In Japanese customs, December 31st is known as New Year's Eve, and the evening of that day is also called "Ōmisoka," where people pray for the deities to bestow blessings, sending off the troubles of the old year and welcoming a beautiful new one.
At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, temples in cities and countryside alike strike the bell 108 times to expel evil; Japanese people sit quietly and listen to the "New Year's Eve Bell," with the final toll signifying the arrival of the New Year. After listening to the New Year's Eve Bell, going to bed and having a good dream is known as "hatsuyume," symbolizing the fortune for the coming year.
However, for Yu Chen and Hiromi Jounouchi, all these were indeed just customs. As transcendents, they did not fear so-called evil or ghosts and monsters, and as for misfortune... fate is the most unpredictable thing; rather than praying to gods and Buddha, it was better to rely on oneself.
