Hakuta got an idea as to what made Shiuka a bit depressed as the holiday season was in full swing. She was upset about being all alone from her father, which apparently had been practically a tradition for her at this point.
It seemed so tragic to him that a bright cheerful girl like her would have to go through this every year. When everyone else was enjoying time with those they cared about, she had no one. Even someone as pitiful as himself enjoyed this time, even if just a tiny bit.
So as the days rolled on and they inched ever closer to Christmas, he found himself trying to figure out a way to give her a holiday she wouldn't soon forget. Fortunately there was a lot of time to think of a plan with all his school time followed by working where he'd be able to bounce some ideas off the night shift manager. That guy was really swell and it was useful to have an adult's perspective on the matter.
"So this girl…" The man asked him as they talked after his shift. "Do you like her a lot?"
"She's a good friend of mine." Hakuta couldn't help but be a little flustered by his bosses question. It was evident he wasn't asking how close they were as friends, but rather implied potential romance between the two. "Just someone who's important to me."
"Going through all this, it sounds like she really is important." He chuckled, handing Hakuta his money for all the hard work he had done leading up to the holiday. "While I might get a little annoyed when people try to push me with my co-worker. I guess I understand how they feel." The man told him. "Maybe they just see what I see when you talk about her."
"Wh-what do you see?" Hakuta never thought he had done anything out of the ordinary when discussing the girl in question.
"You just get that glow when you talk about her." He explained. "Shiuka, that's her name, right?"
"Yeah?"
"See? Me just saying her name got a reaction out of you. I bet you didn't even notice it yourself." Now Hakuta couldn't tell if the manager was making fun of him or not. How could someone say he did something and he not even realize what he did? "Obviously I'm not going to push you. It's not my business anyway." He did wish the man would feel that way before saying what he told him. "But you're young, so I want you to think about it."
"Whatever you say." He spoke to play it off, but Hakuta also couldn't help but take the advice either. Shiuka was indeed a special girl to him. After all, it was him who wanted to stay after being given the chance to leave and live in his own house.
So despite not saying out loud, it was pretty obvious the reason for him wanting to stay was due to her. Sure, the house they lived in was nice and enjoyable with its spacious size and multiple amenities. But none of that would matter if it meant being all alone. He wouldn't like living all by himself if his dad had to travel for weeks on end just so they could afford living there.
Sure he had his video games, but lately Hakuta desired having some more human connection over what pixels on a screen could give him.
As the boy returned his costume, he rubbed his hands and breathed onto them to combat the biting chill from the harsh winter surrounding him. Snow had begun to trickle down, which glittered from the street lamps turning on as the sunset had already long set. Just a couple more days, he thought.
Though with all this time spent on trying to figure out how to make Christmas great for Shiuka. He realized on his walk home that he hadn't come up with a proper gift for the girl. It made have begun getting a little late, but a good number of stores were still open. So he decided since he was already out, that now was a good time to do a little bit of shopping.
At least being inside these stores with their heating was better than trying to tough it out during harsh cold which would only get colder with the sun no longer present to warm the world.
The place he stepped into was not a spot he commonly frequented. Knowing who she was, it was clear he'd need to search in places he wouldn't personally shop at to find something just perfect for Shiuka. So he ended up in a store which sold fashion items. They were decked out in seasonal wares, clothes lined the shelves and there was a display of jewelry right in the center of things.
This was what caught his eye as he walked deeper into the store. The person running the register greeted him with a smile as she directed him along the many items they sold.
"You're a little young to be looking for something for your, girlfriend, don't you think?" She spoke when he neared a certain section of jewelry.
"I'm not shopping for my girlfriend." He corrected. "But I take it these are engagement rings then." Not only did they look nice, but they also had the eye watering prices tagged along with it. "You're right though, definitely can't be buying something like this."
"Perhaps these might be more fitting for you and her." She pointed out another section which had relatively cheaper looking necklaces, rings, and earrings. "This girl, are you planning on confessing to her?"
"Why is everyone thinking I like her that way?" He responded. "She's a good friend of mine, so I just wanted to make sure she got something special. I probably shouldn't be telling you this, but Christmas hasn't been a joyful holiday for her for a lot of her life."
"You must be pretty naive." She answered his question. "You walked into this store, but you're not doing it for a girl you like? Then it's pretty clear you must be very different people. I almost can hardly believe you're close friends."
"You haven't even met her. How can you even think you know how different we are?"
"I'm just taking a guess here, but she seems to be the very bright and bubbly type. Perhaps even a gal?" She gave him a look, where his response told her everything she needed to know. "And you look like the quiet sit in the back type of boy. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were a shy guy trying to muster up courage to talk to a popular young lady."
"You're wrong about that last part." He said, pointing out a "gotcha" moment. "I talk to her all the time, it's not like she's someone so far from me that I can't touch her." His last statement had more truth than he assumed this women would think. The fact he lived with Shiuka and could physically touch her everyday was an interesting one. Not in any creepy manner though…
"I'm just trying to sell you something." She laughed, pointing out their interaction as merely a dance of seller and buyer. "From the way you talk about her, a girl like her I think would really love this ring." She tapped her finger on top of the glass. Underneath her was the item in question, a lovely, yet simple ring which glistened under the display lights.
"Doesn't break the bank either." He fingered into his pocket to remind himself of the money given from the manager. It wouldn't be enough for this ring, but another work shift and he should be able to save enough for it. "I can't afford it right now, but could you put that on hold for me? I can come back for it later."
"I'm sorry, but my boss won't allow me to place holds right now." She gave him the disappointing news. "You know there's a big rush and demand, so we can't just keep a bunch of inventory waiting and hoping people stick to their words."
"I see." He wasn't a fan of this, but understood her position. "I'll just have to hope it's still around then." Hakuta sighed and walked away. It was painful to have to leave behind something that was perfect behind, but for now he could only trust that a Christmas miracle would occur and it'd still be there when he returned.