This chapter was written for the restructuralcommittee (tumblr). The lyrics of the song used in this fanfiction are by the wonderful this-is-our-truth (tumblr). Thank you again for those wonderful lines!

»Only five minutes left until midnight! The New Year countdown will start soon and at twelve o'clock sharp, the first, by the city administration organized–«

Shion turned away from the television which had been moved into a corner of the living room, quietly providing background music, before it had caught his attention when the New Year program had been interrupted. "The firework is about to begin" he cut off the lively conversation between Inukashi and Rikiga which almost drowned out the television and was accompanied by Inukashi's steady laughter as well as Rikiga's indignant justifications to their teasing allegations about his new newspaper agency. Actually, it was probably only due to the volume in the room that little Shionn hadn't already fallen asleep on their lap while leaning tiredly against their arm.
Karan took a checking glance at the clock near her and stood up hastily. "Already this late? Time sure flies when you have so many people in the house" she chuckled before she briefly disappeared into the kitchen and finally returned with a tray on which the jelly donuts were draped she had only baked this morning and had been kept warm in the preheated oven. She slipped between hers and Nezumi's chairs, who shifted a bit to the side to make room for her, and put the plate in the middle of the table while gently slapping Nezumi's finger aside when he tried to take one of the round yeast-risen pastries.
"Ow, hey!" he complained loudly – louder than it would have been necessary; Shion knew his mother's small slaps and although they were determined, they were never painful – and shot Karan a scandalized glance. Although she casted Nezumi a stern look and stood with her hands on her hips, Shion saw an amused glint in her eyes and smiled involuntarily when she opened her mouth to reprimand Nezumi. Before she got around to, Inukashi laughed nastily and therefore attracted Nezumi's attention as they leaned forward with Shionn almost falling from their lap. At the last moment, they caught the tired child.
"These are for later. You can wait until then, right? Besides, you'll put on weight if you scarf down too many of Karan's treats." Their laughter grew even louder when Nezumi growled deep in his throat and crossed his arms and although he threw Inukashi and Rikiga an angry look as the two seemed to have a giggle over him, his eyes only fixed Karan briefly when she joined the laughter. Even Shion couldn't hold back a chuckle and earned a warning look from Nezumi but heard him sigh softly when he lightly bumped their shoulders.
They were interrupted when the TV automatically switched itself louder to broadcast the start of the countdown in a minute live. "We should probably hurry a bit" grunted Rikiga as he pushed back his chair and stood up, while Inukashi turned to the now dormant Shionn in her arms.
"Hey, Shionn. Wake up, here we go." Inukashi shook the youngest among them a bit awake again and when he looked at them with his confused sleepy eyes, they lifted him in their arms and stood up as well.
"Where are we going, Mama?"
Shion stepped closer to them and bend over a bit to be on eye level with the child. "You wanted to see the fireworks, didn't you?" he asked and when Shionn fully registered his words his eyes lit up wide awake with excitement.
"Yay! Fireworks!" he cheered in anticipation and jumped up and down in Inukashis arms who had difficulties to still hold onto him. Shion laughed as they all stepped out on his mother's balcony.
It was the first New Year they would all celebrate together. The first new year he would spend with Nezumi here in the reconstructed No.6. Shion was glad the committee had taken so kindly to his idea to organize a fireworks display and also implemented it. When he saw Shionn's shining face, the additional planning work had already been worth the trouble. And he certainly wasn't the only child that was looking forward to the lights.
When he could hear the voices of the people in their houses around them connumerate as the countdown began behind him in the television, Shion looked to Nezumi. He was already looking into the sky as if he couldn't wait for the firework either but was better at covering it up than Shionn next to him who impatiently fidgeted and squealed even though Inukashi warned him that he would fall. Shion stepped closer to him and carefully reached out his hand to lightly touch Nezumi's fingers with his own.
Nezumi recoiled from the contact but when he looked to the side and saw Shion, he smiled and intertwined their fingers. Shion heard how Inukashi and Shionn behind him began connumerating the countdown and exerted a slight pressure on Nezumi's warm hand which was almost immediately reciprocated. He noted that Rikiga began counting on from five and looked expectantly up into the sky as he whispered the last numbers: "3, 2, 1 …"
A high, sizzling sound echoed through the air before the first firework exploded with a loud bang, accompanied by Shionn's cry of joy. Laughing, Shion looked to the little boy who, enlightened by a second firework, excitedly stretched his hands in the air and seemed to reach for the colorful stars. Inukashi latched onto the railing of the balcony with one hand to keep their balance as Shionn leaned forward in her arms as far as he could while watching the fireworks themself with a happy smile.

A new year is dawning,
the wind is chill
but the stars are shining bright

When Nezumi's voice rose above the noise of the fireworks and Shionn's cheering, Shion stopped breathing. He felt Karan coming up behind him and putting a hand on his shoulder as he turned to Nezumi and watched in the changing light of the fireworks how he opened his mouth and let the tunes tumble from his lips in the form of white mist, still looking up into the sky, his hand loosely closed around his.

Come, come and join our song,
let us begin this new year together
with hope in our hearts tonight.

Shion couldn't avert his eyes from him as he felt the warmth of their joined hands seemingly crawl up his arm and fill him. Nezumi's profile was illuminated by the different colors of the fireworks and after each darkness it seemed as if he were seeing a new facet of the same person in front of him – lit and revealed for everyone to see and yet gone so quickly in the next moment that he might have thought it had only been an illusion. Something not from this world.

This is a time of celebration
to bid the year farewell,
the time has come to close the door
where old memories dwell.

Nezumi's voice grew louder and echoed through the courtyard. Shion wasn't sure whether he blocked out the sound of the fireworks or whether Nezumi just drowned them out completely as unlikely as it would seem. It wasn't until he heard Rikiga mumble beside him that he could tear himself away from Nezumi's sight. "That figures! Luring the people out of their nests with his voice."

This is a time for memories,
so hold your loved ones close
to remember the journey so far,
and look forward to those to come.

When Shion followed Rikiga's gaze, he saw the people who had only been watching the fireworks display through closed windows – probably to be able to still talk with all the noise around – opening their balcony doors and curiously coming out to hear Nezumi better. Shion smiled and unconsciously strengthened his hold on Nezumi's hand who returned the pressure without hesitation and lifted them a bit. He followed the movement and stepped closer to him.

Come, come and join our song,
the winds of time have blown,
another year has gone.

Even Shionn had gone quiet and listened to Nezumi. Shion closed his eyes as he leaned his head on Nezumi's shoulder and let himself be engulfed wholeheartedly by his voice; feeling his breathing and the slight vibrations of his singing.

Tonight, we bid you farewell,
and welcome a bright new future.

Shion imagined even hearing Nezumi's heart.