Winter in Shibuya was unlike in any other city.
The usually noisy city became unusually quiet. The usual flashy signs indicating a new brand of clothes and the usual neon lights of the city dulled in the dazzling brightness of the snow. The usual bustling city streets, packed with people scrambling to get to their destination and the overcrowded intersections filled with cars cleared up. Few residents of Shibuya could stand the blistering cold winds that blew against them. The majority of them stayed inside, toasty warm with their roaring fireplaces and heavy garments.
However, one girl stood outside alone, leaning against the statue of Hachiko. The winds were especially strong and cold that afternoon, but she didn't seem to mind at the time. Her short blonde hair drifted in the wind, as her eyes stared at the city with wonder. Icicles hung from apartment windowsills. Snowflakes gently fell through the air, compiling on the floor to make pretty banks of pure, white snow. Crests of snow lined the streets of Shibuya.
A strong gust blew. The girl pulled up her thin coat and rubbed her mitten-covered hands. She jumped up. She realized a boy had been standing next to her for who knows how long.
"Um...hello," Rhyme said nervously. The boy had silvery, ash colored hair almost as pure and brilliant as the snow. His skin was pale, and his winter coat was a light grey color. He seemed to ignore Rhyme's greeting. He wore a brilliant white scarf.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" the boy said calmly.
Rhyme was taken aback by the sudden statement, but recovered gracefully.
"Yeah," she said in a daydreaming voice. They both stared at the snowflakes slowly, gracefully floating down, the frost-encrusted building. A quiet Shibuya.
Rhyme snapped out of her trance. "Excuse me, but what's your name?"
The boy stood up. "My apologies. The name's Yoshiya Kiryu, but you can call me Joshua." He put out a hand. As Rhyme shook it, she pondered. This boy had a familiar aura, but she couldn't quite grasp it. She decided to let it go.
"Rhyme Bito," she replied. "Nice to meet you."
"Likewise." Joshua leaned back on the statue. "I see you enjoy being out here."
Rhyme smiled. "Yeah...it's all quiet and peaceful...Shibuya isn't normally like this. It's like in winter, Shibuya becomes dormant." She sighed.
Joshua listened in interest. He giggled. "I suppose that's a way to look at it." He twirled a lock of his hair.
Another strong wind blew. Rhyme shivered. She hugged herself in order to stay warm.
"Something wrong?" Joshua inquired.
"N-Nothing. Just cold," Rhyme replied shakily.
"You know, you should come out in the middle of winter with something more than a thin coat," Joshua remarked.
Rhyme shuddered. "Well...it's just that...my family can't really afford anything. My mother stays home, and my father barely makes a living."
Joshua looked startled. "I'm sorry. It was none of my business."
"It's okay," Rhyme replied. She distracted herself by gazing at the snowflakes.
A freezing gust of wind blew through the city. Rhyme hugged herself tighter. Joshua didn't seem to mind the weather. He kept silently staring at the buildings of Shibuya.
"Here, Rhyme," Joshua said. "Use this." He unwrapped the white scarf around his neck and handed it to Rhyme.
"Are you sure?" Rhyme asked, blue eyes filled with worry. "Won't you be cold?"
"It's fine. Weather doesn't bother me anyhow," Joshua replied. "Take it."
Rhyme hesitantly took the scarf and wrapped it around her. Instantly the scarf gave her warmth. She stopped shivering.
"Thanks," she said.
Eventually, stronger winds blew and the snowflakes fell down harder. The temperature dropped. It soon dipped extremely low, and the winds almost knocked Rhyme off her feet.
"Looks like there's a blizzard approaching," Joshua noted, arms crossed.
"Where should we go?" Rhyme asked. She tried to bundle herself up.
"Since you seem to be freezing, I know a place where we can warm up. My friend owns a cafe with delightful coffee. Care to accompany me?" Joshua held out a hand.
"Sure," Rhyme held it.
"It's a bit of a walk, but I'm sure you'll make it," Joshua said. The two walked past almost all of Shibuya, observing the snowflakes and skyscrapers. Shibuya didn't seem like Shibuya in winter.
The two eventually made it to Cat Street.
"It's right over there. Follow my lead," Joshua said, as he strolled over to the cafe. Rhyme followed.
When Rhyme was inside, Joshua was already talking to the owner.
"...and make mine the usual," Joshua finished. The owner, a tall, lanky man with shades covering his eyes, looked at Rhyme interestingly.
"Oh? Who's this, J?" the man asked.
"My name is Rhyme Bito," Rhyme answered. The man chuckled to himself, and went into another room. Rhyme sat down at the table, and Joshua set down two steaming cups of coffee. She took a sip, and was immensely satisfied. It was hot, tasty, and made her forget instantly about the cold outside.
Meanwhile, Joshua took little sips of his hot coffee. He looked outside.
"My, it's getting worse," he noted.
He was right. Rhyme glanced outside and saw nothing but white. She could hear the howling of the wind through the glass.
"Oh no," she said to herself. "How am I supposed to get home?"
Joshua caught the worried expression on Rhyme's face. "Something wrong?"
Rhyme answered, "Well, my family is probably worrying about me. How am I supposed to get home?"
Joshua remained cool. "We'll think of something. Meanwhile, enjoy your stay here and drink up all of your coffee slowly."
Rhyme did as she was told, taking slow sips of her coffee. It took her a long time to be done. When she was done, she stared at Joshua
"See? Now the storm lessened," Joshua pointed outside. "I think you can walk it home. Mind if I join?"
"No, not at all," Rhyme said. She was happy to have company.
"Very well," Joshua remarked. "Let's go."
They pushed open the doors and into the storm.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
After a while, they reached Rhyme's doorstep. Joshua let Rhyme go.
"Take care now," Joshua said, turning around.
"Um...thanks for everything!" Rhyme said as Josh was walking away. Joshua held his hand up in response.
"It wasn't a problem. Good bye, Rhyme."
Rhyme smiled. She went inside into her house. Her parents were worried about her, but in the end she was safe and that's all that mattered at the moment. Later they had more problems.
"We're down to our last bit of rice and water," her father said at the dinner table. "Everyone split portions. We have to save."
"Whaaa?" Beat yelled. "No more food?"
Mrs. Bito sighed. "Yes. Wonder what we'll do now...." she sighed sadly.
Rhyme was also worried. How will they manage to upkeep everything?
Ding, dong. The doorbell rang.
"I'll get it," Rhyme said. She ran to the door and opened. To her surprise, no one was there. She stepped forward and almost tripped over something. Her eyes widened.
She found herself staring down at a large, decorated basket filled with fruits, bread and other foods. Next to that were blankets and miniature pillows. Lastly, there were stacks of money, more than Rhyme ever saw in her life. As she was exploring the basket, a note fell out. She picked it up and unfolded the note, and read it.
Feel free to keep the scarf.