Winter Begins

The intensity increased. He moved faster and faster and faster. The beat took over his whole body. There was no stopping him now. It ramped up, and as soon as it reached the drop...

"Sano-san!" Goro-Sensei slammed his hand on the desk, causing Kazuyuki to jolt up and meet him face-to-face. "How many times have I told you there are no headphones allowed in class? Next time I see those in your ears, I will confiscate them from you. Understood?"

"Yes, Sensei." He was sure that Goro-Sensei knew he would definitely do it again.

Class resumed. And before he knew it, it was lunch time. And when it's lunch time, that meant Ueno Daisuke was on the hunt. Before he could get up from his chair and escape, he was restrained to it by a bear hug.

"Kazuyuki, let's get lunch."

"Alright, alright."

A typical high school day for boring old Sano Kazuyuki. He was in his second year at this school, yet he was still being dragged around by Daisuke.
The lunch hall was as busy as usual. If you're lucky, you'll at least get one sandwich. If the queue for the new phone is a battlefield, then the lunch queue was a war zone. Due to his thin figure, he was usually the one sent out to collect lunch.

He only came back with two sandwiches today.

They went to their usual sitting place in the corner of the hall. They talked about their usual stuff: anime, the previous lesson, all the stuff typical teenagers talked about. Kazuyuki used to enjoy the stereotypical lonely teenage life, but when he met Daisuke, he began to be more open with people.

In order to distract himself from Daisuke’s constant rambling about an erotic manga he had read the other day, in the corner of his eye, he would look at Satō Fuyumi, a classmate who usually sat in front of him. She had recently returned to school after a long break; some believed she had a life-threatening disease, while others heard rumours that her parents were getting a divorce. Kazuyuki didn’t care much for rumours and theories. In addition to this, she was best known for her disappearing act; one second she’s there, the next she’s gone without a trace. An interesting girl, indeed.

She was not like any of the girls he had seen before; she wasn’t the best looking girl in the school, but her appearance was unique. She was smaller compared to Kazuyuki, who was considered the smallest male in the year group. He had always been captivated by the purple colour of her long, straight hair; she was a precious sapphire in an otherwise dull, enclosed cave. She always wore a black face mask, but from what he could see, the shape of her face was nicely proportioned, and her pale skin was so smooth that you could tell she was Japanese.

“Hey!” Kazuyuki’s attention was broken by Daisuke, and when he went to look for the girl again, she was gone.

Yesterday showed signs of snowfall, but Kazuyuki didn’t expect to wake up the next day and look out his bedroom window to see a winter wonderland.

A white blanket of snow covered the path in front of him. He was surprised at how heavy it had snowed the other night. He contemplated how he would get to school. Being dropped off by his mum would not be ideal due to the icy roads. He could cycle there, but the same problem with driving there was also a concern. In the end, he decided to just walk.

"I'm leaving now!"

"Be safe on your way to school," a voice from the kitchen called out.

Headphones plugged in. Music on. He was on his way.

Snow is a magical thing. The trees looked like something out of a Disney movie, their leaves drooping from the weight. As he trudged along the snowy path, he noticed parents wrapping their children in thick gear that would protect them from the cold conditions. Snow is a magical thing, so it made sense that young ones would be excited to explore its marvelousness. To him, the sublimity of the area was nothing like he had seen before, and the calmness that the season dragged in was his favourite part.

"Maybe that's why mum gave me my name", he thought.

The snow began to lessen as he approached the school. Was it the school groundskeeper’s doing, or was it the stampede of teenage feet that conquered it? Either way, it meant that he wouldn't have to struggle as much. Approaching the gate, he felt a sense of pride that he had made it without injury.

"Watch out!"

He couldn't believe it. He thought he had survived, but the two-wheeled menace had to ruin his celebration. This wasn't the first time it had happened.

"Sorry, man. My bad." The boy on the bike helped him up.

"It's fine."

"I told you this would happen!" A blonde, long-haired girl ran up to them. "Are you alright, Kazuyuki-kun?"

"Yeah", he replied, despite rubbing his head.

"Here, let me get that off you." She dusted off the excess snow from his head.

"Thanks."

"And what were you thinking, you idiot?” The girl angrily turned to the other boy. "You could have seriously hurt him."

"I said sorry," replied the boy.

"It's okay, Hara-chan. I'm used to Tachibana-san’s shenanigans. Besides, I had my headphones in, so it's partially my fault for not hearing him coming."

"Still, you could have gotten hurt," her voice highlighted her concern for his health, "and who are you calling 'Hara-chan?'"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry, Kaede-chan."

"Didn’t I tell you to drop the '-chan' already?! We've known each other since childhood." She shouted.

"Kaede," he flinched at her change of tone, "sorry, Kaede."

"Good." Kaede smiled with glee.

"Shouldn't you be more worried for your boyfriend, Kaede?", Tachibana Ichiro jokingly said.

"Yeah. I'm worried that you'll accidentally kill someone one day because of your idiocy," she said, punching him in the shoulder.

Hara Kaede, the beauty of the class. Anyone would be able to spot her luscious, long blonde hair and her perfect model-like appearance. She is best known for her outgoing persona and the way she is nice to everyone. How on earth Tachibana Ichiro, who is not the most handsome guy in the class, managed to land her is a question that has yet to be answered. Maybe it was his blue eyes that captivated Kaede, but to this day Kazuyuki still can’t understand what made Kaede fall in love with him. Nevertheless, he was happy for his friends.

"Oh, look. It's Nori-chan!"

Turning slowly around, a girl in a white coat approached them. She was taller than Kazuyuki but smaller than Kaede and Daisuke. Her light brown, straight hair contrasted well with her white winter coat.

"Hey, everyone. Why are you not going to class yet?"

Kaede checked her watch. "Oh, shoot! It's almost time. We should go."

"Right."

The four students walk past the gate. But Kazuyuki did not realise he had dropped his phone in the snow. Luckily, someone did notice.