---
*December 24, Friday evening — the new calendar year.*
Snow had been falling off and on for over half a month. The temperature was biting cold, yet the streets were still filled with people. After all, it was Christmas Eve — a holiday imported from the West that had gradually caught on in Japan as more of a romantic celebration than a religious one.
Although older folks might not care for such Western customs, that didn't stop the younger generation from turning it into an occasion for couples to go out, exchange gifts, and enjoy the festive atmosphere.
The streets were filled with stalls selling glossy red apples, and the sidewalks buzzed with the chatter of couples walking hand in hand.
Of course, it wasn't just couples—plenty of groups of friends and solo wanderers were out too.
Back at Haruki's apartment, he, Sora, and Kotone were sitting around the space heater, waiting for the results of Rurouni Kenshin Chapter 6 to come in.
This had become a quiet routine between the three of them over the past few weeks.
Sora's workload had eased significantly ever since most of the manga artists under her management either left or went their separate ways. Since her hometown wasn't nearby and she found the evenings lonely, she'd taken to dropping by Haruki's place four or five nights a week.
Her official reason was to "supervise the completion of the manuscript with quality and efficiency."
But in Haruki's opinion, she mostly came to eat and relax. Ever since she started visiting regularly, his grocery bill had skyrocketed. The amount of snacks, drinks, instant noodles, ingredients, and rice he went through in a month had practically doubled—most of it disappearing into Sora.
Despite weighing barely 45 kilograms, Sora could eat far more than Haruki, who was nearly twice her size. The most ridiculous part? None of it seemed to show. The fat somehow only went to the right places, exactly where a woman would want it, and nowhere else.
Even Kotone, who was usually quiet about such things, sometimes looked on in disbelief—and maybe a bit of envy.
Of course, Haruki was financially comfortable now. With a monthly income of 70,000 to 80,000 yen, he was a legitimate manga artist making good money. A few extra expenses didn't bother him much.
He used to be the type who browsed discount sites and bought things like cheap snacks, store-brand detergent, or the bargain instant ramen. After all, back then, he had no income and was trying to protect the little inheritance his parents left behind.
But those days were over. He had cash now. He even moved into a better apartment, a quiet and more upscale neighborhood.
The down jacket he wore? Bought online, and it cost several tens of thousands of yen. He didn't bat an eye at the price.
"Ughhh…" Sora sighed as she tapped through her phone and absentmindedly cracked sunflower seeds.
"What's wrong, Sora-san? The results this week aren't good?" Haruki asked.
"They haven't sent the SMS update yet. Don't be so impatient," she replied.
"Then what's with the sigh?" Kanna asked, puzzled.
"It's my social feed… Around this time every year, it's full of lovey-dovey couple posts. So annoying…"
Kotone tilted her head slightly. "I didn't expect you to be bothered by that, Sora-san."
"With your looks and personality, I imagine it wouldn't be hard for you to find someone. You could probably get married next month if you wanted."
"Next month?! Cough, cough—!" Sora nearly choked on her Coke, struggling not to spray it everywhere.
"Even my mom's been pestering me to find someone, just so I'll bring a guy home next New Year. And now you're saying I could be married next month?"
"It's not like I can't find a boyfriend," she said, wiping her mouth with a laugh. "I just haven't met the right one yet."
"I don't get it," Kotone said simply, shaking her head. "If you don't want one, why envy other couples?"
---
For Kotone, her world revolved entirely around studying and drawing manga. She didn't yet understand what Sora meant when she talked about longing for love, disappointment in reality, or the suffocating pressure of being nudged toward marriage just because it was a holiday.
Haruki coughed awkwardly.
Why were the three of them—clearly single—sitting around talking about relationships?
And especially Sora, who was in her twenties, discussing all this so seriously with a high schooler? The whole situation felt a bit... off.
Still, putting that aside—
Haruki got up and pulled out two paper gift bags from a cabinet nearby. He'd prepared them a while ago.
After all, both of them had gone above and beyond to help him keep Rurouni Kenshin running smoothly. Even if he didn't care much for Western holidays, this seemed like a good chance to show his appreciation.
"Here, Kotone—this one's for you."
"And Sora, this one's yours."
Kotone and Sora exchanged glances as they accepted the bags.
"…What's going on?" Sora asked.
"Just open it and see," Haruki said, trying to play it cool. "It's a gift, since it is the holiday season."
A gift?
They were both a little surprised—but happy. It was the same kind of warm, fluttery feeling as getting a New Year's envelope from a grandparent. They hadn't expected Haruki to be the type, but receiving something from him made them smile.
Sora was the first to open hers, eyes sparkling with curiosity.
And then… her expression froze.
"What… what is this?" she asked, her voice suddenly a little stiff.
Inside was a round, compact device.
"You can't tell?" Haruki asked innocently. "It's a body weight scale."
"…A what?"
Sora's expression instantly changed.
"Come on," Haruki said, launching into his explanation. "I mean, you say you can't gain weight no matter how much you eat, but I'm pretty sure that's just in your head. I read somewhere that Russian women transform completely after thirty. Like, they go from models to… well, aunts."
"I don't want that happening to you," he continued. "So I got you a digital scale. It's high-precision, measures down to the gram, and even tracks body fat percentages—pretty advanced, right?"
The room fell dead silent.
Even Kotone was staring at him like he'd just said something unspeakable.
"…Why aren't you saying anything?" Haruki asked, blinking.
Kotone cautiously opened her own gift, worried it might be something equally horrifying.
But halfway through unwrapping it, she relaxed.
The shape was completely different—not a scale, thank god.
When the wrapping came off, she found a full set of professional manga tools. Pens, inks, guides—all brand new.
Haruki gave a sheepish laugh. "You've been using the same old tools for months now, right? I figured you could use a fresh set."
Kotone nodded slowly, visibly relieved. She genuinely liked it. These tools were useful—something she could put to work right away.
"…You don't like your gift?" Haruki asked, turning toward Sora, his smile increasingly awkward.
"I like it," Kotone said quietly.
"I don't," Sora snapped.
The contrast in responses was immediate.
Seriously—who gives a girl a weight scale as a holiday gift? She would've preferred no gift over that.
Sora was about to launch into a well-deserved rant when—
Doo-doo! Doo-doo!
Her phone lit up and vibrated on the table.
All three of them turned toward it instantly.
Sora grabbed it, checked the message, then looked up and gave the others a small nod.
In that moment, the awkwardness over the gifts melted away. None of them cared anymore.
Because this message held the real news they'd been waiting for—the results.
Would Rurouni Kenshin make it into the top three of this week's manga rankings?
Shout out to Patrick Medal for joining my patreon! your support means everything to me.
(TL:- if you want even more content, check out p-atreon.com/Alioth23 for 50+ advanced chapters)