Warm air wrapped around Kaito and Hina the moment they stepped inside the Kaze estate. The large wooden doors slid shut behind them with a soft, solid sound, cutting off the sharp bite of winter. Snow clung stubbornly to their hair and coats, already beginning to melt as the warmth of the house settled into their skin.
Inside, everything felt calmer. The noise of the village faded into the background, replaced by a quiet, steady stillness. Pale sunlight filtered through the wide paper windows, spreading gently across the polished wooden floors. Somewhere deeper in the estate, braziers burned, their low crackling barely audible but comforting in its own way.
Kaito paused near the entrance and knocked the snow from his boots, making sure not to track anything inside.
Hina, on the other hand, had no such concerns.
"Gift time!"
She shot forward without hesitation, racing down the hallway as if she had been waiting her entire life for this exact moment.
"Hina!" Kaito called after her. "Your boots!"
She skidded to a stop, nearly slipping as she looked down at her feet.
"…Oh."
For a second, she just stood there, as if debating whether it was worth going back. Then, with visible reluctance, she shuffled back toward the entrance and pulled them off, her movements clumsy and impatient.
Kaito watched her, shaking his head. "You run like the place is on fire."
"It is," she said immediately.
"How?"
"Birthday gift emergency."
Kaito let out a quiet breath, already tired, and before he could respond, she had taken off again, disappearing down the hallway in a blur of movement.
A moment later, Kaede stepped inside, calm as ever. She brushed a bit of snow from her sleeves and glanced down the corridor where Hina had vanished.
"…She has become louder."
Kaito laughed under his breath. "You should hear her when she's hungry."
Kaede didn't respond, but the look on her face suggested she believed him.
They followed after Hina and soon reached her room. The moment Kaito stepped inside, he stopped.
Clothes were everywhere.
Drawers hung open, fabric spilling out in every direction, and in the center of it all, Hina had already thrown open a large wooden chest. She was pulling things out one after another, tossing them aside without a second thought.
"This one!"
She held up a bright winter robe, the fabric shimmering faintly with silver embroidery.
Kaito stared at it for a moment. "…No."
Hina blinked. "Why not?"
"We're going out to buy a gift," he said, crossing his arms. "Not attending some royal ceremony."
Her lips pushed into a stubborn pout. "But I have to look important."
"You're three."
"Important three."
Kaito pressed his fingers to his forehead, already feeling a headache forming. "You're not meeting the emperor."
Hina's eyes widened in sudden shock. "You don't know that."
Kaito paused, then gave a small nod. "…That's fair."
Before the argument could go any further, Kaede stepped forward without a word. She gently took the robe from Hina's hands and folded it before placing it back into the chest, as if restoring order to a situation she had already decided was under control.
Kaede took one look at Hina's outfit, then quietly turned back to the wardrobe and began picking something else.
This time, she chose something much simpler. A thick winter coat, soft-lined on the inside, paired with a scarf and gloves that looked plain but sturdy. Nothing flashy, nothing decorative. Just warm, comfortable, and practical.
Hina watched the entire process with growing suspicion.
"Kaede…"
"Yes?" Kaede responded calmly, already wrapping the scarf around her neck.
"…That outfit is boring."
Kaede didn't react. She adjusted the scarf properly, making sure it covered Hina's neck, then placed the gloves into her hands.
"It is warm," she said simply. "And practical."
Hina looked down at them, clearly unconvinced, but accepted them anyway.
Kaito, who had been watching from the side, couldn't help smirking. "She just outplayed you."
Hina immediately stuck her tongue out at him.
Kaede, however, wasn't finished. She turned toward Kaito next.
"You as well."
Before he could protest, she stepped forward and began fixing his coat, straightening it and tightening the loose straps around his sleeves. Then she wrapped a thick scarf around his neck with practiced ease.
Kaito blinked. "I was already dressed."
"You were poorly dressed."
"…Oh."
Satisfied with her work, Kaede stepped back and gave a small nod.
"You may go."
She opened the front door, and a wave of cold winter air swept into the hallway.
Hina straightened instantly, as if given a mission. "Yes!"
Then, without hesitation, she grabbed Kaito's hand. "Let's go!"
And just like that, she pulled him outside.
The Wind Village looked completely different under winter's touch.
Where lantern-lit rooftops once shimmered, there was now a thick blanket of white covering everything in sight. Snow rested heavily on rooftops, fences, and the edges of the tall wind towers that rose into the sky. The streets were no exception, buried under layers of soft, untouched snow in some places, and packed down by footsteps in others.
Yet despite the cold, the village was far from quiet.
Children ran through the streets, laughing as they threw snowballs at one another. A group of boys slid across a frozen pond nearby, their laughter echoing through the crisp air. Along the roadside, merchants stood beside steaming stalls, selling hot dumplings and roasted chestnuts, the warmth rising in visible clouds. Villagers worked together to clear snow from their doorsteps, chatting casually as they did.
The wind carried all of it, weaving laughter and life through the winter air.
Hina walked beside Kaito with wide, shining eyes, taking everything in as if it were the most amazing thing she had ever seen.
"Snow is everywhere!"
"Yes."
"There's more than yesterday!"
"That's usually how it works."
She kicked a small pile of snow, watching it scatter.
Then suddenly, a snowball flew past her head.
Hina froze for half a second.
Then her eyes lit up.
"ATTACK!"
She immediately ran after whoever threw it.
Kaito sighed. "Hina—"
Too late.
Her foot slipped on a hidden patch of ice beneath the snow, and she tilted sideways without warning.
Kaito caught her before she could hit the ground.
She hung there for a moment in his arms, then burst into laughter like it was the best thing that had happened all day.
"Again!"
"No."
"Again!"
"Absolutely not."
He set her back down, and they continued walking.
Hina happily swung their joined hands as they moved through the street, her energy completely restored.
After a while, she looked up at him.
"Kai Kai."
"Yes?"
"When you become Master…" she trailed off, thinking seriously. "…do I get free sweets?"
Kaito blinked at her.
"That's not how that works."
Hina frowned. "Then what's the point?"
Kaito paused, considering it.
"…You know what," he said after a moment. "That's actually a fair question."
They soon arrived at one of the liveliest parts of the village.
Toy Street.
The moment Hina saw it, she lit up completely.
Stalls lined both sides of the street, each one overflowing with color and movement. Wooden animals carved in intricate shapes, spinning wind toys that danced even in the cold breeze, soft cloth dolls dressed in bright patterns, and tiny windmills that rotated endlessly. Wind chimes hung from wooden beams, their soft sounds blending with the laughter around them, while small mechanical birds flapped their wings when wound up.
Everywhere she looked, something new caught her attention.
"THIS ONE!"
She ran forward and grabbed a stuffed fox.
Kaito nodded. "Alright."
"WAIT!"
She dropped it almost immediately and rushed to the next stall.
"This one!"
Now she held a spinning wind toy, watching it turn.
A few minutes later, she changed her mind again.
This time, it was a lantern doll.
Kaito rubbed his forehead. "You said you knew what you wanted."
"I do," Hina replied confidently.
"You've changed your mind five times."
"That's because everything is good."
Kaito sighed. This was going to take a while.
As they walked further down the street, something caught Kaito's attention.
Nearby, a group of children were building snow animals together, laughing and throwing snow at each other as they worked.
But just a short distance away, there was one child sitting alone.
A small girl.
She was carefully shaping a tiny snow figure by herself, focused and quiet, completely separate from the others.
Kaito nudged Hina gently. "You see her?"
Hina followed his gaze. "Yes."
"Why don't you go play with her?"
Hina frowned immediately. "But I want to play with you."
"You can play with both of us."
She looked back at the girl again.
The girl didn't look up. She just kept working on her small snow creation, alone.
After a moment, Hina let out a dramatic sigh.
"…Fine."
She walked toward the girl, her boots crunching softly against the snow.
The girl didn't notice at first, too focused on fixing what looked like a small snow rabbit.
Then she looked up.
Her eyes widened instantly. "H-Hina-sama!"
Startled, she tried to stand too quickly.
Her foot slipped. "Ah—!"
She stumbled forward and fell straight into the snow, a soft puff rising around her.
Hina stopped in front of her and stared.
"…What are you doing?"
The girl scrambled up as fast as she could, brushing snow off her clothes in a panic.
"I—I'm sorry!"
She bowed quickly.
A short distance away, Kaito turned his head slightly, trying not to laugh.
Hina tilted her head, confused.
"…Why are you apologizing?"
The girl hesitated, clearly nervous. "Because I fell in front of you, Hina-sama."
Hina blinked.
"That's not something you apologize for."
The girl didn't seem to know how to respond to that.
So Hina, after a brief pause, decided to move on.
Hina crouched down in front of the small snow figure the girl had been working on. It leaned slightly to one side, uneven and a little rough around the edges, but there was clear effort in the way it had been shaped. She studied it for a moment, then pointed at it with quiet curiosity.
"Did you make this?"
The girl nodded quickly. "Yes."
Hina's expression softened. "It's cute."
For a brief moment, the girl's eyes brightened, a small spark of happiness breaking through her earlier hesitation. "Thank you…"
Hina glanced around, her attention drifting to the other children nearby. Laughter filled the cold air as they ran across the snow, throwing snowballs, building shapes together, calling out to one another without hesitation. Everything about them felt lively and warm despite the winter chill.
When she looked back at the girl, that warmth was missing.
"Why were you playing alone?" Hina asked.
The girl hesitated, her hands slowly coming together as if she didn't know what to do with them. "…I don't have anyone to play with."
Hina blinked, a little confused. The girl's smile faded slightly as she spoke again, quieter this time.
"They're already playing together."
Hina tilted her head. "Then play with them too."
The girl shook her head, just barely. "I tried before."
Her voice dropped, almost like she didn't want the words to be heard. "But… they already have friends."
The sentence lingered in the air longer than it should have.
Hina stared at her, trying to understand. "…You don't have any friends?"
The girl shook her head slowly. "No."
Hina's brows drew together in surprise. "…None?"
A small nod.
"Why?"
The girl looked down at the snow beneath her feet, avoiding Hina's eyes. "Most children don't want to play with me."
Hina frowned slightly. From what she could see, there was nothing wrong with her. She seemed kind. Easy to talk to.
"Why not?" she asked.
The girl hesitated again. "Maybe… I'm not fun to play with."
Hina didn't respond right away. That didn't sound right to her.
Instead, she asked, "Do you have any brothers or sisters?"
The girl shook her head. "No. I'm an only child."
Something about that made Hina pause.
Without thinking, she glanced over her shoulder.
Kaito stood not too far away, watching them quietly. When he noticed her looking, he gave her a small wave, relaxed as always.
Hina looked back at the girl.
"…So you don't have friends," she said slowly, as if putting the pieces together, "and you don't have siblings either?"
The girl nodded.
For the first time, Hina felt something unfamiliar settle in her chest. It wasn't confusion this time.
It was sadness.
The idea felt strange to her. Empty, in a way she couldn't quite explain.
She thought about Kaito without meaning to. About how he always brought her sweets, how he played with her, how he stayed by her side no matter what. He made her laugh even when she didn't feel like it.
She couldn't imagine what it would feel like without that.
Her gaze softened.
"…That sounds lonely," she said quietly.
The girl nodded, though she quickly forced a small smile as if trying to brush it off. "I'm okay."
Hina didn't believe that.
After a short pause, she asked, "What's your name?"
The girl blinked, a little surprised by the question. "…Nana."
Hina smiled right away. "Nana-chan."
Nana froze.
Her eyes widened slightly, and she straightened without thinking. "…Hina-sama…"
Hina frowned almost immediately. "Don't call me that."
Nana looked confused. "Why?"
"Because you are my lord."
Hina puffed her cheeks, clearly unhappy with that answer. "I am not your lord."
"But everyone says—"
"I don't care what everyone says."
She pointed directly at Nana, her expression firm despite her small size. "You are Nana-chan."
Then she placed a hand on her own chest, lifting her chin just a little. "And I am Hina-chan."
Nana stared at her, completely caught off guard. "…Hina-chan?"
"Yes."
Nana shook her head nervously. "I can't call you that."
"But you can."
"It would be disrespectful."
Hina folded her arms, stubborn as ever. "I said you can."
They looked at each other for a few seconds, neither backing down.
Finally, Nana hesitated, her voice uncertain.
"…Hina-chan?"
Hina's face lit up instantly, all seriousness gone in a second.
"See?" she said with a bright smile. "That wasn't hard."
Nana stood there, clearly overwhelmed, her small hands held close to her chest as if she didn't quite know what to do with them. The cold air brushed against her cheeks, but she didn't seem to notice it anymore.
Hina stepped forward without hesitation and gently took her hand.
Her fingers were warm—surprisingly so in the winter chill—and the simple gesture seemed to catch Nana completely off guard.
"We're friends now," Hina said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Nana blinked, still trying to process it. "...Friends?"
Hina nodded with quiet confidence, holding onto her hand just a little tighter. "If you ever want someone to play with, you can come find me." Then, after a brief pause, she pointed toward Kaito, who was watching from a short distance away. "Or him."
Kaito noticed the gesture and gave a relaxed wave, smiling as if to confirm it without needing words.
Nana looked at him, then back at Hina, uncertainty flickering across her face. "Really?"
"Really," Hina said, her voice soft but certain. "If you ever feel like talking, or just don't want to be alone… you can come to us. That's what friends are for."
She squeezed Nana's hand gently.
For a moment, Nana didn't respond. Then her lips began to tremble, and her eyes slowly filled with tears.
"Hina blinked in surprise. "Nana-chan?"
The tears slipped down before Nana could stop them. She tried to speak, but her voice broke almost immediately.
"No one…" she whispered, her breath catching. "No one has ever asked to be my friend before."
Hina's expression softened at once. She didn't say anything right away. Instead, she lifted her mitten and carefully wiped the tears from Nana's cheeks, her movements gentle and a little clumsy, but sincere.
"Don't cry," she said quietly.
Nana tried to hold it in, but more tears followed anyway, her shoulders shaking slightly as everything she'd been holding inside finally spilled out.
Hina hesitated for a moment, then awkwardly reached up and patted her head. "It's okay. We're friends now."
She brushed away the last tear and smiled at her, bright and reassuring. "Friends don't have to cry all the time."
Nana let out a small, shaky laugh through her tears. "O-okay…"
Without warning, Hina stood up, her energy returning just as quickly as it had softened.
"Then let's play."
Nana blinked, still sniffling. "Play?"
Hina didn't answer. She bent down, scooped up a handful of snow, and tossed it straight at her.
The snow burst softly against Nana's coat, scattering across the fabric.
For a second, Nana just stood there in surprise.
Then Hina laughed, light and carefree. "Snow battle!"
Nana looked down at the snow clinging to her sleeves, then slowly—hesitantly—smiled.
She bent down, gathered her own snowball, and threw it back.
That was all it took.
The two of them dissolved into laughter, chasing each other through the clearing as the snow crunched beneath their boots. They built uneven little snow animals, knocked them over, and threw handfuls of snow with no real aim, just enjoying the moment. Their laughter echoed through the quiet street, filling the cold air with something warm and alive.
From across the road, Kaito leaned against a wooden post, watching them.
A quiet smile spread across his face.
What Hina had done seemed simple on the surface. Just a few words, a small gesture.
But for Nana, it had meant everything.
And under the pale winter sky, the two girls continued playing, their laughter carrying softly on the wind.
Hina had just made her first friend.
And Nana had finally found one.
After spending what felt like hours wandering through Toy Street, Hina eventually came to a stop, her attention caught by a small display near one of the stalls.
She picked up two bracelets and held them up, examining them closely.
They were simple, but carefully made, each one adorned with a small charm shaped like a swirl of wind.
Kaito glanced at them, then at her. "You're getting two?"
Hina nodded. "One is mine."
Before he could react, she reached for his wrist and gently pulled his hand closer.
"And this one is yours."
She fastened the bracelet around his wrist with surprising care, adjusting it until it sat just right.
Kaito raised an eyebrow, looking at it. "You're really using your birthday money on me?"
Hina shrugged, as if it didn't matter. "Now you won't forget me."
Kaito laughed under his breath. "I live with you."
She nodded, completely serious. "Still."
By the time they left, the sky had begun to turn a soft shade of orange, the sun slowly dipping toward the horizon.
Snow crunched beneath their boots as they made their way home.
Hina talked the entire time, her words spilling out one after another. She spoke about Nana, about the toys she'd seen, about sweets she wanted to try next time. Her excitement didn't seem to fade, even as the air grew colder.
Then, suddenly, she stopped.
Her hand moved to her chest.
"Kai…?"
Kaito looked down immediately. "Hina?"
Something was wrong.
Her expression shifted, confusion flashing across her face, quickly followed by pain. Her breathing became uneven, shallow.
"Kai…"
Her fingers tightened around his coat.
Then the pain hit harder.
She gasped sharply.
"Hina!" Kaito grabbed her shoulders, panic rising instantly. "What's wrong?!"
She clutched her chest, her body tensing as her vision blurred. The sounds of the village seemed to fade, as if the world itself was slipping away from her.
Kaito's heart began to race. "Hina, stay with me!"
Her body trembled.
Her eyes slowly lost focus.
Then they closed.
And she collapsed into his arms.
"HINA!"
People nearby turned at the sound, startled.
Snow continued to fall, quiet and indifferent.
Kaito dropped to his knees, holding her tightly, his hands shaking.
"Hina…!"
No response.
His voice broke.
"…Hina?"
The bracelet on his wrist caught the last light of the setting sun, glinting faintly.
And the wind moved softly through the silent street.