Intermission: Christmas Eve with Tiara-san

Intermission: Christmas Eve with Tiara-san

Intermission:

Christmas Eve with Tiara-san

O NE CHRISTMAS EVE, ONE BASORI TIARA WAS studying in her room. This subject was perhaps her most intellectually challenging yet as she analyzed the copy’s contents thoroughly, her elbows rested intently on her desk.

Tsukinoki Koto’s so-called “RPF” was brain-busting. Tiara did not make a habit of judging others for their taste in fiction, but this was something else.

“No way. In public…?”

She jotted something down on a sticky note, then pasted it on the offending page. She was quickly running out of those. For every scene in need of censoring, there were two more waiting. Always more.

Tiara stretched, thinking back to her encounter in the student council room with that boy. The literature club president. That Nukumizu Kazuhiko .

He scarcely resembled his doujin counterpart. He seemed to actually carry himself with modesty. But the fact remained he had attempted to accost her while she was busy inspecting contraband. What if she hadn’t noticed in time? What if she hadn’t retreated to safety? What if he’d been the Nukumizu in these very pages? What if?

Tiara’s face burned and sweat trickled down her back. “Th-this is a story!” she blurted, slamming her hand down on her desk. “Fiction!”

“Neesan,” a voice groaned behind her, “what’s your deal?”

“H-hello?!” Tiara whipped around to find her freshly bathed brother in baggy loungewear, standing at her door. “Takashi?! Ever heard of knocking?!”

“I have, and I did. What’re you freaking out over?”

Basori Takashi was a second-year in junior high and, notably, possessed of a normal name. Tiara had yet to interrogate her parents as to why she had not been graced with the same.

Tiara coolly hid the doujin beneath a notebook and regained her composure. “Nothing at all. Now what is it?”

“Mom’s cutting the cake. Come downstairs.”

“I’ll be right—” As Tiara rose, something struck her. She didn’t tower over him anymore. Sometime in junior high, her brother had shot up in height, and every day he seemed more grown up than the last. “Your soccer club. You spend a lot of time with your friends there, don’t you?”

“Yeah? Why?”

“And last Valentine’s. You got chocolate. From one of them?”

“Uh, we’re all guys.”

“And?”

Her mouth had moved faster than her brain. A split second later, it set in just what she had implied. She froze solid.

“F-forget that!” she sputtered, gesturing wildly. The chilly winter air only made the cold sweat colder. “Forget I said anything!”

“You’ve been weird lately, Neesan. Whatever. See you downstairs.” He disappeared, sighing.

Inspired, Tiara heaved a sigh of her own. This was all his fault. Did he even intend on making good on his promise? How was that coming along anyway?

Inspired, her phone rang. She flipped the brick open to see the caller was Shikiya Yumeko.

A deep breath. And then she answered.