when the sun comes back

Prologue

"Please Usui-kun! This is the last time I promise! I just need another guy to come with me because I promised her I'd bring someone for her friend, and who better to ask than my best friend in the whole wide world, Usui Takumi!" begged Hinata with his best puppy eyed impression. He'd just bust into Usui's office for the third time this week asking for a favour.

"No. And I'm not your friend." Usui snapped.

It was the last day of 2014 and Usui was on his last nerve. He'd been up for several late nights studying and practicing for a big upcoming surgery, which would be his last surgery in residency before acquiring his license to become a cardiothoracic surgeon, and he had no time to waste going on a double date with his imbecile best friend who's followed him around since highschool. It wasn't that he hated Shintani Hinata, as he didn't have that many friends to begin with, but Hinata had a way of getting to Usui--if only to make him shut up.

"C'mon Usui-kun!! You've been working so hard lately and you really need this break! I promise you, Suzuna's sister is really cute and she's super fun to be around! Hell, she's almost as fun as I am and you know how fun I am!"

Usui sighed. As if we need more idiots like this guy prancing around he thought. But he let Hinata continue, as he was right about Usui lacking a break recently and god knows the man needed a drink.

"Also, IkindofalreadytoldthemIwasbringingyou" The overconfident Hinata whispered the last part as fast as he could as if he knew what was coming next was dangerous. He was a spontaneous man who often paraded about jumping off of who-knows-what and wearing strange patterns and colours that he believed to be "trendy", but Usui was a figure to fear and Hinata would never underestimate him.

"Hya, you idiot!" Usui fumed, smacking the back of Hinata's head and leaving an unreasonably large bump. Even so, if it was already confirmed he had no reason to say no. "Whatever I guess. Get out of my office and start the car before I change my mind"

With a small victory fist to the air, Hinata grabbed Usui and dragged him to the car, leaving whatever stresses Usui carried in the room before driving out to a bar in the east side of town. As every holiday season went, the streets were alive with colour and light as locals and tourists flocked to photo spots and bars to spend time with their friends. Many people were also in the midst of celebrating the New Year leaving no street untouched by jolly partygoers. Although Usui rarely ever celebrated the New Year, preferring to stay home with a bottle of scotch to watch the countdown on TV, Hinata's recent return to town stopped him from ever catching a minute of freetime again.

His friend had been living with his uncle in the rural countryside for several years after the death of his parents, and he only recently returned after acquiring a PHd in Psychology. How the man managed to do so being the dumbass that he was evaded him, as Hinata was the type of person who would take 3 days to add two to four. Hinata was one of Usui's closest childhood friends. His family supplied Usui's with much of the produce and service for their restaurant chain, and even if he didn't show it Usui was very grateful for his friendship.

---

On the other side of town, Ayuzawa Misaki was faced with a similar problem. Misaki had just finished her shift at the law office, ready to take a nice long nap on her couch at home when her sister burst through the doors of the office, demanding that Misaki accompany her to a bar on the other side of town. Out of character for Suzuna to act in such a way, Misaki was taken aback but saw the determination in her eyes and decided that she didn't have much to lose by obeying her sister's demand. Suzuna was a rather timid character who didn't usually get flustered or overly excited, but when she learned that her childhood crush was back in town and wanted to see her, she couldn't pass up the opportunity.