Ren impatiently tapped his foot as he waited for the train to arrive. It was January 2, 2018. After going home at the end of his summer break, the events between September and December were a blur. Nothing eventful happened. He was almost done with school. It was winter break, and he really wanted to see Sumire. The snow threatened to overtake the station and bury him. Winter this year was far more intense than last year.

Compared to the stakes, though, some snow wasn't a threat at all compared to reality changing. After a few more minutes of anxious foot-tapping, the train arrived at the station. Ren boarded the train and sat down. In a few hours, he'd be back in Shibuya, surrounded by the fragrance of coffee and curry.

"We're finally going back!" Morgana meowed in triumph as he popped out of Ren's bag.

"Only for a few days, unfortunately," Ren retorted.

"Yeah, well, any time is a good time!" Morgana answered.

"Fair point. Everyone is still off doing their own thing. This isn't like summer break, where they can afford to come back. It'll just be Futaba, Sumire, you, and me." Ren sighed as he looked out the window, watching the snow fall.

"What about Yusuke?" Morgana asked.

"I don't want to bother him. This may sound rude, but I just want to see Sumire."

"Eh, I understand that. If I had a short vacation and the choice of spending time with Lady Ann or the whole group, who is busy, then I'd choose Lady Ann!"

Ren chuckled as Morgana made his comparison.

"Wait, Ren, did you even tell Sumire you were coming? I know you two talk every day."

"Nope."

"Why not?"

"Think about it, Morgana. Futaba invites Sumire over to Leblanc. She's happy to spend time with her best friend, sure. But then… I slowly walk down the stairs and surprise her! Just imagine the look on her face!" Ren clenched his fist and yelled to the sky, in the train.

"Uhhuh. Have fun with that. I'm gonna take a cat nap."

"I think I'll doze off, too in a minute. We'll be in Yongen-Jaya soon enough."

Ren pulled out his phone and called Futaba.

"Hellooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo Ren."

"Hey, Futaba. I'm coming back to Leblanc for a few days. Winter break, y'know?"

"Ohho. Interesting. Actually, hold on. I haven't heard Sumire ranting about seeing you at all. Have you not told her?"

"Nope."

"Ahhhhhh. I understand completely now. Operation Tomato is now underway!"

"I assume by Tomato you mean turn Sumire red blushing?"

"Exactly. I'll see you soon, partner in crime."

"See you soon, Futaba."

Ren and Morgana slowly dozed off as the train began moving.

Ren groggily stretched his neck as the familiar tune pierced his ears.

" Yongen-Jaya. This is Yongen-Jaya."

"We're here," Morgana stated between yawns as he jumped up on Ren's shoulder.

"Yup. Let's go."

Ren walked the familiar route to Leblanc, the streets covered in snow that he trudged through. As he walked, he thought about seeing Sumire bundled up in her winter gear. Her big, black jacket, her red scarf… It's been a long couple of months. Snow steadily fell as Ren passed a series of familiar faces. Many of Yongen-Jaya's residents were out and about, and all of them recognized Ren as he gave them nods and continued forward. He hadn't even told Sojiro he was coming. Before he knew it, he was outside the iconic door.
"OPEN"

A faint smile crossed Ren's face as he slowly opened the door.

"Welc- Ren?" Sojiro looked over to the door, his look changing from nonchalant to that of surprise as he saw Ren standing in the doorway.

"Hey, Sojiro. I'm on break, and I thought I'd stop by for a few days."

"Winter break, huh? Well, I won't argue. It's good to see you, kid."

A cocky smile crossed Sojiro's face as he chuckled.

"You're full of surprises, kid, really."

"I try."

"I'm back too, Chief!" Morgana jumped out of Ren's bag and onto a bar stool.

"Oh, good, you brought the cat. Sorry little guy, but I don't have any treats."

"Chief! It's alright! You were the best of them anyway!" Morgana meowed hungrily.

"I'll find something for you, hold on. I can't understand you still, you know."

Ren chuckled as he witnessed this conversation between cat and man. He took a seat next to Morgana at a bar stool.

"So, how's school been?" Sojiro asked while pouring a bit of coffee.

"I'm getting straight A's across the board. Everything is so… easy. Makoto's study lessons were… effective."

"She is one tough lady. Back in my hayday I would've used all my charm to try and woo someone like her." Sojiro replied with a chuckle.

"The more you make these vague statements, the more I wonder about how colorful your past is."

"Honestly, kid, I was more of a delinquent than you. But that's a story for another time."

Ren frowned, his curiosity peaked.

"Fineeeee," he sighed, "Mind if I invite Sumire here? She's the reason I came back in the first place."

Sojiro laughed.

"Of course not! Not like I get business here anyway."

"Thanks, Sojiro."

The door creaked open as Futaba stepped in.

"Yo!"

She wore her heavy green jacket and black beanie, combined with her black pants.

"Futaba? Are you planning something, Ren?" Sojiro gave Ren a curious glare.

Ren and Futaba snickered and laughed.

Sojiro sighed. "Fine. Is there anything you want me to do?"

"Nope! Just act natural!" Futaba held up a finger matter-of-factly.

Ren walked upstairs and Futaba called Sumire.

"Sumiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiire. Hi."

"Hello, Futaba."

"Wanna come over to Leblanc? We could have curry and talk about Featherman!"

"This is out of the blue, Futaba. But I'll come right after practice!"

"You're still practicing, even on break?" Futaba tilted her head.

"There's no time to waste! I'll be over soon!" Sumire hung up the phone, but before she did, Futaba swore she heard her cough.

"Well, I've done my part!" Futaba yelled upstairs.

Ren shivered as he sat down on a spare chair in the room. Sojiro hadn't really touched anything in the attic. There wasn't a heater, though. His bed was still intact, as was the TV, and the star stickers on the ceiling.

"Are you sure this will be worth it? Morgana sat in Ren's lap, curled up.

"Absolutely. It might be cold now, but as soon as I cuddle up with Sumire, it'll all be worth it!"

Morgana sighed. The two waited in the dark attic for what felt like an hour. Ren was dedicated to this, but he did not realize he would have to wait so long. Eventually, he heard voices.

"Hello again, Futaba. Hello, Boss-san."

"Heyo, Sumire! Nice of you to join us!~"

"Hey there," Sojiro waved.

Ren stood up and slowly walked to the staircase. This would be his first time seeing Sumire in five months. Nothing mattered more to him. With Phantom Thief-like stealth, he slowly walked down the stairs.

"I've been practicing every day lately. The weather is very intense, lately. I hope I don't catch a cold," Sumire made small talk with Futaba.

Ren took a deep breath and completed his descent. As he became fully visible, Sumire looked at him with a look of surprise on her face. It was exactly as Ren pictured it. She was wearing her black jacket, red scarf, and the replica pair of glasses. Her hair was loose against her back, a beaming red ribbon tied at the bottom. The look of surprise immediately shifted to that of a smile as she rushed toward him.

"Ren!"

Before Ren could speak, Sumire had wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his chest.

"Hi, Sumi."

Sumire looked up at him, arms still tightly wrapped around his chest. Tears were forming in her eyes.

"Wh-what are you doing here? I didn't expect this at all! I've missed you so much… your warmth… your smell…"

"We still call every night," he replied while stroking his hand on top of her head, "But I know exactly what you mean."

Sumire sniffed as a tear fell from her eye, and some moisture from her nose.

"Are you alright?" Ren asked, immediately noticing her cheeks were flushed red, but in a far different way than he knew.

"I'm fine," Sumire answered in a tone that felt almost distant.

"Here, use this," Ren pulled out a small handkerchief, offering it to Sumire.

"Thank you. I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm crying…"

"You don't need to apologize. I just wanted to surprise you," Ren answered.

"I… am really happy…" Sumire's face regained some color as she formally blushed, wiping her nose.

"I've missed that so much."

Sumire faintly giggled as Ren oogled her. The two hugged once again, and held each other, making up for lost time. After a minute of silence, Sumire turned her head toward Sojiro.

"Boss-san, could I have some coffee? I apologize for intruding again."

Sojiro couldn't help but chuckle.

"It's not a problem. Take a seat, I'll get you a nice, warm cup. Some curry, too. You came from practice, right?"

"Yes," Sumire answered.

As Ren led Sumire to the nearest booth, he couldn't help but notice something was off about her movements. She slowly sat down and scooted into the booth. Futaba had been playing with Morgana while the two were reunited.

"C'mon, kitty! Don't play favorites!"

"You pinch my cheeks so roughly, though! At least Ren treats me well!"

"You want me to button mash headpats?" Futaba curled her fingers up and smiled mischievously.

"Please, no!" Morgana whined.

"All right, food's ready," Sojiro walked over to the booth and placed down two plates of curry. A minute after, he placed down two cups of coffee.

"This is the same cup you started pouring earlier," Ren remarked after taking his first sip.

"You're the one who sat on it, kid," Sojiro waved him off.

Ren turned to Sumire. Despite what he thought was her weaker constitution, she ate with the same appetite and fervor as always. Within a minute, the plate was clean.

"How was it?" Ren asked while watching her drink the coffee.

Sumire set down the cup slowly. "Delicious," she answered.

Ren gave her a concerned glance as she shivered in her seat. He patted her back and stood up.

"Hey, Sojiro, do you still have that heater I kept in my room?"

"Sure. It's at the house."

"Any comforters? Warm blankets?"

"I'm sure there are some in a box in the attic."
"Alright."

Ren gave Sumire a nod.
"I'll be right back."

With a quick pace in each step, Ren threw on his jacket and stepped outside. It was snowing intensely. The sun had set, and Ren had to trudge through thick snow with each step. He could hardly see, too. The cold wind nipped at his cheeks and nose. He didn't really care, though. He just wanted to know what was wrong with Sumire. Even without much light, he easily navigated to Sojiro's house. Yongen-Jaya was essentially his backyard. The door was unlocked, and he stepped quickly scoured the home for his old heater, and he eventually found it. After looking it over, he knew it hadn't been used since he left. Looking around, he grabbed a spare blanket and wrapped it around the heater carefully. With his package secured, he quickly made his way back to Leblanc.

Upon opening the door, Ren saw Futaba sitting next to Sumire, with Morgana on the table.

"It's awful out there," Ren commented while closing the door behind him.

"Winter decided to come in full force this year," Sojiro sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Ren! I think Sumire's got a cold!" Futaba waved him over. He looked and saw her place her hand on Sumire's forehead, only to take it off and shake it as if it had been burnt.

"Her forehead is on fire! Super hot!"

Sumire didn't say a word. She silently sat with her hands tucked together under the table.

"I'll be back down in a minute," Ren commented as he made his way to the staircase, "I'm going to warm the attic up."

Morgana attempted to console Sumire.

"You don't have to hide it from us, Sumire. It's alright."

"I-it's different." She sheepishly remarked.

"Different?" Morgana asked.

Ren plugged the heater in near the bed and found the box. He pulled out several comforters and placed them on the bed. He stood for a minute and waited. Eventually, he felt the heater do its work. With a relieved sigh, Ren made his way downstairs. As he reached the ground floor, Sumire abruptly stood up.

"I… have to go. I'm sorry, Ren-senpai, Morgana-senpai, Futaba, Boss-san."

Ren couldn't see her eyes through the reflection of light off her glasses. She spun around and made her way to the door.

"Sumire, wait!" Ren rushed after her. As Sumire began to open the door, her knees buckled, and she fell, slumping against the wall before hitting the ground.

"Sumire!"

"Ugh…"

Sumire slowly leaned up. She felt like she was being held down by a hundred blankets. As she sat up, she realized that was almost the case. The blankets slid down, and she saw that she was not in her jacket or uniform. Instead, she was wearing a violet pajama shirt with a white t-shirt underneath it.

"H-huh? My clothes…"

"Good morning sleepyhead!" Futaba leaned in front of Sumire, waving.

"F-Futaba? Wh-what happened? This is Ren's room…"

"You passed out when you tried to leave. You had us all worried sick. Here's some soup."

Futaba slid forward a bowl of soup on a tray.

"Th-thank you. I'm so sorry for burdening everyone."

"These things happen, Sumire! Don't beat yourself up over it. By the way…"

Futaba leaned in a little closer.

"You have amazing proportions."

Sumire turned beet red. "Wh-"

"I'm just joking! I changed you out of your outfit into something more comfortable! I couldn't help but notice how much you take care of yourself!" Futaba leaned back in her chair, threatening to fall over backward.

"You're so mean…" Sumire pouted.

"That soup is a special new recipe Sojiro came up with on the spot! Leblanc curry soup! It's like curry, but soup!" Futaba changed the subject.

"I see… um… where's Ren?" Sumire looked around the room. She noticed Morgana asleep on the comforter, but did not see her boyfriend.

"He's over at that punk Doctor's, buying a lot of medicine. It was too late last night, so he went as soon as he woke up. He never left your side, you know."

Sumire blushed as she imagined Ren at the food of the bed, asleep in the chair.

"I have to apologize to him…"

"Just get some more rest! I'll be downstairs, okay?" Futaba stood up and began to walk to the staircase.

"Thank you, Futaba."

Futaba disappeared from view. Sumire laid back down and drifted off. Her whole body was both extremely warm, yet cold, and it felt heavy.

"Ren…"

Sumire jolted upright, covered in sweat. A cold patch sat on her forehead.

"Water…"

A hand held out a cold glass. She immediately took it and gulped it down. Sumire could feel the sweat underneath her pajama shirt.

"I've gotten really sweaty… I should wipe myself down…"

In her daze, she began to unbutton her shirt. As she began to do so, she heard an audible "Huh?" to her left. She looked, and through her blurry vision, she made out what could only be Ren, furiously blushing.

"Uh…"

Sumire had to process what she was looking at while she continued to unbutton the shirt.

"O-oh…" Her face turned completely red, and it felt hotter than the entirety of her body. In a flash of recognition, she dove underneath the blanket.

"S-senpai! Wh-wh-what are you doing here?"

"Huh?" Ren leaned in toward her. She could feel him pressing against the bed.

"The love of my life is sick with a fever. You don't think I'm going to watch her and take care of her?"

Sumire slowly peeked out from the blanket.

"Th-thank you berry much…"

Ren flicked her forehead with his finger.
"Berry much?" Ren sighed in relief, "So, how is the fever? I have some medicine here. Special make, too. Takemi special."

"Takemi special…?" Sumire tilted her head.

"Don't worry about it," Ren laughed it off.

"My fever… fever… I can't believe I caught a cold and got a fever… I'm so pathetic…"

Ren flicked her forehead again, and gave her a stern glance.

"I thought we were past this, Sumire."

"I… Ren-senpai…"

Sumire looked at him with guilt-ridden eyes.

"I'm so sorry… it's just… on top of this cold… it was one year ago when I… when Dr. Maruki showed us that memory…"

"Of Kasumi?"

"Yes… he reminded me of who I truly was."

Ren saw a look of sorrow in her eyes. He immediately leaned forward and took her hands.

"You're Sumire Yoshizawa. You're the love of my life, and you're the woman who will get the gold medal in the gymnastics competition in the Olympics one day. We're going to take the world stage, together."

Sumire's eyes widened as Ren's words pierced her directly in the heart.

"Ren-senpai… you're right. I'm sorry, again."

Sumire leaned forward as to bow, and her head collided directly with Ren's hand. He gently cupped his hand against her head.

"You don't need to apologize for anything. You're still pretty warm… I know you still want to practice, and I wish I could take your place. I already called Coach Hiraguchi and told her about the situation. I also called your parents. You're going to be staying with me until the end of winter break. Any objections?" Ren crossed his arms firmly.

"I want to practice… but I know my limits. Kasumi never got sick…"

"Well, you're not Kasumi. You're Sumire. Don't be afraid of who you are. Now, do you have any requests?"

"Actually… could you put your head against my forehead? It was nice and cool…"

Ren smiled and put his hand against her forehead. Sumire laid back down.

"Is this all you want? I could get another cooling patch…"

Sumire placed her hand against his.

"Silly…"

"Hm?" Ren leaned in closer.

"I love you, Ren."

"I love you too, Sumire. Don't overdo it anymore. If the weather is bad, don't practice. If you think you're going to get sick, don't practice. You know it as much as Hiraguchi and I do. If you get sick, you can't practice, and then you're just losing progress."

Sumire closed her eyes and felt Ren's cold, soft hand against her forehead.

"Mhm… you're right. I think… as it got closer to January, I started to practice more intensely. I thought about what happened last year… and I wanted to work harder than ever so… nothing like that would happen again."

"What an idiot…"

"Senpai?"

"You're so silly, Sumire. If anything were to happen to you, I'd snap. I'd go crazy. I'd do anything to help you. You don't need to worry. Just focus on our goal. Kasumi is with us, watching."

Sumire smiled and giggled.

"That's right."

After a few more minutes, Sumire drifted off again.

Sumire spent the next few days at Leblanc, slowly recovering from her fever.

"I can feed myself…"

"Sure, but it's more fun this way. Open wide!"

Sumire reluctantly opened her mouth and let Ren feed her the curry soup that she was growing used to.

"You should tell Boss-san to make this a permanent item on the menu. It's delicious. I think it would really fit with a winter setting."

"I'll tell him, don't worry. Feeling better?"

"I'm not nearly as warm as the previous days. I should be fine tomorrow."

"That's good. We can still get a few days of practice before I have to leave."

"Thank you, Ren-senpai. Practice is so much more fun with you by my side."

"That's good to hear. Have you ever tried to get Futaba to practice with you?"

Sumire giggled. "That would never happen, Ren-senpai. Futaba is busy saving the world, or so she says."

"She must be talking about her MMO. She's amazing though, isn't she?"

"She is. I constantly hear about her in the hallways of Shujin. She's always at the top of the class. People don't see her often, though. When they do, she's often with, um, Kana-chan, I think it was."

"Yup. Kana is Futaba's best friend from back in elementary."

"That's so sweet."

"Anything eventful happen in the past couple months, Sumire?"

Morgana stood up and stretched. He'd grown accustomed to lying on Sumire's lap.

"Not particularly. You two already know what I've been up to. We call almost every day."

"That's true."

Ren rubbed his chin with his hand.

"I haven't kept up with the others as much as I have with you. Of course, we're all doing our own thing now. I've been texting them every couple of days or weeks."

Sumire nodded.

"You graduate at the end of the term, right Ren-senpai?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah."

"Um… I wanted to ask… will you… wait for me before you start college?"

Ren's brow furrowed.

"I want to. Higher education here though is… competitive. I want to follow Dr. Maruki's footsteps, too. It definitely would be tough, but I think I could do it. School has been a breeze for me."

Sumire leaned out of bed and hugged him tightly.

"Thank you, Ren-senpai. Thank you."

"Anything for you."

Ren hugged her back, lightly.

"Anything you want to do today while you rest?"

"Let's watch some films. Maybe… Cinderella?"

Ren laughed wholeheartedly.

"I'll get right on that."

After Sumire's last day of recovery, the couple returned to practicing for the remainder of their winter break. Sumire doubled down on their exercises, likely to make up for lost time. Eventually, they finished practice on their final day. Sumire walked Ren to the train station in Yongen-Jaya.

"Ann, Ryuji, Yusuke and I are all going to graduate this year," Ren commented while looking at the sky.

"Yes. I'll do my best to make it to your graduation."

"Don't stress yourself out trying to. You might be practicing that day. It's okay if you can't make it."

"I want to, though."

Sumire stepped ahead and leaned in front of him, looking up at him.

"Thank you, Sumire."

"Anything for you, Ren-senpai."

Ren began laughing, and Sumire joined him in the laughter.

"In that case, I'll see you again at graduation. It's too bad we'll miss Valentine's and White Day."

"We can just mail the chocolates, Ren-senpai."

Ren sighed.

"That's true. It just isn't the same. I'll think of something."

"I look forward to it!"

"And I look forward to your chocolates."

The train pulled up in the station. The weather had settled down over the past few days. Today, it snowed lightly.

Sumire pressed her hands against Ren's cheeks, and pulled him in for a kiss. He embraced her, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"I love you, and I'll see you soon, Sumire."

"Yes! I love you too, Ren-senpai."

The train doors opened, and the couple released their embrace. Ren stepped onboard the train, and the couple waved to each other as the doors closed. Ren sat down as the train departed the station and he looked out the window, ready for the next leg of their journey.