Chapter 2: Not a Dream

—It happened on Valentine’s Day.

“Man, I can’t wait to go skiing, Kei!”

Inside a night bus.

Hyuga Mizushima, a college student, fidgeted with excitement as he turned to the woman beside him dressed in snow gear.

The woman—Kei—chuckled at his buoyant tone.

“Wh-What? You’re not excited or something?”

Hyuga pouted without meaning to, but Kei gave a soft smile after a small apology.

“No, it’s not that—I wasn’t trying to make fun of you. I’m excited too. It’s just rare to see you this hyped up, Hyuga. It’s kind of… cute.”

“…It’s the first time I’ve seen this much snow in real life. It’s hard not to get a little excited. But just so you know, I’m not that grown up, okay? I was so nervous last night I couldn’t even sleep.”

“Same here. I mean… it’s my first time going on a trip alone with a guy…”

“Y-Yeah, same. I mean, not with a guy, obviously. With a girl—I meant with a girl!”

Kei replied bashfully, and Hyuga’s cheeks flushed in response.

They stared at each other for a while, and a warm silence passed between them.

They were dating. A couple, spending their winter break on a ski trip far from their hometown.

“…Hey, can you ski, by the way?”

Hyuga was the first to look away, rubbing a fogged-up window as he changed the subject.

“Um… Not since the school trip back in middle school. So it’s been a while. I’m not sure I’ll be any good… Want me to teach you, though, if you’ve never skied before?”

“Sure… I’d appreciate that. I’d rather not make a fool of myself out there, but it’d be boring if we couldn’t ski together.”

“Don’t worry so much. You’ll be fine. You’re super athletic.”

The two had first met back in high school, but they hadn’t been close like this back then.

She was the perfect honors student—beautiful, smart, popular with everyone.
He was just a sports-obsessed jock with no connection to girls.
They came from completely different worlds.

They’d greet each other in class, sure—but that was it. They were just classmates, nothing more.

It wasn’t until they reunited in college—by coincidence—that they finally got to know each other.

They ended up joining the same club.
During a welcome party, Kei had been cornered by a pushy upperclassman.
Hyuga, passing by, stepped in and helped her out.

After that, perhaps out of gratitude, Kei began helping him with his awkward solo living situation.

And then came Christmas last year.

On their way home from a club party, Hyuga confessed.

Since then, they’d been officially dating.

—She told me later that she’d had feelings for me since high school…
—But she could never work up the nerve to say anything.

Blushing, she’d confessed shyly:
“Everyone I talked to said it’s better if the guy confesses first in these situations…
And honestly, I always dreamed of it happening that way…”

That moment had been so precious. So adorable.

“…Why are you grinning all of a sudden, Hyuga?”

“W-What? It’s nothing.”

…The smile came without thinking.
He was just remembering something.
A happy memory—nothing more.

In the few months since they’d started dating, they’d gone on several local dates, but this was their first overnight trip.

It was only natural his heart was pounding harder than usual.

“By the way… did you ever tell your little sister about me?”

“Oh, yeah. I told her, but she didn’t believe me at all. She was like, ‘There’s no way someone like Kei-senpai is your girlfriend! Total delusion! Prove it! I’m coming with you!’ So yeah, I had to shut that down fast.”

“She really admired me back when we were on the student council together… But I see. In that case, I guess I’ll have to visit sometime soon and prove it to her.”

“…That kinda sounds like you’re coming to meet the family. Not gonna lie, I feel like your dad’s gonna shout at me. I only saw him once, back at your high school graduation, but he looked super strict.”

“Haha, people always think that from the way he looks, but he’s actually pretty sweet. Like, when I was little and begged to get a dog—”

Trivial, gentle conversation continued.

Yes.

Without a doubt, they were happy.

That’s why, without any particular reason, they both believed that time would continue to pass gently, letting them slowly build memories together.

But endings come suddenly—
And without warning.

The last thing Hyuga clearly remembered was the violent jolt of the vehicle.

That was all.

An earthquake, maybe?

The driver slammed on the brakes in a panic, but the highway bus had unfortunately picked up speed going downhill. It wouldn’t stop—instead, it began to skid wildly on the snow-covered road.

“――――!!”

Shrill screams erupted from the passengers, cutting through the chaos.

Then came shouts from near the driver’s seat.

“Hey! Stop the damn thing! We’re gonna go off the road!”

“I’m trying! But it won’t stop!”

No matter how the driver screamed, the speeding hunk of steel didn’t slow down.

If anything, it felt like it was accelerating.

“Hyuga… I’m scared…!”

“I-It’s okay! I’ll protect you!”

In the chaos of the swaying bus, Hyuga reached out, trying to hold Kei close, to shield her—just for a moment—

“A…”

The sound of the guardrail shattering was absurdly anticlimactic.

Then came an overwhelming sense of weightlessness.

Next, an ear-splitting crash—followed by a sickening crunch, the unmistakable sound of something breaking that shouldn’t break.

“…………”

The pain was so intense, he couldn’t even scream.

Or perhaps… he was lucky to be conscious at all.

Unlike a moment ago, no one was making a sound anymore.

His vision was stained red.

And slowly, the blizzard pouring in through the shattered window began painting everything white.

Cold.

So cold.

Still—he clung desperately to the figure in his arms, trying to hold on, trying not to let go.

But the warmth was rapidly slipping away.

Cruelly, inevitably—

And so, his—

No, their consciousness faded.

Whether it was the cold, or something else entirely…

The warmth continued to drain from the body in his arms—

And thus, his—
No, their—consciousness was lost.