Chapter 1

Snow is falling. Marking the start of winter, the cold seeping every nook and cranny. The landscape slowly colored into white. Clouds of cold air, swirling, as if escaping from its fate, came out from a boy breathing.

Damn, its sure is cold

Wearing a brown jacket, and a winter sweater beneath it. The black haired boy bring both of his hand to his mouth, trying to warm his cold pale hand, a meager attempt it is, still better than the merciless encroaching coldness .

Ugh, why did my glove just have to ruined today? Why I have only one jacket? I swear my hand are going to froze at this rate

Sighing, he remembered the hopeless state in this morning. He has just moved to this town three days ago. With the hectic come with the moving and the admission in the new school. Both his body and mind is tired, and the fatigue catching up this morning, waking up, and chaos ensued after that.

The corner of his mouth quirked up slightly. His cat, Black, is the one behind of this morning fiasco. Waking from his phone alarm, groggily pulling his body up to sitting position, moving his leg to the cold floor, ready to start the day, only to end up with three nasty scratch on his leg. With his half awake state, he had overlooked his cat licking and cleaning herself beside his bed, ended up stepping her majestic tail.

And somehow my glove, ended up tattered in her cushion. Even a cat can have grudge huh?

Absentminded, while he forget the cold with his musing about how evil can cat secretly plotting against their owner, his feet have brought him to a small park. He stopped, looking at the empty park, void of people.

His new school, only need fifteen minutes walking from his one person apartment. He especially proud to managed to find his current apartment. With unbelievable cheap price and good condition added too, mini market in five minutes walk, and allowed pet, it’s a perfect haven. But the most important is, he live alone. Yes, alone from all of the trouble, alone from the scrutiny, alone from the…

Shaking his head, attempting to clear his mind from dark thought. No need to think about it, no need to care about, no need to-

Something is moving in the corner of his eyes, surprised, he turned his head to face it, his dark thought before already slipped from his mind, curiosity overwhelm him.

It seems the park its not as empty as he thought.

A snow white haired girl, wearing a knee length white jacket and cream colored pants. With a snowing background, making the white girl blending with the nature quite easily.

If not for the black scarf, I don’t think I can even notice it, surmised him. The white girl is crouching, the only movement is her hand, seemingly writing something on the snow. Lost in her activity, she didn’t notice him yet. Strange. Most people would find warm and coziness at their home in this weather, the only people who would go outside is people that have business that force them to go out, like him.

Should I call her? Nah, its will only make me look like a creep. Better mind my own business.

Surprisingly, just before he start walking again, the girl seemingly satisfied and done with whatever she doing, stand up and turned her body to his direction.

A cloudless blue sky, with black pupil at its center, expanded slowly, as if consumed the darkness, such color, more deep and beautiful than the sky itself, holding more conviction than anyone else, penetrating into anyone, etched into the girl eyes, the boy stunned.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

In fact, he have stunned for too long, locked in the wonder of her eyes, the white girl and him keep watching each other, neither made the first move, this continue for a while. Then the girl spoke.

“Who are you?”

A soft voice carried by the wind, snapped him from his reverie, he panicked. Realizing that he have stared her far too long. Long enough to be considered suspicious. Trying to salvage the situation somehow, he thinks hard. At least speak back to her!!

“H..Hello?” stuttered the boy.

…

Silence descended, the air seems became more heavier. Fuck!! What did I said ?! I’m not a damn shy girl speaking to her crush, damnit!! Get your shit together!!

Struggling to fix his mistake, he has never been good with dealing this kind of situation. And with the girl eyes focused on him. Only him. Seemingly to read him, looking straight into his eyes. Its making him nervous.

“Don’t you feel cold?” asked the girl.

“Huh?”

Its seems when the boy have nearly give up, accepting his fate being a creep, the girl looked at his gloveless hand, pale from the cold.

“Oh.. this? Well, my cat decided to turn my glove into scratchboard and I only have one gloves, so…” the boy shrugged his shoulder and scratched his head helplessly.

“I see.” nodded the girl.

Somehow the air have becoming lighter, not missing his chance, he tried to redeem his mistake.

“…so, uhm, I’m sorry if I have made you uncomfortable, I was just wandering why someone would be at the park in this weather. Please forgive me.” Its seems the previous conversation have calmed him. At least I didn’t stuttered anymore, wondered him.

“I was drawing at the snow.”

“Huh? Ah, I see.” Nodded him, a bit surprised, not expecting she will answer his curiosity. In this weather? I should be the one asking if you feel cold.

“Do you want to see it?” the girl asked him. Again, surprised for the girl willingness to talk to a stranger. With his jaw slacked a little, eyes slightly bigger, but he quickly snapped from his confusion and get his bearing together, not willing to make the same mistake twice.

“Sure, if you want to..” . His curiosity won over. The boy walking, albeit a bit nervous, to the side of the girl. Now in close proximity, he can clearly see her appearance. She have oval face, which sculpted perfectly, high cheek bone, small soft lips, dainty nose and almond shaped eyes and long eyelashes, fluttering while staring at him.

A beauty, surmised the boy in his mind, an albino too, from her snow, white hair flowing till her waist and pale but fair skin, except the supposed red eyes, replaced with the sky blue.

Isn’t albino usually have red eyes? Not that I’m an expert in biology. Still, its suit her quite well.

The girl moved her gaze from him to her supposed art. Following her gaze, he would be lying if he didn’t feel surprised when looking at her ‘drawing’.

Mixed snow and dirt, the drawing depict a group of family, a father, a mother, a daughter and a son, all plastered with happiness in their face. But the amazing things is the detail and effort in this drawing, making it seems alive, like a professional drawer. While admiring the drawing, he also feel a thug in his heart, which he ignored it completely.

“This is amazing. I never knew you could draw like that in the snow.” Turning his head to face the girl. The boy genuinely impressed by her art.

The girl have a deadpan expression, which he have a hard time knowing what she feeling right now. And the silence didn’t make it any better. The boy feel uncomfortable with this, trying to break the silence. “Uhm.., did I say anything wrong?”

“Yuki.”

“What?” Puzzled the boy.

“Yuki, that’s my name.” the girl, Yuki, spoke her name, and, as if it is an illusion, the corner of her lips turn up slightly, and disappeared as quick as melting snow.

Yuki, what an appropriate name for a fully white girl, the boy feel slightly amused. After telling her name, Yuki, keep staring at him, as if waiting something, it’s a bit unnerving to him, just what she-, oh, I supposed to introduced myself. Clearing his throat, slightly embarrassed.

“My name is Hiroyuki, nice to meet you.”

Lifting his hand for a friendly handshake, instead what he got is the black scarf, wrapping snuggly in his palm.

With a stupid expression on his face, he stared at the scarf for a while, and then at the girl, who just wrapped her own scarf at him, nodding, looking satisfied, as if she just finish her job with perfection.

“That will do the job, then, I will go now. Goodbye.” She walked away.

Baffled, still with a stupid expression on his face, he watched the girl walking away from the park, like a lone snow falling, joining their comrade in  the ground, melding, she disappeared from his vision.

Now alone in the park, with a black scarf, and the remnant from her body heat, slowly warming his wrapped right hand.

Lifting his head up, what greeting him is falling snow with dull gray cloud.

What an eventful day