Whispers of the Past, Warmth of the Present
The atmosphere in the hallway when we stepped out for breakfast was a little different than usual. It felt a bit lighter, and a subtle sense of anticipation lingered on everyone's faces.
As I looked around in wonder, Shine wore a similar expression, as if she too felt the unusual shift in the air.
"Amy."
"Yes?"
"People seem to be in a really good mood."
I said, watching the faces of the people passing by. Amy glanced around at my words.
"Really?" she said, pulling her phone out of her pocket. White snow was falling on her screen, which I caught a brief glimpse of. "Well, the Christmas season is just around the corner."
"Christmas..." I nodded at her words. The day Santa Claus comes. I hadn't believed in him before, but now I did. If you asked me why... it was because Amy told me he was real.
"Amy, Santa is real, right?"
"Of course he is."
When I asked as if seeking reassurance, Amy answered with absolute confidence. I believed her.
"What exactly do people do on Christmas?"
"Hmm..." Amy looked down at my question. She even stopped walking, seemingly lost in deep thought. Shine and I, who had been trailing closely behind her, stopped in our tracks as well.
"Are we supposed to do something on Christmas?" Shine asked me. Holding my hand tightly as she questioned me, I hesitated for a moment.
"Well... ordinary people usually do something."
Christmas. I searched my memories. What was I doing on this day last year? Since it was a public holiday, I didn't have to go to work. I think I slept in late at home and finally got out of bed around noon.
"Is it a special day like a birthday?" Shine still didn't seem to know what Christmas was really about. I wasn't exactly the type of person who was good with kids. Explaining the concept of Christmas to her would be much better suited for Amy than me.
"Amy..."
As I tugged on the hem of Amy's pants to ask for help, she snapped out of her thoughts and looked up.
"Right. On Christmas, you set up a tree."
"A tree?"
"And people who like each other gather together to throw a party."
"Like a birthday?"
"Exactly, like a birthday. Christmas is an anniversary, after all."
"What does it commemorate?"
"Well, I'm not entirely sure either. I don't know how it was in the past, but nowadays, it seems like people just set a specific date, treat it as a special day, exchange gifts, and eat delicious food."
Shine nodded at Amy's explanation. Seeing that she grasped the concept, I let go of Amy's pants. As we followed Amy toward the dining hall, we spotted a massive tree standing in the center of the lounge.
"Whoa..."
As I stared up at the giant tree, the people setting it up waved at me.
"What is this?"
"We're making a Christmas tree."
The man who answered my question climbed up a ladder. I watched blankly as the colorful ornaments in his hands began to hang from the branches.
Countless tinsel garlands, light strings, and dazzling decorations began to adorn the tree. The final touch was a giant star placed at the very top. It glowed softly, casting a warm, comforting light.
Once the tree was finished, the people nearby clapped and cheered. *It really is Christmas.* Since I had never been the type to care much about holidays, I used to only realize Christmas was coming when I saw the trees popping up along my daily commute.
Staring blankly at the tree, I pressed a hand to my forehead as a sudden headache began to throb. The memories I had just recalled started to blur.
The crunching sound of footsteps in the snow. Carols echoing from all directions. Flashing neon signs. Snow falling from the sky. The biting cold air. Puffs of white breath.
"Jeff."
At the end of the memory, I had stopped on my way home to look up at a massive tree.
"Jeff."
The memory faded. Like a thick fog rolling in, static slowly filled my mind. The fragments of my past sank back into the depths.
"Huh?!"
I snapped out of it, my reaction a beat too slow. The giant tree. The tree... The lingering trace of that final memory vanished instantly. I shook my head, focusing on the tree standing right in front of me.
"Jeff, does something hurt?"
Shine reached out with a worried look. Her hand moved gently to caress my cheek. Her soft fingers lightly pinched and pulled my cheeks outward.
"N-nooo."
I shook my head slightly as I answered. I'm fine. The words slurred because of my stretched cheeks. Shine smiled at the sight.
Just because Christmas was approaching didn't mean our daily routine changed. Since it wasn't Christmas Day yet, that was only natural. After finishing our meal, I played with Shine and Amy. Afterward, I went to Victor for my power control training.
"Victor, it's almost Christmas."
"I know."
Having finished my training, I plopped down next to Victor and spoke. We had gotten quite close. Shine still seemed to dislike him, but when I sat down near him, she reluctantly sat beside him too. Victor didn't pay either of us any mind.
Amy, who had been dozing off in a chair, stood up and stretched when she saw that our training was over. After a quick warm-up, she stepped onto the ring in the center of the gym and called out to Victor. Her movements were incredibly light.
"Victor, want to go a round for old times' sake?"
A round? As I stared at Amy in confusion, she tossed a pair of gloves hanging from the ring toward Victor. It seemed she didn't even care what his answer was. Bouncing on her feet with an excited expression, Amy threw a few jabs into the air. "How about it?"
"I'm a patient," Victor replied, looking annoyed. Even so, he folded his glasses and put them away, indicating he was going to accept her challenge after all.
"I know you're fully recovered."
Victor silently stretched and stood up. I hadn't realized because he was always sitting, but Victor was incredibly tall. As I looked up at him in awe, Shine pulled my arm with a deeply displeased expression. Before I could even resist, my body tilted sideways, and I ended up pulled straight into her embrace.
"A single round?"
"Yeah."
"Looks like I'll get to eat something expensive for once."
"You really think you can win?"
Victor didn't fall for Amy's provocation. He slipped on his gloves and kicked off the ground. His body floated lightly into the air before landing gracefully inside the ring. Amy, also wearing her gloves, took her stance.
"Shi... ne..."
Shine was holding me tightly, refusing to let me escape.
"Jeff."
"Yeah...?"
"How strange..."
Poke, poke. Shine pressed her finger against my cheek. Squirming from the ticklish sensation, I finally managed to wriggle out of her embrace.
"What is?"
"It's nothing."
Shine had a tired look on her face. She reached out and wrapped her arms around my waist. Once again, I found myself trapped in her embrace. Hugging me from behind, Shine rested her chin on my shoulder.
"Are you tired, Shine?"
"Yes."
Shine quietly closed her eyes.
I shifted my gaze away from her toward Amy and Victor. Their sparring match had already begun. The sound of fists slicing through the air and the heavy thuds of footsteps on the canvas filled the gym. Both of them dodged each other's attacks with blinding speed. But as the intense exchange continued, Victor was the one being pushed back.
"Stay still."
A tiny whisper brushed past my ear right then.
Victor, who had been moving rapidly, suddenly froze. It was only a split second, but Amy didn't miss the opening. She swung her fist. Wearing a blue glove, Amy's fist connected squarely with the center of Victor's face.
A loud thud echoed throughout the entire gym. Victor's body was lifted off the ground before crashing onto the canvas.
"Looks like I win," Amy said.
Sprawled flat on his back, Victor muttered blankly, "What was that...?"
"What? Want to go again?"
"No..." Victor shook his head and stood up. His nose was bright red, making him look like a drunkard.
"I'll be looking forward to dinner tonight," Amy teased.
Victor waved his hand weakly.
"Girls! Victor is buying us a delicious dinner tonight!"
Delicious food? I stared at Victor with sparkling eyes. Sensing my gaze, Victor nodded powerlessly. He rubbed his forehead, still looking utterly baffled by why his body had frozen up just now.
Stepping down from the ring, Amy walked over to us with a cheerful bounce in her step. "Looks like Shine is exhausted."
I looked back to check on Shine, who was still clinging to my back. She had her eyes closed, burying her face in my shoulder. Seeing how incredibly tired she looked, Amy scooped Shine up into her arms.
"She stayed up late again, didn't she?"
"Does Shine usually stay up late?"
"Sometimes she stays awake until dawn."
"What do you think she was doing?"
"Who knows? She was probably just sitting there, staring into space."
Still holding Shine, Amy deftly unlaced her gloves and tossed them onto the ring. The discarded gloves were left for Victor to clean up. When he glared at her with a thoroughly disgruntled face, Amy playfully stuck her tongue out.
"You two seem to get along really well," I remarked, watching them.
"Get along? Well, I suppose we do."
"How long have you known each other?"
"It's been almost six years now."
Amy waved to Victor as she spoke, signaling that we were leaving the gym. Victor waved back.
Leaving the gym, Amy and I headed straight back to our room. I wanted to go to the park, but since Shine was asleep, that wasn't an option. Playing by myself wouldn't be any fun anyway, so I decided to wait until she woke up.
"Jeff~"
Back in the room, I was playing with a giant teddy bear. The teddy bear, which I had named Baeksi, was my best friend whenever Shine wasn't around to play with me. But Amy wasn't about to leave me in peace. I cast an anxious glance behind me. Amy was sitting at the table, holding a thick workbook in her hands.
Help me, Baeksi.
I quickly scrambled to hide behind the bear. Wearing a large witch hat, Baeksi stood majestically in front of Amy, completely shielding my body.
"Jeff isn't here."
"Really? Then who are you?" Amy's voice teased.
I wiggled Baeksi's head and tried to mimic a deep, gruff voice. "I am Baeksi. Jeff's friend."
"Is that so, Baeksi? Where did Jeff go?"
"Jeff went... for a moment..."
"For a moment?"
"She went outside for a moment."
Did she buy it? Clutching my pounding chest, I peeked out slightly from behind Baeksi. The faint sound of footsteps suddenly drew incredibly close. Baeksi, who had been reliably shielding me, was snatched by Amy's hand and lifted high into the air.
"Ah!"
Startled, I tumbled backward onto the floor. Amy burst into laughter at the sight of me.
"Welcome back, Jeff."
I rolled my eyes around, frantically searching for an escape route, but there was absolutely no way out.
"Time to study."
"Yes, ma'am..."