He descended like a whisper of wind, soft and weightless, as though the night itself had chosen to carry him down. On that late November evening, he moved with a quiet divinity—graceful, untouchable.
The golden strands Shiharu once knew had faded into a flawless white, pure as untouched snow. His eyes, once familiar, now held a deep, vertical blue that shimmered like a hidden sky. He looked almost unreal… like a drifting cloud—just as Shiharu had once called him, his "day."
"Your appearance… it changed," Shiharu said under his breath, unable to hide his curiosity.
"And yet, you still knew it was me," Hoshiyuki replied, smiling softly—bright, but gentle.
Shiharu didn't respond.
Instead, Hoshiyuki reached out. A pale glow slipped from his fingertips, wrapping around Shiharu like a quiet embrace. In the next second, the ground no longer held him. He floated—effortless, light, as if gravity had simply forgotten him.
There was no fear. Only warmth.
"Come with me."
Hoshiyuki rose higher, the distance between them and the world below stretching with every second. Shiharu glanced back once—the house, the life beneath him—before following.
Above them, the sky opened wide.
Hoshiyuki's long white hair moved freely in the wind, wild yet beautiful. Shiharu couldn't look away.
"You're beautiful," Hoshiyuki said, hands resting behind his back as he drifted. "The clouds… they look like you at night."
His form blended with the sky so seamlessly it almost hurt to look at him. Too perfect. Too distant.
There had to be a reason for this.
And there was.
"Let's do everything we want today," Hoshiyuki continued, his tone soft but certain. "Winter is coming. When it does… I change. And then…"
Shiharu's voice cut through, impatient. "And then what?"
"I fall asleep," Hoshiyuki said simply. "Until winter ends."
Silence followed.
Heavy. Suffocating.
"I'll come back," he added quickly, that same bright smile returning—though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "As soon as it's over. So… let's make today count. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner."
He tried to make it sound light.
"Just think of it as someone leaving for a little while."
But Shiharu didn't move. Didn't speak.
Then suddenly—
The light around him vanished.
And he fell.
Straight down.
His body dropped through the sky like it meant nothing, like he had already let go. No panic. No struggle. Just quiet acceptance.
It terrified Hoshiyuki.
Wings burst from his back—wide, white, powerful. Without hesitation, he dove, catching Shiharu mid-fall and pulling him close. His wings wrapped around them both, steadying the descent until their feet touched the ground once more.
They dissolved as soon as they landed.
"Haru!!" His voice cracked—anger and fear tangled together. "What were you thinking?! Do you even understand what would've happened?! You could've died! That aura was keeping you up—why would you just let it go?! Don't you care about yourself at all? Or am I the only one who does?! Stop scaring me like that… don't just—"
Shiharu cut him off.
By hugging him.
Tightly.
The sudden force sent them both down onto the ground, but neither pulled away.
"I… I can touch you…" Shiharu whispered, his voice trembling as he buried his face against Hoshiyuki's neck. "I can… I really can…"
"Yes," Hoshiyuki murmured, holding him just as tightly. "You can. Just breathe… you're shaking."
"You're leaving."
"Only for a while," Hoshiyuki answered immediately. "I promise I'll come back. You just have to wait for me."
Shiharu said nothing.
But his thoughts were loud.
Don't go… please stay.
You said you always would.
But I already know your answer… and I hate that I do.
His grip tightened.
Why does it have to be you?
Why does it hurt this much?
"Aren't you scared of heights?" Hoshiyuki asked quietly after a moment. "You were falling… but you looked calm."
"Why would I be scared?" Shiharu replied, his voice low. "You were there. You would've caught me."
A pause.
"…Of course I would."
Shiharu pulled back slightly, meeting his eyes.
"You're mine today. Okay?"
Hoshiyuki smiled.
"That's an honor, my night."
His hand moved gently through Shiharu's hair, soft and careful.
"It's so soft…"
Shiharu melted into him, feeling safe in a way he couldn't explain.
"You're amazing… Hoshi. You have wings… can I see them again?"
A quiet laugh.
"Of course."
They appeared again—large, radiant, wrapping around him like a protective cocoon.
"I've always had them," Hoshiyuki said. "I told you before… my brothers and I aren't human. We're guardians. We protect things beyond this world."
His voice softened.
"I have a home too… somewhere far away. One day, I want to show you. But until then… just wait for me. Please."
Before Shiharu could respond—
Another presence appeared.
Elegant. Quiet. Overwhelming.
A fox spirit.
Silver-white hair flowed down his back, ears peeking through the strands, a single massive tail curling behind him like drifting smoke. His robes moved like water—soft, layered, almost translucent.
He looked… like Hoshiyuki.
But older.
Colder.
"Vryendel…" Hoshiyuki said softly.
Shiharu could only stare.
"Is this the one Mother mentioned?" Vryendel's voice was calm, observant. "He's human… yet he doesn't feel like one. He's… pretty."
Hoshiyuki nodded.
"He sure is"
"Haru, this is my eldest brother, Vryendel. Corvael is almost always asleep, so you'll rarely see him."
Vryendel stepped closer, lifting a strand of Hoshiyuki's white hair between his fingers.
"It's already fading," he said. "It's time."
His gaze shifted to Shiharu.
"I don't care much for humans," he said bluntly. "But if my brother chose you… I won't interfere. He'll return in a few months."
A pause.
"I suppose your kind measures time differently."
Shiharu stepped forward quickly.
"Wait—!"
Hoshiyuki reached out for him.
One last hug.
But before their hands could meet—
They were gone.
Just like that.
As if they had never been there.
Silence swallowed everything.
Shiharu stood frozen.
A few months…? But he said after winter… how long is that supposed to be?
His knees gave out.
He collapsed, burying his face in his hands as the tears finally came—heavy, uncontrollable.
It took time before he could even stand again.
When he returned to his room—
He stopped.
White freesias filled the space, soft and delicate, their scent lingering in the air like a quiet memory.
A note rested on his bed.
His hands trembled as he picked it up.
—
I tried to find a word softer than goodbye… but I couldn't.
The universe really has terrible timing, doesn't it?
—
His chest tightened.
He turned it over.
—
The freesias won't fade… so you don't have to worry about losing them.
Until I return, take care of yourself.
I want to come back to someone safe.
—
Shiharu sat down slowly, then let himself fall back onto the bed. His hand covered his eyes as his tears slipped through anyway, soaking into the sheets.
I don't want to lose you.
His breath shook.
So I'll wait.
No matter how long.
Even if it takes forever.