-DOWNTOWN ALLEY, SAPPORO, HOKKAIDO, JAPAN-
-4:00 PM, NOVEMBER 1, 2017-
The snow that drifted through downtown Sapporo had begun to thicken, falling in delicate flakes that sparkled whenever they caught the late afternoon light. Ichika Komori stood at the end of the narrow alley, her breath rising as faint clouds, her long pink hair swaying softly with every passing breeze.
Footsteps echoed from the street, quick and uneven.
Ichika turned.
"Ichikaaa! We're here!" Kiyomi Mizuhara yelled dramatically, her voice carrying through the alley like music. The girl practically bounced toward her, her mint scarf fluttering wildly behind her.
Misuzu Kanzaki followed at a calmer pace, her posture straight, her steps precise. She adjusted her glasses slightly, then gave Ichika a gentle wave.
"You didn't wait too long, right?"
"No," Ichika replied with a small smile. "Just a few minutes."
Kiyomi puffed out a tired breath. "Good! Because Misuzu made me walk fast. She said we'd make you wait."
"I didn't force you," Misuzu said softly. "You walked fast because you kept talking about cream puffs."
Kiyomi gasped. "That is unfair. And also correct."
Ichika chuckled quietly. Their voices warmed the cold air.
But Kiyomi paused, leaning closer with narrowed eyes.
"…Are you okay, Ichika? You look like you were thinking really hard about something."
Misuzu observed more subtly, her eyes drifting to Ichika's slightly tense shoulders.
"You seemed… quieter. Just a bit."
Ichika blinked and composed herself. "It's nothing. Really. I'm fine."
Her smile was soft but steady — enough to reassure them, though not perfectly.
Kiyomi pouted. "Hmm… I'll believe you for now."
Misuzu tilted her head slightly, thoughtful but not intrusive. "If something's on your mind, you can tell us. Whenever you're ready."
"I know," Ichika replied gently. "Thank you."
The moment dissolved into easy warmth again as the three girls stepped out of the alley and into the crowded main street, their laughter blending with the city's rhythm.
-SAPPORO STELLAR PLACE, SAPPORO, HOKKAIDO, JAPAN-
-4:18 PM, NOVEMBER 1, 2017-
The glass entrance of Stellar Place welcomed them with a rush of heated air. Bright lights reflected off polished tiles, forming a soft glow that spread through the spacious mall.
Kiyomi inhaled deeply, eyes widening.
"I swear, this place smells like paradise. Misuzu, why doesn't your house smell like this?"
Misuzu raised an eyebrow. "Because I'm not a bakery, Kiyomi."
Ichika laughed under her breath, pulling off her gloves. "Should we go upstairs first?"
"Yes!" Kiyomi said immediately. "Dessert floor. Let's—"
But Ichika stopped walking.
She hadn't meant to. It wasn't dramatic, or loud.
Just a gentle halt, as if something invisible brushed against her awareness.
Because she saw him.
Again.
The boy from the alley.
He exited a pharmacy store slowly, a small white bag in hand. He didn't look around — only down — adjusting the collar of his oversized shirt as he stepped into the mall's main walkway.
His bandaged knuckles peeked from under his sleeve.
The bruise on his jaw had been cleaned but still looked raw.
His gray hair fell over his eyes, messy yet striking under the bright mall lights.
Ichika inhaled sharply.
Those eyes.
Red. Vivid. Burning beneath tired lashes.
Kiyomi, lost in excitement, didn't notice at first. "Ichika, come on, let's— Wait… Ichika?"
Misuzu followed her gaze quietly.
Her expression softened in realization.
"That boy…"
Kiyomi immediately turned to look.
"Huh??"
Her mouth dropped open upon seeing the bruised, red-eyed stranger walking away without a hint of shame or self-consciousness.
"Woah… he looks like he got into a fight," Kiyomi whispered. "Like… a real fight."
Misuzu nodded with gentle concern. "He seems hurt. He must have bought medicine."
Ichika didn't speak.
She didn't understand why her chest tightened again — the same strange pull she felt earlier. Not fear. Not curiosity. Something else entirely.
Misuzu nudged her very lightly.
"You recognized him from before… didn't you?"
"A little," Ichika admitted quietly. "I saw him earlier. In an alley near here."
Kiyomi gasped so loudly that a couple nearby looked over.
"You saw him already?! And you didn't tell us?! Ichikaaa!"
Ichika flushed slightly. "I didn't think it mattered…"
But Kiyomi was too dramatic to stop. "Ichika Komori keeps a secret stranger-boy sighting from us?! Misuzu, she's growing up!"
Misuzu sighed. "Kiyomi, please."
Ichika shook her head, laughing softly despite herself.
But then she looked back toward the pharmacy.
The boy had already blended into the crowd, moving with the quiet confidence of someone used to walking unnoticed. As if the world rarely stopped for him — and he never expected it to.
Ichika's gaze lingered long after he disappeared.
Misuzu watched her with quiet understanding.
"You're worried… aren't you?"
Ichika lowered her eyes.
"…Yes. He looked…"
"Alone?" Misuzu offered.
Kiyomi softened, the joking tone fading. "Yeah… he had that kind of look."
Ichika exhaled slowly.
"Maybe."
The mall noise rose around them — conversations, footsteps, music, and the warm scent of pastries.
But beneath it all, Ichika felt something flicker inside her chest.
A small, quiet ember.
Following her.
Growing.
Refusing to fade.