“Alas, it seems that in my haste to wrap up this case, I’ve worked myself a little bit too hard and… ah, the overtime has caught up to me. I’ve managed to become quite ill… so no, it doesn’t look like I’ll be going home for Christmas, and instead may be staying in bed. My apologies, Yamashita-chan; it seems that if my mum doesn’t get to have me for the holidays, no one will."
Kita blushed as she handed Hakuba a sweater. “Here! This is your Christmas gift. I just know how cold winters are in Japan. The sweater will help you stay warm and maybe help you get over whatever bug you have. Merry Christmas, Hakuba-kun!”
“Aha, thank you, Yamashita-chan… I appreciate it very much. Happy Christmas to you, as well!”