NEW YEAR

As winter break neared its end, so did the old year, making way for a fresh beginning. The air was filled with the scent of change—along with a lot of dust as families scrambled to clean and decorate their homes. The last leaf on a tree, stubbornly hanging on, finally gave up and floated away with the cool wind, as if even nature had accepted that it was time to move on.

Inside one particular household, delicious dishes were being prepared, laughter echoed through the halls, and the TV hummed with year-end specials. The real excitement, however, was reserved for the highly anticipated street countdown, where everyone—well, everyone old enough—would gather to welcome the new year.

Asuka and her family were busy with dinner preparations. Once everything was set, they all decided to take a short rest. Keisuke, however, found himself staring out of his window. The sky was heavy with clouds, and a thick mist curled around the streets like a scene from a detective movie. It was probably going to rain.

Asuka walked into his room, stretching her arms. Keisuke, still gazing outside, spoke without turning around.

"Hey, Asuka," he said. "When we grow older, let's go to the countdown like everyone else. You know, like real teens."

Asuka raised an eyebrow. "The countdown?"

"Yeah," Keisuke nodded. "When we're fifteen, we'll go with all our friends. Sounds cool, right?"

She smirked. "Oh sure, real cool—except for the part where you can't even handle staying up past ten."

Keisuke scoffed. "That's different. This is for the countdown. It's important."

Rolling her eyes, Asuka walked over to the window and pushed it open, letting a gust of cold air in.

"Hey! You're letting all the cold in—close the window!" Keisuke complained.

"Nope," she smirked. "And you want to go to the countdown? You can't even handle a little chilly air."

Keisuke huffed. "That's why I said when we grow up, not now."

Asuka burst into laughter. "Yeah, yeah, keep telling yourself that."

Just then, their mother's voice echoed through the house. "Dinner's ready!"

The family gathered around the table, the warmth of their freshly prepared meal making the chilly night a little more bearable. They exchanged thanks, savoring each bite as the flavors of tradition and love mixed perfectly.

After dinner, they cozied up in the living room, watching a year-end special filled with celebrity performances and awkward skits that somehow still made everyone laugh. The clock ticked closer to midnight, anticipation building.

Finally, the moment arrived. As the clock struck twelve, cheers erupted. "Happy New Year!" Everyone exchanged hugs, wishes, and a few sarcastic remarks about how this would be the year they actually stuck to their resolutions.

With the celebrations done, they all headed to bed, knowing they had an early morning visit to the shrine.

The First Morning of the New Year

To everyone's shock, the entire house was awake on time. Dressed in elegant kimonos, they stepped out into the crisp morning air, making their way to the shrine.

At the shrine, a long line stretched before them, filled with families and friends whispering their wishes for the coming year. When their turn arrived, they paid their respects before heading to the section where people wrote their wishes on ema boards.

Asuka stared at her blank wooden plaque, deep in thought. For some reason, no wish came to her mind.

A sudden tap on her shoulder made her turn.

"Yoo," Manjiro greeted casually.

She blinked. "Oh, it's you."

"Happy New Year," he grinned.

She returned the smile. "Happy New Year to you too."

Manjiro glanced at her blank ema board. "Can't think of a wish?"

"Nope. What about you? Wrote anything?"

"Yeah," he said, crossing his arms. "But it's a secret."

Asuka narrowed her eyes. "Oh? A secret, huh? Spill it."

"Never," he said, his smirk growing.

She huffed. "Fine. Be mysterious."

Their brief exchange was interrupted as Asuka's family called her. "Time to go," she sighed, quickly hanging her ema board—still blank.

"See you around," she said, waving to Manjiro before walking off with her family.

Manjiro waited until she was gone before turning to look at her board. Seeing it empty, he chuckled.

"She's hard to figure out," he muttered to himself, shaking his head. Still, he couldn't help but smile before rejoining his own family.

And so, the new year began—full of laughter, new resolutions (some destined to be broken), and moments waiting to be cherished.