~ 𝘼𝙇𝙇 𝘼𝙇𝙊𝙉𝙂 ~

<26>

After Lia left for her family that day, none of the others had time to gather in Ryujin's house to hang out again. It had only been a week.

Since it was nearing Christmas and they were finally on break, all of them were busy hanging out with their families and spending time on decorations. Except for ryujin.

She would say that she had gotten used to it, not spending time with her family on special occasions. Ryujin would even feel thankful. Thankful that her parents still cared about her enough to inform her that they were not going to make it this Christmas.

Ryujin didn't mind.

Not really.

Yep.

...Maybe a little, as her friends were all too busy spending time with their own families, she had been alone for the past few days. If she were to speak truthfully, Ryujin would admit that she felt quite envious.

Ryujin found herself immersed in decorating her house, both inside and out, even though she would be spending Christmas alone. It didn't seem necessary to go all out when there would be no one around to share the festive spirit with or exchange presents.

Although her friends would likely send her gifts, it didn't feel quite the same. It had been nearly two years since she had received a Christmas gift directly from her parents, person to person.

Nowadays, packages arrived from them, but those little personal touches meant a lot to her.

On the other end of the line, Lia sighed in disappointment. "Sorry, Ryujin, my parents won't let me out until after Christmas. I really wanted to be there with you, but they're being strict."

Ryujin chuckled softly. "Don't worry about it, Lia. I'll manage on my own." She leaned against the porch, gazing at the snow-covered streets, cars, and trees. Christmas had arrived, but the holiday spirit eluded her.

For Ryujin, Christmas was about being with cherished family members, or at least dear friends and loved ones. It meant indulging in a grand dinner feast, playing Secret Santa, opening gifts on Christmas morning, celebrating, and gathering by the fireplace while sipping hot chocolate. Unfortunately, neither her parents nor her friends could fulfill that wish this year.

"Are you sure? I could try to sneak out," Lia suggested, her mind already concocting a daring plan.

Ryujin giggled. "No, no. You'll only get into trouble, and then you won't be able to leave the house at all. Just enjoy your time with your family. I'll be fine."

"I'm sorry, Ryujin. Maybe the others will come over," Lia offered, hoping to bring some solace to her friend's lonely holiday.

"Maybe," Ryujin replied with a faint smile. However, deep down, she knew her friends had their own family plans, which made her smile fade.

"Well, have fun, Ryujin. Take care." Lia's voice held a tinge of remorse as they exchanged a few more chuckles before ending the call. Feeling a pang of guilt, Lia decided to reach out to another close friend to spread some Christmas cheer.

As Ryujin played with the soft white snow in her backyard, her mind began to trace back to the days when her parents would accompany her, and that caused her to immediately stand up.

She didn't want to get into the sad spirit today, despite it already approaching slowly.

"What to do..." she mumbled to herself as she looked over her house. Due to her immense amount of free time in her hands, the raven-haired managed to decorate her house to the point where it almost seemed like an ornament shop.

"So much for nothing," she chuckled.

Then, as if the Gods had heard her pleas, she heard a soft yet loud thud on her door, paired with the remnants of snow falling down. She stared at the door in confusion — and a little but of fear—, maybe it was just kids playing outside?