Colours of the Snow | Yuki Ishikawa

3

"Are we making it official then? Yuki, I never thought we would become close because you're this amazing volleyball player with your own league."

"Ehh? I'm not some superstar, just a regular Japanese volleyball player trying to improve overseas."

"But one day, you will be. I've witnessed your dedication to your Mikasa." I chuckled.

He laughed shyly, "Mikasa is my life, of course. I put my heart and soul into it. By the way, thank you. Your words mean a lot to me," he said while lowering his head as he spoke the last line.

I'm not great at giving encouragement, but when I feel like expressing what's in my heart, I do so. I've witnessed Yuki's unwavering devotion to his Mikasa, and I have no doubt that he will achieve great things.

Eventually, we reached our apartment complex.

"See you later? Want to go together?" Yuki suggested.

"Sure thing! 5 PM? I need to grab some gifts first," I replied.

"Alright, sounds good."

And with that, we said our goodbyes.


---

I don't really talk to guys much. Most of my close friends are girls. I didn't go to an all-girls school, but I'm just not used to talking to guys. In fact, I only have two close male friends, and I only met them in college. Like a typical Asian family, I grew up scared of having a crush or making mistakes on my tests or getting grades below 90.

Despite all that, I still love my mom. She was stricter than my dad. I might not always agree with how she raised me, but without her, I wouldn't have achieved what I have today. There may be some gray areas in our relationship, but I've learned to let go of those concerns.

That's actually why I kind of just went along with it when I got my first boyfriend. He was popular, but he wasn't exactly my crush. I never understood what he saw in me because I always felt like a small dot in a sea of sentences, while he was the big, bold 100 in red ink on a test paper.

I'm not like those beautiful girls you see all over social media. I don't have a super slim or sexy body, just an average one. My complexion is light to medium, and I have a few pimple scars on my face. Basically, I'm just your regular girl next door.

During college, my main focus was studying. My life pretty much revolved around school and home. Sure, I would go on the occasional date with my ex-boyfriend when I had free time, but I didn't really have much of a social life. Living an hour and a half away from university made it difficult to sacrifice my much-needed relaxation time for socializing.

But you know what happened? Because I lacked social skills and experience, I ended up putting a lot of trust in everyone around me, including my then-boyfriend. Things were okay between us during college, but everything started to blur once I graduated and interned overseas.

I quickly realized that I wasn't cut out for relationships. I have my own pride, and he has his. I became focused on my career and personal growth, which he couldn't handle. He couldn't stand that I was starting to excel more than him, and his insecurities got the best of him. He ended up cheating on me while I was away, and that completely devastated me. I had fallen deeply in love with him, so when he left, I was left in a major slump. Honestly, I never really trusted men after that. They never made me feel comfortable in the first place.

But Yuki, he's different. And so are all the people here. Being here in Italy feels like a fresh start, like the beginning of a whole new chapter in my life. It's my saving grace.

I lazily passed the time before preparing for the dinner party. I opted for a casual outfit of a comfy blouse, black denim pants, and sneakers. I headed down five minutes before the agreed time. I had to be punctual because Japanese people really value time. I didn't want to be seen as disrespecting my Filipino heritage. "Filipino time" shouldn't be glamorized.

When I reached the lobby of my building, Yuki was already waiting there. He wore a black T-shirt and denim pants. He looked effortlessly cool with his fair complexion.

"Ciao, Yuki," I greeted him.

"Ciao, Eri," he greeted back. "The event is at 7 PM. What do you think we should get as a gift?" he asked.

"I should be asking you that, considering I have no idea what you guys like," I replied playfully.

He laughed and said, "Yeah, I guess so. Let's head downtown and find some nice gifts."

I simply followed Yuki's lead. Usually, I'm the navigator on our family or friends' trips since I'm good with directions. But here, I got to relax and let Yuki take charge.