It was snowing outside... A calm, cold evening, yet somehow gentle. The soft sound of the snowflakes hitting the ground created a peaceful, serene atmosphere in the house.
"Hey, Sera, could you make me some tea?" Mr. Ishimia asked, his voice carrying a hint of tiredness.
"Sure... Rei, what about you? Would you like some tea?" Sera asked, turning her attention to him.
"Sure, I guess," Rei replied, his tone casual but with a hint of exhaustion.
Sera nodded and left for the kitchen, with Alya trailing behind her, talking non-stop as usual.
Mr. Ishimia glanced over at Rei, his gaze softening a little. "So, Rei... I've been meaning to ask, what's your family like? You never really talk about them."
Rei paused, looking down at his hands. For a moment, the room felt heavier, the silence stretching. "Well... my mom passed away when I was young, and my dad works abroad. So, it was mostly just me and my sister growing up," he said, his voice quieter now, as if he wasn't quite ready to open up fully. "That's why I like it here... It feels like having a family again, you know?"
Mr. Ishimia nodded thoughtfully, his expression soft. "I get that. It's not easy being on your own like that... Sera's a good person, though. She's tough on the outside, but she's got her own struggles. People don't always see it."
Rei raised an eyebrow, unsure what Mr. Ishimia meant. "What do you mean?"
"She's always been the strong one," Mr. Ishimia continued, "but deep down, she's weak..... fragile. She hides it well. She doesn't like to show weakness, especially not when she's worried about her friends."
Rei thought back to the morning when Sera had run into the forest without thinking, desperate to find Alya. "I... I think I get it," Rei murmured quietly. "She looked so scared when Alya was missing. It made me realize how much she's been carrying, even when she doesn't show it."
Mr. Ishimia's face softened, the slight warmth in his eyes more visible now. "If you weren't there... I don't know what she would've done. She would've gone running off like that, completely lost. I'm grateful to you, Rei. You've been a good friend to her."
Rei scratched the back of his neck, feeling a little awkward but thankful for the praise. "It's really no big deal... I'm just glad I could help." He hesitated, looking down. "Yeah, she really is fragile."
Meanwhile, Sera stood just by the gate, her heart tightening as she overheard her father's words. "Dad really knows me well…" she whispered to herself, a soft smile on her lips despite the lump in her throat.
The night passed in comfort, the snow still falling outside, a quiet blanket over the world. Inside, the warmth of the house wrapped around them like a cozy embrace.
"Hey, Sera, I'm leaving now," Rei said, standing up with his bag in hand, ready to head out into the cold night.
"Whyyyy...?! You should stay the night!" both Sera and Alya said at the same time, their voices filled with genuine concern.
Rei chuckled, shaking his head. "Nah, I'll leave before my sister starts making anymore dumb assumptions about me."
"Rei," Mr. Ishimia said, his voice taking on a teasing tone, "I think you should stay here tonight. We can play video games, just like buddies."
"Yeah!" Mrs. Ishimia added, her smile warm and inviting. "Tomorrow's a holiday. You're already here, why not stay and relax?"
Rei hesitated, feeling the pressure but also something else—a warmth he wasn't used to. Before he could talk himself out of it, he nodded. "Alright, alright, fine. I'll stay."
Rei didn't knew that Mrs Ishimia was about to show him heaven again....
---to be continued
--~Rei