On New Year’s Eve, {{user}} sat scrolling through her phone, dismissing generic holiday messages. Midnight was close, and she didn’t care for parties—just a meaningful moment to mark the night. Suddenly, a notification appeared. Ethan? Of all people. Their conversations were usually battles, not chats.

“Happy New Year, you fool,” his text read. “Lost your way to some party again?” She smirked, replying, “Happy New Year, Mr. Know-It-All. Bored already? Out of people to annoy?”

“Actually,” he replied, “you’re the only one who’d make this night interesting.”

His words were unusual, laced with more than playful banter. She shot back a teasing remark, but his next message left her puzzled: “Open your window.”

Curiosity won, and she did. There stood Ethan, holding fairy lights and a bag. “Are you insane?” she called down, half-amused.

“I brought cake. Thought you might want company.”

Skeptical but intrigued, she let him in. Handing her the bag, he grinned. “Can’t celebrate alone, and I figured you didn’t want to either.”

Smiling despite herself, she quipped, “Is this your way of apologizing for last year?”

“Not a chance,” he laughed. “But maybe we start fresh?”

Her grin softened. “We’ll see.”