Starry Days & Sunlit Nights: Volume 3 - Warm Winter

Chapter 2.7 - Signs of Expression

A dainty, pale-skinned foot slowly set itself on the floor. Shion Sasegawa slowly lifted herself up, using the bedframe as support. How long it has been since her soles pressed on solid ground. Her legs wobbled and her foot barely landed flat on the floor in front of the other.

She took a few unsure steps and advanced towards the door. So far so good.

Nearly there, she twisted her foot. Her petite yet shapely form buckled, and she caught herself on the door knob. Twisting the handle while trying to regain her sense of balance, she fell forward, face-first into the corridor.

The mute, blue-eyed girl propped herself up on her elbows, biting her lip and shaking her head. A minor setback.

Even though she was still too weak to cast even a single snowflake, she didn't need her Blizzard Field's radar-like sense to tell that the way ahead of her was clear. She had eyes for that.

She struggled to get to her feet again, but to no avail. Her ankle still hurt a bit, and she hardly had the vitality to maintain an upright position. But the way out was just right there, on the other side of the apartment. Even if she could only crawl, she would make it there. Shion would not be deterred in her goal of escaping.

As she dragged herself along the floor of her apartment, she caught a whiff of something burning. While she had zero concern for the building or any of the people who lived here, a fire might hinder her escape. She pulled her body along the floor at a more hastened pace until the kitchen was in view.

A woman with golden blonde hair frantically tried to tame a raging flame erupting from her pan. All around her, the kitchen was a mess. Oils and juices spilled all over the counter. Ingredients were littered all over the floor. A charred, black spot marked the ceiling. Was that an egg on the wall?

How could anyone be so bad at cooking? Shion almost pitied the girl's attempts. Almost. Really, she didn't care. Sure, the landlady might have sheltered her for a while in such a luxurious space, but a prison was a prison.

The pale, blue-eyed Asian girl went on her way, ignoring her host's dilemma. Freedom was soon just within her grasp. She reached for the door.

Click. The lock opened, but not by her hand. Startled, Shion stumbled backwards. A boy with olive green eyes came in stared at her in surprise.

"Shion?" he muttered.

This wasn't good. Caught red-handed, Shion realized that she would probably be locked down without such leniency as before. When the boy leaned down to her level with a concerned expression, Shion coldly withdrew backwards.

The boy sniffed the air and took a glance towards the kitchen. He put a hand on his face. "Not again," he groaned. He locked gazes with the blue-eyed girl and raised both of his hands.

[Hello. Hope you're doing well.]

For the first time since the two of them met, Shion gaped with wide, round eyes. A feeling of shock and confusion, followed by some slight wonder and more confusion. Shion understood that. Japanese Sign Language. Why would he suddenly speak that way to her now, after a full week of trying to converse with her in his own language?

The boy stood up and stuck his hand out to the girl still on the floor.

[Come,] he urged her with a gentle expression.

Shifting her gaze between his kind expression and the hand he offered her, Shion held her own to her ample chest. Jay never withdrew his hand. The boy was persistent.

Hesitantly, the girl took his hand. His hand was big and his grip firm, but also warm. Shion parted her lips a little. What was this faint, comforting yet painful sensation creeping up in her chest?

Her legs continued to wobble while Jay pulled her up to her feet. The boy then placed her arm over his shoulder as support, then guided her towards the dining table, where he seated her down gently.

[Eat here,] the boy signed crudely. [I'll help her.] The last gesture was a jerk of his thumb towards the kitchen.

The boy entered the chaos in the kitchen, and from the sounds that came there, seemed to partially regret it. But Shion didn't care much about that.

The Night Witch's brow dipped down slightly in her subtle version of a frown. Had he started to learn Japanese Sign Language only today? Why? For her sake?

She didn't want to believe that. After all, she was an enemy to all mankind. She was the Yuki-onna with a heart covered in frost. The slayer of hundreds. A cold killer.

And yet, she could not resist entertaining the ideafor a brief moment. In that small fraction of time, the edges of her lipscurled upwards, and her pale face was introduced to a very light shade of pink.