Colours of the Snow | Yuki Ishikawa

3

"Wait, you are a law degree graduate?!" I exclaimed.

"Yes, I studied Political Science. Why are you so surprised?" He replied, chuckling.

"It's just that...it's hard to study law while focusing on your sport."

"I only have time for two things in life - playing volleyball and studying. Nothing else."

"But still...I didn't even consider taking law because I don't like memorizing."

"Really? But you've memorized all our contact numbers," he pointed out.

"Those are numbers. Numbers are my thing, and I love Mathematics, not law books."

He laughed.

In fact, I've already memorized all their contact numbers because whenever I fill up forms for them, I no longer ask for their contacts and directly fill in the space allocated. Wouldn't you remember these numbers if you had written them about 20 times?

We arrived at the grocery store and each bought our own items. Yuki finished earlier than me, so he waited for me outside.

"Did you have to wait long? Sorry, I had a hard time choosing which brand of pasta sauce to buy," I said.

"No worries, Daijobu-desu," he said, giving me a thumbs up. "I still need to buy some vegetables from the market. They're fresher there."

"Sure, I'd love to try shopping at the market too. I'm a big fan of veggies, so it's not a problem," I replied with a smile.

We explored the public market, and it was a refreshing sight. It reminded me of scenes from historical Western movies - cobblestone roads and narrow alleyways..

By the time we finished, it was already 11 AM, and we were both hungry. We decided to have brunch at a nearby cafe with an alfresco dining area. In the two weeks I've been in Milan, it was the first time I had eaten out alone since I usually cook my meals due to time constraints. Plus, I'm not accustomed to having bread for breakfast unless it's pandesal. After having so much Italian food during my quarantine, I just craved some sinangag, fried egg, and sinigang. Basta Pinoy!.

Unfortunately, there were no Filipino food options on the menu, so I settled for a breakfast plate with omelet, croissant, and sausages. And, of course, a cup of coffee was a must. Yuki ordered a croissant with jam on the side, a plate of fresh fruits, and milk.

Yes, he ordered milk. "I still can't get used to drinking Italian espresso regularly. Too bitter for my taste," he said shyly.

"Ohh, I've already gotten used to it. I need my daily caffeine boost," I replied, chuckling.

It took us an hour from ordering to finishing our brunch. It was a delightful time with Yuki. I got to know him better.

It was already noon, but the sun wasn't as scorching as it is back in the Philippines, so we enjoyed our walk. Since I had bought quite a lot of grocery bags, Yuki offered to carry some of them for me. I hesitated at first, but eventually, I gave in. My muscles were starting to protest, and let's be honest, I rarely exercise.

"How's Milan?" He asked as we walked.

"So far, so good. I am enjoying it here." I replied.

"It's always like that at first. I had a tough time and felt homesick too, but I eventually got over it."

"Yeah, I can't deny it. You already look like a local here," I said.

Yuki chuckled and replied, "Really? But I still miss Japan sometimes. There are days when all I want to do is be back home in Aichi and just be lazy."

"We all have those lazy days, and it's totally fine. Thanks for the moral support," I said with a smile.

I continued, "And yeah, I'm feeling homesick right now, especially with the huge time difference. I've mostly been messaging my family instead of having video calls. It's different from when I was in Australia because it was just an 8-hour flight, so my family had more opportunities to visit. But flights here are expensive."

"I feel you. I get what you're going through. Don't worry, you can reach out to me anytime you wanna talk. We're already friends, right?" He said with a reassuring tone.