"Mom... Dad..."
Whuussh...
The waves rolled in—gentle and cold.
Silent. Still. Empty. Alone.
"Mom..." Hic "Mom... Dad..."
No response. Just the sound of waves, rushing in and out as if they didn't care. A little girl with silver-white hair walked along the shoreline. Her tiny footsteps printed softly in the damp sand.
Silence. Stillness. Loneliness. And...
Fear.
The little girl wandered aimlessly, her eyes glossy. Her steps slowed, then stopped. There was no hope left in them.
"Snow..." whispered a soft voice, like the sea itself was calling her.
She turned toward the vast ocean.
"Mom... Dad? Where are you?"
Her small feet stepped closer to the waves. Closer. Closer. A towering wave surged forward, and thick fog began to swallow the beach.
"SNOW!"
She turned around.
"Mo—"
The wave crashed down and took her with it.
"M-Mom!!! Hel—" Her scream was lost in the water.
"SNOW!! MY CHILD!!"
"HELP! SOMEBODY HELP!" the woman shrieked in panic.
Her daughter was being pulled farther and farther out—like the sea wanted to take her for itself. "M-Mom..."
She disappeared beneath the surface.
"What happened?! What's going on?!" a group of men ran toward the woman.
"SNOW! SHE WAS TAKEN BY THE WAVES!"
"DAMN IT!"
"PUSH THE BOAT! HURRY!"
They shoved a wooden boat into the water. But nature had no mercy. The wind howled. The storm roared.
"It's stuck! The boat won't move!"
Desperation. Panic. Fear. Trauma. All at once.
The girl was gone from sight.
"SNOW!!!!"
A man—likely their leader—grabbed a spear and ran to the shore.
"Marco!" someone yelled after him.
Marco dove in. Swimming through the rage of the sea. The waves rejected him. The fog devoured everything.
Back on shore, an old woman held Nayra—the girl's mother—in her arms.
"Stay strong… It's going to be alright, Nayra."
The dark fog swallowed everything.
"Snow! Snow!"
No response. Just terrifying silence.
Whuusshh...
Something moved. Fast. Marco gripped his spear tightly—his instincts were screaming.
A shadow appeared behind him.
The fog thickened. Nothing was visible.
"Damn it!"
"Marco...!"
"Monto, don't!" someone called.
But out of the shadows, a shape emerged. It was Marco, soaked and trembling, clutching Snow tightly in his arms.
"Snow!" Nayra rushed to them and held her daughter close.
"Snow..." her voice shook, heavy with fear and relief.
Marco was silent. His eyes slightly distant. He looked over his shoulder toward the sea... as if he'd seen something.
The fog faded. The storm calmed.
There was nothing there.
Nayra gently shook her daughter's body.
"Snow... Snow..."
"SNOW!"
"Ahh!!"
Thud!
I hit the floor.
Lifting my head, I saw a man in uniform, arms crossed, towering over me.
I stood up quickly. "S-sorry, Sir..."
"How many times have you fallen asleep in class? Are you even trying to learn?"
"I-I..."
"What? Got another excuse? You stayed up all night again, didn't you?"
I couldn't say anything. Guilt clamped my throat shut.
"Snow helps her aunt every night, Sir," a voice chimed in.
The teacher turned. "And how would you know that, Rose?"
"I passed by her aunt's store yesterday. I saw her carrying heavy stuff."
"Is that true, Snow?"
I froze. Then nodded slowly. "Y-yes, Sir..."
The teacher sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Haa... Alright. I'll let it slide today. But..."
He stepped closer, his stare like a god's judgment.
"If it happens again without a real reason, you're getting punished. Understood?"
"Y-yes, Sir!" I replied quickly.
He turned back and resumed writing on the board.
My stiff body turned into jelly. "Thanks, Rose..."
"You owe me lunch," she replied, adjusting her glasses.
Riiingg...
We walked out of class together.
"Thanks for backing me up."
"No problem."
"But..." I hesitated. "Are you sure it was okay to lie?"
"It's only half a lie. You did help her, didn't you?"
"I mean... I only carried two or three boxes."
The cafeteria was packed. Kids shoved each other for food. Not even a single seat was free.
"Miss! I want that one!"
"Give me that!"
"Move! I was here first!"
Total chaos.
I stared blankly. There was no way I could squeeze through. "What now..."
"I brought some bread. You can have mine."
Rose pulled out her lunch. Her bread looked amazing.
My mouth watered.
"Come on." She pulled my arm.
We headed to our secret spot—the school gymnasium. No one used it unless there was an event, so it was usually empty.
Rose ate calmly and gracefully. I sprawled out on the stage.
"Why?" she asked suddenly.
I blinked. "Huh?"
"You're always sleeping in class. What do you do at night?"
I paused. Even I wasn't sure. But...
"Honestly... sleeping in class feels really good."
I didn't tell her the real reason.
"So you enjoy getting yelled at?"
"N-no! It's just... class is the only place where I feel peaceful."
"...Weird."
Rose didn't push further. Instead, she handed me another piece of bread.
"I'm good. I already ate three."
"Take it anyway."
I took it and ate it in one giant bite.
"Hey, Rose..." I mumbled, mouth full.
She glanced at me, adjusting her glasses. "Yeah?"
"Thanks..."
She frowned. "For what?"
I hugged her tightly. "For being here. For being my friend."
Rose flinched but didn't pull away. She knew I only had her.
"Idiot."
Whack! She smacked my head.
"Ow! What was that for?!"
"If you say things like that, it sounds like you can't live without me."
"Well... that's kinda true. You're something really precious to me."
She just sighed, then hopped down from the stage and walked toward the gym doors.
But in that moment, as I watched her walk away...
She felt like the most important person in my world.
She was always there—when I was struggling, when I was happy, angry, or lonely.
"Heyyy! Wait up!" I ran after her.
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