The next morning, Souda awoke to the sound of Tanaka shuffling around and putting things into a suitcase. The mechanic groaned and rolled over onto his stomach, burying his head underneath his pillow to muffle the noise.

"Cease with the theatrics, pitiful one. I will depart shortly, and then you may sleep like a sloth if you wish. Though I doubt most humans could manage escaping the painful world of consciousness for twenty-one hours a day, I am sure you are the exception."

Souda groaned again.

"Precisely."

Tanaka spent a few more moments packing up his supplies and exited without another word.

"So long, asshole," Souda muttered, head re-emerging from underneath his pillow. He then fell asleep for another six hours.

When he awoke around noon, Souda sat up, rubbed his eyes, and swung his legs out of bed to go get breakfast - or lunch, as it were. He didn't intend to go back home for the break; he'd just made a bunch of excuses to his parents about having a big project to work on, which was partially true. He'd been giving Chubs some new features lately and had grown pretty attached to the little ferret; at least robots didn't criticize or yell at him, and they were easier to deal with than people most of the time.

Padding down to the cafeteria, Souda opened the doors and saw less than half the usual amount of students sitting around at different tables; it seemed that everyone had wanted to get off school grounds as quickly as possible. However, from his class, Souda saw Tsumiki, Nanami, Komaeda, and Mister No Name sitting at a table together, so he got his lunch and joined them, offering a sleepy wave.

Komaeda was the first to respond, returning the wave with one of his own and a smile. "Good afternoon, Souda. How are you today?"

"Eh, I'm alright. Just glad that we finally get a break."

Tsumiki nodded slightly, taking a pause before she spoke. "Yes, even though I'm still on call, I'm sure that all of you will have a chance to relax."

"You have to work all week? Man, that sucks," Souda slurred around a mouthful of half-chewed food.

"Please wait to finish chewing before you speak," the swindler said, wrinkling his nose slightly.

"Hey, m'still half-asleep, so don't expect any classy dining etiquette here," Souda retorted, sticking out his tongue with bits of food still clinging to it.

Nanami, also looking as though she'd just woken up, peered at the mechanic through her droopy eyelids. "So you're not going anywhere for the break, Souda?"

"Nah, my dad's a huge pain in the ass. I don't really wanna see'im."

Nanami looked as though she wanted to press the matter more, but decided not to say anything. Silence descended over the table before Souda broke it with, "Hey, it's not a big deal or anythin'. I'm sure all of you have been through some shit too, right?"

Everyone nodded in some way or another, and though Komaeda's smile stayed in place, his eyebrows crinkled slightly.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Souda said, "Yeah, so let's talk about somethin' else. If none of you guys are doin' anything, do y'wanna plan a day trip or somethin'? I don't really have that much to work on, and I know m'gonna get bored staying cooped in this school all week."

"That sounds like an excellent idea," the swindler said, getting up from the bench. "You may all discuss it while I go get another plate."

"Yeah, sure," Souda muttered sourly. "So what sounds good to you guys? It's probably gonna be cold, but we could walk around the city or go see a movie or whatever."

"Whatever everyone else wants to do is fine with me," Komaeda said, sipping at his water.

"Same here," Nanami mumbled.

"I-I don't know if I can go," Tsumiki said, lower lip wobbling. "I'm sorry to ruin your fun, but I never know when they might need my help in the infirmary..."

Souda sighed and rested his chin in his hands. "You guys aren't very helpful." He cut off Tsumiki's next apology with, "No, it's fine, but really, have y'seen how few people there are here? It ain't likely that anyone's gonna get hurt anytime soon, and if they do, you can just carry your phone with you so you can go back if y'need. Y'shouldn't have to work over break; that's bullshit!"

Tsumiki looked down at the table and fiddled with the bandages on her arm. "B-but... the nurses will all resent me if they see me slacking off. I mean, they probably already do hate me, but they will even more if -"

"Tsumiki," Nanami interjected, "everyone needs a break now and then. Please don't overwork yourself just to make others happy; I'm sure they'll understand if you take a day off." She paused, blinking slowly. "I think they will, at least."

"Yeah, what she said! So just chill with us for the day; we can be like the..." Souda looked up into the air, trying to think of a catchy name for the group. "The Winter Misfits or somethin'!"

"Souda, with all due respect, that's kind of an insulting name," Komaeda said. "I know I may not fit in with everyone else, but you four certainly don't deserve to be called misfits."

"No," Tsumiki said, "I'm the one who doesn't deserve to be here! A-all I'm good for is helping others, and I can't even do that right."

"Hey, we're not havin' a self-hatred contest here!" Souda snarled. "Can we just agree that we're all losers and go do somethin'?"

"I resent being called a loser," Nanami protested. "I have yet to lose any game I've played, with a few exceptions being the types of games that you can't lose but that can end with you getting slaughtered by a yandere-type personality."

Souda let out an exasperated groan for the umpteenth time that day.

...

The five students who didn't travel for winter break ended up making plans to go out on the night before New Year's day to talk by the ocean and watch the last sunset of the year; Souda asked Hinata if he wanted to go with them, considering how close by he lived, but he said that he had other plans with his family. It was disappointing that neither Souda's soul friend nor his princess would be there, but he could deal with it. It had always been one of his dreams to go out with a group of friends at night, just enjoying life and youth, and even if the friends going with him were a bit strange, he was still excited to go do something that would usually be in the scene of a coming-of-age movie or something.

On New Year's Eve, a few hours before sunset, Souda made his way down to the cafeteria, where everyone had agreed to eat dinner and then walk down to the ocean together. Nanami sat at their usual table, looking as though she had been sitting there absorbed in her game for quite a while. Souda took a seat across from her and waited for her concentration to break.

He continued waiting for about two minutes before he gave up and went to get a drink from the vending machine. As he arrived back at the table, Nanami's portable console began to emit what sounded like gunshots accompanied by monsters roaring.

Souda paused in a squat and plopped down onto the bench a moment later. "Uh, hey, Nanami, what kinda game're ya playin' there?"

She didn't respond until one final gunshot was followed by the loudest roar so far, and then the game went quiet. "The 3rd Birthday. Not quite as good as the first two Parasite Eve games, but I like it enough so far. I don't approve of how Aya Brea has been sexualized, though."

Souda blinked. "... Uh, cool."

They sat in silence for a while until the cafeteria doors opened to reveal Hinata, much to Souda's confusion and elation. He hopped up and ran over to the entrance before Hinata could even walk over to their table.

"Hinata!" the mechanic exclaimed, throwing his arms around his friend. "I thought ya weren't comin'!"

Hinata awkwardly patted Souda's back once before backing away. "Hinata is still not coming. I simply felt like masquerading as someone... average today."

Souda frowned, gears in his head turning, and pointed accusingly at the swindler. "Hey, that's not cool! Don't get my hopes up like that. It's kinda creepy when you act like people we know; why can't ya just dress up as yourself?"

"I can't."

"You can't?"

"I can't."

Souda groaned and tore at his hair. "Okay, whatever, just sit your ass down and wait until the others get here." Looking out the window, Souda added, "Oh, wait, there they are." He waved both arms in the air frantically, and Komaeda offered a cheerful wave back. Tsumiki looked confused and twiddled her fingers slightly. Upon entering the cafeteria through the doors, the four students went to join Nanami, who had finally put her game away. She smiled at the group approaching her.

"Should we all get dinner, then? I heard the chefs made something special for the holidays," she said. "It might just be a rumor, though."

"It does smell a little less awful than usual in here," Souda noted, sniffing loudly for effect.

"I'm surprised the cooks are even working when there are so few students here," Komaeda said. "They must be very dedicated to their jobs!"

"Or they just want more money," Souda shrugged. "Anyways, whatever! Let's go eat; I'm starvin'."

After dinner, which included traditional foods like soba and mochi soup, the group bundled up and headed out of the cafeteria. It was about an hour's walk to the beach, and though they had to stop for Komaeda occasionally, they still made good time and arrived at their destination when the sun was well into its descent, appearing to be about halfway swallowed by the ocean. Nanami set down the large blanket she brought for them all, and everyone settled down, some already looking a bit sleepy.

"Hey, guys, look alive!" Souda said, plopping down between Nanami and Komaeda on the ground. "We're gonna pull an all-nighter here, or somethin' close to it, so we gotta wake up!"

Nanami yawned. "Could I just take a nap first and then stay up with you all?"

"Hey, we're not gonna take a communal nap; that's inappropriate," Souda scolded. "There're probably some coffee shops around somewhere..."

"I could go for a nap right about now," Komaeda said, curling into himself and looking out at the water with droopy eyelids.

"Ugh, you guys are lame! I've pulled lotsa all-nighters workin' on stuff, so maybe I'm just used to it, but still! We're young and at our prime, so I don't wanna hear about anyone gettin' tired," Souda said, waving a hand rapidly in front of Komaeda's face.

Tsumiki cleared her throat quietly. "W-well, I've gotten used to staying up late for my job, but it might be good for everyone if we got some rest right now... you could set an alarm or something, maybe? It's ideal to get seven or more hours of sleep a night, so a nap couldn't hurt." As if realizing that she forgot some meek facet of her personality, she added, "Th-that is, if it's okay! I don't mean to impose or tell anyone what to do..."

Souda waved off her concerns with a flick of his hand. "Meh, fine. It's only around 9:00 now, so I'll just wake up anyone who falls asleep in a few hours. I'm all hyped up on caffeine right now anyway."

Komaeda buried himself deeper into his hoodie, shaking slightly. "Did anyone bring an extra blanket?"

Nanami jolted out of her reverie, nodded, and took out a large piece of fuzzy-looking fabric from her backpack. "Here, Komaeda." He took the blanket with a smile of gratitude, wrapped it around himself, and lied down on the larger blanket everyone was sharing.

"I'll see you all in a few hours, then," he said, snuggling deeper between the warm layers of fabric and closing his eyes peacefully. Nanami, still sitting up, also closed her eyes and eventually fell onto Tsumiki's shoulder, breathing evenly and deeply. The nurse seemed a bit flustered but didn't try to move away for fear of waking Nanami.

"What about you guys?" Souda asked, whispering rather gratingly. "Please tell me at least one of you is staying up."

The swindler and Tsumiki both nodded. "I don't feel that tired yet," the former said. He nonetheless rubbed at one of his eyes, though that may have been due to the glare of the setting sun.

Souda propped both of his hands behind him, looking up at the scarce amount of stars emerging. "Well, we've got a while, so..." He paused as he struggled to think of what to say. Usually teenagers in the movies would talk about their deepest secrets in moments like these, but the person he felt closest to of the four was Nanami, who was currently sleeping. Still, it couldn't hurt to get to know the other two better, at least. He tilted his head back downwards and looked at the swindler. "Hey, I've got a question. All the girls've been comin' up with these ridiculous nicknames for ya, but I've never heard you say your real name even once. Do you even have one?"

The man in question smirked. "That was a bit rudely phrased, wasn't it? Still, I don't mind telling you that I don't know my real name. Anything you wish to call me is fine."

"Seriously? You don't even have a birth certificate or anything?"

"Not that I could find; as far as I know, I have no family to ask about myself, so I must take others' identities in order to even exist. I know you find it 'creepy,' but there is nothing else I can do."

Souda bit at a fingernail, deep in thought. "Man, that sucks," he said softly. "What do you even look like when you're not imitating someone?"

The swindler contemplated this for a few moments, trying to find the right words. Eyes shut in confusion, he finally said, "A blank slate, I suppose. I'm very... plain, to the point where it just makes imitating others that much easier." He shrugged. "I don't much like how I look in my default state."

Tsumiki shifted a bit, trying not to shake Nanami too much. "Have you been doing this all your life?" she asked quietly.

"I went a few years from orphanage to orphanage, but one day, I saw a missing child report, and I wondered what it was like..." he paused, as if not sure to continue. "What it was like to have parents that were worried about you. I don't remember many of the details, but I lived with that family for a few years under the guise of their child until he was found a few years later." He chuckled bitterly. "Imagine their shock upon finding I was a fake, no one of importance to them. I suppose that's how I started this whole business; the happiness of just having a family to love me, even if they weren't actually mine, was too addicting for me to admit the truth until it was too late."

Souda and Tsumiki both looked down at the ground, shocked. "... Wow," the mechanic muttered. "I mean, my dad's a complete asshole, but at least I know who he is, I guess. Still, you're lucky in the sense that you haven't had to put up with that kinda crap; your parents might've been abusive jerks, y'know?"

"I don't think I'll ever know," the swindler said calmly, resting his chin in his palm. "It's no use comparing our suffering and determining who had it better or worse; I believe almost everyone going to this school has had more painful experiences than the average person." He looked up at the other two students. "Well, you've heard part of my story, so it's only fair that I hear some of yours, right?"

Souda nodded. "Yeah, no problem. Was that your first time tellin' anyone about your past?"

The swindler smirked a bit. "I did tell Hinata a little while ago... he's a very understanding sort of person."

"H-huh?" Souda asked, taken aback. "But... Hinata's my friend! I'm supposed t'be the only one sharin' secrets with him!"

"U-um," Tsumiki muttered, "I've also told Hinata a bit about my childhood..."

Souda sighed. "Man, that guy really gets around... okay, not important right now. Anyway, I guess my childhood wasn't that great; I come from a pretty poor family, my dad's a dickhole to me and my mom and pretty much everyone, and all the kids at school always picked on me for the way I look. I never really had any friends when I was a kid, which seems to be the case with pretty much everyone who goes to our school, and I guess I just kinda... ignored all my problems by workin' in my family's bike shop all the time." He shrugged. "I got better at tinkerin' with stuff after a while and here I am now! That's the short version, anyway; I don't wanna bitch about myself for too long."

Tsumiki looked around nervously. "Is it my turn, then? I-I was bullied, too... for many years and in a lot of different ways. People put their cigarettes out on me a-and made me do... humiliating things... and it just never ended, but as long as I could make them laugh, I guess I thought..." she paused, sniffling, "I thought they'd accept me and that they wouldn't hate me. I don't think they ever did, though. As more injuries piled up, I got better at treating them and learned that I liked caring for others, too, s-so... that's about it." She folded her legs beneath herself and looked pointedly down at the blanket, plucking at a loose thread. "Everyone here has been much kinder to me, a-and I'm not really used to it, but Sonia has especially been helping me, even if I don't deserve it."

Souda's face lit up at the mention of Sonia. "Ah, isn't she such an angel?" he sighed. "Helpin' people outta the goodness of her heart like that... she really couldn't be more perfect. I wish she was here."

"Idolizing people is dangerous," the swindler warned. "Remember that we're all human. Nonetheless, I'm very sorry that the two of you have been through so much; I'm sure the other two would have some stories to tell us, as well, if they were awake."

"Yeah, Tsumiki, it sounds like you might've had it even worse than me!" Souda said, turning his head toward the nurse. "I mean, people picked on me and pushed me around, but... it sounds like what you had to go through was even more than that."

Tsumiki bit her lip. "It's all in the past now anyway. I-it's nothing to make a big fuss about..."

"No, I really think it is! You haven't done anything wrong, okay? Y'seem like a perfectly decent person and it really sucks that you had to go through all that shit. If you two ever need someone to talk to, I'm here, a'ight? Though I guess we all have Hinata, too," Souda smirked.

The nurse looked up abruptly. "I-I... thank you so much!" Her wide eyes began misting over, and she bit down hard on the inside of her cheek to steady her trembling mouth. "E-everyone here is so nice..."

"He's right, though," the swindler muttered. "We've all been through so much, and it's important to be there for one another. I will also listen to any concerns you have at any point."

The three students looked at one another, smiling and coming to a silent, mutual understanding and trust. This moment was interrupted by a loud yawn from Nanami, who slowly removed herself from Tsumiki's shoulder and stretched her arms upward.

Souda chuckled. "Have a nice nap?"

The gamer nodded sluggishly, rubbing at her eyes. "Yes, I do feel a bit better now. How long was I asleep?"

Souda checked his watch. "Only about half an hour. We've still got a while before midnight." He looked down at Komaeda, whose eyes were still shut tight. "We'll let'im sleep for a bit longer, I guess."

Nanami nodded. "I brought noisemakers in case we need to wake him up."

"Geez, don't give the guy a heart attack!"

She smiled. 'I'm just kidding. So do you guys have any plans for the new year?"

Souda pounded on his chest with one fist. "Yeah, I'm gonna get Sonia to date me!"

The swindler sighed. "Good to see that you have your priorities straight. As for myself, I believe I'll just continue to do my best in my studies and... perhaps try to figure out a bit more about myself, if possible."

"We all support you completely," Nanami said, smile still in place. "I think I'd like to replay the Final Fantasy series again this year... one or two games a month should do it. And I've got another goal in mind, but I don't really want to say anything yet."

Souda elbowed the gamer gently. "C'mon, we all know it's about Hinata!"

She rubbed her side indignantly and said, "I said I don't want to talk about it now... I need to fully master the dating sim before I can try anything. Anyway, Tsumiki, what about you?"

The nurse jumped, squeaking at the mention of her name. "U-um, me? I just want to continue working with the other nurses and getting better at what I do... and everyone has been so kind in helping me with my self-esteem, so I don't want to waste their time by remaining the pitiful slug that I am..."

"Please don't call yourself that," Nanami said sternly. "But yes, developing a sense of self-worth is important. Every game protagonist worth their while has the confidence to overcome any situation, though it is interesting to see deviations from that character type-"

"Okay, yeah, anyway!" Souda interrupted. "Besides gettin' Sonia to go out with me, I also wanna build up a tougher skin so I'm not as easily annoyed by Tanaka, but..." He snarled to himself. "Everything he does just gets on my nerves so much to the point where I can hardly stand roomin' with him anymore."

"Have you ever considered that the main reason you two are so at odds is because you're fighting over Sonia like elementary school children?" the swindler asked.

"Yeah, duh! He's the main obstacle in my quest to get the girl-" Souda stopped himself, realizing that he was starting to sound too much like Nanami, and continued after a pause. "He's just an ass, okay? He's full of himself and I can't understand what the hell he's sayin' half the time and yeah, I see how close he is with Sonia and that pisses me off, too!"

Komaeda groaned softly, stirred awake by Souda's ranting. "Mm, but you have to admit that they make a good couple, Souda. Just about everyone in our class is waiting for them to get together."

"No, no, no! Ugh, can we just talk about something else?" the mechanic sulked. "It's supposed to be happy on New Year's, and therefore we shouldn't talk about Tanaka."

"You're the one who brought him up in the first place," the swindler muttered.

"Whatever! Any resolutions, Komaeda?"

Komaeda slowly sat up, still wrapped in the extra blanket. "Mm, I haven't really thought of anything yet... just living through another year would be wonderful, really."

Souda's eyes widened. "Wait, what? You expecting not to or somethin'?"

"It's certainly a possibility... I mean, it's a possibility for everyone every day, but especially so for me." He smiled sadly, still blinking traces of sleepiness from his eyes. "I've got a few terminal diseases, and though Tsumiki-" he nodded in her direction "-has been helping with treatment, I don't expect to live to a very old age." Noticing everyone's concerned expressions, he quickly added, "It's fine, really! I've accepted it, and just the fact that I can be here with you all tonight is amazing to me." His smile turned more sincere as he looked around at the four gathered with him.

"Damn," Souda murmured, eyebrows furrowing. "Damn."

A heavy silence descended over the group as everyone submerged themselves into their own thoughts. Nanami in particular seemed to be contemplating something hard, making strange noises that made Souda somewhat uncomfortable. After some stretch of time, she stood up, staring into space for a few moments before speaking. "I've composed a haiku for you all."

Souda looked up from the ocean and grinned. "Hey, I didn't know you were into poetry! Okay, let's hear it."

Nanami cleared her throat and began.

"New years bring new friends,

New games, new dreams, and new ends,

But mostly new games."

She bowed stiffly and sat down. The only noises were Souda trying to stifle his laughter and the water lapping at the sand.

Tsumiki clapped hesitantly. "Um, very good, Nanami!"

Komaeda smiled. "It was... very you. I couldn't have said it better myself." The swindler nodded in agreement, chuckling slightly.

Nanami smiled bashfully. "I'm sure you could write some lovely poems, Komaeda. I'd like to hear one, actually, if that's okay."

"Ah, what, like a poetry contest?"

Souda groaned. "No, you guys, that's so girly. I ain't writin' any haipoos or whatever."

The swindler adjusted his tie and raised an eyebrow at the mechanic. "Writing a haiku on New Year's is a tradition. I will gladly supply the next one." He stood up, looking thoughtfully (and, Souda thought, a bit melodramatically) out into the ocean.

"Among dear comrades

I ignore selfish questions

And live presently."

He sat down, leaving everyone to contemplate the poem's meaning. Nanami smiled warmly, seeming touched by the words, and gave an approving nod.

"Wonderful!" Komaeda clapped, eyes lighting up. "That was very inspiring. I suppose I should go next, then, unless one of you wants to go?" He gave Tsumiki and Souda inquisitive looks. Both quickly shook their heads, so Komaeda stood up and began.

"In spite of despair

I cherish every moment

Spent here and alive."

He knelt down onto the sand, kneading it between his fingers and smiling as if happy to simply experience the sensation of touch. Everyone was silent as they stared at him, and he eventually looked up to meet their gazes, smile still in place. "Well? Who's next?"

"U-um..." Tsumiki bit her thumb nervously. "Should I go?"

"If you want to, that would be great!"

Nanami nodded, giving the nurse an encouraging smile. Tsumiki slowly stood up, thought for a few moments, and started with a shaky voice.

"Well, I-I like you all

And I'm glad you don't hate me

W-wait, no, um... sorry."

She sat down quickly, burying her face in her hands. Souda awkwardly reached around Nanami to pat the nurse's shoulder.

"Hey, it's all good! You're among friends here."

Komaeda nodded. "That was just fine, Tsumiki. It's difficult to come up with poems so quickly." He turned his gaze toward Souda, lips quirking upward. "Speaking of which, you're the only one left, Souda. I wonder what kind of things you can write on the fly?"

Souda stuck his tongue out and stood up, scratching at his head. "I still think this is stupid. What do I even talk about?"

"Whatever's on your mind," the swindler said. "It doesn't have to be anything spectacular."

"Hmm..." Souda looked upwards at the stars as he tried to compose something in his mind. After a few moments, he began speaking, head still turned toward the heavens.

"Poems are too hard

But yours were all really good

And, um... yeah, that's it."

His chin tilted downwards again as he took a mock-bow and sat down. Nanami tilted her own head inquisitively.

"I don't think you tried very hard, Souda," she said.

"Hey, y'let Tsumiki off the hook!" he protested.

"That's because she didn't seem comfortable. You seem perfectly fine to me, though."

Souda groaned loudly and tried to think of something else. "Okay, okay, how's this?"

"To finally have

Friends that aren't robotic

Is a great feeling."

Nanami nodded. "Mm, that was a little better."

As Souda spoke, Tsumiki listened raptly and then began scribbling on one of her bandages, counting out syllables on her fingers. When she finished, she quickly passed it to Nanami on her left, shaking nervously. The gamer read it, gave Tsumiki an approving smile, and passed it on. When it reached Souda, he read,

"I'm not eloquent

But I do appreciate

Your sincere kindness."

He grinned at the nurse and gave her a thumbs up as he passed the poem to Komaeda. Tsumiki squeaked and buried her face in her hands, obviously embarrassed at being the center of attention. Once the bandage was passed back to her, she quickly wrapped it back around her wrist and tried to change the subject.

"S-so, um, does anyone know what time it is?"

Souda rolled back his sleeve to check his watch. "It's already 10:30. Y'guys wanna do somethin' else to pass the time? We talked resolutions, so..." He grinned, struck with an idea. "What about truth or dare?"

"What, the kind of game that girls play at sleepovers?" the swindler smirked. "I didn't think you'd be the type to like that sort of 'lame' thing, Souda."

"Hey, it's not like there's anythin' else to do! The water's been too cold to swim in for months, and we all still have to walk home, so there's no point in walkin' along the beach and usin' up all our energy."

"I've never played it myself, actually," Nanami added. "It could be fun."

Everyone was more or less persuaded into playing the game, and by 11:30, among other things, the swindler had confessed to liking Ibuki (which surprised no one), Souda had attempted a hand stand only to fall flat on his back, Nanami climbed up a tree using a blanket "like that one scene from Mulan," Tsumiki told the story of how she once helped sew someone's arm back on, and Komaeda let the others bury his body in sand.

"It's actually quite warm," he commented, smiling and looking up at the clear night sky.

Souda scratched his head. "Maybe we should get you out before you get sand in uncomfortable places."

"It's probably too late for that," Nanami added.

Getting all the sand off Komaeda took another ten minutes, and once he'd shaken most of it off his clothes, he and the others sat down on the blanket once again. "The new year's almost here, guys!" Souda exclaimed, bouncing up and down excitedly.

Komaeda wrapped himself in the extra blanket again and said, "Yes, and I hope you all have a wonderful 365 days to come!"

"We've got fifteen minutes before midnight... what was everyone's favorite memory from this year?" Nanami asked.

"I'd have to say this night. I've never felt this close to so many people, and I hope we can remain friends," the swindler smiled. Tsumiki nodded.

"I've also been really enjoying myself tonight," she agreed. "Other than that, seeing my patients' happy faces when they're finally back to their regular health is always a relief..."

"The karaoke night a few days ago was pretty fun," Souda mused. "I think I really impressed Sonia with my voice! I did have more fun than I was expecting to tonight, though."

"That's very flattering, Souda," Komaeda said sarcastically. "But yes, I'm going to be unoriginal and say that the past few hours have certainly been memorable. I've also had a few amusing exploits with Hanamura this year whenever he attempted to use me as a wingman."

Nanami smiled. "I've made lots of good memories since coming to this school, and I don't think I have just one that sticks out, but I do appreciate all the new friends I've made."

The five spent a few more minutes chatting about the past year, and with a minute to go to midnight, they each took one of Nanami's noisemakers in their hands and joined in with the country's countdown.

"Five... four... three... two..."

...

At that moment, everyone was united in their joy as a class, despite their distance from each other. Kuzuryuu and Pekoyama enjoyed a quiet night, taking a rare break from their duties, while Mioda cheered uproariously with the best crowd she'd ever performed for. Owari was tackled by her giggling brothers and sisters while Hanamura embraced his mother elsewhere; even Koizumi was getting along with her father for once, and Hinata's own family drank glasses of rice wine over the excited yells of his younger siblings. Saionji was locked in a heated debate with her relatives, but everyone was smiling and laughing as they exchanged ridiculous insults. Nidai lifted his mother up on one shoulder and his father on the other, their laughter booming throughout their small home.

Sonia, many time zones away from the rest of her class, gazed up at the sky and smiled as the first of the fireworks were set off, hoping that all of her friends were doing well. Tanaka laid out in the wilderness among a pack of endangered wild cats, grateful that they were still hanging on, and looked up at the stars, burning peacefully with no city lights to drown them out.

On the beach, the remaining five students listened to the distant sounds of bells and fireworks in the city, looking out onto the ocean that was as unchanging as ever. Nanami quietly took Tsumiki's and Souda's hands each in one of her own, and though he was slightly uncomfortable, Souda took Komaeda's, who took the swindler's, who then took Tsumiki's so the small group formed a connected circle. They sat there in silence as cheerful yelling and music could be heard far away, mostly drowned out by the constant sound of the water.

Everyone stayed up much too late that night talking, exchanging stories, worries, and secrets, ultimately unwilling to make the walk back that would signal the end of the night. Eventually, around 2:00 in the morning, Souda stumbled to his feet, helping the others up. Komaeda walked through the city streets with Nanami's blanket still wrapped around his shoulders, and the group had to make significantly more breaks than they had on their way to the beach. Upon reaching the school about an hour and a half later, everyone bid the others a good night and collapsed in their respective rooms, feeling exhausted but as though they had gained something irreplaceable from the whole evening.

...

Hours and hours away, Tanaka slept in his hotel bed, the light on his desk still turned on. On top of piles of hastily-jotted notes, a single piece of paper sat, displaying only a few words.

"I inquire why

I foolishly yearn for she

That hath tamed the beast."