Colours of the Snow | Yuki Ishikawa

5

2020. September 27.

It was my 24th birthday, and this morning, my family gave me a call. I was greeted by video messages from my closest friends and received birthday wishes from the Milano team via our group chat.

But it was Yuki who called me right on the dot.

"Wow, how thoughtful," I playfully commented as I answered the call.

"Very appreciative. I haven't even said anything yet," he replied.

"Well of course, I know it. You're waiting for my birthday."

"Who said?"

"You never fail to annoy me. Ugh."

He burst into laughter.

Why does this man bully me when he gets teased by his teammates and even plays along with them?

I rolled my eyes. This man...really...ugh

"What do you want in the middle of the night, Ishikawa-san?" I said in defeat.

"Can you come down?" he politely asked.

"Are you giving me my gift? I'll go down if it's cash." I perked up.

"A thousand euros. Come, come."

"I will not give your allowance if that's not purple. You know it, I like purple things."

"You bet. Come down. It is past my bedtime."

"Then you shouldn't have called!"

"Come. Down. Now." he insisted.

"Whatever, Ishikawa."

I ended the call, not believing myself that I was actually going downstairs just because he asked me to.

I met him outside my building.

"Where's the gift?" I said, extending my right hand towards him.

He simply placed his hand over mine and motioned for us to walk.

"Where are we going? I thought you wanted to sleep?" I exclaimed.

"Shhh...we'll wake up the neighbors," he said with a grin.

He led me to a nearby park at midnight. The bright lights and peaceful atmosphere created a serene ambiance.

He stood before me, pulling a box out of his pocket and handing it to me before turning away.

"Why are you giving me this? Do you have a crush on me?" I joked, teasing him about his adorable shyness.

"Ahh, just open it." He still didn't look at me.

I chuckled, "Is there a thousand euros inside?"

"Yes, a thousand euros and purple."

I opened the box. Instead of the expected thousand euros, I found something even more precious, something worth much more than money.

He didn't lie. It was a silver snowflake necklace adorned with purple gems.

I was speechless. Yuki does have his way of surprising someone, doesn't he?

"Are you just going to stare at that forever? I'll take it back so I can get my thousand back." he jokingly said.

I didn't say anything, but instead, I gave him a look filled with gratitude and emotion.

He took the box from me, retrieved the necklace, and gently placed it around my neck. It was a new and incredibly meaningful experience, and I felt my eyes well up with tears. I gazed at the pendant hanging delicately around my neck.

"You really don't want to leave my thoughts, do you? This snowflake represents you, Yuki," I softly whispered.

"I never intended to, and yes, Yuki means snow, so that's me," he said, looking directly into my eyes. "I'm right here, hanging on." He pointed towards the left side of my chest where my heart resides.