Snow that had fallen through the night blanketed the streets in pure white.The moment I slid open the front door, biting cold air rushed in, drawing a breath from deep in my chest.The white puff of it swelled, then melted quickly into the air.
Across the street, an elderly woman stood at her doorstep, swinging a shovel with her small frame.She fought against the piled snow, her stance looking less dependable than dangerously fragile.
—"Inefficient. Elderly labor drains stamina excessively. Hiring a service would be the optimal solution."
The cold voice echoed in the back of my mind, as always.I frowned slightly.
"…Maybe so."
Even so, I reached for the shovel leaning by the door.With a crunch, crunch, I carved away at the hard-packed snow, opening a path.
My body felt sluggish.And yet, strangely, I didn't mind.
The old woman across the way noticed me.
"Oh my, Makoto-kun. You're helping?"
"Yeah. I'll take care of it."
She smiled in relief at my words.That smile warmed something deep inside my chest.
—"Emotions obstruct efficiency. However, they hold resource value."
"…I don't like the word 'resource.'"
Even as I muttered, I scooped up another load of snow.I knew it was inefficient—just work that drained time and energy.But shoveling snow side by side with someone… it was part of winter in this town.
The sound of the shovel breaking snow, the distant rumble of a snowplow, the short breaths of the old woman.All of it felt strangely familiar to me.
I knew this air.I didn't dislike this scent.
After a while, we finished the work and sat down by her entrance.She brought out a teapot from her kitchen and poured hot tea into a cup for me.As I wrapped my hands around it, warmth spread into my fingertips.
"Makoto-kun, weren't your parents working in the city?"
"…Something like that."
I answered vaguely.In truth, I hadn't really spoken to them for years.They'd left me behind, and I no longer knew where they were or what they were doing.No—maybe I'd just stopped trying to know.
—"Blood ties have no value. What matters are environment and resources."
The voice was cold.But inside me, a different feeling stirred.
"…I like this town. The snow, the mist, the inconvenience. This is where I belong."
Clutching the steaming cup, I thought quietly to myself.
◇
After shoveling snow, my body felt drained, but somehow my heart was light.Snowbanks still towered by the roadside.And for a moment, I felt as though I'd seen a similar snowy scene long ago in my childhood—The memory stirred something restless in my chest.