“Moshi moshi?”

“Moshi moshi! Naachan!” Mai’s enthusiastic voice rings over the line into Nanase’s ears.

“Maiyan,” Nanase breathes into a smile.

“I figured you’d be settled down by now back at your home,” Mai starts. 

“Ah, yes, sorry I didn’t text you,” Nanase frowns slightly.

“Nah, I wasn’t expecting it,” Mai chuckles. “How are you spending your New Year’s Eve?”

“Nothing much, my family just has the television on, the dogs are fighting again, and oh yeah, did you see them on Kouhaku?”

“Kouhaku yes! Ikuchan’s last stage, she’s grown so much, they’ve all grown so much,” Mai adds a sigh when she finishes her words heavily laced with sentimentality.

“Ikuchan did so well, and Kikkake really sounds so good with the piano,” Nanase continues to marvel, “and it’s so amazing how they got the whole group together.”

“Right... Ah how time flies,” Mai blinks as her eyes begin to water. “Ikuchan was just a kid. Now she’s doing so many wonderful things, she’s always had the talent but seeing her as an adult now...”

“They’re all growing so much.”

“Yeah...”

“I...” Nanase bites on her lower lip as she contemplates her words, “How are you spending your New Year’s Eve?”

Mai purses her lips together. Thinking she knows what Nanase is trying to bring up, she her lips and carefully words her answer, “Honestly, I’m alone and it’s quiet in here, but I’m glad you got to go back to Osaka and be with your family. But I’d like to spend the last few minutes of this year and the first few minutes of the next with you like this, hearing your voice even if I cannot see you.”

Nanase lowers her head. From the corner of her eye she can see their house cat stretching after a nap. “Maiyan,” she can only say, because Mai always leaves her speechless, understanding her too well, being just everything she needs. She wishes she could drop everything and go straight to Mai’s side, and she wishes she didn’t come back to Osaka but remained in Tokyo to usher in the New Year with Mai.

“No, Naachan, it’s not all the time you get consecutive days free of schedules and the opportunity to be back in Osaka. Don’t think about regretting not staying in Tokyo with me. I’m fine, and I had work today anyway.”

Nanase doesn’t know if she loves or hates it that Mai always knows what’s going on in her mind, even when they are miles apart.

The silence tells Mai they are done with this topic. “Yosh, you know what, I think I’ll grab a can of beer. Are you going to?”

“Hm, I don’t drink that often, but sure...”

Mai lets out a brief laughter. “I know you don’t. But thanks, just for today...”

“I felt like it too,” Nanase laughs along. She hears the shuffling of Mai’s home slippers over the line and stands herself up to make her way to the fridge.

“Oh, there’s actually this here, nama jokki-kan,” Nanase stands before the fridge with her eyes wide open, her phone still pressed against her ear. “I think my parents got that...”

Mai gasps, so loudly Nanase almost has to bring her phone away from her ear. “Maji de?! I heard it’s really difficult to get... Eh... That sounds so good...”

Mai’s whining keeps Nanase in laughter as she reaches for another can, “You know what, I think I’ll drink something else instead. I’ll save nama jokki-kan for another time with you.”

Mai narrows her eyes and sighs. “Naachan, you’re too much of a good kid.”

Nanase can only chuckle at her words. 

“Nana! It’s almost midnight!” Mai can hear Nanase’s mother over the phone. Her lips are pressed into a smile upon hearing the nostalgic nickname, unbeknownst to herself. 

“Ah! That’s fast! Maiyan, let’s count down together,” the excitement in Nanase’s voice causes Mai’s heart to flip within her, and she can imagine the sparkle in the former’s eyes. 

“Un,” Mai smiles and nods. The rowdiness in Nanase’s home can be heard over the call, a stark contrast to the stillness in Mai’s apartment that she now finds too big for a single person. 

She hears the descending numbers in synchronous shouts, but Nanase’s voice isn’t among any of them. 

“Another 5 seconds,” Nanase breathes. 

“Thank you for being with me in 2021,” there is urgency in Mai’s sudden sincere outpour of the emotions that seem to be overflowing within her.

Nanase’s breath stops. Enthusiastic cheers of “Happy New Year!” can be heard in the background as Nanase speaks over them, “Kocchi koso (I should be saying that). Arigatou.” 

Mai breathes in and softly says, “Happy New Year.”

“Happy New Year.”

“Kotoshi mo, yoroshiku ne (And this year too),” Mai adds, her earnest feelings delivered over the line.

“Yoroshiku,” Nanase reciprocates them. 

The cold can in Mai’s hand begins the numb her fingers. She puts it down. “Let’s toast.”

“Okay, I’m by the window,” Nanase says, “like our first Asahi CM.”

Mai laughs, “Yes, but this time, it’ll be less of a wait till we meet.”

“I hope.”

“Definitely.”

“Happy New Year, Naachan, I love you. Kanpai!” Mai raises her hand to the night sky by the window. 

“Kanpai!” Nanase does the same, her eyes on the moon, now a thin crescent. She hears Mai taking a gulp on the other side of the line. Suppressing her laughter, Nanase takes a sip. 

“I love you too.”

Mai lowers her head as her lips spread into a smile.

“Happy New Year, Maiyan.”

a/n: japanese title is as translated, as in the text in their conversation~ i don't know how to translate 'yoroshiku' tho

i don’t think naachan went back to osaka for the new year, im not too sure, but this just came to my mind and not the best job i know but im glad my first fic of the year is nanamai<3 some parts of the conversation were difficult to write, they sound a lot better in japanese hmmm... and nama jokki-kan, the magical beer can that nanamai advertised I RLY WANT TO TRY THAT PLS ;-; it looked so nice in their CM. ahhh i missed nanamai,,, haha have a happy new year, i hope 2022 will be a great year for everyone!