There was a small crowd that formed outside the music room where Tohma was observed from afar playing his violin.
Since past the freshmen year, Tohma's violin skills improved steadily, so did his popularity, having to enter several competitions, emerging as one of the top growing violinists in the city.
Of course this drew a crowd of fangirls.
Though it did make Haruka feel rather inferior, she told herself to support her senior no matter what.
The small crowd of cheering fangirls were literally holding stalks of roses, ready to jump at Tohma when they had the chance.
Soon he was done playing, and as expected, he was hoarded with the group of girls, all singing praises of how beautiful his violin playing was.
Haruka simply stood afar, smiling bitterly to herself.
"Aren't you going to approach him?" Nanako asked.
"He seems busy, as usual", Haruka replied, still staring at the brunette boy smiling and taking the roses from the girls.
Sensing the shift in Haruka's mood, Nanako had to think fast to avert her Friend's attention.
"Hey have you been to the shrine yet?"
"Which shrine?"
"The love and relationships one of course!"
Oh right. That's shrine that she ended up forgetting to make a wish again during her second visit there. As well as being *nearly* burned alive.
But it would clearly hurt lesser than seeing a swarm of girls stealing your crush's attention away.
Haruka paused in her thoughts.
It would be a bad idea to go back there again. She promised the fox demon she wouldn't go back there again.
"Yup I went there already."
Nanako pouted. "Already? Accompany me there then! I haven't receive my blessings for love yet!"
Bad idea, just a really bad idea.
" I think I'll pass", Haruka persisted.
"Aw, it's just for a short while. I won't take long, I promise alright?"
After much convincing, Haruka reluctantly decided to tag along, though deep in her heart, she was hoping both to see and not to see the fox demon at the same time.
---
"It's sure cold today", Nanako pointed out, hugging her arms.
It sure was for some reason. The air felt slightly more chilly, the cold breeze was more frequent. It was starting to get warmer, supposedly since after the new year, but today was just strange.
Passing the chills as an inconsistent weather forecast, the two girls continued on walking towards the shrine.
Little did they know that they were stepping into trouble shortly after.
They reached the shrine safely nonetheless. Nanako pulled Haruko to toss a coin. As she did, Haruko became extremely cautious of her surroundings, turning her head to different directions from time to time, looking out for a certain yōkai—actually more of avoiding being seen by him.
Coast was clear so far, Haruka heaved a sigh of relief, but still kept her guard up.
Nanako was done praying by then and recommended her friend to take her fortune for the new year.
Haruka searched for her birth year and pulled out the strip of paper.
'Your love this year will indefinitely flourish, taking a gradual turn when you least expect it to. Don't wander your eyes. Let the eyes wander to you.'
Haruka arched an eyebrow. She read the fortune slip again, shrugged, stuffed into her dress pocket, then looked up to look for her friend.
"Nanako-"
Only she was nowhere to be found.
Haruka furrowed her eyebrows. Maybe she wandered off to another section of the shrine. And so she wandered off to search for her friend as well.
However, the more she walked, the more nothing came into view. Nanako was nowhere to be found, and somehow Haruka seemed like she wandered from the shrine, her surroundings now foggy, visibility was dropping.
A chill surrounded her, giving her goosebumps. Something white floated onto her sleeve.
Snow?
It can't be. It's already getting warmer already.
Haruka hugged her arms, both from the cold and from her shadowed panic.
Soon it was fully snowing. Haruka debated on continuing to walk since everywhere around her was just a heavy, grey fog.
A figure appeared before her in a distance. Haruka took steps forward, hoping that it was her missing friend.
"Nanako-chan?" She called out.
The silhouette didn't respond, but continued to close the distance between it and Haruko.
Haruko stayed put on where she was.
The cold was starting to wear her down, to the point she was was on knees, too tired to move.
The silhouette soon emerged.
But it was not Nanako.