I didn't move from my spot as I watched the darkness of my room brighten from the morning sun. It has been silent all night and all morning, I began to wonder where the girl went to. Maybe I should have asked her what her name was, because I seem to always call her 'girl' and I think she takes it personally.

"Hoo...hoo..." Looking up from the ground and up to the window, I saw a familiar silhouette of an owl on the base of the window and watched it look around the room. Then flying to me, the owl lands onto my knee and looks up at me with a tilted head.

"Hey Hosuke." I quietly greet my owl with a rub on the neck.

"Hoo...hoo…"

"I was wondering where you were. You haven't been here since that girl came around." Hosuke looks back at the window and I follow his sight.

Standing up from the ground, I walk over to the window and look outside to see the girl sitting down in the snow with a stray cat in her lap. She quietly hummed to herself as she stroked the cat's back. Then her hushed voice began to sing out lyrics as though she has sang them her whole life.

With the solitude and despair strangling me,

My heart almost breaks apart.

But your smile in my memory

Always encourages me.

Let's go back to that time once again.

I know it'll be alright this time.

I will always be smiling by your side,

Right by your side.

Where are you? What are you doing at this very moment?

Are you somewhere beyond this sky?

Will you keep your smile like always?

That is now all I wish for.

Listening to the lyrics made a tender feeling flow through me when the song reminded me of someone.

"You must be cold." I hear her say to the grey kitten. "Let's get you warm inside." Picking up the kitten and holding him gently against her chest, she stood up and walks into the house and for the first time since last night, I heard sounds in the house.

How did she get outside if I didn't hear her walking through the house? Unless she got out from her window?

"Hoo...hoo…" Hosuke flies around the room before landing onto my dresser; where the empty plate of tofu stood since last night.

"Yeah, I ate for the first time in a long time." Walking to my futon, I sat down with my chin rested on one knee and stared up at the blank wall.

After a few quiet minutes, a soft knock was heard on my door and the girl's voice came through. "Kotaro?"

She doesn't wait for me to reply; already knowing that I won't, and opens the sliding door. Walking into my room, she walks up to me with a tray. And on the tray was a bottle of sake with two cups to drink them from. I look at her in confusion before she sits awfully close to me. The girl pours some sake in a cup and held it out for me to drink, but I didn't take it and looked at her with a mixture of confusion and seriousness.

Sighing to herself, the girl reluctantly drinks the sake. I stared at her for a moment before she leans in and locks her lips onto mine. My eyes widen in surprise as she kissed me deeply. It was so unexpected that I didn't know how to comprehend on what was going on. But then it hit me that she was trying to poison me when I felt the sake do down my throat. Pushing her off of me, I suddenly felt drowsiness take over and my vision beginning to blur.

"What did you do to me?" I ask before I felt myself lose consciousness and fade into the darkness.