Chapter 125: A Promise in the Snow, A Whisper in the Wind
Laplace Corporation – A Choice Between Passion and Duty
The morning sunlight filtered through the tall windows of the Laplace Corporation office, casting a golden glow on the polished floor. The room was quiet, broken only by the subtle rustle of paper as Yukima Azuma handed over a printed manuscript.
Yukinoshita Yukino accepted the draft with both hands, scanning the first page of the second volume of the Youth series.
"You're really not coming with us?" Azuma asked gently, his tone both casual and concerned. "You should take a little time to relax."
Yukino gave a slight shake of her head, her expression serene but firm.
"It's fine, Azuma-kun. You should go ahead and enjoy the trip. Don't worry about me. This is my decision."
Azuma looked at her for a moment, as if trying to find a crack in her calm facade. But there was nothing. Just that usual, graceful restraint that defined Yukinoshita Yukino. In the end, he gave a quiet nod and turned to leave.
As the door closed behind him, silence returned to the room.
Yukino sighed softly to herself, her fingers tightening slightly around the manuscript.
She knew all too well what this trip to Hokkaido meant. Azuma had mentioned it before, in that offhand but hopeful way he often did. A rare, open invitation. Not just to any trip—but to a moment of youth, of shared memories.
How could she not want to go?