YOAW 07

Chapter 7..

 A World of Silver and the Light of the Cabin

When the trees in the forest finally shed their last leaves and only gray branches jutted starkly into the sky, it arrived.
At first, it was just a few white flakes dancing in the air, but overnight, the entire world was painted in silver.

“Wow… it’s snow!”
The next morning, Kenta quietly opened the cabin door and let out a cheer. Yume and Miko’s eyes sparkled as they stepped outside to see their very first real snowfall. Hesitantly, they stretched out their hands, letting the cold flakes land on their palms, and squealed at the icy touch. Ayane and Alto were also captivated for a while by the enchanting scene.

Akio watched the children with a warm smile, but inside, he steeled himself for the harsh winter that was just beginning.

The snow continued to fall for several days, and the forest was soon buried under a deep, heavy blanket of white. Daily food gathering became much more difficult. The traps they had set were buried under the snow, and animal tracks were harder to find. Even collecting more firewood required pushing through snow to reach deeper parts of the forest, which was dangerous.

“Listen carefully. When you walk in the snow, you must never go alone. And always remember the path you came from. If a blizzard hits, you’ll lose your sense of direction in an instant,”
Akio instructed Alto and Kenta, who were helping clear snow, on the basic rules of surviving in snowy mountains. Everyone came to truly appreciate the firewood and food they had stored.

Most of their days were now spent inside the cabin, warmed by the crackling fireplace. Akio had worried that the children might grow restless, but instead, he decided to create a small learning space for them.

“Being able to read and count is really useful, you know,” he said.

He used charcoal to write simple characters (hiragana and numbers from Earth, adapted into this world’s script) on a flat wooden board and began teaching them one by one, starting with Ayane. She picked it up quickly, and before long, she was reading the characters Akio had written aloud to Miko and Yume as if reading them a picture book. Alto and Kenta looked bored at first, but when they saw Akio using the writing to record hunting results and count tools, they gradually became interested too.

Akio also surprised the children by skillfully carving animals out of scrap wood using only a knife. The wooden bear and rabbit figures weren’t elaborate, but they were warm and charming, quickly becoming treasured possessions for the children.

“Akio, that’s amazing! How did you make this?”
Kenta asked, eyes shining with excitement.
Akio, a bit proud, replied, “Well, if you work with wood long enough, you pick up a few things,” and began teaching him the basics of carving.

Meanwhile, during breaks from kitchen work, Ayane used dried herbs and nuts she had learned about from Akio to make warm drinks for everyone. The mildly sweet, fragrant drink warmed them to their cores and became a special treat not just for the children but for Akio as well.

One night, a fierce snowstorm struck the cabin. The wind howled violently, rattling the walls, and fine snow blew in through tiny gaps in the walls. Even the fire in the hearth seemed weaker than usual. The children looked up at Akio with anxious faces.

“It’s okay. I built this house well—it won’t break that easily,”
he said calmly to reassure them.

But the wind only grew stronger, and soon, part of the roof began to creak ominously.

“This isn’t good—that part might give way.”
Akio immediately stood up, grabbed spare furs, waterproofed animal hides, and thick branches, and headed to the problem area.

“I’ll help, Akio!” Alto shouted, and Kenta quickly joined him.
“Good. Alto, hold that hide down. Kenta, hand me that branch!”
Following Akio’s instructions, the boys worked desperately to help.

Ayane held Miko and Yume tightly, suppressing her fear as she watched them work. When Akio prepared to climb to a dangerous spot, Ayane called out, “Please be careful!” and gently adjusted the cloak on his back.

After about an hour of struggle, they managed to secure the damaged area with temporary repairs, narrowly avoiding a disaster. The wind still roared outside, but inside the cabin, the tense atmosphere had faded into a calm stillness.

By the time the blizzard finally subsided, dawn was near. The pristine snow absorbed all sound, and the world outside was utterly silent. Inside the cabin, the exhausted children slept soundly, huddled together for warmth.

Akio added another log to the fire and quietly gazed at each of their sleeping faces. The harsh winter had only just begun, and many hardships still lay ahead. But inside this small cabin, there was a warmth that no blizzard could overcome, and a quiet certainty that, together, they could face anything.

He had to protect this light—no matter what.
As Akio looked out at the beautiful yet unforgiving silver world beyond the window, he renewed his resolve.