By the first week of December, the 7-Eleven had traded its autumn orange for a blinding explosion of red, green, and tinsel. The speakers, which usually played a rotation of lo-fi beats or J-pop, were now locked in a relentless loop of "Last Christmas."
"I have heard this song forty-two times in the last six hours," Rentaro muttered, scanning a crate of seasonal bento boxes. "I’m starting to see bells when I close my eyes."
Rika, who was busy tagging the "Reservation Only" Christmas Cakes, didn't look up. "Statistics show that festive music increases impulse purchases by twelve percent, Rentaro. Just focus on the inventory. We have three hundred orders of 'Family Fried Chicken' coming in on the twenty-fourth."
Tanaka-san emerged from the back office, wearing a Santa hat that sat precariously on his balding head. "Listen up, you two! You’re my star players. I’ve set up a friendly competition with the 4th Street branch. The pair that sells the most deluxe cakes gets a double-pay bonus on New Year's Day."
He leaned in, whispering conspiratorially. "But more importantly, I’ve got a tradition. I’m hosting a small 'Staff Secret Santa.' Put your names in the hat."
Rika and Rentaro exchanged a look. They were "The Pair," but the idea of a Secret Santa felt... complicated.
"Is there a price limit?" Rika asked, her mind already calculating the utility-to-cost ratio.
"Two thousand yen," Tanaka-san said, holding out the hat. "Don't be boring and buy a gift card. Get something that means something!"
Rika reached in and pulled a slip. Rentaro did the same. As they moved back to their stations, Rika snuck a glance at her paper.
Rentaro Hanamachi.
Her heart did a strange, fluttery skip that had nothing to do with her caffeine intake. She looked over at Rentaro, who was staring at his own slip with a deeply confused expression. He glanced at her, then quickly looked away, his ears turning the exact shade of a Christmas ribbon.
"So," Rentaro said, his voice a bit higher than usual as he restocked the warm drink cabinet. "Two thousand yen. That’s about four deluxe bentos. Or a really nice mechanical pencil."
"It’s not about the math, Rentaro," Rika said, her hands trembling slightly as she organized the cake brochures. "Tanaka-san said it has to 'mean something.'"
That was the problem. What did you get for the person who had seen you at your absolute worst? What did you get for the rival who knew your bank balance, your favorite study snack, and the exact way you looked when you were about to cry?
Usually, Rika’s world was made of logic and numbers. But as she watched Rentaro carefully align the "Hot Lemon" cans, she realized that "logic" couldn't tell her what would make him smile.
"Hey, Shinozaki," Rentaro called out, not looking at her. "Since we’re... you know, neighbors and partners... we should probably make sure we don't buy the same thing for our Secret Santas. What are you looking for?"
"I'm looking for something that isn't functional," Rika admitted, a soft smile touching her lips. "Something that doesn't have a 'use' other than being liked. What about you?"
Rentaro paused, a can of coffee in his hand. "I think I'm looking for something that proves I've been paying attention."
The air in the store shifted. The bells on the door chimed as a customer entered, but for a second, the 7-Eleven felt like it belonged only to them. They were teammates in the cake war, but they were now officially undercover agents in a much more delicate mission.
"Good luck, Hanamachi-kun," Rika said, returning to her ledger.
"You too, Shinozaki," he replied.
The Christmas rush had officially begun, but the real challenge wasn't the fried chicken or the cakes. It was figuring out how to gift a piece of a heart for under two thousand yen.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoWjqnZxt57
and then Add to home screen.