ii
Yukiko breathed in the city's smell. There was something undeniably different in the air from the regular country smell she was used to, and that wasn't limited to just smell. The streets were filled with sights, buildings lining up and down, some shops, some residential areas, all building off each other down the block. Despite her prep for this, Yukiko began to feel a bit like a freshwater fish brought to the sea. Vendors yelled at her to browse their wares, children scurried to and fro beneath her feet, and all sorts of people wandered all around her. Most barely spared a glance, a few nodding or smiling if they caught her eye. She tried to smile back, hoping it looked like a grin and not a grimace.
Eventually, after wandering around for an hour or so, she leaned tiredly against the outside of a building. She'd gotten a cheap hotel room for a few nights from a friend of the Mkian's, but it was still hours before check-in.
Yukiko turned around and noticed she'd decided to lean against a shop window. Curious, she peered inside.
A winter wonderland awaited.
Apparently, the inside was some sort of bookstore, as the product advertised in the center was a large book taking place in a tundra-like setting, hence the winter-themed decorations surrounding it. Yukiko had never seen any shop decorations quite so precisely detailed before. The snowflakes, in particular, appeared to glisten just as real ones did, and she noticed with a start it was because they were real. But then, how did they not melt? Perhaps, magic…
Yukiko's eyes sparkled in pure joy at the thought. Ever since she was a child, magic had been fascinating. She hadn't the aptitude for it, unfortunately, but that didn't stop the gears of her mind from turning giddily whenever she saw an example. Yukiko might never cast a spell, but there was no limit when it came to studying. One day, perhaps she could assist someone on a spell that would go down in history. A wondrous, brilliant spell, the likes of which the world had never seen. It was a secret wish, one that made her heart flutter in ecstasy and embarrassment at the same time.
She placed a hand on the window, looking towards the display. "Maybe, one day," she sighed.
From the side of her, a gasp sounded. She whipped around to stare into the face of an open-mouthed boy, barely a teen by her estimate. Bright red eyes like her own shined, and his face soon broke into a grin.
"You too, huh?!"