Pairing: Shin/Yankumi

Rating: PG-13

Warnings: Fluff, Sap

Shogatsu:

Shin hated kimonos – well perhaps ‘hate’ was too strong a word, but he certainly didn’t enjoy getting dressed in the traditional outfit just to celebrate some holiday. Although, it went without saying that it was New Year’s Day and that everyone was required to dress up in such a way, Shin felt that he could do without it.

Natsumi, his younger sister, looked resplendent in her silk blue robes and Shin was quite proud of how she looked. However, he found himself glaring at all the men or boys that had given his sister appreciative looks, although, he walked behind her, obediently, as they made their way through the bustling festival. His mother had begged him to visit the family today even though he hadn’t wanted to, and needless to say having breakfast with his father in tow was a rather tense affair. But he had pulled it off with neither of them getting into a shouting match and now he and Natsumi were free to do as they pleased for the rest of the day.

He had chosen to wear a black kimono which had a silver dragon painted on its back. It was a gift from one of his uncles and even though Shin didn’t like to wear it, he had to admit that it was definitely cool-looking.

“Hey, Shin, let’s play this game!” Natsumi yelled out in excitement as she pointed towards a vendor’s stand which had been set up to look like a bowling alley. However, instead of rolling the ball on the floor, one had to throw directly at the stacked pins to get a winning shot. It looked easy enough…except for the fact that the pins were placed at an angle which made it quite difficult for many of the contestants to hit.

Shin had a feeling that the man behind the stand was a cheater and a fake, but if Natsumi wanted to have fun with it…then that was fine with him.

“All right, one round,” he said paying the 500yen fee for each throw. He picked up a miniature-sized ball and waited for his sister to have a turn.

Natsumi aimed and threw, but missed rather badly. “Aww, I almost had it too!” she said with a pout. “Can I try again? Pretty please, Shin-chan?”

“No way,” he said, his eyes narrowing as he tried to concentrate. “I’m not wasting any more money on this stupid game.”

He tuned out Natsumi’s whine and lifted his arm to throw, only to hear the yelled words…

“Go! Go! Sawada! You can do it!”

…which caused him to falter and miss his shot…and quite badly too. The ball skidded off the narrow ledge and barely missed falling on the vendor’s foot. Shin couldn’t believe his ill luck and yet couldn’t stop his heartbeat from quickening in reluctant pleasure at the familiar sight of his Math teacher.

“Yankumi,” he began but was silenced as the kimono-clad woman all but shoved him out of the way to take her stance before the target.

“Watch me, Sawada,” she said with a serious look on her face. Perhaps if she was in her tracksuit and glasses, he would have taken her seriously, but she was dressed in a kimono as well – and not just any ordinary kind, but a rather expensive one which she had hitched up between her legs to make it easier for her to throw.

“Watch me, Sawada,” she said again, her tongue sticking out from the side of her mouth as she held the ball in her hand. “This is how you throw a strike!”

He sweat dropped as she gave a loud cry of ‘ORAAA!!’ before swinging the ball so hard, that it bounced off a vendor’s prize stand, knocking down a few paper masks and fans to the ground, before smashing into the wooden bottles, sending them all toppling in a noisy clatter.

“Ojo…!” Minoru began but Shin realizing the plump man was about to give his mistress’s position away, slapped a hand over his mouth to silence him. Minoru understood his blunder and slid a grateful look towards the younger man.

“Yay! I won!” Yankumi cried out in delight, as she clapped her hands and grabbed Natsumi in a hug. The two women danced around in glee as the crowd stared at them in bemusement. The vendor was wailing at the damage done to his stand but a withering glare from Tetsu had him cowering in fear.

“So, what do I win? What do I win?” Yankumi asked quickly.

“Here! Take it! Take anything you want at all,” came the whimper from the shivering man.

“Really?! That’s so sweet of you! Isn’t that sweet of him, Sawada?”

Shin rolled his eyes and pressed a finger to his forehead. “Maybe it’s because you scared him senseless, Yankumi. No one goes about throwing things like that.”

She was too busy picking out a good prize and finally settled for a stuffed teddy bear with two large pink ribbons on its head. “I like this one!”

“How old are you?” Shin asked incredulously as he stared at the large brown thing which almost covered her face.

“What’s wrong with it?” she asked, pouting from behind it. She held the bear to her face and made it seem as if the bear was talking to Shin instead. “Don’t you like me, Sawada-kun?”

He mumbled something beneath his breath and spun around to look for Natsumi, but he could see that his sister was already engaging a blushing Minoru and Tetsu in conversation.

“Oh, let’s go try this one,” Yankumi suddenly cried out, tugging his arm and leading him towards another vendor who had a game where they had to try to catch as many fish as possible in the large tub of water.

“Pretty,” Yankumi gushed in pleasure. “Win one for me, Sawada.”

“Why should I have to…?” he began, trying hard to stop himself from blushing at the thought of actually winning anything for her.

“Because we’re on a date. Da-te!” she said with a wink, noticing his flushed visage. She nudged him gently and urged him forward. “Now go win it for me!”

Date?! What the…?!

But the challenge had been set and he’d have to follow through or risk looking like a fool in front of her. He paid the fee and then stooped to his haunches before the tub, knowing that she was standing behind him and watching his every move. He eyed the moving goldfish of all colors in the water for a long minute and then slowly slipped his hand into the tub so as not to disturb their swimming patterns.

“Oooh, nice technique,” she whispered over his shoulder, almost sending him face first into the tub. He hadn’t expected her to be that close or the warmth of her breath, upon the nape of his neck, to be so…well…good.

“Shut up, Yankumi,” he mumbled. “I have to concentrate…” One miss and he’d have to try again and he really didn’t want to go through this process. It was churning his stomach with nervousness as is.

He held his breath and as soon as a silver and yellow-colored fish came swimming between his cupped hands, he caught it deftly and held it up quickly. “Yes!” he yelled in triumph barely acknowledging the claps from the others as the vendor held out a small bag filled with water for the winning fish.

“Congratulations,” he said with a warm grin. “I think your girlfriend is quite pleased.”

“My girl…” He turned a bright beet red.

“Whee! You did it, Sawada!” Yankumi said happily as she accepted the goldfish with a small bow. “Thank you!”

“No…problem…” So why couldn’t he stop blushing? It was a good thing evening was beginning to fall fast and his flaming cheeks weren’t that visible. However, Yankumi really did look pretty tonight. She had gotten rid of those ponytails and her hair fell long and loose down her back and shoulders. The kimono – a mixture of black with dark red pelicans on it – looked great on her and Shin had to remember that she was a woman who was supposed to be dressed up in this kind of an outfit most of the time.

“I’m going to take good care of him and call him Shin,” she said causing the young man to gasp in shock.

“Don’t name a fish after me!”

“Why not?” she asked with a confused look on her visage. “It will remind me of you whenever I see him.”

“You don’t need a fish to make you remember me,” he said softly – so softly, she leaned closer to him.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing…”

“Oh, the fireworks!” They both stopped and lifted their gazes to the heavens as the sky was suddenly lit up with a million and one brilliant lights. Shin stared at them for a minute and then stole a glance at the woman beside him. With her mouth wide open and her eyes sparkling with pleasure, he couldn’t imagine for one second, being without her in his life. She had become a part of him in ways he had never thought possible and somehow knew with certainty that he wanted to be with her for as long as he lived.

He moved closer to her, doing his best not to make it too obvious. She didn’t seem to notice as more fireworks lit up the evening sky. He coughed lightly and not looking at her, placed an arm around her waist to pull her even closer to him. She gasped at the contact and turned to face her student, but he was now staring at the sky as well and gave no sign of having noticed what he was doing.

Her cheeks colored at this display of affection, but she didn’t have the heart to turn him away or to withdraw from the embrace. It was kinda nice anyway and besides, she did like Shin too. She sighed and lay her head upon his shoulder, holding onto her goldfish and teddy bear.

“Happy New Year to you, Sawada,” she whispered into the night.

He smiled softly and held her tighter before replying just as quietly into her hair. “And a Happy New Year to you as well…my Yankumi…”

~The End~