The three of them sat on the steps behind the local library — not because it was a great hangout spot, but because it was empty and the sun hit it just right in the winter.
Junpei had a half-eaten melon pan in one hand. Ryota was chewing gum and squinting at the sky. Sota had his hood up and his hands in his pockets, exhaling slowly so he could watch his breath turn into fog.
"Breathing clouds is kind of fun," Junpei said.
"It's just condensation," Ryota replied.
"Yeah, but it feels like I'm a dragon or something."
"Your breath smells like bread. Not very dragon-like."
Sota let out another puff of air, watching it drift. "I get what he means."
"See?" Junpei pointed. "Someone gets it."
"Two nerds pretending to be dragons behind a library," Ryota said. "Powerful image."
"Not pretending," Junpei muttered.
The quiet returned, just long enough for a breeze to roll in. Sota tugged his sleeves down a little more.
"Winter break's already half over," he said.
Junpei groaned. "Don't say things like that out loud."
"Feels like we just stopped going to school," Ryota added.
Junpei stared at the sky. "Think this is what adulthood feels like? Time skipping days behind your back while you're doing nothing important?"
Sota didn't answer, but he looked thoughtful. Then he said, "I think adults just get better at pretending they're not bothered."
"I don't want to get better at that," Junpei said.
"Me neither," Ryota added.
Sota shrugged. "Yeah."
They fell quiet again. A bird landed on the railing nearby and immediately flew off.
Junpei crumpled up the bread wrapper and lobbed it into the nearby trash can. It bounced off the rim.
"Tragic," Ryota said.
"I'm not standing up to fix that."
"No one expected you to."
They sat there until the sun shifted and the spot wasn't warm anymore. No big revelations. No plot twists. Just the slow rhythm of winter, three friends sharing the cold air, watching their breath disappear into the sky like it never mattered where it went.