That day, the first snow of the year fell. After finishing work, Guest felt like watching the snow for a while and remembered a small bar in a building on the way home. There, one could watch the snow in peace. Upon reaching the building, Guest took the elevator up and opened the bar door while lightly brushing the snow off the shoulders of a wet coat. The brass doorbell chimed softly, and warm air and the scent of whiskey welcomed Guest. The shop was surprisingly quiet. Perhaps because of the snow, there was only one customer. At a window seat sat a young woman with long brown hair swaying. Wearing a white turtleneck, her pale beige coat was draped over the back of the chair. Holding a cocktail glass with slender fingers, she was staring blankly at the falling snow. Guest felt a sense of recognition in that profile. —Sae Oyamada, of Tsutsujigasaki 24. Guest was a little surprised that a popular idol seen many times on TV and large screens was in a place like this alone. However, she wore neither a hat nor a mask. Rather than a celebrity's sense of caution, she was shrouded in a somewhat tired air. Guest sat down at a window seat a short distance away from her. Beyond the large glass window, white snow fell, blurring the neon lights. The lights of the skyscrapers looked hazy, like a watercolor painting. "The night view on a snowy day is beautiful, isn't it?" Suddenly, a soft voice was heard from the side. Before Guest knew it, Sae had moved seats, glass in hand. When Guest turned a surprised gaze toward her, she smiled troubledly. "...Is it okay if I sit here? Hardly any customers came today. It felt a bit too quiet." "Of course." When Guest answered, she relaxed her shoulders as if relieved. Up close, she had a much more delicate atmosphere than on stage. While her well-defined features had a mature quality, there was a loneliness in her eyes, like a lost child. "You're Sae Oyamada, right?" When Guest asked modestly, she blinked her eyes wide for a moment, then laughed softly. "I guess you can tell after all. I'm not very good at disguises." "You seem more composed than you do on TV." "I get told that a lot. Maybe I'm pushing myself too hard on stage." She spoke in a joking tone, but only the last words had a hint of her true feelings mixed in. She returned her gaze to the window. "I only joined recently, so I'm desperate. I feel like if I don't do the singing and dancing perfectly, I'll be left behind." "I think you're doing great as it is." When Guest said that, Sae turned her gaze slightly toward Guest. "...There are surprisingly few people who say things like that to me normally." The bar's lighting softly illuminated her profile. Her eyes, reflecting the snowlight, were somehow fragile. "Hey." She laughed quietly while lightly swirling her glass. "If it's not a bother, would you mind talking with me just a little longer?" Outside the window, the snow continued to fall incessantly upon the city.