Winter's Farewell

​🇨​​🇭​​🇦​​🇵​​🇹​​🇪​​🇷 𝟏𝟐₁₂

It was a gray afternoon, typical of winter, with a cold wind that made the city feel quieter than usual. Claire walked briskly, clutching her scarf to keep the wind from taking it. She felt a mix of excitement and nervousness; after a few days of distance, she had planned to meet Leevi at the bookstore to check out a new collection of books that had just arrived.

As she entered the bookstore, the smell of paper and coffee immediately enveloped her, giving her a sense of calm she so badly needed. Leevi was already there, sitting in a corner of the bookstore, flipping through a book. Claire smiled when she saw him and approached him with enthusiasm.

"Hi!" she said, placing her coat on the back of the chair and sitting across from him. "I couldn't wait to see these books with you."

Leevi looked up, and returned her smile.

"Yeah, I've already looked at them," Leevi said in a deep tone. "But most of them are about ancient history. I doubt you'd be that interested."

Claire felt a small pang but didn't let it affect her. She was used to Leevi being direct and always appreciated his honesty, even if he could be a bit blunt sometimes.

"Well, maybe they'll surprise me!" she replied, trying to keep her tone upbeat. "After all, I've never been that bad at history, have I?"

Leevi gave a brief laugh, but his expression seemed a bit more distant.

"Sure, if by 'not that bad,' you mean mixing up civilizations all the time, then yeah, you're not that bad," he said in a tone meant to be light but that struck Claire as strangely cold.

She forced a smile, thinking he was probably just in a bad mood. She knew Leevi tended to joke like that and tried not to give it too much thought. Still, the comment lingered in her mind, leaving her with a slight unease.

"Well, I can't be perfect on everything," Claire replied, trying to keep it casual.

After a while, they decided to walk around the city. The wind had died down, but the air remained cold and biting. As they walked side by side, Claire tried to bring up various topics, but Leevi responded with monosyllables or brief comments. There was something about his attitude that made Claire feel insecure, like every word could bother him.

"Hey, I've been thinking of going to an art exhibit next weekend," she said suddenly, hoping to spark his interest. "They say it's amazing. Would you like to come with me?"

Leevi looked at her, and though he seemed to hesitate for a second, his response was direct.

"Claire, you know I'm not into that kind of thing. They bore me." He paused, as if searching for the right words. "Besides, you always go to those exhibits and then don't even remember the artists' names."

The comment hit harder than she expected. She knew Leevi didn't share her interest in art, but that little criticism made her feel exposed, as if he was pointing out what she considered one of her shortcomings—sometimes struggling to remember certain details. Claire tried not to show her discomfort.

"Well... I think it could still help me understand a little more. It's not like I'm trying to be an expert," she said in an attempt to soften the tone.

Leevi let out a sigh that sounded more like impatience.

"Yeah, sure. But don't you get tired of pretending to understand those things?" he said without looking directly at her.

The remark felt like a blow, and for a moment, Claire felt the cold air grow denser around her. She couldn't understand why he was being so harsh; they had always had differences, but this critical tone was something new. She remained silent, unsure how to respond, feeling something tighten in her chest.

They continued walking, both in silence. Claire tried to process what she had just heard but didn't want the discomfort to ruin the day. She was sure Leevi didn't mean it in a bad way; sometimes, he was just straightforward, and that was part of his personality.

"Everything okay?" she finally asked, trying to break the tension.

Leevi glanced at her sideways and nodded.

"Yeah, sure. It's just..." He paused. "Sometimes I don't get why you do things that don't fit you. It's like you're trying to be someone you're not."

Claire felt those words cut through her. Though he said it in a calm tone, the criticism felt harsh, as if he were pointing out a personal flaw. Still, she decided not to argue. She knew Leevi could be like that, and maybe it was just a bad day.

"I understand what you're saying," she replied, striving to keep her tone kind. "But sometimes I just like exploring different things, that's all."

Leevi didn't respond immediately, but his silence didn't feel comforting. Instead, it only made the weight in Claire's chest grow, as if something in their relationship was shifting, though she didn't yet understand exactly what it was.

That night, when they said goodbye, Claire was left with a strange feeling, as if there was something in the air that wasn't going away. As she walked home, her thoughts kept circling around what he had said. Even though the comments didn't seem serious, the discomfort lingered, like a small thorn that refused to disappear.

She kept telling herself she was probably just being sensitive, that Leevi had always been honest with her, and that was part of what she valued in him. But, for the first time, that honesty felt colder, more distant, and she didn't know what to do with that feeling.

That night, as she prepared to sleep, Claire tried to convince herself it was just a phase, that the closeness they shared couldn't change so easily. But deep down, a small voice whispered that something in their friendship was beginning to crack.