Colours of the Snow | Yuki Ishikawa

14

2023. October 14.

On our final day, we took a day trip to Kyoto. I was lucky to have visited Kyoto before and instantly fell in love with the city. I am grateful to Yuki's parents for giving my family and Dani the opportunity to experience the beauty of this city as well.

The first place we went when we arrived at Kyoto by car was the Kyoto station. I had no idea why we stopped there, but as soon as Mama Midori got out of the car, I felt butterflies in my stomach.

Is Yuki already here? Are we fetching him?

I was so excited that I opened the door to chase Mama Midori to where she was going.

As I looked into the distance, I saw a figure that was all too familiar to me. It was the man I had been waiting for. My heart was filled with joy, fear, and longing. I wanted to run towards him and embrace him as tightly as I could, but my legs felt like they were made of stone. My emotions were overwhelming me, and I didn't know whether to cry or smile. It was a moment I had been waiting for, but now that it was here, I didn't know how to react.

It was as if I hadn't seen this man in years when it was only a few days ago. Every moment without him felt like an eternity. When I finally saw him again, it was like I had been holding my breath for days. He was the only one I had been thinking about constantly, yearning for his presence every single day.

"Why are you crying? I just got here, and seeing you like that breaks me," Yuki said in his loving, soft voice.

I continued to cry. I missed him. I missed my Yuki so much.

Yuki wrapped his arms around me. In front of all the people passing by, he did not care. It was as if we were the only ones in the world. Nothing mattered. No one mattered.

Mama Midori, who was watching the scene, was also wiping her tears and invited us to return to the van. Yuki side-hugged me until we got inside. It was a reuniting moment for both of us.

I looked overly dramatic while we were all in the van. Yuki never let go of his arm wrapped around my side, and he was the only one I was looking at.

"Eri, are you okay?" Yuki asked curiously.

"Yes, I am all good. Happy and good," I replied while still gazing at him intently.

Yuki chuckled at my behavior, and I realized I must have looked weird to him. It was as though I was a puppy snuggling up to its owner, being affectionate and clingy.

"I miss you," I whispered into his ear.

Yuki blushed momentarily before flashing a sneaky smile.

"Later, baby," he teased.

My eyes widened at the endearment. "You called me baby?!" I whispered, shocked.

"Don't want?"

"WANT!"

He replied, "Good, baby." I smiled giddily.

After our emotional reunion, Otou-san drove us to a family Japanese restaurant, and we had a sumptuous breakfast to start our trip. Then, we spent the rest of the day exploring Kyoto. We visited Kiyomizu-dera Temple, walked along the Philosopher's Path, and enjoyed some delicious matcha sweets in a small tea house. Yuki held my hand tightly as we walked, and I felt a sense of peace and contentment that I had been missing for days. Being with him made me feel whole again.

Afternoon came, and we made our way to the Fushimi Inari Shrine. The brightly colored torii gates were a sight to behold, and we walked through them. Yuki took my hand and led me through the winding paths, stopping occasionally to take a picture or admire the view. Yuki looked like a proud dad taking pictures of his kid.