"And you know what?" I say. "We hugged!" I squeak happily.
Yuki just laughs and says: "As if you have never hugged before" She jokingly rolls her eyes.
"Hey! It was like our third hug…" I pout and shoot her a frowned glance. She just smirks and continues with excitement.
"How was it?" she smiles.
"I wish I could hold him forever!" I say with a sigh, as I keep replaying the moment in my head. Hoshi's embrace was so soft, yet firm and secure. As if he was there to fight everything and everyone only to guard me. It felt relieving to know I am not on my own for once and that I can actually rely on somebody.
His black coat was like a warm blanket I could snuggle up in, and I couldn't do anything but observe the gentle snowflakes fall into his soft hair. They didn't melt, instead each one of them remained in their unique shape, slowly covering his head. How I craved to play with those dark strands, make Hoshi feel caressed.
"Come on, I want to know the details. Like who initiated the hug, how does he hug…?"
"I initiated it. He was a little confused at first, but he eventually hugged me back. Softly, yet tightly" I explain, sipping to my warm coffee.
"You initiated it?" She gives me a smirk. "You're getting kind of courageous and confident, aren't you?"
"Yuki, it's just a hug!"...
"Yeah, but the way you talk about it so dreamily. Is there something you're not telling me?" she continues to ask with a teasing expression. I just smile shyly and hit her arm. "I'm not you idiot".
"Ouch!" she complains and slightly kicks me with her leg. Yuki puts on a severe face. "I think that we should give him a nickname" she says, as if his nickname was a very important and crucial thing.
"What's with that face?" I look at her, as if she was so cringe right now.
"Whaaat? I just think we need to call him better than "The guy from the crossing"". She imitates me, mocking me and my way of calling people. Although I have to admit this "nickname" sounds horrible, now that I hear somebody else saying it out loud.
"Let's just call him something cool like…" Yuki stops. She slowly looks at me, wondering. "You never even told me how he looks like" She says, her expression full of questions. "I don't even know his name!" she exclaims, not believing her own words. I think for a bit until I speak, realising I indeed have never told her. "I won't tell you his name, so you don't guess his identity immediately, but I'll be more than happy to describe everything else" I say. Yuki grins, and incites me to start. I begin to describe him. Simply, but with a sense of passion and detail. Hoshi is unlike Yuki's blonde, really tall, singer, idol type, but I guess it only is a good thing after all. "He looks like my brother, ew" she notes. "But what should we call him…" she wonders. I also think about all the significant things we could call him, but nothing sounds right. Except one. "Snowflake!" Yuki almost shouts. "You watched the first snowflake fall with him, so what about we call him a snowflake?" she asks. I keep quiet. Snowflake sounds adorable, but it's too dedicated to winter. I think we could call him something different, but I'm just quietly rethinking her idea. Maybe…
"You also said you watched the snowflakes fall on his hair, keeping their shape. How beautiful" When she says this, I decide that Snowflake actually may be the right one. Because it reminds me of the wonderfull, snowy night when we walked through the dark park, just trying to be close to each other, maybe mentally, maybe physically. Yet we both tried, and succeeded.
"He's a Snowflake from now on" I state. "My winter child".