Third Person POV

It was quite some time after the root beer shenanigans, and Takina was still processing what the hell just happened. All that flashed through her brain was Chisato attacking her with a strong grip around her waist, attached with rambunctious screaming.

Pulling out her pigtails, she stood in front of her locker in the café changing room because apparently in Japan there is a changing room conveniently built into every building. The black-haired was dressing out of her café attire into her daily outfit.

Takina was aware Christmas Eve was coming soon (from the fact Chisato has been counting down the days), so she wanted to get a head start on leaving to spend time with her girlfriend. Even if she had no idea what to do. Takina wasn't much of a holiday person; her friends Fuki and Sakura were major party animals who went all out during holidays. They have tried and tried to get Takina into the spirit of Christmas, but she wouldn't budge at the idea.

Every Christmas the black-haired was forced in, she was forced by people around her. She couldn't remember a time where she spent Christmas alone; even if she tried, there was someone out there who would drag her into the fun of Christmas.

This year however, she suspected who that person would be. Other years she would guess, but this year she already knew the answer. Takina suspected it was—

Suddenly, someone screamed through the changing room to get the black-hair's attention. "Takii!" It was Chisato with her cafè attire on and a Santa hat bobbing about as she walked towards Takina. Takina found it interesting how her girlfriend nicknamed her after a chip, but she digressed.

Half dressed, the shorter female turned around, wondering what the blonde needed from her. "Yeah?" She asked the blonde. Chisato was about to her open her mouth to speak, but she noticed the state her lover was in. Takina was in nothing but her black sported shorts, which came up to her thigh, and her light blue bra that was clearly in Chisato's main eyesight.

The blonde tried averting her eyes from her lover's visible attributes; she failed miserably. Takina realized this and immediately segued the conversation. "What did you need?"

"Huh? Oh, yeah!" Chisato snapped back into reality. Since Chisato was back, Takina finished off by reeling her shirt over her head and safely onto her body. "I was gonna ask if we could go home early?" The blonde gave Takina a wide grin, almost if her face was purposely trying to be smug, but it wasn't.

"Oh, of course. That's what I was thinking too," Takina pulled up her black socks that matched perfectly with her shorts, then she stood up, forgetting about her shoes.

"Great! Just let me get changed first," Chisato took off her Santa hat, unveiling her short blonde hair with no ribbon tied around the side of her head.

Takina nodded at her girlfriend, then she inclined away from her to give her some space. "I'll wait outside," the shorter female said while exiting the area.

Damn. Light blue? Chisato thought to herself with a pleased expression on her features.

The young blonde opened her cubby that was snuggling in the corner of the room awaiting to be filled with attire again. Her locker was much more decorated than Takina's was, it was equipped with a small mirror attached to the lid of the opening, along with tiny stickers sticking to the base.

Chisato breathed out of her mouth, quietly undressing herself in a swift motion. What she noticed was, her mirror was staring back at her as if it had eyes. She was staring at it as well with a frown on her face.

Across her chest was a noticeable red scar mocking her sight. The blonde's bra was covering part of the mark, but it was still in eyesight.

She ran a finger above the tip of her scar, tracing the texture with her fingertips. Ever so slightly she could feel her heart beating at a normal pace, thumbing a sort of movement against her finger.

The blonde sighed to herself, then she rotated away from the mirror, finished with her inspection. She realized how uncomfortable her bra was emitting when it was squeezing her chest. This was normal for Chisato; it was worst in the past, now it happens ever so often.

To give herself a breather, she reached on either side of her ribs where the material was resting, then she pulled her foundation garment a bit to relief some of the pressure against her chest.

Her bra slide to the flatness of her stomach, automatically undoing some of the hooks on the backside. The blonde's breasts were exposed to clear eye, but at the moment she was not worried about it. She was more focused on relieving her pain.

All that singing and loads of moving around has worn her out more than she thought. Chisato took a seat on the nonsupporting back of the locker room bench, resting for a while.

She knew she wanted to go home early, but she was scared if she didn't take a break then she might be too tired on the walk home.

"Ah..." someone said out loud in the locker room but it wasn't Chisato who said it.

Jolting her head up with a inhale, she saw Takina standing near the door way with rose colored cheeks taking over her face. She was visibly not staring at Chisato's eyes, but staring at a centered scar on her exposed chest.

Embarrassed, the young blonde covered up with her Santa hat that was within reach of her. "O-Oh Takina! I-I didn't see you there!" The blonde stuttered out.

"S-Sorry, I forgot my shoes and... yeah..." Takina walked closer towards Chisato, averting her eyes away from her, trying to retrieve the missing shoes she forgot.

Eventually, the young blonde turned the same shade of red as her girlfriend was. She was embarrassed for many reasons, but out of those reasons Takina seeing her scar was affecting her the most.

It was silent for a few minutes. Both girls caught each other off guard from the situation and now both of their hearts have set to speed up. Apparently, it was much more awkward when Takina walked in on Chisato instead of the other way around.

Takina retrieved her shoes by picking them up off the ground, wondering to herself. She was curious for many reasons, but out of those reasons she was set to her girlfriend's wound.

"Did... did you see?" The young blonde asked even if she already knew the answer. As quickly as possible she pulled up her white-colored bra over her breasts, even though some of her hooks were undone in the back.

The black-haired processed Chisato's words as if she was questioning if she's seen her unmentionables... or not? Either way, she perked up. "O-Oh, no. I wasn't looking at them!" Takina tried defending herself with worry in her voice. She stood behind her girlfriend, facing away from her; her shoes were still in her hands.

The young blonde shook her head. "I-I meant... did you see the scar?" She asked then turned towards her partner.

Takina has gone quiet for a moment, forcing herself to not make eye contact with Chisato. Chisato took the silence as a 'yes'. "I-I'm sorry you had to see that," she continues to cover herself with the Santa hat, trying to hide the wound even more.

"What? You're sorry? I should be the one apologizing," Eventually, eyes averted in place, Takina took a seat on the locker room bench, so she could put her shoes on.

"No not at all! You are not in the wrong here, Taki," The blonde reassured her. "I-I shouldn't of exposed myself like that."

Takina finished with her shoe fiasco then spoke to Chisato. "...Why did you? Was it because of your...?" She hesitantly paused at the word 'scar'. Either way, the blonde got the sentence. "Well... yes..."

Chisato finally stood up from the bench to dress in her casual shirt, so she wouldn't be bare for much longer. More silence overtook the two girls; all that was heard was rustling from Chisato reeling her shirt over her body.

"You can look now, by the way," the blonde smiled a bit, doing the finishing touches by pulling up black pants over her legs. Relieved, Takina faced her girlfriend once again. She found herself quite dizzy from intensity of this situation; more dizzy than that root beer incident for sure.

The black-haired stood from the bench, contemplating on what to say next. She was struck with a dizziness that fogged up her brain and the many questions she wanted to ask. "Let's go now," Chisato said, relieving the awkward atmosphere by segueing the subject. She placed here Santa hat on her had once more.

"Ah..." Takina tried speaking but her tongue was twisting and her brain was screaming with questions. Chisato reassured her with a sigh. "I'll explain it... I promise," the blonde smiled at her girlfriend while walking towards the changing room door.

Takina simply followed her, not saying a word. She was surprised by Chisato's confidence gain once they left the LycoReco, and onto the sidewalk. Just moments ago, the blonde was embarrassed by her exposed wound being revealed to Takina, but now, since the cat was out of the bag, she decided to tell her girlfriend.

Chisato decided it was relevant for Takina to know now before dragging it out for later; That way, it wouldn't be eating at the black-hair and... who knows? This could bring the two of them closer?

As the two girls continued to walk down the sidewalk, Chisato began to talk to get her partner's attention for a story. "Are you listening?" She asked.

Takina's brain and tongue was eventually healed on its own, so she was able to speak once more. "Yes."

The blonde nodded. "Well... where do I start... oh yeah. I got this puppy last Christmas," she said. She put her hand on her chest, implying that she was talking about her scar.

Chisato continues telling Takina about the doctors, the heart palpitations, and... "Because of my heart... I spent Christmas in the hospital..." the blonde curved her lips into a slight frown. "I didn't get out until the 30th of that month..."

The black-hair's ears perked up at that. "They wouldn't let you celebrate there?" The first question she thought of came out of her mouth.

The young blonde shook her head. "No because they had to do surgery that day, so for most of it I was resting from the anesthesia," she sighed.

Takina was quiet again; she couldn't explain it but she felt sadness well up inside her from hearing all this. She felt as if she needed to do something, but she wouldn't know what to do? The past is in the past for these events, so she didn't understand why she wanted to do something about it?

"We're here," Chisato looked up at the apartment complex that was provided by Mika, then she walked up the stairs. This shook Takina out of her thoughts since she needed some brains to walk up the stairs too.

"But... yeah... that's the story," once the two girls made it to the top of the stairs, Chisato opened the door for them. All Takina did was stare at her before walking through the building.

After they both entered the apartment, Takina spoke again, since she hasn't spoken in a while. "So... last Christmas you spent Christmas alone?" The black-haired wanted to conclude what Chisato told her.

"Yeah... but don't worry," Chisato lightened the mood with a smile. "I'm positive it'll be different this year!" As usual, the blonde tried staying positive to the thought of a Christmas spent with people.

Takina gazed at her, but she was stuck in her thoughts again. "Different, huh?"  She thought to herself. Her mind was racing about earlier thoughts; ones about 'doing something' for Chisato.

"What if... I make that 'difference' come true?"