-KOMORI RESIDENCE, SAPPORO, HOKKAIDO, JAPAN-
-6:12 PM, DECEMBER 9, 2016-
Warm light spilled from the wide windows of the Komori residence, glowing softly against the snow-covered driveway. Inside, the house was quiet in a way that felt intentional—calm, controlled, refined.
Ichika sat at the dining table, her posture straight as ever, hands folded neatly in her lap.
"How was school?" Ikumi Komori asked, setting down a porcelain cup of tea.
"It was good," Ichika replied. "Rehearsal went well."
Ikumi smiled. "You seem… brighter lately."
Ichika blinked. "Do I?"
"Mm." Her mother studied her gently. "You've been thinking about something. Or someone."
Ichika looked down at her tea, the steam fogging her vision for a moment.
"…Just school."
Ikumi didn't press. She never did.
Dinner passed quietly—polite conversation, soft laughter, the comforting rhythm of a life carefully built. Yet even surrounded by warmth, Ichika felt a small ache in her chest.
What is he doing right now?
The thought surprised her.
-DOWNTOWN SAPPORO ALLEY-
-6:39 PM-
Cold swallowed Rikuu the moment he stepped into the alley.
Masayoshi Fujikawa was already there, hands shoved into his jacket, breath visible in the dim light. "You look distracted."
Rikuu scoffed. "You're imagining things."
Masayoshi smirked. "Sure I am."
A few figures lingered nearby, eyes sharp, waiting.
Rikuu cracked his neck once. "Let's get it over with."
The fight was rougher than usual.
Not because he was slower—but because his timing was off. A punch grazed his shoulder. Another landed too close to his ribs.
He ended it anyway.
He always did.
Money exchanged hands. Cheers followed.
Masayoshi frowned slightly. "You alright?"
"…Yeah."
But his breathing said otherwise.
-PHARMACY, DOWNTOWN SAPPORO-
-7:22 PM-
The pharmacist glanced up, concern flickering across her face. "You're bleeding again."
"I know."
She handed him the medicine without comment.
As Rikuu turned to leave, she spoke softly.
"Be careful, Arakawa-kun."
He paused, then nodded once.
-ARAKAWA RESIDENCE, SAPPORO-
-8:05 PM-
The apartment was quiet except for the faint hum of the heater.
Rikuu moved gently, changing into clean clothes before entering the bedroom.
Fumiko Arakawa looked up when he approached, smiling weakly. "Welcome home."
"…I'm back."
She reached for his hand, her touch light. "You're colder than usual."
"…Sorry."
She shook her head. "Sit."
He did.
As he helped her take her medicine, her eyes lingered on his face. "You've been busy at school," she said. "You smile more when you talk about it."
He froze.
"…I don't smile."
She chuckled softly. "You do. Just not with your mouth."
Rikuu looked away.
-KOMORI RESIDENCE, SAPPORO-
-8:41 PM-
Ichika stood by her bedroom window, city lights blinking in the distance.
She hugged her arms around herself—not from the cold, but from something unfamiliar stirring inside her chest.
Rikuu Arakawa lived in a world so different from hers.
And yet—
When he stood onstage, when he spoke without guarding every word, she felt closer to him than to anyone else.
"I want to understand," she whispered.
Outside, snow continued to fall.
In two separate homes, under the same winter sky, two hearts moved quietly—drawn closer not by choice, but by something steadily, inevitably warming between them.