"This is impossible to get through. We'll need to call Yinhaie," Yasushi said, frustration clear in his voice as he and several students stood at the front entrance of the school building.
Snow had piled up, reaching their ankles, making the situation worse. The flurries had intensified, trapping most people inside the building. Yasushi's gaze swept over his friends as he voiced his concerns. "Do we have enough heaters in here? What about food?"
Senbarisu, positioned just behind him, answered with a touch of hesitation. "Heaters... There are a few in storage that might help, but the ones we have in the classrooms are limited, especially with the number of students here." Her eyes met Yasushi's, conveying the gravity of the situation. "As for food, we should be okay for a few days. We stock up regularly for the cafeteria, so we've got a decent amount of supplies on hand."
As the day drew to a close, the snow continued to worsen, a relentless cascade of white that blanketed everything in sight. Updates had come in earlier, announcing that local authorities and volunteers would be dispatched to clear and salt the roads. Their primary focus would be on the buildings housing essential workers, followed by the schools. This meant that students across the city, including Yasushi's group of friends and classmates, would be waiting for an extended period. Yasushi's group, in particular, had already been waiting for over an hour since the end of their school day.
"This is a horrible way to start the week," a student nearby muttered, his frustration mirrored by others who nodded in agreement. The collective grumbling grew louder as more students voiced their discontent. The atmosphere in the room was thick with impatience and annoyance.
Seeing an opportunity amid the discontent, Yasushi clapped his hands to draw attention. The sharp sound cut through the noise, momentarily silencing the complaints. Yasushi recognized this moment as a chance to improve his standing with his peers and possibly influence their perception of him. He assessed the situation carefully, knowing that how he handled this could impact how he was seen by others.
"Crying and complaining won't help us much in this situation," Yasushi said, his voice steady and clear as he addressed the gathered students. "It would be more practical if we went back inside to conserve our energy and stay warm. Let's head back to our homerooms and stay with our teachers while we keep an eye on the news updates. We should leave some staff members, or students who are willing to volunteer, to keep us informed once the authorities arrive."
A moment of silence followed his suggestion as the students processed his words. Then, the principal stepped forward, his tone authoritative. "He's right. Everyone should return to their classrooms. I will make an announcement over the speakers to outline our next steps. I need to head back to my office to establish communication with the rest of the city. Are there any volunteers who would like to stay here and monitor the situation?" he inquired.
Yasushi and Bhaqui raised their hands, and the principal acknowledged them with a nod. "Excellent. Volunteers will be on a one-hour shift rotation. Those of you who wish to volunteer should come to my office before your hour is up. If no one else volunteers, a staff member will cover the shift instead. Now, please, head back to your homerooms."
With that, the students filed back into the building, and the principal and vice principal remained outside with Yasushi and Bhaqui. Turning towards the pair, the principal said, "Thank you for stepping up. We'll do our best to contact the appropriate authorities. For now, please stay here and keep watch. We'll bring some extra coats for you both to stay warm."
The principal and vice principal then headed off, leaving Yasushi and Bhaqui alone. A quiet moment settled over them as they stood side by side, their breath visible in the frigid air, while the blizzard outside showed no sign of letting up.
"Did you do all that to boost your standing with us?" Bhaqui asked, her gaze fixed on Yasushi.
"Yes and no," Yasushi replied, his voice cutting through the howling wind. "I knew that taking charge might improve my standing, but I also recognized that standing out here in the cold wasn't going to help anyone. So, I suggested an alternative that would keep us all warmer and more focused. I'm fairly familiar with the layout of our school, and taking these steps should help prevent anyone from freezing and also help maintain morale."
Bhaqui closed his eyes, a small, thoughtful smile gracing his lips, and remained silent. The two of them leaned against the building's sturdy pillars, gazing out at the icy expanse of the city that stretched before them. The blizzard continued to swirl around them, reducing the distant cityscape to a hazy blur punctuated only by the faint, intermittent flash of lights. Even these distant signals seemed far off and inaccessible.
Yasushi took out his phone and read through a new message from Yinhaie. The message conveyed a sense of urgency and frustration: "We are making our way towards you as quickly as possible, but it's unlikely we'll reach you before evening at best, or possibly not until tomorrow morning. We had considered using a helicopter to expedite our arrival, but the mayor has prohibited it due to safety concerns. I apologize for not being able to reach you sooner, Yasushi. I've sent a similar update to Lady Jingliu."
Reading Yinhaie's message, Yasushi exhaled deeply. He hoped she wouldn't overextend herself, especially since this situation was beyond her control despite her considerable resources. The Yang family had substantial financial means, but they were cautious about using their wealth to bend or break regulations, at least to some extent.
Eventually, the principal and vice principal returned, each carrying a jacket for Yasushi and Bhaqui. After handing them over, they headed back into the building. Yasushi and Bhaqui remained outside, their breaths visible in the frigid air as they watched the snow continue to fall and pile up around them.
Breaking the silence, Bhaqui turned to Yasushi with a direct question. "I've been meaning to ask, how do you plan to handle the situation with Lady Xinyi?" His question was pointed, acknowledging the clear tensions and expectations surrounding their relationship.
Yasushi knew exactly what he was referring to. The complexities of his relationship with Xinyi had been apparent to anyone paying attention. Moreover, he had been briefed about the situation by his father, Xinyi's father, and Jingliu's father during their trip to Hawaii. This understanding had long set him on a course where he knew he would eventually have to reject Xinyi, ideally before they went to college to prevent any ongoing pursuit on her part.
"I'm... working on it," Yasushi said, his voice steady despite the cold. "I have a plan and have considered different scenarios to address the situation properly."
"I'll trust your judgment then," Bhaqui said, the matter settled for now as their conversation came to an end.
For the next two hours, Yasushi and Bhaqui remained stationed outside, braving the cold while no one else volunteered to take their place. A few teachers offered to relieve them, but both boys declined, insisting they were fine. They were both determined and accustomed to enduring discomfort, so they chose to stay.
Finally, the P.E. teacher, accompanied by the vice principal, approached them. "Alright, we'll take over for you two," the P.E. teacher announced firmly.
"No, we're—" Yasushi started to protest, but the P.E. teacher raised a hand to stop him.
"No," the P.E. teacher interjected with authority. "You've been out here long enough. We'll handle it for the next two hours. If you want to return after that, you're welcome to do so. However, for now, please go back inside to warm up and get something to eat. We have more food than we expected, so there's plenty available."
Yasushi eventually relented, accepting the P.E. teacher's insistence that they take over. Bhaqui did the same, and the two of them made their way back to their respective classrooms, their interactions minimal as they walked. When Yasushi entered his classroom, he was met with concerned glances from his classmates. He shook his head in response, and the collective frown that spread across their faces spoke volumes about their shared anxiety.
"Damn it, when are they coming for us?" one of his classmates voiced the growing frustration.
Senbarisu, aiming to prevent the situation from descending further into chaos, stepped in to address the group. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves," she said firmly, her tone meant to soothe. "Panicking and complaining won't help us. It's going to take some time, so expending energy on worrying won't change anything. Instead, conserve your strength and remain patient. They will come eventually, and hopefully, tomorrow will bring better conditions."
Yasushi let out a weary sigh as he joined his friends, who were gathered together with a blanket draped over them for warmth. He settled beside Jingliu, who immediately took his hands in hers, her concern evident.
"Your hands are freezing," she said, her voice filled with worry. "Did you even try to keep them warm out there?" Her eyes searched his face, looking for reassurance that he had taken care of himself.
"I don't remember… Anyway, what have you guys been up to?" Yasushi asked, trying to move the conversation away from his own discomfort. But before he could process much, Xinyi immediately enveloped him in a hug from the other side, causing Jingliu to cast a disapproving glance her way while also wrapping her arms around him.
"Nothing much… Ah, here, I brought you a snack," said Furuya, reaching out with a protein bar. "We've mostly been monitoring the radios and checking the internet for updates on the ongoing efforts. We stumbled upon something quite surprising, actually."
"Surprising? What do you mean?" Yasushi asked, his curiosity piqued by Furuya's grave tone.
"Apparently, this blizzard that started here has begun to spread across all of Japan," Furuya explained, his voice tinged with unease. "And nobody really knows why. It's like something out of an anime — it's pretty unsettling."
Yasushi's eyes widened in disbelief. "Seriously?" he asked, his voice reflecting his shock. Furuya nodded solemnly and handed his phone over to Yasushi.
Yasushi examined the screen and saw a series of videos posted online from various locations in Japan. The footage depicted the bizarre and unending weather phenomenon engulfing the country. There were also numerous posts from people outside Japan, expressing concerns and asking if they should start preparing for the possibility of the blizzard extending beyond their borders.
After scrolling through Furuya's phone for a while and browsing various forums and sites, Yasushi handed the phone back and sat quietly, lost in thought. Xinyi and Jingliu exchanged glances beside him, their unspoken tension almost tangible. Yasushi, familiar with weather patterns to some extent but lacking deep knowledge, found the situation confusing.
His mind wandered towards the supernatural. He had some belief in it, given his own reincarnation from another world, though the reasons behind it were unclear to him. Reflecting on the strange blizzard, he wondered if it might be related to a disturbance involving Goddess Hakufubuki. The thought was unsettling, suggesting that something — or someone — might have angered her.
But Yasushi had no concrete evidence or understanding of how such a situation could come to pass. Voicing these concerns would likely make him seem irrational, so he chose to keep his speculations and unease to himself. Instead, he maintained a facade of concern, matching the anxious expressions of those around him.
'I'll go and check it out… There are various shrines around the city, and maybe one of them has been disturbed. If I can fix that, it might help,' Yasushi thought to himself, his frown deepening as he listened to his classmates chatter around him.
Yasushi knew his idea sounded far-fetched, and he had no solid evidence to back it up. But the thought of being stuck here for another day because of the severe weather was unappealing. If his unorthodox theory proved effective and managed to bring some relief, he'd feel accomplished. If it didn't work, at least he'd only endure the cold for a while. His mind was set on taking action.
Jingliu noticed the shift in Yasushi's expression, and Xinyi did as well. They exchanged a brief, knowing glance, both understanding that they needed to discuss this new development in private. They silently agreed to talk things over once they had the chance.