In celebration of the most important holiday in Japan, which is the New Year,  businesses are closed in the first three days of January, so everyone can be able to celebrate together with their families.

Louise gets to celebrate the new year early in the evening with her coworkers at the studio and then later on with her friends.

She meets up with Jackson and Martha in her apartment. The three can be able to bond again after a while by cooking mochi soup for Toshigami-sama, the god of abundant harvest, and soba for the longevity of life.

They sit in front of the TV watching a popular Japanese television program on New Year's Eve where idols from Japan and other countries like Korea and China perform on stage while waiting for the countdown.

Ojiro was away to attend the said program, where he was invited as a guest. It was also attended by Japan's most famous athletes and celebrities as guests, and half of the overall program cast was dressed in white and red.

Red signifies life, while white signifies death, just like the color in the ribbons the students wear to their high school graduation and other decorations on every important Japanese occasion, like lanterns.

The camera showed Ojiro Korishima looking so regal and handsome in a red suit and tie. He's standing with the host on stage with a microphone in his hand to give his comment about the group of Japanese idols that performed a while ago.

The screen shifted to a pretty idol covering her mouth in delight after Ojiro had praised her singing. Everyone was thrilled by the uncommon interaction with the Ojiro Korishima.

Ojiro already informed Louise that he won't be home for the new year and instead will spend the important holiday working. He can use the television exposure for the upcoming Ice show to earn money for disaster relief, so he sent her an early Nengajo or Japanese New Year post card for greetings that is traditionally delivered on the day of January 1st. Along with it are box sets of premium Osechi Ryori, a Japanese set of dishes that are traditionally served during the new year and are supposed to be the first meal of the year. Each dish has a specific meaning for luck, and some of the dishes also have reds and whites on them.

Ojiro has it all delivered to her and it is piled in a high row on Louise's small table, enough to feed 20 people, so she invited her friends to come over and eat the feast with her.

"Akemashite Omedeto Gozaimasu!" The three clink their glasses as soon as the clock strikes twelve and drink their beers bottoms up while all the idols on the TV sing the new year's song together with everyone.

The ringing of shrine bells can be heard from a distance. All the shrines across the country ring their bells 107 times on New Year's Eve and once more when the new year arrives, for a total of 108 times. In Buddhism, 108 is the number of worldly desires, and the ringing of the bells would clean up all of them so everyone could start fresh in the new year.

"Wow, this food is delicious. Be sure to thank your boyfriend for this, Louise!" Martha mumbled, picking up wagyu meat with a chopstick.

"Sure! Here, eat more." Louise puts more prawns on her best friend's plate. "My devil of a querido sent a lot. I'm going to pack these so you can bring this home," she said, wrapping the tower of boxes in a bento cloth.

Ojiro gifted Louise a new cellphone so she could contact and greet her family in Mexico, and even though they didn't have the chance for an actual conversation, she sent him her greetings as well.

The Happy New Year greeting is very important to Japanese, so even though Louise was still bitter from the last time they talked, she texted him a simple greeting and a thank you for the food he sent. She hasn't checked her phone since.

She would want to spend her holiday vacation using some time away from Ojiro to cool her head off. She decided she wanted to have some space, or else she's positive she'll just end up in jail.

Louise swears she loves Ojiro with all her blackened heart, but sometimes she just wants to choke him dead, and that's the last thing she wants in the new year.

Yes. Running away from problems is Louise's first exercise for the year.

"So? Did he already clear himself up to you?" Jackson asks.

The rumor about Ojiro getting back together with his ex, Kaede Ishioka, is not a secret to her friends. The man she's secretly dating is a household name in Japan, so any news or rumors going on about him among his fans are caught up even by the non-figure skating fans.

Martha kicks him under the table, and Jackson throws him a questioning look.

"Don't mind him. It's a new year, so let's celebrate! Here, have some more of this!" Martha poured out more Ebisu beer in her glass.

Ojiro hasn't explained to her about the rumor, and she doesn't want to jump to any conclusions, so she still can't give her friends any details about it.

"Kampai!" she cheered and drank the beer in large gulps.

Ojiro is away, so no one can stop her from getting wasted all night.

Louise had missed watching the first sunrise of the year, as she's still passed out snoring. Martha was gone with her new Japanese boyfriend, so even with the slight hangover, Louise went to the first shrine visit with the new friends that she had made, Ichika and her mom.

The shrine is packed with people celebrating the yearly tradition. The three made their way to pay their respects first to the gods. Louise tosses a coin in the box and rings the bell two times to signal the gods of her arrival, and then she deeply bows to them. She claps her hand twice, like praying, and then bows for one last time, and then the other person next to her takes their turn.

They are on their way to purchase omikuji, a fortune written on paper, when they run into Kaimen.

"Kai-kun! You made it!" Ichika calls out, waving. She informed Louise that she had contacted him earlier to meet up.

"Yoshu," Kaimen mumbled, and then turned to Ichika's mom to bow and wish her a happy new year.

"Ichika! Oh my, you're all grown up now!" A lady in Kaimen's company said. She's holding what looks like a one-year-old baby girl in her arms, and she greeted Ichika's mom as well.

"I said you don't have to come with me! I'm all grown up!" Kaimen muttered to the lady, hiding his hands in his pocket, looking embarrassed.

It took Louise a moment to realize it was Kaimen's mom...

...and supposed to be Ojiro's sister.

Louise holds her breath, looking back at the lady. She can definitely see the resemblance with Ojiro. She's tall, with silky long, black, and wavy hair, looking so beautiful in her expensive winter coat.

"And who is this beautiful lady with you? Is she a new friend of yours, Kaimen?" She turns to Louise.

Louise can only force herself to bow to her for a greeting while she's just lost for words, suddenly feeling so nervous.

Kaimen, the only soul in the group who knows what's going on, seems to read what Louise is thinking and smirks. "Oh, this is our skating classmate Louisia. She's the only grownup in our class, and Korishima-senshu gave her zero in our routine presentation."

Louise's sweet smile vanished, and she gave him a death look.

"Hey!" she growls.

He sticks his tongue to Louise, and she does the same, making his mom giggle.

"Oh, you're definitely friends!"

"Hmpft!" They both crossed their arms, looking away.

They all proceed to buy the fortune paper, and while in line, a couple is in front of Louise having a conversation with each other. As she watches them with sudden interest, she observes that they just seem like an ordinary couple, enjoying the day in each other's company, which made her realize something...

Waking up together.

Eating breakfast together.

Plan a date outside, in a cafe, or in a park.

Strolling, holding hands.

Will she ever experience ordinary things like this with Ojiro?

Louise lets out a silent laugh for herself.

Why am I even hoping for something impossible to happen?

Ojiro already told her about this when they started dating—that they couldn't ever date normal, just like the couple in front of her.

And she accepted it.

Now the real question is: is she able to endure more?

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