THE NEXT DAY
We gathered in the clubroom wondering how to put out Mr. Nozumi's advice to place, three days before Christmas break and we haven't got a little time to make something up.
"What are we doing here for, if we can't make something?" Nagi had enough of our time getting wasted.
"Then, why don't you suggest something?"
Kozue is also on the edge.
"Let's have a Christmas party! Since we didn't have time to celebrate our success on our debut and getting sold out during the cultural festival." Nagi excitedly suggested.
"Right, great idea! I'm up for it. Maybe we just need a little distraction, for now, let's have a break and celebrate!" I nodded in agreement.
"Seems like a good plan, I agree." Fumi looked around and cheered everyone.
"I'm in if Kozue's in." Yasu slides beside Kozue.
"Even if you ain't coming, I am." Kozue teased Yasu once again
Yasu's face is in despair. "Why do you have to be like that?"
All of us laughed….
"Hanako, Nami, are you joining in?" I called them out as they were just sitting there in silence.
"You don't have to ask, president," Hanako replied putting on a Santa hat on my head.
Nami grab the chalk and wrote "Merry Christmas" on the board.
"Hey, Kenji! Make sure to invite everyone else…"
"Yes, I will invite them for sure."
There we have a Christmas party together with a celebration for our success.
"Yes, let's go! Divided ourselves into two groups, the first group will be assigned for the club room decorations, and the other is going to work at Kozue's family restaurant for our food menu!" I organized things accordingly to balance out the plan. "The first group, Nagi, Fumi, Kanna, and Me. we are going to be here, the second group, Nami, Kozue, Hanako, and Yasuyuki will be at Kozue's place to prepare the food."
"Roger!" Everyone is hyped up for our Christmas party.
We are granted permission to stay late at school since we are with the school director, our parents, the editors, and the editor-in-chief. Even though it was on a short notice, I'm glad that everyone could come and celebrate with us. Thus the party started,
I gave the declaration to start the party "For the continued success of the mangaka club and future endeavors."
"CHEERS!"
The adults have made their own circle, and we youngsters did the same but from time to time we connect with them.
"As expected, Kozue's cooking is delicious!" Nagi's plate is surprisingly huge like a mountain.
I commented by a joke. "Hey, Nagi, I don't know if everyone else noticed but you seemed to be gaining weight."
"Ha! Is true Nami? Fumi? Kozue? Everyone?" Nagi looked at all of us concerned.
Everyone nodded in agreement to my statement, then Nagi reduced to a number of servings on her plate.
"Why, are you reducing your servings?"
"Y-You said I'm gaining weight."
"But you can cheat on eating today since this is a party."
"Are you really allowing me?" Nagi tries to act like a kitten begging for food.
"Yes, you can just make sure to pay the price on the exercise." Everyone laughed at my remark.
"Ugh, I have enough of your jokes. I will surely get that sexy body!"
"Nagi, with your plain chest I guess the sexy body isn't going to happen." The Mabeyoshi's mother commented then continued, "You guys, want to hear the Nagi and Nami story?"
Nagi and Nami suddenly acted like two cats cowering in fear, while all of us are eager to hear the story but before she can even speak Nagi approached her,
"Mama, I think you have so much already, here you can go there and relax."
The twins sighed in relief and their father approached them and said, "Good work, saving your dignity." then looked at us and winked.
Is this family really okay or it is just me overthinking things.
The adults seem to be having fun on their side, so I decided to make it livelier for us too.
"Yosh, everyone! We can not just have a party without anything but eating, drinking, and talking. Let's have some games!"
"Oh, nice idea!" My father approved.
"How about we do it this way, Adults versus Youngsters!" Mr. Hitoshi suggested to which we all agreed.
"We will take you on! It is not like you can keep up with the youth's energy!"
Yasuyuki steps up but was immediately taken down by his father's words.
"Indeed, we don't have the energy but we as parents who took care of you young'uns for so long know every bit of your weakness. Yosh, let's do this!"
The tension in the room keeps rising to its boiling point as we battle against our parents' secret strategy and their years of experience on the battlefield.
First up, Yasuyuki and his father.
"Papa, you really want to do this?"
"Yeah, I'll show you what I can do!"
The battle "Sharpshooter" is a game where the players from each team will throw a piece of paper into the bucket, the player with the most amount of paper successfully thrown in the bucket wins.
After a fierce fifteen-minute battle, Yasuyuki loses by one point.
"That's unfair, I was one paper short where did my paper go!"
"Hahaha, so can you defeat the adults' sleazy schemes!"
"That outright is cheating!"
"But was there in the rule that says it is cheating." Yasu's father looked like a terrifying dictator who runs a completely corrupted empire.
We the young ones realized our decided defeat late in this game.
The look into the faces of the adults are horrifying, causing a coldness that chills down within our spines, this is no longer a fun game, but a do or die situation.
Each game started and we all lost, with despair in our faces we can't face our enemies, which is our parents. They all synchronized as if their brains are one.
Our parents then encouraged us with my father sharing his words, "This is a lesson to all of you since you are starting to become professionals, and working to earn. That in every road there is always going to be a challenge, someone will use everything even if it's a cheat. But there is always a way to conquer them, that is when your heart is pure and honest."
"Just live the life you want, no pressure, stay the same, trust the people around you and you will get stronger." Yasuyuki's father added.
"Success isn't a straight path, it's full of failures and obstacles but it is up to you if you choose to give up or stand back up."
Mr. Kiichi commented,
Then they all give us a gift even on short notice, they took their time to give us even if it's a small thing. This day will never be forgotten.
"Oh before I forgot, you are all invited to the publisher's New Year's party since you are now serialized authors for SHOKUNEN JADE." Mr. Miura said before leaving
"You will be taken there by limousine so don't bother traveling to the venue. Should I set the pickup point to your father's studio?" Mr. Nozumi added.
"Li-Limousine?!" I can't contain my excitement.
"I see it your first time, I've been riding that limousine for five consecutive years." My father teasingly commented.
"Then see you at the venue on January seventeen, the pickup point is at your father's studio."
"Yes!"
The party ended and we went our separate ways, I had a lot of fun this year, and I hope this will continue forever.
"Good job, on making a lot of friends and bringing smiles to everyone. It seems like the old days are back in that school." My father implored.