuki couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"Yo, you finally arrived. Shi—"
However, before she could finish speaking, Shido, who had walked up to Yutsuki, hugged her into his arms without a word.
Yutsuki was caught a bit off guard. She originally thought Shido would stop to catch his breath, complain to her a bit, or throw a little tantrum. She clearly didn't expect Shido to be so direct.
"...Shido. Hugging without a word like this, if you had mistaken soone else wearing a similar outfit for , it would have been very awkward."
"Hah... Hah..."
Perhaps because he ran too fast, Shido just kept panting, slightly tightening his embrace around Yutsuki to respond.
His violent heartbeat transmitted to her chest, his hot breath brushing past her ear, making Yutsuki's cheeks-which had been numb from the cold, burn up.
This unfamiliar experience left Yutsuki a bit at a loss.
"Ah... Who told you to run so fast. Wait until you catch your breath before you talk... I probably need to catch mine too."
After muttering softly, Yutsuki didn't resist. She just buried her head and snuggled into Shido's chest.
(So warm...)
Even though the heat on her face hadn't subsided, Shido's body temperature clearly transmitted into her body, driving away the chill and loneliness accumulated during the wait.
Blushing, Yutsuki asked helplessly.
"...Have you cald down?"
"Mhm... Thank goodness."
A mont later, Shido's breathing gradually cald down, but he didn't release Yutsuki, as if worried she would run away if he let go.
"Sorry, I didn't see your text... making you wait alone for so long..."
"...Why are you apologizing? I am the one at fault. I purposely chose a bunch of extre rides to make you suffer, then suddenly left during the date to play hide and seek with you, making you feel anxious..."
"That's not true." Shido shook his head and said softly, "Today is Yutsuki's birthday, right? Although I also like the calm and reliable Yutsuki normally, the unpredictable Yutsuki today is also very cute. Furthermore, I am very happy that you can act spoiled with ."
"...Act spoiled?" Shido's words seed to strike a chord in Yutsuki's heart. "Yes... maybe that is it? Perhaps... I just wanted to cast aside my usual image, beco a slightly different self, and act spoiled with soone. It's just that... I haven't acted spoiled in so long, I didn't know what extent was appropriate. As a result, it ended up half baked, and even I didn't know what I was doing."
"Just do as you like, Yutsuki. Or rather, I'd be even happier if you acted spoiled to your heart's content without worrying about ."
To Shido's words, Yutsuki didn't answer, just silently hugged him a bit tighter.
"...So slow, you ca too slow. How long did you make wait."
"Mhm... Sorry to keep you waiting."
"Next ti, bring a charging cable and a power bank for . Low temperatures drain the battery faster. Don't let us get separated over such a boring little thing!"
"Haha... Sorry, I will be careful..."
"I dressed up especially for you. If you think I am pretty, praise more, otherwise I feel like an idiot."
"Yutsuki is really beautiful today! Like a fairy descending from the moon, I can't take my eyes off you at all. If I could, I'd want to propose to you right now!"
"Since it's a Christmas date, turn into Shiori and keep company like last year! I was looking forward to it for a long ti!!"
"I refuse that one—Ouch!"
"Tch. As expected, this level isn't enough." After kicking Shido's shin in dissatisfaction, Yutsuki turned her head away... "Forget it, I'm not good at being a spoiled brat anyway. Let's continue the date, Shido. We're already at the entrance. Hugging like idiots is embarrassing."
"Haha... True." Shido gave a forced laugh, reluctantly releasing Yutsuki, and asked curiously, "But Yutsuki, how did you know I would think of the Ferris wheel for the last location?"
Hearing this, Yutsuki tilted her head and replied as a matter of course.
"Hm? Isn't the Ferris wheel in an amusent park setting a classic, must have event in galgas? As a galga player, you would definitely choose this, wouldn't you?"
"Ah... That makes sense... Mhm, exactly."
Hearing Yutsuki's answer, Shido was stunned at first, then smiled bitterly and rubbed his nose, remaining noncommittal.
Suddenly, a cold sensation landed on the tip of his nose.
Looking up curiously, Shido couldn't help but show a joyful smile.
"Yutsuki, look."
"Hm?"
Following Shido's gaze toward the sky, pure white snowflakes were slowly falling from the night sky.
"Today is a White Christmas."
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