Disclaimer: I (still) do not own Kamichama Karin.

Warnings: n/a

A/N: As seen on lj. Yeah, I'm slow. Prompt was 'a cool fall day'. You know you love me. Really. (And I love you for the support. Or just reading it, as a matter of fact.)

It was another cool day, with students bundled up to fight off the early chills. Halfway through autumn and already it was too cold to be wandering in fashionable gear – not that the winter attire was bad; they were just limited in comparison.

But it was not what she had in mind, as she swept loose strands of hair out of the way; a useless gesture, as the wind merely swept it back into her line of vision. Her golden eyes scanned the semi-busy street, as others passed by her. They hurried on, not wanting to stay in the cold for any longer than they needed to be, but she remained where she was.

Waiting, it seemed, was something she did quite a bit of. Although her childhood friend had offered to wait with her, she insisted that it would be alright; Yuuki seemed unconvinced with the claim, but respected her decision and had gone ahead. He had been practicing relentlessly the past few weeks, for his next recital, and she hadn't wanted him to get sick by staying out for too long. It was for his own good.

Besides, she didn't mind waiting in the cold like this. The way she seemed to breathe out white puffs of smoke with each exhale; watching as others passed by her in groups, all clumped together; the rumble of engines, just… everything.

It was uncommon to actually find time to just watch and witness, rather than be a part of it. To have a chance to witness the larger world around them. To remember how insignificant they really were, and how they could easier leave their life without another moment's notice.

But that was not the point, as she waited for someone in particular. Someone who could make her heart flutter in a strange – almost completely unreal – way that was not necessarily bad.

In a way, she could not believe it had happened; and sometimes wondered if she would soon wake up from the dream. While it was not easy and, very often, awkward, their time together meant more than what others probably believed (and she was sure that both Karin and Kazune could agree with such a claim; even if they refused to admit it out loud). It seemed she acted a little different as well; Karin and Himeka had asked her if there was 'something up', but she never gave them a straight answer. And really; it was amusing to see them so frustrated.

Such thoughts were instantly dispelled, though, when she heard a familiar voice call her name. She couldn't stop the smile that spread across her face, as she turned as the one she'd been waiting for finally arrived. He seemed a little flushed (perhaps he'd been running to get here? A girl could dream) as he asked her if she had waited for long.

All she could do was shrug in reply, still smiling, as she had not kept an eye on the time; as long as they weren't late for school, what did it matter? For a moment, she caught a glimpse of a different side of him – without the usual scowl, the mask he seemed to stick on whenever he was outside of his house – but it was gone in an instant, much like the times when she had been searching.

Her heartbeat seemed to be unusually loud as he offered her a hand, and she accepted. As he glanced – perhaps glared was more appropriate a word to use – at the people around them, she broke the silence with the first thing that leapt to her mind; Yuuki's next recital.

This seemed to distract him from the crowd of people that hurried on to their own destinations (his glare didn't seem to affect them at all) as he allowed her to talk and they walked to school together.

(A part of her really wished she had refrained from wearing gloves that day, but there was nothing to be done about it now.)

Eventually, the conversation drifted away from her friend's recital and the latest stack of papers that needed to be stamped; with or without Kirika's help.

"Isn't it just beautiful, though?" she sighed, completely missing the slightly confused look he shot her, "When the plants and animals are just getting ready to sleep for the next few months; it's a wonderful part of nature."

"… I suppose."

As soon as they reached the school gates, the grasp on each other's hands loosened, seemed to hold for a single – timeless – moment, before they parted ways. A breeze trickled by as students continued to filter into the building, away from the cold, but all that was left on her mind was the warmth that came from him, and wonder how the world could continue without them.

It was an endless existence they lived on; but she knew it was not the end, and kept the knowledge close to her.