37. Happy New Year!

“Quick, the cones of chestnuts! Quiiick!”

Hira was running in the room, giving out the cones. There were twelve small chestnuts in each, which we were supposed to eat, one for each clock bell strike at midnight.

Azritz had been invited by Hira to celebrate the New Year with her team and friends, and she had asked me if I wanted to go. Honestly, I wasn’t thrilled to see that altruistic team leader of hers… What was his name again?

“Ashael!” a guy called out to him at that instant. “Everyone’s so loud, turn up the volume, or we won’t hear the bell strikes!”

The blondie laughed.

“Right, or we’ll enter the new year without knowing it!”

He looked like a cheerful, responsible, funny guy. Then… why did just seeing him annoy me so much?

DONG!

The first bell strike resonated through the stereo. As everyone was turning their attention to their chestnuts, I poured mines in my pockets.

Ding. Dang. Ding. Dong.

Ding. Dang. Ding. Dong.

Ding. Dang. Ding…

“Happy New Year!”

All the guests were now hugging, congratulating, and making a racket. Ashael stopped before me, and we shook hands.

“Happy New Year, Armen. Don’t you like chestnuts?”

Crap… Did he see me hide them?

“I’m saving them for a friend who likes them more.”

“Ah… They say that if you give a New Year chestnut to a person, that person will fall in love with you. I have one left in my cone, I couldn’t eat them all… Maybe I should give it to your sis?”

I widened my eyes, grabbed the chestnut from his hands, and put it in my mouth. Ashael laughed. That jerk… Was he making fun of me?

“Happy New Year, lil bro!” Azritz came up, grinning, a bit tipsy.

The one and only reason I came to this party was my sis, obviously. I wanted to spend time with her before the EPHT training started. Also, I had always celebrated the New Year with her. On seeing her cheeks still full of chestnuts she hadn’t been able to swallow yet, I grinned and kissed her on the forehead.

“Happy New Year, sis.”

Azritz blinked, a bit dazed, then swallowed her chestnuts and said:

“Oh, my! Did you grow a bit taller since last month?”

“Haha, I don’t think so.”

“No, no, you did!”

I couldn’t tell her that there was no way an undead could grow as a human would. She didn’t have to know. Not yet.

“Oh, by the way,” Azritz said, “didn’t you say you were going to meet with Ray and your friends?”

“Is it okay if I leave now?”

“Of course it is! You should be having fun.”

“I-It’s not like I’m bored with your friends, sis—”

“Lies are no good!”

“Heh, you got me… Oh, but don’t let that blondie take advantage of you when I’m gone.”

Ashael was still beside us, and he looked kinda embarrassed as Azritz laughed.

“Why would he?”

I then thanked Hira for the invitation, and Azritz accompanied me to the entrance of the house. The sky over Farskyer City was being covered by thousands of lights, silently flashing in the darkness and reflecting on the Nyomin Crystal. The whole city was being lit almost as if it was daytime. I had never seen lightworks until I had gone to Farskyer, and I remembered they had impressed me quite a bit at first.

“I heard that the number ‘two’ is supposed to bring good luck,” Azritz said. “Since we’re in the year 2022 after the Big Blend, I guess people are going all out. Say, Armen. What are your New Year’s resolutions?”

I raised an eyebrow.

“What about you?”

“Heh.” She crossed her arms. “I have three resolutions! First, being a good sis. Second, being a good researcher. And last but not least, play more sports and go jogging every morning.”

“Aren’t you doing that already?”

“It’s not enough, it’s not enough! Now’s your turn. And don’t say you’ll study more.”

I looked at the colored lights thoughtfully. My resolutions, huh?

“I want to be a better man.”

“…”

“Ah, guess I just said something weird—”

“Nope, not at all. I was thinking that it’s the first time I see you as a man.”

“That’s mean, sis…”

“Hee. But is that all?”

“Mm… I should also study harder… Ouch!” I said as my sis hit me on the forehead with the edge of her hand. Shouldn’t she be the one telling me to be a better student? I rolled my eyes. “What if I were to become a Hero?”

Azritz gave me a startled look then smiled amusedly.

“Heroes are cool, huh? Still, Armen, all kids want to become a Hero to use their power, but the truth is there are plenty of jobs out there that are perfect for telekinetics, better paid, and less dangerous. Don’t you think so?”

“Ah… Yeah. You’re right. I was just kidding.”

Dammit, what was I doing? I was planning on telling her about my participation in the examination for the EPHT training, but her words wiped away my courage. I should tell her, I knew I shouldn’t keep that from her until the last minute, but…

“Well then,” I said. “I’ll be off, sis.”

“Mm.” As she drew closer, I thought she was going to pat my head like she always did, but instead, she kissed me on the cheek. “Thanks for coming, lil bro. I love you.”

Did my heart pound just now? I grinned.

“I love you too.”

“Heehee. Don’t make your friends wait for you. Go, go, go!” As I started running, she cried out: “Have fun!”

I turned to her. Was it okay for me to have friends even though I was dead? Could I have fun even though I was dead? Yes, definitely. How could the Holy Gods allow such a contradiction? I didn’t care. I smiled, raising my hand.

“I will!”

* * *

‘Loki, 01:13: Oi, Zeeta, I’m at Nick’s house, and I’m bored to death. Where are u?’

Zeeta was sitting on a bench, shrouded in darkness as lights kept flashing through the city’s night sky. The Nyomin Crystal was like a giant, radiant diamond.

He glanced at his phone, thought of not answering the message of the Beholder’s little brother, then pictured in his head the annoying face of that hopeless, arrogant brat, sighed, and typed:

‘Zeeta, 01:17: Happy new year, Loki.’

Would that be enough to make him understand he was busy? Bah. He stood up and stepped forward in the promontory of the Kiyomizu temple. Unlike the last time he had come there more than two weeks ago, the place was now abuzz with joyful celebrations. However, the promontory was empty and calm.

He didn’t know exactly why he had chosen to come here again tonight. Perhaps because, in this very place, he had given up on everything, then decided to keep on living thanks to Armen? Somehow, it had become like his own little secret place.

He leaned on the balustrade, admiring the lightworks, then lowered his eyes to the downfall. What was he thinking back then? Something like life was not worth it? Or rather that he was the one who was not worthy of being alive? Still now, he couldn’t make fun of his self of back then, nor understand it, nor think that ending his own life would have been cowardly. He just was glad he didn’t do it. Really, really glad.

The lightworks were long gone and the festivities at the temple were calming down when he heard footsteps approaching. He turned around.

A tabby cat jumped onto the balustrade and meowed. Following Rainbows, two young men stepped up on the promontory. The shorter one wore an orange baseball cap, a lit flashlight around his neck, and clothes that were nor too stylish nor too casual; the taller one wore a red knit cap on his blond hair, and a dark hoodie that had a jocular “FIRE ME UP” with the “UP” crossed out. On seeing Zeeta, the latter’s calm expression changed into a cheerful one.

“Zeeta! Heh. Happy New Year!”

Every time Armen smiled like that, it gave Zeeta a warm feeling in his heart.

“Happy New Year, Armen. Happy New Year, Rainbows. Oh, and to you too, I guess.”

“… Yeah. Happy New Year,” Ray answered in a sigh. His face was saying: why do I come after the cat?

Zeeta smirked. Actually, he didn’t dislike Ray. Not really. He just couldn’t shake off the thought that Armen might still be alive if he hadn’t been Ray’s friend.

“Did you wait for long?” Armen asked.

“Mm. Not really. Since last year.”

“What?! But you said you were celebrating the New Year with your boss.”

“I changed my mind.” There was no way he would be invited to a Beholder’s party; sometimes Armen was so naïve. Zeeta turned to embrace the view of the city. “I was thinking about the last time I came here, and thinking that I was happy I didn’t jump off the cliff. I realized so many things those past days. About how much I tried to be of use for others, just because I was lacking confidence and thought I was less than them, ’cause I was just trash in my father’s eyes… And about how I thought life was about success, and not about simply living and do things we want to, so…”

There was a silence. Zeeta cursed himself. Why did he have to start raving about all that rubbish just on New Year’s Day?

“Sorry, guys, just forget what I s—”

He fell silent as Armen handed him something. What…?

“Chestnuts,” Armen explained. “I can’t eat them, so I saved them for you. I tried to give some to Ray, but he only ate one. He says I want him to get fat, heh. You didn’t eat them at midnight, right? I’ll strike the seconds for you, so eat up. Dong!”

Zeeta swallowed saliva, overwhelmed. He had never eaten New Year’s chestnuts. His drunkard of a father was never home at that date, and Zeeta would always run away from him anyway, just spending the night alone, looking at the lightworks, wandering on the docks as he heard joyful songs behind the illuminated windows. He had been alone in a world he hated.

But not anymore.

He put the chestnut in his mouth, then devoured the rest with energy.

“Wow. That’s more than a chestnut per second!” Armen said, impressed. “Do you like chestnuts that much?”

Zeeta gulped down. That Straw Head… He really didn’t know the meaning of eating someone else’s New Year chestnuts, huh? He smiled. Well, it’s not like a chestnut will change anything. He laid a fist on Armen’s forehead.

“Happy New Year. Now, I can say I really entered it the traditional way. Thanks for everything, Straw Head.”

Armen widened his eyes, then grinned.

“Thank you too, Zeeta.”

“… Then…” Ray cleared his throat. “I, too, should say thank you to both of you.”

“To me? Why would you?” Zeeta asked.

“Well, because you helped me search for Armen, and you told me about Lei’s power.”

“Because I thought the Straw Head would be fighting him too. I wouldn’t have gone out of my way for you.”

“I know,” Ray snorted, annoyed, “but still, thanks.”

Zeeta smiled. He really didn’t dislike Ray. After all, he was Armen’s best friend.

“Oh, but now that I think about it, you owe me one.” He threw an arm on Ray’s shoulders. “How about that? Promise me you’ll revive me if I die.”

Ray turned pale.

“What?!”

“Don’t say things like that, Zeeta,” Armen protested. “You’re not going to die.”

“I don’t want to now, but life is full of surprises. So?” he insisted without releasing Ray.

The necromancer grimaced.

“… Fine. But only if you die by accident. If you kill yourself, I won’t.”

Was that a way to tell him not to commit suicide? Why should that rich kid care? Zeeta chuckled under his breath.

“That’s a promise.”

“But I can only promise I’ll try. For Armen, my dad helped me out. Reviving a dead person while conserving their inner soul is perhaps the most difficult thing that exists in necromancy. I’m not at my dad’s level yet.”

“Okay, I see, I’ll try to wait some years before I die, so study hard, Ray.”

“Oi, guys, cut it out, will you?” Armen gave them a really annoyed smile. “No one’s gonna die.”

“We’re just taking positive resolutions for the New Year,” Zeeta calmed him down. “Which are: revive the Cheetah Duo, make money, and keep stalking the Straw Head.”

“You’re harassing Armen so directly,” Ray muttered.

“Hahaha! I know!” Zeeta laughed. “I see you brought your violin, Straw Head. I brought my guitar. I’ve been composing a new song. Wanna hear?”

“Oh, yes! Let’s hear it!”

Zeeta took his guitar, sat down on the bench, cleared his throat, and began to play. His fingers were dancing on the strings as a peaceful melody filled the air.

The door is shut, your hands on it are shaking,

you wanna be a bird but your heart’s aching,

Wish I could free you, yet I cannot reach you.

But our voices are whispering in the sky,

I’m sure one day your wings will be able to fly.

There was a silence. Then Armen clapped his hands in appreciation:

“It was super-e cool! Such a poet-e, Zeeta!”

Every time Armen started using his Taipei accent, it meant he was sincerely moved and inspired. Ray admitted:

“Seeing Armen’s taste in music, I was expecting something more hardcore. Lately, at home, it’s more like he wants to burst our eardrums. Well, Arkill too.”

“Wait, I listen to quiet music too!” Armen protested. “It’s just that Arkill and I are growing undead that have a lot of energy to spend.”

“No, you don’t,” Ray calmly retorted.

Zeeta chuckled and, as the necromancer and his familiar kept bickering at each other, he played a random melody with his guitar.

Such a heart-warming night, he thought.

That was the first New Year’s Day he could call a happy day.

* * *

Sitting between Ray and Zeeta, I was over the moon. We had spent the night chatting and fooling around. Although I had accompanied Ray all the way to the Kiyomizu Temple, the young necromancer had been able to resist his fear of the dark. Despite using his flashlight, he was a bit nervous, but that was all. He was doing his best, as well as Zeeta. Heh. To think that both of them had eaten my New Year’s chestnuts… The saying was obviously absurd, but if those two really fell for me, that would be great. Because that would mean we would stick together for the whole year.

As the day was breaking, I looked at the city, the tall buildings, and the distant sea… I stood up when the first sunrays appeared on the horizon, and I turned around.

“Zeeta. Ray.”

I held out my fist.

“Let’s have tons of fun this year.”

The two of them exchanged a glance, then stood up as well, putting their fist against mine.

“One for all and all for one!” Zeeta jested. “You too, Rainbows. Shake a paw. Wow! She understood me?”

“Of course, she did! She’s smart,” I said. As I tried to do the same thing with Rainbows as Zeeta, the cat ignored me. Aw… I confessed, a bit hurt: “But I have the impression that she doesn’t like me.”

“Tch,” Rainbows uttered, turning her back on me and arrogantly swinging her tail. Wait, had she just tsked at me?

Zeeta suddenly exclaimed:

“Hey guys, the sun is rising, we’ve gotta do something special! Let’s yell all at once, ‘Long live us’. One, two, three… LONG LIVE US! Hey, don’t leave me alone, you jerks!”

I laughed, then howled with him at the rising sun:

“LONG LIVE US! Wait, should I say, ‘long die me’? Come on, Ray, scream your head off! THIS YEAR, I’M GONNA BECOME A TRADEMARKED HERO! MY NO-DEATH IS GONNA BE THE BEST IN THE WORLD! I’M GONNA HAVE FUN!”

“WE’LL CRUSH THE SUN!” Zeeta played along, making it rhyme. “WITH AN ELECTROSHOCK GUN!”

“YEAAAAAH-UUUUN!”

Zeeta guffawed.

“Straw Head! The hell is that rhyme? Also, what was that about no-death and about becoming a trademarked Hero?”

Some people who had come to see the sunrise like us were throwing wary glances our way. Ray chortled, embarrassed.

“Doing such a foolish thing on the dawn of the first day of the year… I wonder if we are going to be okay.”

“I’m sure we will,” I said. “After all, they say only fools have a blissful life. So…” I breathed air, ran to the balustrade, and screamed at the top of my lungs: “I’M A HAPPY FOOL FOR LIFE!”

Later on, we humbly apologized to the monks of the temple for the racket…