Although my memory is a bit hazy because it was so long ago and I was only about nine years old, I still remember the day Tetsuo and I crossed paths. I was in the backyard of the mansion my father owned, playing catch with Haruko. That day was so cold that we had to wear scarves, mittens, snow jackets, and hats just to keep warm. Our boots crunched on the hardened snow, and our breath fogged thick in the air with every exhale.
Winter was approaching, which explained the drastic drop in temperature. Just as Haruko and I were about to head back inside where it was warm, we saw a boy barely able to stand on his feet. He looked malnourished, wore rags, and was covered in dirt, as if he hadn't had a bath in years.
Though he looked weak and hopeless, wandering aimlessly in the cold, he held onto both a worn-out basketball and a little girl, who wasn't as dirty as him. The look in her eyes was filled with certainty, as if she believed everything would be okay.
"Tetsuo, I'm really hungry," Usagi said, shivering and trembling from the cold as she pulled on Tetsuo's shirt to get his attention.
"There's no need to worry, Usagi. As long as I'm still breathing, I'll always find a way to make you happy. One day, you'll never have to worry about being hungry, okay?" Tetsuo said with a smile as he patted Usagi's hand—then suddenly collapsed to the ground.
His body crumpled, face-first into the snow.
"Big brother? Tetsuo, are you hearing me? Get up. Now is not the time to joke around. I'm really hungry. Tetsuo! Tetsuo!" Usagi screamed with tears in her eyes, shaking him by the shoulders.
I froze for a moment. I was just a child like them back then. I had never experienced suffering like that, and I didn't even know what they had been through before we met. But I couldn't look away. I couldn't just leave them out in the cold. I felt compelled to help them, and I did just that.
"Haruko, go inside and get some blankets and snacks. Now. Hurry," Sachiko said, her voice urgent.
Haruko didn't ask questions. She turned and bolted into the house.
Sachiko stepped closer to the girl. "Listen, I'm going to help you and your brother now, okay? But I need your help. We need to move him inside. Can you do that?"
Usagi didn't answer right away. She looked down at her brother's face, then back at Sachiko. Her lips trembled, but she gave a determined nod.
They bent down together. Sachiko grabbed Tetsuo by the arms, while Usagi struggled to lift his legs. The snow made it harder to move—more than once, Sachiko slipped and landed on one knee, her breath hitching. The cold stung her hands through the gloves, and her scarf kept slipping down as she strained to drag him forward. Usagi's arms trembled from the weight and cold, and her face was pinched with effort.
After what felt like forever, they reached the large wooden dollhouse in the corner of the backyard. The door creaked open, revealing the tiny interior where Sachiko used to play house. The air inside was stale and warm compared to the wind outside, though it still carried the chill of the floor beneath.
Just as they lowered Tetsuo inside, Haruko came running back.
"Here you go, Sachiko," Haruko said, handing her a thick blanket and a bag of crackers.
"Haruko, give me your coat too, please," Sachiko said as she stripped off her own scarf, mittens, jacket, and hat. She wrapped them around Tetsuo one by one, tucking the ends in tightly.
Haruko nodded, pulled off her winter coat, and handed it to her. Sachiko immediately draped it around Usagi's shoulders, then covered both siblings with the blanket.
"Here, take this," Sachiko said as she handed Usagi the bag of crackers. "Eat this to regain your strength. And when your brother wakes up, share it with him. But you both have to stay hidden in here, no matter what. Understand?"
Usagi clutched the bag and nodded. Her eyes were wide but sincere. "Thank you... Thank you for helping us."
With that, Sachiko and Haruko slipped out of the dollhouse and quietly closed the door.
That night, Sachiko couldn't sleep. She lay in bed staring at the ceiling, her fingers tightening around the edge of her blanket. Her thoughts kept drifting back to the way Tetsuo's face looked in the snow, the way Usagi didn't hesitate to try and help him despite her size. What if they weren't warm enough? What if someone from the house found them?
She turned over and squeezed her eyes shut.
The next morning, she woke up early. Haruko met her outside with a bag packed with extra breakfast from the kitchen.
Inside the dollhouse, Tetsuo stirred awake. His eyes blinked open slowly, and the first thing he saw was the soft rise and fall of Usagi's chest under the blanket. She was curled up next to him, finally asleep.
"I can't recall what happened... Oh, right. I passed out. I left poor little Usagi alone," he murmured, his voice heavy with guilt. He reached over and gently patted her head.
She stirred. "Big brother, you're awake! I was so worried," she said, throwing her arms around him with tears already gathering in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, Usagi. I won't make you worry like that again. I promise I'll always be here for you, no matter what."
The dollhouse door opened.
"You're finally awake," Sachiko said as she and Haruko stepped in.
Tetsuo looked up, startled. "Who are you guys?"
"My name is Sachiko Takahashi. We found you outside our gate yesterday, passed out in the snow, and your sister was crying. We couldn't just leave you there," Sachiko explained. "We brought you blankets and let you rest in my dollhouse."
"Oh, I see... Thank you so much."
"I also brought breakfast. Please take it," Sachiko said, holding out the plate.
Tetsuo took it slowly. The moment food touched his tongue, his eyes welled up. Each bite brought tears down his cheeks. His body was trembling—not from the cold this time, but from months of stress that had finally broken open.
"Thank you. I'm truly grateful."
"I told you my name. Can you tell me yours?"
"My name is Tetsuo Kawaguchi, and this is my little sister, Usagi Kawaguchi."
Sachiko nodded. "Tetsuo... you're really dirty, and you need a proper bath. But I'll have to sneak you both inside when no one's around. After we get back from school, we'll be alone at home. That'll be the perfect time. Just wait here until then."
"I also brought some snacks," Haruko said, handing over a small pack. "Eat these if you get hungry."
"Thank you... both of you," Tetsuo said softly.
After school, Sachiko and Haruko returned in a hurry. As they passed through the gate, something caught their attention.
Tetsuo was outside, dribbling the same old basketball. His footwork was slow but deliberate, the worn soles of his bare feet pressing against the cold stone pavement. Despite the lingering stiffness in his legs and the chill clinging to his skin, he controlled the ball with a sharp, focused rhythm. Each bounce echoed with a dull thud against the frosted ground, steady and persistent.
The air was crisp, and his breath came out in faint puffs that vanished quickly. His fingers, red from the cold, moved with practiced familiarity, palms adjusting the ball with just enough force to keep it from slipping.
Haruko stopped beside Sachiko and stared.
Her eyes widened slightly as she took in the sight—his slight frame hunched against the cold, the concentration in his expression, the ball never slipping from his control. There was no audience, no court, no sneakers squeaking on polished floors—only him, the basketball, and the quiet rhythm that carried through the empty yard.
That moment stayed with her. The look in his eyes, the way his body adjusted to the motion despite the cold—it stayed.
The ball. The boy. And the way he moved with it—she never forgot.
It was the first time she felt something unfamiliar stir in her chest at the sight of basketball. Not just interest—something deeper.
And Tetsuo Kawaguchi, the barefoot boy who collapsed in the snow, would become someone unforgettable to both of them.