December 27th. Two days after Christmas, the first day between the Holidays and New Years. Most settled back to normal for a few days, grateful for the respite after all the preparation for Christmas and Boxing Day. Nanako Kuroi was not among them. With a heavy sigh she took her first step onto the snow covered pavement and began to make her way, carefully, into town. Anyone not working was likely still at home, away from the cold. Outside, winter had taken its toll; the snow had been falling since last night and had built a thick layer upon the ground now. The wind was bitterly cold and the sun was choked out by grey clouds. It was not a pretty picture. Unless you looked at it from a certain way; snow was only glimpsed once a year, at best. Perhaps it was best to savour it while it lasted…
Nanako pulled the scarf tighter around her neck as a chill wind passed by. Though the city resembled more a tundra, Nanako would not be dissuaded. This was a walk she took each year. It had been a tradition, or maybe a habit, for the past three years now. Nanako was 28 now, and she wasn't getting any younger. She wasn't getting any less lonely, either. Though she would extol the benefits of single life to her friends whenever she could, the truth was there were too many mornings she awoke in a bed that felt half empty. Those mornings were always the coldest.
Nanako stepped inside the convenience store, wiping her boots off on the mat and pulling her gloved hands from her pockets. There were a handful of other shoppers, along with one or two staff, in the store with her. She made her way around, picking up a few items so as to blend in. Once she had a few things in hand, she made her way up to the counter. There, lined up neatly in rows on a colourful stand, were the discount christmas cakes she had ventured all this way for. As the cashier scanned through her items she casually picked one out and placed it upon the counter. The cashier barely seemed to notice as she scanned it and threw it in the bag with the rest of the stuff. Nanako stepped out of the shop, a bag in one hand and a cake box suspended by string in the other.
"You're not a leftover, because I remembered you." Nanako spoke to the box. She let out a breath, a white cloud puffing out into the cold air. The loneliness stung harsher in the silence. The walk home seemed far worse than the journey into town, with no goal beyond an empty home.
Nanako opened up her front door, pulling off her scarf and gloves as she did so, before putting the shopping down beside the door. As she looked down she spotter an envelope on the floor. Picking it up and opening it, she found a christmas card inside.
"From Yui…" Nanako read quietly to herself. Despite her mood, she felt a tiny smile creep it's way onto her lips. She picked up her phone and dialed Yui's number. "Hey Yui, I just got your card, thanks!" Single life is not always a pretty picture, unless you looked at it a certain way; you're never truly alone. "Would you like to come over? I just picked up a cake and I feel like sharing." Perhaps it's best to savour it with friends…
(A/N: This one was short, I know, but this idea came to me and I wanted to try and write it down. I've been trying to write up a bunch of stuff for christmas, so this one sprang out of the christmas theme I was going for. While I certainly like Nanako, I don't feel I have as good a grasp on her character as some of the others, so I suppose that could explain the short length. On an unrelated note, did you guys know that Nanako's birthday is the day before mine? I hope you enjoying reading, and I'll see you next time!")