It was early morning.
Ryosuke lay quietly in the warm futon. His nostrils twitched sleepily as a faint, distinct scent of a young girl entered his nose. His eyelids fluttered, and he woke up from his sleep.
The first thing he saw was not the familiar ceiling, but his childhood friend's exquisite face. Shinka was leaning over him from above, hands braced on the edge of the bed, peering closely at Ryosuke's face. Seeing him awake, she first blinked her lively golden eyes, then squinted and gave a slight smile. Her mouth opened wide, but her voice was very soft, "Good morning, Ryosuke."
The warm, damp, and faintly fragrant breath of the girl fanned Ryosuke's face, fully rousing him from his sleepy state.
Ryosuke immediately reached for his phone on the bedside table, lit up the screen, and checked the time. 6:00 AM.
He put the phone down and gave Nibutani Shinka a scrutinizing look. At this hour, Shizuka-nee was deeply asleep; he probably couldn't even wake her up by calling her himself. There was no way she had woken up to open the door and let Shinka in.
Ryosuke asked calmly, "Excuse me, Miss Nibutani, how exactly did you get into my room at this time?"
Shinka, wearing a thick down jacket today, unhurriedly took a key out of her pocket. She held it up and shook it proudly in front of Ryosuke. "I used this to get in. Shizuka-nee gave it to me herself, hehe."
Ryosuke gave her a suspicious glance. "Really?"
Nibutani Shinka put her hands on her hips and pouted, pretending to be annoyed. "Hmph, you doubt me? Of course it's real."
In reality...
Two months ago, on a day Ryosuke wasn't home, Nibutani Shinka sat on the floor, clinging tightly to Hiratsuka Shizuka's round, long leg. She rubbed her face on Shizuka's leg while crying and pleading.
"Waaah, Shizuka-nee, my wonderful sister, can I please have a key?" "Think about it, if you forget your key and Ryosuke isn't home, that's troublesome, right?" "Ryosuke has the key to my house. He can sneak into my room and do bad things anytime! That's not fair, is it?" "I'll be very good, super obedient, and I absolutely won't cause any trouble." "Please, this is the biggest request of my life!"
Hiratsuka Shizuka looked down at the shameless girl clinging to her leg with a look of disdain. She felt a headache coming on; this wasn't the first time this had happened. This scene had occurred every few days since they returned from Fukuoka in late July.
Hiratsuka Shizuka said impatiently, "Fine, fine, I know. Let go first."
"Aba aba..." Nibutani Shinka looked up at Shizuka with teary eyes, starting to babble incoherently.
Hiratsuka Shizuka suppressed the urge to kick the scoundrelly girl away. Finally, she closed her eyes, massaged her forehead, and sighed helplessly. "Alright, I'll give it to you. I'll give you a key. Will you let go of me?"
The "Ferocious Ogress of the Empire," once called the undefeated queen of high school fighting, had surrendered to a middle school girl.
Shinka jumped back, excited. "Ryosuke, it snowed today! You're awake, so hurry up and get out. Let's go see!"
It rarely snowed in Tokyo, which explained why she was here so early. Ryosuke climbed out of bed and, while getting dressed, thought about the long-haired, black-haired girl from his dream. Shinka had a wide network of acquaintances; perhaps she knew something.
He finished dressing, walked to the window, and pulled back the curtain. The soft, hazy winter sun shone on the snow. The cherry trees in the courtyard downstairs were draped in silver, and the breath of pedestrians on the street turned into puffs of white smoke.
He opened the window. The cold air was filled with a fresh scent—the crispness after a snowfall, the unique smell of winter. This scent made one feel calm and comfortable, as if it could wash away all worries and troubles.
"Shinka, do you know a girl named Utaha?" Ryosuke turned around and asked calmly.
The smile on Nibutani Shinka's face suddenly froze, and the light seemed to dim in her eyes. She moved stiffly toward Ryosuke, like a zombie, muttering incessantly as she walked.
"I'm standing right in front of you, and the first thing you do after waking up is ask about another girl?" "Utaha? What a cute name." "When did you meet her? I have no idea. How many things are you hiding from me?" "Ryosuke~"
She finished the last sentence by standing on her tiptoes, tilting her head back, and almost touching his face.
Ryosuke thought for a moment and replied seriously, "A girl I met in a dream."
"Eh, how romantic. A date in a dream?" Nibutani Shinka murmured blankly. She quickly snapped out of it, the light returning to her eyes, and exclaimed, "In a dream?! What new kind of 'play' are you into now?"
Ryosuke organized his thoughts and told Shinka the full story. When asking for help, it was always best to provide as much information as possible.
Shinka was always most serious about matters concerning him. After listening to Ryosuke's account, she thought for a moment but found the name unfamiliar. She then folded her arms across her chest and said sourly, "Hmph, well, you're awake now. Too bad your dream girl, Utaha-chan, doesn't exist in reality."
Although she said this, her heart was filled with envy. Darn it, I want to go on a date with him in a dream, too. That sounds so incredibly enviable.A Galgame-style dream?I need to find out what game Eri has been making Ryosuke play recently.
Seeing she had no leads, Ryosuke dropped the subject and left the room. After washing up, he went downstairs with her.
As soon as they reached the ground floor, Shinka bolted into the snow like a wild horse. She scooped up a handful of pristine white snow and kneaded it with her pale little hands until the loose flakes formed a round snow globe.
"Wow, so cold!"
The girl's fair face was bright red from the cold, and her breath turned into white smoke when she spoke. Shinka took aim and shouted at Ryosuke, "Take this! This is a winter-exclusive magic spell from the great Shinka-sama, Frost Nova!"
The snowball wasn't fast; an average person could easily dodge it, but Ryosuke stood still.
Clap!
The snowball hit his chest and instantly scattered.
Shinka was actually very sensitive to the cold, so unlike other children who loved to play in the snow, she preferred to watch it. She quickly ran up to Ryosuke, rubbing her hands together in anticipation.
She complained in a small voice, "My hands are so cold, Ryosuke."
Ryosuke smiled slightly. His childhood friend used the exact same routine every time it snowed. He habitually opened the pocket of his down jacket.
Shinka eagerly shoved her hands into Ryosuke's pocket, grasping his warm, strong hand. Ryosuke in turn gently held the girl's cold, smooth little hand inside the pocket. This small action made Nibutani Shinka pause for a moment.
"Let's go. We need to buy things and come back early. We're having toshikoshi soba (New Year's Eve buckwheat noodles) tonight," Ryosuke said softly to the girl beside him. This was a New Year's Eve custom passed down since the Edo period. Buckwheat noodles are easier to cut than other noodles, symbolizing the severing of bad luck from the past year.
Shinka pulled her neck further into her scarf, and her ears were slightly red. Finally, she looked forward and said with a sweet, energetic smile, "Soba, soba! Let's go!"