A Present for Santa

"A Present for Santa" is the fifteenth episode in Gokinjo Monogatari.

Plot
Christmas is drawing near at hand. Mikako suggests to the Akindo members to throw a Christmas party, but most of them already have plans. Risa and Jiro have to work, P-chan always celebrates with her family circle which consists of 3 people and 300 dolls, Mariko has plans to go home at Yokohama and Yuusuke don't want to attend a party without her (though he can't admit it). This means Mikako and Tsutomu are going to celebrate Christmas in the neighbours' circle as they always have since they were toddlers. Mikako bemuses Tsutomu by saying that she still believes in Santa Claus. Noriji hears her saying that and is so touched by her "angelic purity", that he decides to pretend to be Santa and bring her a present this year too.

This year Mikako and Tsutomu also have to organize that party (though they feel as if they are just being gofers). While they're going through preparations, Mariko calls Tsutomu and anxiously asks him to help. He runs to her place thinking that something horrible might have happened. But her problem is only that she had got cold feet about her plans to go to Yokohama. Conversation with Tsutomu about the hardships of being in love with a childhood friend encourages her to go. Tsutomu told her that he have been pretending to be Santa Claus and leaving presents for Mikako for four years in a row now and is going to do this again. Mikako's father had left when she was 12 at the time near Christmas. He asked Tsutomu to become a Santa for her in his place. On her way to the bus station, Mariko sees Yuusuke on the other side of the road. He calls her via Tsuurabu and offers her a ride, but she declines. She says she has to go by herself.

Noriji asks Ruriko at the party whether he is allowed to dress up as Santa and bring Mikako a Christmas present. Ruriko is bewildered by such an offer but allows it. Later that night Noriji dressed as Santa creeps in Mikako's room and leaves her a present. On his way back he runs into Tsutomu, who is also dressed as Santa but with antennas on his head. Tsutomu almost beats him up (again) but realizes who it is in time. Noriji leaves, Tsutomu bends forward to the chair where he usually leaves his present and sees a present for Santa with a note from Mikako. After opening the present and reading the note he asks Mikako if she has always known that he was the Santa. Mikako, who was only pretending to be asleep, says "yes". Turns out she began to believe in Santa five years ago and she believes only in that Santa who always have being Tsutomu. This revelation makes Tsutomu cry. Noriji, who still has been watching them behind the door, cries too.

Cast and character appearances

 * Hiroaki Tokumori
 * Hirohiko Sakurada
 * Jiro Nishino
 * Kimiko Yamaguchi
 * Kuro
 * Mai "P-chan" Oota
 * Mariko Nakasu
 * Mikako Kouda
 * Noriji Sunami
 * Risa Kanzaki
 * Ruriko Kouda
 * Tsutomu Yamaguchi
 * Yuichirou Yamaguchi
 * Yuusuke Tashiro

Trivia
The apartment complex building where Mariko lives has a strange signboard "Samovar Jasmine" in this episode.