Chapter Text
3 for 0: New Year’s Resolution, Part 1
“He’s gone, yo. Neku got shot by that damn Pixie Chick.”
It’d been months since Beat had to break that news, and the cruel reality of it hadn’t gotten any easier. Even after all the struggles they’d gone through to get their lives back, his best friend wasn’t here anymore.
Beat stood in front of the Udagawa mural, skateboard in hand and far too restless. He’d spent countless days searching anywhere and everywhere for his friend, but every time, he’d turned up empty. It was only thanks to some cryptic words from Mr. H that he and the others continued to hold hope, even as the seasons changed.
He hadn’t taken it lying down, though—he couldn’t. His hand balled into a fist by his side. First he failed Rhyme, then Neku. None of it felt real, but he was still here, still kicking. If life was going to keep throwing them curveballs, he’d punch them right back, however hard and fast he needed to. They'd tasted despair one too many times already. No way in hell would he let himself lose anyone ever again.
Speakin’ of friends, I wonder how Shiki’s doin’, Beat thought, checking his phone. No new messages from her—in fact, he hadn’t heard from her since he’d checked in on her own search a week ago. He scrolled up. Their conversations had been spotty at best, never getting very far past the Neku thing.
His fingers quit moving when they bumped into a text Shiki had sent a little over a month ago.
< don’t worry! if i know neku, he’s fighting as hard as he can to come back to us. he’ll never give up on us, and we won’t give up on him, either. ^^ >
“Man… How’re you so strong, even after all that?” he mumbled to himself, reaching up to wipe his eyes. That one simple text had kept him moving these past months, reminding him every time he looked at it that Neku would definitely come back. He had to, because his friends were waiting for him. Because they were giving their all to try and find him again…
Sighing at his own pathetic way of dealing with it, Beat pressed the call button next to Shiki’s name. The new year was only a few hours away now, and even if they hadn’t made any plans, he wanted to at least check up on her.
After a few rings, the phone let out a faint click. “You’ve reached Shiki Misaki’s voicemail. Sorry I can’t answer right now, but please leave a message!”
Of course she didn't answer. She was probably hanging out with either her family or Eri right now. With that in mind, he pulled himself together enough to leave her a happy message and said, “Yo, Shiki! Happy New Year! Hope you’re havin’ fun. We should meet up sometime soon—feels like ages since I’ve seen ya! Let me know when’d be good, yo!”
He hung up. She’d reply to him sooner or later. Though, knowing how these little outings normally went, they’d probably end up walking Shibuya in the hopes of seeing Neku lost in the crowd somewhere, however unlikely they both knew it to be.
“Thought I’d find you here.”
It was his sister’s voice. He didn’t move, still as a statue as Rhyme joined him and gazed at the newest addition to the mural, painted to resemble Neku’s headphones. Neither said anything for a moment, but simply let the breeze pass between them, catching their chilly breaths in its wake.
“So… Mom and Dad saved you some dinner.”
“Really? Wait, what time is it, yo?” Beat glanced at his phone again. It was well past eight—almost nine. “Ah—crap, guess I got carried away, huh?”
“Looking for Neku again?”
It was no use trying to hide it. He was pretty predictable. “Just seems weird to go into the new year without ‘im, y’know?”
“Yeah, I get you.” Rhyme poked along the rim of her bell pendant, soaking in the sounds of its quiet chimes. “He’s our friend—he should be here with us…”
Beat gritted his teeth. Without responding, he turned to start the trek home. Rhyme followed after him, her hands behind her back. “Where’d you try today?”
“I went down to the Shibuya River and tried knockin’ on Priss Kid’s door.” Beat huffed. “Still no answer from that damn coward.”
“You said it looked like he was trying to protect Neku from the pixie girl, though, right?” Rhyme pointed out, leaning forward around him. “So maybe he’s keeping Neku safe even now.”
“Safe my ass. Fool bailed soon as Phones disappeared. Don’t feel very ‘helpful’ if ya ask me!”
“Doesn’t he kinda have a whole UG to run?”
“If he’s making Phones play more rounds from hell…”
“No, no, that’s not what I mean.” Rhyme shook her head. “He probably couldn’t stay long. But he still came to help—that has to count for something, right?”
“It’ll count for somethin’ once he returns Phones!” Beat growled, only to hear his phone go off. Probably his parents telling him to make sure he finds Rhyme. He picked it up and put it straight to his ear. “What, yo?!”
“U-um…”
That wasn’t his parents.
Beat dragged a hand down his face, dialing back his nerves as he rushed to figure out who the hell was on the other side. “Sorry ‘bout that. This is…?”
“Eri—Shiki’s friend. We hung out a few months ago.”
“Eri? I remember you.” Like he could forget after Shiki had her face the whole time he knew her in the UG. “Whatchu callin’ me for?”
“Have you seen Shiki?”
Beat came to an abrupt halt, a frown on his face. Rhyme tilted her head, lost as she listened in on only half of the conversation. “Ain’t she at home or with you?”
“No. Apparently she told her parents that she was staying at my place, but she told me she was going to spend New Year’s with her family this year. And I haven’t been able to reach her…”
Beat’s gut wrenched as he recalled Neku dropping in front of him.
Was Shiki in trouble now, too?
“A-anyway, I’ll keep trying! If you hear from her, let me know?”
Beat didn’t answer, mentally running through all the places Shiki might’ve gone. She loved the venues at O-East, and pretty much any clothing store—especially those at 104. But there was one place in particular that was special to her.
“Gotta go!” He hung up just as fast as he’d said that, throwing his skateboard down on the pavement. “C’mon, Rhyme—we gotta bounce!”
“W-wait, where are we going?!” Though she asked that, Rhyme knew better than to stand still, and she hopped on the board behind Beat. She clung to him as he took off, skating through the streets as fast as he could.
They cut through Tipsy Tose Hall, swerving between the shaken crowds with a precision born from years of tireless practice. Rhyme dared to peek ahead of her brother, just in time to see a kid step out onto the sidewalk. “Beat!” she called out, hiding her fearful eyes in his jacket. He swiveled around the child with ease, continuing down Center Street free of any collisions.
Beat didn’t stop until they reached the Scramble, the one place too crowded for even his skills. They both leapt off, and he kicked his board back into his hands. He jogged over to the crosswalk, scanning Hachiko on the opposite corner while he waited for the light to change. In this darkness, he couldn’t tell if she was there or not.
“Beat, what was that about? Who was on the phone?”
“Eri,” he told her as the signal shifted. He let his feet carry him forward, forcing Rhyme to keep up with his quick pace. “Shiki’s missin’, yo.”
Rhyme gasped. “Missing?!”
“She ain’t at home, and she ain’t at Eri’s. But ‘pparently she gave ‘em the runaround. If there’s one place she’ll be…”
The siblings stopped in their tracks as that familiar brunette hair came into view. There she was, just as he thought. She sat on one of the rails by Hachiko, her head down.
“Yo, Shi—”
“Beat, wait!” Rhyme grabbed his arm. She threw him a concerned look, almost like a warning. She’d clearly noticed something he hadn’t.
Confused, he glanced back at Shiki.
Now he saw it. Her tiny shoulders were trembling, and she clutched the bench so hard that her knuckles had turned white. The closer they got, the more they could hear her labored breathing.
“Shiki…?”
Her head snapped up, her teary brown eyes wide in surprise. “B-Beat, Rhyme…” She hurried to dry her face like nothing had happened. “W-what are you doing here?”
“We should be askin’ you that, yo,” Beat said, keeping his volume low as he watched her. “Eri called. Wha’s this ‘bout you telling everyone you’re celebratin’ New Year’s somewhere else?”
There was a distinct pause before she said anything.
“Guess I got caught, huh?”
A tear fell, and she tried to catch it. Then another.
“Shiki, what’s wrong? Why are you out here alone like this…?” Rhyme asked.
“Because,” Shiki admitted, giving up on her face, “this is where we’re supposed to meet.”
She didn’t need to say any more than that—they knew exactly who she meant.
Beat’s hand twisted in, tight enough to bruise. If he could slug that damn Reaper for what she did, for how deeply she'd hurt all his friends, he would—in a heartbeat. But now wasn’t the time for that. He needed to cheer Shiki up, the same way her words always cheered him up.
“Listen, yo,” he said. “Neku’s gonna come back—no doubt ‘bout it.”
Shiki stared at her feet, her tears carving wet lines down her face before falling ungracefully into her lap. “It isn’t fair,” she whispered. “He should be here. He spent three weeks in the Game already. Wasn’t that enough…?”
Beat narrowed his eyes. Three weeks, plus that whacky fake Shibuya months later. If anyone deserved a chance to just enjoy life, Neku did.
“Shiki,” Rhyme said, kneeling in front of her. “I know it isn’t fair, but… Neku’s strong. He’s proven that time and again…”
That only made the tears fall faster. “Then why does he have to keep proving it?” Her rigid fingers wrinkled the fabric of her skirt as she talked, her voice quivering yet burning, like a quiet smolder. “Why hasn’t Josh done something? Isn’t he Neku’s partner, too? Neku trusted him this whole time, even after he shot him like that… and taunted him about everything…”
Beat’s blood boiled remembering that whole scene. How helpless he and Shiki had been during the final showdown between Neku and Joshua, the fear that had engulfed them when Neku lowered his gun… But Neku had chosen to trust his partner, even if it meant possibly being erased.
That’s just the kind of guy he’d become—and for a brief few months, listening to Neku talk about it, Beat had begun to think that all of Neku’s old partners understood and respected that.
“So why… won’t he talk to us?” The intensity of her tone rose, stoking her frustration into a full-on flame. “It’s been so long… Why won’t he just tell us that Neku’s okay? Is he… not okay?”
“He’s gonna be fine, yo,” Beat swiftly interjected. He refused to believe otherwise, and he didn’t want her believing otherwise, either.
“That’s what I told myself the day he got shot by that girl.”
“What’re you talkin’ about…?”
“I had an awful feeling that day.” Shiki's eyes were foggy and distant behind her glasses. “Mr. Mew’s threads had ripped, and—I just… I couldn’t stop worrying that something was wrong. That something would happen to Neku. B-but all I did was call him… I wasn’t even there…”
“It’s okay, Shiki,” Rhyme consoled. “Even if you had been there, well…” She looked up at her brother, unsure of how best to finish that thought without stressing Shiki out more.
“He’s comin’ back. It’s like you told me over the phone. He’d never up and leave us—”
“What if he can’t come back?!” Shiki bawled, loud enough to startle both Beat and Rhyme. She buried her face in her hands as her sobs began to overwhelm her. “W-what if he’s in trouble? What if he needs a partner?!”
“S-Shiki…”
“I should be there fighting with him! I should be the one protecting him this time, b-but I’m… stuck here… in the RG…”
“Whoa, hold up, Shiki.” Beat seized her shoulder. She couldn’t mean what he thought she did—could she? Regardless, the implication was enough to chill him to the bone. “We both his partners, but Neku wouldn’t want us to follow him like that. ‘Specially since we don’ even know where he is yet. We need to be patient and wait for a sign from him…”
Like he was really one to talk about that. Still, seeing her like this—talking about joining Neku… He had to try anything he could to calm her down.
“I’m tired of waiting!” Shiki cried. The fire within her seemed to scorch away the walls that kept her emotions in check as her head bobbed down into the shadows. “I already waited too long, and I never… even told him…”
“Shiki…?”
She clutched her hands over her chest, unable to hold herself back any longer.
“I’m in love with him!”
It was as if a still shock fell over their small corner of Hachiko. The siblings could only stare in stunned silence at their friend as she continued to weep, her breath rough and uneven.
All at once, it hit Beat. Shiki hadn’t been as strong as she seemed. All those messages she’d sent to perk them up, all the times she sounded brave and hopeful—that had all been a cry for help, an act to cover up the fact that she was even more lost than they were.
And now, seeing her shed tears so raw and uncontrollable, Beat finally saw that her heart was breaking right in front of them.
“Damn, yo…” He collapsed down on the rail next to her, and his sister followed suit on the other side, giving the older girl’s arm a gentle hug. He lowered his head, feeling the sting of his own tears stirring as he listened to her.
How could he not have noticed her pain? Had he missed it somewhere in her voice—or even in her silence? This whole time, he’d had the encouraging words she'd sent him and his sister’s comfort to help him cope. But Shiki? She had no one else who understood everything they went through together. Try as she might with Eri, describing the Game and the boy no one else could remember must’ve only gotten her so far.
Slowly but surely, Shiki’s sobs slowed, soft tremors returning to her body instead. The tears still streamed silently from her eyes, but she tried her best to reel it back in, even knowing everything was out in the open now.
“Yo, uh… You wanna come to our place for New Year’s?” Beat dared to ask, not sure what else to say. Truth be told, he had all the same fears she did, and there was no use pretending those fears didn’t exist. Pretending’s how they got here in the first place.
“N-no, don’t worry about it,” Shiki forced out between sniffles. “I-I wouldn’t want to impose…”
“You wouldn’t be imposin’. And anyway, I’m not ‘bout to let you sit out here all night.”
“Yeah,” Rhyme agreed, rubbing Shiki’s back. “Our parents won’t mind. And I’d like to spend New Year’s with you, if that’s okay.”
“B-but Neku could…”
He ain’t comin’ back that easy, Beat thought. But he hated himself for that thought. Even if they all knew it to be true, none of them wanted to hear it.
Still, if he were here, he’d definitely bring her smile back somehow—and he’d never have made her feel so lost and alone.
Now, Beat had to carry that out for him.
“Aight, you’re comin’ to the Bito house!” he declared, pushing himself up. Before Shiki could protest, he spun around and grabbed her, slinging her over his shoulder.
“W-wha—Beat—!”
“If we gonna wait for Neku to come back, we gonna do it together—over some warm noodles and movies!”
Rhyme nodded, picking up Beat’s board for him. “Looks like you’re stuck with us now!”
“B-but that’s…” Shiki could hardly get a word in as the siblings started off down the road, not a care in the world at how many people scoffed at the odd crew. He carried her over to the light, stopping at the curb by the crosswalk.
“Listen, Shiki,” Beat said, a hand on her back to keep her steady. “If he comes back and can’t find you… he’ll text you. And if he can’t text you, he’ll search, too. I’m sure of it, yo.”
“Beat…?”
“I can’t say I know how he feels ‘bout you, but damn did you always know how to make him smile! He’ll come back for that as soon as he can. Trus’ me.”
Shiki simmered down, no longer squirming as Beat whisked her across the street.
“He’ll keep fightin’ ‘til he hauls his ass back here to see us. ‘Cuz the four of us—this friendship we got… It can’t be broken that easily, yo.”
That was something he could believe in. Even if Neku was stuck—even if it took him months, or even years, to return—he’d definitely come home, because none of them would ever abandon each other.
* * * * * * *
A short while later, Beat creaked opened the door to his family’s apartment. He stepped aside for Shiki and Rhyme to enter, all taking off their shoes and scarves before heading into the main living area.
The apartment was quaint, with basic white walls and carpeted flooring. Though the wooden shelves set up for storage here and there had cute designs, they’d definitely seen better years. “I know it ain’t much, but make yourself at home, yo,” Beat told his guest.
“Can I get you water or anything?” Rhyme asked, staring up at Shiki’s puffy eyes.
“Y-yeah,” Shiki said, still uncertain. “Water might be nice… Thanks.”
“Dai, there you are." Their mother entered the room. She had blonde hair just like her kids, though hers was long and pulled into a low ponytail. “And you must be Shiki. Raimu called to let me know you were coming. I’m Shizuka Bito.”
“I-it’s nice to meet you,” Shiki greeted with a nervous bow. “I’m sorry for intruding like this…”
“Not at all, dear." She smiled to make her feel welcome. “Come on in—we have some extra dinner you can eat. You must be starving. Dai, your dinner’s on the table, too.” She beckoned Shiki into the small kitchen-dining room combo, and Beat followed. Two bowls of hot soba had already been laid out, each with a glass of water. Rhyme sat in an empty spot, waiting for them to join her.
“Thanks, Mom,” she said.
“Yeah, thanks, yo.” Beat slid into one of the seats. Though nervous, Shiki took the other seat with a bowl in front of it.
“I’ll get something set up in Rhyme’s room for you tonight,” their mom told Shiki. “Do you need me to call your parents?”
“U-um, w-well…” Shiki hung her head, fumbling for a response. After all, contacting her parents would expose her lie.
“Nah, we got it, yo,” Beat piped up. “They already know!”
Shiki looked back at him with wide eyes. He waited to explain, though, listening as his mother said, “Okay, just let me know if there’s anything I can get for you kids.” She cast one last worried glance towards Shiki before heading out of the room, giving the teens space for this New Year’s celebration.
“Y-you told my parents?” Shiki asked, a bit on edge.
“I told Eri—she’s gonna keep up the lie on her end for ya,” Beat said. “So donchu worry ‘bout a thing! We gotchu covered, yo!”
Shiki blinked, staring at him with her mouth agape. Though another tear escaped past her glasses, she tried her best to smile. “T-thanks, Beat…”
“Don’ mention it,” he said, shooting back a grin. “I was thinkin’ we could watch a comedy tonight—greet the new year with somethin’ positive, yo! Sound cool wit you?”
Shiki watched the steam wafting up from her food, shifting in her chair. “Is that… really okay? To be laughing like that, when he’s still fighting, all alone…”
“Neku wouldn’t have it any other way. I bet he’s jus' happy knowing that we still safe over here. And when he gets back, he’ll wanna hear all about it!”
“I-I guess…”
“Hey, why don’t we make a scrapbook for him?” Rhyme suggested, swinging her legs. “We can pass it around and write some notes for him, add pictures… It’ll be something we can share with him when he returns!”
“That ain’t a bad idea, Rhyme!” Beat said with his mouth full. “We can go get one tomorrow.”
“If anywhere’s even open tomorrow. But we can check on our way to our first shrine visit of the new year. Why don’t we all go together?”
Shiki averted her eyes. “Um… That’s fine, but…”
The siblings waited patiently, giving her all the time she needed to sort through her thoughts.
“I-if you usually do that with your family, w-well…”
“Nah, it’s cool. Our ‘rents are busy tomorrow anyway. Plus, it’ll be fun wit’ it bein’ the three of us!”
“Yeah… That could be fun,” Shiki murmured, settling enough to eat her soba. She slipped back into silence, and the siblings tentatively glanced at each other as they both tried to think of what to say to her next.
“So, how’s the sewing going?” Rhyme was the one to break the ice.
“It’s… going,” Shiki replied, staring down at her work-worn hands. “We have a lot of design ideas, but… I just… I’ve been busy…”
“That’s okay! I’d love to see what you have sometime.”
“S-sure, I can show you later…”
It stayed like that for a while. Beat and Rhyme carried most of the conversation, bringing up whatever they could think of—sharing their school life, asking about Shiki’s… They put their worries aside to laugh at any little joke, hoping it’d be enough to raise her mood.
After cleaning up their bowls, the three took over the living room. Rhyme pulled Shiki over onto the couch while Beat found the remote. He made himself comfy on Shiki’s other side, flipping through the streaming options. They soon picked a movie—a simple, lighthearted comedy with little in the way of romance. But that was probably better, especially considering Shiki’s earlier confession.
“I’m in love with him!”
Beat's heart sank into his stomach.
She’d kept that inside for so long, never once bringing it up when they’d texted or met up before. Just how long had she been suffering under the weight of her own unspoken feelings? Not anymore, though—she didn’t have to bear it alone now. Beat just hoped she understood that.
The movie continued on, and after a while, a small smile tugged at the border of Shiki’s lips. Though her eyes were still heavy from her tears, she finally relaxed, letting herself have fun for what looked like the first time in months.
Beat and Rhyme laughed on either side of her, carrying on some light banter every now and then to keep the evening enjoyable for their friend. Hours ticked by, getting ever closer to midnight as the movie wrapped up.
“Beat,” Rhyme spoke up in a hushed whisper. “I think Shiki’s asleep.”
“She is?” Beat peered down at her, only to see her head hunched over and eyes closed. “She’s gonna get cramped like that, yo,” he mumbled as he moved to shake her. He stopped himself just before taking hold of her shoulder, a thoughtful frown drawing his brows together.
“Hey…”
Rhyme peeked around Shiki, tilting her head.
“You don’t think she’ll actually try goin’ to the UG, do you?”
Beat’s hand fell by his side, recalling her tearful fear. Sure, if they went to the UG, maybe they could help Neku—fight with him against the Noise again and win their ticket back to the RG, just like they’d done in their first Game together. But the potential cost they’d have to pay for that would also be far more than Neku would want any of them to risk. Surely, deep down, Shiki knew that, too.
Rhyme hesitated, taking her own time to mull it over. “I don’t think she really wants to, but she doesn’t know what else to do…”
“Yeah… I mean, ’s possible he is in the UG, maybe even watchin’ out for us,” Beat said. “But…”
“He might also not be there, and then she’d have to survive the Game again on her own,” Rhyme finished for him.
“We gotta show her somehow that she can miss ‘im an’ keep movin’—that it’ll be okay… but I don’ even know what to do sometimes, y’know?”
“Yeah… We don’t really have much to go off of. Searching on foot every day isn’t really getting us any closer to finding him,” Rhyme mused, tapping a finger against the couch as she reconsidered their strategy. “But… maybe Shiki can do something for him—something that we can’t.”
“Whatchu talkin’ ‘bout, yo? She’s in the RG, same as us.”
“But Beat, think about it—she and Eri are working to start up their own brand, right? That means clothes and pins that people in the UG can use.”
Beat stared back at his sister, a dumbfounded look spread over his face. “Oh… huh. You right.”
“I think right now, Shiki’s holding herself back. She wants to follow her dream, but she’s just… been too depressed with Neku gone. But if she realizes it’ll help her reach him, then that’ll give her a new goal. Maybe it’ll even distract her so she won’t have to think about if he needs her help in the UG…”
“It’d give her somethin’ to do—and a new way to search for him,” Beat said, his own hope growing at the endless array of possibilities this new idea opened up. “She could even try to send messages to him if she gets creative enough, yo!”
“Shh, keep your voice down,” Rhyme scolded. “But yeah… We’ll still have to keep an eye on her, though. Pushing herself too hard into it will also just hurt her in the end…”
“Then we’ll have to step it up.” Beat grinned. “We’ll make sure she takes breaks to have some fun, eat—whatever, yo. Hell, we’ll even show up at her door and take her out for a night on the town if we gotta. I know I ain’t about to let her keep sufferin’ through this in silence.”
“Mm, I agree,” Rhyme said. “But that means you can’t hold back, either. I know you forced your smile today, Beat.”
Beat scrunched in his face, scratching his cheek. “Well… someone had to cheer her up.”
“I know. And she was in a place where I think that was best.” Rhyme pushed herself to her feet, turning to face her brother with her arms folded behind her. “But if we’re gonna get through this, then we’ll need to do it together. Just like you bore her pain today, we’ll need to be open and honest with her, too. No more hiding your own feelings, got it?”
“…Damn, you really saw right through me, huh?” Beat rubbed the back of his neck. “What ‘bout you, yo? You also pushed it today.”
“I know. Neku’s our friend, and I want him back, too,” Rhyme admitted. “But that’s why I think we shouldn’t hold it in. After all, a problem shared is a problem halved, right?”
Beat let out a soft chuckle. “When’d you get so smart, anyway?” He planted his palm over her head, ruffling his sister’s hair.
“Hey—Beat!”
“Now who’s the one bein’ loud?” he teased. A solemn feeling lingered inside him, but he could still smile—genuinely this time. He wouldn’t let that go to waste.
“We in this together—all three o’ us,” Beat said as Rhyme fixed her hair. “We’ll figure it out together, too, both the pain and the smiles. Promise.”
“I’ll hold you to that.” With her bangs back in order, Rhyme asked, “Think we should wake Shiki now?”
Beat checked the time on his phone. “I think so. She should at least greet the new year with us! She can sleep all she wants after that.”
Rhyme kneeled down next to her brother, watching Shiki as Beat gently shook her shoulder. Shiki eventually stirred, her tired brown eyes blinking in confusion. She reached up to adjust her glasses, mumbling a groggy, “Did I… fall asleep?”
“Yeah, but s’all good, yo.” He held up his phone for her. “Check it—two minutes ‘til midnight!”
“A-already?”
“Before the new year starts, I just wanna say…” Beat sighed, tugging off his beanie. “Sorry… for not bein’ there when you needed it. I got so caught up in my own search that I didn’ ask you enough, or check on you enough… But I wanna be there.” He glanced over at Rhyme, who nodded in agreement. “We both do. So… You don’ gotta hide it when you’re sad or scared, aight? We know how you feel, and we’re right there with ya—every step of the way.”
Shiki did nothing but stare at them for a moment. Then she sniffled, her tears welling up again. That wasn’t the response he was hoping for.
“Er—s-sorry, I didn’ mean ta—”
Shiki threw her arms around the two, pulling them into a tight embrace. The siblings froze, both bewildered and unsure what to make of the sudden gesture.
“Thank you,” she whispered, squeezing them. “And… I’m sorry, too… for lying to you two this whole time…”
“Shiki…”
Beat shook his head, and he hugged the two of them back, close as he could. “Don’t apologize, yo. You was tryin’ your best to hold on—I get it. We’ve been tryin’ to hold on, too.”
“Mm.” Rhyme huddled her way into the three-way hug. “But that’s why we have each other, right?”
“Yeah!”
That was the most upbeat tone they’d heard from Shiki all night. They all let go, laughing a little as they checked the time. 12:01.
“Happy New Year!” Rhyme cheered first. The other two echoed her chipper sentiment, smiling as they welcomed the new year. Now fully awake, they agreed to a board game to celebrate.
Their New Year’s party was impromptu, even messy, and they didn’t even bother staying up long enough to see the first sunrise of the new year. But that was okay—because they were together, celebrating as friends who would never give up on each other.
And this year, hard to face as it may be, they’d make sure that they filled it with more laughs than tears.