"Even though these clothes are really cute..." As they drew closer to home, Orihime Inoue suddenly began to worry. "What if they don't like them?"
"If you think they're cute, they'll definitely like them too." Rukia Kuchiki smiled and swung the shopping bag in her hand. "Though if all we have are the clothes, it does feel like something's missing."
Rukia Kuchiki thought back to the decorations in the shop. Somehow, those adorable outfits only seemed to show their full charm when surrounded by all those festive decorations.
"The thing you said was missing..." Orihime Inoue pointed toward their home. "Do you mean those?"
Before they had even reached the house, they noticed that the lights shining from its windows looked different from usual. They still had their familiar warmth, but now there was an extra touch of brilliance.
Strings of colorful lights had been hung around the windows and doorframes, twinkling continuously with a warmth that felt both cheerful and inviting.
As Orihime Inoue and Rukia Kuchiki approached the front door, they noticed a circular wreath made from branches, red ribbons, and various ornaments hanging there.
They had seen plenty of Christmas wreaths like it while walking through town, but neither of them had expected to find one hanging on their own door.
The two exchanged glances, then hesitantly pushed the door open.
"We're back."
"Welcome home~" Retsu Unohana replied with a smile as she placed freshly baked gingerbread on the dining table. "Merry Christmas~"
"Wow~" Orihime Inoue exclaimed. "It's beautiful!"
A Christmas tree now stood in the middle of the living room, covered in colorful lights, baubles, snowflakes, ornaments, and all kinds of little gifts. At the very top, a shining star sparkled brightly.
Gift boxes of every size were piled beside the tree, decorated with colorful ribbons and gold and silver foil, filling the room with a festive air.
A row of small, adorable Christmas figurines had been arranged along the windowsill. Dressed in red and white Christmas outfits, they sat on a sleigh holding presents, as though welcoming them home.
The dining table was covered with a red-and-green checkered tablecloth. Plates were filled with all kinds of carefully prepared Christmas dishes, while burning candles cast a warm glow and gave off a faint fragrance.
Rukia Kuchiki looked at Retsu Unohana. "Captain, did you two stay home just to prepare all this for us?"
Thinking about how she and Orihime Inoue had been happily shopping outside while Muten Natsu and Retsu Unohana were busy at home, Rukia Kuchiki couldn't help feeling a little guilty.
"Of course not." Retsu Unohana's gaze swept past the sofa before settling on Muten Natsu in the kitchen. "Muten and I did something very enjoyable too."
Rukia Kuchiki took it entirely as Retsu Unohana being considerate. Captain must have said that because she didn't want Rukia to feel too guilty.
"All right~" Retsu Unohana rubbed Rukia Kuchiki's head. "Go wash your hands. Dinner's almost ready."
"W-Wait!" Orihime Inoue raised the shopping bag in her hand. "If we're having a Christmas feast, then of course we have to wear clothes that fit the mood!"
Retsu Unohana opened the shopping bag curiously. "And what exactly do you mean by clothes that fit the mood...?"
A red top, red pants, and white fur trim.
Muten Natsu studied himself in the mirror.
Hmm. Pretty festive.
Click.
A door opened.
Rukia Kuchiki stepped out of her room, raised her fair chin, and planted her hands on her hips. "Well? What do you think?"
Though her outfit also consisted of red clothing with white fur trim, it gave off an entirely different impression when worn by Rukia Kuchiki.
The white fur collar framed her cute, upturned short hair, while the two fluffy pom-poms hanging from the neckline swayed playfully. The white fur around the cuffs made Rukia Kuchiki's hands look especially small. Her cinched waist contrasted sharply with the flared hem of her short skirt, revealing a stretch of smooth, snow-white skin above her stockings.
Her straight, slender legs were wrapped in thigh-high stockings trimmed with fur, with tiny sparkling stars decorating the tops, glittering so brightly they were hard to look away from.
Muten Natsu stared without blinking. "So cute..."
Under his unwavering gaze, Rukia Kuchiki grew a little embarrassed. Blushing, she pressed down on the hem of her skirt, though it stubbornly remained flared. "Momo Hinamori picked this one for me."
"Rukia..." Orihime Inoue's door opened just a crack. "I think... the sales clerk might have given me the wrong size."
"Huh?" Rukia Kuchiki hurried over. "You can't get it on?"
"That's not it..." Orihime Inoue hesitated before finally opening the door. "It's just a little tight."
The red fabric was stretched taut, while the white fur-trimmed shoulder straps struggled beneath the soft weight they supported.
The red figure-hugging skirt had no fur trim at the hem, and the fabric pressed faintly into Orihime Inoue's rounded thighs. Paired with fur-trimmed calf-high socks, the overall effect was striking enough to leave anyone dazzled.
"Rangiku definitely picked this one for you." Muten Natsu's gaze passed over the deep neckline across Orihime Inoue's chest. "It looks great. You'll look even better if you relax."
Orihime Inoue took a deep breath. Encouraged by Muten Natsu, she finally relaxed a little and bravely straightened her posture.
Rukia Kuchiki nodded in satisfaction and gave Muten Natsu an approving look that clearly said, [Well said.]
Back at the store, the outfit had looked fairly modest on the mannequin. But once Orihime Inoue put it on, it became a little... eye-catching.
Without Muten Natsu's encouragement, Rukia Kuchiki knew Orihime Inoue well enough to guess that she would have stayed embarrassed for quite a while.
Once the three of them had changed, they all turned toward Muten Natsu's room.
Orihime Inoue and Rukia Kuchiki had chosen Retsu Unohana's outfit together, and neither of them knew what it would look like on her.
Retsu Unohana pushed open the door and immediately met all three pairs of eyes.
The fitted red dress traced the beautiful curves of Retsu Unohana's body. The slit along one side was lined with cute white fur, and with every step, glimpses of her long legs appeared beneath the fabric, reflecting the warm candlelight.
"So beautiful..."
All three stared in a daze before blurting out their admiration.
"It's all thanks to you." Retsu Unohana smiled gently. "All right, you must be hungry by now."
"Exactly!" Ririn, who had just returned from shopping with Nozomi Kujō, raised her little hand. "Feast time! Feast time!"
To enjoy the meal even more, she had deliberately switched back into her doll body.
At the center of the table sat a steaming pot of cheese fondue, filling the air with a rich, enticing dairy aroma.
Bread cubes, boiled potatoes, ham, sausage, cooked mushrooms, broccoli, and asparagus could all be dipped into the pot, rolled around, and turned until they were thoroughly coated in thick, melted cheese. One bite was warm, fragrant, and rich, filled with the taste of pure happiness.
There was also a refreshing fruit Christmas tree, sweet-and-tart hawthorns coated in white, creamy mashed potatoes, adorable strawberry snowmen, and gingerbread with a sweet, spicy kick...
As she sampled dishes unlike the food she usually ate, Rukia Kuchiki held a glass of mulled wine in both hands. Breathing in the aroma rising from the cup, she gazed through the window with her violet eyes at the snowflakes that had begun falling at some point.
Even now, she still didn't really understand what Christmas was supposed to be.
But... she had already discovered what made holidays enjoyable.
Everyone worked together to make a certain day special and wonderful.
And yet, the happiness of that day itself... wasn't anything unusual.
On all the ordinary days before it, everyone had also been working together to make each day a good one.
The happiness they shared day after day simply became more vivid through the occasion of a holiday, brought clearly before their eyes and engraved more deeply in their hearts.
It made her genuinely hope that days like these could continue forever.
Orihime Inoue took a huge bite of panettone. The golden bread was packed with raisins, candied fruit, and other dried fruits, its soft texture somewhere between bread and cake. Spread with warm melted cheese, it tasted even better.
Her large, beautiful eyes curved into happy crescents.
Orihime Inoue had celebrated Christmas with Muten Natsu before, but this was the first time it had ever felt so festive.
No... it wasn't just Christmas.
So many things had changed after Rukia Kuchiki appeared.
A whole new world, the power to heal, more friends, and... even closer relationships.
Ever since that chance encounter, despite a few twists and turns along the way, everything had continued to get better.
Rukia Kuchiki noticed Orihime Inoue looking over and raised the glass in her hand. "Want some?"
Orihime Inoue's eyes lit up. "Can I?"
"No." Muten Natsu looked up from his food. "She's still underage."
Orihime Inoue puffed out her cheeks.
"A little won't hurt," Retsu Unohana said with a soft laugh. "Orihime has Reiryoku. She's different from an ordinary person."
"...Fine."
Muten Natsu fetched a glass for Orihime Inoue.
Ririn stared silently.
Why did this scene feel strangely familiar?
It was like a daughter proposing something, the father immediately refusing, and then giving in after the mother persuaded him.
"It tastes so good~" Orihime Inoue took a sip of the warm mulled wine. "It has such a unique fragrance. I think it might taste even better with scallions... and cream... cheese... century eggs might be good too..."
"Huh?" Rukia Kuchiki noticed Orihime Inoue's unfocused gaze. "She got drunk that fast?"
Muten Natsu gently swirled the wine in his glass. "Do you remember what happened when Orihime ate those monaka before?"
"Ah..." Rukia Kuchiki remembered.
Back when they were in Soul Society, Orihime Inoue had eaten Dori monaka.
The filling in these Dori monaka from the Noble District was made with sake lees.
Because they used high-quality sake lees, even people who couldn't normally drink alcohol could enjoy them.
Orihime Inoue had eaten several, only for the alcohol to hit her all at once and knock her out completely.
And now she was drinking actual mulled wine.
"Heating it makes a difference too," Retsu Unohana added. "Warm alcohol is absorbed faster, so the two of you should be careful as well..."
Before she could finish, she noticed that Rukia Kuchiki and Muten Natsu were both visibly tipsy too.
Rukia Kuchiki had been lost in thought earlier and had unknowingly drunk quite a lot.
Muten Natsu, meanwhile, had been drinking the wine like it was an ordinary beverage. Since he had eaten quite a bit, he had also drunk quite a bit.
Before long, Retsu Unohana was the only sober person left at the table.
She took a small sip of wine, her eyes shifting slightly.
Rukia Kuchiki stared into the wine in her glass.
Her alcohol tolerance seemed pretty good. Surely she wouldn't just pass out all of a sudden...
Why was it already morning?
Sunlight tickled her face.
Her long eyelashes fluttered as Rukia Kuchiki slowly opened her eyes. Before she could even make out her surroundings, she had already become aware of the soft, comforting embrace around her.
Over the past few days, she had grown familiar with this kind of gentle embrace.
Perhaps it was because she had gotten drunk the night before, but Orihime Inoue's embrace felt especially warm today. It was far more enveloping than usual, to the point that Rukia Kuchiki found herself wanting to stay nestled in that warmth instead of getting out of bed.
Rukia Kuchiki looked at Orihime Inoue, who was still sleeping soundly in front of her, wondering why the feeling had changed so drastically today...
Huh?
Rukia Kuchiki blinked.
Orihime Inoue was lying in Muten Natsu's arms, and one of Muten Natsu's large hands was still inside Orihime Inoue's collar.
Obviously, the Orihime Inoue lying right in front of her couldn't also be the person holding Rukia Kuchiki from behind.
Which meant...
"Awake?"
Retsu Unohana lifted the hand resting on Rukia Kuchiki and touched her forehead. "Does your head hurt?"
"No..." Rukia Kuchiki answered instinctively.
Then she immediately realized something and slowly turned around.
"Captain?"
The person holding her wasn't Orihime Inoue at all.
It was Retsu Unohana.
Nestled in Retsu Unohana's warm embrace, Rukia Kuchiki began to understand why Muten Natsu liked sleeping beside her.
That gentle feeling of being completely enveloped was something no one could forget after experiencing it even once.
"You all got drunk last night, so I put you together where I could keep an eye on you. I was going to get up and make breakfast, but you were sleeping so peacefully that I couldn't bring myself to wake you." Retsu Unohana gently tidied Rukia Kuchiki's hair. "Would you like to sleep a little longer?"
Rukia Kuchiki wanted to stay in Retsu Unohana's arms for a little longer.
"No... I'm already awake."
"Then let me hold you a little longer before we get up~" Retsu Unohana hugged Rukia Kuchiki close again. "Muten Natsu grew up so quickly. It's been a long time since I've had this feeling."
Rukia Kuchiki thought back to the changes Muten Natsu's body had undergone recently.
He really had grown incredibly fast.
She let Retsu Unohana hold her and slowly closed her eyes, enjoying this brief moment of peace and security.
Gurgle~
The faint sound was especially clear at such close range.
Rukia Kuchiki's face turned red. After getting drunk and sleeping for so long, it was only natural that she would wake up hungry.
"Mm, I'm getting a little hungry too." Retsu Unohana released Rukia Kuchiki. "Let's go make breakfast."
"Mm."
Still embarrassed and blushing, Rukia Kuchiki got out of bed with Retsu Unohana and left Muten Natsu's room.
Cold water helped cool her flushed cheeks, and after washing up, Rukia Kuchiki's thoughts gradually cleared.
Thank goodness Captain Unohana had been there.
Otherwise, whether she would have even woken up in a bed today was questionable.
A bed...
Rukia Kuchiki suddenly remembered something.
Hadn't she just seen Muten Natsu's hand...?