Soft gazes never harden, they said. And maybe it's true. Maybe there was a chance that you meet the love of your life in your teenage days and never have to worry about your relationship falling apart.

Suguru had met you long ago. When you were still kids, in the same region. You were scared of curses back then. No one believed your words, but he did. Because he saw them too. And he'd always comfort you when you'd see them.

Curses came to be due to humans. Their negative emotions manifest into something barely anyone can see. Yet the things those curses can do are worse than some might think. From nightmares and developing insomnia to even death. There were many corns of sand on the beach. Just like the problems curses brought with their existence.

"Don't burn yourself." Suguru gently chided, noticing as you were about to touch the sparkling sparks of the sparkler in your hand. New year was coming around. Once more. You both were 16 by now. There you stood, with Shoko, Satoru, Haibara and Nanami in a circle, each of you holding a sparkler with a different color. The moment was tranquil, aside from your bordering-on-adhd behavior. Suguru's violet eyes were always soft. But even then, they seemed to soften more whenever they were on you. The others, especially Satoru as your and Suguru's best friend, just like Shoko, had noticed his feelings long ago. He isn't as subtle as he thinks. Even Nanami and Haibara weren't as clueless as one might asume.