SANDA

You know, a girl's butt is colder than I imagined.

That's the last thing that should be on my mind right now, though.

Fuyumura!

Come on, chill out!

What's gotten into you?

Whoa! Y-You're freaking me out!

Kazushige...

Sanda...

Cut it out! Don't use my full name!

Seriously, what's the deal? What did I do?

This is nuts!

I mean, up until a second ago, you and I were...

-We came to school early like we agreed. -Good morning!

And then we cleaned the gunk out of the window track because it was sticking.

The two of us did our job as co-class representatives just fine, right?

It still sticks?

Are you mad because I did a half-assed job of cleaning the track?

I'd had dreams of scenarios where I was being straddled by a girl

or being chased around by one, but not like this!

I can't wrap my head around this!

What did I do to Fuyumura?

It's friggin' cold!

Good morning!

-Good morning. -Good... morning!

You class representatives are here so early!

Sucks to be you!

Later!

Before the day is out...

I'm going to...

kill you.

I went and became an adult

We're two sides of the same coin, with you still a kid

I went and blurted out the words

I'll never be able to take them back

There's nothing righteous about unrequited feelings,

so let things stay as is

In the gaps between the seasons that whiz by,

I was crying, and I bet I always will

You don't believe, do you? In despair? Being moved?

Unable to take it anymore, the night that had turned white now turns black

Nothing's going to change ever again? I just don't know!

I've been clinging to this moment no matter what,

and I pray that today my wish will come true

DON'T STOP

I won't forget the adultish heart I stole from you ever again

Because neither the me that grew up nor you will ever change

It's okay

Because I still haven't forgotten the adultish heart I stole

Because even though I've changed, I'm still me

Regrets, hopes and prayers,

Children, me,

I don't understand any of it

You can believe in wishes coming true,

but who I am will never end

EVERYTHING'S BRIGHT, AM I AGING?

H-Huh? Hang on.

Could this mean that Fuyumura likes me?

It's been eight months since we were made co-class representatives.

I've never seen the expression on her face change one bit...

but she's still a girl!

Being awkward and surly

has to be the same for both guys and girls going through puberty.

That has to be it!

Before the day is out...

I'm going to kill you.

Translated from the puberty language, that must mean, quote...

"Before the day is out, I'm going to confess my feelings for you."

End quote!

I'm onto you, Fuyumura!

Being pursued by a girl all day...

this might be the greatest day of my 14 years on this Earth!

Sanda, your special kind of stupidity is gonna put you in an early grave.

Huh?

When Fuyumura comes at you with a kitchen knife out of the blue,

that means she's bad news!

-Let's go tell the teacher about this! -Wait, don't!

Fuyumura's a shy girl! I don't want to spoil this for her!

Look, man...

do you have any idea what kind of mental state Fuyumura's in right now?

I bet she's been a mess ever since Ono died.

I forget, were Fuyumura and Ono friends?

Or rather, hasn't it been a week since she was declared dead?

Yeah, about that long.

I mean, those two were joined at the hip, you know.

Oh.

If that's the case,

it's all the more reason for me to give her a shoulder to cry on.

Whatever.

Anyway, you're probably better off avoiding being alone with Fuyumura today.

Thanks for being so concerned about me!

SANDA MOGI

TRAUMA-FREE CURRICULUM DAIKOKU WELFARE ACADEMY

Brr!

August is one thing, but it's nuts for it to be this cold in December!

Talk about abnormal weather!

Yeah, but I hear this is what was normal way back in the day.

It's no surprise that Christmas isn't a thing anymore.

Christmas?

Today. December 25th.

The way I hear it,

it was a day kids got presents from an old guy named "Santa Claus."

He was some big old dude with a white beard.

Wow, I had no idea.

Sounds kinda creepy.

More to the point, Sanda, don't you want to put on your track jacket?

Cold doesn't bother me at all!

FUYUMURA

Wow, it's snowing! It's actually snowing!

It's actual snow!

No wonder it's so cold!

Huh? Sanda?

Hey! What's wrong?

I-I don't know!

My chest suddenly felt like it's...

Come on, put on a jacket! You must be freezing!

No, I'm fine!

Where's this pain coming from?

It's like my heart is swelling!

Crap! My heart's pounding so hard, I feel like I'm gonna die!

Does...

Does this...

Does this clinch that Fuyumura is the girl I'm destined to be with?

Bring it on, Fuyumura!

Whatever you've got in store, I'm ready for it!

Can you do me a favor?

Wh-What is it?

Give me your eraser.

My eraser? Oh, you forgot yours?

Sure, hang on.

I appreciate you attending the class representative meeting

even though you're not feeling well.

It's no big deal.

I'm not the sorta guy who'd chicken out at this point.

Why are you being so nice to me after I threatened you like that, Sanda?

Huh?

CONSERVE WATER DAIKOKU WELFARE ACADEMY

Is it because you're descended from Santa Claus?

You stubbornly refuse to ever put on...

our academy's red tracksuit.

Are you that scared of people finding out your secret identity?

Come again? "Descended from Santa Claus"? What are you talking about?

Please. Hurry up and give me that eraser.

Oh, s-sure!

Just about all of the conditions to break the curse have now been met.

Ignoring any danger to yourself, you show affection to a child

on a snowy December 25th.

You give a child something that she asked for.

DAIKOKU WELFARE ACADEMY

You had to perform those two acts, Sanda.

And it worked.

I guess I'm close enough to still count as a child.

Hang... on...

People sometimes get sick suddenly with heart palpitations or whatever, right?

It's a sign that their latent abilities are about to emerge.

There are so many conditions that have to be met for that to actually happen

that most people just write it off as poor health and stop their daily routine.

There's just one more condition left to break your curse, Sanda.

And that is to wear something red.

Huh? What the hell are you babbling about, Fuyumura?

Get real!

Show a child affection? Give something to a child?

Don't trample all over my actions with talk like that!

I don't know squat about Santa Claus! It's some stupid old legend!

A fairy tale! Fantasy!

Everything I did was because I've had a thing for you forever, Fuyumura!

The plan was to eventually tell you how I feel...

but thanks to you, you've ruined everything, you jerk!

Give me back my heart!

You're wrong. Everything you do is motivated

by the instincts...

of Santa Claus!

Listen to...

Listen to the words I'm shouting at you!

Then put on this red track jacket.

Then we can talk.

Forget it! I hate the color red...

Anyway! Fuyumura!

Why...

are you so freaking obsessed with this Santa Claus guy?

You leave me no choice. I'm going to follow through on what I said.

You're going to wear something red, Sanda.

You...

w-were serious...

about that?

Fuyumura...

Why...

Oh, wow!

It's so pretty!

Dying all alone with no one ever knowing is a terrifying thought, isn't it, Sanda?

Ono didn't die.

She just up and vanished one day,

and they wrote her off as dead after not finding her for six months.

She was always inside with her nose in a book.

She couldn't possibly have been killed outside.

"Shiori Fuyumura" is such an amazing name, you know that?

It is?

Way back when, Japan had four seasons, right? Spring, summer, fall and winter.

They say that the scenery changed with the changing of the seasons.

Your skin is white as snow, and you're quiet,

so your last name meaning "winter village" is a perfect fit...