Tempokai

  I fixed my windows today. The holders were dispced and the seals broken, so I had to do something about it. The weather was nice enough for me not to be in a hurry. It was -10°C when I started, but warmed up as the day went on. The sun was shining.

  As usual, there were two ways of fixing things: either you repce them completely or you fix what's already there. When I took off the window, I found that the frame itself was still good. But then I looked closer and realized that all the seals were gone. Rubber became a dust cloud under the snow. So I decided to fix it with some silicone seant. And after that I put on new rubber seals and installed the window again.

  The solution turned out to be simple and effective. If you don't count the somewhat cold home, because the interior temperature dropped to 2°C during work. It's amazing how much heat is lost through a single window. I'm grateful for all the stuff I have at home now – even if it isn't very big. Whatever.

  I repced the heating not too long ago and the electricity bill has been going down since then. In fact, we've hardly used anything more than was needed. We haven't made any unnecessary trips. But still, it's pretty expensive living here.

  Hokkaido is expensive, period. At least compared to where I come from. I can understand why people go away. Although, I actually like Hokkaido and wouldn't want to leave. I just wish they'd lower the prices a little bit. I'm from Fukushima and I know what it's like to live without electricity and gas for several months straight, especially during winter. The Japanese are spoiled rotten by their modern conveniences. I guess it makes sense if you think about it.

  It all started in World War 2... bh bh bh. Of course, we didn't want to lose our territory and national pride. And that's how it ended up this way. People went crazy building roads and highways to connect everything together and now everyone wants to drive everywhere.

  They even connected Hokkaido with the mainnd! That's a pretty big deal. It's probably one of the biggest engineering projects ever done in Japan. Which doesn't say much considering all the nuclear power pnts they built.

  And I love driving. They called me Drift King in college, but I never really got into drifting. Too dangerous. Probably the only bad thing about being an engineer. I still enjoy getting behind the wheel every once in a while, though. It gives you a certain freedom.

  Anyway. Who am I?

  I'm not sure how to answer that question. I don't really know who I am. I have no idea what I'm doing here. Sometimes I feel like I'm fighting against fate, trying to prevent myself from doing something stupid.

  Just like in novels and manga, I feel like if I start something crazy, I'll get dragged along for the ride. Like in those stories where someone starts acting weird, and soon everyone around him is acting strange too.

  Maybe I'm just a boring person. Maybe I'm just an ordinary guy. Or maybe I'm just a bored being from another dimension, sent here to watch over a bunch of ordinary humans.

  But I don't think so. I always wanted to explore the world. I came here hoping to find adventure, but instead I've been living a slow life full of routine. My friends are ordinary people, and so is my job. As far as I can tell, my life sucks. I want to change that.

  ***

  The first time I saw her, she was standing in front of my house looking at the snow. Her face hidden under the pink scarf, wrapped around the hood of her coat. She wore thick gloves, which made her fingers look like white sticks.

  She must have been freezing, but she didn't seem to mind. She was wearing boots that fit snugly over her jeans and a jacket.

  And she was removing snow. Yep, a perfectly ordinary girl, clearing snow off the steps.

  She was working quietly, almost mechanically. With her back bent, she moved the shovel around, scooping the snow from one pce to another, making sure that nothing fell on the ground. By the height, she looked around 20 years old, but I couldn't be sure.

  I watched her for a few minutes, and then I approached her. "Excuse me," I said.

  "Oh, hi." She turned towards me, revealing her face.

  A beauty. I could see why she was beautiful from afar. Her eyes were a deep brown, with long eyeshes. Her lips were thin but cute. And her skin was smooth and clear, showing not even the slightest hint of wrinkles.

  "Can I help you? Do you need some assistance?"

  "No, thank you." She continued to scrape the snow off the steps. "There's nobody else to do it, so I figured I'd take care of it myself. Too much snow had fallen, and it would've taken longer if I waited for someone else. Would've been te for work, too."

  "You're quite dedicated."

  She smiled shyly. "Sorry. I didn't mean to brag. I never seen so much snow before, so I'm kind of excited. I don't get to experience winters like this often."

  "Well, I hope you enjoy it. Hokkaido is known for its snowy winters."

  "Yeah, that's true. Are you from around here?"

  "Nope. I'm originally from Fukushima Prefecture, but I moved here st year. I was tired of rush culture, so I decided to come to Hokkaido, where I could live slowly. I thought I would finally be able to rex. Turns out it's much harder than I expected."

  "Ha ha. Well, welcome to Hokkaido. It's really cold here, but I like it anyway. The scenery is beautiful."

  I told her my name and asked hers. "My name is Shun."