Secret Anniversary ~Melting Reason at a Snowy Hot Spring Inn~
Eren and Mikasa are celebrating their one-year anniversary. Normally, Eren teases the girl he likes because he can't be honest with his feelings, but he's slowly started to show his softer side only to Mikasa.
The two of them have a "secret anniversary" that they haven't told anyone about. It's a special day known only to them, completely separate from their real anniversary. To celebrate, Eren took the plunge and booked an expensive hot spring inn deep in the mountains. The tiny inn, far from
Secret Anniversary ~Melting Reason at a Snowy Hot Spring Inn~ - Secret Anniversary and Departure into the Snow
Friday afternoon, the university campus was quiet.
Winter days are short. It was just past four, yet outside the window, the world was already beginning to stain with twilight.
Listening to the footsteps of students leaving after lectures fade from the hallway, Eren Yeager slumped over a desk in an empty classroom. His head, dark brown hair tied back carelessly, sank onto the cold desk surface.
The pamphlet in his pocket felt strangely hot.
(*Damn it... why am I so nervous?*)
His heart was loud.
Today was a special day. He hadn't told anyone. He hadn't told Mikasa anything yet, either.
But if he gave her this, she would understand.
One year ago today—.
What surfaced in his mind was a rainy night. In the university's back garden, Mikasa had been crying alone. Her black hair, soaked by the rain, clung to her cheeks. She, who usually never showed emotion, had let tears fall, her shoulders trembling.
He learned later that it had been the anniversary of her late father's death.
At that time, Eren couldn't say anything. Instead of words, he simply reached out his arms and held her slender body. The cold of the rain and the warmth of her body mingled within his embrace.
Since that day—today has been their secret anniversary, just for the two of them.
He heard the classroom door open.
"Eren... did you call for me?"
He raised his head.
Standing there was a girl with glossy black hair reaching down to her waist. Unusually for today, she wore her hair down, the long black strands flowing smoothly over her shoulders. Her narrow, dark eyes gazed quietly at Eren. She always wore a ponytail—so seeing her hair down, looking strangely mature, made Eren catch his breath for a moment.
She was 170 centimeters tall. Her slender figure suited the dark navy long coat perfectly. A red scarf stood out beautifully against her black hair and pale skin.
"I-I didn't... call you,"
Eren averted his face as he pulled the pamphlet from his pocket.
"I just happened to find it. It was available, so I just made a reservation."
He slid it across the desk.
"Yamazakuratei"—a pamphlet for a high-class hot spring inn deep in the mountains.
Mikasa's eyes widened slightly.
Her long fingertips traced the photo on the pamphlet. A picture of an open-air bath wrapped in snow. She stared intently at the scenery of rising steam.
"...You remembered,"
Her voice was quiet.
The corners of Mikasa's mouth softened just a little. For her, who rarely showed emotion, it was a rare—gentle smile.
Something deep in Eren's chest tightened.
"I-It's nothing! I told you it just happened!"
His face felt hot. His emerald eyes darted in a random direction.
But the fact that it was a lie was probably obvious.
Mikasa said nothing, simply holding the pamphlet to her chest.
—And so, their journey was decided.
The next morning, the station in the city center was wrapped in cold air.
The capital, Shinto. This metropolis, home to over ten million people, was overflowing with suited office workers even on a Saturday morning. A north wind blew through the valleys between skyscrapers.
"Cold..."
Eren turned up the collar of his dark navy peacoat and buried his chin in his gray scarf. His toned, muscular body stiffened against the cold. Because of his broad shoulders, he always had to angle his body slightly when passing through narrow ticket gates, which he disliked just a little.
Mikasa, standing beside him, had her red scarf wrapped up to her mouth.
"The limited express comes in five minutes,"
"I know."
They boarded the limited express train that slid into the platform.
The reserved-seat car was empty. Mikasa quietly sat down next to Eren, who had taken the window seat.
The departure bell rang.
The train began to move.
The scenery outside the window slowly changed.
Clusters of gray buildings.
A narrow sky.
Eventually, residential areas spread out—and before they knew it, the view outside had transformed into a rural landscape. Winter-barren rice fields. The distant mountain range was lightly dusted with snow.
Eren crossed his arms, pretending to look out the window.
In truth, he was stealing glances at Mikasa's profile reflected in the window glass.
Her downy black hair sparkled in the winter sunlight streaming through the window. Long eyelashes. Pale cheeks. Lips tinged just slightly pink.
(*Crap... I was staring.*)
He hurriedly averted his eyes.
His heart was loud.
Mikasa had been reading a paperback, but she suddenly looked up.
"Beautiful,"
The white snowscape reflected in her dark eyes as she gazed out the window.
Before he knew it, the world outside the train window had become a complete silver wonderland.
"...The snow's piled up,"
"Yeah."
That was all the conversation they had.
But the air between them was soft.
Three hours later—they transferred to a local line at the central city of Kitayamado.
The train rattled and swayed as it advanced through the deep-snow mountain region. Outside the window was a world now completely cut off from the city's hustle and bustle. Mountains of the Hira range, a thousand meters high, stretched in a chain, and the clear stream of the Seiryu River wove its way through the white snowfields.
Passengers were sparse inside the car.
"Over here is warm,"
Saying that, Mikasa shifted seats to sit right next to Eren.
Close enough for their shoulders to touch.
(*She's close...!*)
Eren's back straightened.
Today, Mikasa had imposed a "30% Extra Rule" on herself.
Because it was their secret anniversary, just for today, she could be 30% more affectionate than usual.
That was the excuse she gave herself.
Her fingertips gently entwined with the hand Eren had placed on his knee.
Cool, slender fingers.
But they quickly grew warm.
"Wha... what is it..."
His voice trembled.
His face turned bright red, all the way to his ears.
But he couldn't pull his hand away.
No—he didn't pull it away.
Still facing forward, Mikasa murmured quietly.
"Your hand is warm."
The corners of her mouth softened just a little.
Eren couldn't say anything.
His heart just pounded furiously, like a racing alarm bell.
The soft sensation of her fingers entwining with his made his mind go completely blank.
(*That's not fair... stuff like that, it's not fair.*)
But he didn't dislike it.
If anything—he wanted to touch her more.
It was past one in the afternoon when the local line arrived at Mimori Station.
"...Here, huh."
The moment they stepped onto the platform, the quiet of the steadily falling snow enveloped them both.
An unmanned station.
The small, single-story wooden station building had a traditional tiled roof. An old bench sat alone in the waiting room, and a brightly burning *daruma* stove offered the only warmth.
"Whoa, it's real... I've never seen a daruma stove before."
Eren's eyes sparkled like a child's as he held his hands over the stove.
The flames flickered behind the glass.
Mikasa brushed the snow off the bench with her hand and sat down next to Eren.
She leaned her shoulder against his, just a little.
"Cold,"
"Of course it's cold. We're deep in the mountains."
"...Eren is warm."
There it was again.
To hide his embarrassment, Eren looked out the window.
The snow continued to fall steadily. The silence was almost painful to the ears. Only the occasional sound of wind howling from distant Mount Hira could be heard. On the station platform, only their two sets of footprints remained.
"Guests for Yamazakuratei, are ye?"
Suddenly, a voice called out.
Turning around, an old woman with a bent back peeked out from a small shop adjacent to the station. Tome Ohno. The 78-year-old caretaker of this unmanned station smiled warmly, wiping her wrinkled hands on her apron.
"The shuttle car will be here in about fifteen minutes. Wait inside. How about a steamed meat bun? Hundred eighty yen each."
"Is that okay?"
"Oh, of course. It's common sense for young couples to grab a bite here before heading up."
Couple.
At that word, Eren choked.
Mikasa giggled softly and stood up.
"Let's buy some, Eren."
"...Y-yeah."
Taking the piping hot meat buns, the two returned to the bench.
At a snow-covered unmanned station, sitting shoulder to shoulder, munching on meat buns.
Just that alone felt somehow incredibly—happy.
Before long, a white shuttle wagon came along the snowy road.
"Sorry to keep you waiting! This is Yamazakuratei."
The local male driver opened the door amiably.
The car slowly climbed the snow-laden mountain road. It was another forty minutes from here to Yamazakuratei, at an elevation of nine hundred meters.
"Beautiful..."
Mikasa caught her breath at the silver world outside the window.
Eren didn't answer.
Instead, he gently—took her hand.
Their fingertips touched, and intertwined.
Mikasa looked a little surprised, but she immediately smiled and squeezed his fingers back.
(*Today is—a special day.*)
Eren made that excuse in his heart.
The snow began to fall more and more heavily.
The white-silver world seemed to gently enclose this time meant only for the two of them.
Completely cut off from everyday life.
From here on—their secret time, just for the two of them, would begin.
Staring at the snow outside the window, Eren Yeager quietly thought so.
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