Prologue

It was December 24th, a considerably cold winter evening.

As evening approaches, a young boy finds himself immersed in his creative world, hunched over his drawing tablet with his hands still holding the stylus. The room is bathed in the soft glow of fairy lights, casting a warm and festive ambiance.

The boy, lost in his artistic endeavors, fails to notice the gradual drop in temperature. Suddenly, a draft from the closed window sends shivers down his spine, and he awakens with a start, snoring abruptly silenced. Blinking away drowsiness, he mutters, "Oh, it's cold."

The realization that Christmas Eve had brought a touch of winter to his workspace stirred him, and he reached to close the window, cocooning himself once more in the comforting glow of holiday lights.

 With a weary yawn escaping his lips, he glanced at the clock on the wall. Looks like the all-day long drawing session had caught up with him.

"Grr~" Naturally his stomach grumbled as he did not have lunch.

"Bwah. My stomach is growling like an animal..." Missing out on breakfast due to various circumstances, he somehow made it out of his chair.

As he noisily heads towards the fridge, he finds only the remaining leftovers of the bento box inside

"Oh nyo~." Suppressing a quiet yawn, he discreetly covered his mouth with his hand.

This is Tadashi Towa a normal 15-year-old high school student…. or so he claims to be. His presence stands out not only for his towering height of 5'10" but also for his striking bright blue eyes, a rarity in the Japanese populace (Last name -Tadashi with kanji of justice, first name – Towa with kanji of eternity and harmony)

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Unlike most students his age, Towa resides in a dorm rather than with his guardian, his aunt who lives in the faraway town of Kawagoe. The decision to live independently stems from his recent venture into the manga industry.

As a new manga assistant, Towa has embraced the challenge of working with a mangaka whose storytelling prowess surpasses their drawing abilities. This opportunity arose from Towa's exceptional illustrations, showcased on platform X or Twitter, catching the eye of professionals in the field.

While the pay from his freelance illustration commissions is substantial, Towa opted for the stability of a manga assistant position. However, the fixed pocket money provided by this job is in stark contrast to the potentially higher income he could earn from commissions. Nonetheless, he values the experience gained by working closely with a mangaka.

Towa's passion for manga, anime, and light novels transcends his professional endeavors. Illustration isn't just a job for him; it's an almost obsessive hobby, to the point where he occasionally sacrifices meals to complete his artwork. Despite his dedication to this craft, Towa insists on maintaining a semblance of normalcy as a high school student as his main goal is to attend Tokyo University.

Having successfully passed the entrance exams, Towa now attends a high school in Tokyo, fulfilling a personal goal. Despite his uniqueness in appearance and his unconventional career choice, Towa adamantly claims to be just like any other high school student, a testament to his strong-willed and stubborn nature. His journey unfolds as he navigates the intricate balance between the demanding world of manga illustration and the challenges of teenage life in Tokyo.

"Man, I don't want to eat bento box again. Same menu for three days straight—I don't wanna look at it. Even though it's Christmas Eve. Yep, famiresu it is. At least a change from konbini marathon."[famiresu= family restaurant ; konbini = convenience store]

Towa forgot it's Christmas Eve, a day when couples in Japan go on dates. Not realizing he hadn't made a reservation, he couldn't eat at the family restaurant as it would be packed. This oversight highlights his clumsy side, possibly due to his lack of experience in romance—he's never dated before.

In his room, he makes up his mind to get ready to go out, unaware of the unexpected twists this festive evening might bring. But then he remembers there is one matter at hand he has not dealt with.

"I can't always be troubled by my luck, but what do I do with this leftover food?" Towa was in a quandary when he looked over from the kitchen to see a white Ragdoll cat assaulting him by constantly purring. As its winter coat was growing in, it seemed a little bigger.

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"Yes~yes~. "Are you hungry? Then, on my way, I'll get your premium can too~" While running his hands through the fur from the neck and below, Towa is naturally healed by the divine presence of Kon, so much so that he forgets about the leftovers.

Kon the most important member of the Tadashi household always was there when he separated from home to attend high school in Tokyo.

Kon, a stray, was rescued by Towa when he stumbled upon the local shrine in search of shelter from the typhoon.

Towa always thinks that forgetting the umbrella that day might be his misfortune even though the forecast is all clear. He had always felt that horoscopes given on TV like weather forecasts tended to be just that, forecasts, but he was unable to laugh it off when it was that false.

"I feel that on that day, it was I who was saved instead. I can't imagine surviving high school without you" Towa expressed his gratitude as he thought about meeting Kon. With a small smile on his face, he reminisced about his daily life before their paths crossed.

Well, being a transfer student from the faraway town of Kawagoe he wasn't acquainted with anyone, no childhood friends so making friends was hard but not impossible.

After meeting Kon, Towa became more cheerful, and his stress of balancing school and work vanished. He would often gaze at his lock screen, featuring pictures of Kon playing, which ultimately helped him find friends with common interests sooner than he thought.

Well, cute is justice.

(But 'friends'? That's rather an exaggeration since I've never told anyone about my hobbies, being a manga assistant, or personal problems. Maybe 'acquaintance' is the right word.) Towa thought as he stopped scratching Kon's fur.

"Gotta go fast. I also have to complete my work," Towa mutters as he looks at his screen, displaying a new commission—a fanart of the anime Oreimo featuring protagonists Kyousuke and two other heroines, Kirino and Kuroneko, all with a Christmas theme.

The user, @beastmaster64, specifically asked for an ecchi touch, so Towa decided to make the heroines strike a Yuri pose. He thinks it's pretty well done. [image]

While saying goodbye to Kon, Towa puts on his sneakers and sweater and steps out of his dorm. Soon, he takes the bus towards the market district. But as soon as he enters the bus he wants to vomit sugar.

Everywhere he looked, all he could see were couples brimming with dreams and happiness. Unable to stand it, Tadashi Towa felt as if he had somehow ended up on the short end of life. The date need only change and it would be Christmas and yet he had neither love nor comedy to speak of. It made him feel like quite the loser.

Somehow enduring the flirting and sweet talks of couples, Towa reaches his destination and steps off the bus after paying.

It's already dark. As he starts walking on the pavement, small flakes of snow begin to fall.

"It's a White Christmas," Towa exclaims as snow falls on his nose. Continuing on his way, a girl wearing a Santa costume approaches and hands him a flyer advertising a cakery with a 50% discount.

He had a sudden urge to buy cake. Obviously only for himself (╥﹏╥).

Coincidently the shop was just across the road. The stall for discount cake was just at the entrance.

As Towa was picking up the cake he felt as if he was the only one there and people didn't notice him or the shop.

"Something's off," Towa mutters as uneasiness creeps over him, this uneasiness causes him to look around, but he cannot pinpoint the source.

"No, this is fine," he concludes, attributing it to his imagination.

(My overworking must be the cause I am feeling this way; I should take rest in winter vacation.) Towa thinks as he picks up the cake and heads towards the glass door to enter the shop and pay. 

Just as he was about to enter, a loud honk behind him startles him. Without time to turn around, in the reflection of the glass, he sees a truck just behind him.

In the harrowing moment when Towa faces the possibility of death, his mind did not dwell on his aunt, acquaintances, or the concerns of his daily work. Instead, a singular thought: "What would happen to Kon?"

In the next moment, everything darkens, and the only sensation is the feeling of thick white fur enveloping his neck. As his surroundings blur, he sees a big snow-white fox approaching him.

"I'm sorry for getting you involved." a voice with a tinge of sadness echoes as the fox puts its paw over his head. This sensation of warmth is familiar, as he has felt it before.

"Are you Kon?" Towa tries to ask the entity, but the paw on his head starts glowing as he loses consciousness.

..............