This Warmth Of Yours

Chapter 21 - Whispers of Spring Thaws the Everlasting Snow

Before he knew it, the boy ended up in front of her house again. The windows were all closed with the lights shut out. Sometimes, he wondered if she was even home at all.

He looked towards her bedroom window, realising that a tree had grown tall and close enough for a person to climb into her window. He froze, chuckling towards himself. I shouldn't think of trespassing at a time like this. She'd hate me even more.

He turned his phone on, reading his messages that never went through. His gaze longed for a reply, but that wasn't going to happen. Yuki sighed, placing the phone back into his pocket. He looked back at the house one last time - and turned back home.

"I'll see her again when school reopens, right?"

Everything would be as if it never happened. Everyone would be there for her, and she'd be happy again.

It was his fault he didn't notice anything sooner. Yuki froze just as he thought that. Her last words to them. Did she really think they pitied her? That they spoke lies just to appease her? It must've stabbed her heart when he confessed to her. That's right, he made everything worse.

He should've known how she felt. He shouldn't have pried, but now he's paid the price. "Please be okay," he whispered.

"Yuki?"

He eagerly turned around, his heart racing.

"Oh... Kana."

She weakly chuckled. "Ha, disappointed that it's me? We haven't seen each other since that day either."

Kana looked back at the direction he came from. "... I knew you'd be here. Your parents told me to look for you since you weren't responding to your phone."

He cast his gaze downwards, crestfallen. She fidgeted around in place and took a deep breath. Some sort of decision had been made in her head.

"... Yuki."

"I'M SORRY!" she yelled out. He looked up, instantly greeted by a punch to the face that sent him straight to the pavement. "Kana, what the hell!?"

"S- stop moping around! You being like this makes me sad too! If you want to clear up her misunderstanding about all of us, then go after her and never let her go until everything is properly explained!"

He stood back up, his breathing erratic. "I can't! I've hurt her so much, it's my fault!"

Kana snapped. "If it's your fault, then I'm at fault too! I'm her friend just as much as you are! Do you think you're the only one who's hurt by this?"

She continued. "Haru's in pain, and she doesn't have a support system she could trust. I want to be that for her, don't you?" Her hands balled into a fist.

They both went silent. Only the sounds of crickets could be heard in the dead of night.

"... You should go home, Yuki. Your parents are gonna be mad at me if I get home without you. You know how scary they get when they're mad."

She instinctively stepped back as Yuki approached her. His hands rose and began to stretch and pinch her cheeks. Her confused mumblings finally became coherent when he stopped. "Why did you do that?!"

He gently smiled. "Revenge for you punching me earlier."

She chuckled. "I didn't even punch you that hard. I held back a lot."

"I shudder to be on the receiving end of Kana-Punch at max power."

"Don't worry, they're only served fresh to the worst of assholes!" She pointed at him dramatically. "The punch I gave you's the one for cowards!"