The Little Prince

The apartment was quiet when they stepped inside.

Koori slipped off her shoes without a word and drifted into the living room.

She settled beside the kotatsu, knees drawn to her chest, clutching a pillow tight.

Her eyes were still weary, yet clearer now than they had been in the arena.

Hale prepared tea, set the cups on the table, and sat down beside her.

A quiet moment passed between them.

Then Koori lifted her head.

“…Are you angry with me?”

Hale paused mid-sip, surprised by the question.

“Koori…” he said softly, setting the cup aside.

She flinched, barely, but enough for him to notice.

“Of course I’m not angry,” he said gently. “I was just… worried about you.”

Koori lowered her gaze, her voice barely audible.

“That’s what I was afraid of,” she said. “Losing control again. Like back then.”

Hale’s mark pulsed faintly.

“I know,” he said softly. “That’s why I want to help you. You don’t have to face it alone.”

Hale drew a steady breath, stood, and went to the cabinet as though he had finally made up his mind.

He opened a drawer and took out a small, slightly crumpled package wrapped in paper.

“So… uh, yeah.” He cleared his throat. “That’s why I got you something. For… Christmas. It’s technically next week, but… I wanted you to have it now.”

Koori blinked.

“Chris… tmas?”

“It’s a holiday,” Hale said gently. “A holiday about love. People give presents to those who… matter to them.”

Her eyes widened, softly glowing.

“…A holiday about love,” she echoed, almost reverent, as if she had whispered magic.

Carefully, she unwrapped the paper after Hale handed her the package.

Then she froze when a small, worn book appeared underneath.

The cover was pale, delicate, simple, with slightly frayed edges from having passed through many hands.

In the center stood a little boy, alone on his tiny planet, dressed in pale green and surrounded by faint golden stars.

“The Little Prince…” Koori murmured, brushing her thumb over the faded illustration.

Hale gave a crooked smile.

“It’s an old story. Hard to find now, since most human books either aren’t sold anymore or... censored.”

She looked up, her eyes glimmering like stars.

“What is the story about?”

Hale rubbed the back of his neck, choosing his words with care.

“It... teaches you to see with the heart. That sometimes love can hurt… and that you still don’t have to be alone.”

For a moment, her eyes widened, something soft and vulnerable flickering behind them.

”I thought it might help you with understanding your feelings better...,” Hale added.

She pressed the book to her chest.

Then, without hesitation, she slid closer and gently wrapped her arms around him.

Warm.

“Thank you…” she whispered. “Thank you, Hale…”

He hugged her back, caught off guard and slightly blushing.

“Y-you’re welcome…”

The room felt lighter all at once.

Her mark pulsed again, soft, calm and familiar.

A quiet moment spread between them, and as they drank their tea, it felt as though the connection between their marks hadn’t just returned…

…but had grown stronger than ever.

Click.

Hiro stepped inside, closed the door behind him, and neatly set his briefcase on the ground.

He adjusted his glasses and slipped off his jacket before entering the living room.

“Tadaima...,” he said calmly.

Koori smiled as if nothing had happened.

“Okaerinasai, Hiro-san!”

His gaze moved over the kotatsu, the two teacups, the opened wrapping paper, then lingered on Hale and Koori for a moment.

He gave a small, almost imperceptible nod, as though confirming something only he understood.

Finally, he sat down at the table and folded his hands.

“I’m glad to see the two of you seem to be doing better,” he said warmly.

Koori hugged the book closer.

“Mhm!”

Hale nodded as well, a bit sheepish.

“Yeah… we’re okay. Thank you.”

Hiro exhaled softly and let a heartbeat of silence pass before continuing.

“I’m afraid we still need to talk about today’s match.”

Koori lowered her head slightly, but Hiro raised a hand, calming.

“No worries. There’s good news as well. Luckily for us, Team Umi no Ishi also lost their last match.”

Koori blinked in surprise, and Hale straightened a little.

“So that means…?” he asked carefully.

Hiro nodded.

“Yes. Exactly. Despite today’s outcome, you advance to the knockout stage. You’re officially in the top two of your group.”

Koori parted her lips, as if unsure she’d heard right.

Hale let out a relieved breath. “That… is good to hear.”

“Yes,” Hiro agreed, “however…”

His tone shifted just slightly, still polite but firmer.

“Your… incident in the arena has already sparked discussion.”

Hale’s shoulders tensed instinctively, even before Hiro continued.

“You should expect questions. Curious looks. Possibly criticism from the other teams. We also still don’t know what Tadamori-sama plans next.”

He turned toward Hale.

“Which is why drawing any more attention would be… unwise.”

Hale nodded seriously.

“I understand.”

Hiro glanced between them, his expression softening.

“The first Round of Sixteen matches won’t begin until next week. So for now, you should rest a bit.”

Hale and Koori nodded and exchanged a brief, quiet look.

A look that said far more than words ever could.

Then they smiled, and sipped on their tea.

***

A few days later, a thin layer of snow blanketed the streets as Koori made her way down the quiet road near the apartment she shared with Hale and Hiro.

She stopped.

Lifting her chin, she closed her eyes and let the gentle snowfall touch her face.

Each flake melted the instant it touched her skin.

Koori wiggled her toes inside her large fur-lined boots.

For a moment she was tempted to take them off, to feel fresh snow crunch beneath her bare feet again, just like back then on Mt. Fuji.

A loud engine cut through the calm.

The bus.

It rolled past the empty stop at the end of the street without slowing, vanishing around the next corner.

“Oh… I was too slow again,” Koori whispered into the winter wind when realization hit her.

A short while later, she finally arrived at Nyansei High, stepping off the next bus.

Mitsuki was already waiting at the boardwalk, her pom-pom hat pulled low and her arms crossed.

“…You missed the bus again, Koori-chan?!” she scolded, more exasperated than angry. “For someone who lives practically right at the station, I end up waiting for you a lot!”

Koori buried her hands in the pockets of her oversized down jacket and lowered her head.

“I’m sorry… I just haven’t seen real snow in a very long time. I got… distracted.”

Mitsuki’s expression softened into a crooked smile.

“Right… snow must’ve been normal for you when you were on Fuji, huh?”

Koori nodded, a small, wistful look flickering across her face.

As they walked toward the school entrance, Mitsuki clasped her hands behind her head.

“Well, the snow came at the perfect time! Christmas is in a few days, without it it just doesn’t feel right.”

Koori slowed for a moment.

“Chris... tmas…” she murmured softly.

Then she turned to Mitsuki.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Hm? What’s up, Koori-chan?”

“…Can you help me buy presents?”

Mitsuki stopped dead.

The words didn’t seem to register at first.

Then her shoulders stiffened.

“…Eh?” she said carefully. “M-me?”

She scratched the back of her head.

“Are you… sure you want my help?” she asked, forcing a small, uneasy laugh.

“After last time, I mean… I kind of messed things up pretty badly, didn’t I?”

Koori blinked, surprised.

“Last time…?”

Mitsuki’s smile wavered.

“With the… advice,” she said quietly. “About love. I thought I was helping, but then you got hurt and…”

She looked away. “I felt really bad about that.”

Koori shook her head at once.

“No,” she said firmly. “That wasn’t your fault.”

Mitsuki glanced back at her.

“It wasn’t?”

Koori pressed her hands into her coat pockets, choosing her words carefully.

“I just… don’t understand feelings the same way other people do,” she admitted.

“They come all at once, and I don’t always know what to do with them...”

Mitsuki hesitated.

“…So the person who rejected you,” she said slowly, eyes narrowing with concern, “who was it? Was it Sato-kun or...”

Koori shook her head quickly.

“No,” she said.

Mitsuki straightened immediately.

“Well! Whoever it was, they clearly didn’t know what they were doing. I could totally give them a piece of my mind! Who in their right mind would reject you anyway?”

Koori let out a small, quiet laugh.

“I don’t think that would help,” she said gently. “But… thank you.”

She met Mitsuki’s eyes.

“I would still like your help,” Koori added. “If that’s okay.”

For a second, Mitsuki just stared at her.

Then her expression cracked into something bright and determined.

“…Okay,” she said. “Yeah. Okay!”

Her earlier hesitation vanished in an instant.

“If you trust me again, then I’ll do my best this time. I promise!”

She clenched her fists dramatically.

“Alright! After school, we’re going straight to Ginza Nyatsukoshi! That place has EVERYTHING. We’ll find the perfect gifts, no matter what!”

Koori smiled, warm and relieved.

“Thank you, Onee-san.”