The first crystalline snowflake melted in his palm. Logan gazed up at the fluttering white snow drifting lazily from the sky and said to the girl beside him,
"Still as fitting as ever this year."
Sumika was bundled up in a scarf and hat, her winter coat making her look like a plump little hamster curled up for hibernation. She stretched out a pale hand, exhaled a warm breath onto it, and stared at the falling snow with sparkling eyes before nodding emphatically.
"Yeah."
The weight of their shared past kept them standing there in silence, watching the snow on this special day. After who knows how long, the cold sting on his cheeks reminded Logan of the time. He took Sumika's soft, delicate hand and said, "Let's go."
Christmas was one of the liveliest holidays in Japan. The streets were bustling with joy, couples everywhere, and naturally, they had plans to spend the day together.
Hugging for warmth in the cold weather was something single people could only dream of.
As they started walking, Logan noticed snow piling up on the girl's hat. He playfully patted it off, a tender gesture that somehow turned into mischief, earning him a pouty whine from Sumika.
Their itinerary had been planned long ago. While the festive atmosphere was crafted by the people around them, they also quietly marked the day in their own way.
This day felt like a boundary, a point where two worlds crossed paths before diverging onto entirely different roads. To the vast sky, it made no difference, but to them, it held immense significance.
The snowfall seemed to make the passersby more sensitive and cheerful. Flakes landed on them, only to disappear the next moment like a game of hide-and-seek.
The crisp air and the silver-white scenery slowly draped the city after the first snow. Children ran around the park laughing, parents chasing after them in scolding tones before eventually stopping, panting helplessly in the middle.
Logan and Sumika chuckled at the sight. Nearby, the snow on the eaves and tiles was already fading into faint patches. Watching the carefree children, Sumika's smile gradually took on a shy blush.
On the train, Sumika casually asked, "Logan, do you prefer boys or girls?"
Logan was engrossed in a funny commercial playing on the train screen, some Japanese ads were genuinely hilarious.
He stifled a laugh, "Huh? Boys or girls? Why ask that… Either is fine."
Casual. Whatever. You decide. These were fatal mistakes in a relationship, and Logan had just blundered right into them.
Sumika glanced at him, the softness in her eyes vanishing. She puffed her cheeks, especially when Logan burst out laughing at the ad. At that moment, she decided her boyfriend was just a stupid, clueless bear.
She let go of his hand, snorted, and turned her back on him.
Logan instantly realized his mistake.
Their first stop was the Tokyo Skytree, the 634-meter-tall man-made staircase to the sky.
They had deliberately chosen the morning to avoid the worst of the crowds.
On a holiday like Christmas, locals probably couldn't be bothered to visit, as it was too much hassle and not enough fun.
After all, why stand at a high point when you could be in lively places like Shinjuku or Shibuya? Most of the people in line for tickets were tourists drawn by its fame.
Logan even overheard familiar but unique English. A few tour groups passed by in waves, some young, others elderly, their regional dialects boldly cutting through the air, filling Logan with a sense of nostalgia.
"Logan, were those people from your hometown just now? I couldn't understand a single word…" Sumika frowned, watching the group of American aunties and uncles walk away, feeling a little defeated. She had been studying English diligently and was usually confident in her learning abilities.
"Don't worry." Logan said, ruffling her hair, "I couldn't understand them either."
Pulling the puzzled Sumika along, they reached the 345-meter observation deck.
"So pretty~"
Surprisingly, the place was packed. The spacious deck was crowded with all kinds of people.
After squeezing their way to a glass panel, Sumika pressed her hands against it and sighed in admiration.
Skyscrapers and tiny houses stretched out in neat rows below, turning Tokyo into an intricate city model. The view from above was always breathtaking, and Logan admired it for a while.
But no matter how stunning the scenery, the noisy crowd dulled its charm.
He glanced around at the jostling tourists and couldn't help but think, 'It was better when I climbed up from the outside the first time…'
Some were taking selfies, others chatting or eating, all absorbed in their own worlds. Logan noticed a girl who snapped a bunch of photos before burying herself in her phone, never looking outside again.
Nearby, a bespectacled student stared blankly into the distance, muttering, "Edward, give me back Hera… Edward, you bastard…"
'What a mess.'
After lingering for a bit, Logan and Sumika took the elevator up to the 450-meter-high Tembo Galleria.
The atmosphere changed instantly, as if the air itself had been filtered into quiet serenity.
Perhaps most people didn't think buying another ticket was worth it, because the upper level was nearly empty, with only a handful of visitors scattered around.
Logan and Sumika exhaled softly in relief before slowly taking in the vast, gray-white sky outside, dotted with snowflakes.
Standing at the edge felt like floating among the clouds. Both of them were filled with a strange, quiet emotion, something between nostalgia and peace.
"Nothing's changed. The broken part's been fixed." Sumika said with a smile, trying to find the exact spot where the glass had shattered in her memory. But they all looked the same now, indistinguishable.
Stubbornly pointing at a random panel, she turned to Logan, "Right?"
"Yeah." Logan nodded immediately, his eyes warm with affection.
The sky above was silent, broken only by the occasional hushed whisper. Logan wrapped an arm around Sumika's shoulders, feeling the warmth of her heartbeat even through the thick fabric.
Tiny snowflakes drifted slowly outside. Leaning against the railing, the vast galleria stretched before them, as if the moonlight from that night was shining down again, reflecting off the shattered glass on the floor.
"So nostalgic." Sumika murmured, her red agate-like eyes shimmering, "Really… thank you, Logan."
"I should be the one thanking you."
Logan pinched her cheek from below, a playful reprimand.
Beneath them, the sprawling city of Tokyo felt close enough to touch, yet somehow more distant than ever. But here, their hearts were infinitely near.
A single glance brought back the danger and resolve of that night's climb. He had stood just inches from this very glass, 600 meters in the air.
"I remember every single moment of that night… every single expression of yours."
Sumika interlaced her fingers with his and stared up at him, teasing, "What expressions?"
When a woman stares into your eyes, don't speak.
"…"
The snow was damp.
Time rushed by, yet sometimes, the past repeated itself. The storm that night had been far fiercer than today's.