Winter
Disclaimer : All characters appearing in the fic below are owned by SNK Corporation, but the content is entirely created by the author of the fic. It may feature OOC (out-of-character) elements compared to the original characterization and does not follow a fixed timeline.
Oneshot
Winter
Winter has arrived.
Snow blankets South Town in white.
Not many people are out on the streets, but laughter still echoes everywhere because Christmas is coming soon. Houses are decorated with twinkling lights and Christmas trees, turning South Town into a dazzlingly lit area despite the cold and snow.
However, there are still those who cannot immerse themselves in the festive spirit: K Dash.
He gently rests his head against the window frame, gazing at the view of the town he has long been attached to.
How many days has it been? Since "that" moment?
"Ah, it's been exactly one year." K' thought, holding a cigarette with an ashtray beside him on the windowsill.
"One year, one year, one year..."
"It feels like it was just yesterday."
It’s so quiet now, as only he remains in the apartment. Maxima and Whip have gone on a mission with the Ikari team. They thought he would be bored or lonely if left like this, but then they remembered who he was, and that he probably wouldn’t care much about holidays like this. They both gave him a few words of advice before leaving.
"Has it really been this long? One year?"
Ugh...
K’ hates winter, or at least, that’s what everyone thinks. Perhaps it’s because he can control fire, so people assume that’s why, or because the biting cold makes anyone dislike it.
In reality, K’ has never really hated winter. His grumpy, lazy expression when he has to wrap himself in more woolen scarves or put off his beloved leather jacket might make it seem like if winter were a living thing, he would punch it to death. But the truth is completely different. He actually enjoys the sensation of the cold wind brushing against his neck and then sitting by the stove to warm up.
And there’s another main reason.
"Kula Diamond: The Ice Doll."
Because of her, because of her, he began to love this damn season even more.
He likes watching her roll around in the thick snow.
He likes seeing her excitedly receive gifts from others on Christmas Eve.
He likes seeing her smile brightly while strolling around the festive, twinkling streets.
He likes watching her happily offer him a cup of hot cocoa.
He likes seeing her joyful face as she enjoys this colorful, vibrant life.
...
He had promised that next Christmas, he would go skiing with her.
At first, he outright refused. He didn’t know how to ski and didn’t want to.
But when he saw her eyes sparkling as if pleading, he gave in and said:
-“Fine, I’ll go with you next year.”
-“Yayyyy! You promise? If you break your word, I’ll make you pay!”
-“Yeah, next year, I promise.”
To him, it was just empty words, yet somehow he found himself looking forward to that day.
“How strange.”
...
On December 24th the following year,
He was already waiting.
He had prepared his ski gear and a gift for her for the holiday, just as she wanted.
He had become less irritable, just as she wanted.
He had learned to express his feelings and care more about others, just as she wanted.
Most importantly, he had truly kept his word.
But what about her?
Where is she?
Why is she the one who broke her promise?
“Why, Kula...”
....
He collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily. The wound on his side belly was bleeding, his body battered and torn, and the pain continued to overwhelm him.
But none of the pain he was enduring mattered anymore when he saw her lying motionless, dying, while the villain smiled in satisfaction and walked away.
He didn’t know who he was, but with that purple cloak, he was surely working for NESTS.
She had just blocked a blow from him. The slash from the katana was deep and sharp, enough to instantly kill an opponent if they took the full hit.
Despite his worsening wound, he used all his strength to get closer to her, hoping she would be okay.
-Kula, are you alright?! Why did you suddenly jump in to take the hit?! Kula-
All hope nearly vanished when he saw her lifeless, gray eyes, blood splattered everywhere, and a severe cut exposing bones and organs.
-Kula! Damn it, wait a moment, I'll call someone to help us right away! Damn it...
-K'... Come closer to me..." she whispered, trying to reach out to get his attention.
When she was sure he was by her side, she smiled, a naive smile.
-Are you... badly hurt? I had a bad feeling... so I followed... I'm sorry... for not coming sooner... sorry for adding... more burden on you...
She still smiled, while he shed tears. Perhaps this was the first time he cried in front of someone. The tears fell steadily, hot against his cheek, as if K’ didn’t even realize he was crying.
She gently tugged at the bloodstained sleeve of his coat, rested her head on his knee, and then shakily caressed the face of the man with white hair.
-Don’t cry, K’, even if I die…
-Damn it! You won’t die, you’ll live! You must live! -he shouted, pulling her into his arms.
The old fear rushed back.
It was like the day he struggled to break free from the NESTS agents to save his sister.
The feeling of watching someone you love slowly die, unable to do anything about it.
It was terrifying.
And hopeless, too.
-K’, I’m not afraid of death, because I’ve been close to it many times… -she coughed up blood, her breath growing weaker. -I’m afraid I won’t survive until I’m saved… so I ask you… please listen to me… just a few final words…
.....
"I don’t regret giving my life for you, not even a little bit.
"I admire you so much because you dared to stand up courageously against cruel and bitter fate."
"I always wished I could catch up to your back, but I never could."
"It’s just a shame that there are so many things I haven’t learned, places I haven’t visited, dishes I haven’t tried...I still wanted to experience so much more."
"But I hope you and everyone else will do those things in my place."
"K', I’m so tired... Maybe I have to go now."
"Please, look after Diana, Foxy, Maxima, and Whip for me. Tell them I love them very much."
"And K'..."
"I love you..."
He dragged his battered and broken body, carrying her away from the abandoned house, clinging to the hope of finding help as soon as possible.
But when he felt her hand go limp, everything inside him shattered.
He cried her name in tears and despair, screaming into the winter night.
What?
Did he lose her?
No.
It couldn’t be.
"Please, let me wake up from this nightmare."
"Please, someone tell me this is just a bad dream."
"I'm begging you, don’t take anything else away from me."
"I’m begging you..."
"Give her back to me..."
...
It happened so fast.
Barely ten minutes.
The path out of this cursed, gloomy forest was longer than he’d expected.
Just ten minutes.
Ten minutes...
...
Maxima and Whip arrived not long after.
But it was too late.
They found K' collapsed on the blood-stained snow, cradling Kula’s cold, lifeless body in his arms.
Strangely, there was a faint smile on her face.
Perhaps no one could hear it amidst the wind and falling snow, but somewhere, the sound of his heart shattering into pieces echoed.
"This regret will haunt me for the rest of my life, tearing at my soul endlessly."
"A gaping void in my heart, one that can never be filled."
"Do you know? When you left, you didn’t just take yourself—you took half of me with you..."
...
On Christmas Eve, while everyone flocked to the town center to celebrate, a white-haired man walked in the opposite direction, heading toward the cemetery on the outskirts of South Town.
Yes, it was K’ Dash.
He gently placed a bouquet of forget-me-nots mixed with a few white lilies in front of her grave.
Perhaps he still vividly remembered the times she excitedly showed him the freshly blooming buds in the morning light.
Her last words before she passed and every moment they shared lingered in his mind, becoming even clearer as he stood before her grave.
Those memories urged him to etch every detail of that fateful day into his heart and pushed him to live well—to clear Kula's name.
He stood in silence, gazing at the tombstone covered by a thin layer of snow, for a long while. Only when his shoulders had turned completely white from the falling snow did he slowly turn to leave.
Self-blame? Regret? He wasn’t sure. It was always there, somewhere within him—perhaps.
But there was one thing he was certain of: he would never forget her, and the memories of her would stay with him forever.
Hot tears trickled down his cold face as he walked away, his eyes still wet with sorrow.
“The heaviest punishment fate has given me is to continue living without you.”
Does he love winter, or does he love her?
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