Sitting silently by the edge of the tall building, the sniper sighed, warming his cold hands with his breath. Winter was much harsher in South Korea, at least, much more than where he was stationed at before he joined Frankenstein and his large family. His past recollections of the time spent during winter was distant, as if the only memories he could remember were of when he was much younger. He found it strange but lately, it seemed to him that perhaps those memories were locked away on purpose; painful recollections aren't needed, after all.
Looking down, the streets were lit up with decorations, a mix of New Year's decorations and the remnants of the Christmas decorations. Crowds of people flooded the streets, each with a warm smile that could easily cheer up a broken heart. It was supposed to be a day of bliss, where lovers would celebrate another year of happiness ahead of them or where families could gather together and spend time together to remember how loved they are. A time to to tell each other their New Year's resolution and goals, and to promise one another of a year of success and love.
To the lonely sniper, they were only words written on paper. Nothing more, nothing less.
He wished he could have someone to spend the passing of the years with. Everyone was busy one way or another, with Frankenstein taking care of the Noblesse, Seira and Regis returning to Lukedonia, and M-21 and Tao off doing... God knows what. At least out here, the sight of the beautifully lit city was more of a sight than looking out from the window of his room. He didn't mind being home with the others but taking a breather from time to time lifted his mood, more so than watching the Noblesse and his obsession over the Korean food. But nothing felt uplifting for him. In fact, just watching everyone be so jolly made him jealous- a feeling he hasn't encountered in such a long time, that he almost forgot about how it felt to be jealous. He told himself that being envious did nothing for him but he couldn't help but feel so lonely after seeing all the happy couples strolling about the street. With so much chaos going around just to keep the secrets of the Nobles and Werewolves down, he doubted that he'll be able to set time for himself anytime soon. Another year but nothing new.
He turned around as he felt a hand gently tapping his shoulder, a little surprised to find someone he hadn't expected to show up. The man smiled, sitting besides the sniper with a small sigh. "I wonder how the humans can stay so joyful, even with disasters around them," the blond man spoke up, breaking the silence between the two.
"It's the hope for the better that gets them running I guess," Takeo replied back, looking at the small children running around below him. Despite him being a human as well, he never understood the concept of hope either, an idea strong enough to move a nation. To him, that was terrifying. It meant a theory, proven true or not, had the capability of swaying the minds of millions to move. It was possible that it was his different views on the world that's caused him to have a lonely nature.
Rajak nodded in silence, tugging down on his mask to free his jaw from the black cloak. He too, stared down below at the crowded streets, observing the festive country in silence. To someone who has never understood human customs quite clearly, festive times were always entertaining to observe and take part in. This one was no different.
"Why do humans celebrate this day? What is so ecstatic about seeing the numbers on their calendars change?" Rajak questioned the quiet sniper, shifting his body to face him.
"Some people see this as another chance to redeem themselves for their past mistakes. Others see it as a chance to better themselves and to set up a goal to work towards. Really depends on the person for the reason," Takeo responded back, staring up at the starry night sky with a sigh. Another year to waste in trying to find myself, he thought, reminding himself of the past failures that only caused him more grief than relief.
