The soft morning sounds of the city awakening filtered through the thin curtains of Renji's apartment.
Snowflakes were sprinkling, very few of them before the sun came and dried it all up.
This meant winter—Renji's favorite season—was fast approaching.
The light casted shadows Renji's face, pulling him from his sleep. He got up from bed, looked out the window and smiled at the snow.
After rolling over and landing on his feet, he brushed his teeth, washed his hair and headed to his desk, now wearing a simple t-shirt and sweats.
With a sigh of joy, he picked up the mug of steaming milk coffee that Reina had prepared with her usual meticulous care.
The milky brew jolted his senses, sharpening his mind for the day ahead while sweetening his tongue. This really was the life.
Yesterday's public holiday had been productive: hours spent with Hitomi in the art room, fleshing out his competition piece amid her increasingly obvious flirtations.
