𝐇𝐨𝐩𝐞'𝐬 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 | Inquisitormaster & Zsquad| Danganronpa

𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐚𝐬 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥

~Alex's POV~

Light walks over to me, pumping the Santa hat to mix up the folded pieces of paper inside until he stops before me. When he extends it out to me, I turn my head away as my hand swims through the pieces, my fingers finally clamp onto one and I withdraw it from the hat. Beside me, Jade digs into the hat whilst I unfurl the page to see the name I had drawn: Erza. After reading the name, I fold it back up and stuff it into my skirt's pocket.

Light finishes making his rounds with the hat and takes out the last slip, tossing the hat aside onto a vacant sofa. He skims over his card before shoving it deep into his pocket. "Everyone knows who they're shopping for?"

We all glance at one another, nodding and expressing agreement through triumphant cheers and bellows.

"Alright, so, since I'm running this—"

"You're doing everything but running this. We know better."

The skater shoots Drake a nasty glare; Drake only chuckles at the gesture. Continuing, Light goes over the rules of the Secret Santa that he had gleaned together. As it was the start of the magical December of junior year, we were only given the rest of the month to do the shopping for the person we had drawn, and there were no excuses for any lack of presents when Christmas came around unless you are on fire (video evidence mandatory), in the hospital, dying (optional), or missing. The last one was a target, a giggle slipped from me accidentally. It only takes a moment to disperse from the common room, wandering away to do our things around the dorm building. Although it was only the first of December, I knew that it would pass through in a breeze, a blur if you must call it, and Christmas would have arrived in the blink of an eye. The thought alone excites me, and I already know exactly where I'm going to shop.

Thankfully, it does not take long for the weekends to slide in, and I take the first chance I can slip away from campus to go shopping. Erza... What is something Erza would like aside from all of the hair and nail care stuff I can guess that she receives every year? I get to the mall just before the packs of people mill in, and I wander the semi-deserted building hoping for a store that would catch my attention. As I saunter through several unappetizing shops and unsatisfying stands, I can't help but wonder why there was no obligation to make a small list of things you would be interested in your person buying for you. That would help a lot in a situation like this. Nothing is coming to mind just as nothing seems to catch my eye. The following day, I returned to the mall, secretly whispering affirmations that there would be new stock, that there would be something I could see Erza with without it seeming forced. I go into the cosmetics stores— all of them, even the eyebrow waxing clinic— I wander through clothing stores to scavenge through racks and racks of clothing I could make in ten to twenty minutes charged at half the price, and I wander through the merch stores, too. But, then again, I do not spot anything that screams Erza at me.

It is only the first weekend and I think this is going to be the end of me.

Next week marks our return to school, and I'm pretty sure I'll be keeping an attentive eye out as I bet lots of my classmates will be. Someone might be doing it to me. The thought alone fills me instantly with the urge to scope the room for any eyes on me, and I turn my attention back to Erza from a distance. Across all of the discussions she has had regarding the holidays, not ONCE did she mention her Christmas wishlist, or anything at all concerning her interests aside from cosmetology. So, this week was a failure.

The next weekend comes around and I find myself back in the stores on the hunt. I had asked Jade on Friday how hers was going to which she said that nothing had come up yet. I then asked who she had. Lucky for her, she had drawn Light's name from the hat. If envy were evident on my face... Before I had left that morning, she asked for gift ideas to get my brother. Since I have somewhat of a heart, I decided to give her a few things Light would like without it being on his wishlist this year. Jade thanks me, and I leave. Once again the mall was a busy spot to be in at this time of year, and once again did I not find anything enticing. I did find Candi in the FYE store. Of course, I have to question what she's up to, and she tells me that she had drawn Drake, but warns me not to tell anyone. I'm probably going to forget she told me this in the five minutes after I left this store, but I bid her good luck and continued on my way.