Two days passed by with cold wind and frost, but still without snow.
Taro and Yoko started talking about theier wish for a white Christmas and for theier Christmas presents.
Soon, it will snow, thought it won't be befor Christmas, Haruto thought, while listening to them.
And finally Christmas Eve was here.
Inside his room Haruto took out the the presents he had prepared for his uncle, aunt, cousins, their friends, Maya and Kazuya.
He had buyed something each of them would like, as he knew from his past life's experience.
Except for the ones for Naomi,Yoshi,Kanae and Minato.
Since he never spendend Christmas with them in any of his life's and never gave them any presents he was only able to guess.
Only later would he find out if they liked them.
He had wrapped them up and hidden them until today.
Since the holidays would only start next Saturday on the 29. of December he would spend Christmas at his uncle's house.
Christmas was reserved for couples and friends either way, so Taro, Haruto, Yoko, Naomi, Yoshi and Minato had decided to meet up at five 'o' clock.
Then, they wanted to go and see the light installations that had been put up around the village plaza.
Afterwards, they would go back to the twins house and have a big party there.
On the way back, they also wanted to buy Christmas cake, thought Maya had offered to bake them one.
Her cakes there even better then the cooks, but they had refused.
Thought, Haruto knew that Maya would still bake one either way to surprise them.
That's just how she was.
During the evening he gave the presents he had prepared to his uncle, aunt, Maya and Kazuya.
For his uncle he had buyed a special wax his uncle could use to wax his surfboard.
His aunt Hina got a pair of stylish gloves, matching her favorite winter dress.
Maya's present was a new set of cookie cutters wich she used to make some of her sweets.
Kazuya got a new scarf from Haruto wich matched his butler uniform.
Later, he changed his clothes to a warm dark green pullover and black trousers befor they wanted to leave.
In the hallway, Yoko, Taro and Haruto put on theier thick winter coats and winter shoes.
Since they would return here later with theier friends they could leave the presents for them at home.
Soon after they left.
They walked down the street and followed the way to the plaza.
They were the first ones to arrive at the meeting point, wich was a bit away from the plaza but they could already see the first few light installations.
Kanae was the next to arrive, together with Naomi.
The boys took a bit longer but also came just on time.
Then, the six of them walked forward together, towards the light installations.
They were beautiful.
It seemed like the trees standing around the plaza had grown thousands of crystals, shining in a brilliant white light.
They had a lot of fun and wanderd around for a while.
Many other people had also come, mostly groups of friends and couples.
Back home, the servants of the family's had already delivered the presents that the friends wanted to give each other.
On the way back they hadn't found any Christmas cake anymore since everything in the three backers existing in the village had been sold out.
That's why they were really happy that Maya had still baked a cake form them even thought they had refused.
It was just as Haruto had expected.
Moreover the family cook had cooked a fantastic meal with lots of food, both normal one and one for festivals.
The food was arranged as a buffet so that they could take something to eat whenever they wanted.
„How about we play some games?", Yoshi suggested.
The others agreed and they started playing ,the game of life'.
It was a lot of fun and after playing they cut the cake and ate it.
It was a beautiful cake with white cream, the figure of a Santa Claus and a reindeer.
They were made of marzipan and the winners of the game of life got them.
The ones who won there Yoko and Minato.
Afterwards they gave each other theier presents.
Yoko got a silver necklace with a pendant in form of a star from Haruto and matching earrings from Taro.
The both of them had worked together to gift it to her.
Yoshi gave her a bracelet with small crystals and Minato gifted her a makeup set.
Kanae amd Naomi had worked together to buy her the book she had wished for and a set of colors for drawing.
Taro received a book from Kanae, a soccer ball from Haruto, a Lego set from Minato, a teacup with the words „I'm the small boss, so make way" from Yoshi, a figure of the hero of his favorite manga from Naomi and a new notebook with soccer motives on it from his sister.
Kanae received book vouchers from Haruto, Yoshi and Naomi, a pair of earrings in form of jumping dolphins from Yoko and a the newest volume of the book she was reading from Minato.
Naomi received a keychain in form of a smiling sun from Haruto, a bracelet with a pendant in form of a flower from Taro, a hand-decorated photo frame with a picture of her, Yoko an Kanae inside, from Yoko, a book she wanted to read from Kanae, a set of pencils from Minato and a rice bowl with the motive of a cat face from Yoshi.
They took a while till everyone had gotten his present and unpacked it.
At nine 'o'clock the others were picked up by either theier parents or the servants of their family's.
Still, until Haruto could go to bed it was already eleven.
Once he had slipped inside his futon he fell asleep right away.
…
The week passed by and befor they had noticed it was almost the last lesson of the last schooldays.
Yano-sensei entered the classroom, cleared his throat and said: „As you all know, tomorrow is the first day of the new year holidays. I hope you will all take a rest so that you can start the last trimester refreshed. Also, I wish all of you a good new year festive and happy holidays. Still, don't forget to review your materials befor the start of the last trimester so that you will know what we are doing then we continue with the lessons. Oh right, don't forget to do the homework that was given to you. That's it from me. The ones on cleaning duty, please clean up, all others can go home five minutes earlier today."
Then he let them go.
Everyone quickly packed theier things and left the classroom.
While they were walking Yoshi said: „I'm so happy that I'm not on duty today. The ones that are need to stay longer while we can leave early."
Taro nodded. „They really have it poor. Hey, what are you going to do during the holidays?", he asked the others then.
„I will go visit my grandparents who live in Matsumoto in Nagano. We will celebrate new year with them.", Kanae said.
Minato nodded and told them: „I will also go to the mainland, to the city Inzai in Chiba to be exact. We will have a whole family gathering there."
„That's cool. I will stay here and spend new year just with my parents.", Naomi said.
„You aren't going on a trip? Don't you always visit your grandparents in Europe on new year?", Yoko asked.
Naomi shook her head.
„Not this year. Grandma and Grandpa are going on a trip with some old friends. After all, in Europe new year isn't really celebrated with the family but rather with friends.", she explained.
The others nodded.
„What about you?", Minato asked the twins and Haruto.
„We will also stay at home but Haruto will go back home.", Taro answerd.
I shouldn't thought, Haruto thought.
He never had spendend his first new year after entering the academy back home.
But right now it was planned for him to go back.
…
The next day at home, he, the twins and Hina sat at the table eating lunch.
Daikaku was still outside and making a phone call, then they could hear how he got loud.
„You can't be serious!… New year…Family…Akane! Akane! Hey!"
Then it suddenly stopped and turned silent.
A few minutes later Daikaku entered the room, his anger written all over his face.
„What's wrong, dear?", Hina asked her husband.
He took a deep breath and said: „Haruto will spend new year with us. Akane has a few things she needs to take care of and currently isn't in the country because of this. So he will stay with us during the holidays."
Just like I had expected since it was the same in all of my past lifes, Haruto thought.
„What?", Taro jumped up from his chair so that it fell over screaming, „But we always spend new year with just the four of us! You promised us that Haruto would go home during the holidays!"
„Yes, we made so many plans with just the four of us already.", supported Yoko her twin brother.
Both looked angry, first at theier parents and then at Haruto.
He felt that it would be better to leave them alone to have a family talk so he excused himself and stepped out.
Even from outside he could hear them fighting.
Because of him.
Suddenly he couldn't stand being in the house and after quickly grabbing his coat and shoes and putting them on he left the house.
On his way through the inner courtyard he met Maya, who asked him there he was going and that it would soon get dark, but he said that he just needed to take a quick walk and would be back soon.
Once he passed through the outer gate he started running.
Even thought it was a small island there were many street lights in regular distances so that one wouldn't get lost.
Moreover it was still quiet bright thought the sun was already getting ready to set down.
Haruto ran all the way to the beach befor he got slower and stopped.
His lungs ached and the cold started gnawing at his hands since he didn't take gloves with him.
His cheeks were reddened, either from the cold or from the run, he didn't really know.
But the aching feeling inside of his chest still hadn't disappeared.
He had already known that today would happen the way it did, and through countless lifes he had gotten used to it, but today it hurt more then it had for a very long time.
Perhaps it was because he was actually friends with his cousins or because they and theier friends had let him have some of theier warmth.
He didn't know.
All he knew was that it hurt and in that moment more then ever he wished to have his normal life back.
His parents and him living in theier house wich was almost to big for them.
Him attending a normal school.
His parents being proud of him for getting first place in the test.
All of them spending new year together again instead of him burdening his uncle, aunt and cousins.
He always knew that he was an outsider of that family.
In that moment something cold landed on his cheek and he opened his eyes that he had shut tightly and looked at the sky.
White ice crystals were falling down around him.
It's snowing., he thought. Right on the first day of the holidays the first snow of the year fell down.
In his last few lifes he had watched the first snowfall from his room's window but now he was standing at the beach.
He shut his eyes closely again.
„It's cold.", Haruto said to himself.
He had completely forgotten how freezing cold the first snow was.
A drop of water ran down his cheek.
It could have been a snowflake that melted or a tear.
Not even Haruto himself knew, as he was standing on the beach, in the middle of the first snowfall, feeling as if he could hardly breath, while having a lump of sadness stuck in his throat, his heart filled with a loneliness he had surprassed for far to long.