I sank into the cold, hard floor as a painful throbbing sensation pulsed from my shoulder.
"Ha… haha."
A crooked chuckle slipped out of me, sending sharp waves of pain through my entire body.
I shivered as the cold bit into my skin, but the warmth of Yuka's hand kept me anchored. She gave my hand a light tug.
"Hey… you okay?" she asked, pushing through laboured breaths.
"No, not really," I replied, still staring up at the ceiling.
Yuka let out a soft giggle before abruptly cutting it off with a pained "ack!"
Well, at least she's as hurt as I am.
"This… has to be… a world record or something," she groaned.
Even though she was right next to me, her words reached me in an unrecognizable haze. I turned my head toward where she was lying.
"...What???"
The tone came out a lot more exasperated than I meant it to, but it's too late to do anything about it now.
Yuka scowled and shook her head, her gaze fixed stubbornly on the ceiling.
"Ugh, forget it. You just ruined the joke."
I stared at her blankly as the silence stretched between us. For some reason, the room began to feel a little warmer. That warmth welled up inside me—then burst out into a violent fit of laughter.
Pain shot through me with every laugh, but I just couldn't stop.
Yuka clicked her tongue and turned her body away from me, though our hands were still intertwined.
"Tsk. What are you laughing about? This isn't funny!"
That only made my laughter worse.
Then I remembered where we were and who was waiting for me.
Slowly, I forced the laughter down until not an ounce of it remained. For the first time since we'd fallen, Yuka turned to face me.
My breath hitched.
The way she was looking at me—it reminded me of how Big Brother used to look at me all those years ago.
I opened my mouth, but the words caught in my throat. My lips pressed together tightly in resignation.
The corners of my eyes, thawed out ever so slightly.
Before I could process what was happening, my body began to move on its own. I quickly let go of her hand and turned the other way.
As if just in time, a light trickle of heat formed in the corners of my eyes.
I don't want her to see me as I am right now…
I blinked once—and in that brief moment, countless fragments of memories surged forward. Not just any memories, but my most cherished ones. Memories of how Big Brother used to be.
My breaths grew ragged, each breath dragging another image to the surface. I squeezed my eyes shut, letting the darkness consume everything.
Enough of this!
I dug my nails into my chest, grounding myself, forcing everything back down under a crushing pressure.
"HAH… Hah… hah… ha…"
There, all better.
I pushed myself up from the floor and dusted myself off for the second time today. My movements were mechanical, my head completely empty. I slung my bag over my shoulder and extended a hand to Yuka.
Her eyes followed my hand, then slowly lifted to my face. Her brows furrowed.
"Hey–"
I put on an even smile.
"We are going to be late," I said calmly. "I dunno about you, but I do not want to lie to another teacher."
Yuka hesitated, then nodded and took my hand. I pulled her up, and we headed towards the shoe lockers. Once we finished, Yuka jogged over to me and wrapped her arm around mine—tighter than before.
She leaned into my shoulder as we exited the school.
There were only a handful of students leaving school at the same time as us, leaving the courtyard basically empty.
The snow crunched beneath our steps. I tilted my face upward, letting the snowflakes fall on my skin.
No matter how much snow fell on me, I didn't feel the cold.
"Ahh, I can't believe we are already halfway done our first year of middle school," Yuka said, thick clouds of fog spilling from her mouth.
"Really?" I replied, a small, controlled puff of fog escaping me. "It felt like a long time to me."
Yuka shrugged. "Well, it'll be over before you know it–"
She suddenly stopped, causing me to lurch back since she was still holding my arm.
What the hell is she doing?
I pulled my arm back and waved it in front of her face. "Hellooooo? Earth to Yukaaaaa."
She didn't react in the slightest.
In fact, she wasn't even looking at me.
A slight chill crept into my chest.
There is only one reason that she could be like this, especially in front of me.
I let out an annoyed sigh, and a big puff of fog came out of my mouth.
I turned towards the school gate. A lone figure leaned against the wall.
Of course… it had to be him.
"Oh. My. God." Yuka said, skipping forward and spinning on her heel girlishly. "Your Brother is just as dreamy as I remember him being!"
Yuka paused, then added, "He single still?" at the end flatly.
I rolled my eyes.
"For the hundredth time, you can't date my Big Brother," I groaned, a bit annoyed.
Yuka pouted and continued fawning over him from a safe distance. I sighed and gently pushed her aside as I approached my Big Brother.
"Hey! Why did you do that–"
Her voice faded the closer I got to him.
All I could hear was the crunch of snow beneath my shoes.
I stopped a few steps away from him.
He took his earbuds out and looked at me with an expression as blank as the snow at his feet.
"You're late, lil sis."
The words were completely devoid of any emotion.
My knees buckled as a violent shiver tore through me.
You've got to be kidding me!
For the first time since I stepped outside…
The cold became unbearable.