-AURORA ACADEMY OF EXCELLENCE, SAPPORO, HOKKAIDO, JAPAN-
-10:42 AM, NOVEMBER 5, 2017-
The morning sunlight filtering through Aurora Academy's tall windows cast pale reflections along the hallway floors. Students moved in organized lines between classes, their uniforms crisp, their voices blending into the quiet hum of elite school life.
Ichika Komori walked with her notebook pressed lightly to her chest, her pace graceful, steady—though her thoughts were not.
Because today was different.
Today, she and Rikuu Arakawa were… friends.
It was strange to think about. They barely spoke before yesterday, and now the word replayed in her mind like a fragile secret she held carefully.
Friends.
She still wasn't used to the shape of it.
While passing the windows overlooking the courtyard, Ichika glanced discreetly toward Class 1-A's hallway. She hadn't meant to. It was instinct—tiny, involuntary, embarrassing.
And there he was.
Rikuu, leaning against the wall outside his classroom, hands in his pockets, eyes half-lidded with tired indifference. Some students gave him wary glances; others avoided looking at him at all.
He didn't seem to care.
Ichika hesitated—only for a second—before walking past him.
Their eyes met for a brief heartbeat.
Rikuu blinked once.
Ichika offered the smallest, quietest smile.
He didn't smile back… but he didn't look away either.
For him, that was already something.
-AURORA ACADEMY OF EXCELLENCE — COURTYARD-
-1:04 PM, NOVEMBER 5, 2017-
Lunch break.
The cold November air carried a faint scent of pine from the trimmed trees lining the courtyard. Ichika sat with Kiyomi and Misuzu under a covered bench, the three of them sharing sandwiches and quiet chatter.
But Ichika's eyes wandered—subtly, politely—toward the far side of the courtyard.
There he was again.
Rikuu, sitting alone under a leafless tree, unwrapping a convenience store onigiri. His posture was relaxed, though he looked tired—dark circles under his red eyes more visible today.
Misuzu noticed Ichika's brief glance.
"Is something bothering you?" she asked softly.
Ichika flinched slightly. "N-no. It's nothing."
Kiyomi leaned forward dramatically. "Ichikaaa. That's the same 'nothing' you use when something is definitely something."
Ichika's cheeks warmed. "I'm just… thinking."
But her thoughts weren't complicated.
Just new.
Just soft.
Just Rikuu.
And without knowing why, she hoped he was eating enough.
-DOWNTOWN SAPPORO, HOKKAIDO, JAPAN-
-4:22 PM, NOVEMBER 5, 2017-
Classes ended. Snow fell lightly—small, glittering flakes drifting onto jackets and hair.
Ichika walked alone toward the bus stop near Aurora Academy, her breath forming soft clouds. It was quiet, peaceful, the kind of afternoon where nothing extraordinary should happen.
But then—
She spotted a familiar gray head of hair ahead of her.
Rikuu Arakawa, walking down the same street, hands shoved into the pockets of his coat. His posture was the same as ever: relaxed, unreadable, a little too cold for someone his age.
Ichika slowed down.
She hadn't expected to see him again today… at least not like this.
Should she call out?
Should she leave him alone?
Her heart thudded in her chest, nervous and unsure—but before she could decide, Rikuu suddenly paused mid-step.
He turned his head slightly.
Not enough to look at her directly.
Just enough to show he noticed.
"…You following me?"
Ichika flinched. "N-no! I mean—no, I'm not. We're just… going the same way."
Rikuu exhaled through his nose, a faint sound that might've been a tiny laugh if he cared enough to make it one.
"Calm down. I didn't say it was a bad thing."
Ichika blinked.
He kept walking.
She hurried her steps just a little to match his pace—without walking too close.
Silence stretched between them, thin but strangely comfortable.
Finally, Rikuu spoke first.
"So… this is what being 'friends' is like?"
Ichika nodded softly. "I think so."
"Huh." He scratched the back of his neck. "Never had one, so I don't know the rules."
Her eyes widened. "You've… never had a friend?"
Rikuu shrugged. "Didn't need one."
The old Rikuu—the cold one, the distant one—would've stopped there.
But he added, quietly:
"…Don't mind having one now."
Ichika felt warmth bloom in her chest, gentle and shy.
"I'm glad," she whispered.
They reached the intersection where the road split—one path leading to the bus stop, the other toward downtown.
Rikuu shoved his hands deeper into his pockets.
"See you tomorrow, Komori."
Ichika smiled. "See you tomorrow… Arakawa."
He turned away first, walking into the drifting snow.
But Ichika stood there for a moment, heart soft, breath warm.
Their friendship was new.
Fragile.
Small.
But it was real.
And for both of them—
it was enough to warm the cold.