The ringing of my phone stirred me awake. Groaning, I reached out from under the blanket and fumbled for it on the nightstand.
"...Hello...? Who's this?" half awake, I mumbled, voice still groggy.
"Ruzen? Don't tell me you're still in bed."
That voice-
"M-mom?" I sat up immediately, blinking the sleep from my eyes. "Good morning. Why'd you call?"
"We'll be spending the new years there, I just wanted to let you know beforehand."
"Ah, so that's why." I chuckled softly, still half awake.
"Wait-pardon?"
"We're coming over. I'll end the call here, take care."
"Mom wai-!"
Click.
The call ended.
I froze, the phone still pressed to my ear, the realization hitting me like cold water.
"I mean... I don't really mind..." softly, I mumbled to myself as I got out of bed. I stretched my arms over my head before pulling the curtains open.
I went through my usual routine - bathroom, brushing teeth, change out of my pajamas - though my mind was still half-stuck on that call.
As I passed by the kitchen, movement caught my eye.
Anathasia stood by the counter, quietly preparing breakfast.
For a moment, I just watched. There was something oddly nostalgic about the sight - something peaceful. Memories of our first day together flickered through my mind.
Before I knew it, I'd been staring for too long. She turned, meeting my gaze - but instead of her usual teasing grin, she simply smiled.
"Morning," she said softly, taking off her apron as she walked towards me. "You're spacing out. Is something wrong?"
She waved a hand in front of me.
I blinked, snapping out of it. Our eyes met again - and for some reason, time felt like it slowed.
I reached out, ruffling her hair gently.
"My family's coming over. They're planning to spend the New Years here," I casually mentioned, still messing up her hair a little - but not enough to ruin it.
"Your family?" she murmured, tapping a finger on her chin as she looked up, thoughtful.
"Your hair's... pretty soft," I murmured, momentarily distracted.
"And silky," I added without thinking, twisting a strand between my fingers. I brought it close to my face to-
THWACK!
A sharp flick to the forehead cut me off.
I winced, rubbing the spot as she crossed her arms, her expression flat as ever.
"That's not what you should be thinking about right now, isn't it?" she muttered, tone laced with exasperation.
I didn't even try to argue - just nodded, hand still on my forehead.
"Good," she simply said before reaching out to pinch my cheek.
"Well? Should we get started then?"
She let go, a faint smile tugging at her lips - the kind that said she was enjoying herself more than she let on.
And so we did.
Honestly, I had no idea where to start. But Anathasia seemed to have everything planned out already, so I just followed her lead - cleaning the house, dusting every nook and cranny, while she changed the curtains and pillowcases in the living room.
By afternoon, the only thing left was the food. Knowing my family, they'd probably bring more than enough, so I made sure not to make too much - or rather, asked Anathasia not to.
We were halfway through plating when the doorbell rang. A second later, the door burst open - Mom, Dad, my sister... and her boyfriend.
She actually brought her boyfriend? Wow...
"Could you finish plating the last few things? I'll handle." I said, placing a hand on Anathasia's shoulder and leaning close.
"Alright," she replied calmly. "but it's not like they don't know me. Well, maybe your sister's boyfriend doesn't - but I already altered their memories, remember?"
I blinked. Right, she did do that...
WAIT, SHE DID WHAT?
I stared at her, speechless.
"Right, I do remember her saying something like that... but she was being for real?" I shook my head at the absurdity of it all.
My expression softened as I watched her quietly continue plating. Unable to help myself, I reached out and gently ruffled her hair
She froze, glancing at me with a curious, innocent look.
"Something wrong?" she asked - and before I could answer, she tugged at a strand of my hair near my temple.
"Ow! What was that for?"
"You were spacing out." she said simply, her tone flat and went back to arranging the dishes.
"...What..." I mumbled to myself, gently shaking my head before turning away to meet my family.
Time passed in a blur. Before I knew it, it was nearly 10PM - two hours away from New Year's
We had this strange tradition of not touching the food until midnight, I never really understood why, but I'd done it my whole life, so I didn't question it.
At some point, I noticed Anathasia was nowhere to be found. Excusing myself, I slipped out of the house.
There she was - crouched on the lawn, knees hugged to her chest, a sparkler flickering in her hand.
Under the faint light, she looked almost ethereal - a small, white figure in her usual sundress, the glow from the sparkler painting her in gold.
"Finished introducing yourself?" I asked, stopping beside her before sitting on the grass.
"Mhm," she hummed, her eyes drifting towards the star-blanketed sky. "No big deal. Though, your sister's boyfriend kept looking a bit too intently at me... but I'm fine."
"Sorry, I'll make sure to bring that up to them." I said quietly, my voice tinged with guilt.
She shook her head, sitting down beside me.
"Don't bother. It's too troublesome."
I fell silent. I knew where she was coming from - and I didn't want to make things harder.
At that moment, everything that had happened so far flickered through my mind: our first meeting, her cooking for me, her almost flunking exams, that argument we'd gone through recently - everything.
All of it converged into this one serene moment.
Watching her beside me, it was hard to think she was anything other than human. But that didn't matter anymore. She was herself - and that was what mattered the most.
While lost in thought, I caught myself stealing a few glances at her as she quietly stared at the night sky.
The moment felt comfortable - soft, warm - despite the cool wind brushing against our skin.
"4 months... It sure went by fast," she whispered, her voice soft, almost carried away by the breeze.
She leaned her head gently against my shoulder. Normally, I would've been flustered, but somehow... it just felt right.
"Yeah," I murmured "Time does go by fast."
Silence followed. We stayed there, side by side, watching the stars as we waited for the New year to come.
It had only been four months, yet those months felt more eventful than my entire life.
And honestly? I didn't mind.
For the first time, I felt alive.
Times like these - I'd welcome them with open arms.
Faint fireworks bloomed in the distance, against the horizon.
Their reflection shimmered in her eyes - brief, beautiful, and gone too soon.
"Happy New Year," she whispered.
I nodded, a faint smile.
"Yeah, Happy New Year."