The New Year dawned bright. A kitten let out a gentle meow from under the damp eaves, leaping into the warm sunlight.
A man sat cross-legged in the silent courtyard, a cascade of ink-black hair spread across the wooden floorboards. He wore a cloth tunic over his well-defined arms, resting his elbows on a wooden table. His lazy eyes rested casually on the small lake. The gurgling water and the birds' melodious chirping paused briefly with the crisp sound of a shishi-odoshi (deer scarer).
Six parts of the tea stalks, dropped into the kettle, had boiled. The subtle, deep aroma was enticing, drawing one in.
Two wisps of clouds drifted across the azure sky, casting a shadow on the sundial, then quietly dispersed.
Like birds scattering, the joy of Spring arrived.
The man brushed his sleeve, picked up the teacup, and brought the brim to his lips. He skipped the appreciation of color and scent; it was neither necessary nor of interest, but simply a whim to sip hot tea on the eve of the new year.
"Hoo..." The tea went down, its taste rich and profound, leaving a sweet aftertaste and a flow of saliva. He put down the cup and exhaled a leisurely breath.
'Do not disturb laymen'... 'Do not disturb laymen'... Perhaps the meaning of this phrase needed to be changed?
"Ying~" A cry pulled him back to the spring chill.
A pale pink fox emerged from the bamboo grove in the courtyard, leaped onto the table he had set up for tea, bit one of the slightly cooled cups of tea, and drank it in one gulp under the man's gaze. It let out another joyful cry.
"...Has someone arrived?" The man understood the fox's message. He gathered his cascading long hair, tightened his heavy cloak, stood up from the floorboards dedicated to spring viewing, smoothed the creases in his clothes in the mix of warm and cold wind, and picked up a black mask from the table, walking toward the inner room.
The interior of this residence was simply decorated yet tasteful. The wide corridors offered a refreshing clarity, and the harmonious blend of multiple national styles felt natural, imbued with an atmosphere of solitary elegance.
Only the blurred group photo hanging in the main hall disrupted the overall harmony, yet for some reason, no one had taken it down.
While the man lit the warm stove, the fox intelligently wiped its paws on the doormat and followed him through the main hall to the front door.
He put on the mask. The ceramic mask perfectly covered his face. Only then did he reach out and open the door, letting in the first breeze of the new year.
"Lin, Happy New Year." Standing behind the door was a pink-haired girl in a cherry blossom kimono. She arrived with a delicate fragrance, her long hair, which usually flowed freely, was tied up today. Her usual competence had softened into a gentle femininity, and the smile in the corner of her lips was like the pink cherry blossoms blooming in the courtyard.
Holding a souvenir bag with her slender hand, she familiarly placed it on the stand by the door.
"Are you the only one?" The man stepped aside to let her pass. Sakura shook the rain off the soles of her wooden clogs at the door and walked into the warm room in her white tabi socks.
"They said they still needed to prepare. They probably went to buy fireworks." She followed the man back to the courtyard. During their walk, the pink fox often rubbed its soft fur against Sakura's leg. Upon entering the courtyard, it skillfully climbed onto her shoulder, wrapping its tail around the girl's neck for warmth.
This warmth blossomed from the bottom of her heart. Sakura gently stroked the fox's head and said to the man, who was reheating water and brewing tea: "Thank you for looking after it for me. I hope it didn't cause too much trouble."
The man glanced at the fox, who was yawning so widely that tears came out, and said nothing.
Sakura strolled through the courtyard, inhaling the scent of the flowers. It had been a while since she had been here. Regardless of the time, this residence always had a calming tranquility, allowing a restless spirit to settle amidst the flow of water and the chirping of birds.
Perhaps it was because of the man who lived here?
The man in her memory was taciturn but had a fierce demeanor, like finely forged steel. The man now had changed. He was still quiet, but the sharp edge of battle had been washed away, leaving him reserved and mature, much like his long hair.
After a long or short while, the man poured tea for Sakura. The doorbell rang, its impatient tone suggesting he already knew who was coming.
"Lin! Mobius told me to tell you she'll come later! That crazy old woman is always lagging behind!" The masked man, whose mask was the opposite color but similar in style to the host's, stopped knocking on the door and shouted boisterously at the taciturn man, "Who else is here?"
His formal suit made the man feel a bit uncomfortable, but even the sophisticated attire couldn't hide his innate boldness. The host, however, was curious why he was dressed like this.
The man pointed to the interior: "Sakura."
"She arrived quite quickly. I'll go sit down for a bit. Call me when it's time to cook." Kalpas stretched his right arm. The ill-fitting suit was nearly torn at the seams, creating a sense of incongruity that was hard to comment on.
"...You and Kevin broke the kitchen last time, so the vote this time was for Mobius and Su to cook." The man brushed the fallen leaves off Kalpas's shoulder and said calmly, arms crossed.
Kalpas's movements froze. He nervously put his hand on the doorknob and tapped the wooden door with five fingers: "Who organized the vote? Why didn't I know?"
"Kevin voted right after he finished the meal you cooked, while you were in the restroom."
"..."
Perhaps having little experience with such feelings, Kalpas's movements were somewhat clumsy and expressive.
The man shook his head. He led the disappointed Kalpas into the courtyard, asking as they walked: "Should I find you a yukata?"
"Huh? Why?" Kalpas stopped and glanced at the group photo in the main hall, asking back.
The man surveyed Kalpas's body, which looked ready to burst out of the fabric: "Don't you have any clothes to wear?"
"I do." Kalpas was somewhat single-minded, but his mind wasn't slow. Noticing the man looking at him, he said casually, "I wore this on purpose. Hua told me that Shenzhou values New Year customs, so I borrowed this formal suit from Kosma."
"...Then where is Kosma?"
"He's wearing the same thing."
The man could probably imagine what the scene in the courtyard would look like later.
The presence of people brought warmth. The chilly courtyard gained a bit of vitality, creating a unique ambiance. The man leaned his back against the sliding door. The accumulated water on the eaves lightly dripped down in continuous lines, converging into a trickle that flowed through the cracks in the stone path.
Sakura and Kalpas chatted casually. The man exhaled a warm breath, tilting his mask to cover half his face and expose his lips. He took an old briar wood pipe from the drawer of the stand outside the door, rubbed the tobacco, lit a match, and stood at the door, surrounded by a cloud of smoke.
With his eyelids half-closed, his clear eyes reflected their backs. In the sweet and slightly spicy taste of the tobacco, a warmth flowed through his limbs and bones.
He held the slender stem with one hand, tapped the fine-grained wooden pipe, and leaned the hand holding the pipe on his elbow, looking up and exhaling smoke.
He didn't like smoking, nor did he have the habit, but he would occasionally smoke when idle as a leisurely pastime.
Others didn't smoke either, but they enjoyed watching him smoke, or rather, admired it.
In Elysia's words, his movements when smoking were natural, his demeanor completely different from usual, possessing a beauty that seemed to step out of a screen and into reality.
After a few puffs of smoke, the doorbell rang again. He put down the pipe and walked out.