“Alright! Let’s start a secret Santa game!” Yuto told everyone in the class.

“Eh? What the—” Aoi groaned loudly. That’s what they are; two confident people who like to stand up for their thoughts. But secretly, they have a feeling hidden for each other.

“Have some holiday spirit Watanabe!” Yuto leaned on the lectern in the classroom and eyed Aoi.

“Oi Nakajima, bring it on. I’ll make the best gift ever.” Aoi challenged.

“Great! Now, everyone please don’t say the person’s name out loud after you draw them out. That would ruin everything.” Yuto explained. “The gift should be given throughout the day of Christmas. And note! Don’t mention your name on the gift. This is not Valentines. Don’t express your love.” He continued to talk clear and loudly to everyone. After that, everyone went to draw out who they will be a secret Santa to.

Some pumped their fist into the air and others groaned a little, but nobody told anyone, nor did anyone ask. Aoi seemed happy with whom she got and Yuto was a little excited after seeing her expression. What if it was him?

“If you drew someone out, be sure to make them a gift. No one should be left out of this.” Yuto continued once again. Then the bell rang, indicating that another day at school is officially over. At the school gate, Aoi turned left with her friends, while Yuto and his pals turned right.

~~~

“I didn’t think you’ll come. I thought you’d be hanging out with your friends to go shopping for materials.” Yuto told Aoi who ran up to him at the corner of the park where they usually meet after school.

“I just felt that I want to spend time with you.” She shrugged.

He enjoys this kind of feeling, having only the both of them on the streets, trotting in the snow together and alone. Suddenly he saw her shiver from the wind that came. He smirked lightly and told her to wait for him.

Yuto dashed back to the little park, and then back to where Aoi stood waiting for him, having no clue of what he just did.

“Here.” Yuto was back, panting and sweating a little as he took off his jacket and handed it to her.

“The jacket’s really warm…But will you be fine? You shouldn’t be in the cold while sweating.” Aoi touched his forehead. In class, she’s a confident and outgoing girl, but when she’s alone with Yuto, she’s a totally different girl. She would let down her hair when she’s with him, other than her sporty ponytail.

“But aren’t you cold? It’s nice and warm. Let’s exchange jackets now.” Yuto held his jacket while pushing it to Aoi. She smiled and took the jacket, while she gave him her thin one.

“Yuto…” Aoi looked at his panting face.

“Hmm?” He grinned.

“This may sound disgusting, but I really love you.” She blushed and hugged his waist, squeezing him with her might.

“Let’s go.” Yuto entwined their hands together and walked slightly ahead, pulling her along.

“So who did you get to give a gift to?’ He asked.

“Isn’t’ it supposed to be a secret?” Aoi said playfully. Somehow, Yuto thought it was him or else…Why would she be teasing him with his own rules?

“Crap! That’s Keito…I have to run or else he’ll know.” Yuto quickly rushed behind Aoi as she laughed.

“See you then. It’s my house anyways.” She pointed to a building in front of her. She took off Yuto’s warm jacket and handed it to him while he did the same before running for his life.

 “Ma~ He’s so cute. Too bad I’m not going to be his secret Santa…” Aoi sighed lightly as she opened the door to her house.

*Flashback*

“Who did you get Aoi-chan?” Her friends surrounded her.

“Nakajima Yuto.” She whispered to them as she grunted lightly.

“That’s awesome!” Her friends exclaimed happily as they kept on chatting about the topic. Aoi sensed something wrong with her friend Mika.

“What’s wrong?” Aoi asked.

“I’m jealous. I’ve liked Nakajima-kun since we entered high school. I’ve tried so many different ways to get his attention, but it seems like he only has time for you. Although you despise him, but you guys are actually really close Deshou? I wanted to be his secret Santa, but it seems like you got it. This may sound mean, but I was hoping someone else would get him instead of you.” Mika looked away as she tightened her grip on a piece of paper.

Scared that Mika would find out about their secret and scared that she would gain an enemy, she did the first thing that came to her mind. “How about we switch? No one will know.”

“You’d do that?” She looked at her with wide eyes.

“Of course.” Aoi smiled lightly as Mika hugged her and ran out of the class happily. Aoi picked up the piece of paper that was on the desk, she was sure that it had the name of the person Mika was being a secret Santa to. It shocked her when she read the name.

‘Watanabe Aoi’

*End of Flashback*

“It seems like I’ll be the only one in the class without a gift.” Aoi flipped through the TV channels to see an interviewer interview couples that were on the street. She immediately closed the TV as her nose started to turn red. “I want to be Yuto’s secret Santa! I was planning to make the best gift ever.”  

~~~

Yuto ran back all the way to his house as he rushed up to his room. He saw a big snowflake stuck onto his window from the outside. Yuto smiled and took a picture of it with his cell phone. “Nice shot.” He praised himself. The next thing he did was send it to Aoi.

~~~

Aoi’s phone beeped when she weeping. She picked it up and saw the picture of the snowflake as a small smile formed on her lips. “Just like our love, delicate and pure.” She sighed as she closed her phone to continue crying her eyes out.

~~~

“I wonder why she’s not replying…” Yuto sighed. But nevertheless, he put that aside and opened a crumpled piece of paper with the name ‘Hanazono Mika’ written on it. He didn’t get a time to see who he got until now. His heart dropped.

~~~

The next day at school, the two confident people’s moods were both down, distraught and a bit frustrated. Even the class could sense the weird atmosphere around them. No one was talking during the morning self study section. Mika found something wrong with Aoi as she passes a note to her.

‘Are you regretting to give Nakajima-kun’s paper to me?’ She wrote.

When Aoi saw the note, she groaned lightly in her heart before replying.

‘Of course not.’

After that, she looked out the window, overseeing the school field and seeing Yuto running on the tracks. She smiled, all pumped up and confident again. Yuto’s working his best at the thing he loves to do, so she should do the same. Aoi opened her Physics textbook and started studying. After all, she loves Physics just like Yuto loves running.

~~~

When Yuto finished running, he looked up to their classroom to see Aoi reading. He smiled, feeling confident and encouraged.

In both their minds, they shook off the disappointed feeling from the other day. After all, the secret Santa game is just simply a game for fun. Why take it so seriously?

Throughout the classes all day, the atmosphere was back to being light, but Aoi avoided talking to Yuto. She’s afraid of letting the thing between her and Mika escape from her lips. During the last period, a note landed on her Physics textbook.

‘Let the snowflake break.’

It shocked her. She looked around, but nobody has done any movement that can make her suspect them.

She has been getting letters lately, but she didn’t care and continued to spend her days normally. She has been down a bit and Yuto could notice it. When Christmas got closer, the more Aoi felt that she couldn’t take it. She was sad that there won’t be a surprise gift for her anymore.

On Christmas day, their classmates started finding small presents to large presents on their desk, in their desk, in their locker or simply in their shoe case. Yuto was proud to see everyone liking their presents and happy that everyone was happy. He hoped that Aoi would be a little more cheerful today when she gets her gift from her secret Santa, but she never smiled.

“Hey…What’s wrong with you?” Yuto questioned at the park after school. He was waiting for her to come. Even if she doesn’t want to come, she’ll still pass by this place every day after school to get home.

“It’s not much. Just some problems.” She shrugged like she didn’t care.

“What did you get from your secret Santa?” Yuto asked her suspiciously.

“What did you get?”

“Don’t change the topic.”

“Nothing.” Aoi replied.

“You got nothing? How? I mean, why?” Yuto looked nervous. He was worried for his girlfriend.

“My secret Santa is me.”

“If you didn’t want to participate in this secret Santa game you could have just told me. And I thought something was wrong, but you were just trying to lack off the responsibility of giving someone a present!” Yuto said.

“You got it wrong, Yuto!” Aoi groaned loudly.

“Then what it is?”

“Oh Yuto…I wish I could tell you. I just wish everything was this simple.” She slumped onto the snow. Not caring that she just slid on a perfect piece of snowflake.

“Then tell me Aoi. Tell me.” Yuto pleaded.

“I don’t want to burden you…”

“What am I here for? To help you release stress of course. My duty as a boyfriend is to be there for you. If you don’t talk, I would never know what’s wrong. I might even misjudge my own girlfriend. I don’t like that.” He said softly.

“Mika likes you. I traded my piece of paper with your name on it with her. The person she’s going to give a gift for…is me. It was too late. I couldn’t change it back. She already suspects us.” Aoi tugged on her ponytail, making her brown smooth hair fall behind her back. “But I’m tired of bearing down the loneliness Yuto. I want you with me. I don’t want anyone else to have you.”

“Exactly. Tell me everything. Let me be your shoulder to cry on. I’m always here.” Yuto smiled warmly. He loves strong girls that have a tender side to it.

“You know what resembles our love? Snowflakes. They are pure, clear and so easily shattered. I was afraid that would happen to us. I was afraid things were going to end so easily. Because…Mika…” She took deep breaths. Then she started hiccupping, earning chuckles from Yuto as he bent down in front of her.

“Who cares about Mika? Who cares about snowflakes? What’s important is that we’ve got each other’s backs. Now stop the poor girl act and be more confident. I know this isn’t the real you.” He took hold of her cheeks and sent a light gentle kiss to her lips.