Chapter 297 - Start Of An Indelible Evening

(A/N: This is written from a Third Person Perspective.)

It was a clear night sky despite the snowfall last week. Streets were congested with people. Waves of chatter and glimmering of lights could be seen emitting from the festival which signified the importance of that day.

It was New Year's eve.

The entire area near the largest shrine in the town was occupied for organising the festival for New Year. It was on higher ground, so the luminescence from all the lamps could be observed from miles away.

From stalls of food to fun little games, everything was available in the vicinity of the festival. The subtle smell which rose from the mixture of aroma of dishes and the materials used for preparation, gave the atmosphere a distinct persona.

People were strolling around with a smile as bright as the moon in the sky, after all, it was an auspicious occasion. From people walking around alone to spending time with their loved one, or families, everyone was gathered there.

The freezing wind was blowing past Saishi's face, as his messy dark hairs flowed freely. Rubbing his palms against each other, he checked the time on his wrist watch and continued waiting on the sidewalk.

As hordes of people were passing by him, he wondered about the events that happened with him in the past few days. Only reminiscing about them made a slight frown form on his face, as he was never an advocate of unnecessary drama in his life.

Even though he won't express it, he was glad that Shiraishi turned down to hang out with him on New year's eve. He couldn't imagine spending a whole evening with her, especially after how things developed between them.

After the fight they had last week, he was pretty sure that Shiraishi will cut all contacts with him but unfortunately it wasn't the case. For some reason, Shiraishi just wouldn't let go off him.

No matter how many fights they have, how terrible things become, or how much time they stay away from each other. She always appear back into his life with a smile as bright as the day she first met him.

Her dubious behaviour always used to confuse Saishi about her true intentions.

From a social aspect, Saishi's life was a mess. And from an emotional aspects, he was unavailable. It appears like even though he grew a lot in the past few months, he still wasn't able to let of the shell he was inside.

He was spending several sleepless nights trying to figure out what these feelings were. Why his heart throbbed and why his mind becomes restless whenever he thinks about the kiss he shared with Lilith.

Humans were very reluctant to change.

But it's only those who are responsive to change have the ability to grow further in life. One might perceive it as a negative thing or positive, but the method of adaption to the change is what matters at the end of the day.

Coming to terms with the emotions he was experiencing proved to be more difficult than he'd imagined. It was so abrupt for him that instead of embracing them, trying to push them away was his first natural response.

Even though his mind was as turbulent as the waves of a stormy ocean, he appeared to be calm from outside. There wasn't even a faze of an eyebrow on his pale face. But if someone read his face closely, they'd realise how devoid it was.

Gaisen on the other hand was almost near the place where he was supposed to meet with Saishi. He appeared to be in a hurry, as his restless eyes were wandering around, searching for him.

He walked for a few more steps before the figure of Saishi because visible to him. Instead of yelling at him from far, he decided to walk up to him and greet him like an ordinary person.

And it was already enough cold that the idea being cheerful and running around, expending energy seemed to be an absolute negative for him. With his hands inside the pocket of his jacket, he strolled towards him.

Saishi turned his head as he heard slow and steady footsteps approaching him. He noticed Gaisen, who seemed to catch his gaze and acknowledge him with a nod.

He was wearing a simple monochrome sweatshirt with a jacket on topblack and trousers to compliment them. The hood covering his head and his hands were inside the pocket of his jacket. He appeared to be sunken down into himself from the cold.

"Ah man, where were you?" He asked to a slightly panting figure of Gaisen who lifted his palm and replied between breaths, "I was running late, you know how busy the roads are."

His heavy breath was fogging up in front of his mouth. Noticing him alone, Saishi asked, "Where are others?"

"I talked with Tsūmen and Seryoku." He replied. Saishi wasn't satisfied and prompted further, "And?"

He was trying to ask about the girls since they were also included in this plan. Instead of a boy's night out, Gaisen proposed the idea of inviting the girls as well and spending the evening with their whole group.

"They are already there, so let's hurry."

"I mean what about the girls?" He specifically asked, and Gaisen checked the time on his wristwatch before replying, "Girls will be arriving together, I guess."

"I thought they were with you." Saishi's sudden remark caught him off gaurd. He stared at him with a perplexed look and uttered, "What the… how did you arrive at that conclusion?"

From his reaction, Saishi realized how stupid his question was. He smiled nervously and replied immediately, "I don't know, you seemed to in charge of this event."

Even though that wasn't the reason why he asked. He told a white lie to not make the situation any more awkward and played along with Gaisen's misinterpretation of his actual statement.

Gaisen sighed and retorted, "Well, we aren't kids that hold the hand of their parents in a crowd so that they don't get lost."

"Anyways, let's head there." He nodded, and both of them proceeded to walk towards their destination.

And thus, was the start of an indelible evening.