Happy New Year! 🎉
New year means new GinSherry content!
Actually, I'm a day late (ಥ_ಥ)
Enjoy!

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PROMPT: FESTIVAL

"Can we go to the snow festival together? Tonight?" asked the woman, trying her fortune as she looked at his back. The man was standing far from her, smoking by the window with his elbow resting on the window frame. The woman was hoping he would agree with her, yet knowing him, she was positive he would respond the opposite.

The two of them were currently at Tsunan, a town in Niigata prefecture. They had a mission together where the two of them successfully handled it and they would go back to Tokyo tomorrow morning - duty calls. While having free time, Sherry wanted to take the opportunity and enjoy the moment. Besides, having free time was not something that she could obtain easily. Locking up in the lab was something she would do back in Tokyo.

The man took the final inhale of the cigarette before he carelessly threw the remaining stub away while puffing the smoke out. He placed his hand on the handle as he pulled the window close, deterring the cold air from entering the internal space. Gin shifted his body to glance at her who was resting on the couch with her laptop on her thigh.

"You know my answer," he replied. The woman pouted. Yet she tried to persuade him.

"Only this time, please?"

"Absolutely not"

"Please? Once in your lifetime"

"No"

"I already bought a new winter coat. You can wear it during the festival"

"You know you can't change my mind, Sherry"

"In exchange, I'll listen to you for a day"

Silence filled the air, which made the woman look at him with high anticipation - she thought he would finally agree with her. Gin on the other hand frankly considered her remarks. Though imagining himself partaking in such a ridiculous festival didn't sit right with him. It was not his thing.

"That was tempting, but no"

"Ugh, you're boring" she groaned in defeat, feeling a little aggrieved with the man. The scientist couldn't find a way to convince him anymore. Besides, knowing how stubborn and hard he was made her forget the imagination she had in mind, where the two of them went to the snow festival.

"Whatever, I'll go there by myself," she said. The woman truly desired to go to the festival, wanting to experience the snow festival being celebrated in this town, Tsunan.

She was specifically interested in the sky lantern, which would be released during the night time, making it shine beneath the dark sky as it lit up the spot - she would love to witness it with her own eyes and she would love to go there with that man. Besides, she was already foreseeing he would reject her invitation. The woman sighed at the thought of it. It seems like she would spend the night by herself.

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Sherry stood in the middle of the crowd as she brought the sky lantern that she just bought. There were plenty of people celebrating the festival, some of them came with their family members, and some came with their significant other - it was lively. Her eyes glistened as she saw each of them lit their sky lantern, creating a yellowish as it was ready to sail in the sky.

Not long after, one, two, and more sky lanterns released into the sky, gliding without any barrier as it flew higher, shining brightly beneath the dark sky. The sight was enough to make her stand in awe, without even shifting her attention to look at anything else. The contentment grew inside her, as she slightly felt impatient to release her own sky lantern.

The tip of her lips lifted, satisfied with the scenery that entered her field of sight. The smile slowly faded as she realized she was standing there by herself, feeling slightly lonely despite being encircled by the crowd. She felt a hint of dissatisfaction since a certain someone refused to accompany her.

The woman shifted her eyes as she looked at the sky lantern in her hand, then she decided to unwrap it open, and assemble it while squatting down. It was her first time using the sky lantern and she was struggling to deal with it. Thanks to the instructions printed on the wrapper, somehow she managed to get it ready.

Now she just had to light it and pray, then release it to the sky.

The scientist pulled her hand into her pocket, finding the lighter that she bought alongside the sky lantern. She frowned, then she opened her small pouch to find the item. Yet she couldn't find it. The woman sighed before she placed her palm on her forehead, feeling frustrated.

She probably lost it somewhere on the road when she was on her way to the field. She cursed in her mind, blaming herself for being careless. Now she had to find a way to light the lantern. The woman lifted her face as she glanced around, finding any potential individual that she could ask for assistance.

Before she could even stand up and ask the people around her, someone took the lantern off her hand, instantly lighting up the lantern. Sherry looked at the person, then her eyes widened with surprise - couldn't believe her eyes that he was there with her. It was Gin who lit up her lantern. His presence sent delight to her.

"How could you be that careless?" he said while looking at the woman.

"Thank you, Gin," she said with a smile unconsciously plastered on her face. She looked at him up and down, studying what he was wearing. Her mood enhanced as she noticed that he wore the new winter coat that she brought. Words could not show how much she felt at the moment.

Sherry intentionally left the new winter coat on the couch, hoping he would wear it. Seems like everything went as planned, yet she still couldn't believe that he actually went here.

The man didn't reply yet he still held the lantern end in his hand, hovering effortlessly. The woman shifted her hand as she held the other side of the lantern.

"We should pray first, then release the lantern," said the woman, explaining a proper way to handle the sky lantern. Without wasting any moment, she closed her eyes while holding the lantern tight in her hand, praying.

After a short while, the two of them released the lantern together, at the same exact time. The woman shifted her iris to look at their lantern that was slowly floating in the sky, getting higher each moment passed with her smile that still hasn't vanished. She hoped that her prayer would come true.

"You looked serious when you were praying. What did you wish for?" asked the man without looking at her. His eyes were also glued on the lantern that they just released, slowly getting higher in the sky as it blended with other lanterns.

"It's a secret," she said to him as she shifted her face to look at him, grinning with full of meaning. The man snickered - he almost forgot how secretive she could be sometimes.

"Suit yourself," he said, didn't even force her to tell him about it. The woman laughed softly.

"Let's go back. You need enough rest to drive us home" she said. By that, the two of them walked side by side, going back to the place where they stayed temporarily. As they walked, there were still some lanterns being released in the sky, providing such lovely scenery in their eyes.

Despite the snow and the frigid temperature surrounding her, she felt warm inside. She was moved by the man's action, though he didn't speak it out loud. She was interested to see more of this side of him, his warm and gentle side. In order to earn that, they had to stay together, without even being separated.

And that was what she prayed for.

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