Hello guys, this is my newest fanfic, as a New Year Fanfic.. I can't avoid grammatical errors and such, so please get along with that...

An Endless Year

"New Year's party and the undying passion of a certain girl"

30th of December, 03.57 pm

Garden, central park

"New Year's party?"

She delivered the question in the midst of falling snow, when the crystal ice gave a certain chilly sensation to her skin and the sight of frozen roses was abundant around the perimeter. The two girls were sitting on the park's bench, silently watching the glitter of the snow that dotted the velvety carpet of green hue on the ground with its eternal, beautiful white crystals. Nevertheless, the weather was freezing, and unwrapping the soft mufflers from their necks was the last thing in their minds.

"Yeah, Minami-chan," Mizuki responded happily without doubt. Her clothes were much thicker than Minami's, but she was the one who shivered the most, and it was still a mystery that she could still flash her famous smile, not relentless shivers. "Akihisa-kun and the others really wanted to make a party to celebrate the upcoming New Year," she continued.

"I'll be looking forward to it then," the pony-tailed girl responded, smiling slightly at the thought of hanging around again with her friends. The thought to be separated from them, especially from a certain idiot, had not even occurred to her and she invariably cherished the time they spent, the laughter of joy, and the invisible bond that strongly tied them up. It still didn't escape the reality; after some evaluation and denial; that she also wanted to steal another glance at Akihisa Yoshii while they met up, and she always found herself blushing at the thought of her own confidential intention.

"But the problem is that…"Mizuki hesitated for a moment, averting her gaze to the hollow crevice of space nearby. She tilted her head for a gesture response. "…They haven't decided where the party will take place, and I also can't provide my house as the rendezvous point…"

"Ah, so in other words… you are trying to ask me to be the host of this year's party, right?"

When she simply nodded, the approving smile that adorned Shimada's face was nothing less than glee, decorated with such honesty that nobody would never dare to expect any failure in the forthcoming party. Nonetheless, the pony-tailed girl got the oddest feeling that everything wouldn't be easy, even when the she saw Mizuki's relieved grin from the corners of her twin spheres. Perhaps it really wouldn't be easy.

But she still said yes.

30th of December, 06.48 pm

Shimada's house

Once the pony-tailed girl reached her home, she immediately shared the joyous news to her younger sister.

It all started with daily courtesy, the usual chit-chat and familiar hug from Shimada Hazuki to her older sister which had become a certain private ceremony in their lives. The bond between the siblings was so close that they would never notice how easily they had bared their souls to each other. They shared secrets, spoken with such frankness that the two could always notice the shifting of emotion with a slight blink. It was her younger sister that gave her the smile to brave all the obstacles when she started high school in Japan, and Shimada Minami could never ask for a better sister.

Shimada Hazuki received the news with nothing but smiles, sparkles from her eyes, and every other emotion that could resemble happiness. Her younger sister was flighty, knowing something more than what a normal elementary girl should know; delusion and imagination became the main focus of her motivation. Nevertheless, when she started running around the house, blurting all her excitement out with loud exclamation, Minami couldn't help but smile at her antics, watching the amusing scene from one corner of the room.

She sighed, but her smile was eternal on the face. The kitchen was her next destination; preparing supper for Hazuki and herself was the main objective now.

31st of December, 8.33 am

Shimada's house

"Onee-chan? What's wrong?"

The younger girl was more than stupefied to see the sight which was laid before her eyes. In front of her was the sight of her older sister, slouching sorely on her seat as though her shoulders were resisting the burdens of the seven-years-of-bad-luck. Both of her hands were sprawled on the table, acting as a pedestal that prevented her head from falling, but she was not so sure whether her fragile hands could resist the weight any longer. It was her heavy pants and occasional cough that increased the intensity of concern from Shimada Hazuki, and the thick mantle which she was wearing was not even adequate to protect her.

"Ah, Hazuki?" she replied, flashing a smile as a weak attempt to lift the concerns that started roaming the elementary-school-girl's brain. "Well, I'm just a little bit tired, that's all…" she reassured her sister again, but another cough had just shattered the illusion. Yeah, the ever-cheerful Shimada Minami was now nothing but another fantasy.

"You're sweating… and… and…" somehow, she couldn't find the suitable words any longer, as her speech was gone with the company of the sound of howling wind from the outside. Seeing her own sister in this condition was enough to trigger the tears from her eyes. Minami must have spotted this, as she (laboriously) stood up and approached her.

"Don't worry, your sister is tougher than she looks," she said, patting Hazuki's head with such gentleness that gave a certain calming tingle in her heart. She eyed her with the embellishment of dazzle of hope, and for a fraction of seconds, Shimada Hazuki was somehow sure that her sister would be okay.

"I'll be going to the drugstore for a while, your breakfast is right on the table. Be nice, okay?"

…and just when she was about to stop her older sister, the door was closed already, leaving her with the breakfast that the pony-tailed girl had made. She observed the prepared meal on the table; not so fancy, just five layers of pan-cake with maple sauce, their typical breakfast for holidays. Yet beyond that, she saw something even more than that; something in her pure mind clicked and she spotted something more than breakfast. This was the breakfast that was made in the midst of giddy sight, in the midst of fragile body and she was certain that her sister shouldn't be able to even do such activity. So she took a fork, sitting on her usual spot, and started eating.

…never was the breakfast so delicious.

31st of December, 09.34 am

Outside the drugstore

"Eh? The party will be delayed?"

When the words reached her ears, she couldn't think of any better reply than a cryptic smile; a sense of guilt started possessing her brain as she saw Akihisa's disappointed expression. Indeed, the thought of postponing the said party ever crossed in her mind, but when she acknowledged the delusional excitement of her friends; she couldn't even think of postponing. Nevertheless, she still needed time, for the sickness she suffered would only hinder her preparation, and for her relief, the others didn't seem to mind at all. Confusion and prejudice started roaming their minds though, as the thought of delaying was clearly unexpected.

Previously, the fate had set them up to meet in the place where the aroma of drugs and medicines filled the air, just when she took the first step to greet the chill outside. She gasped, seeing Akihisa Yoshii, Yujii Sakamoto, Himeji Mizuki, the Kinoshita twins, Kirishima Shouko, Tsuchiya Kouta, and even Aiko Kudou stood from afar; some of them waved their hands to seize her attention. Her body was frozen on the spot, but still her subconscious mind found its composure, and the very first thing that came to her brain was: they must not know her own condition now.

(Cause somehow, the concerned face that they eventually showed would only give a slight smear on her heart, and she didn't want to see those expressions from them.)

"Shimada, do you need any help in preparing the party?" Yuuji, who was previously mute in words, finally opened his mouth. "We'll be glad to lend you a hand," he continued. Hideyoshi Kinoshita and Tsuchiya Kouta approved his statement with a nod.

"Yeah Minami-chan! I'll be glad to help you preparing the food!" Himeji said in delight.

(The scene changed…)

Somewhere in the center of the sky, the jarring sound of thunder started approaching, playing an impromptu, yet rowdy music in the ears. The single blue line of electricity fell from the sky, terrorizing the entire territory with fear, blasting the whole land with such energy that could destroy the city of Tokyo in just five seconds. Darkness lurked behind the dusk; the barren world was seen from the peripheral vision and the howling wind perpetually picked up.

That was pretty much the figurative comparison of the feelings of all the boys in that space and time, listening to the words 'preparing the food'.

(The scene was back to the present reality…)

"Yes, Mizuki… I'll be glad to…"

"WE"LL HELP YOU PREPARING THE FOOD!" The boys exclaimed in unison, as though all of them were facing the impending danger of being the point of her though, the (sudden) clamor was much more synonymous with the outcome of excitement, and a (wary) smile subconsciously appeared on her face.

Something out of the blue clicked in the (evil) brain of Yujii Sakamoto. It was a plan to divert the attention of Himeji to anything but food.

"Himeji-san!"Yujii called, successfully catching her attention for a short while. "Akihisa planned to do a street performance at the central park this afternoon!"

"Eh?" Akihisa was perplexed by the sudden statement from his (ironically) best friend. An imaginary question mark flew to the air.

"Really, Akihisa-kun? What kind of performance?" Mizuki said in excitement. The twin circles on her face, which Akihisa adored as the beauty of creation, were shining just like the glistening stars. He looked at Yujii's face, hoping to find clues and answers from his eyes. The fast movement of his hand was the response, and his brain swiftly processed the information that was hidden beneath it.

Just… Tell… Her… Anything…

"Tell her what!" He mentally said.

Anything… belly-dance… or… something.

He nodded.

"It's belly-dance! Yeah! I want to perform it!"

The idiot still didn't even feel anything wrong with that.

…Woa… he really said it…

…What the hell?

…Is he retarded?

… Really? I'll surely record it!

...such performance isn't suitable in public.

… I don't think she will be interested in it…

... Indecent performance, right?

… (unspeakable eyes from a certain silent ninja)

… What happened?

The wind stopped flowing.

3…2…1...

"I WANT TO SEE IT!" the shout, which was so foreign for the soft-spoken Himeji, was heard, much for the surprise of her friends. She took his hand, swearing not to ever let it go, and ran hastily with one and only one destination: the central stared at the disappearing figure of the two, wondering slightly whether Akihisa would be okay…

… or not.

"Ah, everything's been solved then," Yujii breathed a sigh of relief. "Anyway, I, Hideyoshi, and Tsuchiya will see whether he will be all right or not. The girls will help Shimada out, is it clear? Let's go!"

The three of them then jogged to the central park.

…

Silence…

…

"What the hell has happened?" Shimada cried in his head.

…

Where was Aiko?

(At the end, Akihisa really performed it… in the center of the sea of people, and it became the main attraction in the central park… until the police nearly captured him in charge of indecent behavior in public, of course.)

(Tsuchiya Kouta and Aiko Kudou successfully recorded the whole situation. The video was uploaded to the internet, and nearly half population of the town liked it.)

31st of December, 07.32 pm

Shimada's house

Tension.

Sweat-forming.

Spectators-watching-expectantly.

…

Akihisa Yoshii was in a dire situation.

It all began from simple and exhilarating things first. Very simple, just like every other New Year's parties in the world:music which was tuned loudly, the magnificence of decoration on the wall, food which had been prepared by the ladies, board games on the floor, and the usual chit-chat from all the party's members. Nevertheless, everything changed when Himeji Mizuki, the chef of death, revealed his masterpiece which was hidden beneath a box, specially made for Akihisa. Really, the outer appearance was the professional-looking sweet dumplings, but they had a certain harrowing aura that could throw him to hell; in other words: death.

Socially, of course…

Or perhaps, physically…

Or maybe mentally?

Or maybe all three…

"Go on, Akihisa, he specially made it for you!" Yujii said, an evil grin flashed on his face.

"Not eating those dumplings will be cruel, you know…" Tsuchiya said.

"Don't die so easily, Akihisa!"Hideyoshi also said.

"That's not something you usually say in this kind of situation!"Akihisa mentally cried in his head.

"Just, eat it!Right, guys?"Yujii said; arms crossed in front of his chest, trying to find support from the crowd.

"Yeah!" They cheered in unison.

"You're really my friends, really my friends…"he sobbed, lamenting the misfortune that peaked because of this. Yeah, the peak could mean death, or maybe just the malfunction of organs… Wasn't there any lighter punishment?

Then, something clicked.

"I-I-I-I don't like sweet dumplings!" he exclaimed rather unsurely, and the (diabolical) dumplings watched with such hostility that could give shivers to his skin. "Yeah, I don't like it! You know, I will suffer some kind of… allergies if I eat it!"

"Allergy?"Himeji inquired.

"Y-y-y-yeah!" he responded, beads of sweats dropping wildly from his face.

Goddess of solitude granted them silence as everything was frozen on the spot, each of them were staying on their little own circles, trapped in their own tiny thoughts currently. After thirty seconds of self-contemplating,Himeji Mizuki finally broke the ice with a sigh of disappointment.

"I see… Pity though… I've even given slight tobacco for the food texture…"

"What's the point of adding tobacco to dumplings?"

"I've used a lot of vinegar for additional taste…"

"Shouldn't it be sweet dumplings?"

"… and also potassium hydroxide as the sauce… combined with ketchup and soy-sauce…"

"You really want to kill me…"

"Yoo… Aki!"

Shimada Minami called, effectively snatching the attention of everyone in the party. The pony-tailed girl had just entered the room; a plate on her hands, another amount of delicacies was placed neatly. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes slightly in order to find the composure as the crowd began referring to her as the center of attention. Her eyes finally opened and she approached Akihisa bashfully.

"Ah, Aki…" she started, even though the words appeared to be a little foreign for her mouth. Nevertheless, she had been halfway through, and she was determined to say it, even though the blood-rising-to-her-cheeks couldn't be prevented. "Care to give it a taste?" she offered the meals.

Akihisa's twin spheres shone brightly.

"Of course I will!" he replied with much excitement and less embarrassment as he took one of the delicacies. Yet another idiocy had been shown by his choice of words and action, and his oblivious heart was too blinded by the worldly things. Being an idiot just like what he would always be, he didn't even realize the impact of the acceptance for a certain wavy-haired girl.

A thunder had just blasted Himeji away.

The audience sweat-dropped.

What Shimada Minami made and offered to him was sweet dumplings.

SAME.

FREAKING.

SWEET.

DUMPLINGS.

So she trembled, the twin spheres that usually showed every hint of joy and innocence now began forming shimmering puddles. The others, who were more than stunned at her sudden change of mood, could only lock their eyes to the trembling figure of Himeji Mizuki, not even knowing what to do and what to say to the heart-broken soul in front of them. And the question, so unexpected and unnecessary to be said, came from the very awful mouth of a certain idiot.

"What's wrong Himeji-san?"

That was it.

She stormed off from the room; tear of sadness and sorrow was the only thing that accompanied the vanishing figure of her. The abrupt release of emotion was too sudden that the spectators were nothing but immobile statues, the stares of sympathy and confusion painted their eyes. But still, the idiot was oblivious though.

"What happened?"

…He's an idiot….

… Stupid…

…Cruel…

…Jerk…

…Empty-minded…

…Idiot-onee-san is really an idiot…

…Mentally retarded…

…oblivious…

*sigh*

Out of the blue, he felt like crying.

"Ah, anyway, let me take a bite first!" he said, trying to ease the tension that had been growing inside the room, even though the continuous stares that appeared so eager to throw curses and jeers were still on the spot. He delightfully threw the dumplings to his mouth.

*Chew*Chew*

"Well… quite good… The texture is good, and the meat is perfect. It's very delicious… even though…"

"Oh yeah, Aki!" Minami said cheerfully. "I put a lot of chili sauce in it!"

Immediately, his body was burned.

…

And for five minutes, scorching flame, that had nothing to do with the indoor-fireworks, could be seen in Shimada's house.

31st of December, 09.12 pm

Shimada's house

"What's wrong with onee-chan?"

Shimada Hazuki threw back the inquiry to the questioner, slightly hoping that her ears had deceived her again. The big news was that Akihisa Yoshii asked her about the condition of her older sister, judging from the cough and less-energetic action that she subconsciously , after the large amount of time she spent to cling on this idiot, especially at the present time, she never expected that this idiot would be intellectual enough to even foresee it. It was the delayed realization of her which finally reached her mind, and somehow, she could see that this idiot was not really an idiot.

Shimada Minami had previously asked her not to tell anyone about her sickness, and she too, understood vividly the reason why. Nonetheless, the serious eyes, which he rarely showed, constantly locked her gaze and there was no place to escape. Blue sapphire eyes met up with the green, emerald of the blue, she thought of her father, the warm gaze and reminiscence of the past, and couldn't help but be fascinated in the shadow of those concerned eyes.

So she whispered softly in his ears, telling him the truth.

1st of January, 01.49 am

Kitchen

Everyone was asleep already.

Except one.

…

The pony tailed girl was sitting on the floor, leaning on the wall in order to rest her body which had cried for it since yesterday. The party had ended and everyone had slept on the couch, sofa, or floor, but still, she must stay awake to clean up all the mess, as the haphazard house would only be another infuriating sight for her sore eyes. It was fortunate that she had cleaned everything up, but still her mind was mischievous; it hadn't been too tired to review everything that she had done today.

With the company of sound of fireworks outside from a distant, she thought about the party; from the beginning to the end; all the good ones and the bad ones; all the cherished memories and the joyful occasions which she had experienced together with her friends. It was fun, really fun, and she would really look forward another similar events. Indeed, she was sick, but it was somehow left forgotten as the clamor of party and the gaiety of being with her friends healed her completely. She was reminded of the character from a happy-ending fairy tale, and couldn't help but depict herself as one.

Her never-ending cycles of eternity traveled from the hollow space in the air to the sweet dumplings which she had made on the table. He didn't really seem to like it… Maybe it was a little bit too spicy or something (she didn't even realize that fact!). Perhaps, it was better if she cooked another dish or something.

"I'm exhausted…"

Her eyes drooped for the slumber that was becoming imminent. Her muscles and minds finally gave up supporting her, and her dainty hands were lying on the floor weakly. The blur in front of her, which she previously recognized as the scenery of kitchen, was long gone, changed with the darkness of reality. And without her knowing, she had gone to the land of wishes and dreams, to the land where children always smiled and the sky was always blue.

1st of January, 01.51 am

Kitchen

Door opened.

Door closed.

Akihisa Yoshii entered the kitchen. His eyes surveyed his peripheral vision, looking to and fro, searching for the lone soul that he couldn't find in the living room. His eyes finally succeeded to find it, right in one corner of the living room, sleeping soundly just like another innocent puppy in the garden of lavender. He smirked slightly at her antics, approaching the girl silently.

Once there was no longer any adequate space that separated the two, his hand reached her head, patting her slightly, and he began speaking.

"Minami… You have worked so hard…"

He looked at her sleeping face again, currently mesmerized by the peaceful atmosphere that was emanated just by seeing her face. He sank in the wonderment of her sleeping figure, and his mouth subconsciously spoke.

"Thank you."

He took her example, resting his body just on the space beside her, letting her head lean on his shoulders. There, he felt the warmth that he never felt before, and for a second, his brain forgot about the ever-cruel-and-pro-wrestler Shimada Minami.

The firework continued to adorn the sky with its sparkles, playing the familiar booming music in his ears. Nevertheless, he didn't care, what he cared was only inside the circle where he and Shimada Minami were in.

"Happy new year Minami..."

Because the time changed, people changed, year ended, but it was an endless year for Shimada Minami, as long as she was in the arm of Akihisa Yoshii.

So that's it, guys... My new year's fic. Review please? It could be a contest entry.

Really, when I reviewed all my works in one year... I finally realize that I'm not a really good author... So I'm sorry for all the inconveniences! Happy New Year!