The Nejitama Anthology 2 - Tamajire Week 2023

Chapter 8: Self-damage (Kogarashi)

For this last prompt, we got Kogarashi! It means that "the cold wind that warns us of the arrival of winter", a time where it can release some deep feelings while having the company of the artic wind.

Enjoy it!

The weather presenter had been clear, the season of leaves and warm weather was coming to an end, and it was time for a new season to arrive in Japan.

Nejire could feel the cold on her face from her balcony, an arctic wind that was a sign that winter was near. It wasn't snowing yet, but she sensed that tomorrow the first snowflakes might fall from the sky. She watched the night in the city very calmly, seeing the pretty lights that illuminated the environment and the almost null sound of cars at that hour. It was an atmosphere that she liked and that made her look that she was doing a good job as a heroine.

Once she finished looking outside, she sighed and walked back into her apartment. It was time to set up her home for the moment.

In there, she began to move and clean the things that were in every corner of her small home. She started by cleaning the small living room of small food residues that might have been left on the floor, even though she was a very tidy eater. Every little crumb was instantly vacuumed up, making sure the floor mats were clean.

When she was done, she headed for her closet. She knew she couldn't wear short sleeved or light fabric clothes knowing that Japan was going to be in freezing weather for quite a while, so she started moving all her clothes around. In the upper part and with the help of some hooks, she put the warmest and nicest clothes to wear, sweaters that could keep her body totally warm and soft scarves that would cover her neck from the cold that could enter through there. In the lower part, she put all the clothes she was not going to wear during those days, knowing that they were going to be a nuisance during that season if she wanted to choose new clothes.

Once she was done with that, she put on her indigo pajamas, used a blanket for warmth and went to make herself some hot chocolate. She needed something to warm her body internally, and there was no better beverage than that to drink. It didn't take long to prepare it, and five minutes later, she was sitting on her couch, satisfied with her work, covered with her blanket, with no problem ahead of her.

Finally, her apartment was spotless and ready for winter's arrival. She had food in case there was a heavy snowfall, she had warm clothes in case she had to wear her hero costume in a nighttime emergency, and she had an electric heater so she wouldn't have to endure the low temperatures that were coming. She had everything prepared for the approaching new season.

She was just missing something essential. Or rather, someone essential. Tamaki Amajiki.

Tamaki's simplicity and his little sounds he made when talking due to his anxiety could make Nejire have the best day ever. She loved being by his side, she felt comfortable to have a great person like him, someone she could always joke about and hug endlessly. She appreciated Tamaki's cuteness in personality, someone who had even described her as an innocent and beautiful fairy.

She had invited him to spend that night at her apartment like every year. It was a custom for both to enjoy the arrival of winter warmly wrapped up and sipping hot chocolate. It was something they had done since UA and even years after they had graduated, three years to be precise. Being heroes didn't make them forget certain actions they had been doing for a long time.

However, great was her surprise when she received a negative answer from him for the first time. The reason? He was spending time with his girlfriend that night.

"I'm sorry Nejire. I'm at my girlfriend's place now. I doubt I'll be able to come to your apartment today."

Tamaki's routine had changed greatly when he got a loving partner. Although that girl understood Tamaki's duty to be a hero, she was also someone who wanted to spend time with him, fun time. The minute he finished his hour of work, she would wait for him at the exit of his agency, and once they left together, from that moment on Tamaki was no one's anymore. And that night, his girlfriend wanted him to be at her house to meet her parents, so Tamaki had no way out.