Chapter 5 『Someone She Once Know』

It had been almost a month since winter arrived, and a few days had passed since the last snowstorm. The once-green outdoors were now covered in a blanket of white, as thick snow lay across the fields.

Sae stared outside, where white clouds masked the blue sky, her thoughts seemingly drifting far away.

Matilda, who sat opposite her, noticed Sae's gaze fixed outside. She let out a small sigh, smiling gently as she closed the book in her hands.

"Why don't you go play outside?" she suggested.

Sae turned to look at her. "Can I?"

Due to her illness and weak constitution, Sae couldn't withstand extreme temperatures without falling ill—a pattern that had repeated for years. She would catch a high fever at least twice a year, typically during summer and winter. But over time, her condition improved. Her body had grown stronger than it was a few years ago. She could now endure the heat and cold, although only for short periods.

Still, Sae hadn't tested her limits. She feared that pushing herself too far would only worry others. Medical technology here wasn't very advanced, and recovery could take a long time. Because of that, she never ventured far in winter or summer—only in spring and autumn.

"Of course you can. Just make sure to wear something warm," Matilda replied. Even though the storm had passed, the air outside might still be biting cold.

At those words, Sae's eyes lit up. She stood quickly and ran off to her room, leaving Matilda behind in the library. Matilda watched the scene unfold with an amused smile, then stood, still holding her book. She picked up the one Sae left on the table and returned both to the cabinet.

---

"Morry!" a voice called out to a young girl, who was busy shaping a snowball.

Just as she turned, a soft but cold object hit her face. Snow. Laughter erupted from nearby—Maru, her twin brother, stood a short distance away, not even trying to hide his crime.

"Maru!" Morry snapped, irritated, and hurled the snowball in her hands back at him. But her throw was weak and predictable—Maru dodged it easily.

"Ahaha, you can't get me!" he teased as he ran off, Morry chasing him with a handful of snow.

The other children either laughed or simply watched them go about their playful battle.

Sae stepped outside, noticing the twins' antics right away. As she approached, a small girl named Yuita ran up and hugged her around the waist. The shy girl adored being pampered, especially by someone older.

Sae smiled and gently patted her head with her gloved hand. Not far away, Liya and Jessica were building a snowman.

"Sae-nee, can you make a rabbit snow?" Yuita asked, looking up with hopeful eyes.

Sae chuckled softly. "Of course."

She crouched, scooping snow into her hands. Carefully, she pressed and shaped it, sculpting it into a tiny rabbit. From her pocket, she pulled out two small stones and gently pressed them into place as eyes. Then she picked two nearby leaves and added them for ears.

"Here, a little white rabbit for a cute little girl," Sae said, placing it in Yuita's small hands.

Yuita beamed and dashed toward her older siblings, who weren't involved in the snowball fight.

Sae smiled, remembering the first time she met the little girl nearly a year ago. That winter night, Sae had been unwell. Thankfully, it was just a mild fever, but it left her coughing and unable to sleep comfortably.

She'd felt thirsty but couldn't reach the water on the table nearby. With Nurse Jenny absent due to the heavy storm and the adults busy tending to the children in the orphanage, she was left to handle it alone.

Just as she was about to get up, the door creaked open slowly. She had never locked it—just in case of emergencies. But who would come in at this hour? The room was dimly lit, the soft glow of an oil lamp casting shadows on the walls.

Sae believed in spirits—especially with memories from her past life. This situation brought to mind countless ghost stories she had heard or read. A chill ran down her spine.

Still sitting at the edge of her bed, she froze as the doorknob turned.

Her heart pounded rapidly. Even her Status System sent her notifications, reacting to her rising anxiety.

But instead of something terrifying, what she saw was… something else entirely.

A young girl with fair skin, silky blonde hair to her shoulders, vivid brown eyes, and clearly younger than her, stood quietly at the door.

They stared at each other until Sae finally broke the silence. "You… what's your name? I've never seen you around here before," she asked, her voice slightly hoarse.

The girl just stared with big eyes. Her face showed little emotion, but she was still undeniably cute. Just when the awkward silence started to settle in, the girl replied softly, "…Yuita."

"I see. My name is Sae. Are you new here?" Sae asked again, noticing the girl had no intention of leaving.

Yuita nodded.

The quiet comfort of the moment was broken by Sae's sudden cough. Startled, Yuita didn't flinch or run. Instead, she rushed to the small table (sized for kids) that Sae had meant to walk to, poured water from the jug into a cup, and brought it back.

Sae gratefully took the cup, sipping slowly until only half remained. She took a deep breath and gave a weak smile. "Thanks," she said.

Yuita looked at her with concern. Sae almost thought she might cough up blood, but she held it in. She didn't want to scare the little girl. It wasn't the best first impression, but at least she knew Yuita was a kind, thoughtful child.

From that day on, when Sae was sick, Yuika would visit her in secret—quietly keeping her company while she rested in bed.

Yuita had been rescued by a group of hunters during some mission. The details were unclear, but she was one of the children brought to the orphanage. She wasn't exactly shy, just quiet and soft-spoken. She enjoyed playing with the others, though she always made time to visit Sae at least once a day—like a pet checking if its human was still alive. Sae remembered how she'd often wake late and Yuita would be the first to greet her.

Sae watched the children play around her. A hiding skill had activated without her even realizing.

Shaa—

Hmm? Sae glanced over her shoulder as she felt a breeze brush against her back. It wasn't strange to feel the wind, but the temperature of this one was oddly warm. She almost thought someone had snuck up behind her to tease her, but… no one was there. Not even nearby.

Curiosity got the better of her, and she started walking in the direction the wind had come from.

Unbeknownst to anyone else, Sae would not be returning by herself.

I'm sure it came from here, she thought, trudging through the thick snow that nearly reached her knees. Each step made a soft crunch. Mell, tucked quietly under her red scarf, hadn't moved an inch in a long while, as though sensing something too.

She didn't know how long she'd been walking, or how many steps she'd taken, when she finally saw a glimpse of a figure standing beneath a tree.

It's cold, Sae thought, her breath forming a soft puff of mist in the air. Her red eyes stayed locked on the mysterious figure, just a few feet away. Snow had begun to fall again.

For some reason, she couldn't look away from him. It wasn't fear. Maybe confusion? He was tall—easily over six feet—and cloaked in a robe blacker than night itself. Even his hair matched, as dark as shadow. She couldn't see his face, but something about him felt familiar. Like… they'd met before.

"So here's where you've been," he said, his voice calm but firm.

The words startled Sae, catching her off guard.

Before she—or even Mell, who was just waking from his nap and preparing to protect her—could react, the man moved. So fast, she couldn't even follow it.

'Did he just… speak in English?' she thought, moments before everything turned to black.

"Yuita, what's wrong?" Sabrine asked the little girl, noticing her sudden change in expression. But before she could stop her, Yuita suddenly sprinted—straight into the forest, as if chasing something only she could see. The little snow rabbit Sae had made tumbled from her hands, forgotten.

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A young girl walked down an empty hallway, her long, silky black hair swaying behind her. She wore a white long-sleeved shirt with a red ribbon under the collar, paired with a black skirt.

She stopped in front of a classroom marked "1 - Science Stream Class". Peeking through the window, she saw only one student inside—a girl quietly reading a book, earphones in.

Silently opening the door, she tiptoed across the room and approached the girl from behind. After staring at her for a moment, she leaned down and gently blew on her neck.

"Whoah!" The girl flinched, shivering. She turned her head. "Sanna!? "

The black-haired girl, Sanna, laughed softly.

"What are you doing, Suzy?"