Sakayanagi Arisu is the only one left in Narrow Space.
In this gradual rising process.
Sakayanagi Arisu lowered his head and buried his face deeply into the bouquet of flowers.
Take a deep breath.
"What is this..."
A very soft whisper came from the bouquet.
"Sending this kind of flower... do you want me to be 'cursed' by you for the rest of my life?"
She raised her head.
Look at yourself reflected in Elevator Mirror.
"But..."
She stretched out her hand and accurately touched the box hidden deep through the layers of Wrapping Paper.
"Since it was you who gave me the 'curse'..."
"Then I... will accept it happily."
"Ding."
The elevator door opens again.
No one greeted me.
There is only one person, Sakayanagi Arisu.
Kazehara Tetsu walks alone on Empty Corridor.
His eyes fell on the bunch of Mixed Flowers in his arms.
In the elevator just now, because the atmosphere of separation was too strong, he didn't reveal it on the spot.
"What..."
Although Sakayanagi Arisu said that he "didn't prepare a gift" and even pretended to lament that he was "losing money," the facts prove that Sakayanagi Arisu never fights without preparation.
Kazehara Tetsu stretched out his hand and skillfully opened the tight flower branches with his fingers.
There was a small, hard object hidden there.
Sure enough.
It was exactly the same as the way he hid it in the bouquet he gave her.
However, compared to his slightly obvious box, Sakayanagi Arisu is hidden deeper and the box is smaller.
"Can even these little mischievous ideas come together?"
Kazehara Tetsu shook his head and gently touched the small box hidden deep with his fingers.
With this unopened surprise, Kazehara Tetsu walked to his Room Door.
"Huh?"
Just when he was about to take out the access card, his footsteps suddenly stopped.
On the dark gray entry carpet, there was a box that was not too big.
Under the box, there is also a Sticky Note that is neatly folded to prevent it from being blown away by the breeze in the corridor.
This is...
Kazehara Tetsu raised his eyebrows and did not touch the box immediately. Instead, he looked around first.
The corridor was empty, with only the distant surveillance camera flashing a faint red light.
It seems that the person who gave the gift has been gone for a while.
He bent down, adjusted the posture of the bouquet and satchel in his arms, then freed one hand to pick up the Sticky Note pressed against the box.
Under the light of the corridor, the writing on it is clearly visible.
"Kagihara, I wish you a Merry Christmas.
... knocked on the door, but it didn't seem like he was there.
Because it's getting late and I don't know when you will come back, I have to put my things here first.
If... if it's convenient, please accept it.
No one else should take it, but I'd better ask people passing by not to take it by mistake."
No signature.
Like a gift left by a ghost.
However, for Kazehara Tetsu, identifying the identity of the gift giver does not require Sherlock Holmes-like reasoning abilities.
That was the handwriting he had seen countless times in the correction records of countless exercises in the corner of Library in the past month before Final Exam.
Yamamura Miki.
"It's actually her..."
Kazehara Tetsu looked at that Sticky Note.
It's hard to imagine how much courage someone as timid and extremely lacking in self-confidence like her mustered up to dare to pick up a gift and ring his Room Door.
Then after a long wait without a response, and with so much disappointment, I wrote this note, put the gift at the door and left.
"Since everyone is here, why not send a message?"
Kazehara Tetsu sighed helplessly.
It's obvious that the two of them have exchanged contact information a long time ago. Even if they send a LINE and ask "Where are you?", maybe he will rush back or ask her to wait for a while.
But after thinking about it again, he felt relieved again.
For Yamamura Miki, sending a message to inquire about her whereabouts may be more difficult than asking her to solve a Mathematical Olympiad problem.
She was probably afraid of disturbing him, or afraid of being rejected by saying "I'm very busy," so she could only choose this clumsiest way.
"It really doesn't look like that Morishita Ai..."
Thinking of the "God-person" who dared to sleep on a park bench and even dared to kiss him when he had a fever, and then look at the "ghost" in front of me who even left a gift and worried about it being taken by mistake.
They are obviously friends, but their personalities are like two extremes of the spectrum.
But there is no doubt that the weight of this heart is not light.
The box was packaged very simply, with some slight wrinkles at the corners. It could be seen that it was not packaged by a professional clerk, but someone who was clumsy but extremely serious about wrapping it himself.
It's very light in the hand, probably a handmade product like Scarf or a glove?
"I'll have to get a copy later."
Since you have collected other people's things, according to the principle of Kazehara Tetsu, you must return them.
Even if we wait until tomorrow, or the day after tomorrow, Christmas will have passed away long ago.
The so-called "festival-limited atmosphere" will also dissipate.
But it would be a bit unkind not to respond to this courage.
And...
"For Yamamura, as long as someone can see her and respond to her... then it should be considered a holiday no matter what day it is."
Several options flashed through Kazehara Tetsu's mind.
It's not just a material gift in return.
Perhaps, when we meet next time, we can praise her for her bravery? Or... ask her for tutoring a few more times?
"Well, let's talk about it then."
Kazehara Tetsu opened the door and walked into the room.
The room was dark, the heater was turned off when he left, and the temperature was several degrees lower than in the corridor.
He turned on the overhead light.
There was no rush to change clothes or take a shower.
He walked to the desk and unloaded everything in his arms one by one.
The first is the Mixed Flowers bundle that Kazehara Tetsu doesn't understand at all.
Next, there was the satchel he had been carrying on his back.
As the zipper opened, it seemed as if all the "Spoils of War" accumulated in this long day were poured out.
Several boxes of different sizes and packaging were placed on the table.
Kazehara Tetsu pulled up the chair and sat down, leaned back, folded his hands on his chest, and looked at the row of "Spoils of War" in front of him.
Shiina Hiyori.
Karuizawa Kei.
Sakayanagi Arisu.
And the ones I just picked up from the door.
Yamamura Miki.
Four boxes.
Four girls with very different personalities.
Kazehara Tetsu's eyes fell on these boxes. Finally, his fingers subconsciously raised and touched his lips.
There is also a fifth gift.
Morishita Ai's... Kiss.
"Heh..."
Looking at the "good harvest" on the table, Kazehara Tetsu let out a chuckle.
This day.
From the bookstore in the morning, to the snow in the afternoon, to the health room at dusk, and finally to Western Restaurant late at night.
Didn't feel tired.
On the contrary, looking at these tangible proofs, he was even more excited.
"What a... overly fulfilling Christmas."