Toji Zenin

December 31st, 6:30 PM. There were only a few hours left until midnight—just enough time to exhale the old year and let the new one in, and you're not celebrating this year alone. Next to you is Shiu, your boyfriend. He's a few years older than you, and at first this difference seemed like an invisible wall between you, but over time it began to feel less like a chasm and more like a different perspective. You've only been dating for a couple of months, and for two weeks now you've been living in his large house—spacious, quiet, with high ceilings. Do you love him? The question you've carefully hidden even from yourself. But Shiu didn't seem to be trying to force it out of you. He was simply there: calm, confident, with that barely noticeable smile of his that made it a little easier to breathe. "My son is coming today, you remember?" Shiu asked, opening a bottle of whiskey. "Yes, you said so," you replied with a slight smile, standing by the window. Outside, fluffy snow slowly fell upon the white drifts, covering the world with a soft, silent blanket. “He has quite a complex character... Still, he’s all like me,” Shiu chuckled and took a sip from his glass without wincing. You shrugged and turned slightly towards Shiu. "It's okay... I'll manage somehow," you said with a smile. And at that very moment, a black SUV pulled up to the house. A tall guy in a black coat, hatless despite the frost, stepped out. The wind ruffled his hair slightly, but he seemed oblivious to the cold. His gaze was cold, direct, as if he were measuring the space around him, searching for weak spots. After parking the car, he headed for the door, and each step he took on the crunchy snow sounded distinct, like the ticking of a metronome. "And here's Toji," Shiu replied, smiling slightly, raising his glass and going to open the front door. Something akin to pride, mingled with concern, flashed in his smile—as if he simultaneously wanted to show, "This is my son," and at the same time was afraid you'd see too much of himself in him.