✞ (Y/n)'s P.O.V ✞
December 31st, the last day of the year for 2009. Everything I watch on the television and everywhere I walk outside, I'm reminded of it, it goes to show that here in Tokyo, and perhaps all of Japan, this is the most important celebration of the year.
Outside the doors of businesses and houses were little decorated trees, but these were not Christmas trees, they had pine branches, plum tree sprigs and three small bamboo shoots in the middle with each one a different length from one another, held together with a rope attached to some paper streamers. I must have been caught staring at one of them because a kind elderly lady passing by had told me that they are called 'kadomatsu', decorations placed outside of people's homes around this time of the year to welcome ancestral spirits or 'kami' of the harvest, they're placed after Christmas all the way until the 7th of January of the new year.
I wanted to spend New Year's Eve outside of the apartments, walking in the streets and looking around to see what Japan is like around this time of the year. But when I brought the request to Mello, he refused. Reminding me that we had to keep a low profile, we can't risk being seen in public too much, especially after that last incident.... At the nightclub...
I understood his perspective, however. The three of us agreed to spend the New Year's Eve inside of Mello's apartment this year, like we did on Christmas Eve a week or so earlier. In order to prepare for the evening, I left the apartment to get some drinks and a lighter for Matt since his last one ran out of fluid, and he asked nicely.
Now that it's nearing January, the days are getting colder and colder as time goes by, little white flurries fall from the sky before landing on the ground below and merging with the countless other snowflakes covering the sidewalks of Tokyo, not one cherry blossom in sight on the trees decorated around the city as only snow and some small sparrows are sitting atop the branches.
People rush past me from all directions, more than usual, I've never seen the city so busy before. It seems everyone has some last-minute preparations for the holiday. As I was walking, I was stopped by a cat standing in front of me, the sweet little feline brushed his grey and black-patterned fur against my leg as I lean down to pet his head. I must have been there for at least 10 minutes before I realised I had to hurry on. It was painful, leaving him behind, but he was well-groomed and wearing a collar, so I'm sure he'll find his way home sooner or later. Perhaps it's a daily habit for him.
Finally, I enter an Off License as the cashier from behind the counter greets me with a smile. I browsed the shelves for a while before I grab a few packs of beer and a bottle of whiskey. However, I found myself looking at the saké as well, a traditional alcoholic drink made from polished, fermented rice. I've always found myself wanting to try it since I've arrived here in Japan. Is it dry, is it bitter? Does it take like rice at all?
However I have no idea which one I should get, so as I go to the register to pay for the beer, whiskey and a lighter displayed on the counter for Matt, I asked for the best kind of saké they had. The man brings back a tall, dark blue bottle with kanji on the front I could not read, however I can read the 'Tokubetsu Junmai' in romaji on the lable. What does that mean?
I thank the cashier and leave after paying with the drinks and lighter in a plastic store bag. Though, getting back to the apartment is going to be a pain, there were no Off Licenses anywhere around the building so I had to take a train over to the next station. However, I still have some things to pick up.
It's getting late, I'll be dark by the time I get back.
✞ One Hour Later ✞
When I had finally returned to the apartment, it was well after dark, I find the brunet and the blond sitting on the sofa watching something on the television as I come through the doorway, kicking off my shoes and throwing my keys up onto the kitchen counter. "Hey" I get the guy's attention as I walked over into the living room with a few bags in hand. "Are we ready for this party?" I ask them with a smile as Mello digs through the bags while Matt looks up for a second, "mm hmm" he hums before turning back to his game.
"Lighten up, you little introvert" I chuckle as I reach into the plastic bag and pull out the lighter I had purchased, throwing it over to him which he catches effortlessly with a small 'thanks', "want any beer? Or whiskey?" I ask Matt as I pull out the alcohol from the plastic store bag. However he declines my offer, this doesn't surprise me however since Matt has never been much of a drinker. "More for Mello and I, I guess" I shrug as I sit down beside said person.
"Tokubetsu... Junmai?" Mello pulls out the tall, blue bottle with a puzzled look. His fingers gripping the neck as he sets it down on the coffee table in front of us as he examines the bottle. "It's saké, I asked the cashier to give me the best one they had" I tell him as he turns to look at me, "You drink Saké, (Y/n)?" Mello asks me, however I shake my head at his question. "No, but I wanted to try it" I tell him, getting up and walking over to the kitchen and grabbing small glasses from the cabinet and coming back to sit beside the blond.
As I grab ahold of the bottle and pour saké into the cups in front of me, I feel a pair of eyes on me. Turning to my side, I see Mello's eyes fixated onto mine, my cheeks turn red at the sudden attention, "... What?" I ask softly, as to not sound rude or defensive. Just curiously. However, he deflects and tells me it was nothing before turning away to grab one of the beers from the packaging and cracking open the lid.
What's going on in that head of his?
"You sure you don't want at least try some, Matt?" I ask the brunet one last time. He stops to look up at me. "All of us?"
It's been forever since the two of us have been together for a New Year's Party, if you can call this one. He seems hesitant at first, but eventually he agrees, "okay fine, just one" he groans. Excitedly, I get up to grab one more glass and fill it with saké to match the two other glasses, sliding it over gently towards Matt who puts his game down for a moment to grab ahold of the glass, the three of us holding ours and raising them up together.
"Here's to a new year" I smile, the three of us click our glasses together before tasting the unfamiliar alcohol, Mello and I agree that it doesn't taste all that bad, Matt however... He looks like he's doing everything he can not to spit it back out, but eventually it goes down.
"That's the last time you're going to convince me to drink this stuff" Matt grumbles before getting back to his game. "Aww Matt, you'll survive" I chuckle as I lean across Mello and ruffle the brunet's hair, though he tried to hide it, the friendly gesture brings a smile to his face as well.
As the hours tick by, we watched some of the live music performances here in Tokyo and whatever else was being broadcasted at the time, a lot of strange games shows though. Once the clock struck 12, we cheered with raised bottles and a shot of whiskey. Soon after, Matt pulled out a deck of cards and the three of us played Black Jack. I wasn't very familiar with the game but Matt was sober enough to explain the rules twice over. Soon after we played some other card games once the previous one before became boring. I learned today, however, that Mello... Did not like loosing at card games, after that we all got to play the good old '52 pick-up' after Mello flipped his lid. My favourite card game...
For the first time in years, all three of us are here together again, now no longer children but grown adults in a world being controlled by a notebook. Well... When I think about it like that sounds insane. But whatever fate might throw at us, I want more moments like this. With Mello and Matt, the ones who stood by my side all this time... Well, at least one of them did. But despite everything Mello had put me through, I forgive him, and that's something I never would have thought about doing only a month earlier. Not even myself. It's funny how things change like this. But it's us against the world, against the one who calls himself god. And we'll take Kira down, by any means necessary.
But I won't do it alone, I don't have to do it alone, because I'll have them by my side, we'll do it together.
And once all is said and done, we can all return to our old lives, maybe Mello will come back home to England with us, I can only hope.
But we still have an investigation to finish, and we'll see it through.
Until it ends with either Kira in prison, or the three of us six feet under.
_______________________________
Sorry it took me longer than usual to publish, I actually thought I had published the story on Friday night but only looking back just today I realised it was still sitting in my drafts. Lol.
And for those unfamiliar with the term, an Off License is what liquor stores/bottle shops are called in England, at least that's what google tells me.
None the less, thank you all for your patience for my late upload and I hope you liked this chapter. The next will be more... Exciting.