When winter arrived quietly, slipping over the school grounds like a soft blanket. Frost clung to the windows, and every breath turned white the moment it touched the cold morning air. Inside the classroom, students gathered around the heater in small groups, talking and laughing in gentle tones.
Beside me, Hinata sat with her scarf wrapped tightly around her neck. She looked calm today. Not distant. Not trembling. Calm in that fragile, determined way someone looks just before facing something heavy.
Her eyes kept flickering toward the hallway.
She was waiting for Ohtani.
And I already knew the reason...
Yesterday, after everything she confessed, she finally let herself cry. I told her she did not have to stay trapped in her past forever. Those words planted something in her. A small, brave seed.
Hinata stood with a quiet breath.
"Yukito," she murmured. "I think today… I want to settle it."
"I'm here," I said.
She relaxed a little and stepped toward the hall.
We found Ohtani near the windows on the first floor. Cold light poured in from behind her, turning the falling snow into drifting silver flakes. A few students passed by, adjusting their scarves or brushing slush off their shoes. None of them paid much attention to us.
Ohtani slipped her phone into her pocket when she saw Hinata approaching.
"Morning, Hinata." Her smile was soft but unsure.
Hinata took a slow breath. "Ohtani, can we talk?"
Ohtani blinked. "Here…? Now?"
"Yes," Hinata whispered. "Please."
Something in her voice made Ohtani straighten. She nodded.
"All right."
I stepped back to give them space but stayed close enough for Hinata to feel supported.
Hinata faced her fully.
"Last year hurt me," she said quietly. "You were my best friend. I trusted you with everything. But when the rumors started, you didn't say anything. And when I asked you directly… you laughed."
Ohtani's expression crumbled a little.
"You're right," she whispered. "I did."
Hinata swallowed and kept going.
"I thought I was worthless. I thought there was something wrong with me. And I stayed angry at you for so long because I didn't know what else to do with that pain."
The words trembled in the air.
Ohtani looked down, fists tightening at her sides.
"I was terrible to you," she said. "I knew what people were saying. And instead of stopping them, I added to it. Because… because I was scared."
Hinata's eyes widened slightly.
Ohtani continued, voice cracking.
"You were good at everything. Quiet. Smart. People liked you without you even trying. And I hated how jealous I felt. I thought if I joked around a bit, or made myself seem more important, people would pay more attention to me."
Snowflakes hit the window behind her with soft taps as her voice fell lower and lower.
"I didn't think about how much it would hurt you. I didn't think about anything except myself. When you asked me about the rumors, I panicked. So, I laughed. I made it look like it was nothing, because I was too ashamed to admit what I did."
Her eyes shimmered, and she finally looked up.
"I was a coward."
Hinata's breath caught.
Ohtani's voice broke completely.
"I missed you so much," she whispered. "I ruined everything. And I didn't know how to fix it without making it worse. Every time I wanted to apologize, you avoided me. And I deserved that. I know I did."
Hinata shook her head weakly.
"I avoided you because I was scared too," she whispered. "I didn't want to hear you say it was my fault. I didn't want to be laughed at again."
Ohtani stepped forward, tears slipping down her cheeks.
"I never thought it was your fault. Not once. And I'm sorry, Hinata. For everything. For all the hurt. For all the rumors. For betraying you when you trusted me the most. I'm sorry."
Hinata's lips trembled. Her eyes shined with unshed tears.
"Ohtani…"
Her voice finally cracked.
"I didn't want to hate you."
Ohtani's breath hitched, a quiet sob escaping.
"I didn't want you to hate me."
Hinata covered her mouth with her hand, shoulders shaking.
"I kept wondering what I did wrong. But hearing this now…" She took a shaky breath. "I understand. And it hurts. But I understand."
Ohtani reached out a trembling hand, then hesitated.
Hinata stared at that hand for a long moment.
Then she reached back.
Their fingers touched.
And both girls broke, tears spilling freely, their foreheads lowering gently toward each other as they cried. Not loudly. Not dramatically. Just honestly. Quiet sobs that years of regret finally gave permission to leave their bodies.
Behind them, the hallway stayed still. A few students passing by slowed for a moment, sensing the heavy, emotional air, but none of them intruded.
This moment was only for the two of them.
Ohtani whispered between breaths.
"I'm so sorry."
Hinata whispered back.
"I'm so tired of hurting."
They held onto each other, not as best friends returning to how things used to be, but as two people finally acknowledging the pain they carried.
After a minute, they pulled away gently. Both of them wiping tears from their eyes.
Hinata spoke first.
"I can't pretend nothing happened. And I don't know if we can go back to how we were."
Ohtani nodded, still sniffling.
"I know."
"But…" Hinata continued softly, "…I want to stop hating you."
Ohtani covered her mouth as fresh tears fell, but this time they were lighter, relieved.
"Thank you," she whispered. "Even if it's slow… even if it's small… thank you."
Hinata nodded, cheeks wet but eyes clearer than before.
I stepped forward. "Hinata."
She looked at me, eyes red but peaceful.
"You did it," I said. "You faced her. You faced everything."
Her breath trembled, but she smiled softly.
"I feel lighter," she whispered. "Like winter air after the snow stops."
Ohtani wiped her eyes again, looking between us.
"Hinata… Yukito… thank you for letting me say what I needed to say."
Hinata gave a small nod. Not forgiveness. Not erasing the past. But acceptance of truth.
Hinata stood there for a moment, steadying her breath as Ohtani gently stepped back. The snowfall outside had grown heavier, shadows of drifting flakes moving across the hallway floor like quiet ghosts. The heater humming from the nearby classroom was the only sound filling the silence.
Then Hinata wiped her face one last time.
"I want to go outside for a bit," she murmured.
I nodded. "Let's go."
Ohtani hesitated, unsure if she should follow. Hinata saw it, then offered a small gesture with her hand.
"You can come," she said gently. "If you want."
A startled breath escaped Ohtani, like she hadn't expected to be included at all. She nodded, silently.
We walked out through the side exit, stepping into the open walkway that overlooked the school courtyard. Snowflakes drifted slowly, almost lazily, as if the sky itself wanted to watch them. A few students crossed the grounds, bundled in coats, laughter muffled by scarves.
Hinata leaned against the railing, closing her eyes a moment, letting the cold soothe her puffy cheeks.
Ohtani stood beside her, hands clasped together, eyes lowered. Whenever she glanced at Hinata, guilt flickered through her, then vanished under the weight of new hope.
I stayed a step behind them, letting the two settle into the fragile stillness.
After a little while, Hinata spoke, her voice soft.
"You know… back then, I kept wishing you'd chase after me." She let out a small, shaky laugh. "When I walked away. When I cried. Even when I avoided you. Part of me kept waiting."
Ohtani's breath caught. "I wanted to. Every time. But I always stopped myself."
Hinata looked at her. "Why?"
Ohtani's fingers tightened around the railing. "…Because I thought you'd look at me like I was someone you couldn't stand to see anymore."
Hinata blinked slowly, snow clinging to her hair.
"I guess," Hinata said quietly, "we were both scared of the same thing."
The truth settled between them, soft as the snowfall.
Ohtani opened her mouth, then closed it, her lips trembling. "Hinata, I can't ask you to forgive me. I don't deserve…"
"I know," Hinata said, cutting her off gently. "And I'm not ready yet."
Ohtani nodded quickly, accepting it without a single complaint.
Hinata continued, voice barely above a whisper.
"But I want to try being less hurt. Little by little."
A breath escaped Ohtani, a trembling, relieved breath that fogged the air between them.
"Then I'll do whatever it takes. Even if it's slow. Even if you don't want to talk to me some days. I won't run again."
Hinata studied her expression for a long moment. There was regret, yes. But also sincerity. A quiet promise held firmly but not forcefully.
"Okay," Hinata said at last. "Then let's start with something small."
Ohtani lifted her head. "Anything."
Hinata smiled faintly. "You don't have to look away anymore when you pass me in the hallway."
The words were simple, but they shifted something. Ohtani let out a choked laugh, a fragile sound full of both pain and relief.
"I can do that," she whispered.
A comfortable silence, strange, new, but gentle, wrapped around them for a moment.
Then Ohtani glanced at me.
"Yukito… thank you. For helping her. And for not pushing me away just now."
"I just want Hinata to be okay," I said simply. "That's all."
Ohtani smiled weakly. "She's lucky."
Hinata turned pink at that, half embarrassed, half warmed.
The bell rang in the distance, calling students back to class. The three of us turned toward the doors.
But before going inside, Ohtani paused.
"Hinata," she said softly. "If it ever gets too heavy, you can tell me. I…" Her voice wavered. "I want to learn how to be someone who doesn't hurt you anymore."
Hinata looked at her for a long moment, snow still settling gently on her shoulders.
"We'll see," she murmured, but there was no coldness in it. "One day at a time."
Ohtani smiled through one more wave of tears and nodded.
We walked back down the hallway together, still distant, still unsure, but no longer carrying silence like a wall between them. Step by small step, the weight of winter inside Hinata began to melt, just enough to let the light in.