The world beyond Hana's window was a soft blur of white. Snow fell thick and unhurried, like time had stretched itself thin, moving only when it pleased. Each flake drifted slowly, clinging to rooftops, branches, and glass panes — silencing the city beneath a hush only winter could bring.
She sat at her desk, still as the snow outside. Her sketchbook lay open in front of her, blank. A pencil rested between her fingers, unmoving.
Ren's voice echoed in her mind, clear despite the days that had passed.
> "I like you, Hana."
No hesitation. No dramatic buildup. Just those words, spoken plainly, like a truth he could no longer carry in silence. Behind him, fireworks had lit up the sky — as if even the night itself wanted to mark the moment.
She hadn't responded then. Couldn't.
Even now, her thoughts felt like a tangled skein of yarn — the kind Popcorn, Naoki's kitten, would unravel with gleeful chaos. Her chest was too tight. Her fingers too unsure. She couldn't draw. She couldn't even think in straight lines.
When had she started liking him?
She didn't know. Maybe it had been the way he listened — quietly, without pushing. Or the faint smile he wore after drinking syrup-sweet coffee from the school vending machine. Or when he wrapped a scarf around her shoulders one cold afternoon, saying nothing at all.
With Ren, it had always been the little things.
Her phone buzzed gently on the desk.
> Naoki: Snow's still falling. Want to talk?
She hesitated only a moment, then replied.
---
The park was blanketed in snow, untouched except for a few meandering footprints. Benches sat under soft mounds. The trees stood tall and bare, skeletal against the muted sky. Hana reached their bench — the one near the old maple tree — and sat, the cold seeping into her jeans.
This had always been her quiet place.
Soon, Naoki appeared — bundled in a thick coat, scarf askew, cheeks red from the wind.
"You came," she said softly.
"Of course," he replied, flopping down beside her with a sigh. "I figured you'd be here."
They sat in silence for a while. The only sound was the hush of snowfall and the distant chirp of winter birds.
"He confessed," Hana said eventually.
Naoki didn't pretend to be surprised.
"Ren?"
She nodded.
> "He said he liked me. No build-up, just… said it. Right there. While the fireworks were going off."
Naoki tilted his head back, watching snowflakes melt on his lashes.
> "That's ironic," he said with a faint smile. "He told me the day before that he was planning to confess. Said he wanted to do it here, at this bench."
Hana blinked, surprised. "Really?"
"Yep. He was nervous but… weirdly calm about it too. Like he'd made peace with whatever happened next."
Hana exhaled slowly, watching her breath cloud in front of her.
"I don't know what I'm feeling," she murmured. "It's not that I don't like him. I think I do. Maybe. But everything feels… tangled."
Naoki leaned back, folding his arms behind his head.
"You're not supposed to figure it out overnight," he said gently. "Even he knew that. I think he just wanted you to know."
Just then, Naoki's phone vibrated — a call this time. He pulled it out, and his smile faded.
He stood quickly. "Sorry, I gotta go. It's the hospital."
Hana stood too, concern flickering across her face. "Is it your mom?"
Naoki nodded. "Yeah. Lupus is acting up again. The doctor's calling."
"Go," she said quietly. "Text me later, okay?"
"I will." He hesitated. "And Hana… whatever you end up feeling — it's okay. Just don't bottle it up too long."
He gave her a light pat on the shoulder and ran off, boots crunching in the snow.
---
Later that evening, Hana sat on her bed, her fox mug in her hands, the steam curling softly into the dim light of her room.
Her phone was on the blanket beside her, Ren's last message still sitting unread:
> Hey. Hope you're not freezing in there.
She picked it up.
Typed:
> I like you too.
Then stared at the blinking cursor.
Her thumb hovered over the send button.
She breathed in.
Out.
And slowly… backspaced the message.
She locked the phone and set it aside.
The snow outside continued to fall, quiet and patient.
Just like him.