Rei took Sera upstairs.
His room was a haven—walls lined with games, shelves stacked with manga and comics, and a faint, calming scent of mint that lingered in the air like a quiet melody. It was messy, but in that comfortable way that made you feel at home.
Sera stepped inside, eyes wide, spinning slowly like she'd entered another universe.
"You never told me… you were this rich," she said, half-teasing, half-genuinely surprised.
"You never asked me," Rei shrugged, trying not to grin.
"Shut up, you rich piece of crap," she shot back playfully, nudging his arm.
She flopped onto the edge of his bed, sitting close beside him, her tone softening.
"Rei… Haruta's coming over to my house later. So what do you say, wanna come too? And yeah, Dad's away for a company trip, and Mom's out with friends."
Rei raised a brow. "Sure, I guess. But it's kinda rare to see Haruta showing up at your place. He barely talks to you."
She shrugged, leaning back on her palms. "Alya asked him to. You know how he is… Yesterday, he brought me notes, and Alya cooked something tragic. He still ate it though… said she made it with a smile, and he couldn't waste a smile like that."
Rei chuckled, shaking his head. "That idiot has a death wish."
Sera smiled. "Yeah… but kind of a sweet one."
A pause settled between them. The kind of silence that isn't awkward—just full.
Then, Sera glanced at him, voice barely above a whisper.
"And about school… Rei, I'm still really thankful. For everything."
Her eyes held that quiet sincerity, the kind that makes your heart thump even if no one's saying "I like you" out loud.
Then she leaned forward, a little too close, her breath warm, her gaze locked with his—
And right then, fate slammed the brakes.
Rei's sister kicked open the door with a tray of snacks, blinked once,twice and thrice, and smirked like the devil herself.
"It's not March or June, lovebirds. So it ain't exactly the mating season."
Sera's face went nuclear. Rei straight-up left his body. Soul? Gone. Deleted. Sent to the Shadow Realm.
His sister cackled like a villain and vanished, leaving the door gently clicking shut behind her.
Trying to recover, Rei awkwardly shoved a bag of chips toward Sera.
"Want some? They're your favorite."
Sera took them, cheeks still pink. "Sure… but I swear, if your sister pulls another entrance like Obito in the Leaf Village, I'm jumping out the window."
Rei laughed. "Who knows? She is the Ghost of Uchiha."
He plugged in a game and smirked.
"Alright, time to lose. I'm going full sweat mode."
As they sat there, shoulder to shoulder, the cold outside was forgotten. Inside, it was warm—not just from the heater or the snacks—but from something gentler. A quiet comfort. Something that made the space between them feel smaller.
And while the game screen flickered and laughter echoed off the walls, outside, beneath soft-falling snow, the world whispered softly.
Whispers of love bloomed beneath the snow, and the air carried the sweet scent of something new—something like love.