Final Chapter: Into a New Year
After that day, I spent the rest of my winter break practicing with the band and working. Hikari and I called each other regularly, but our schedules didn’t line up, so we couldn’t meet. After the twenty-ninth, our band went on break too, and I spent time with my family. The thirtieth was our big end-of-year cleaning day, and then we went to my grandmother’s house on the thirty-first.
My family visited my grandmother twice a year, during New Year’s and Obon. All of our close relatives gathered at her home, and we held a party at night. My drunk uncle offered me a drink, but I declined to take him up on it, of course. It wouldn’t be good to remember the taste of alcohol.
Everyone burrowed under the toasty kotatsu table, where we ate dinner while watching the Kohaku Uta Gassen program on TV. After I greeted the new year with my family, my phone alerted me to happy new year messages on RINE. I replied, “HNY,” to them and crawled into my blankets.
The next thing I knew, the clock hands pointed to noon the next day. I had slept half the day away. My grandmother and dad were watching Gunma’s annual New Year Ekiden Run in the living room.
“Onii-chan, it’s rare for you to sleep in this late,” Namika said between bites of ozoni, the go-to New Year mochi soup.
“New Year’s is the only time of the year when it feels like you can get away with being slothful,” I replied.
“Where’d you get that from? That’s funny.”
“Anyway, where’s mom and everyone else?”
“They went out to see the first sunrise of the year, so they probably went to do their first shrine visit too.”
“Why didn’t you go?”
“Huh? ’Cause it’s cold. And going outside is a pain.” With each word, she snuggled deeper under the kotatsu table.
Mom pampers her too much. I can’t say anything, though—I slept until noon.
“Natsuki. Do you want lunch?” my grandmother asked from where she sat under the kotatsu.
“That’d be great. I’ll help,” I said.
“What a considerate boy you’ve become! But you sit down now. It’s all right; grandma has time on her hands,” she replied kindly.
“Oh! Grandma, I want to eat too!” declared my younger sister without restraint.
Yuuup, this is the only scene that won’t change, even after seven years have passed...
***
January fifth.
My laid-back New Year ended, and school resumed. A languid atmosphere hung around the students who were on their way there.
I was greeted as soon as I entered class 1-2.
“Natsuki-kun! Happy New Year!” Hikari exclaimed enthusiastically.
“Yeah, Happy New Year. It feels like it’s been a while, huh,” I replied.
“We haven’t seen each other for a whole week, after all. Let’s have another great year,” Reita said.
I heard a loud yawn. “Tatsuya, you look really sleepy,” I remarked.
“New Year’s messed up my routine,” he said as he scratched his head.
“I’m sleep-deprived too! I spent yesterday panic-finishing my homework.” Uta was listlessly flopped out on a desk.
“Winter break is shorter than you think. You need to start it earlier,” I chided her.
“Wow, Natsu’s suuuch a model student,” she said.
Our classroom was filled with post-winter-break lethargy. I noticed that Nanase was staring out the window in a daze. Her glossy, long black hair gently fluttered in the wind.
Did something happen?
“Hey, psst. Natsuki-kun.” Hikari tugged on my sleeve. She also kept her eyes on Nanase as she whispered, “Yuino-chan is participating in a piano competition.”
“Really?” I’d heard from Nanase that she was putting a lot of effort into her piano practice lately.
“I got tickets to it. Want to go watch her together?”
“I don’t know a thing about piano, but sure.”
“It’s okay; don’t worry. I’ve heard her play a lot, and she’s really something.” Hikari watched Nanase with an envious gaze. “After all, Yuino-chan used to be known as a child prodigy.”
The seasons turn—my winter, which had turned gray, had regained its color once more. It signaled the end of the first year of my second chance at youth.
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