Scene 1
That day, the weather forecast predicted that it might start snowing from the evening.

It was Saturday. After the school ended half-day, Midori, Nishizono-san, and I went shopping together in the shopping district. Midori tried on some clothes, Nishizono-san browsed for some books, and then we took a break on a cafe recommended by Komari-san for its delicious dessert. Around 4 o'clock when we left the cafe, the sky started to dim as predicted, and it seemed that snow could start falling anytime soon.

"Hey, let's stop by the park," Midori proposed to us.
"Eh, right now? But it seems that it's gonna start snowing soon."
After I said so, Midori responded "That's exactly why. Isn't it fine?" and laughed.

"Isn't it fine, Naoe-san? Let's stop by."
Because Nishizono-san also agreed on it, I had no more objection.

By the time we arrived at a park located on the outskirts of town, the dark clouds had brooded over.
The temperature also started to drop. I could feel the chill in the air. I suggested us to buy warm beverages from the vending machines in the park, for each of us to drink. The sweet canned coffee passed through my throat. The warmth gave me relief.

"...Nishizono-san, isn't that oshiruko?"^[1]
"It's delicious."
...it seemed so, but don't people normally just buy coffee?

"Seems that snow will fall soon enough."
Midori whispered as she looked up to the sky. Indeed, the sky signed so. It looked like the dull silver cloud might fall anytime soon. And then... as if Midori's words were the signal, white things started to flutter down softly from the sky. It was snowing. Those fresh soft crystals were playing together with the blowing wind, dancing in the sky rampantly.

"Ahaha, it's really snowing!"
Midori started to step around like she was dancing together with the snow scattered by the wind. The snow surrounded us while silently scattering and dancing around. The lit-up street lights, along with the snowlight, faintly illuminated our surroundings white. There was no one else around, as if it was a stage that had been prepared just for the three of us. In the center of that very stage, Midori spread her arms and gently spun around back and forth.

"I really love the snow."
Midori was playing around. It seemed that she was really, really enjoying it. The fluttering snow stopped on my palm and gradually melted away. The crystals continued to fall. On my hand, the snow turned into water one after another.
I shifted my eyes to Nishizono-san next to me. The white powder was piling on top of her head, as if the snow had turned into hair decoration for her. Nishizono-san narrowed her eyes and watched the frolic Midori with an affectionate gaze.


"What's wrong, Naoe-san?"
"No, it's nothing. Midori seems to be having fun."
"Yeah. After all, that girl really likes snow since forever. We were used to building a snowman together. And on the next morning we would cry, "Oh, poor thing," when we saw the melted snowman," she said with a hint of nostalgia in her words.
"Oh, that sounds... kind of cute."

"Geez. Oh, Riki-kun. Don't just always talk to onee-chan~" Suddenly, Midori said peevishly.
"We were talking about you, Midori. We talked about how cute you were when you were little."
"Hey hey, onee-chan. Just what did you tell Riki-kun?"

Watching Midori yapping was so funny, so we couldn't help to laugh.

"Anyway, you come over here too, Riki-kun."
Midori pulled my hand.

"See? It's fun to dance in the snow."

In the slowly darkening park, where the powdered snow continuously fell, Midori and I took each other's hand.
I took a single step. Midori also took a single step... towards the same spot as I did.

Stomp. Midori landed her foot on top of mine. Our feet got tangled and Midori leaned her body on mine.

"...that hurt, Midori."
"That was your fault, Riki-kun. You're the guy here. You should've shown more magnificent steps."
"That's easier said than done."

Midori tilted her head and looked up to me.

"So, we're done?"
"No, I'll dance. I'm sure it's gonna be fun."
"Sure!"

Once again, I took a step. This time we synchronized and took turns with each other. With our unskilled footwork, we tried very hard just to move around to the point that it might look funny for bystanders. We couldn't really call it a dance. But still, after the two of us moved around for a while, somehow we got into good coordination. I wrapped my arm around Midori's small back. Midori's smile —which decorated thinly by the snow— looked so blissful.

"I hope the snow will pile up a lot. And then we can play snowball fight or build a snowman."
"Yeah, you're right."

Nishizono-san was watching us from a little distance. The snow continued to pour down for good.

Scene 2
The next morning. In my bed, I woke up rather absentmindedly. Somehow it felt warm. That was the first thing I thought of, in my head which hadn't been completely awake. The snow that began to fall since yesterday evening continued to fall non-stop through the night, so it must have already piled up a lot this morning. Even so, it wasn't cold. While I was thinking that, I turned over and...

Squish.

I just touched something with my right hand. "What was that?" I wondered. It was soft. With my eyes remained closed, I moved my right hand. It touched a certain elasticity, like "squishy-squishy". There were warmth and softness, just like one of the human skin. I wondered if it was Masato. Maybe he mistakenly went into my bed half-asleep. No... Unlike Masato's muscles, it felt quite soft. When I pinched on it, it felt just like a marshmallow. It felt so comfortable, so while I was still half-asleep, I moved my right hand again and again, and then—

"Oh, Riki-kun. Don't touch me there."


I heard a sweet voice, resounding in my earlobes. ......I wondered since when Masato had such a cute girly voice. The image of Masato wearing a skirt and ribbon crossed into my mind, and in that instant, I immediately deleted that horrid image from my mind. I came to and finally, I resolved to get up for real. When I looked around absentmindedly, beyond my sight which hadn't focused yet was a person's face.

"Riki-kun, good morning."

That human being just talked. ......That couldn't be Masato for sure.

"Midori—!"

My drowsiness was abruptly blown away.

"Wh- why are you here?"
"Ahaha! "Why are you here?""Why are you here?" you ask? Oh, Riki-kun. You just love philosophical questions, don't you? Who was that again, the one who said: "I think, therefore I am"? Descartes, was it?"
"Ah, geez. That's not what I want to hear."

White skin was faintly peeking its way through from Midori's pajama chest area. ......I was troubled about where to look.

"Hey, Riki-kun, let's do it~ I can't hold it anymore~"
Midori gazed up to me and said it with an intimate voice.

"L- let's do it, you mean... what?"
I drew back into my small bed when Midori approached me. That moment, from the upper bed Masato said with a disbelieving voice.

"What's with you, Riki? Mumbling right in the early morning."

Crap. It seemed that we woke him up.

"N- nothing. I was just sleep-talking, I guess."
I turned my head to the upper bed and answered.

"Is that so?"
Good, he seemed convinced.

"But somehow I think I heard a woman's voice too."
Thought too soon. Masato is unexpectedly sharp at this kind of thing.

"Th- that is probably, you know, that... vocal exercise. Ah— a- a- a- aaaaah――"
I set my intonation to falsetto and started to speak like I was in drama club training.

"Oh, really? Okay then, if it's just a vocal exercise."
Masato went silent after that. Ah, I wondered if I really just fooled him.

"...Riki-kun, what are you doing?"
Midori let out a rather disgusted voice.

"Um, well..."
Since I had no idea myself, I answered vaguely.

"Oh well, now that Masato-kun returned back to sleep... Let's continue."
"Just what is this even about..."
"Oh you, Riki-kun. In such a cold winter morning, a couple of young man and young girl snuggling in the same bed. There's only one thing to do in that kind of situation, don't you think?"
"P- playing oshikura manju?"^[2]
"That's right. When it's cold, we just have to play oshikura manju, right? Oshikura manju, don't cry even when you're shoved. Oshikura manju, don't cry even when you're shoved."
She swung her body following the phrases.

"Yeah, as if. Honestly, Riki-kun, what am I gonna do with you..."
"No, no. You seemed to enjoy that too."
"Oh, whatever. I am so done with you."
Before I clearly understood it, she had been sulking. At that moment, a reserved knocking sound could be heard from the door.

"Yeah, it's open."
Masato responded. Wait a sec... First of all, I had to hide Midori.

"Sorry."
I apologized and hid Midori in the bed.

"Hey, Riki-kun— That hurt."
"I told you, I'm sorry."
I apologized once again. Anyway, I only showed my head out from the bed so Midori couldn't be seen from outside.

"Excuse me. Are you here, Naoe-san?"
That voice was Nishizono-san.

"Whaa- whad- whaddup?"
Around my stomach, Midori was crawling and that was tickling me, so I let out a rather strange voice. Nishizono-san stared at my appearance with a noticeable glare.

"Naoe-san, did Midori come and bother you here?"
"Huh? Midori?"
"Yeah, yeah. I'm over here, onee-chan."

Before I knew it, Midori popped out her face from the other side of the bed — which was from around my feet.
So, there were my head and Midori's head at both ends of the bed. It probably would look ridiculous from another perspective.

"Sigh."
Nishizono-san sighed, seemingly tired of our antics.

"Honestly, what are you doing here?"

"Oh, as I thought, Nishizono's little sister is here."
From the upper bed, Masato peeked at my face upside down.

"Midori, how about you quickly get out and change your clothes. You're going to cause trouble to Naoe-san."
"Ahaha, that's what you say, but actually you're just jealous, aren't you? You also want to snuggle inside the bed together with Riki-kun, aren't you?"
"Wh- wha- what are you talking about? Such shameless—"
Nishizono-san's face turned bright red.

"Hey, you don't mind, do you, Riki-kun?"
Imagining the sight of Nishizono-san and Midori embracing my arms as hugging pillow on both sides... I...

"No, no, no. I do mind. I do."
I shook off the delusion.

"Tsch, how boring. Well, I can't stay here forever anyway. Let's get changed... Hey, Riki-kun, you want me to get changed here?"
"Midori—!"
"Ahaha, just kidding. Well then, see you later, Riki-kun."
Midori left the room with those words.

"Little Nishizono is noisy as ever, isn't she?"
On the upper bed, Masato sounded amazed.

"There's no other way around it. She's just too happy."
"Why?"
"The snow is piling up. I'm sure she just can't wait to play soon."
At the same instant Nishizono-san said so, Midori returned right after she changed her clothes.

"Riki-kun~ Come on, let's build a snowman."
Just like a little kid, her eyes were sparkling.

"Snowman?"
"That's right. I just can't hold myself for quite a while now."
"The snow is not going to run away even if you're not that jolly."
"But it might melt."

Midori leaped out immediately. Nishizono-san and I slowly followed after her. The sky was so clear as if the snowing until dawn was unreal. The winter atmosphere was so clear and serene. I breathed in the cold air which pierced into my skin. It felt refreshing when the air filled my lungs. Following that, the air I exhaled was white and spreading away.

"Come on, let's build it big enough to reach the roof!"
"No, no. That's just impossible."


"Ahaha~"
Midori showed a proud smile in front of the completed snowmen.

"I did my best."
"Yes. You really did well, Midori."
"Hey, hold right there. The one who rolled the snow, who shaped the snow, who put the head on top of the body, it's all me!" I complained.
The moment I tried to roll the snow with Nishizono-san, she immediately said that she's already in her limit and gave up so very soon. And that's way, way too soon. Midori could only laugh watching that.
In the end, if I had to say what Nishizono-san and Midori had done... They just took brooms, charcoals, and buckets from the dorm warehouse to put on the snowman, and that's all to it. But it is still a mystery that they did have charcoals. Well, if we're talking about that dorm manager... anything is possible, I guess.

"We had fun. Isn't that good enough?"
Before Midori's smile, I just couldn't say a thing anymore. I smiled and replied, "You're right."

There were 3 snowmen.

"This one is Riki-kun."
She pointed to the largest snowman in the middle.

"This one is onee-chan, and this one is me," so she pointed at the slightly smaller snowmen on both sides.
Each of the snowmen wore a bucket as a hat, had gloves at the ends of the brooms which were the arms, with charcoals as the eyes and mouth.

"Naoe-san, you have flowers in both hands, eh? Is this... your hidden desire? Were you thinking of fulfilling that desire, even when you were making those snowmen?"
"Eh? It's not like that..."
"Please. I was just kidding." Nishizono-san smiled softly.

Phew, that was tiring. When I stretched my back, it made a cracking sound. I might get muscle ache the next morning. But, having the smiling Midori and Nishizono-san next to me, I could no longer think of being tired or such.

Eventually, those fun times had come to an end. The sun rose high up in the sky, shining upon us. It's almost lunchtime very soon.

"The snowmen are going to melt..."
Midori turned around, looking a little sad. The three snowmen leaned their heads forward, more likely to fall anytime soon. Her face which cast a short shadow somehow appeared like crying. So, I stated:

"We can just build them again."
Midori gave me a short answer, "Yeah."

"It will snow again after all. Always. Again and again. We can do it."
"Yeah. You're right."
She smiled sweetly. Once again, I looked at the snowmen. The charcoals which represented their eyes were tilting, and the snowmen with droopy eyes — somehow just seemed to have a smile this time.


Scene 3
I saw... such a dream.

I woke up after being shaken by the cold of winter. All alone in my bed, tears started to dwell on the corner of my eyes. The dream I just had remained clearly in my mind even after I was completely awake.

"...Midori."
I called out the name of a girl who doesn't exist. That's right. She does not exist. Not in this world we live in. I was reminded of those strange events in the early summer. Reminded of that girl who appeared just like an illusion, and then disappeared just like dream, in front of us, on that day, that time and that place. After making my bed and changing my clothes, I headed out of the male dormitory. Even though I already dressed thickly, the air outside was piercingly cold. When I looked up, the dignified atmosphere was contiguous, the sky was so blue as if it's leaking out, and it looked like it's spreading endlessly. Looking beneath my feet, the white snow — which might have been falling through the night — had already covered the concrete ground. When I stepped on the fresh snow which nobody had yet invaded, it made a pleasant crisp sound. I wondered... if that was enough to build a snowman. When that thought crossed my mind, I realized that I wanted to do it for the continuation of the dream. That made me want to see Nishizono-san's face so bad.


"Sorry to bother you this early."
I visited Nishizono-san's room. While her eyes still seemed to be a little sleepy, she silently welcomed me.

"What's the matter?"
I could only answer "Yeah, well..." to that question. She didn't ask any more than that. Her room which I hadn't visited for a long time was neatly organized as ever. The mountain of books, just like always, were stacked orderly as well on the corner. There's only one thing which wasn't here before, placed in the back of the room.
It's an old dresser. A three-side mirror dresser, which already had its plaster coming off here and there.

"What's that?"
"The other day when I returned to my house, I picked this up before it was about to be thrown away. For my mother, this is just an ordinary dresser, but for me... this is a keepsake of important memories."

I turned my gaze to that dresser once again. I remembered a story I heard from Nishizono-san before. About the day Midori was born. About that day when she showed up in front of the little young Nishizono-san.

"Is this... Midori's...?"
She nodded gently in response to my words which was gradually vanishing.

"This might be troubling my roommate, Noumi-san, but I just can't bring myself to throw this away."

Then, we turned to absolute silence. The temperature inside that room with no trace of warmth was so low, it felt as if the silence pierced along into our body. That moment, surely Nishizono-san and I were thinking of the same thing.

....about Midori.

"So, what are you up to, this early in the morning?"
The one who broke the silence was Nishizono-san. It's hard to express my feelings with words, that I somehow wanted to see her face... So I frankly told her.

"...I had a dream about Midori."
Hearing those words, her eyes shook faintly. Then, she asked me to tell her about the story of my dream this morning. About how Midori was blending into our daily life, as if it was a matter of course. About how the three of us went shopping together. About how merry Midori was when she danced along with the snow in the park. About how there was a commotion right after I woke up the next morning. And, about how we built three snowmen. I was aware that I was telling her about my dream, but it felt like it really happened, so the story came out from my mouth so smoothly, without any confusion whatsoever.

Nishizono-san silently listened to that story with occasional nods.

"It was... that kind of dream."

I concluded the story just like that. Unconsciously my voice turned tearful towards the end. When I finished talking, Nishizono-san remained silent, but then she rose and sat in front of the three-sided mirror. She opened the cover of the mirror which had been closed. The whole room was projected onto the mirror surface.

"Naoe-san, please come here."
I immediately sat on my knee right next to her. Our figures were reflected in the mirror in front of us.

"Please look here."
Saying so, she pointed her finger to the mirrors on the left and right sides. The mirrors faced each other with us between them, and inside the mirrors were the infinite continuous world. They became opposing mirrors.

"There are a lot of you and me."
"Yeah."
"But, are all of them reflected here really us?"
Nishizono-san asked me that question, which sounded more like a riddle.

"Now, take a look. Over there."
She pointed to something inside the mirror, but the reflection was too much it's countless, so I didn't know what she's pointing at.

"Do you see my reflection over there as Midori?"
So she said, and then softly laughed.

"No, of course not."
"Look. Midori and I are reflected together there."

I know that she was laughing silently, that she was making fun of me.
"Come on, Nishizono-san. I am seriously..."

Interrupting my words—
"The world where I exist, the world where Midori and I exist, the world where only Midori exists, the world where Midori and I don't exist. Like the infinite reflections in these opposing mirrors, they are parallel. They won't cross each other."

Then, she took a single breath—
"As we are lonely, unable to meet, and can only think of each other, isn't it alright just to think of that parallel worlds which will never cross?"
—and so she added.

"In other words... Perhaps it wasn't just a dream, but rather I might have slipped into a world where both you and Midori exist?"

"If that's true, don't you think it's wonderful? We call it an invisible world because we can't see it, but it doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. Perhaps that very world is still going along right next to us."

Nishizono-san said with a smile on her face. A smile that looked just like one that distant person has. I also thought about Midori who is not here, and I thought about the sky I can't see from this room. Just like how the blue sky is just a row of transparent atmosphere layers; although it is not visible, it certainly exists.

"Hey, Nishizono-san. Want to build a snowman together?"
I invited her— to the continuation of the dream.

"...sounds great."
Nishizono-san responded with those words, with a smile.

---

Translation notes:

[1] Oshiruko
お汁粉 (oshiruko) is red bean soup, a Japanese traditional dessert. It's a sweet porridge of azuki beans served with mochi rice cake. It's usually served warm in winter. At some area in Japan, Oshiruko is known as New Year dish.^{[^]}

[2] Oshikura Manju
押し競饅頭 or おしくらまんじゅう(Oshikura Manjuu) is a game to be played by at least 3 person in cold days to keep warm. The game is played with the people standing back to back, forming a circle, and each person pushes their back to shoves the others out from the circle as they chant "Oshikura Manju, don't cry even when you're shoved!"
A good video example with the rules explained can be seen here in youtube (in Japanese).^{[^]}