It was night.
Rei stood on the balcony, his arms resting lightly against the railing. The world below was hushed—blanketed in fresh snow, soft and untouched. Streetlights glowed amber, their light bouncing off rooftops like little stars trapped on earth.
The moon hung high. Shiny. Elegant. Serene. Like it was watching over everything.
And Rei?
He felt... light. Not like he was about to float away or anything, but like the usual weight on his chest had gone missing.
He smiled faintly.
Tink!
A message popped up on his phone.
---
Haruta:
"As I said—you're coming to my place tomorrow evening. With Sera, Alya, Sia, Souta, Chris, and Airi. Don't be late."
Rei:
"Okay, sounds fun. Didn't know Chris and Airi were invited too. 😄"
Haruta:
"Don't be weird. They're friends now."
Rei:
"Yeah, you're right."
---
Somewhere else...
Alya flopped onto her bed with a dramatic groan, blankets tangling around her legs.
She stared at the ceiling, then rolled to her side. Then her back. Then her other side. Then—
"GAHHHHH," she grumbled into her pillow.
Alya:
"I'M SO NERVOUS ABOUT TOMORROW 😭"
Haruta:
"Relax. It's all gonna go as planned. Promise."
Alya:
"Yeah…"
She tossed her phone onto the blanket, exhaled slowly, and hugged a pillow close.
"…I just hope it won't be awkward."
She stayed like that for a while, staring into the quiet.
Snow fell outside, slow and dreamy.
Eventually, her eyes fluttered shut.
---
Morning.
Souta was a certified burrito—wrapped in three blankets and dead to the world.
Ding-dong.
The doorbell rang. No movement.
Ding-dong. Ding-dong. Ding-dong.
Groaning, he crawled out of bed, hair sticking up in every direction. He shuffled to the door, still half in a dream.
Click.
Sia stood there, arms crossed, puffed jacket zipped to the top, snowflakes clinging to her scarf.
"…Hey," Souta said, voice gravelly. "Sup?"
"We're not going to school today," she said, like it was the most normal thing ever.
"Huh?" He blinked. "Why not?"
"My cycle's broken. The nearest repair shop's closed tomorrow, and I'm not carrying that thing by myself. So congrats—you've been chosen."
Souta blinked again. "I think I'll go back to bed."
He turned around.
SMACK.
Her bag hit the back of his head.
"OW! WHAT THE—?!"
"That's your wake-up call, idiot," she said with a smirk.
"…I liked it better when you were quiet," he mumbled.
But he grabbed a jacket anyway.
---
The two of them walked side by side through the snowy streets, Souta pushing the half-frozen bicycle like it was a second punishment.
Clouds puffed from their mouths in the cold air.
"You said we're going to Haruta's, right?" Sia asked, keeping her gaze forward.
"Yeah," Souta replied. "Apparently… he's introducing Alya to his grandma today."
"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow. "It's official now?"
"Guess so. Makes sense—I mean, they're all heart-eyes around each other."
Sia chuckled. "That's kinda cute."
"Yeah…" Souta said, a little quieter.
Silence settled between them.
Just the sound of their boots crunching the snow.
Souta glanced at her from the corner of his eye.
Her brown hair peeked out from under her beanie, catching the sunlight.
Her scarf hid most of her face, but her pink cheeks gave her away.
His own face felt warmer than it should.
"No. No no no. Don't be a weirdo, bro," he scolded himself.
He looked away. Then—looked back again.
And she… was already looking at him.
Their eyes met.
Just for a second.
Both of them quickly looked away.
Neither said a word.
But something felt... different.
Not bad-different. Just… not how it used to be.
---
They finally reached the shop. It wasn't much, but the guy inside got the job done.
Once the cycle was fixed and paid for, they started walking back—slower this time.
Snow kept falling like a sleepy lullaby.
"Thanks for today," Sia said suddenly, looking ahead. "See you at Haruta's."
She turned to leave.
But—
Souta gently grabbed her wrist. Not hard. Just enough.
"…Wait. Don't go. Not yet."
Sia turned, brows raised. "Didn't you say you were tired?"
"That's why I want you around right now," he said, barely louder than the wind. "Just five more minutes."
She blinked.
The world felt oddly still.
Souta didn't move any closer. He just stood there, looking at her. Eyes soft. No teasing this time.
Sia's cheeks flushed a little deeper. She turned quickly, heading inside.
He stood there, frozen.
"…Yeah. Got my answer," he whispered to himself, a little smile tugging at his lips.
He turned to leave.
Then—
Click.
The door creaked open behind him.
"Wait!"
He turned. "What?"
"I just went to put the cycle inside," she said, breath slightly uneven. "I thought… maybe we could go to the park?"
She didn't meet his eyes.
Her face was pink.
Souta blinked. Then smiled.
"Yeah. Let's go."
--to be continued
-~Rei