The following Tuesday was a rare "Double Off" day—a luxury usually reserved for the quietest weeks of the year. But for Rika and Rentaro, it was the start of a tactical operation.
Rika stood outside the station, ducking behind a pillar. She had donned a wide-brimmed hat and a scarf wrapped high enough to cover her chin. Her target: Rentaro, who was currently walking toward the Hobby District with a suspicious amount of purpose.
I just need to see which window he stops at, Rika thought, adjusting her glasses. He always talks about 'scale' and 'joint articulation.' If I can just find the one he doesn't have...
What she didn't realize was that sixty feet behind her, Rentaro was crouched behind a vending machine, wearing a dark hoodie and sunglasses.
She thinks she’s being subtle, Rentaro thought, watching Rika’s scarf-wrapped head bob through the crowd. But she’s been staring at the same jewelry shop window for three minutes every day on the way to work. I just need to see which piece makes her stay the longest.
The game of cat-and-mouse continued into the afternoon. Rika tracked Rentaro into a cramped, neon-lit hobby shop. She waited by the entrance, pretending to read a flyer, while Rentaro moved to the back of the store. He stopped in front of a glass case containing limited-edition superhero figures.
Rika peeked through the glass door. He was staring at a figure of a dark, winged hero—the "Vanguard Knight." He reached out, his finger tracing the glass where the price tag sat. It was exactly 1,980 yen.
Found it, Rika noted, her heart racing. The missing piece of his 'New Vanguard' team.
She turned to leave, but as she stepped out, she nearly collided with a figure in a dark hoodie.
"Oh! So sorry—" Rika started, then froze.
Rentaro stood there, his sunglasses slipping down his nose. "Shinozaki? What are you doing in a shop that smells like plastic and glue?"
"I... I was looking for a specific... eraser," Rika lied, her voice an octave too high. "For my physics sketches. This shop is known for its... technical erasers. Why are you here? I thought you were at the library."
"I was. I am," Rentaro stammered, his face flushing. "I just... took a shortcut. Through the third floor of a hobby mall. Because of the... ventilation. It’s better for my allergies."
They stood in the middle of the crowded sidewalk, two master tacticians who had just been caught in the most amateur surveillance fail in history.
"Are you following me, Rentaro-kun?" Rika asked, her eyes narrowing behind her glasses.
"Are you following me?" he countered.
They stared at each other for a long beat before both of them let out a simultaneous, exasperated sigh.
"Fine," Rentaro said, pulling off his sunglasses. "I was trying to find your gift. I’m terrible at this. I keep thinking about what you need, like a new calculator or better thermal socks, but Tanaka-san’s voice keeps ringing in my head about 'meaning something.'"
Rika’s defensive posture melted. She pulled her scarf down, her cheeks pink from the cold. "I was doing the same. I know you like those figures, but I didn't know which ones were 'special' and which ones were just 'toys.'"
"They aren't toys, they're—" Rentaro started, then stopped, a small smile breaking through his frustration. "Actually, never mind. It doesn't matter."
He stepped closer, the holiday crowd flowing around them like a river. "Since we both failed at being spies, how about we just... walk? No scouting. Just a normal afternoon for two people who aren't currently competing for a bonus."
"I’d like that," Rika said.
As they walked through the Christmas-lit district, they stopped in front of a small boutique. In the window was a delicate silver necklace with a tiny, five-pointed star. It wasn't expensive, but it wasn't a "utility" item. It was just beautiful.
Rentaro noticed the way Rika’s eyes lingered on it—not with the cold calculation of a shopper, but with a soft, quiet longing. He didn't say anything, but he mentally noted the shop's name and the position of the star in the display.
"The stars are better than the tinsel," Rika whispered, looking at the reflection of the lights in the window.
"Yeah," Rentaro replied, looking not at the window, but at her. "They're a lot more permanent."
They didn't buy anything that day, but as they shared a warm crepe by the station, the "Secret" part of Secret Santa felt like a formality. They had already given each other the most important thing: the realization that even when they weren't trying to be "The Pair," they couldn't help but look for each other in the crowd.23Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjtVuuIQbvz
and then Add to home screen.