Chapter 1: Cold Days Need Warm Hugs

Cold.

It was cold.

I opened my eyes and all I could see was white. White bits floated down from the sky towards my face and melted immediately upon coming into contact with the warm surface. I reached out my hand towards the snow, trying to catch some snowflakes into the palm of my hand.

Where am I?

I closed my eyes again.

Why am I here?

I supposed it didn't really matter; despite the cold, all I wanted to do was just sit here and do nothing. The feeling of having no obligations, no worries, and no duties was so liberating…so free.

I had almost fallen asleep again when I heard a faint shout. The voice got closer and closer until I could clearly hear the words that were being said to me.

"Hey you! Are you okay?"

I didn't respond. I didn't want to meet people. Meeting people meant making friends, and I was reveling in this feeling of freedom too much to care at the moment. Maybe if I don't respond, they'll think I'm dead and they'll leave.

I heard the sound of feet moving through the freshly fallen snow getting closer and closer. Two hands suddenly grabbed my shoulders and started shaking me while I was lifted up to a sitting position. My eyes flew open and I saw the person who had so rudely interrupted my serenity. A boy around my age knelt in front of me, eyebrows scrunched up in worry. I stared at him; his hair was so white it almost blended into the background and his eyes were an icy, teal blue.

"Are you okay?" he repeated, hands still shaking my shoulders.

"Well I won't be if you keep shaking me," I replied, voice shaky from the movement, "Stop it."

He immediately stopped and looked to the side, "Sorry."

I looked at his clothing, he was wearing a short sleeved shirt along with a pair of matching shorts. "Are you okay? Aren't you cold?"

He looked surprised at my question, "I don't get cold," he replied as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Why not?"
"I just don't."

"But why?"
"I just don't, okay?!" Frustrated, he got up on his feet and began dusting the snow off his knees. "Anyways, I was just checking to see if you were alive since I would feel kind of bad if someone died and I didn't do anything. You're clearly fine so I'll be going now." He began to walk away.

"Wait!" I got to my feet and began to follow behind him. Why am I following him? I thought I didn't want to make friends, I thought I wanted to be free. Despite these thoughts, I continued to walk after him. He was slightly taller than me, I observed.

He suddenly stopped and turned around, irritated, "Why are you following me? Go home!" he turned his back and started walking faster towards his destination.

I jogged to catch up to his side, "I don't have one."

I saw his eyes flicker to me for a second before he scrunched up his brows, something he did a lot, "What do you mean you don't have one? Where are you planning to go when I leave?"

"I don't know." I looked around at my surroundings for the first time. I turned my head to look as we passed by some wooden houses. I saw several children peering out the window at us. They caught my gaze and immediately ducked down out of sight. I frowned, but didn't say anything and continued walking.

The boy was saying something to me, most of which I didn't hear as I was immersed in my own thoughts. He seemed to realize this and grabbed my shoulder (again) while peering down at me. "Hello? Are you even listening? Hey you!" He waved his free hand in front of my face.

I looked up at him, annoyed. "Can you stop calling me 'you'? I have a name."

He looked slightly abashed and released my shoulder, "Well what is it then?"

"Kimura Shizuka." How did I know my name? I don't even know how I got here or where 'here' even is. But at the same time, it felt so natural saying my name, as if I had said it many times before.

"Well as I was saying Kimura, I'm going back home right now so I think it would be best if you went back to wherever you came from."

"But I don't even know where I came from. All I remember is being cold, waking up and seeing white. And then you showed up." I was lagging behind again, and had to speed walk to keep up with his brisk pace.

He stopped in his tracks, causing me to run into his back. "Ow, what was that for? Why did you stop walking?" I glared at him as I held my now sore nose.

The boy looked at me carefully, as if he was examining me. I stared back at him with a questioning gaze. After a few seconds, he gave a deep sigh and said softly, "Do you want to come back to my house with me?"

I blinked a few times, "Can I?"

"I'm asking you right now, aren't I?" He looked at me exasperatedly, one hand scratching his head.
My face slowly broke into a smile, a warm feeling began to stir inside of me, "Yes, I do."

"Well then hurry up, slowpoke!" He turned around and resumed walking.

I followed behind him, still grinning. Despite the freezing weather, I felt warm for the first time. It was a warm feeling in my chest developed from the feeling of getting to know someone. A feeling developed from making a friend.

"What's your name, by the way?"

Teal eyes looked back at me, "Toshiro. Hitsugaya Toshiro."