A/N: Sorry for the late update! But it's the longest chapter yet; just a little treat. ;) Also, the reason it's so long if because I'm trying to add a bit of character development on Aoi's part; he needs to realize his feelings already, dang it! xD (The time annotations are exclusively for this chapter to show how it leads up to midnight) Thanks for the lovely sugestions, and as always, don't hesitate to offer more!

I set this during the time period in Ch 82 of the manga. I also stole a few lines from that chapter, (whoopsy, heh heh). On a side note, I'm not a Hinata hater like Aoi is; its for the sake of the writing that we refer to him as the airhead. xD Then again, he really is a bit of an airhead. (I still love him, of course).

Anyway, read on! Please review! :3

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

.*.*.*.

F is for Festival

n. 1) day or period of celebration, often one of religious or cultural significance

.*.*.*.

12:28 pm.

December 31st. Ōmisoka.

New Year's Eve.

Today.

The festival was beginning.

It had come as a surprise to him that afternoon. Satsuki had come upstairs earlier and spoke excitedly to him about her plans to prepare a spectacular meal for that night and that he should invite any of his friends over to eat with them. Despite his lack of people he called friends, Aoi had truly contemplated the notion and had been ready to think of someone to bring when the words she spoke after that made him change his mind in the snap of a finger.

"Oh, and feel free to bring that pretty girlfriend of yours, too!"

"Eh?

He furrowed his eyebrows, puzzled. Girlfriend? Surely, his aunt didn't mean—

"Suza-chan! You are planning to spend the evening with her, ne, Aoi-chan?" Satsuki asked with a hint of knowingness in her lighthearted tone. Her large cerulean eyes danced with excitement at the suggestion while her nephew's cobalt ones widened in alarm, instead.

"Wha—? Hell no! Why would I want to spend time with a weirdo like her?"

"But, she asked me specifically to tell you to go to the shrine at six tonight; all your friends are going to be there!"

"Feh. You've got it all wrong, Satsuki-san. They're not my friends and Suzuna is definitely not my girlfriend; that's disgusting. She's onlya girl I know."

Aoi crossed his arms as he spoke, clearly disgruntled at his aunt's wild assumptions.

"Ho, ho~! Whatever you say, my dear boy! Just remember—there's no escaping love; you can't run away forever!"

"Please leave now."

Slam.

Click.

The door closed in seconds. As the blood that had rushed up to his face at his boisterous aunt's comments slowly drained, Aoi slumped down on to his mattress with a sigh of relief. A calendar stared at him from its place on the wall and he still managed to be surprised. Was it already the end of the year? It had gone by so fast! He glanced about his room, at the messy pile of abandoned fabrics that donned his desk and the sewing machine that sat in a secluded corner, the box of buttons and thread spilling over the floor beside it.

A frown marred his features.

Japanese tradition called the house to be clean before the beginning of a new year.

Groaning, Aoi ran a hand through his navy locks, shutting his eyes in frustration. In the brevity of the act, his mind had wandered elsewhere, and he unconsciously thought about if Suzuna was also in the midst of tidying up her own home.

Wait.

Why on earth was he thinking about her?

Satsuki's words came reeling back. You're planning to spend the evening with her, ne, Aoi-chan?

Before Aoi could push away these thoughts with disgust, something formed in the pit of his stomach. It was similar to anticipation; a queasy sort of feeling that probed his insides and made his palms clammy. He narrowed his eyes as he surveyed the phone on his bedside.

Suzuna had invited him to join her at the shrine; she had actually wanted for him to hang out with her on the New Year's Eve festival.

Would it really be that bad if he considered his aunt's suggestion and went?

The dread in chest grew.

Dammit! I'm such an idiot! Of course, I shouldn't go. Besides…

Aoi closed his eyes again.

She's already going with a few other friends… Maybe even another guy…

Something stirred within him.

Another guy?

He didn't like the sound of that. After all, it wasn't as if Suzuna was a completely ugly specimen of the female gender. He was painfully aware of her fair share of admirers—especially those bunch of airheads that always followed her around school in their idiotic love-struck gait. She never noticed, though; either that or she just didn't care, always brushing their come-ons with ease and ignoring the way they swooned over her natural disposition.

So, why did it bother him so much?

Then again, she did hang around that Shintani Hinata, sometimes—the guy who loved her sister with all his heart…

Aoi gritted his teeth.

She better not have invited him.

"Aoi-chan! Please come down and help me prepare for tonight!"

His aunt's voice rang from downstairs, interrupting the conflicted boy from his thoughts. Rolling his eyes, he reluctantly picked himself off of his bed and grimaced at the thought of cleaning. Nevertheless, the former cross-dresser pushed aside his qualms and stepped downstairs.

12:43 pm.

"…Satsuki-san, I've been thinking…" he started as he watched his aunt wash the dishes from his place near the kitchen door. "About what you said earlier…"

The small violet-haired woman spun around on her toes, a soap sodden pan dripping from one hand and a sponge clutched in the other. An aura of flowery wonder radiated from her petite form, causing the navy-haired boy to begin to regret his decision in speaking to her.

"You're going to accept your girlfriend's invitation?"

Yes, now he truly regretted speaking to her.

A violent flush spread through his body as Aoi denied the absurd idea. "No! Like I said, she's just a frie—I mean, a girl I know!"

"Aw, Aoi-chan was about to say friend! I wonder how long it will be when he'll finally refer to her as his girlfriend…"

"Gah! Stop talking as if I can't hear you!"

Satsuki laughed. She rinsed the pan underneath a stream of water from the faucet and gave her nephew an inquisitive glance.

"Have you decided, then? Do you want to go the shrine tonight?"

He shifted awkwardly from one foot to the other.

"Well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to take a break from my tailoring this year…"

"Great!"

The pan was left forgotten in the sink and a gust of wind blew as the small violet-haired woman raced out of the room.

"Where… Where are you going, Satsuki-san?"

"To call and tell my brother you're becoming manlier!"

"No! Don't do that!"

Cobalt eyes flashed with desperation and the sound of footsteps were heard thumping up the stairs.

A sigh.

Just fantastic.

I'm an idiot.

5: 38 pm.

He was planning on leaving the house earlier, but a certain moe-obsessed aunt of his made sure his entire room was spotless, despite the fact that he had secretly hid most of his work under his bed for easy access. The sky had already begun to darken, the afternoon sun slowly sinking behind a misty horizon. It was cold; large puffs of air escaped his mouth with each breath and Aoi desperately wished he had heeded Satsuki's advice and wore gloves.

He bit back the urge to groan.

It was New Year's Eve. He needed to relax.

Aoi was buttoned up in a dark brown coat, stuffing a maroon colored knit cap on his head at the last moment as he raced out of his aunt's house. Fingers curled into his pockets, grasping at the fabric inside and muffling his mouth behind a blue scarf—one he received from Suzuna on Christmas just a few days ago—Aoi stepped hastily over the pavement in an attempt to arrive quickly to the shrine. He wondered if Suzuna and her friends were already there. He would look stupid being late and he didn't want that.

Suzuna.

Her name resonated through his head.

Dammit.

He didn't like this.

He was thinking about her again.

6:14 pm.

By the time he arrived, the sun had already begun to set.

Dozens of people bustled around him, crowding together near the stalls and shrines for prayers. Aoi normally despised events like these, surrounded by such tiresome people.

But tonight was different.

He came for her.

Lanterns glowed on lines above him, illuminating the dark street and allowing him the light to make out the faces of the ones he was supposed to meet up. Three figures. Two females, short dark hair, serious composure and glasses, wavy pink hair tied in high pigtails, small stature and a cheerful smile. The last was a fairly tall male with brown hair and a thin scar under his right eye.

"Yo… Are you…?"

The pink-haired girl turned around to face him, her soft pinkish-brown orbs lighting up.

"Oh! You must be the cute boy Suzuna was talking about! Hyōdō Aoi-kun, right?"

Cute? She called me… cute?

That's the worst thing she could have said!

"Y-Yeah…"

She bowed shortly, followed by the other two.

"Nice to meet you! I'm Hanazono Sakura!"

"Kaga Shizuko. It's a pleasure."

"We're Misaki and Suzuna's friends!"

Aoi pushed himself to smile. These people seemed nice enough, despite their lack of fashion sense. He had half a mind to scold them about it when he remembered that he needed to make a good first impression. Even so, he wasn't well-versed when it came to small-talk and found himself looking over their shoulders to see if Suzuna was there.

Instead, his gaze landed on the older male from earlier, the one with the brown hair and innocent looking eyes. The awkward upward curl of lips that Aoi had forced himself to make was immediately dropped in replacement for something more sinister.

"You…"

"Ah, Hyōdō Aoi, right? Remember me? I'm Shintani Hinata from school; I sometimes talk to Suzuna-chan and you."

Rolling his eyes, Aoi scoffed. "How could I forget an idiot like you?"

To his dismay, Hinata laughed. Those mirthful brown eyes that had once clouded in confusion at Aoi's comments had finally cleared away in realization to the constant coldness he faced from the younger boy.

"You know, she must like you a lot to put up with all of that."

"What did you say?"

Sensing the tension between the two, Shizuko stepped in and laid a hand gently on Aoi's shoulder. Her intelligent grey eyes, though hidden behind her glasses sheen, watched intently at the blistering expression that sizzled across the boy's almost-feminine features. She observed the way those cobalt eyes seemed to glow in response to Hinata.

Jealousy? Possessiveness, perhaps?

Internal conflict, Shizuko concluded, due to Shintani-kun's attachment to Suzuna-chan—this boy must have been pretty fond of her.

A raised eyebrow.

Such silly teenagers.

She spoke in hushed tones, "Don't pay Shintani-kun much mind; he's a bit of an airhead."

At length, Aoi returned the older girl's watchful gaze with a brief nod and turn of the head.

"Whatever."

Shizuko noted the way his lower lip was stuck out in a pout and could finally see what Suzuna was talking about when she mentioned how 'cute' Aoi was.

"So," Sakura started. "I wonder where Suzuna-chan is… Hopefully, she managed to get Misaki-chan out of the house as well. She even told me that she had some sort of plan to trick her into visiting her boyfriend's house! Isn't that totally sneaky? She is so adorable!"

Aoi couldn't help but raise his eyebrows at her words.

Suzuna… sneaky?

And adorable?

Were they even talking about the same people?

Hinata frowned. "Misaki-chan works too hard. She needs to take a break once in a while. But, it's not fair that Usui has her to himself all the time…" he whined and the younger navy-haired boy only barely managed to stifle his impulse to kick the airhead in the shin.

"Well, they are dating," Shizuko pointed out and the ever-so-hopeful Hinata gave her a miserable look.

"I know… I just wish she'd realize how much I love her!"

A snort.

All eyes fell on the owner of the noise.

"What is it, Aoi-kun?"

Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Aoi managed to keep a casual expression on his face but anyone who truly knew him would have been able to decipher the fire in his cobalt eyes. "Nothing much. I just think that lover boy over here is way over his head."

"Huh?" Hinata asked, doe-eyes narrowed in bewilderment.

"Love is stupid. It's a pointless emotion."

There's no need for it.

"It's for losers."

Shizuko stayed silent but her mind raced with thoughts. Contradiction? Hypocrisy? Denial?

Hyōdō Aoi-kun was quite a strange boy.

"That's not true!" Sakura exclaimed, her mind instantly reverting to her long-time crush on Sakurai Kūga, the lead vocalist of her favorite indie rock band. Pinkish-brown eyes danced with hope. "Love is a wonderful thing! Everyone deserves it!"

"Pah… Don't infect me with that mushy stuff. Not everyone deserves it."

I don't deserve it.

"…That's pretty depressing, isn't it?" Hinata murmured and Shizuko nodded in agreement. With her lower lip stuck out, Sakura looked as though she wanted to say more but knowing Shizuko, she's only be scolded if she brought up Kūga.

Something in the distance caught her eyes. Romantic ideas left forgotten, her pink pigtails bounced up in excitement and her mouth instantly widened into a broad grin.

"Ah! Look, it's Suzuna-chan!"

The other two looked over and smiled all the same. Footsteps slapped over the pavement, stopping abruptly before the four. Aoi kept his eyes lowered but he could hear the soft pants said dark-haired girl made—she had obviously just finished running and was trying to catch her breath. Her usual calm voice came out in slightly ragged clumps, void of adequate oxygen; Aoi was surprised to hear it. It challenged her natural smoothness.

"Sorry… I'm a little late…"

Ha, no kidding.

Aoi raised his head, prepared to bark out some snappy comeback, when his eyes nearly fell from his head out at the sight.

There stood Ayuzawa Suzuna, a lovely scarlet-colored kimono flowing from her petite body, face flushed from her haste to be on time. Blue violet floral designs embellished the hem of her kimono, matching her outer robes and bringing out the amber color in her eyes. A shiny golden comb sat entwined in her raven tresses which were pulled back into a simple, yet elegant bun rather than the pair of neat pigtails she normally sported. She seemed to be wearing only a little makeup; her fair skin was naturally free of blemishes, her eyelashes had been accentuated and her lips were a rosier color than usual, but in general, her delicate features didn't need much help at all.

Traditional sandals donned her small feet and her fingers were wrapped around a small decorative pouch. The faint glow of the lanterns only emphasized her glowing aura.

Aoi felt his mind go blank, in a daze. It took him all of his willpower to snap out of his staring, and cobalt eyes finally regained their conscious sheen.

A subdued sigh.

He hated to admit it.

She was beautiful.

Smiling, Sakura waved her hand at her apology. "It's fine, it's fine! That aside, you look super cute today!"

Confusion filled the apathetic girl's tea-colored eyes.

"Hm? Is that so?"

"Yeah, of course!"

Is she serious? She doesn't realize how…

For once, even the stubborn hot-headed boy could not deny that this strange girl, who he often called unfeminine, graceless, and an idiot to style, was perhaps the most beautiful creature he had ever laid eyes on in his lifetime—and that was saying a lot. His face felt hot even in such chilly weather and he lowered his head to allow his navy fringe to shield his telltale cobalt eyes.

This is so stupid.

Shizuko and Sakura both rushed over to the dark-haired girl, grabbing her hands and whispering words of concern towards her.

"Was this… all done by that pervert, Arashiyama?"

"Only the makeup and hair; a woman dressed me into the kimono…"

"Did he do anything weird to you?"

"He took a few photos, but other than that…"

"You're alright, though, right?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

Busy observing the fancy clothes Suzuna wore, Aoi allowed his mind to wander. She looked rather elegant wearing one a kimono as opposed to one of his dresses… she was cute in them, too, dare he say it, but perhaps traditional clothes suited her better… He wondered if he should consider trying something out of his comfort zone like making a yukata or kimono for her and had begun to picture a design when Sakura's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"Ne, Shintani-kun, don't you have anything to say?"

Aoi swiveled his head to look at the older boy she was referring to, pissed to find that a similar shade of red had spread across his face as well.

"Ah, ha…" Hinata laughed nervously. "Amazing! That kimono really suits you, Suzuna-chan! I was surprised because you dressed up today!"

A vein twitched in the navy-haired boy's forehead. He couldn't stand to hear such comments rolling off that idiot's tongue, especially not ones directed to his Suzuna.

His?

His Suzuna?

"No, no, no, no…" Aoi muttered angrily under his breath, causing the other to glance at him in confusion. Sakura suddenly grinned, noticing the discomfort he seemed to radiate and leaned in close to the young flustered teenager.

"What about you, Aoi-kun?"

"Hah?"

His head shot up at her question and he flinched at the mischievous expression that had found its way on to the pink-haired girl's face. It all came back to him—this was payback for his 'love is for losers' comment.

"What do you think of Suzuna-chan?"

He felt himself grow warmer, if possible.

What the hell do you mean by that?

"Um…" he refused to look back at the pretty dark-haired girl that curiously gazed at him. "She… doesn't look as awful as she normally does, if that's what you're asking me. I guess I'd call her sort of—just a little…"

Aoi mustered up the courage to say the one word he didn't want to.

"…cute."

There! I said it! Now leave me alone!

Sakura squealed in delight, yanking Suzuna's hand and pulling her close. "Did you hear that, Suzuna-chan? Aoi-kun thinks you're cute!"

"Don't repeat it!"

"True love! It's true love in its finest!"

"Gah! Stop saying such embarrassing things out loud!"

The three laughed at the expression on Aoi's face, as well as the utter opposite one Suzuna wore—a mix between bewilderment and surprise. Had it not been for the hilarity of the situation, perhaps the others could also make out the faint tint of pink that had spread across the apathetic girl's face.

6:36 pm.

Suzuna could only watch.

Breathless.

Her accelerating heartbeat continued to betray her.

6:37 pm.

Aoi did not look back.

Frustrated.

His formerly freezing ears burned from beneath his cap.

7:05 pm.

"Thanks You-kun, Hyōdō-kun," Suzuna spoke up as the five strolled down the illuminated street. "For coming to the shrine."

She hadn't been looking at either of them in particular but Aoi felt sure that her words probably had no meaning when directed to him. A pang of annoyance spread through him at the stupid pet name Suzuna referred the airhead with.

"Well, it's dangerous for girls to be hanging out on the street at night," Hinata replied, sheepishly.

Sakura giggled as she bit into a piece of cotton candy, "Shintani-kun, we'll be counting on you to be our bodyguard!"

Aoi glowered and rolled his eyes as Hinata took this opportunity of gratitude to glorify himself even further.

"Leave it to me!"

"You too, Aoi-kun!"

The navy-haired boy ignored Sakura's attempts at including him into the conversation. This night had been so aggravating! He had to deal with a certain airhead's stupidity and Misaki-chi's friends constantly irritated him, despite the fact that they did not exactly try to pester him.

Perhaps…

There was something more.

Perhaps—it was because he couldn't bring himself to look at her.

7:31 pm.

"Thank you."

"Huh? Again? For what?"

"You're wearing the scarf I made you for Christmas."

Heat rushed to his head.

"So what? It's not like I wanted to or anything; I'm just cold."

"Right."

"Are you mocking me?"

Her laugh was abrupt. It left him dazed.

"Of course not. I'm thanking you."

"I already said I—"

"I know."

He wondered if she still had that expression of apathy on her features.

He couldn't bring himself to find out.

7:55 pm.

"Onee-san texted me. She found out I was behind everything."

"No surprise there."

"Whatever do you mean?"

He scoffed. "You're like a fox, you know that?"

She grinned. "Please explain."

"Shut up."

8:13 pm.

"Why aren't you wearing gloves?"

He sounded angry, exasperated.

"I was in a rush; I didn't have time to put any on."

"Idiot. You'll freeze," he spoke as he removed his own gloves and shoved them towards her. "Put these on."

"What about you?"

"I've got pockets; I don't need them."

She only barely managed to suppress a smile.

"Is Hyōdō-kun worried about me?"

"D-Don't flatter yourself. I don't care about you at all."

A wince.

He was awful at lying.

9:25 pm.

"How much amazake are you going to drink?"

She looked up from the rim of her cup and regarded him politely.

"Geez! You'll empty the entire stall! They'll run out before the night is over!"

"Would you like to drink some as well?"

"Huh? No, I—"

After a moment of hesitation, he took the cup she was handing out to him.

A mutter.

"Thanks."

He blamed his flushed cheeks on the warmth he received from the amazake.

9:44 pm.

"Why are you blushing?"

"I'm not blushing, dammit!"

"But your face is red."

"That's because it's cold!"

She tilted her head.

"Is that so?"

A shrug.

"Makes sense."

The shadow of a smile never left her lips.

10:51 pm.

"So, Shintani… what's your deal with him?"

"I don't understand."

"Why are you so friendly with him?"

"Well, he was a childhood friend of ours… Are you jealous?"

"No way! Why would I envy an airhead like him?"

"For the same reason I envy my sister."

"You… what?"

"Hyōdō-kun likes Onee-san, right?"

A snort. "No. Why does that matter, anyway?"

Slumped shoulders.

"No reason. Let's go."

He couldn't figure out why she had acted so strange.

11:24 pm.

"Ne…"

"Hm."

"Where did the rest of them go?"

"Shopping at the stalls."

"…What about you?"

Confusion was evident in her large tea-colored eyes.

"What about me?"

"Do you want to go shop, too?"

Hesitation.

"No. I've already got everything I need. I don't want more."

"Oh."

For some reason, he felt that there was something deeper hidden beneath her words that she was too afraid to say.

11:40 pm.

"Let's go to the shrine."

He raised an eyebrow.

"The others are still buying candied apples but I guess we can wait for them…"

"Without them."

She had spoken without missing a beat. Her tea-colored eyes collided with his.

Always direct.

Always honest.

And Aoi could simply not deny her.

11.53 pm.

"Those are the o-mikuji," Suzuna commented. "Do you want to know what your fortune is?"

Aoi shook his head. "Nope. That's stupid. It's not like they're accurate, anyway."

"There's always a chance."

"Fine, whatever. Let's just get it over with, then."

They both made small five yen offering to the shrine. Suzuna pulled a fortune out of the box.

Han-kichi; Half Blessing…

Renai; Romantic Relationships: The one that you love is the right person, however their feelings will not yet speak for themselves. Continue to try your best and change your tactics. More push is needed…

A smile.

"Your turn, Hyōdō-kun."

Aoi reached into the box and grabbed the first slip of paper he touched.

His eyes scanned over the fortune, widening as he read to himself.

Han-kyo; Half-Curse…

Negaigoto; One's Wish or Desire: The longer that you wait for the thing that you are yearning for, the harder it will be to accomplish it in the end. Do not hesitate; Your desires will only grow stronger.

He furrowed his eyebrows.

Huh?

What is this?

Crumpling up the paper into a ball, Aoi stuffed it into his pocket with a scoff. Suzuna watched him with amusement.

"What did it say?"

"Nothing."

"Hm."

Risking a glance at her, Aoi was taken aback to find that Suzuna had been watching him rather fixatedly, her amber eyes glistening by the glow of the lanterns. He noticed that her lower lip had been pulled in slightly, a universal gesture of anticipation. Needless to say, Aoi was more than a little ruffled at this. It was unfair that she could stare him like that with such a cute and calm expression while he had to control himself from just looking at her otherwise he knew he'd instantly blush like an idiot.

"What the hell do you want?" he glared down at her, spouting out in a harsh manner.

There was no obvious shift in her expression but Aoi could almost detect a sudden dullness to her eyes.

Hurt? Sadness?

No—that wasn't possible.

She was a robot… right?

Even so, a pang of guilt flooded Aoi's chest and he couldn't stop himself from asking, "What's wrong, Suzuna?"

Crap, crap, crap!

He hated the way his voice seemed to crack with the worry; why couldn't he just stay quiet? It's not like he cared, anyway! Before he could turn his head away in humiliation, he felt a slender hand enclose around his wrist. Eyes widening, Aoi could only wait and wondered if the reason behind her flushed cheeks were because of the cold.

"I wanted to show you, Hyōdō-kun," she murmured, almost coyly. "That's why I dressed up like this."

Huh?

"F-For me?"

"Mm."

"Why?"

"You're always saying how unfeminine I am. I thought if I could change your mind—"

"Idiot. You don't need my approval! Wear whatever you want, for all I care!"

A moment of irritation raced in her features and Suzuna lowered her head, sighing. "I'd have preferred if you told me earlier that you were actually coming tonight. Because my fortune is right; I will need to change my tactics."

"Tactics…?"

She walked a few paced ahead of him and turned around slightly. Aoi could hardly understand see her face on the petite silhouette that glowed from the light of the lanterns, but something told him that she was smiling.

"From now on, I won't hold back my attacks. Be prepared, Hyōdō-kun."

Attacks? Be prepared for her attacks?

What?

Not being able to stand the nebulous tone of the situation, Aoi rushed forward and grabbed Suzuna's arm. His eyes were became a frantic cobalt and he knew he was blushing hard, but he didn't care anymore. He just had to know what this enigmatic dark-haired girl had meant by such a brazen comment.

Could it be… that she had feeling for him?

No, there's no way! She doesn't like me like that at all! I'm sure of that!

How could she care for someone like me?

"Stop…" he gasped, breath coming out in puffs. "Stop messing with me…"

"Hyōdō-kun…"

"No, I can't keep up with you! I… I just need…"

His grip loosened.

"I don't know… Forget it."

He dropped her hand.

I'm sick of this.

Aoi turned around, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "I'm going home."

How could anyone care for someone like me?

"Hyōdō-kun!"

He felt himself being pulled back. Scarf flying out in front of him, Aoi could just barely keep his balance as the petite dark-haired girl whirled him around and towards the shrine.

He did not resist.

He could not resist.

12:00 am.

Clang…!

Clang…!

Clang…!

"Ah! They've started!"

The bells.

It was midnight.

The two bowed twice and clapped their hands, commencing the first prayers of the year.

When they had finished with one last bow, Aoi hesitantly glanced beside him to find Suzuna genuinely enthralled by the sound of the ringing bells. Her features, though calm, were enhanced by the way those large, amber eyes glowed, and at that moment, he was sure that she was feeling the same thing he was.

His fortune was right.

He needed to act.

Boldness overtook him and he slipped his hand into hers. Ignoring the questioning glance she threw him, Aoi kept his eyes lowered. His heart was pounding furiously in his chest and he couldn't bring himself to turn back to face her again, despite how much he wanted to.

January 1st. Shōgatsu.

New Year's Day.

Now.

The festival was ending.

And he had spent its last moments holding hands with the beautiful girl he was too afraid to look at.