Narration starts up to talk about the unsetting sun that's appeared in the sky, which was born from a tiny wish. It's been accompanied with a midsummer heat and endless daytime, so people are worried that Christmas won't be coming (despite that this is literally only the first day of the incident). Meanwhile Andvari has decided to turn this midsummer's day in winter into a business opportunity, so he's called in some acquaintances to help him reorganize his plans for his Christmas event. You, Ded, and your friends have come to take back his Christmas Miracle power by helping produce the Midsummer Christmas event happening at the AndvaResort. In the end, will people's hopes for a holy night's miracle come back?
Title card pops up, and this chapter is called The Pastorela Inviting You to the Beach.
Scene then tunes in to Ziz greeting you in the morning, then realizing she slipped back into the normal frame of teacher and student here. She redoes her greeting as she refers to you as Producer this time and hopes to work well with you. You can either be flustered and say she can treat you like normal, extend your formalities to her, or say this sense of embarrassment is making you feel restless. In A, Ziz laughs a bit and asks if you're sure, then says she's not experienced with part time gigs. In B, Ziz says it's comforting to have you around, then offers to help you with anything if you say the word. In C, Ziz laughs and admits to feeling nervous too. She says she'll be careful not to say anything weird out of nerves.
Anyways, Ziz says that when she saw you while she was feeling anxious, she was surprised but also reassured. Since it's winter break, she decided she'd try challenging herself by taking up some new work that isn't related to teaching. She wasn't expecting it to be at the same place you'd be working at too, and she asks you to teach her plenty of things.
Yasuyori turns up soon after, then greets the both of you good morning. Yasuyori also takes the time to thank Ziz for helping him find his way the other day when he got lost at Kasai Station. Ziz laughs a little and says it's fine. Whenever she sees a child in trouble she just can't bring herself to leave them alone. That goes double for your friends, and Ziz comments on how well connected you are with other schools.
Yasuyori mentions being inexperienced with part time work, but he'll be
fine if he has you two to help him. He refers to himself as strong and
dumb, then says he hopes to work well with you guys. You either tell him
to stop being so stiff and formal, tell him to stop calling you
Commander, or tell him to be at ease. In A, Yasuyori apologizes and says
he's not that flexible. He says he'll be nervous at this totally new
thing, and if he messes up, he asks you to encourage him without holding
back. In B, Yasuyori says he can't and mentions hearing that you'll be
Producer. That's basically the same thing right? He also says he likes
you and will follow you anywhere. In C, Yasuyori weakly protests against
you rubbing his shoulders since he's worried about how sweaty he is,
then offers you a towel to wipe off with. In any case, Yasuyori suggests
you guys get going, and the three of you have a pleasant time talking
on the way over.
Some time later, you reach the resort where you run into Chouji. He greets you guys good morning, then mentions having not slept well. Itzamna is also there and comments that it took him some time to get used to Tokyo's day/night cycle, and now with the sun not setting when it's night time is causing him some restlessness. You can either greet Chouji, Itzamna, or be amazed at the food that's there.
In A, Chouji greets you back and asks if you slept well. He comments on how hard it is to sleep when it's bright out, though Ryouta's once said to him that means you can just have a nap whenever. In B, Itzamna comments that a proper greeting is so nice and mentions it reminds him of the class he teaches. They're all good kids, but there's also a lot of kids with strong egos. They focus only on the things they like, but sometimes they cause fights he just can't bear to look at. In C, Chouji said he had trouble sleeping, so he decided he may as well get cooking. He then prompts you to try some of the hors d'oeuvres and is confident that you can enjoy a bunch of flavors with them at least.
White Ded comes up around this point and comments on everyone being together, so he suggests having some tea and stuff while having a discussion about the event's program. The party then takes up White's suggestion to go to a table in the hotel garden area. Shirou shows up shortly after and greets everyone, then says he's borrowed some stuff from the Santa School library, at least enough for him to take a breath when he puts it down. There's still more stuff that Tanngrisnir will be bringing by later, and Shirou hopes it'll help.
White takes note of one of the books Shirou brought New Theory Santa Encyclopedia and thanks him, saying it'll help a lot. He then mentions that the group has already decided upon a general idea as to what sort of plan everyone will be working on. Ziz's program will be about inviting people to the event area. Chouji is going to be welcoming people at the event area. Yasuyori is going to be coming up with something to end the event on. None of said people say anything, so White figures everyone is having a hard time coming up with specifics. He assures them there's still time for it though, so maybe they'll get ideas by talking it out. You think to yourself that White reacted as expected and be relieved since you haven't gotten any bright ideas either.
White winks at you in a way no one else would pick up on while smiling placidly. Ziz then immediately raises her hand, so everyone turns to look at her. Ziz volunteers to talk first and says she's been researching into her feature, but now she's stuck on what sort of event Christmas actually is. Yasuyori adds in that he only knows of Christmas as a time for exchanging presents, and Itzamna says that he doesn't know much about it either even in the frame of thinking up decorations. You ask about Christmas being someone's birth, say you've heard it might also not be about that, and ask Ded to explain.
Itzamna also requests that Ded explain to everyone including him what Christmas is about. White thanks him and says that would be the most appropriate place to start. He can have Tanngrisnir bring books or whatever with more detailed explanations later, so he'll go over the basics for now.
Eventually other faiths were assimilated into it, and 12/25 became chosen as the day to celebrate the birth of the messiah. Some may say this celebration of the messiah's birth took over the birth of the sun from the previous faith's beliefs. We now refer to this day as Christmas, but it isn't necessarily stuck on 12/25. As the belief of Christmas spread, its time was said to be prolonged or delayed.
Itzamna thinks on the idea of making sacrifices on the day of the sun's birth and mentions that El Dorado is also a place that has a belief in offering prayers to the sun. He casually mentions being the one to make the calendar for El Dorado, but unfortunately due to the differences in the flow of time, El Dorado's calendar makes a turn on 12/23. Itzamna also mentions that he hibernates in winter in Tokyo, and he laughs about that being why he doesn't know about Christmas. You think to yourself that something seems off about Itzamna here, but you think it might just be you imagining things.
Shirou expresses his surprise that Christmas and the sun have such an old connection since he more heavily associates Christmas with stars and the night. Ded says that traditions state that the sign that the messiah was born came from stars shining in the night sky. The Three Wise Men who witness this then came from the east to bring presents in hand to bless the messiah. Itzamna takes an interest in the mentions of wise men and sages.
Ded explains that the Christmas tree star ornament is meant to imitate this star, but he suggests that this star might actually represent the sun. Chouji mentions that Ryouta's talked about how Christmas is heavily associated with a white Christmas with lots of snow. White laughs and says that came by later after the fantastical imagery of snow got tied in with the occasion. Plenty of other events and seasonal things became tied together with Christmas, just like Rome's Saturnalia feasts. But even these connections change with regions and faith as Christmas happens in places without snow.
Shirou talks about how Tokyoites' understanding of Christmas as a Winter Thing to be general knowledge. He has read that for half the planet in the past, Christmas is a summer thing instead though. Plus there are Transients like Itzamna who come from a world without winter and are increasing in number. Shirou wonders if the numbers shift and common sense stops being common sense, maybe Christmas will start becoming a summer thing?
White talks about how common sense is something that's always being changed within individual people. If it spreads, it may change into something new again. If it changes too suddenly, then there will be people who be unable to accept it. And sometimes when it changes you can feel how things that people believed in before get rejected. Itzamna talks about how he was surprised to learn for the first time that when the sun sets and night comes, the sun will rise again the next day. And speaking of the sun, Itzamna has a question for everyone: does the thing shining in the sky look like a sun to everyone?
You are confused by this question as you ask if Itzamna is saying it's not a sun up there and that he's seeing something else. Itzamna answers by drawing something onto a piece of paper and asking everyone to look at it since that's what he's seeing. After he finishes drawing it out, Ziz compliments his drawing ability and starts calling it a cute sun before she does a double take. When the rest of the party looks back up, everyone sees the same thing floating above as in the picture as well. You ask in shock what the pointy thing is if it's not a sun.
Itzamna starts talking about how the thing up above looked like a sun to everyone since everyone assumed it was a sun, though he corrects himself to say it was behaving like a sun. He uses that as an example of how the common sense of everyone thinking what's shining in the sky is a sun caused everyone to see it as a sun. Since he comes from a world that worships the sun, he's used to seeing it. As an artist, he's always questioning the reality of what he sees, since by doing so he can see the shades and forms of things.
Ded is shocked by what he sees and remembers coming across it in the encyclopedia, and after flipping through a few pages he finds it again and says the thing up above is a piñata. You either express confusion as to what that is or say it sounds like something delicious. If you go with C, Chouji explains that you're probably thinking of a pina colada, which is a kind of cocktail and not something for high schoolers.
White tries explaining piñatas as a decorative ball filled with presents that are used for special occasions in a certain area. During children's birthday parties or Christmas parties, children get blindfolded and swing at the thing with a stick. Yasuyori compares that to the watermelon smashing game, and he agrees that having a lot of children around would make things exciting.
White mentions that piñatas started off as a method for demon exorcisms with the custom being that you hit the devils lurking in the stars. It probably never became a thing here since demons live here in Tokyo. Shirou compares it to the old custom of Setsubun, which also started as a demon exorcism thing before it became a children's play activity. Shirou then thinks about how piñatas have presents in them, and you have the same idea as you suggest that maybe it's filled with the hopes for Christmas. If you keep filling it with hope, maybe it'll break.
White agrees that this idea may work at bringing back the night to Tokyo. Once the piñata breaks, there'll presents left after that, and that'd be a Christmas miracle in itself. You suggest giving everyone the present of the holy night and that Christmas itself will be the gift. Itzamna laughs about how that'd be a great gift and that it's important to be flexible when being creative. You might turn out to be a great creator yourself.
White talks about how the place that uses piñatas at Christmas time has mild temperate winters, so they'll use midsummer Christmases as a reference. He'll go call Tanngrisnir to ask him to bring the appropriate materials right away. Shirou starts thinking aloud about how he never knew Christmas events can go differently depending on where it happens and thinks about how Christmases go in the world outside Tokyo's walls. He doesn't know a thing beyond those walls since he's lived his life within them. Maybe he's just been caught up for what passes as common sense in Tokyo. You either talk about how there's so many things you don't know or say you want to know a lot more about Shirou. Shirou agrees with you that the world is filled with things he doesn't know about, and by being with you their world expands. He'd be happy if you felt the same way.
Suddenly the light goes out while you're outside as the fashion battle theme plays, which means Arachne is being dramatic with what I'm convinced is her Reality Marble shenanigans. After flashing some lights, Arachne reveals herself as she greets everyone and apologizes for barging in mid-meeting, then introduces herself as the super charismatic designer that rules the times.
Itzamna recognizes Arachne and is surprised to see her here. Arachne asks to borrow the main cast for the event and says she just finished with the temporary stitchings to the outfits. She'd like to make sure of the fittings, so she'd like for the people to come with her to her temp store or workshop or whatever. White comments on how fast Arachne always works and is glad since that means you guys should be ready by the event's start.
Arachne says this job is a direct request from the Santa himself, and it's not often a prestigious job like this comes by. Plus, Arachne's been asked to design some all-purpose weather suits for the Santa School students, which she'll work on quickly to have done by the end of the event. White says he's not sure if things will be done in time on this end of things, but he'd at least like to bring Christmas back for his students' sake. Even if winter and the night are gone, Christmas itself won't be.
Arachne says that to that end, the clothes will need to be both cold resistant and heat resistant. She promises to get it all done for the students' sake as well. White thanks her for doing so, then asks her to get on with handling everyone else's clothes too. White then says he'll be taking a break here since he'll be busy and tired on Christmas day itself. Itzamna watches as he walks off. Itzamna talks about how Ded probably wished for everything to go smoothly for Christmas. He may be acting alright, but he's probably feeling uneasy too. Itzamna admits he doesn't actually know for sure though. You either say you'll make the event a success, say you'll be sure to support him, or admit to feeling anxious yourself.
In A, Itzamna says he'll believe you and offer to help. Even as old as he is, it makes him happy to help the young. In B, Itzamna calls you kind and says he feels a strong determination from you. He says he worries about children who shoulder everything by themselves though, and he tells you to rely on him if it'll help. He hasn't gotten his years of experience for nothing after all. In C, Itzamna laughs about you being so honest. It's fine not to bear it all, and anyone would worry. That's why everyone should support each other, even when at times they feel anxious. At the very least, he declares himself an ally of the young, and if you're uneasy, you can talk with him about anything. Whether he's any help in his old age is another thing though, he laughs.
Time skips over to the day of Christmas Eve, and Ded greets the party and thanks them all for working on their preparations for this day. He swears that no matter what happens, he won't forget what anyone did. But now it's time to get the show on the road, and he says that they should take back their Christmas. The party cheers in unison, and so the episode half ends.
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