A Christmas Capsule

There's no more time left.

The clock is ticking.

Everything is about to end.

...

The bell rang.

Sensei announced, "Everyone, pass your papers forward."

Everyone in the class passes their papers forward until it reaches the teacher's table.

Sensei gets the paper and stands up, "I know it's been a stressful month for most of you with entrance exams and final exams for the term. Have fun with your break."

The whole class celebrated as exams just finished.

Miu, Nise, Itsuki, and Sakura approached Yuuki and me, who sat next to each other.

Miu asked, "Do you guys have any plans for Christmas eve?"

I asked, "That's in two days, right?"

Miu nodded with excitement written all over her face, "Yeah!"

Nise replied, "I don't have plans on the 24th."

Yuuki followed, "I don't have one as well."

Itsuki asked, "Are you planning something, Miu?"

Miu replied, "How about a Christmas party?"

Nise repeats what Miu said, "Christmas party?"

Miu nodded with excitement in her eyes, "That's right! A Christmas Party!"

Sakura asked, "Aren't you going to be busy?"

Miu replied, "Nope. I don't have work during the break."

Nise asked, "Now, the question is where?"

They all started looking at me for some reason.

"Not my house. I'm going to visit someone that morning. I might never be able to prepare something."

Miu complained, "Oh, c'mon. What a bummer."

Yuuki insisted, "C'mon, Shin. We're going to buy the food."

They all look at me. They really wanted to come over to my place.

I replied, "Fine. I'll try my best to go home early at that time."

Miu celebrated, "Yes!"

Sakura asked, "What food we should eat?"

Yuuki suggested, "How about hotpot?"

Nise agrees, "That's great. I'll buy a cake as well."

Itsuki followed, "I'll cover for the drinks."

I looked at them and they seemed excited about the party.

Miu asked, "How's your budget, Sakura?"

Sakura replied, "Not that tight."

Miu asked, "Can you buy presents?"

Sakura nodded.

Miu suggested, "How about we exchange gifts for Christmas?"

Nise excitingly agreed, "Yeah! Let's do that!"

I asked, "I wonder what should I buy?"

—

It's eleven in the morning of the 24th. The party here will begin tonight at six. Dr. Minoru, who's still at the house asked me, "Going already?"

As I wear my shoes, "Yeah. I still need to buy presents."

Dr. Minoru sees me off, "Have a safe trip. By the way, send my regards to your parents and grandmother."

I opened the door, "I will," and closed it, as I left the house to visit my parents and grandmother.

...

After a long train ride, I finally arrived. Holding some flowers, oranges, and a pail with water on it, "It's been a while, Mom, Dad, Grandma. I'm sorry I haven't visited in a while."

I used the water to clean them and offered the oranges. I placed the flowers next to it. I light a candle, as I stand there.

"You told me to hang in there but..."

—

After an hour, I left and went to the mall to buy presents for my friends.

I went to a shop that's filled with keychains, and pins. I bought some keychains as a gift for my friends.

 While buying gifts, something caught my eye.

I looked at a box and an idea popped into my mind, "We can do that."

I bought the box and some stationery paper.

After that, I went home to prepare for the party later.

—

It's six already, Dr. Minoru opens the door, "Enjoy your little party here. I'll go to the party with some fellow doctors. Text me if you need anything," as he leaves the house.

A little later, the doorbell rang. I opened the door and it was all five of them, Nise, Itsuki, Yuuki, Miu, and Sakura.

They all said, "Merry Christmas."

I replied, "It's not yet Christmas. Just go in."

They removed their shoes, as they enter the house.

Yuuki, Sakura, and Miu ready the ingredients for the hotpot while Itsuki prepares the drinks. On the other hand, Nise is preparing the cake for all of us.

We all ate together at the dining table.

Yuuki asked, "By the way, where's Dr. Minoru?"

I replied, "He left the house and went to a party with his co-workers."

Miu suggested, "How about we exchange gifts?"

Nise volunteers, "I'll go first!"

Nise hands the gifts to all of us, "You guys can open them."

We opened the gifts and it's a miniature snow globe. We all thanked Nise for his gift.

Itsuki followed, "I'll go next."

Itsuki grabs his gifts and hands them to each one of us. It's jars filled with sweets.

Miu comes next and she hands us tote bags, "They are fashionable, right?!"

Sakura comes after and hands over her gift to us, "Here you go."

It's bracelets but in different colors. I received a black one.

My turn was next and I hand them the keychains, "I hope you guys will like it."

Yuuki followed me with handkerchiefs for everyone, "Merry Christmas, guys!"

Everyone has a different color of the handkerchief. Just like the bracelet, I got a black one.

After that, I stand up, "Guys, I got a great idea."

I left the room and got the box and the stationery papers that I bought earlier and returned to the room, "How about we do a time capsule?"

Miu just pure smiles in her eyes, "Yeah! That sounds cool!"

Nise asked, "How are we going to do this? Write a letter to ourselves?"

I replied, "How about a letter to everyone else? A letter to everyone in ten years."

Itsuki agreed, "Let's do that."

I hand over the stationery paper to everyone as they start writing a letter. After done writing, we all put the letters in the box.

Yuuki asked, "Where should we put the box?"

I replied, "At the backyard."

I opened the glass door to the backyard as the air became colder than before.

I asked, "Who can bury it?"

Itsuki volunteered, "I'll do it but do you have a shovel, Shin?"

I pointed at the storage, "Yeah, it's on the storage over there."

Itsuki grabs the shovel out of the storage and starts digging.

I went inside the house and grab the box. I put something in the box before returning with the rest. I put the box in the hole that Itsuki dug. After that, Itsuki seals the hole.

Everyone else went back to the house but Yuuki pulled me aside.

I asked, "What's wrong, Yuuki?"

She hands out a scarf, "Merry Christmas, Shin."

Her face was all red when she hand over the scarf to me.

I asked, "For me?"

She nods as her face remains red.

I asked again, "Don't tell me, you made this?"

She nods again with her red face.

I'm surprised, "Thanks, Yuuki. I'm sorry if there's nothing I can give you in return."

She smiled, "It's fine. Don't worry about it."

She gets close to me and whispers into my ears, "It's our little secret, okay?"

I blushed and was surprised by her attack as she smiles at me.

But, no matter the warm feeling around here, it's freezing cold here outside.

I was shaking from the freezing temperature, "It's cold in here, maybe we should go back with the others?"

Yuuki replied, "You think so?"

I nodded as we went back inside.