Rating: 4.72 out of 5

I honestly picked this up because the title was such a mood (who actually likes freezing cold weather??), but I was not ready for the emotional damage Nozo was about to inflict on me. This story isn't just about snow; it is about how memories can freeze you in place while the rest of the world moves on, and it hurts so good.

Arima Kosuke and Hanami Fuyama are the definition of "right person, wrong time" and it is frustratingly beautiful. The way they start as childhood friends with that quiet bond is so precious. You get these fluffy early chapters where everything feels safe, and you just want to protect them. But then, true to the drama and tragedy tags, life starts pulling them apart. It is not even a big dramatic villain that separates them; it is just... life. The silence between them grows louder than any argument could, and watching them drift apart in the middle chapters was absolute torture. I was literally screaming at my phone, "Just talk to each other!"

The "School" arc really hits home because it captures that awkwardness of seeing someone you used to know everything about, but now they feel like a stranger. The scene where it snows and Arima just stares at it with that dead look in his eyes? Chills. Literal chills. You finally understand why the novel is called what it is. Snow isn't just weather for them; it is a reminder of everything they lost.

I have to mention the pacing. It is slow, like a real slow burn, but it fits perfectly. It makes the few moments where they actually connect feel so much more intense. There is this one chapter around the 100 mark where they almost bridge the gap, and my heart was racing so fast.

It is raw, it is depressing, and it is totally addictive. If you like stories that make you cry at 3 AM because of realistic drift and lost love, this is for you. 4.72/5 because I need them to be happy or I will riot.