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“Well then, everyone—Merry Christmas!”
“Merry Christmas!”
Throughout our gorgeously decorated party venue, holiday cheers and clinking glasses could be heard, one after the other.
We weren’t drinking alcohol, of course, but all the soda bubbles floating around in our glasses made it seem like we each had a glass of champagne.
This isn’t gonna taste like alcohol if I drink it, is it? The thought crossed my mind as I took a sip of the drink, but then the fizziness and sweetness of the soda quickly spread throughout my mouth.
Yup, it’s just regular old cola.
“Cheers, Yoshin!”
“Cheers, Nanami.”
Nanami walked over to me with her glass raised, so I likewise raised my glass and touched it to hers. That distinct clink sounded between us.
I took another sip of my drink and, looking around, muttered, “Wow. Chaotic much?”
“Seriously,” Nanami let out, glancing in the same direction I was and looking a bit overwhelmed herself.
We were observing all the classmates who had assembled at the party today.
I thought I heard that girls specifically were invited to the party with the option of wearing a cute Santa outfit. In reality, though, the party looked like a huge Santa meeting, with everyone wearing all kinds of different clothes. Even the guys were dressed like Santa Claus.
“It looks like we’re in Finland,” I muttered.
“Is this what Finland looks like?” Nanami wondered aloud.
I had heard on some trivia show that Finland was where Santa Claus was from, but who knows really.
The girls were wearing Santa outfits with skirts, pants, frills, general sexiness... It was just a parade of cute Santa costumes. They weren’t just red, but also included black versions as well as green ones that looked like just Christmas trees.
The guys, on the other hand, all wore pants for their costumes. Plus, they all had fake beards on, though they seemed to take them off when they were eating.
“What do you think? Do I look cute?” Nanami asked.
“Yeah, absolutely. You look great,” I replied.
Nanami stood next to me in her own Santa outfit. Of the three that she tried on the previous day, this one was the one that probably best balanced cute and sexy the most. I would’ve felt more at ease had she worn the pants costume, but at the end of the day, it wasn’t my call to make.
The Santa costume she had on now was basically a dress, a miniskirt on the bottom with a top attached to it. Maybe it was a pretty standard affair, as far as Santa outfits went. Nanami’s shoulders were bare, though, and the dress also left her collar area open. In other words, the dress may have been normal in design, but it was still pretty revealing.
“I mean, you really look great in red. The contrast between the red and the white really pops, and even though the white gives off a sense of purity, the red really amps up the sexiness,” I said.
“Tee hee, gosh, it’s kind of embarrassing when you compliment me so much,” Nanami said.
“Seriously, I know I say this every time, but you really have such beautiful skin. It’s like a brand-new, white dress with zero blemishes. Or, maybe it’s not so much a dress as it’s...”
“Wait, Yoshin...you’re overdoing it with the compliments now. Plus you’re staring too much.”
Shoot, maybe I got a little too creepy there. But Nanami really does have beautiful skin. It’s plump, and super smooth... Is this what you call porcelain skin? I know it’s not transparent, but it almost seems that way. When we took that bath together, her entire body... Wait, this sounds really misleading. Oh no, Nanami’s turning all red. Shoot, did I say all that out loud?
I thought I might have creeped her out, but fortunately, Nanami seemed kind of pleased instead. She was pinching the hem of her skirt and twirling a little in place. She then took a few steps and turned again, as if to hide her embarrassment. For a moment I worried that her skirt would flutter and reveal too much.
“Thanks,” Nanami finally said. “You look good too.”
“Thanks...I guess?” I murmured.
“Of course! Why not?”
I knew Nanami meant her compliment, but I looked down at my costume and had to question if it was really worth the praise.
A pair of red pants with a white fur trim. A slightly oversized long-sleeved red jacket. A red and white hat with a round pom-pom on the tip. And a white beard to top it all off.