Mash-Up: Anything for Money

Heilongjiang, another winter. Hakuto walked through the most bustling part of the city, wearing only a thin jacket.

The winter in Heilongjiang could truly freeze a person to death. 

The clean snowflakes landed on Hakuto's shoulders, and his slightly thin figure seemed as though it could be swallowed up by the heavy snow at any moment.

His hair danced wildly in the wind, and his thin clothes seemed incapable of fending off the cold, sticking tightly to his body.

Hakuto's figure was particularly eye-catching in the crowd. 

Besides his ink-black long hair and delicate features, it was his thin clothing that made him stand out.

In a street where everyone seemed eager to wrap themselves up like dumplings, Hakuto was indeed conspicuous, though he didn't pay much attention to the gazes around him...

"It's October..." Hakuto muttered to himself, slightly tilting his head back as the sparse snowflakes occasionally fell into his reddened eyes.

It felt quite pleasant...

However, just as Hakuto was about to leave, a long green military coat appeared in his line of sight.

"Child, look at what you're wearing..."

Hakuto turned his head to see an elderly woman, probably over fifty, looking at him.

"Child, where are your family members? You don't seem to be a local, right?"

Hakuto didn't respond, simply shaking his head.

Looking at the thick coat in the old woman's hands, Hakuto knew it was meant for him, but he didn't take it.

"Put it on... If you only wear so little, you'll freeze to death..."

"Thank you..." Hakuto murmured a thank you, his face showing a faint smile. The next moment, he disappeared out of thin air.

Freeze to death? If that were true, Hakuto would have died back in Russia, where some areas are even colder than here.

Hakuto didn't think he needed the coat, nor did he believe he could return it after accepting it, so he declined.

The elderly woman, still holding the coat, stared at the spot where Hakuto had disappeared, rubbing her eyes.

"At this late hour, could it be that I'm seeing things?"

By the way, it's worth mentioning that today is Hakuto's birthday—his 19th birthday...

...

December, Sichuan. 

Hakuto squeezed into the crowd at the Chengdu Twin Towers, gazing at the sky full of fireworks.

Listening to the cheers of the people around him, a smile unconsciously appeared on his face.

The countdown at the Twin Towers marked the end of the old year and the beginning of the new one.

Listening to the words of New Year's Eve celebrations around him, Hakuto's gaze fixed on the Twin Towers.

It felt like he had made an appointment with someone to celebrate the New Year together...

"Hakuto-sensei! Hakuto-sensei!"

Among the noisy crowd, the shout of "Hakuto-sensei" sounded particularly jarring, or at least that's how Hakuto felt.

Almost instinctively, he turned his head toward the source of the voice.

However, all he saw were people of a similar age to him cheering and celebrating, with no one calling "Hakuto-sensei."

Hakuto sighed, thinking he must have misheard.

"Yuu has already walked away..."

Hakuto murmured to himself. Though the lively scene of the New Year's Eve celebration fascinated him, he knew he couldn't stay too long.

...

Japan, Asakusa.

Here, a fireworks festival that was rarely held even once a year was taking place.

The streets of Japan were bustling on New Year's Eve, with magnificent fireworks bursting one after another, transforming the dark sky into a dreamy painting.

A group of girls, dressed in colorful yukatas, gathered together. 

Their pink hair cascaded down smoothly, and the intricate patterns on their yukatas shimmered under the glow of the fireworks.

Unlike the excitement around them, the girls, besides being thrilled, also had a faint sadness in their eyes.

"Yotsuba... do you think Hakuto-sensei can see these fireworks?" Yotsuba's innocent expression made the vibrant fireworks seem even more dazzling.

Ichika shook her head, patted Yotsuba's head, and didn't speak.

"Hakuto-sensei should be in China by now, right?" Itsuki asked tentatively.

"Yeah... he went to Russia six months ago, so he should have been in China for a while now..."

"Then why don't we... don't go to China..."

Nino said, "It's because Hakuto-sensei told us to wait for him to come back."

Yotsuba rebutted, "But Hakuto-sensei also said that when two years are up, he'll let me go to China to find him..."

Two years... Has it passed? 

It seems like it already has...

Seeing Nino hesitating, Yotsuba was about to say something when someone patted her on the shoulder.

"Huh? Nao-sensei? What are you doing here?"

"Even though there are a lot of people, the quintuplets are still quite noticeable." Nao said, then checked her own body, "And I'm not the only one..."

Behind Nao, Ginko, dressed in a yukata, stood there with a hesitant expression.

Ginko had always been reluctant to acknowledge the quintuplets, and their rare meetings sometimes felt a bit awkward.

"Don't misunderstand, Nao dragged me here..." Ginko's explanation seemed weak.

"Come on, Ginko, didn't you promise Hakuto you'd get along with everyone?"

"Get along? He promised to come back within two years, and that still hasn't happened..."

Ginko and Nao sat beside the quintuplets. 

The dazzling fireworks illuminated their faces, but the festive atmosphere of the New Year didn't seem to pull them into the celebration.

"Nao, do you have any news about Hakuto?"

As usual, the conversation revolved around Hakuto. 

But it made sense—there had never been any real connection between them, only that Hakuto had made an effort to keep everyone together.

Upon hearing this, Nao shook her head. Perhaps she knew a little more than the others, but only just a little...

No one in the world could keep up with the pace of Hakuto and Otosaka Yuu, and no one could follow them without being noticed.

So, news of Hakuto's whereabouts was always sporadic.

Just then, Miku suddenly raised a question.

"A few months ago was Hakuto's 19th birthday, right?"

Everyone around her was taken aback.

"Hakuto once said that his abilities only lasted through puberty, so does that mean he's about to come back soon?"

Miku's thinking was simple: once his abilities faded, Hakuto would naturally return.

Puberty for boys usually ends around the ages of 18 to 20, though the specific age varies from person to person.

That means Hakuto only had a few months left, or perhaps even less!

Thinking of this, Nao's heartbeat suddenly quickened, a feeling she couldn't explain.

After all, her older brother was only released when he turned 19...

A foreboding sense settled in the hearts of the seven people...