Melonbooks SS: A Reward Found in Two Smiles

A faint but impressively accurate rendition of "Jingle Bells" echoed softly from nearby. The source of the sound was none other than Mahiru. She stood before Amane, cheerfully decorating a collapsible fir Christmas tree with various ornaments, her face glowing joyfully.

Mahiru hummed softly to herself, not singing for anyone in particular.

Without looking at Amane, who was watching her from behind with his phone in hand, she called out to him.

"Does everything look balanced to you, Amane-kun?"

"Ah, maybe adding a bit more red to the right of that gingerbread man would help balance the colors better."

"Okay. Let's see, red…red…"

Mahiru remained absorbed in her task, rummaging through the box of ornaments without turning around. Amane quietly chuckled to himself as he watched her. Don't mistake his stillness for laziness, however—this was a critical mission of utmost importance assigned only to him. That said, the person who had entrusted him with this duty wasn't Mahiru but instead his parents, who had sent them the tree in the first place.

Shihoko and Shuuto—well, more specifically, just Shihoko—had thoughtfully decided to give Mahiru, who had never decorated a tree before, a chance to experience such delights for the first time. In return, they commanded Amane to capture the noble sight of her hard at work decorating. And so, after putting the tree up, Amane handed over the decorating duties to Mahiru and was now dutifully recording her with his phone. Without Mahiru's permission, mind you.

He hadn't told her he was recording because if she knew, she'd become too self-conscious and start to act strangely. Instead, he let her decorate however she liked, hoping to capture her natural state. Of course, even if she didn't notice until the end, he planned to check with her later to ensure she was okay with him sending the video to his parents. As he filmed Mahiru, watching her happily move around the tree and stretch on her tiptoes to hang ornaments in the higher spots, a particular thought popped into Amane's mind.

I'll admit, I don't know if I want to let anyone else see this—not even Mom and Dad. As Mahiru smiled proudly as she hung a red and white candy cane, Amane's chest filled with warmth. He couldn't help but feel his cheeks soften into a smile as he watched over her.

Mahiru once mentioned that, while Koyuki had always prepared a fine Christmas feast for her each year, anything more than that, such as setting up a Christmas tree, wasn't quite a luxury she could spare due to their professional relationship. As this was her very first time decorating a Christmas tree, Amane wanted to let Mahiru enjoy herself to the fullest, indulging in the joy of this new experience.

"Aren't you going to help decorate the tree, Amane-kun? You haven't hung anything yet."

"I'm actually having more fun just watching you, Mahiru." "Geez, you always— Wait…"

Finally noticing she was being filmed, Mahiru trailed off mid-sentence. For the first time since she started decorating, she turned her gaze toward him, her eyes widening in surprise. Before she could voice any complaint, Amane shrugged his shoulders, preemptively disarming her reaction.

"Mom's orders. She told me to record your cute figure for her to see." "You should have told me beforehand!"

"If I did, you would've gotten all stiff and awkward. Mom specifically requested to see you bubbling with excitement."

"Was I really that excited…?"

"You looked adorable, so you've got nothing to worry about." "There's plenty to worry about! Geez!" Mahiru pouted, her voice carrying a slightly scolding tone. However, it was clear from her tone and expression that she wasn't agitated. If anything, it was more to hide her embarrassment.

Mahiru marched over and snatched the phone from his hand. Well, Amane figured he couldn't complain if she deleted the footage—it was only fair. But instead of stopping the recording, Mahiru surprised him. She carefully adjusted the angle using a placemat and tissue box from the dining table, positioning the camera to capture the Christmas tree.

"It's not fair if only I'm in the video, so I must get you in it too, Amane-kun. You are their son, after all."

"Whaaaat? But they don't want videos of me."

"No excuses. Besides, won't Shihoko-san and Shuuto-san feel more reassured if we are both in shot? Consider it punishment for recording me without permission."

"Well, if you put it that way, I've got no choice. As you wish."

Having himself appear in one of Mahiru's cherished memories…well, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing after all. Mahiru handed him an ornament with a playful "Here, here!" and Amane accepted it with a small smile.