Botan crouched in the snow, her small frame half-buried in white. The cold didn’t seem to bother her at all—if anything, she looked content. Her fluffy ears twitched every so often as she rolled snow between her palms, humming a quiet little tune that melted into the wind.

Around her sat a circle of tiny snowmen, each one lopsided and smiling crookedly. Botan’s fluffy bunny tail swayed lazily under her dress as she shaped another, pressing the snow together with care.

When it was done, she set it down beside the others and tilted her head. A soft giggle escaped her lips. “There you go~♡” she said sweetly, brushing snow off her gloves. “Now you can be with your friends!”

Her voice was warm, but her eyes… a little too still.

The wind howled again, and the snowmen stared back in silence.