(Not) Lonely SANTA's Mission - Track 02
Seasonal Event: Christmas 2024
Location: Lu Family House - Living Room
Liguang: ……
Nagi: ……*peaceful sigh*
Nagi: So this is what Chinese tea prepared by Liguang-san tastes like… I can feel a millennium of history spreading its warmth through my insides…
Nagi: The tea is delicious, the room warms me from the feet up, the chair is really soft, and the bunnies are super fluffy.
Nagi: Am I already in heaven…?
Linxing: Ahaha, you’re soo funny!
Xingbing: Well aren’t you just a hoot, Hachinoya-kun!
*Nagi slides back*
Nagi: Oh! Um…uh… thank you…?
Linxing: Yeah, we don’t have guys like you at my school! An airhead… Or no, that’s not exactly it… What type are you?
Nagi: Type…? Um, I guess you could say I’m like a shepherd's purse*…
Linxing and Xingbing: A weed type!
Linxing: The vibes are so on point! I gotta tell my boyfriend~♪
Xingbing: Wait, your wrists are so thin! Go on, eat some kumquats with your tea. How about you join us for dinner too?
Nagi: Um, uh, I’m…
Liguang: ….*sigh*
Liguang: Oi, Hachinoya. Why were you passed out in the middle of the street?
Linxing: Right, that! I was SO surprised when I saw Sojun carry you back here!
Nagi: I’m sorry for surprising you. And I’m also sorry a snow-soaked mouse like me was lying in a luxurious bed like that…
Sojun: You should direct your gratitude to the boss.
Liguang: Let’s get back on track. Were you mugged?
Nagi: That’s…um… I couldn’t keep up with the repayments….
Nagi: (Because of my debt of happiness…)
Linxing and Xingbing: Repayments…!?
Nagi: (December is a month full of events that’d make me feel fortunate… So the Yajirobe of Fortune and Misfortune tends to lean too much to one side…)
Liguang: (The end of the year tends to be a popular time for loan repayment…)
Linxing: (So he’s in debt… No wonder his wrists are as thin as a weed…)
Xingbing: (I teased him saying he must’ve had to eat weeds to get by, but now feel bad for laughing at him without knowing the details…)
Liguang: Managing a store isn’t easy work, I’m sure you have your share of troubles at this time of year. Do you have a repayment plan set in place?
Nagi: Yep. I’m managing, somehow. I’m making little accessories every night and slowly paying it all back.
Liguang: (A side hustle… He works at HAMA Tours on top of his job as a florist who handles a laundromat… Just how many jobs is he planning to take on?)
Xingbing: (Is this what they call burning the candle at both ends…? Now I’m just sad.)
Nagi: There’s also a lot of things I wanted to do this month, so I haven’t been sleeping much either…
Linxing: So that’s why… You’ve had it rough…
Xingbing: I’ve got it.
Xingbing: Liguang, you’re gonna help out Hachinoya-kun. We might not be able to pay back his debts for him, but you can at least find a way to help him do the things he wants to do.
Liguang: …Need I remind you that I’m too busy cleaning up after a certain someone’s mess because she couldn't pick out the right party favors for the Lurong Family’s Christmas party?
Xingbing: These are two separate things.
Liguang: In other words, you agree you need to wipe your own ass.
Xingbing: What? Where’s the respect? Who do you think wiped YOUR ass when you were a baby—
Nagi: Woah… So this is a real fight among siblings…
Liguang and Xingbing: ? Huh?
Linxing: Ahaha, sorry about this. They fight like this all the time. Did it scare you?
Nagi: No, not at all. Fights among families remain a pipe dream to me, so I can’t help but feel moved when I see any in person.
Nagi: (The fights between Raito-san and Nayuki-san move me too, but those tend to be a little one-sided…)
Nagi: Please don’t mind me and continue.
Xingbing: Sorry, sorry. We’re not gonna fight anymore, right, Liguang?
Liguang: Tch…
Nagi: (They stopped fighting because of me… I should just keep my mouth shut next time.)
Linxing: Hey hey Nagi-kun, about that box you were carrying. Were those Christmas wreaths in them? They’re so small and adorable!
Nagi: Thank you. I made it together with Sonia… She’s family.
Linxing: Aw, that’s nice… Oh!
Linxing: Hey, how about we use these for the party favors?
Linxing: There’s a ton of them, so let’s just buy them all! This way, we’d be helping Nagi-kun with his debt too!
Nagi: Huh.
Liguang: …You’ve got a point.
Xingbing: It’s the perfect size, and fits the season too. Not to mention—
Liguang and Xingbing: It can count as an auspicious gift too.
Nagi: Amazing. You’re in perfect harmony. So this is sibling power…
*clapping*
Liguang and Xingbing: ……
Xingbing: So Hachinoya-kun, will you sell it to us?
Nagi: Oh… Of course, I’d be more than happy to.
Xingbing: That’s settled then! We’ll throw in a little extra, and even lend you my brilliant little brother to boot!
Liguang: What?
Xingbing: Now that we’ve wrapped up one job, you have more free time on your hands!
Liguang: ……
~~~
Location: Inside Liguang’s Car
Nagi: (...Wow, not only did they buy all my wreaths—)
Nagi: (Liguang-san’s dropping me off at my place… with an armful of souvenirs too.)
Nagi: Um, I wanted to thank you, for everything. I don’t have much, but I’d like to repay you… Maybe I can give you my kidney—
Liguang: You don’t need to thank me. This was a mutually beneficial transaction. Frankly, I didn’t want to waste my time thinking about party favors, so you’ve helped me out as well.
Nagi: Woah… So this is what you call a win-win situation…
Liguang: ……
Liguang: If you’re lacking in funds or resources, I can offer you help.
Nagi: ?
Liguang: Earlier, you said there were things you wanted to do. Was it not important enough that you’d work yourself to the point of passing out?
Nagi: Oh… You don’t have to worry about that, I’ll handle it myself. Thank you very much.
Nagi: ……
Liguang: ……
Nagi: Uh… Well…
Nagi: (Is it rude if I don’t explain why I refused his offer…?)
Nagi: Well, you see… What I want is…
Nagi: To be Santa.
Liguang: Santa?
Nagi: He’s the old man who hands out presents.
Liguang: I know that.
Nagi: I decided I want to be the old man who hands out presents, so… I’ve been making preparations in secret…
Nagi: It’s a silly thing so… It’s not worth getting anyone’s help for…
Liguang: ……
Nagi: Besides, I do this alone every year … I’ll wrap this up like a piece of cake and end the year with a piece of cake too.
*silence*
Liguang: …I see. Sojun, raise the temperature for a bit.*
Sojun: Understood, boss.
~~~
Sojun: We’ve arrived.
Nagi: Thank you for saving me today. I’ll never forget this debt. To be more specific, I’m willing to set aside the main dish and dessert from now on—
Liguang: No need. You can leave now.
*Nagi bows and gets out of the car*
Liguang: (Nagi Hachinoya. What a strange fellow.)
Sojun: He’s a little similar to you, Boss.
Liguang: What?
Sojun: Nothing.
Liguang: Perhaps you should take a vacation soon. It looks like fatigue has affected your thinking capabilities.
Sojun: No, I’m fine…
Notes:
Nagi associates himself to the Shepherd's Purse, considering himself plain and unwanted. In flower language it means "I offer you my all."
In Japan it's common to say "it's cold" when a joke falls flat.
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