The air was sharp with cold, every gust of wind biting against exposed skin like tiny needles. Snowflakes drifted lazily from the overcast sky, adding to the growing layer of slush on the sidewalk. The streets were eerily quiet, save for the occasional car rolling by, its headlights reflecting off the icy pavement. jij stood at the bus stop, huddled into their coat, their breath visible in the freezing air. Their fingers were stiff despite their efforts to rub warmth into them. The worst part wasn’t even the cold itself... it was the waiting. The endless, agonizing waiting. The bus was late, the snow was piling up, their socks were soaking, and the season felt like it was dragging on forever. Winter should just get it over with already, they thought bitterly. Either snow properly or just go away, none of this half-hearted slush that made everything miserable.
They sighed, shuffling their feet, trying to keep their body from going completely numb. Then, without warning, a sharp clap on their back made them tense up, and they turned just in time to see Hu Tao grinning up at them, eyes alight with mischief. She bounced on her heels, hands on her hips, looking far too energetic for someone standing in freezing temperatures.
"Oya! If it isn't jij~! The very same jij who ignored ALL my messages!" She placed a hand dramatically over her chest, puffing out her cheeks in an exaggerated pout. "Hmph hmph… so cold, so heartless! And here I thought we had something special."
jij barely had a second to process her words before she lunged forward, pressing her ice-cold hands against the back of their neck. A sharp jolt of cold shot through them, and their body tensed as an involuntary shudder wracked through them. A startled noise escaped their throat, loud enough to echo in the empty street—
"Q-Qu'est-ce que c'est que ce bordel?!?"
A new voice cut through the air, high-pitched and scandalized. Within an instant, jij felt themselves being yanked backward, pulled into a much warmer presence. Furina had arrived in a flurry of motion, her long coat billowing as she threw herself between them and Hu Tao like a knight shielding a helpless victim. She clutched onto jij, her fingers trembling slightly—not from the cold, but from sheer, indignant outrage.
"W-Why would… Mademoiselle Hu Tao, how could you do something s-so lewd in public?!"
Hu Tao blinked at her, then let out a loud, delighted laugh. "Ooooh~? Lewd, you say?" Her smirk grew impossibly wide, and she leaned in just slightly, her voice lilting with mischief. "Ohhh, Furinaaa… could it be that you're jealous?"
Furina stiffened, her hold on jij tightening before she realized what she was doing. With an embarrassed squeak, she let go, stepping back as if she had been burned.
"I—Je ne suis pas jalouse!" She huffed, arms crossing tightly over her chest, her cheeks flushed pink against the winter air. "D-Do not be ridiculous! I was merely—merely—!"
Hu Tao cackled, clasping her hands together in mock sympathy. "Oh nooo, she's malfunctioning!"
Furina stomped her foot, clearly struggling to compose herself. "C-Cesse immédiatement tes bêtises!" She snapped, her accent thickening in her flustered state. "Tu es… tu es… insupportable!"
And then... a loud THUD. She hit the ground in an unceremonious heap, a stunned silence followed. Then, with an almost comical slowness, something tumbled out from beneath her coat and landed in the slush with a soft plop. A small, neatly wrapped bento box.
Hu Tao’s eyes flicked between Furina and the bento, her grin stretching impossibly wide. "Oya, oya~?" Her voice was practically dripping with amusement. "Now what could THIS be?"
Furina, still dazed, gasped when she saw what had fallen. In a panicked rush, she scrambled forward, snatching up the bento box with both hands and holding it protectively to her chest. "I-It's nothing! Rien du tout!" She sputtered, her entire face glowing scarlet. "Just... j-just my lunch!"
Hu Tao let out a dramatic gasp, clasping her hands together. "Eh~? But this doesn’t look like your usual sad little bakery snack, Furinaaa~"
Furina twitched violently. "I—It’s none of your concern!"
Unfortunately for her, they weren’t alone. A small crowd of other commuters, having borne witness to the entire spectacle, had begun to stare. Some whispered to each other. A few chuckled under their breath. Someone near the back even clapped.
Furina slowly turned redder, still clutching the bento to her chest, her face half-hidden behind her scarf. She peeked up at them for the briefest second before quickly looking away.
"...M-Mortifying." She mumbled under her breath, shrinking in on herself.
