Ken liked Autumn.
It was better than winter, with its cold fingers wrapping around people throat, killing them off before spring set in. Winter froze everything up, making it harder to do many simple everyday jobs. It was also expensive for his mother, which meant working more and not being at home, staying in the cold trying to sell frozen flowers. Despite that his birthday was in that season, Ken didn't like winter.
Autumn was better than summer too.
Summer held nothing of importance for Ken, as it seemed that nothing happened during the long days and the short nights. Everyone in school was preparing to go on holiday and have a great time without visiting the building that they hated the most. It was so cheerful that Ken felt almost overwhelmed by the emotion coming out of his peers. Then there was the heat. The summer's sun seemed to be cooking those who lived in 20th Ward, stripping off layers of skin at a time. So, he did not like Summer.
He supposed spring was alright. New beginnings and the start of a new life. That was also when school started too. Everything started in spring, and ends in winter. But for some reason, Ken didn't get along with spring. It seemed so happy and cheerful, like Summer. So optimistic, almost naîve. It always feels like nothing can go wrong in spring. But it does. Everything fell apart in spring.
So, by process of elimination, Autumn was his favorite season.
There was nothing wrong with it. There were colourful leaves that littered the floor and the harvest came in, not that really meant a lot for Ken, as he lived in one of the many wards of Tokyo. He found it peaceful and calm. People were still happy, of course, drinking their apple cider and eating pumpkin pie, but that wasn't what Ken likes about Autumn. He likes the park in Autumn, for he could sit on the bench without getting wet or burning himself on the metal nails. The sun would give the perfect reading light for the boy to enjoy and have the most beautiful subsets that Ken wished he has a camera.
Yeah, he liked Autumn.
He had a date in autumn. That didn't go to plan.
He also made friends in Autumn. He was happy.
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He died in winter.
Haise never knew why he was so happy about Autumn.
It was one thing of many things that confused him and his everyday life. But when Autumn came round, he'll fill up with this unknown amount of happiness inside and for some reason he'll be smiling from August right through to Halloween, no matter what happened.
It scared the hell out of his colleges.
Even the voice in the back of his head seemed content with the changing of colours on the leaves and the days shortening and the nights getting longer. Of course, he couldn't eat any of the sweets that Juuzou tried to give him, but he could live with that. What Haise loved most about Autumn was reading outside. The sunlight was perfect, and while it did set too soon, Haise was just glad that he could enjoy it before winter came, clutching its icy hands on every living thing it could get its hand onto.
Haise hated winter.
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.
.
He didn't know why.