At the inn, the students were throwing streamers, rice, whatever they were holding but could be used to throw themselves a good distance.
It was really used to celebrate or just to fuck the mother ... in either case, the answer was not very difficult if you thought lightly.
Kazumi threw rice at Juro and Yurisa while the three of them laughed and hid behind the walls to avoid being hit by the grains. Tadashi had a broom by his side, waiting for the moment to start picking up all the holy mess that happened in that place; but which, anyway, would be nice as a later memory.
Aimi distributed the gifts to her colleagues and students. Upon meeting Yumei, she gave him a huge hug and a huge kiss on the cheek, the kind that Bugs Bunny used to give to a grumpy Elmer. When the teacher gave her the gift, another huge hug and kiss landed on Aimi's cheek.
-Miss, let me go. –She asked.
-I do not want. -Yumei smiled.
Between Juro, Tadashi and Eiji they had to take Yumei from him like a leech, which didn't take long to look like a real one. When it was finally taken from her, Aimi sighed heavily, as if she had been suffocating.
Arriving with Ringo, she blushed slightly, handing him the box wrapped in Christmas paper, not wanting to meet his eyes for fear that he would discover how she felt about him.
The boy received the gift with great appreciation, when he opened it, he was incredibly surprised ... that it was the same wristwatch that he already had on. His mother had given him one just for his birthday.
-Merde… -Aimi whispered, taking a light blow to the head. -What the hell is wrong with you, little thug?!
-It's not right for teachers to swear in front of their students, or what do you say?
In that, and when Ringo was victorious over what happened, Tadashi passed with a group of students who gave him gifts or who simply wanted to talk with him before going on vacation.
-Oh shit, what a fuck your gift. The truth is that if he is with mother and everything, but the packaging you chose makes me a little bit screwed up, it seems that the person who designed it was a good fucking drug. –It was the little that the teacher said, bringing a disgusted face to Ringo and a small laugh from Aimi.
-It seems that you are finished in your "theories" and stuff. -She smiled, while giving a little giggle.
-Then I won't give you your gift, for being rude.
-It's not fair that you give me something. -Aimi sat on one of the stairs. -It took me so long to choose your gift and it turned out that someone else had already done it.
-It does not matter ... could you pass me in letters? If it's not too much to ask.
-Not in your wettest dreams, Ringo. I can give you anything but that.
-Like a night of passion? -Ringo covered his mouth as he blushed a little. -Sorry, I said it without ...
-You're an Idiot! –The slap that Aimi hit him was heard even outside the academy.
Ringo's cheek seemed to have been marked by a metallic hand that was red hot because of how red and noticeable the blow looked.
Aimi had red hands and cheeks, plus she was looking at Ringo with eyes that wanted to kill him, like when they first met in the restaurant near her house.
Surely, he would never again be able to stand on her doorstep without her throwing a bucket of cold water on him with all the laws, or even more than those.
-Here is your gift. -Ringo whispered, while rubbing his cheek.
-Shut! You can keep it for me, why won't I accept it. –Aimi was really angry and sorry, but a little more sorry.
She clenched her crotch at the thought of that "night of passion"s he would have with the young boy. Her morality hurt like never before but he really questioned, What kind of experiences would Ringo have in terms of sex?
She was a virgin, she never had time to think about men during her adolescence, either because they bothered her because of her otaku position or because she preferred not to pay much attention to that adolescent detail.
However, she could be sure that the boy in his full "vigorous" youth had already had some adventure out there. In a tiny picture that passed through her mind, she imagined Ringo on top of her, kissing her neck.
Aimi scratched his back for that action so loving, so romantic and so… so… so wrong, since she and he were teacher and student, something morally very frowned upon!
So she shook her head to get those weird ideas out of her mind.
-In truth, when you see it, you won't be able to say no, I swear. -Ringo begged, causing a new picture to appear in her mind where he said the same ... in another circumstance where clothes were less abundant.
-Okay, give it to me! -She ordered, just to stop having those damn thoughts that made life difficult for her.
It was something square, flat, small, and it seemed to be a photo frame or something similar. Hearing the unmistakable noise of the plastic that CD cases make, immediately knew that it was one, but which one?
Her curiosity was increasing, her eyes were half closed with the doubt she had at that moment, until ... she opened the package and found what she did not expect.
Led Zeppelin IV autographed by Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, something that undoubtedly had to cost an arm and a leg or one of two kidneys.
Seeing Aimi's expression, almost shedding tears of happiness to have something like that in her hands, Ringo knew that she had hit the spot.
He went through a bit more, aside from the autographs, he had a little booklet with unreleased footage of the Stairway to heaven and Black Dog recordings, which were Aimi's favorite songs, at least from that album.
The tears wanted to come out, but she blew air with her hand so as not to cry, she didn't want to look so ridiculous, until Ringo hugged her, shaking her and causing the happy tears to come out at the end.
She instantly controlled herself to stop crying, also returning the hug she had received.
-Actually ... thank you very much for this, so did you pay attention when I told you the music that I like? –She asked, incredulous.
-Of course I do, Aimi, why wouldn't I pay attention to you when I'm the one who asks you to go to breakfast together?
-Touché.
Yumei viewed Ringo with incredible suspicion, so she gave her gifts to Eiji, who took a step back from the blow she had given him.
-Hold my gifts, hey what's wrong with you? Do you think you can make the teacher cry just like nothing?
-Yumei, I'm crying with happiness. -Aimi laughed. -Never before has something like this happened to me Hum, for everything there is a first time.
The teacher wiped her tears avoiding ruining the makeup she had in her eyes. If he had cried outside, his tears would surely freeze. It was quite cold.
She approached Ringo slightly, she was no longer so upset with him but she would take the opportunity to continue the jokes ... that's what she expected in how the young man was going to take what he would say.
-You know, in the end I do want the night of passion. I'm going to pay you very well for what you gave me today. In the end, she winked at him.
Ringo blushed from the bottom up, watching as Aimi tried to hold back a laugh.
-Ha, don't believe it, you should see your face!
-Ah Holy God ...
Juro entered a class, but not before verifying that no one discovered it. He closed the door and after a few seconds he opened it again, taking out the huge box with the even larger teddy bear that resided there.
As the box walked through the corridors, many stared at it, and of course? It was the greatest gift anyone had in their hands.
Many thought it was given to her by her friend from first semester. But that was not even the case, that gift already had an owner ... or owner, rather.
Kazumi was talking with her friends in the other class, not with Yumei or Yurisa, which made Juro's mission difficult. With what face was he going to stand in front of them to give the most voluminous gift of all to the girl he liked? He would have to, but he preferred on a more "private" occasion.
-Who gave it to you? –Asked Yurisa, who was behind Juro.
-Holy Christ the Redeemer! What a scare you took me out, I thought they had discovered me.
-Well, I did discover you… who is this gift for? -Juro looked away without saying anything. –I know for whom, you don't have to tell me. Kazumi, Juro want to give you his gift, please come!
-It's okay! –She yelled from where she was talking to start walking towards the two friends.
"B-b-but what the hell is wrong with you, did you go crazy?! -Juro sputtered, who was breaking into a sweat despite the cold.
-You'll thank me later. –Yurisa was winking, sticking out her tongue and raising her thumb.
-Daughter of La Malinche… -Kazumi stood in front of Juro, smiling at him with her hands behind her back. -H-hi, how nice is the day right?
-Has it become customary for you to tell me that since we first met?
-I-I guess so ... do you really remember that?
-How not to remember? It was one of the most awkward moments of my entire life, yet I still remember it fondly.
-That makes me happy, and I hope you remember this moment with even more affection. -Juro moved the box in front of Kazumi, it reached almost to his ribs, so he was quite surprised.
The packaging was perfectly well done, it gave the impression that a very professional person did it. But no, he was just a 17-year-old boy very much in love and who would give the time that was necessary to be able to impress the girl he liked.
The bow was red and had some details in a shade of the same color, except that it was paler. It looked very beautiful, since it was rolled up on itself, and that it was hardly the wrapper.
-D-don't worry about ruining the packaging, I was going to do this anyway. -Juro removed the lid, so the gift opened, unfolding all four sides, revealing the huge teddy bear with a Christmas hat and, in his arms: a bag of chocolates.
Kazumi looked very curious at the bear to take off the hat and put it on herself, after that, she took the bag of chocolates to open it and eat one, also offering Juro; He took the bear in his arms and gave him a hug, closing his eyes, looking like a little angel to Juro's.
-It's a nice gift, I must admit. And actually I have one for you too. –Kazumi began to go through her backpack, with which she took out a box a little larger than two feet. –It is very small compared to what you give me but… the intention is what is worth, isn't it?
-Well said. -Juro took the box in his hands to begin to open it: it was the same bear, the same details and everything perfectly identical except the size, of course.
However, the boy felt very happy about what he had in his hands, since that teddy bear was a symbol of the friendship that both young people had. Naturally, one loved the other more.
Yurisa gave the happy little sheep to Yumei, which looked so funny and cute that the day Juro and Eiji were almost beaten by that clumsy piece of sweets and chocolates ... even so, all the girls, including Kazumi, were left delighted with her.
-She looks pretty!
-Is beautiful! Where did you buy it, Yurisa?!
-In a supermarket downtown. -She smiled, playing with her hair.
-It's the best gift I've been given this year, and it could only be my best friend forever and ever! –The "two Y's" hugged each other while smiling.
Eiji and Juro looked with great anger and frustration that that scene left them: Kazumi was in love with the little sheep and Yumei had said that it was the best gift of that Christmas.
-This is all because of your fucking fault. –Eiji accused.
-With that she would be my girlfriend… I'm going to kill you, Eiji! –Juro took him by the neck so that both of them began to hit the lockers, until they ended up on the ground, where they continued fighting.
-That damn little sheep would be my direct pass to Kazumi's heart ... I'm going to kill you, unhappy! -Juro took him by the neck so that they both began to hit each other with the lockers until they ended up on the ground, where they continued fighting.
-Come on stop doing nonsense. -Yurisa went and separated them both.
-Agh, you fucking asshole! -Eiji sputtered.
Taking Juro by the hand, Yurisa led him to another corridor because he wanted to keep fighting.
-Will you calm down if I give you your Christmas present? -Yurisa asked.
-It was my golden opportunity ... and they took me away. -In Juro's eyes you could see the anger, fading when she brought one of her hands to the boy's chest.
Taking out a small box from her backpack, Yurisa held out her hand for Juro to receive it. -Tah dah, I hope you like it.
The small box was opened, in it was a photo frame with a photograph where Juro and Yurisa posed for the camera dressed as Leon Trotsky and Frida Kahlo, where she leaned her head on the boy's shoulder.
-Don't let Kazumi see her, or she'll be jealous. -Yurisa smiled at him once more.
-Wow that's a nice touch. Thank you very much. -The two friends embraced, closing their eyes.
It was already December 24, with about nine hours to go until Good Night. Everyone was happy because it was the time of year that they looked forward to the most, and that was very noticeable in the atmosphere that was full of joy and happiness.
Or that, at least, in two people who were just getting up. The first of them was Ringo, who received a letter from his father, which was something like a "counter-mental from mother."
-You are not my son, you are a bastard, not even whoever loves you, that's why I left; ungrateful, I am still supporting you for eight years ... and also merry Christmas. -That was what the letter said, very broadly.
He was very annoyed by that answer, although he had torn and burned the letter with great courage, which in a certain part had been extinguished along with the fire when only the ashes of the paper remained.
Now he was writing a response to the mother's counter-mentality to mention the mother to his father again ... that situation was still very ironic.
However, Risa took the letter from him. She didn't see the point of Ringo and her father arguing over letters after almost ten years of not seeing or speaking to each other.
-I know you hate him for what happened, but that doesn't matter anymore, aren't you happy? -Risa asked.
-Yes I am ... but I have so much anger for what he put us and Mom through ... if they put him in front of me, I'll kill him. -Ringo muttered, clenching his hands and teeth.
-You wouldn't be able to, and you know it. We'd better go to breakfast now, I think it's overheated from yesterday.
-In addition to that, we will have to make Christmas dinner, will we eat romeritos again?
-Yep! Only this time mom wants to do them differently!
-Hum, that sounds good.
The other person who was unhappy on good night was Aimi. She had not received a mention from a mother from one of her parents ... quite the contrary: she had not received anything from them, and surely she would not receive anything tomorrow.
To give an example, Tadashi also lived alone, but he had received some gifts from his family for two days. They were sociology and history books, many of them talked about the history and social contexts in Latin America and in Europe before the world wars.
In addition to receiving gifts from his relatives, he would go to celebrate Christmas with his college friends and his girlfriend, something that not even Aimi could do, since her friends were in France.
She was alone on Christmas Eve, something that if, at least not sad, yes melancholic.
She woke up and ate breakfast crying, hardly able to contain himself. She had prepared a dinner for several people ... however, she would have a lot of food left over for the rest of the week, she was not going to have that worry anymore, at least.
That wasn't comfort in the least, but it was either that or just crying in her bed all day to try to run out of tears at dinner, so it was just a matter of waiting for that to happen.
It was already a vacation for Risa, so she wasn't going to her extra classes. She and Ringo watched TV, Christmas movies to be more precise.
As it was happening on the channels, one of them was broadcasting "The Polar Express" which was the favorite Christmas movie of both brothers.
-Hey, do not change the channel! -Risa ordered.
-No. I want to see the results of the Super Bowl, so no way.
She made a disgruntled face, pulling Ringo's cheek until he released the control, changing the channel to which the animated movie was broadcast.
He now saw Risa with a displeased face as she smiled, moving her feet back and forth, as if ten years had been taken from her life and now she was a six-year-old girl.
-Don't you remember that this was our favorite movie when we were kids? -Risa asked.
-Rather, how can I not remember? The only bad thing is that I forgot how the Chocolate song was going, and that scene is over.
-No way, surely they will repeat it tomorrow on another channel.
Again, they both lay down on the couch to enjoy the movie, although Ringo, from time to time, checked his cell phone to check the results of American Football.
To forget her loneliness, Aimi had started to read some books of romantic Japanese literature, ignoring what Tadashi recommended that she not do under any cause, reason, reason or circumstance, although she did not care enough.
She also decided to put on the record Ringo had given her, looking forward to the sixth minute of Stairway to Heaven, which was his favorite part of the entire album.
-And if I accept that I really love him and he already left this matter for a damn time? ... It would not be so easy, it cannot be when dealing with something so complicated.
Speaking of the devil, Ringo was walking down the street to wish Aimi a Merry Christmas, the movie had already finished. He walked through the snow with him coat and wool sweater to protect herself from the cold, seeing the snow in the garden of him teacher's house.
He knocked on the door without receiving any answer, after ringing the bell with the same result. After a few minutes, he rang the bell again but nothing happened.
Aimi wasn't there for anyone to try to upset her in her bloody loneliness, something that would happen to anyone.
Tired of waiting, Ringo called her on the phone to ask if she was away from home. As the cell phone vibrated, she looked at it on her nightstand, answering with some slowness.
-Say… -She answered, without much desire.
-Aimi, are you home? –Asked the boy, to which a silence of about five seconds appeared.
-No ... I'm not, I left a little early for some issues. –She lied.
-It's okay. Can you call me when you get back?
-Sure… -Aimi hung up the call instantly, laying back on her bed and putting the book aside.
If she was destined to be alone at Christmas ... so be it, she would not interrupt the "natural" course of things or her destiny, although she was not a very believer in such nonsense.
-Hi there? Are you still there? ... damn. –When Ringo was going to leave, I listen to the unmistakable minute seven of Stairway to heaven, which let you hear the guitar and drums in their highest tones.
Not for nothing that song was the best in all the history of Rock, but it is that in the history of all music.
He stood still for a second, trying to think what was happening and why Aimi had lied to him. She leaned slightly out of her window; trying not to be seen, under any cause, motive, reason or circumstance. There he watched the boy for a few seconds, who simply bent down slightly to take a snowball and point it at Aimi's room window, although he hadn't realized he was seeing him.
After sighing heavily, the steam that came out of his mouth dissipated, knocking the snowball to the ground. There was no point in getting her attention once more.
It was only the fact that she was with someone else that gave him a bit of an eye, even a slight jealousy; but nothing else.
Returning home, Ringo was in a neutral state. Neither happy nor sad, he had no expression on his face.
While preparing things for dinner with her sister and her mother, the former realized her neutral state, when curiously the women had much more joy to be wasted.
-What did the cat eat your tongue or what do you have, Onii-chan? -Risa asked.
-Any. My favorite team was eliminated from the Super Bowl.
Risa and her mother couldn't help but laugh at the comment, they were amused to see Ringo sad for something so silly and of little importance.
-Just don't go crying, okay? -His mother asked.
-If, according.
By two in the afternoon things were ready to cook, that at least that process would take a good three hours. Everything was going to be refrigerated so that the food would be ready in about ten or fifteen minutes before serving it to let it cool for a while.
He couldn't stop thinking about what happened inside that house, if Aimi was alone or spent the day with someone to keep her company.
He was not dying of jealousy, only dying of doubt. Who would be the person who accompanied her in any case? Her family? Her friends? A boyfriend? ... it was like flipping a coin: you couldn't know the answer until it fell.
So, with all the determination in the world, and even though it was snowing, Ringo took his jacket to go to Aimi's house.
Coming down the stairs, his mother held him almost to the door.
-Where are you going? There is little left until dinner. -She said.
-It's a very important matter, I'll be back before you know it. –Ringo answered.
-You're not going out now, it's snowing and dinner is almost ready.
-Sorry ... but this time I don't mean to listen to you. If you're going to scold me coming home, do it. If you're going to punish me for this, do it too… but let me out.
-Mom… -Risa took her mother's hand. She didn't know why, but she had the feeling of knowing what was happening.
-Give yourself dead when you return ... still, take care.
-Forgive me for this… but I can't let it go.
Ringo walked out, covering his throat with air and snow, trudging, but was determined not to take a step back.
If his companion was a relative it didn't matter much, at least the mother could mention to another father, to one who was not his. He planned to yell at her "You are worse than my father, how the hell do you send your daughter into exile forgetting about her? You disgust me, you are a son of La Malinche "something like that and even more anger and fury.
Spotting the teacher's house, he took a snowball in his hands to throw it against the window, waking Aimi from her slumber. She had cried in her loneliness until she fell asleep.
Another snowball came to her window, then a third and a fourth, but she would be reluctant to check who it was… or that was the plan.
-Aimi!!! -Ringo threw one last snowball at the window. -I know you are there! Why are you hiding from others on this date?!
-Little scoundrel. –Aimi went down to the door, feeling extremely annoyed with Ringo for disturbing her in her "predetermined" loneliness.
When he opened the door, Ringo was going to say something to her, but she slapped him quite hard. However, then she collapsed to cry in his arms.
-But what?...
-Go away, I don't want you to accompany me. You do have someone who wants to be with you, your family, your friends; I… I don't know.
-Is it because of your family? Aimi, I'm going to be crystal clear to you because I think it's time someone told you. –Ringo took Aimi by the hands, her heart began to beat strongly, she hoped that the boy would declare himself right there, on Christmas Eve. -You already have a family, I don't mean your father's Malinchista, I mean Yurisa, Yumei, Eiji, Juro, Kazumi, Professor Tadashi! ... and me, now we are a big family.
-You're an idiot… -Aimi hugged the boy while crying on his shoulder. She really hoped that right there he would confess that he loved her, without her being sure that it was the truth.
-I am. Now let's move on, I'm freezing.
They both sat in the dining room where they always ate, Ringo wiped the tears from Aimi's face, who would not stop crying, now because her loneliness was interrupted against her wishes.
-I'll go make dinner, did you cook something? -He asked.
-Yes…
The boy walked quickly to the kitchen, where he took things out of the refrigerator, put them in the microwave while setting the table and uncorking the wine.
He dimmed the dining room lights to just over half, lit some candles and put on the radio, where Christmas songs would surely be playing.
Although chance was always on their sides, putting something more or less known to Ringo, but perfectly to Aimi.
It was a song that made her chest ache, so she squeezed the sweater she was wearing roughly, at heart level.
The urge to cry invaded her, but when she saw Ringo give her an understanding and supportive smile, that feeling was overcome.
-Let's have dinner, is that okay?
-I think so ... I'm still very upset with you ...
-I suppose it's because of what I did, although I couldn't leave you alone on such a special day. My family is "together" so to speak, so you will understand when I tell you what happened.
Ringo began serving the table and wine, as well as arranging the garnishes and bread.
-You didn't need any of this, you didn't have to. I felt good. -Aimi muttered.
-Did you eat anything all day? Did you really feel good? If so, you would not cry for not having anyone to accompany you on this special day. By the way, what are we eating?
-Foie gras, pheasant, gratin mashed potatoes; steamed beef with green beans and dauphinois gratin. -Aimi explained, looking at the food.
-Sounds very French ... surely it will be very tasty. -Ringo began to eat taking the first bites, but stopped when he saw that Aimi went blank. –Go ahead, eat too.
Almost as if she were an automaton, Aimi began to eat without any expression on her face, not a smile, or anything. She was quenched with melancholy, instead of rejoicing that the boy had come to keep her company.
Ringo noticed this after a minute or two, why he decided to play a good card: wine. He invited Aimi for a small drink, which she quickly sampled, asking for more.
-I won't give it to you if what you plan is to get drunk to "drown" your sorrows. You are twenty-three years old, you should stop behaving like this! That doesn't matter anymore, what matters is that we are both here together.
-Sigh… that's what I think.
-It's not so much that you believe it, it's happening right now.
-Hey Ringo, answer me one thing and I want you to do it with the truth ... Why did you come to accompany me?
-Well ... I couldn't be calm if you suffered, and also suffering alone on Christmas Eve. I don't have the heart to do it.
-Why don't you have it?
-I don't know ... there was something that prompted me to do it, I couldn't explain it to you, but I just couldn't say no to that impulse, I had to come here at any cost.
-I will continue insisting that you are a fool ... nothing forces you to come with me.
-Of course. -He prompted me to come, are you really paying attention to me? Now I know what you must feel when I fall asleep in literature class.
Aimi stared with a "Wtf" face for about three seconds, but then began to laugh very animatedly, infecting her partner; who was laughing in an exaggerated way, almost like Michael Fassbender during the bar scene in Inglorious Bastards, which caused a greater laugh in her.
-I always thought that "laughter is the best medicine" was one of the dumbest phrases in history ... but I think it is not so much for physiological or pathological diseases ... rather it is a medicine for madness of the heart. -Aimi confessed, slightly embarrassed.
-I think it works in both cases, so there is no problem with it.
By the end of dinner, they were both tired and sleepy. So, when climbing the stairs and arriving at Aimi's room, Ringo laid her on the bed as if she were a little girl and then covered her with the covers, starting the retreat to the floor below ... but, but, she took it of the wrist, preventing the boy from leaving.
-Stay tonight ... I don't want to stay alone. -She asked, making the young man smile, without showing his teeth.
He went to the closet and lowered a coverlet for himself, settling in the chair that was next to the bed. As he settled down, he smiled at Aimi again without showing his teeth, and also raised his thumb.
She shook her head from left to right several times; She looked at Ringo with eyes that indicated unconformity and, with her hand, gestured for him to come with her.
The boy was a little scared, shaking his head sideways as he covered his face with the quilt he was holding. Aimi, without giving up, shook her head up and down to sign again that Ringo had to go with her.
-And I wanted to stay a virgin until I got married. -waHe whispered, but she heard him, blushing.
-Don't be an animal! At night it was always cold! ... what if the bed gets a little warmer with you?
-Please don't slap me ...
-You don't stop giving me reasons to want to give you one, you little scoundrel. –She answered, calmly and without being angry.
They both lay down on the bed facing each other. Each one had a quilt so as not to share it, since that saddened them equally.
They fell fast asleep with their hearts reassured from everything that had happened on that exhausting day ... although, the next morning, something inexplicable happened: they both shared a quilt, in addition to Aimi hugging Ringo, who, seeing her so close to him , he blushed. It was something like seven in the morning, but Ringo woke up without explaining why. He simply gave a heavy sigh, kissed Aimi's head and said:
-Merry Christmas ... my little one
With that, he went back to sleep, he expected a small smile on his partner's face ... but a small snore was what appeared, causing the boy to laugh, who was fighting at full force to avoid laughing.
In the end they both smiled: one had spent the night without cold since the beginning of the fall and the other because simply ... he had not been able to overcome the snoring of his arts and history teacher since he saw her sleep in the teachers' room.