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The new year wasn’t really the biggest thing for Kanon. She still loved everything about it—seeing everyone around her smiling, the bright light of the fireworks—but she was perfectly content to enjoy that in pajamas from her window this year.
Of course, she had something new to be happy about this year. That summer, Misaki had confessed to her—for real this time—and after a few kisses and a few incredibly awkward dates half-trailed by the rest of the band, Kanon considered them officially girlfriends.
And now she was sitting with her phone in her hand, a finger over Misaki’s contact information, shaking like a leaf. What if Misaki didn’t pick up her call? It was New Year’s Eve, so she might be busy with her family.
Still, with all the confidence the band gave her, she pressed the ‘call’ button. After all, she wanted to wish her girlfriend well in the new year.
It took a couple of rings, but Misaki picked up the phone. “Hey, Kanon. Happy almost new year.”
“Happy almost new year to you too!” Kanon said, a smile on her face. “Um, I... was mostly just calling for that, honestly.”
Misaki laughed. “It’s fine. I don’t have too long, since I’ve gotta have soba with my family and all of that, but I’m always glad to talk to you. I mean, I guess that should be pretty obvious. Especially now.”
Kanon shifted slightly to lay on her back as she spoke. “I’m still not quite used to saying we’re together. It’s really, um...” She tried to find the word, but her brain couldn’t do it. “Well, it’s nice! I’m glad to have you.”
“Yeah, it is, huh?” Misaki asked. The sound of fabric being moved was heard from her end, presumably as she adjusted her position. “But, uh, happy new year. I hope I can be your first greeting besides your family and all.”
Kanon smiled, blushing a little. “Yeah, I’d like to be yours, too! You know, um... you’ve made me really happy all year. I kind of think we could have... you know, a New Year’s Day date or something!” The words escaped her mouth, and she wasn’t even confident that her brain had even tried to verify them first, but it’s not like she was against the idea. “I just want to show you how much I appreciate you.”
“A date tomorrow, huh? I usually just chill on New Year’s Day, so, I mean, I’m free. Maybe we can go to the park or something.”
“Hm... we could stop by a café or something, too!” Kanon suggested. “It might be fun to just walk around, though... or we could get some hot tea, so we could warm up before we went out!”
“That’s a good idea. Yeah, I think I’d like that. Oh, give me a minute.” Kanon heard Misaki’s hand cover the phone, before some words that she couldn’t make out. After a minute, Misaki uncovered it and started talking again. “Hey, I’ve gotta go see my family. Um, I’ll call you back, okay? I can’t be your first greeting, so I’ll do it in spirit: happy almost-new year.”
“Okay! Happy almost-new year!”
Kanon hung up, and immediately rolled back onto her bed, clutching a pillow to her chest like a schoolgirl in love. Well, technically, she was one! She decided to head over to her family too, though—as much as she loved Misaki, they were important, too.
A few minutes passed. Well, more than a few. The fireworks had gone off, the families had wished each other well, and Kanon found herself rushing back into her room waiting for Misaki to call.
A few minutes later, she did! Kanon picked up the phone, trying to act like she hadn’t be sitting there waiting.
“Hi, Misaki!”
“Hey, Kanon! Happy new year, for real this time.”
Kanon laughed. “Happy new year!”
“So, um...” Misaki paused for a while, and just before Kanon checked to make sure that her audio hadn’t messed up, Misaki chuckled softly. “...god, this is kind of embarrassing, actually.”
“Hm? What is?”
“Well, I know you’re not actually here with me, but I... want you to be my New Year’s kiss. So maybe we could both count down, and kiss the receiver, or...
something like that.”
Kanon could probably feel the heat coming off of Misaki’s face through the phone. It was a cute idea, though.
“Yeah, okay! I... um, yes! I’d like that!” Kanon sounded just as awkward, embarrassed at the thought, but she couldn’t deny she’d thought hard about a New Year’s kiss with Misaki, too.
“Okay. You don’t have to, uh... make out with your phone or anything. We can save that for after our date tomorrow, right?” Misaki said. “Just. You know. I’ll start counting down now. Oh, unless you want to do it.”
“Hm...” Kanon moved to sit up against a pillow as she thought. “How about we do it together?”
Misaki laughed softly. “Okay. Here we go...”
They both spoke together, Kanon’s softer voice almost harmonizing with Misaki’s deeper one. “Three... two... one!”
Kanon leaned forwards to touch her glossy lips to her phone, holding onto a felt jellyfish that her girlfriend had given her for Christmas and imagining that it was her.
It only lasted a second, but Kanon felt the electricity there even though they weren’t even in the same room.
She broke the silence by giggling. “I got lip gloss on my phone.”
“That’s one way to wash it off, I guess,” Misaki said, laughing a little as well.
They went quiet again, but Kanon was bursting with things she wanted to say.
“I think we should sleep soon. I don’t want to stop talking to you, though,” Misaki admitted.
“Don’t worry about it! We’ll talk plenty tomorrow,” Kanon said, trying to reassure her.
“Yeah, I guess we will. Hey, you know what’s kind of funny?”
“Hm?”
“I wanted to call you up, and, uh, tell you all of the cute things you’ve done this year, and everything I admire about you. But now... there’s kind of too much, so I don’t know where to start.” Misaki laughed, and Kanon made a quiet squeaking noise into the phone as she buried her head in her covers.
“Um, I... I, uh, don’t think I could count that sort of thing properly either! I mean! Even that’s such a sweet gesture, and, so, um, well, I think your eyes are a really nice blue, and I liked that time when you lent me your sweatshirt when I got cold! Even though it didn’t fit me right, you still care a lot!” Kanon was still bright red, rambling, but she was smiling as she thought about Misaki. “And in the summer, that time I got too tired to swim, and you brought me off to the poolside and we spent an hour cuddling!”
Misaki laughed. “Oh my god, I got so sunburnt.” She sounded so happy, and that made Kanon feel even happier. “Uh, it was worth it for you, though. I just like how much happier you’ve made me feel this year. I mean, you know I have trouble showing that stuff, but you’ve kind of given me a reason to try. So, if I had to make a resolution, it’s to try a little harder and hopefully stick with you.”
“I think I want to be more confident! I know I say that every year, but with your help, I feel like... you know, I could actually... um, do that!”
“I’m pretty sure you can do anything you set your mind to, Kanon. You probably don’t even need my help. Oh, of course I’ll support you, though. Kokoro always says you’re pretty confident already, actually, and I think I kind of agree with her. But, uh... hate to cut this short, but it’s getting pretty late. So I think I’m going to actually go to bed now.”
“Oh, you’re right! We were talking for a while, huh... well, good night!”
“Night. I love you.”
Kanon flushed bright red. Misaki had said that to her before, but never as something that easily rolled off her tongue like that. She squeezed the felt jellyfish close to her heart, thinking about a whole new year with Misaki by her side, and her heart filled with every ounce of love she had within her.
“I love you too!”
Click.