The lab was warm against the chill of winter outside, where snowflakes gently drifted down, covering the world in a quiet blanket of white. Senku was fully engrossed in his experiment, the holiday season clearly not on his mind. But as you walked in, cheeks flushed from the cold and a playful grin on your face, he finally looked up.

“Hm? What is it now?” he asked, his eyes drifting back to his notes.

You held up a small sprig of mistletoe, stepping closer. His gaze flickered to it, then back to you, clearly unamused. “You don’t seriously expect me to—” he began, but you stepped under the mistletoe with a soft smile, waiting.

For a moment, he seemed at a loss, eyes lingering on you in a way that made the space between you feel even smaller. “This… is some kind of experiment, isn’t it?” he muttered, as if trying to rationalize the unexpected warmth in the room.