Cough

The two of them stood side by side against the windowsill, watching the heavy snow whirl outside.

The snow in the woods was piling up thicker and thicker, weighing the branches down slightly. Occasionally, a clump of snow came loose and slid down with a soft "puff," landing on the layer below with a muffled sound.

Kazehara Tetsu had indeed come here to watch the snow at first.

He had climbed up to the platform alone, intending to find somewhere deserted to look over the entire inn and the snow-covered woods.

He had had that thought since his first day at the inn, but only managed to make it happen today. He had thought he would watch quietly for a while, then return to his room alone.

But now, his mind was no longer on the snow.

The shift had been subtle, so subtle that even he had not paid much attention to it.

It was not until a bout of coughing came from beside him that he realized his attention had long since moved elsewhere.

Shiraishi Asuka was coughing.

The first time, he had not thought much of it.

After standing in the cold wind for too long, anyone's throat could get itchy. Coughing once or twice to clear it was perfectly normal.

But the second and third coughs came right after, barely spaced apart. One after another, she suppressed them in her throat, as though afraid of disturbing someone—or afraid of being heard. Every cough was dull and muffled.

Kazehara Tetsu glanced over, his gaze lingering on her face for a moment.

She immediately turned away and raised the back of her hand over her mouth. Her shoulders trembled faintly as she swallowed those coughs back down.

The movement was quick and practiced. It was obvious she had