THIS WAS WRITTEN ENTIRELY ON MY PHONE, SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THE LAZY FORMATTING!

            「This drink’s, like, really good. Here, Maika, have a sip!」
            Today was the second day of my first winter break since starting university.
            I’d come back to my hometown to spend the holidays with my friends and family—something I’d been looking forward to, and what kept me going through exam season.
            The person I was hanging out with today was none other than Ibaraki Umina, my former classmate from high school, who had invited me over to her house.
            Umina had always been part of a flashy group of students who liked to stand out, which was the complete opposite of me.
            We barely had anything in common, and yet we still managed to get along.
            That was because we’d run into each other at the end of our high school graduation ceremony.
            At the time, I’d been searching for my best friend, Shiori, and she’d been looking for hers, Sendai-san.
            Instead of finding them, though, we found each other.
            When she mentioned she’d noticed Sendai-san acting strange all year whenever Shiori was involved, I couldn’t help sharing my own suspicions too.
            From then on, even after going our separate ways, Umina and I kept in touch through text messages and phone calls.
            At first, we only texted, and our messages were mostly about what we’d noticed back in high school.
            But eventually, when I found out that Shiori had actually become roommates with Sendai-san, Umina called me out of shock—and from there, the rest was history.
            「… Maika?」
            Noticing my unusual silence, Umina called my name again.
            「Oh, sorry. I kind of got lost in thought. Let me have a sip.」
            I leaned over the table and took a sip of her limited Christmas special blended chocolate drink.
            「Whaddya think?」
            She asked, her eyes lighting up with excitement.
            「Hmm, it’s pretty good. But I think the one they had last year was better.」
            I gave her my honest opinion.
            Today was the first time I was hanging out with Umina in person.
            Even though we’d talked a lot over the past few months, I had to admit I was still a little nervous being around her.
            Still, there were a surprising number of things we had in common—our taste in fashion magazines, the TV shows we liked, even the music we listened to.
            Surprisingly, Umina was really open to the things I suggested. Even though she’d never been interested in anime or manga before, she’d eagerly started watching and reading the ones I recommended.
            Talking with her felt different from talking with Shiori and Ami, even though they were my best friends.
            Shiori was slowly starting to take an interest in fashion, but she had Sendai-san to turn to for that. And Ami had made a lot of new friends at her university.
            To be honest, it felt a little lonely, seeing us drift apart.
            So I was really grateful for Umina’s friendship.
            「Wait, you tried the one from last year? Ugh, I’m so jealous. I never got the chance. My boyfriend back then wasn’t into stuff like this.」
            「You didn’t ask Sendai-san and the others to go with you?」
            「No. Hazuki was always busy with cram school or prep school or whatever, and Mariko was always with her boyfriend too. I spent most of last winter break just watching TV by myself. It was sooo miserable.」
            Umina grumbled, as she often did, frowning, but only for a moment before brightening up again.
            「Oh yeah, I just finished the manga you recommended the other day! It was so good, I was literally in tears. Got any other recs?」
            「That was fast. Are you really keeping up with your schoolwork too?」
            「I am, I am. I passed all my classes last semester. Aren’t you proud?」
            Umina flashed me a bright smile.
            We’d only video-called a few times while I was away at university, but every time we did, I was reminded of how popular she’d been back in high school—and I could see why.
            She always looked put together, and she was naturally beautiful.
            Even if she could be moody at times, she usually wore a genuine smile.
            She really is pretty… especially the way she smiles with her eyes.
            「I’m glad to hear it. I’ve got some physical manga I can lend you over winter break. Interested?」
            「Ooh, yes! That’d be awesome. You’re the best, Maika! How were we not friends sooner?」
            I laughed awkwardly.
            Umina could be a little clueless sometimes, but I could tell she meant every word she said. That was something else I found kind of charming about her.
            「So, anything new with Hazuki lately? I was really sad when I heard she wasn’t coming back.」
            Umina asked, slumping onto the table.
            When our friendship first started, Shiori and Sendai-san’s relationship had been the main thing we talked about.
            But at some point, we started bringing them up less, so I hadn’t been keeping her as updated.
            「Shiori said she was staying behind with her, so I guess they’ll be spending winter break together. This is just my guess, but it feels like they’ve gotten closer ever since Sendai-san got her ears pierced. I wonder why, though.」
            At first, I’d planned to spend Christmas with Shiori and Sendai-san.
            Even though Shiori never said it out loud, I could tell she didn’t want that.
            It hurt, knowing that even as best friends, she couldn’t bring herself to say it directly.
            At the same time, I couldn’t really blame her, but that didn’t stop it from hurting.
            That’s why I was grateful Umina invited me out today.
            「Really? Huh… You know, from the way you describe them, it kinda sounds like that Miyagi girl and Hazuki have some kind of special relationship, don’t you think?」
            To be honest, I’d thought about that too.
            It wasn’t something I’d considered until the time Shiori ran away from her place and stayed at mine.
            Seeing how different she was around Sendai-san compared to when she was with me or Ami made me wonder if they had something… different from friendship.
            And if that were true, then maybe Shiori hadn’t been lying all those times she said they weren’t friends.
            Thinking that way made me feel a little better, like I hadn’t been lied to after all.
            And it would explain why she felt the need to hide it.
            「Yeah… maybe they do. That kind of makes me jealous, though.」
            I let out a small sigh.
            It wasn’t just the idea of being replaced that hurt.
            It was also knowing Shiori had found someone she could call special.
            Of course, I was happy for her.
            In all the years I’d known her, she’d always kept her walls up, never really letting anyone in. I’d felt a little helpless about that, so knowing there was someone who could be there for her now made me glad.
            Still… it’d be nice to have someone special to spend Christmas with.
            I’d never had a crush on anyone before, but being a fan of romance shows and manga, I couldn’t help wanting something like that for myself.
            「Why? You have me, don’t you?」
            Umina asked, sounding genuinely confused.
            My heart fluttered a little at how unexpected it was.
            Then I realized there must’ve been a misunderstanding. When she said “special relationship,” she probably hadn’t meant it in a romantic way.
            「Yeah, you’re right. I don’t know where I’d be without you, honestly. Today’s been really fun.」
            I smiled genuinely.
            「Aww, you have such a pretty smile, Maika.」
            She echoed the same thought I’d had about her earlier, then continued,
            「But the day’s not over yet! We promised to go see the lights, remember?」
            She reached across the table and grabbed my hand, catching me off guard.
            Oh, right.
            Umina was really into skinship back in high school too, huh.
            「Yeah. Oh, speaking of which…」
            I reached into my bag and pulled out a red scarf.
            「Here. I made this for you as a Christmas present. Sorry it’s kind of last minute. I didn’t know I’d be coming back, so I didn’t have time to wrap it. I figured now’s as good a time as any to give it to you.」
            Umina took it from my hands, silent for a moment.
            She just stared at it, and with every second, I felt my face grow hotter.
            「Wow… thank you, Maika. You even remembered me saying red was my favorite color. I…」
            She paused, then smiled.
            「I love it!」
            「Haha, sorry. I’m sure you have way more fashionable scarves at home, and this one’s kind of plain. I’m still not very confident with knitting yet. I’ll get better and make you something nicer next year, I promise.」
            「Don’t say that. This scarf is perfect just the way it is. I’m going to wear it all the time. It’ll feel like you’re here with me, keeping me warm even when you’re away.」
            Her voice softened in a way I hadn’t heard before.
            Then she wrapped the scarf around her neck, even though we were still indoors.
            「So? What do you think? Does it look good on me?」
            She grinned brightly.
            「You really do look good in anything.」
            I found myself saying without thinking.
            Back in high school, a lot of people used to say Sendai-san was the prettiest in their group.
            But looking at Umina right now, I couldn’t help questioning that.
            「Maika… You don’t say things like that to just anyone, do you?」
            Umina asked, her fingers tightening around the scarf.
            「No, I don’t.」
            I answered honestly.
            I wasn’t the type to hold back compliments, but it was true that it was rare to find someone who really did look good in anything.
            「Good.」
            She said, smiling again.
            Even though we hadn’t been friends in high school, I knew Umina was the type who liked receiving compliments and standing out, so it wasn’t surprising to hear her ask that.
            「Actually, I got you something too.」
            Umina said, reaching into her bag and taking out a smaller bag with cute wrapping.
            「Here.」
            She passed it to me.
            「Can I open it now?」
            I asked, and she nodded.
            I reached inside and pulled out a fancy box.
            From the shape alone, I could tell it was lip balm, and looking closer, the brand seemed pretty high-end.
            「You once mentioned you asked Hazuki for lip balm recommendations, right? Well, I know some pretty good brands too, so… you don’t have to ask her, you know.」
            Umina said, her voice trailing off near the end.
            「Umina… thank you.」
            I found myself at a loss for words, but the least I could do was thank her.
            Just like I’d remembered that red was her favorite color even though she’d only mentioned it once in passing, it seemed she’d also remembered when I told her I wanted lip balm recommendations from Sendai-san.
            Saying I was touched almost felt like an understatement.
            「Can I put it on you?」
            Umina asked.
            It felt like a slightly strange question, but figuring it was just a difference in how we handled personal space, I replied, “Sure.”
            I opened the box, pulled out the tube of lip balm, and handed it to her.
            Umina took her scarf off, got up from her seat across from me and moved closer, settling right beside me.
            Then she popped the cap off and gently brushed her fingers against my cheek.
            「You’ve got such nice skin, Maika.」
            She leaned in, bringing her face closer to get a better look.
            I couldn’t help feeling a little flustered.
            I wasn’t used to this kind of closeness with anyone.
            「T-Thanks…」
            I stammered.
            Umina lingered for a few more moments, as if admiring me, before finally bringing the lip balm to my lips.
            It felt cold to the touch, and I immediately noticed a subtle strawberry fragrance.
            Umina’s expression had turned unusually serious, her gaze steady as she carefully ran the lip balm over my lips.
            Being this close made me overly aware of everything—her breath, the warmth of her presence.
            After gliding the lip balm over my lips a couple of times, she finally pulled the tube away.
            「All done!」
            She said, capping the lip balm, and I pressed my lips together, making sure it spread evenly.
            She set the lip balm back on the table, and I noticed her staring at my lips.
            It wasn’t strange to want to check the result, but her gaze still made me feel flustered.
            I could tell my cheeks were flushed, and I wanted to turn away out of embarrassment.
            But in that moment, I noticed…
            Umina’s cheeks had turned red too.
            「… Umina?」
            I said her name, and she finally looked away from my lips, as if snapping out of a trance.
            「Oh, sorry! I was just… admiring how pretty you are.」
            She said, her head turning slightly to the side.
            Only then did I notice how loud my heartbeat was.