‘Yeah. So why don’t we do something on Christmas Eve? We don’t need to give presents, just bring some sweets and things. I’ll bring a cake – and let’s invite the Wolf Queen,’ he added. ‘It’s December already. The castle will close at the end of March, so shouldn’t we do something fun before it’s all over?’

The Wishing Key still hadn’t turned up. Or at least no one seemed to have found it. And they still weren’t sure if after March they would even have any memory of each other at all.

‘I like it.’ When Aki voiced her assent, there was a scattering of nods.

‘OK, but,’ Masamune began. ‘When shall we do it? The twenty-fourth – are you free on Christmas Eve? Don’t you have other plans?’

‘Works for me,’ Rion said. ‘Because of the time difference, it won’t overlap with the dorm party for students staying over the holidays.’

‘Christmas Eve suits,’ Fuka said in her bright voice. ‘But I can’t make it on the twenty-third. I have a piano recital.’

Oh, Kokoro thought when she heard this.

‘Do you play the piano?’ she asked.

‘Um,’ Fuka said. ‘I don’t go to school, but I still have private piano lessons.’

On Kokoro’s first day at the castle, she’d heard the sound of a piano. It must have been Fuka. So there was a piano in her room.

Kokoro had taken piano lessons up till elementary school but had given up. She envied Fuka having something going on outside school.

‘I heard a piano being played in one of the rooms before,’ Kokoro said, and Fuka gave a little gasp of surprise.

‘Was it too loud?’ she asked, and Kokoro shook her head.

‘Really? I’m relieved,’ Fuka said. ‘Isn’t there a piano in your room, Kokoro? Am I the only one?’

‘As you’re a pianist, perhaps the Wolf Queen put it there especially for you.’

‘What do you have in your room, Kokoro?’ Fuka asked.

‘Bookshelves. But there’re hardly any books I can read. They’re all in foreign languages – English, Danish and others.’

‘Danish? Wow. How do you know it’s Danish?’

‘Hans Christian Andersen is a Danish author, and there are lots of his books.’

She remembered Tojo-san showing her. Kokoro’s room in the castle had many of the same books.

‘That’s cool. So your room is filled with books. I had no idea.’

I wonder what the other rooms are like, Kokoro thought. If there was a piano for Fuka, then there must be something in each room to suit them.

‘OK, the twenty-third is out. So what about the twenty-fourth?’

‘That doesn’t work for me,’ Aki said. ‘I might have a date with my boyfriend.’ No one seemed to know what to say.

Aki appeared ready to elaborate, but Rion simply said, ‘Sure, got it.’