New Year's Eve arrived with the soft crackle of fireworks in the distance.
Snow still lined the streets, glinting faintly under the streetlights.
Haruto sat by his window, flipping through his phone. His parents were out visiting relatives, leaving the house quiet and still.
A notification popped up.
> Aoi: "You awake, Haruto-kun?"
Haruto: "Yeah. Why?"
Aoi: "Meet me at Hoshizora Shrine before midnight! Don't say no!"
He blinked, staring at the message.
> Haruto: "Now? It's freezing."
Aoi: "Then wear a coat! C'mon, it's tradition!"
He sighed, smiling despite himself. "…She's unbelievable."
---
When Haruto arrived at the shrine, the steps were dusted with fresh snow.
Paper lanterns glowed along the path, swaying gently in the night breeze.
Crowds gathered, laughter and the smell of sweet roasted mochi filling the air.
And there she was — Aoi — wrapped in a pale pink scarf and a light blue coat, her cheeks red from the cold.
"Haruto-kun! You came!" she beamed, waving her gloved hand.
He exhaled, his breath a faint cloud. "You didn't really give me a choice."
She grinned. "But you came anyway."
He looked away, hiding a small smile. "You said it was tradition."
---
They climbed the long stairs together, their steps crunching softly in the snow.
At the top, they joined the line at the main shrine, watching people toss coins and clap their hands in prayer.
Aoi looked up at the tall torii gate and whispered, "It's beautiful, isn't it? I always feel like the world resets here."
Haruto nodded quietly. "Yeah. Like you get to start over."
When their turn came, Aoi pressed her hands together and closed her eyes, face lit gently by the lanterns.
Haruto found himself staring — the way her lashes trembled, the calm curve of her lips —
She looked… peaceful.
He turned away quickly, clapping his own hands and bowing.
When they finished, Aoi peeked at him with a smile. "What'd you wish for?"
"…If I tell you, it won't come true," he said.
She laughed softly. "Copycat."
---
They stepped aside, sipping warm amazake from a nearby stall.
Snow drifted lightly around them. Aoi leaned on the railing, gazing down at the glowing town below.
"Next year's going to be fun," she said, voice soft. "We're almost in our final year, huh?"
"Yeah," Haruto said. "Time goes fast."
"Then we should make more memories before we graduate," she said, turning toward him. "You know, stuff we can look back on and laugh about."
"Like you forcing me to festivals in the freezing cold?"
"Exactly!"
He chuckled, shaking his head. "You're impossible."
"Maybe," she said, smiling. "But you still follow me around anyway."
"…Someone has to make sure you don't trip on the stairs."
"Uh-huh," she teased. "Sure that's the only reason?"
He didn't answer — just sipped his drink and looked away, his ears turning red.
Aoi grinned quietly, hiding her own blush behind her cup.
---
As the shrine bell rang to welcome the new year, everyone cheered.
Aoi turned to Haruto, her eyes shining in the light of the lanterns.
"Happy New Year, Haruto-kun!"
He met her gaze and, before thinking, smiled — really smiled.
"Happy New Year, Aoi."
For a second, they just looked at each other — the world around them fading into the background hum of laughter and bells.
Then Aoi reached into her pocket. "Here."
She handed him a tiny folded paper charm.
"It's a good luck omikuji," she said. "I got two, so you can have one."
He unfolded it — Great Blessing.
He raised an eyebrow. "You sure this wasn't yours?"
She winked. "Maybe I swapped them so your luck would be better this year."
He smiled faintly. "You don't need to do that."
"I know," she said softly, eyes glimmering. "But I wanted to."
---
When they walked home together, the streets were quiet — snowflakes swirling lazily under the lamps.
Aoi tugged her scarf higher. "Hey, Haruto-kun?"
"Yeah?"
"Let's come here again next year too, okay? Like we promised at the illumination."
He looked at her for a long moment before nodding. "…Yeah. It's a promise."
And as their footsteps echoed in the snow, Haruto couldn't help but feel that this promise — like the lights, like the stars — might last longer than either of them realized.