Len dreamt again, but this time it wasn't of the accident. He was reaching for something ― no, someone, but the person kept on getting out of his reach, as if the person didn't want be reached by him. The person went into a dark abyss instead. Len woke up, sunlight streaming in through the window. He looked at his phone. It was almost noon.

"Oh, shit!"

Len quickly changed and went to the bathroom to clean himself up. He hurried to the kitchen and saw that Miku just finished serving the table.

"About time, boy. I thought you'd never wake up," Len's ojii-san commented.

Len gave a silly smile and took a seat. His grandparents were busy talking to each other, so he decided to whisper to Miku. "Why didn't you wake me up?"

"What? Why would I? Am I supposed to? You didn't even tell me to wake you up."

"Do I have to tell something first before you could do it?"

"What? What are you talking about? And why are you dragging on this ridiculous argument?"

"I am not."

"Children, it's very unethical to fight before your meals," Len's obaa-san's voice made them start.

"Heheh, we weren't fighting, obaa-san. We were just, uh... just..." Miku tried to explain herself, but she didn't come up with a plausible reason she looked down in embarrassment.

"Len?" Len's ojii-san turned to him.

"We, uh..."

"Do you have some kind of problem with dear Miku here?"

"N―No! We're just..." Len gave up. "We're just fighting over a ridiculous argument..."

Len's obaa-san only shook her head. "The winter festival is coming soon. It would be nice if the two of you could come up with something to perform this year."

"There is a performance? For anything?"

"Yes, sadly our dear Len here never participated."

"Baa-san, you know how I feel about performances... Fukase's not helping either..."

"That's why Miku here will help? Right dear?"

"Of course! I love performances! You will not be disappointed."

"Oh... boy." Len rolled his eyes.

Len was feeding the kittens on the atrium. The heater helped him and the kittens feel warm in the snowy afternoon. The snow was ruthless. It didn't stop falling since noon. Len lifted one of the kittens and stroked it on his lap.

"You know what, Shiro? I just don't understand her. Yesterday she was like this, the next she was like that. I mean, why are girls so complicated?" Shiro just mewed, not understanding what his master had said.

"You know right that cats won't give an answer," Miku came from behind and sat to his left between the kittens, consoling them to warm themselves to her.

"It's still better talking to cats."

"Ugh, why are you being such an ass?"

"An ass?" Len looked straight at Miku's face.

"It's not that girls are complicated. It's the boys who have trouble understanding."

"How am I supposed to? I'm not a girl!"

"Wh― Oh... I get it... You wanted to know why I kissed your cheek last night..."

Len stopped stroking Shiro, it scampered away to Miku and snuggled her hands. Len went silent and turned his face. "I― I'm not..."

"I'm right, am I?" Miku gave a light laugh.

"What's so funny?" Lun grumbled.

"You want to know why I kissed your cheek last night?" Miku leaned in closer and whispered in his ear. "It's because you're so innocent you're cute."

Miku stood up and placed Shiro with the others, happily skipping away. Len's face went red at the warmth of her breath. It tickled his ears. Her words rang in his mind. He felt the sudden urge to squeeze Shiro, and he did. Shiro yowled in annoyance as Len rolled himself on the wooden floor. Him, cute? It was the first time a girl ever complimented him. His blood rushed, he never felt so euphoric. He finally let go of Shiro.

"I'm sorry, Shiro. I didn't mean to. Now go eat with your brothers."

Len placed him with the others who were now busy playing with each other, got up and searched for Miku. He found her in his obaa-san's greenhouse, watering the plants. Miku saw him coming and chuckled.

"Huh, what now?"

"I― I was wondering if you would, uh..." Len ruffled his hair.

Miku turned around. "If I would go out with you somewhere? Sure. Since I'm free after this too. I'm gonna get changed first. I'll wait outside." She smiled and left.

"God, I can't even manage to finish my sentence," Len facepalmed.

He didn't know why he got the sudden courage to ask Miku out. He thought he was just overexcited hearing her say him cute. He suddenly didn't even know what was going on. Nevertheless, Len didn't change and just wore what he was wearing. He went to the living room to check on his grandparents and tell them. "Jii-san, baa-san. I'm, uh... gonna go show Miku where to buy groceries. Will you be ok if I leave you?"

"We're fine dear. You can go."

"Thanks. I'll see you later then."

Len went out and saw Miku waiting by the entrance with a set of warm clothes. Len led forward, his hands in his jacket's pockets.

"So you said you wanted to show me where to buy groceries?" Miku made a sarcastic comment.

"W―what? I really wanted to show you!"

"Oh, so that's what you were gonna ask in the first place..." Miku sounded disappointed.

"N―no, I wanted to take you for a walk too." Len answered hastily.

"Did you just said that to make me feel better? You don't even know what you were gonna ask, don't you?" Miku laughed.

"Ugh, let's just go."

"Yes, sir!"

Miku walked next to Len. He didn't want to stare at Miku, so he just used his peripheral vision. He felt that something about her changed, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Nevertheless, he showed Miku where they normally buy their groceries. It was a 10 minute walk from the house. It was small, but all of the things needed for everyday life was available there. Miku nodded, giving a mental reminder to herself when he noticed Len walked away again.

"Could you at least tell me where we are going?"

Miku rolled her eyes when Len remained silent. She followed him up a hill to a solitary gigantic cherry tree. Miku didn't even realize they walked that far. The whole town was visible from the hill. The setting sun was clearly visible too. It was a breathtaking view. Miku's eye sparkled on awe. Len was happy to see her enjoy it.

"Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Does that mean I could see the sunrise here too? Radical..."

They sat on the grass below the tree. Since Miku was still enthralled by the view, Len took the opportunity to look at her. He realized what was different. "Did you cut your hair?"

Miku turned to face Len. "I felt like I needed a fresh start." Her elbow-short hair tussled in the dusk wind.

"Fresh start?"

Miku turned to look at the sunset again. "Do you know why I came here in the first place? I actually ran away from home. I ran away from the city life. I thought I needed to go to a countryside to clear my mind. For once, I wanted to run away from my monotonous life, to try something new."

Miku looked down and traced the grass with her finger. "I may look like I'm running away from my problems. I am, actually. I'm just kinda tired. I wish I could live long enough to enjoy all the things in life."

Len didn't hear the last part of her sentence as she spoke inaudibly. He didn't want to ask. She looked like she was about to tear up. He was very sure now there was something she didn't tell him, he got this hunch. Miku fisted her hands as it started to shake.

"Ahhhh!" Miku suddenly lied down on Len's lap he flinched and was almost about to evade her.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Enjoying the things in life. What, you don't want me to?"

"T―That's not what I―" his face turned red.

"See, you do want me to." Miku gave a sinister smile.

Len rolled his eyes and was about to stand up when Miku caught hold of his sweater, stopping him. "Please, just a little bit longer." Miku looked directly into Len's eyes. Her eyes pleaded to him. It looked sad, almost desparate. Len loosened and sat back down.

"Thank you."

Miku closed her eyes, humming a tune Len thought was familiar. He closed his eyes too, resting his head on the tree trunk. Miku's soothing tune lulled him to sleep.

Len dreamt the same dream of the person again. This time, that person seemed happy to fall into the abyss. Len reached his hand, but the person didn't accept it and fell with a smile.

Len's eyes opened. The whiteness of the snow illuminated the surroundings. He felt something heavy on his lap. Miku was still there, sleeping soundly. Len stroked stray hair from her face aside but stopped midway, realizing what he just did. He slowly slid his phone from his sweater pocket and looked at the time. It was half past 7. Thinking things through, he had no other choice but to carry Miku in his arms. He didn't want his grandparents to worry. Gathering his strength, he lifted Miku in one big heave. She wasn't that heavy, he thought. Len walked downhill and headed for home.

Luckily for Len, Miku still haven't woken up. Len saw that his grandparents were pacing back and forth in front of the entrance. They rushed to Len when they saw him. Len gestured a 'shh' to them and eyed Miku. They whispered to him instead.

"Oh, dear. We were so worried. Where have you been?"

"Not now baa-san. What are you doing outisde too? It's cold. Let's head back in first."

Len's ojii-san hurriedly opened the door and all of them went in. Len went in the direction of Miku's room. He slid the door open with his foot and set her on the futon his obaa-san helped prepare. Len tucked Miku in as his grandparents went outside. Len looked at her before giving her a kiss on the forehead, closing the door behind him after. He went to the living room where his grandparents waited.

"I'm sorry I've made you worry. We fell asleep on the hill when we took a break after I showed her around."

"On the hill? Len, you know that it's cold out there. How could you even feel comfortable sleeping there?" Len's ojii-san had a concerned look on his face.

"Dear, let him be. He's old enough to know what's right and wrong. He's not a child anymore." Len's obaa-san held his ojii-san's shoulder in reassurance.

"I'm sorry, jii-san. We didn't even made dinner for you."

"It's okay dear, we had ours. We can still cook, you know."

Len still had guilt written all over his face eventhough his obaa-san said that.

"Len, it's okay. Have some rest. We'll go inside too. Good night."

"Good night."

Len's grandparents went to their room and turned off the lights. To be honest, Len didn't feel tired after sleeping a few hours ago. He started to worry why Miku still slept. He slowly slid her door open, and walked to her. She looked fine, but he decided to add another layer of blanket over her recalling what his ojii-san said. Len accidentally touched Miku's forehead with his hand as he tucked her in. He flinched in reflex when he felt the hotness. He decided to check again. It was hot. Miku was burning up. He hurried to the kitchen and grabbed a bowl of warm water with a dry towel. Heading back to Miku's room, he dipped the towel in the water and folded it over her forehead.

"Oh, God. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have taken you outside."

Len took her hands and felt the heat radiating from it. He was filled with worry. Regrets overwhelmed his mind. He didn't want to leave Miku alone, not when she's like this. He sat by her side till he fell asleep.