Chapter 1
The entrance hall was cluttered with similar looking shoes that had been tossed out of the shoe lockers. Before the arrival of the endless Winter, they had all been black loafers, but now they had been replaced with Timberland and Nupste boots. Although there was no formal school dress code for shoes, everyone seemed to adhere to an unspoken standard.
Yukihisa Amagi slipped on a pair of imitation Nupste winter boots. After pushing through the synthetic cotton stuffing around the ankles, his feet hit the solid insoles. At first, he thought the boots' casual look clashed with his school uniform, but he had since grown indifferent to it.
Once he stepped outside, the scenery was dominated a gray, bleak sky. The ground was blanketed in snow, with a path of faint footprints left by early departures from school. The bare black branches stretched upwards a stark constrast to the silver sky.
As Yukihisa followed the path skirting the schoolyard to the gate, a gust of wind sent flurries of snowflakes his way. He retrieved a face mask and gloves from his down jacket pocket and put them on.
On the other side of the schoolyard, the track team, all clad in matching windbreakers, were running, battling the snow. Kei Imazeki, who was walking alongside Yukihisa, watched them with a somber expression.
Kei's soccer team had its national tournament qualifiers canceled due to the snow. Yukihisa felt for his friend, who now didnt have a goal to strive towards. The tournament was supposed to be a platform for second-year students like Kei to become the backbone of the team after the seniors retired, so their expectations must have been high.
I guess we might have online classes tomorrow.
Yukihisa's tone suggested that the idea had just struck him. Kei, who had turned around, seemed to relax somewhat upon hearing this.
They're predicting heavy snowfall tonight. The trains will probably be suspended.
Isn't the Yokosuka Line really unreliable in heavy snow? It's freaking ridiculous.
Kotaro, who had been leading the way, made this comment while walking backward. Yukihisa and Kei exchanged glances and chuckled.
They probably never anticipated a situation like this, so there's not much they can do.
You have a knack for complaining, don't you?
Kei kicked some snow, sending it flying into the air. Kotaro dramatically dodged it.
On the way to the train station, the trio stopped by their usual convenience store.
It would have been strange for three people to enter a store and for only one of them not to buy anything, so Yukihisa bought a coffee even though he didn't particulary want one.
Since there was no room to eat inside, they stepped out. Standing in front of the dew-laden glass window, they noticed the ground under the eaves frozen to a crisp white.
It's so cooold.
Shivering, Kei bit into his deep-fried minced meat cutlet while Yukihisa exhaled, his breath warmed by the coffee. Today's highest temperature was minus five degrees, and their breaths formed delightful white clouds in the air.
Seriously, it's freezing. I feel like I'm turning into an icicle.
Kotaro said this as he dug into his cup of vanilla ice cream, causing Yukihisa and Kei to burst out laughing.
Ice cream? Really?
You must be nuts to eat ice cream in this weather.
Kotaro responded by popping the wooden spoon in his mouth.
Ice cream is perfect for winter!
That's something people say when they're indoors.
Kei crumpled up the bag from his minced meat cutlet.
Yukihisa thought that the meaning of the word winter had become distorted. Winters in Kanagawa were not this cold, and wasn't supposed to snow in November.
Perhaps it was not the word which was distorted, but the world itself that had gone mad. It seemed everyone was accepting this bizarre situation, which Yukihisa found unbearable.
Students from his school, West Yokosuka High School, walked by on the road across the parking lot. He watched them as the coffee in his hand cooled down.
A familiar foursome entered his line of sight. Their boisterous laughter drifted across the parking lot and echoed through the snow-covered residential area, giving a faint sparkle to the place.
The girls' footwear was even less varied than the boys'. All four of them had on short sheepskin boots and were showing off their bare legs under their skirts. Their outerwear was different, with some in coats, others in fleece jackets with fur details, and a few in down jackets.
Although they had been in the same classroom just moments ago, they now seemed to inhabit a distant world. Engrossed in a conversation only they could understand, they were oblivious to their surroundings.
They seemed to view this winter as a great opportunity to accentuate their charm by dressing up in their favorite clothes. Yukihisa watched them, taking a sip from the paper cup. The coffee had lost its heat and some of its sweetness as well.
Suddenly, one of the girls turned her gaze to Yukihisa.
See you later.
Minami Manase pulled her hand out of her duffle coat pocket and gave Yukihisa and the others a quick wave. Her fingers, peeking out from the sleeves, were white and stood out vividly against the surrounding snowy landscape.
The three girls walking with her halted their chatter, looking at their friend, puzzled.
Yukihisa responded by lifting his coffee cup.
Yeah.
See ya.
Kotaro and Kei returned the wave. Minami gave a small nod in acknowledgment and slipped her hand back into her coat pocket.
As they watched the girls make their way along the pedestrian crossing, Kotaro and Kei exchanged glances.
I think that's the first time I've ever spoken to Minami.
Isn't that crazy? It's already November.
No way. She's a bit intimidating, don't you think?
Yeah, I get it. There's a weird intensity about her.
Their spirits were lifted after being addressed by a girl in the popular group of the class. Yukihisa watched the now-empty crosswalk, devoid of any passing cars.
At the station, Yukihisa said goodbye to his friends, who were both heading home by train.
He stood at the bus stop in front of the station, taking in his surroundings. He was the only student from West Yokosuka High School waiting for the bus. The snow had been cleared from the roof of the bus shelter, leaving a large pile of it on the sidewalk. The road was rough and the slush had turned a dirty gray from the passing tires.
Soon, the bus arrived. The chains on its tires churned up the slush as it came to a stop. Yukihisa boarded the bus and took a seat, enjoying the peculiar comfort it provided. The bus shuddered and roared as it strained to get through the snow. The warm air inside made the bus feel Yukihisa was sitting inside a large, gentle beast. Yukihisa affectionately ran his hand over the plush seat beneath him.
As the bus traversed the shopping street, with its sidewalks covered by the roofs, the buildings reflected in the window gradually thinned out. Low, snow-covered mountains peered through the gaps. Kotaro, who lived in Yokohama, would probably scoff at the rural scenery, but to Yukihisa, this view offered a familiar and comforting atmosphere.
Yukihisa disembarked at his usual stop and strolled along the busy national road for a bit before veering off into a side street that was so narrow it could barely accommodate a single car. The road surface, frozen in the shadows of the flanking walls, sloped downward slightly. It was an incline that would be barely noticeable in normal conditions, but the snow exaggerated the gradient. Yukihisa shuffled along, arms spread out for balance and ready to brace himself if he slipped.
A robust metal gate came into sight to the right. It was a sliding vertical grid design, evoking images of a high school's main gate. The road beyond the gate disappeared into the woods, and nothing more could be seen.
Yukihisa opened the heavy, icy gate and stepped inside. Despite the road's width, there were no tire tracks—only a single set of footprints boldly leading the way. He followed them.
Emerging from the woods, he entered an open space housing a dark building with a unique roof. The roof, uneven with peaks and valleys, was akin to an unfinished paper plane, angling down toward the ground. The lower half of the building was buried in snow, which made it appear quite low. The facade was made of glass, which should have offered a sweeping view of the sea from its hilltop location, but the snow-covered glass made such a view impossible.
Yukihisa rang the doorbell at the entrance, his hand shaking the handle of a snow shovel stuck in a snow mound. The pathway leading up to the house was meticulously cleared of snow.
The front door swung open.
You're early.
Minami Manase, still in her school uniform, held the door open.