Prologue: Natsumi Mayoi’s Television Marathon.

 

[“I threw everything away just to avoid you. How could you still be so optimistic?!”]

 

I was watching a television series entitled “Tell me you know”. It’s a mystery drama series that I began watching during my free time this summer break.

The synopsis of the show states that after the main character, Shikoku Kachi identifies the antagonist’s identity, Fushigi Hoshi, she started avoiding him.

It’s an incredibly vague description. I had to watch the show to understand what it actually meant.

So, basically the main character Kachi met a person who went under the name Viridescent Aoi, which sort of sounds like a name from a fantasy shoujo manga… but whatever.

Aoi is an honest person whom lives under the rule of which he won’t ever lie to anyone. He claims to be logical but irrational, and he won’t lie, but he’ll palter.

It was displayed in the show that these two characters got along quickly and got along just fine, however that was when Shikoku Kachi started to get skeptical. She figured that they got along too familiar and too… quickly. It was almost like a miracle to her.

The characteristics of the main character is that she’s an overly cautious, possibly paranoid “can’t be too careful” type of person, and she’s aware of that herself.

One episode, Kachi began to ask Aoi if they’ve met before, though, shortly after, she added that it’s possible that she may just be jumping to conclusions out of self-doubt.

However, Aoi, as an honest person, didn’t deny that they’ve met before, because apparently, they have, though, he didn’t use the name Viridescent Aoi at the time and he claims that they weren’t even close acquaintances back then.

Kachi asks who he was back then but Aoi refuses to answer her. Apparently, refusing to answer a question doesn’t count as lying.

Kachi would then constantly interrogate him day to day about it, trying to figure out who he was when they actually first met, and Aoi would just palter or vaguely answer. He didn’t want to talk about who he was back then, and he preferred his current acquaintanceship with Kachi.

Eventually, even after all of that paltering and vague answers, Shikoku Kachi came to the conclusion that the identity of Viridescent Aoi was Fushigi Hoshi, the name of a man she wanted to murder every time she thought of him.

She didn’t quite have enough evidence to support the conclusion, so instead of murdering the guy, she unfortunately ended their friendship instead and began avoiding him.

Now, with the way I’m explaining this, it sort of makes it look like Shikoku Kachi is either the antagonist or the side character of the story, but just trust me when I say that Fushigi Hoshi is the antagonist of the show. Because after that arc, the writers, director and the actor himself antagonized the character every time he was shown from then on. He actually looked and sounded like a villain whenever he gets screen time. and instead of a cheeky, teasing warm smile from the character, they made him wear a grin of contempt.

As I previously mentioned, the main character is paranoid, so it’s sort of interesting to watch her take all these anxious precautions to avoid the antagonist, despite him showing up often.

And apparently, the mystery part of the show is something I haven’t seen in the show yet. A backstory or an explanation of the connection between Shikoku Kachi and Fushigi Hoshi. Because frankly, the only connection clear connection between them so far is that Kachi fucking hates Hoshi. Which sounds like lazy writing, since they could always just explain it already in the show, but then again that might take away the only mystery element that the show has to offer.

I might be getting too geeky just talking too much about this.

But of course, the show’s suspense can get tiring if utilized so much. So, naturally, the main character and the antagonist weren’t the only two focused characters in the television series. The show also depicted side stories, side characters, fillers, and a spinoff of the normal everyday life of the two characters taking a break from the show’s mystery and thrill

Everyone has that one character in a show, film, or series that they watch for, whether it’d be a favorite actor or a favorite character because of their personalities or attractive character design. In this case, there’s this side-character I watch for and… even though it’s sort of embarrassing to admit that I watch the show just for some stereotypical character, I find this character is sort of interesting. His name is Kurai, he mostly shows up during Shikoku Kachi’s arc and he’s sort of antagonized, though, he’s just misunderstood. He’s emphasized to be this irascible troublemaker in high school who constantly gets angry at people and just has this really antagonizing face. But it turns out that people were annoying him, especially since he’s being treated differently just because he looks scary. He doesn’t get mad all the time, it’s just that everyone has their boiling point, and I guess I can understand that.

But what I found cute about this character is it turns out that despite him looking and acting all scary and intimidating, he’s actually a big softy. He’s THAT kind of stereotype, though it’s never obvious partially because he’s a side character, and that they never emphasize it as if it was his actual stereotype. It’s never obvious he’s like that. but if you observe closely, you could sorta pick up the clues and tell.

Kurai’s weakness is how he takes care of his vision. He doesn’t like it when it’s too dark to the point where he can’t if not could barely see anything. So, he’ll just stand still, not move a muscle and close his eyes until he notices light passing translucently through his eyelids. He also doesn’t like it if the light is too bright, because he’d always flinch by a camera’s flash, and when he’s outside, he’d hover his arm over his forehead to shade his eyes, even on a perfectly cloudy spring season weather.

This isn’t obvious because Kurai doesn’t get a lot of main screen time, nor did they explain it clearly throughout the series, which made people confused as to why he just stood still in the dark in that one episode—completely oblivious to the fact that they have to figure his weakness out himself without spoken words. Another hint to his weakness to light is how he reacts and finds even fireworks to be blinding. There was just this beautiful summer festival episode where the camera panned to every character enjoying the fireworks with their eyes wide open, while Kurai wore sunglasses. Even though he’s just a side-character, he’s dubbed the ‘Eye’ King of Highschool by fans because not only is his eyesight sensitive to bright or dim places, but he’s always got this powerful glare and his eyesight is as keen as a hawk, demonstrated in a few episodes in the series.

Perhaps he just reminds me of our very own Ice King of Highschool, Kuroji Aozameru, and how he’s sensitive to the cold temperature. He freezes up, as still as a statue when he’s faced with the winter season. He gets vulnerable by the slightest cold breezes… but then again, I suppose he was drinking a cold boba beverage last spring season, so perhaps he’s not absolutely vulnerable to any or everything that’s cold.

 

There I am, spending my summer vacation lazily slouching on the couch watching the television show because I had nothing else to do as the warm summer light is beaming down on our houses and as the cicadas wake from their cocoons to make whatever sounds the cicadas make.

“Hm…?”

Above all the buzzing of the cicadas right outside of my home, I heard another buzz nearby me. Someone buzzed my phone. I got a notification from someone… and it was from Aozameru.

That’s right, I obtained the Ice King of Highschool’s contact information. And it actually happened at a certain train station, a few weeks ago at the beginning of this summer season.

I opened the messaging app to view what he sent me and… it ended up being an invitation.

“Are you available tomorrow?”

“Yeah? Why?”

“Meet me at the train station — nearest to my home — tomorrow around 5pm. We’ll probably be finished by 7pm. Bring your own money.”

“…”

What’s with this shady invitation?!

 

 

Chapter 1: Natsumi Mayoi Touched some grass.

Three weeks ago, during summer break.

 

“Hey, did y’all miss me?”

“Hm? Why? Where have you been?”

“I honestly didn’t even notice you were gone in the first place.”

“Ehh?! Really…? that’s…. cruel. I’ve just been dispatched from the hospital. I don’t think they’ll let me back there any time soon.”

“Hm? Is that so…? Why were you at the hospital?”

“Were you sick? Or did you get injured?”

“Ah, actually, I broke a few legs.”

“Hm…?”

“A few?”

“And wanna know the funny part?”

“…?”

“…”

“A few of those legs weren’t even mine.”

“”……………””

Eh?

What the hell?

I was strolling in the park with Shin and Yuuta when three summer class students walked past us with a stunningly disturbing conversation topic. He has to be joking… right? The punchline was so disturbing he left his other two friends just standing there, speechless, as he continued walking as if what he said was completely normal.

I’m sure that’s either a normal reaction or that they’re just getting to know each other better. I’m sure it was a natural reaction for them to take a second to process what he just said, but I’m also sure that they would’ve just brushed it off and acted like the joke was completely normal if they got used to him saying all sorts of absurd stuff. But who am I to assume how their friendship works? In the end, it’s all about trust.

And speaking of trust and friend ship…

“Mayoi… you lied to us.” Yuuta said, looking at me straight in the eye with eyes as dead as a fish.

“I didn’t.”

“You told us that this park was gorgeously filled with pink trees and families” Shin added. “And yet…”

We see none of that. There weren’t any signs of kites flying in the skies. No sights of children tossing their frisbees, playing and running around. There weren’t any couples or families having picnics.

Instead of seeing green grass and pink trees, we see green trees and yellow-green grass, illuminated and colored that way by the bright and warm golden sun. And instead of seeing all sorts of wonderful and lovely people, we see a couple of people taking a jog, a few old people stretching, and some students wearing their uniforms, on their way to summer classes, either to get extra credit, or to catch up on lessons.

“The weather used to be perfect here too… but I guess we don’t see all that now because it’s not the spring season anymore.”

“…that makes sense.”

“We should have thought of that sooner.”

“But hey, the scenery isn’t too bad. As a matter of fact, this could be just as peaceful, without too much people around the area.” I suggested, looking around and taking in the summer breeze.

“Yeah, but try to consider the summer temperature.” Shin suggested, raising her arm above her head to cover herself from the beaming sunlight.

“I’ve felt warmer.” I replied.

“Yeah, but what about those who haven’t…?” Yuuta said, suggestively referring to themselves.

“Alright, let’s just find some shelter to get under of and have some lunch.”

In the end, we were able to find a particular bench in the park that happened to be under piles and piles of tree branches, sheltered by a really old tree.

Leaves rarely began to fall around this time of the summer, but when it did, I noticed a certain pink leaf or petal landed right on top of Yuuta’s head as we were just opening are lunch boxes.

“It’s not spring anymore, and the trees may not be pink as we see it now.” I stated, reaching out my hand over Yuuta’s head to pick the pink petal off of her hair. “But at the very least, there are proof or evidence of what this park used to look like a couple of months back.”

I then showed the petal to Yuuta and Shin, smiling as I passed around the cherry blossom petal.

“…Woah”

“…oh.”

—were their reactions.

“Really? that’s all? I honestly expected the both of you to be more surprised.”

Shin and Yuuta looked at each other for a brief moment of silence before turning their attention back to me to answer.

“It’s definitely not my first time seeing a cherry blossom tree bloom, let alone a single petal.” Shin answered.

“Yeah, but these trees only bloom rarely twice a year, you can’t get tired of it THAT quickly.” I rebutted.

“I guess you’re right. But after seventeen years of living in this country, don’t you think you’ve seen enough of the trees to think that it’s just normal nowadays?”

“I… well…”

“I on the other hand was born at the beginning of spring, just when the Sakura trees start to bloom.” Yuuta explained. “And because of that story, I felt like it had been made a big deal or somewhat of an impact on my life than it should have, to the point where I sorta just saw the trees as any other.”

“Hmm…? Is that so…?” I replied.

“………”

“………”

“”………………””

All of the sudden, we just sat there in silence. I had mixed feelings of whether the silence was for awkwardness or whether it was for taking in the peacefulness of the park. I began to look down at my lunchbox to open it, just when I noticed that Shin and Yuuta were staring at me as if I’m supposed to be the next person to explain my story.

I looked at Yuuta, and noticed that in the distance behind her were the beaming yellow sunlight. I then turned my head and looked at Shin, and I noticed her background was filled with tree branches and veridian leaves.

I looked up to the little yellow, sunny sky I could barely see in between the small gaps between the tree leaves above me, as I thought and processed in silence for a few moments to think about what I should tell them.

“I actually think that I’ve never seen bloomed cherry blossom trees before up until a couple of months back.”

“Eh? Really?’

“Never…?”

“Never.” I repeated. “My parents barely let me outside when I was little. And even nowadays, we really travelled only when we necessarily need to. I’d have to bust my ass into rebellion to make them understand, and that always led me to the same conclusion. Getting grounded at the end of the day. So, I have no other choice but to believe that I’m lucky just having and being able to hang out with you guys here, at this time. Otherwise, I’d just be boring myself out, suffering from solitude at home where and when binging television shows were my only entertainment.”

“…………….”

Another silence ensued, and I was once again unable to tell what it was for.

“That sort of sounds difficult.” Shin attempted at consolation.

“Apparently, I’m supposed to have grown accustomed to it by now.”

“Go touch some grass, you Troglodyte!!” Yuuta demanded of me.

She sounded serious, but I also couldn’t tell if she was joking or not. I sighed upon hearing Yuuta’s comic relief.

“Yes, Ma’m.” I replied to her.

I stood up from my bench and gently placed my lunchbox from where I was sitting, so that I could have the both of my hands free to approach the green gassy patch on the park field.

I crouched down and got a handful of short green blades. I clenched it in my hands and tugged upward until I have noticed myself raising my entire arm over my head.

I lowered my arm beneath eye length, and I opened my palm to observe the grass I just plucked off from the ground.

I was looking at green strands or blades of grass at the palm of my hand, and I couldn’t help but think back on the beautiful sceneries I’ve seen on television channels.

I raised my head to look around at what’s in front of me and… the park doesn’t look too shabby during the summer season. At best, it’s more beautiful than looking at it through a digital screen. I can breathe in the fresh air instead of whatever I’m used to breathing back at home.

It was and still truly is surreal to be able to go outside with freedom to see these kinds of sceneries myself, especially with Shin, Yuuta, and…

“Aozameru…”

I caught myself spacing out and muttering before I decided to retreat back to the bench with Shin and Yuuta.

I picked up my lunch box from my seat and sat down. I then promptly placed my lunchbox on my lap.

I snuck some glances at Shin and Yuuta once more as we were opening our lunchboxes.

“So, what did you guys pack for lunch today?”

“Bitter gourd” Shin answered.

“Spicy tuna carbonara.” Yuuta answered.

“And I’m having…”

Huh?

All of the sudden a powerful breeze blew by, forcing my hand to instinctively put the lid of my lunchbox back on before my hair covers my peripheral vision.

When the wind stopped, I pushed my hair away from my face, and there in the distance in front of me, I noticed a familiar figure, wearing a familiar uniform.

“…Aozameru?”

“You’re having Aozameru for lunch—”

“—No, no, I mean, Aozameru” I restated, pointing my hand over to his direction.

“Huh, I wonder what he’s doing here.”

“He’s wearing his uniform… don’t you think he’s taking summer classes?”

“Maybe he’s doing poorly at school?” I suggested.

“That’s impossible.” Shin explained. “He’s the top of his class. He’s probably—”

“—Well, there are always other reasons for taking summer classes.” Yuuta interjected. “Like delinquency—”

“As I was saying…!” Shin interjected back. “He’s probably taking extra classes for the hell of it.”

“Hm…? what does that mean?” I asked.

But before Shin answered my question, I opened my lunchbox and found that…

“Oh, I’m having yakisoba for lunch.”

And for the next thirty minutes, we leisurely ate our lunches in the peaceful park during the summer season, forgetting about what we were talking about. Though… After seeing Aozameru here today, maybe I planned to give the park another visit again in the near future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Eh…? Yuuta? You’re done already?! That was fast!”

“No, it wasn’t. you’re just bad at keeping track of time.”

 

 

 

Chapter 2: The Ice King’s Revenge on Summer Classes.

 

The next day, I visited that same park again. However, this time, I was alone. I had been expecting someone.

There were many high-school students in their high-school uniforms passing by the park, even though it was a summer break from school this season.

A lot of those people were problem students who needed to attend make up classes to catch up on their grades, and have I mentioned that the person I’m expecting may possibly be one of those problem students?

But then again, Shin DID mention that he was the top of his class. So, it really made me wonder why it looked like he seemed to be attending them. At the very least, it piqued my curiosity.

I was waiting in this park because I wanted answers from him… or at least that’s what I tell myself. Perhaps my interest really lies on me wanting to see him.

I’m anticipating for the ICE King of Highschool to show up. Kuroji Aozameru.

“What the hell are you doing in this park alone?” A deep, condescending voice asked from behind me.

The voice sounded familiar. And for some reason I felt a little relieved upon hearing it, even though I have yet to identify who asked me that question, or whether or not that question was even for me.

Regardless, he sounded rude, so I turned around to reply, snapping back at him.

“Why? Am I not allowed to be here? …—huh?”

I turned around to find that the person I was talking to had actually been the person I was anticipating for this entire time.

He had black hair and deep blue eyes. And despite it being the summer season, he was still wearing his winter uniform with long sleeves. He had also been carrying his bag, hanging from his left hand, over and behind his left shoulder.

Him carrying his bag could indicate that he’s heading home, since summer classes should only last about half of the day or early morning until lunch.

Aozameru always had this scary-serious, yet handsome look on his face. His deep blue eyes always had this glare that would almost feel like staring into a cold, blue sun, through the eyes of a weak-willed person.

And I’m sure that’s like… 65% the reason why he’s entitled the “ICE-King” of our Highschool.

“Of course, you’re allowed to be here” Aozameru replied.

Wait, what were we talking about again…? I sort of got lost, admi— I mean, describing his looks, and staring at his cold, cold glare.

…Oh, right. I remember now.

He asked me what the hell I was doing here.

“You should keep your guard up and be cautious and careful around these parts.” He advised. “There are plenty of Juvenile Delinquents roaming around this park at these days of the season.”

Does that include himself? I wonder.

“Oh, so you’re worried about me.”

“………”

Instead of getting a tsundere-like overreaction, saying along the lines of “I-it’s not like that or anything.” He just stood there, in silence. Not answering to my statement, and just staring, glaring and processing what I just said.

“Regardless, you shouldn’t be alone in this park during the summer season.” He said, right before walking past and away from me.

“Hmm… is that so? Then will you keep me company? I wonder…… Oi, wait up!!”

He got some distance away from me so quickly, and to think he was just walking at a normal pace.

He didn’t stop walking but I did notice him walking slower when he heard me call out for him.

Eventually I caught up to Aozameru.

 

☼      ☼      ☼

 

“So, you attend summer class often?” I asked.

“Why else would I be wearing my Highschool uniform in the middle of a summer break, blending in with all these other Juvenile Delinquents while carrying my school bag filled with schools supplies and a few graded worksheets I got and answered a from school? Why else would I have come from the direction of the train station—”

“Hmph, alright. I get it, I get it. But why’re you wearing your winter unifo— never mind, I think I already know the answer to that question.”

And you can’t just call other students Juvenile Delinquents just because they have to attend make-up classes! What are you? A ranting old geezer?!

He sure is talkative and stingy with the sarcastic explanation. Perhaps he’s in a sour mood… I mean, I suppose anyone would be if they have to attend summer class if and when they don’t want to. But in Aozameru’s case… right! Shin told me that….

“You’re the top of your class, right, Aozameru?”

“Hm…? Well, I suppose it’s nothing new or unheard of at our school.”

“Well, it is to me. I mean, I just heard about it from Shin, yesterday.”

“Is that so…? Well, I suppose that just means you should go out often. Or rather, you should stay in school more.”

“Going out isn’t the problem. As a matter of fact, I touched some grass yesterday! But I suppose it’s just that I don’t pay too much attention to my surroundings at school.”

 “Hm…? well, regardless, you should.”

“……….”

“……….”

What’s with this awkward silence? It’s not like it’s difficult to approach or converse with him or anything… or at least, it doesn’t feel like that to me.

“So, why do you attend summer classes? Aren’t those just for—"

“Juvenile Delinquents—”

“No! and besides, you shouldn’t call them that!”

“Why? Are you one of them?” He replied, looking down and observing my outfit. “You don’t seem to dress like one. I don’t see any other reason why I shouldn’t call them that.”

“Of course, I’m not. I’m above average, y’know. But regardless, you shouldn’t call students Juvenile Delinquents just because they attend make-up classes to catch up on their grades.”

“Who said I was talking about make-up class students…?”

“Eh? You weren’t?”

“”……………””

“I was attending summer school because I hate school in general.” He added.

“…huh? I don’t catch your drift.”

If he hated school in general, why would he take the effort to attend extra classes? And on top of that, he’s the top of his class, or so I’ve heard. So, I would’ve thought that he actually liked studying… but then again, he didn’t mention about hating studying either.

“I hate studying, so I decided to study even harder.” He briefly explained.

“Huh? Okay, I’m totally lost now.”

“Studying is my way of getting revenge at school.”

“Eh? Why? So, you did have low grades after all?” I replied, confused at what he’s getting at.

“No, it’s just that… you see…”

He began to explain his story to me;

Despite Aozameru being the top of his class nowadays, it turns out there there has been a time where he’s had difficulties at school. These kinds of stories always start that way. When it turns out that the top person had once and always been like any other until they decided to actually try and work more.

It pissed Aozameru off whenever there was a question he couldn’t answer. His teacher would ask him a question, and he wouldn’t respond because he doesn’t know the answer. The teacher would have him sit down and ask another student whom was actually able to answer, which left Aozameru feeling humiliated. Other students would’ve just brushed it off, scratching their head with an awkward forced smile or whatnot, but knowing Aozameru, he’s quite irascible.

It’s sort of surprising that even Aozameru would lose his composure to the point where and when he’s hung up on such a simple matter, but perhaps the story being told was from long ago, back when Aozameru was younger and had an awkward phase. That doesn’t go to say that he’s still awkward or going through that phase now… but…….

Anyways.

Because of that, because people looked down on him before, and because he practically used to be invisible in such a big school to the point where students would crowd and bump his shoulder till he’s knocked down in the hallway. He began to… I quote, “Retaliate.”

Apparently, he’s never taken something so personal and seriously in his life. So, he began to “rebel” and to “commence his revenge” against school. He claims to have pledged on it. And his supposed plan began with him locking himself in his room for months kicking the books, writing and studying till his hands and fingers were full of calluses.

The results of his revenge… or rather, the fruits of his labor began to show or display itself when he got a perfect score on his examination, beating the former top of their class at the time.

From this point on he began explaining that since that day, there hasn’t been a single question he couldn’t answer when being asked by the teacher.

But I’m guessing this is where he’s worked so much to the point where he’s lost his sense of emotions. Because this was when he started explaining that crowded students began paying attention to him more. That was when crowded students would make way for him in the hallway as if he were an ambulance with its sirens on, or as if he were moses parting the red sea…. You get the point.

Students began acknowledging him, and it was also when they started being afraid of him. So, I’m guessing this is when he started putting on his cold glare as his ICE-King of Highschool title.

“…Another way I was able to review the results of my revenge, was from my test scores or my monthly report card. I’ll know if I’m doing something right in school every time I get them, and every time I find that I have full marks. But just because I got them the first time, it didn’t mean I should let my guard down. I had to maintain it, so I kept working every day. And that’s more or less my revenge for school in the first place.” Aozameru stated, concluding his story.

So, Aozameru wasn’t just popular because of his charisma, or because he was scary or just because of his high marks. But it was because students started acknowledging him more.

“You can’t be a pain in the ass until you’ve made it big. But once you’ve started turning heads. You shouldn’t let your guard down and relax so easily.” He added. “It’s difficult.”

 This may be an assumption or a wild shot in the dark, but I’m guessing this is why he always has to put on or display this scary glare of his…… or maybe his face is always like that…? it’s sort of difficult to tell.

“I see… so that’s your revenge for school. It’s a little… how would I say this? Elaborate. But what does this have to do something with your revenge against summer classes?”

“That’s simple. I’ve done my revenge against regular term classes. But why stop there when I can also wreak havoc on summer classes? Summer classes are optional for passing students who don’t necessarily need to catch up on anything after all.”

Wreak havoc you say, but all you’re really doing is studying, just as what the school wanted you to do in the first place.

“Oh, yeah? And how’s that going for ya?” I asked. “Your revenge on summer classes, I mean.”

“What? Haven’t I told you already?” He asked, as he clicked his bag open to pull out a couple of pieces of paper. “Here, in my bag I have a few graded worksheets.” …he says, showing me a few worksheets in his hand with perfect marks.

Even though I’ve heard it from him an Shin, it was still sort of surprising for me to see him getting a perfect score on his worksheets myself.

“Well, anyways, this is me.” He added, concluding our conversation for some reason, and making his way over to a house on our right.

“Huh?”

“This is my home” he briefly elaborated. “This is where I live.”

“Huh?! Really?!”

Our conversation lasted that long till we actually got to his house?! And wait, I’m in front of where Aozameru lives at this very moment?! I know where the ICE-King of our Highschool lives?!

“Yeah,” He answered in affirmation as he opened the gates to his own home.

His home generally looked like any other generic modern home would look like. From where I’m standing—the front of the house—I could see white walls, black gate, a front yard with land of green grass, a terrace, garage, black tainted and their brown front door with a black screen door. Our Ice King of Highschool doesn’t live in a castle or anything but… how should I put this…? Seeing him entering it sort of looks like it fits him, if that makes sense.

I’m guessing that he wants me gone, or that he wants me to scram. You see, I thought and assume that up until—

“I’ll be going in, but you wait here outside. I’ll be back shortly to walk you back to the station.”

“Huh? oh, you don’t have to—”

“Yes, I do. Haven’t I already told you already?” He said, fixing his famous Ice-cold glare at me. “It’s dangerous to walk around these parts during the summer season.”

“I…”

I just stood there for a short moment, staring at him as he said that. I was sure it was just a short moment, but for some reason it felt like a while.

The ICE-King of Highschool… walking… escorting me back home… or wait, he said that he’ll walk me to the station.

“…Is it because of Juvenile Delinquents?” I asked, continuing his statement.

“Exactly.”

“Then why not let me inside—”

“No!” he exclaimed. “And besides, I won’t take THAT long. I won’t have you keep your eyes off of me for a second.”

he… won’t have me keep my eyes off of him for even a second? What was that supposed to mean?!

Aozameru left his gate open, and there I saw his front door of which he opened shortly after. He threw his bag through the front door, slammed it close, and retreated to me. And I witnessed all of that happen in less than ten seconds, through the other side of the left-opened gate.

So, that’s what he meant.

“Shall we get going?” He commented.

 

☼      ☼      ☼

 

Aozameru walking me down the station had been a magical—if not a normal—experience for me. Something definitely felt different having to walk with the ICE King of Highschool, than having to walk with a pet cat or dog or with friends like Shin and Yuuta. Of course, when it comes to walking your pet, you often have to discipline it and have to stop from time to time to fix up the mess it leaves behind. And when it comes to walking with friends, you at least have someone to hang out with or talk to. But for some reason I’m having one of those feelings I wish it lasted forever when Aozameru walked me to the station today. For some reason I felt this strong sense of security too!

Unfortunately, those feelings always end with the day going too fast. And before I knew it, we were already at the train station.

“From this point on, you’re on your own.” He says, somewhat ominously as he dropped me off.

The train just conveniently arrived on time as we got to the station, and without batting another eye behind him, he just walked away again.

“Wait…!”

“Huh? what is it? hurry up on the train already, or it’ll miss ya.”

“Can I have your contact information” I boldly asked the one entitled the ICE-King.

“…huh? why?”

“Well, it’s so that I could contact you of course!”

“Why would I want you to contact me?”

“Even if you don’t want to, it would be easier for me to get answers from you via text instead of having to wait for you on the park like today.”

“Even if you texted me, I won’t reply.”

“But I still want your contact information. Aren’t you worried about whether or not I’ll make it home…? I thought you were worried about me—”

“—look, who said I was worried about you?”

“If you weren’t, why else would you walk me to the station?”

“………”

“I won’t get in the train if you don’t give me your contact information.”

“Then miss your goddamn trai—”

Aozameru didn’t get to finish his sentence. He looked like he wanted to argue more, but he was momentarily interrupted by the announcement through the train station speakers, announcing that the 2pm train will be departing soon.

“Tsk, fine.” Aozameru resigned, pulling out his phone from his back pocket.

I pulled my phone out as well and opened it with a cheeky grin on my face.

“Alright, now get on the train.”

“Now hang on a sec. And what’s the rush?”

“What is it now? And what do you mean ‘what’s the rush’?! You’ll miss the train!”

I started typing away at my phone’s keyboard.

“I wanted to check if it actually works.”

“What? Of course, it does. Now get on the train damn it!”

“…”

“What? Why are you staring at me like that?”

“I sent you a sticker didn’t you receive it?”

“…”

“Hey, you gave me a false contact information, didn’t you?!”

Aozameru sighed in resignation. That means I was correct.

“Fine, fine.”

After exchanging each other’s contact info, I tried testing it again. To check if he didn’t mess around and give me false contact information for the second time.

“A snowman sticker?” He responded upon seeing my phone message for him.

“Now, you have to send something to me too. Just so that I can really confirm that this is legit.”

“….”

Without saying another word, and without any other obvious or notable movements. Aozameru just silently stared at me with this stoic expression all of the sudden, and with a few short motions of his thumb towards his phone screen, I got a notification on my phone, notifying his reply for me.

He also sent me a snowman sticker.

 

And that was the story of how I got the ICE-King of Highschool’s contact information……… as well as the address of where he lives.

 

 

Chapter 3: Natsumi Mayoi Briefly Attends Summer classes.

 

[Hey! I got home safely, thanks for walking me to the station!! www]

Read; 3:17pm Two weeks ago.

 

Geez, I got a read receipt from him but not a message back. How cold!

Well, like that matters anyways. I’ll be seeing him again soon… like really, really soon.

It turns out that I don’t really know how to take a break. And I can’t really do nothing because if I do nothing, then I most certainly can’t do it here, confined in my own home where there’s more nothing to do.

I needed a change of pace, or else I’d be boring myself and wasting my time for how slow the pace is currently going.

So, just for today I planned to drop the television and soap operas to get out of my home with my summer school uniform on, while carrying my school bag filled with school supplies and notebooks—NOT because it’s the first day of school all over again or anything. It’s not. but it’s because I’ve decided to actually try out and attend summer classes.

It is optional after all.

I phoned Shin and Yuuta if they wanted to accompany me, but it turns out that the both of them declined due to being busy.

Shin went on a trip with her family, and the game Yuuta usually plays got an update recently—so that meant she probably won’t go outside for the next two weeks or so.

And that just left me with someone I know who will attend summer school every day. Someone whom also happens to be the person who won’t reply to my messages nor answer my calls.

 

☼      ☼      ☼

 

“Yo, Aozameru.” I greeted.

“Natsumi? What the hell are you doing here?” The Ice King of Highschool replied, dumbfounded and cold as ever.

“Look, do you always have to ask ‘what the hell’? every time I show up?”

“I thought I advised you not to roam alone during these days of the summer season.”

“Yeah, you did. But this isn’t that park anymore. And besides, You’re the one who told me to stay in school more often, in the first place.”

“I did…?” He asked, thinking out loud while furrowing his eyebrows at me.

“Yeah, a coupleof weeks ago after I mentioned that I just knew about you being the top of your class recently. You told me to go outside or stay in school more often.”

“Oh, I did.” He responded, feigning his resignation to argue any further as he relaxed his eyebrows, closed his eyes and turned away from me. “That was two weeks ago, and you remembered that…? Well, even if I did say that, why are you here?”

“Am I not allowed to be here?”

“Look, do you always have to ask ‘Am I not allowed to be here’ every time I ask you why you’re here?”

“Touche.” I responded, getting this very recent sense of déjà vu. “But with all honesty and due respect, I just wanted to know what it’s like to attend summer class.”

“Is that so…?” He replied thinking to himself for a moment. “Then follow me.”

“Huh? Follow you? But aren’t classes starting soon?”

“Exactly.”

“Then I should be heading straight to my classroom.”

“No, they’re holding summer classes around the classrooms of my department.”

“Oh… really?”

“Look, they don’t treat summer classes the same as regular classes due to fewer students, teachers, time, and well, it should be understandable that today is supposed to be summer break in the first place.”

“I see… Alright then, show me the way to your classroom.”

“…………”

Aozameru silently walked ahead of me to lead the way to his classroom.

Even though there were fewer students, those students would still sorta crowd the hallway a little. And even those few students would eyeball the one entitled the Ice-king of Highschool upon recognition.

Aozameru walked in the middle of the hallway, and those who dare not to disturb him would make way and walk a distance around him like he’s a car and the other students are pedestrians. Actually, a better analogy would be that Aozameru is like plowing through snow without effort, except he would be plowing the snow a little after winter when most of the snow has already melted.

Heheh, the ICE-King of Highschool, plowing through snow… how ironic. It’s a little difficult for me to imagine such situation considering that I know he’s weak against the cold temperature. Instead, he’d turn into a statue posing like he’s plowing snow.

On a sidenote, I wonder if this is what it feels like to walk behind Aozameru. Everyone’s staring at him and avoiding a radius from him, making it easy to walk through the hallways without getting anxious of the other students walking around your direction.

Hmm… speaking of other students…. And other students staring at him…. I think it’s safer for me to loosely follow him from behind to attract less attention. After all, if I follow Aozameru closely from behind like this, then I’m afraid that the other staring students might spread more than just rumors about the Ice-King of Highschool—which may cause more trouble for Aozameru. And I wouldn’t want to add more troubles for him after all my teasing—

“Ow…!’

I slowed down my walking pace to keep my distance from Aozameru, but I still ended up bumping into people walking my way somehow.

“Sorry…!” I apologized to the people I bumped into. But they ignored me and didn’t bother to say anything back as their eyes are glued to watching out for Aozameru.

Hm…?

Observing the Ice-King of Highschool closer, I take back my two analogies of him walking through the hallways with no effort. He’s no car or snow plow, he’s a plane, and the students around him are like the relative winds that end up dragging from behind him.

“…?”

Aozameru stopped walking all of the sudden. He was slouching a little bit, but he raised his head high a little as if he sensed something was wrong.

He turned his head to the left side of the hallway, then to the right side. He just seemed to be checking his parameters and the students around him as they stared back at the ice king. Though, everywhere he turns his gaze, the students in his line-of-sight step back sweating bullets filled with nervousness and fear as if they were caught in the act of intending their worst crimes or sins. They all looked like they were about to unreasonably confess to him.

Aozameru then turned around. A complete 180°.

I didn’t notice up until I saw him from a distance now, that he’d been wearing this scary glare on his face this entire time. He looked irritated, and he somehow fixed that glare even further, slightly furrowing his eyebrows once more.

He was looking towards my direction. I stood as still as an Ice sculpture as if I were participating in a game of statues or the mannequin challenge.

You are reading story The Ice King of Highschool Four Season Anthology at novel35.com

At the corner of my eye, I looked at the students in front of me. the same students I bumped into.

They were trembling! Their eyes wide open as if they can’t believe they got the attention of some sort of bear that’s about to outrun and eat them alive. Their mouths were hanging open before they realized it and began talking to each other.

“Ahh… w-we’re about to be late ri-ight?”

“Yeah-h, we should probably rush to the next classroom rea… really quick.”

The two students infront of me turned around. They actually noticed me for once. They said something to me… but before they spoke, I could see the terrified look in their eyes.

“We’re very sorry for bumping into you!” They apologized. “We’ll be going our way now—”

And there they go, rushing off.

I clasped my hands to my face, checking if this is real or whether I looked just as scared as those two students just now.

“…”

I pinched myself and found that this is real, though I don’t think I look nor feel as scared as the students who apologized and passed by me just now. I wonder why was that.

They were cowards…

Or maybe I’m just used to seeing Aozameru like that…? I’m not that intimidated by him…? To be fair… I guess he wasn’t looking directly at me at the time. Actually… is it weird that I feel more secure and much safer?

When he glared towards my direction just now… perhaps he just didn’t intend to glare at me…? I contemplated looking at the ground.

Though as I was fixated on the ground, I noticed a couple of shoes stepped on the floor right in front of my line of sight just now. Someone had walked right in front of me, and I could have a good guess on who it was.

I looked up and found Aozameru’s face looking down on me… but I’m sure that it wasn’t quite the bad or demeaning kind of looking down on me—no matter how he looked like.

“Follow behind me closely, not loosely.” The Ice-King of Highschool whispered, considering how he should speak to me at a personally close distance.

“But—”

“We’ll be late for class.” He interjected. “And I swear, I’ll be pissed if I don’t even get a perfect attendance for mere summer classes.”

“I…”

…I don’t think they record attendances for summer classes, but—

 

“Okay.” I gently answered back.

 

 

No matter how many times I’ve seen Aozameru as a person on an equal standing as I am, there were definitely times like these that just remind me why he’s entitled the ICE-King of Highschool. I mean, after all this time, I only treated such title lightly and naturally as if it were just his second name.

 

☼      ☼      ☼

 

Summer classes felt either like shortened regular classes or detention.

Well, it’s not like I’d know anything about how detention feels like—I’ve never been called for one. I don’t usually stir up trouble, but when I do, the trouble doesn’t amount to something as punishable as being called to detention.

Though, summer classes definitely felt a little laid back. I honestly expected it to be a little stricter since there aren’t as much students in the classroom as much as there are in regular classes. Teachers just have to manage and make sure that every single one of the students are paying attention in class. There aren’t many students so that’s supposed to be easy, except in this situation, the idea seems easier said than done.

There were fewer students than usual and yet some of those students—excluding the ICE-King of Highschool and I—were napping without the teacher even batting a single eye at them. Summer classes are only for students who are willing to put effort into them, or so they say. Though, so far, Aozameru is the only good example of that saying.

The teacher would lecture us about permutations and combinations. The teacher would ask us questions and Aozameru would always answer.

It’s not that the teacher didn’t have any other choice but… Okay, looking at the dead souls around me, it does seem like the teacher didn’t have any other choice.

“Would anyone like to find the permutation of the following equation?” The teacher asked.

Aozameru instantly raised his hand.

Aozameru always raised his hand, glaring at the teacher as if he were threatening her to choose him in exchange for her life.

“A…Aozameru…” The teacher spoke his name out loud, indicating that she chooses Aozameru to answer.

“Huh…? Aozameru?!” A student’s voice was heard from across the room.

Ah… it was one of the napping students. It seems that hearing the name of the ICE-King of Highschool woke him up. It’s like hearing the name of the one who shall not be named. Aozameru, the ICE-King of Highschool officially was something to be feared as much as a horrifying taboo or one of the seven mysteries of Attakai Tenki Academy.

And from that one voice, it woke up another student whom heard his name.

“Aozameru…?”

Then it woke up another, then another. Eventually, it became a cycle amongst the few students in the room to nap in class, wake up muttering Aozameru’s name, waking up another student only to mutter his name again, and so forth and so on.

Apparently, just saying the name of the ICE-King of Highschool woke up everyone napping during summer class.

Honestly, how could you sleep in summer class in the first place? It’s just for half of the day after all, why don’t people pick themselves up a little even if it was just for a few hours.

Muttering the name of the ICE-King of Highschool eventually became an entire class chatter. Then and only then was when the teacher finally stepped in and said—

“Now, now, settle down now.”

“Huh? It’s true!” one of the sleepy students thought out loud, realizing. “Aozameru is right there, writing something down on the white board—”

It seemed that the teacher’s attempt to settle down the students didn’t work out. It only caught the student’s attention to the people in front of the classroom, the teacher and Aozameru.

Click! All of the sudden, a single loud click echoed throughout the classroom, finally silencing the chattering students as they observed the movements of the ICE-King of Highschool in front of them.

“P=720.” Aozameru answered, handing and returning the teacher’s black marker pen with its cap already closed.

“Correct…” The teacher responded after she carefully observed Aozameru’s written solution on the white board. Though, by the time she announced that he was correct, Aozameru had already retreated back to his seat.

By the time Aozameru sat down on the seat in front of me, I observed the other students around us.

At one point they were napping, and the next, they woke up with their eyes wide open as if they couldn’t believe what they were seeing. I also noticed that some of them trembled a little. It was as if those napping students woke up to a nightmare they can’t keep their eyes off of.

In the end, all of the students were wide awake for the rest of the class.

It really made me wonder if this is what it feels like to be in the same class as Aozameru.

The teacher wrote down another question on the board, this time we had to find the combination of the equation.

“Now, would anyone like to find the answer of this equation?” The teacher asked the class.

As usual, Aozameru raised his hand. But y’know what… I sort of got tired of doing nothing in class. I specifically wanted to attend summer class to do more things than I can at home after all, and I started doing just that.

As much as Aozameru absolutely loves to answer the teacher’s questions to take revenge for summer classes, I had to step in to make sure he didn’t hoard all the problems.

I knew that the teacher wouldn’t call for me even if I raised my hand. So, before the teacher could call for Aozameru’s name, I stood up and walked in front of the classroom, picked up the black marker pen from the teacher’s table and started writing down my solution and answer on the white board.

“Natsumi wait—” the teacher called out for my name, slightly reaching her hand out for me.

But the teacher didn’t stop me and eventually, I finished finding the combination equation on the board.

“C=36” I answered.

“I…” The teacher was left speechless as she took her time to observe my answer and solution on the board before determining if I did it right. “That’s correct, but…”

“…but…?”

“I’m afraid you’re using the permanent black marker to write on the white board…”

“Oh… …really?”

“I’m afraid so…” the teacher responded.

I slowly turned my head to the class after my hasty, problematic blunder.

No one in class laughed at my mistake. They were too afraid too. And as for the reason why they were afraid… surprisingly he didn’t seem mad at me for stealing his spotlight. Aozameru had this neutral, nonchalant look on his face as he stared at me. I mean, he was still glaring, but at this point I’m just sorta used to him looking like that to the point where I’m considering that expression of his to be neutral and nonchalant.

“That’s alright” The teacher reassured. “I’ll take care of it after class.”

“I’m really sorry!” I apologized.

Unfortunately, the first and last day of my embarrassing summer classes came to an end. Before we knew it, it had already been 12pm already. It was lunch time and the time for dismissal of all the summer classes for the day.

 

☼      ☼      ☼

 

“So, how was your experience of today’s summer classes?” Aozameru asked… In my dreams. Of course, the ICE-King of Highschool wouldn’t ask such a straightforward question to me.

In reality, after dismissal, Aozameru was the first one to leave the classroom and I followed him. He was the first one to exit, not because it was a race or anything, but it was because the other students were too afraid and that they didn’t want to get in his way.

Aozameru walked ahead, ignoring and possibly forgetting about me already. Honestly, I’m sort of afraid that he’s mad at me for answering the math equation when the teacher was going to call him, and I sort of failed in the end anyways—but then again, I’m sure it was justified… not the part where I accidentally used the permanent marker, but the part where I went ahead to answer the equation myself before the teacher could call out for him. I was aware that it’s unfair how the teacher would always just call for Aozameru just because he looks how he looks, so I believe that I just revolted and retaliated just so that I can answer the question myself instead of waiting for the teacher to call for the inevitable outcome—

—all of the sudden a rush of adrenaline rushed within me which increased my courage to walk faster and approach Aozameru.

“…” Aozameru stopped walking in silence as he finally noticed and looked at me. Even though he looks like he wears the same scary-looking Ice-king glare all the time, I was sure as I sensed that he was flabbergasted to see me after having just forgotten about me. “Oh, you’re still here.”

All of the sudden I felt the rush of adrenaline dropped as I feel this wave of dejectedness wash over me. I already knew he sort of forgotten about me, but for some reason it hurts finding out about it myself, coming from him.

I held my head back high to tell him what I wanted to say.

“I had fun during summer classes today, by the way.” I asserted.

“…” still stunned about me standing in front of him and talking, he took a moment before he responded. “No, you didn’t.”

Ah… so he saw through that lie, huh?

“Well, at the very least it gave me something more to do than I was able to at home” I admitted.

 

 

Chapter 4: Natsumi stood up the ICE-King of Highschool.

 

 

I’ve been watching this television show for a while now, sticking around for the backstory and all, and it turns out that the backstory of the antagonist, Fushigi Hoshi, is that his mother had a past depicting a similar experience of paranoia as the main character, Shikoku Kachi did—which eventually led to the antagonist’s mother bringing her child to run away from his father when the child was at a very young age.

Since then, and acknowledging this. That child, growing up to be Viridescent Aoi, studied and grew up to be a professional psychiatrist. And it turns out that he just wanted to help the main character vanquish her anxiety in hopes of altering her fate and path from his mother’s.

“…………”

This show….. became really boring all of the sudden. I can’t believe I actually stuck around and spent almost a quarter of my summer vacation on—

“Hm…?”

Come to think of it… what time is it now?

I opened my phone for the first time since hours and I found out that the time is 5:30…

“In the morning? Or in the afternoon?” I thought out loud, asking myself before answering it shortly after. “It’s probably in the morning, right…? I mean, it felt like I was watching this television show all night.”

I opened the only curtain of the only window in my room only to fail to find answers to my question because I still couldn’t quite tell if the sun is rising or setting.

“What time did Aozameru said we’d meet up again…?”

I looked at the clock displaying the time on my phone a little bit closer…

 

[5:32pm]

 

“Ah, shit! I kept Aozameru waiting!!”

 

 

????       ????       ????

 

I switched out of my home clothes into casual, and I made a dash out through my room’s door. I then got my coat, bag, shoes, and permission from my parents before I left the house.

“I’m off!”

“Alright, take care. And you better be back here in TWO hours!”

“I will.”

It took me about twenty minutes to jog to the train station on foot. I boarded onto the train which departed at around ten minutes, then I arrived at the train station stop nearest to the park, and Aozameru’s home.

The time was 6: 27pm.

Back then he’d wait for me for an entire hour, though, that was circumstantial, and I met him earlier back then. I don’t think this is going to be one of those times since I’m late for more than an entire hour.

Aozameru told me to meet him at the train station nearest to his home by 5pm, and that we’ll probably be finished by 7pm.

I was an hour and thirty minutes late.

Would he really wait for me for that long when his plan is going to end soon?

I still could hardly believe that I unintentionally stood him up, the irascible ICE-King of Highschool of all people.

He must be furious!

“Huh?”

I didn’t recognize him until now, but isn’t that Aozameru? He looks like he’s still waiting for me after all this time.

I didn’t recognize him for a second there because of his get-up. He was wearing a yukata, leaning against a lone pillar supporting the roof and ceiling of the train station. He held what seemed to be a candy apple on his right hand, and a plastic bag filled with water on his left. And I noticed him wearing a mask of a certain snowman mascot at the top right of his head.

How could I have possibly expected that he’d dress like that…? and exactly what did he invite me to do with him?

I wouldn’t have recognized him if it weren’t for two details. First is his height since I’m always used to seeing him either at a distance, or looking up to his face when I’m talking to him up close. Now debatably, he could just be any other tall handsome Ikimen, which brings me to the second detail I noticed. His hair pigmented to white again and his entire body looks as stiff as a statue.

Is he feeling cold again? I wonder.

I mean, he’s weak against cold temperatures and he’s wearing a yukata outside. Even though it’s currently the summer season, he’s bound to feel cold breezes from all of the loose openings in the yukata, especially since it’s about to be the evening right now, as the sun had already set.

I approached the ICE-statue of Highschool that was leaning on the train station’s pillar before me.

“Hm?”

I looked at him starting up from the face, and it seems that even his expression had frozen up in place for some reason. So, I guess it’s good to know that I won’t be seeing him get really mad at me just yet, however, as I observed lower to his chin and neck, right above his chest and right below his collar bone, I noticed that he seems to be wearing extra clothing under his yukata. I looked closer and grabbed onto both of the sides of the collar of his clothes and yanked it open… and just as I surmised, he is indeed, wearing extra layers of clothing. And not just that, they look like two to three layers of warm clothing. I looked through the wide sleeves of his yukata only to find more sleeves under it.

And he’s still feeling cold after layering and layering his clothing like an onion…?

I stared up to his frozen face once more. I was getting kind of tired of him being all frozen like that. I mean, it almost felt as if he’s ignoring me when I, myself know that he’s not doing it intentionally or on purpose.

“Hah… well, it’s not like it’s the first time I’ve seen him freeze up like a statue… but I suppose that’s the reason why I’m getting tired of seeing him like this. It definitely got tiring after him freezing up like an ice sculpture for the third time.” I thought out loud.

Not gonna lie, I felt like pouting a little. I went all this way—even though I’m still late—only to find that the person whom invited me is participating in a lone game of statues.

For some reason, I felt a little mischievous. I felt the need to get his attention and tease and make fun of him and all that, though, I just can’t do that while he’s in the state where he won’t react at all.

I stood on my toes and leaned a little bit forward onto him so that I could gain just enough height to reach the other side of the candy apple he was closing to his mouth and….

I took a bite out of it, crunching its fruit and sweet, dried up, sugar coating.

“…………..”

Why does it taste cold at first bite…? I wondered as I kept chewing the candy apple in my mouth. It definitely tasted like it had been frozen or at least refrigerated before.

 I chewed the cold candy apple in my mouth, and it eventually didn’t feel as cold as it was when I first bit onto it.

But really, I didn’t expect that candy apple to be cold—

Wait a minute… is THAT why you’ve frozen up this entire time?!”

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

“Eh?”

Aozameru talked.

I looked up to his head once more and found that his hair turned back to black, staring at me with his cold, glaring blue eyes.

“Get off of me” He demanded, furrowing his eyebrows and glaring at me.

He stared at me.

I then looked, caught, and found myself still leaning my body onto his, while I’m still holding onto his yukata collars widely opening and revealing the extra clothing on his chest.

 I noticed that I was still standing on my toes and that I’m looking at his face on a closer and more personal distance than usual.

“I… I’m really sorry!!” I exclaimed, immediately getting off of him and bowing my head apologetically.

“…”

I noticed that his collar is still wide open, exposing his chest. So, I reached out my hands towards him once more with the intention of closing it back up, but he knocked my hands away with the cold candy apple so that he could fix his collar himself.

“You can have it.” He said, generously handing the cold candy apple to me. “Besides, you’ve already got your mouth mucus on it.”

How crude! And what? is he an elementary student afraid to get cooties??

………

Or is he perhaps avoiding an indirect kiss…?

He fixed the sleeves of his yukata, then he crossed his arms with this displeased look on his face before he began to interrogate me.

I noticed that the water-filled plastic bag—he was holding—contained a single gold fish.

“So, why exactly are you late?”

“…………”

Come to think of it, what’s the occasion? Why did he invite me here dressed up like he’s from some sort of traditional era?

“Answer me.” he demanded.

“Right!” I snapped myself back from being lost in thought.

……………

But what do I even say to him…? Won’t he get mad if I told him that I was late over watching a crappy television series…?

“Hm…? what time is it?” He asked as his glaring eyes start to wander off—dropping the conversation topic for a moment—in hopes to find a nearby watch to tell the time.

I opened my phone and told him the time displayed on the screen.

“It’s 6:37. Why?”

I think I should’ve apologized to him for being this late.

“Tsk! I’ve been frozen for an entire hour?” He exclaimed furiously shouting only a little bit.

You’ve been frozen for an hour?

So, he’s been frozen since 5:30 or something? Does time revolve differently for him when he’s all white-haired frozen up like that…?

“The last thing I remember…” he muttered, thinking to himself. But no matter how quiet he was I could hear him as clear as a summer day. “I took a bite out of the candy apple… and it was frozen-cold at the time. There were many bystanders…. And a few of them took pictures of me as if I were some sort of children’s mascot.”

“Must be rough…” I said, in attempt of consolation.

“Anyways, follow me.” He said, leading the way. “You might’ve missed the stalls and the festival and all, but at the very least, we could watch the fire works together.”

“Festival…? Fireworks…?” I repeated, thinking out loud. “Exactly what did you have in mind when you invited me here?” I finally asked.

“Hm…? well, I invited you in hopes that you’d accompany me to the summer festival of course. Only, you were late and you stood me up.”

Accompanying him to the summer festival…? Of course…?

“Didn’t you know about it?” He asked.

“What? No. If I did, I would’ve worn something that’d fit the occasion as well! You didn’t tell me about it and and I probably would’ve been looking forward to this so much if I had known in the first place!!”

“Hm? I didn’t tell you? Perhaps I had been too excited to go.”

Really? The ICE-King of Highschool… excited? I could almost hardly recognize him here and there. But then again, I suppose this hasn’t been the first time he acted so… out of character.

Is this what taking one bite out of a frozen candy apple—followed by standing as frozen as an Ice sculpture—does to him?

I guess in the end… Aozameru is a human after all, and that he’s able to express warm humanly emotions such as excitement.

“Of course, I can, you dumbass.”

“Eh?”

Ah shit, was I thinking out loud about that last part?

I covered my mouth with the both of my hands to prevent any more of my thoughts from spilling out of it.

Holy shit, that was embarrassing!!

“What? did you think of me as anything but a human before?” He demeaningly asked while fixing a stronger glare at me with his arms crossed and his eyebrows furrowed again.

I shook my head in supposed disagreement, indicating that my answer to his question is “No”.

“That’s what I thought.” He said turning around, putting the both of his arms down and leading the way for me to follow him to where he wants us to go.

My answer was sort of a half-lie though. I wonder how would he react if he knew the truth of what I actually thought of him…

 

????       ????       ????

 

I followed Aozameru as he was leading the way, and he led me back to the park again… except… I almost couldn’t recognize the place. It was different.

Bright lights, Yakisoba stalls, Takoyaki stalls, Chocolate bananas, candy apples, masks, firework toys, goldfish stalls and other game stalls. And we passed through all of them. Passing through all of these people as well.

I noticed that Aozameru’s walking pace started speeding up a little. He seems to be in a hurry. And since I’m the one who’s following him, I have to speed up my walking pace as well, which makes it look like the both of us are in a hurry and……

On second thought, that doesn’t seem to be far off, as a matter of fact, the both of us are indeed in a hurry if it weren’t for me being late and him being frozen for an entire hour.

“………”

And well, Aozameru did mention that he was excited…

He started walking in a faster and faster pace, widening the distance between him and I. And with all these people around, it can sort of make it easier for me to lose my sight of him in this crowd. Aozameru has long legs, so him speed walking may take less steps and effort than I have to when I try to match his pace. I have to catch up and slow him down somehow, or else I’ll end up like a lost orphan.

This is summer classes all over again. Walking through the hallway, and having people bump into me as if I were merely just Aozameru’s shadow.

Looking back on it, I decided that I had enough of that. I speed up my walking a little bit, I was almost running. I squeezed between through the crowds. I didn’t care if I were interrupting social groups or couples, all I knew is that I needed to catch up to Aozameru.

I was right on his tail. I was sure that I was on arm’s length. I reached out my hand for him… and as soon as I felt my fingertips felt fabric, I didn’t miss the opportunity to get a hold of it

I pinched his clothes and lightly tugged it twice. Eventually, he stopped walking, and I almost bumped into him.

I looked down at the ground, I didn’t want to look up to him, and in a way, my crowd-shyness finally caught up to me. Being near him gave me the feeling of some sort of security, and I… preferred it if it stayed that way.

“I know you’re excited to watch the fireworks and all, but can you please walk slower?” I pleaded. “I don’t want to get separated from you in this crowd of people I don’t know.”

I didn’t know how Aozameru’s face looked like at the time, but I was sure that he paid attention at me and what I told him.

He definitely heard what I said. He began walking but at a slower pace than he was a moment ago.

Even if he didn’t reply to me, I’m glad he responded in his own way.

It makes me glad to know that he listens to me.

 

????       ????       ????

 

I didn’t really pay attention to how exactly we got there, but before I knew it, we arrived at the spot Aozameru wanted to go. That was when I finally began to raise my head a little bit, and I… found that the both of us were atop of a lone hill.

“How much time do we have left?” Aozameru asked, thinking about the schedule of the firework show.

“That depends, what time were they supposed to fire the fireworks…?” I asked, oblivious to his schedule.

“6:45.” He promptly answered.

I opened my phone to check its displayed time. Come to think of it, didn’t Aozameru bring his phone…?

“It’s… 7:05. And I’m supposed to be home by 7:30.”

“Is that so…?  I see…” he said, suspiciously sounding dejected.

It seems that the firework show is also late… or…

“Do you think they’ll still do the firework show…?” I asked.

“………”

He didn’t respond but he seemed to be waiting patiently for it.

“Maybe it’s worth the wait.” I added, waiting patiently beside him.

The both of us stared at the dark sky, not a single star lit up that night besides the bright moon. It would really be nice to see the sky be filled with bright colors. I’m not sure when was the last time I’ve seen fireworks. And even back then I don’t think I just leisurely watched and observed it enough to preserve it in my memory.

After a while, I looked up to his face……… just to make sure that he’s not just freezing up again from the breeze passing by. And I noticed that he oddly looked contented for someone who always glares.

It’s almost as if…… wait is it just me or is he ACTUALLY smiling for once?!

I honestly could hardly remember if I’ve seen him smile so contentedly in the past, but if it’s the first time I’ve noticed it, then I have to make sure I burn this image in my mind. Though, my self-doubt is thinking otherwise, saying that no matter how long I stare at his face without him noticing, and no matter how I trust myself when it comes to identifying that that is indeed Aozameru smiling then…… it might just be my imagination.

I sighed.

“But then again… well… you know what they say.”

“Hm? No…? what do they say?”

“The nicest smiles often come from those who don’t smile often. Y’know, it just gives off that element of surprise when

“…”

“…

“What the hell are you going on about?”

Wait, what AM I going on about…? At one point I was thinking to myself, then another, I started blurting whatever’s on my mind all of the sudden, not noticing that I unintentionally started a random conversation with Aozameru out of the moment of silence.

That smile of his which became a blurry burnt image in my head—disappeared. His facial expression then transitioned to puzzlement, confused as to what the hell I was talking about, and trying to figure out what the hell I was talking about at the same time.

“I suppose that’s true… but there are definitely parts I don’t agree with when it comes to that saying.”

Eh…? He’s actually going along with this impromptu conversation?

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“Smiling is a crucial part in our lives. As it expresses when one is happy or enjoying themselves.” He elaborated. Which is ironic for me that he’s talking about this. Aozameru, the Ice-King of Highschool, whom rarely smiles and looks like he’s either shy or that he hates smiling. “Have you heard of a study that shows how not smiling can exercise the face muscles?” He added, asking me.

“No…?”

“Well, I don’t agree with that either. I believe that smiling is a facial exercise on its own. I mean, it’s such a goddamn sore when I smile for long periods of time, especially if there’s nothing in particular that I’m happy about.”

“I… I guess that’s true. the part about smiling making your face muscles sore, I mean.”

…on second thought, what even is his point…? Trying to connect the dots from what he just responded to what I said, it just makes me think that he just dragged my impromptu conversation off rails and started blabbering about whatever the hell is on his mind as well.

“That being said…”

“Heh?”

It was all of the sudden again, but Aozameru moved his face closer to mine, and he just stared at me, darting his eyes all over my facial features, observing, identifying, or even trying to find something there.

I sort of couldn’t help myself but make some sort of small awkward smile out of nervousness.

I jumped a little as he caught me by surprise by delicately stroking my chin with his right hand.

“I’ve observed that you’re a person who likes to smile often… and yet your smile is the nicest one I’ve ever seen. Don’t you think that just doesn’t correspond accurately well with that ‘saying’ you just mentioned?”

The entire time Aozameru asked me that, his face was so close to mine as his glaring sapphire-like eyes pierce right through mine.

“I… I guess so…!” I answered, exclaiming a little bit at the end.

Ah shit… I’m not sure how much of that my heart could handle. I immediately turned around out of some sort of nervous outburst. I broke eye contact with him, I moved a little further from him, and he let go of me.

We visited the summer festival… and the summer season is supposed to be all nice and warm, but it eventually it sort of turned into a cold evening right about now.

After turning away from him, I felt so nervous I felt like I’m starting to sweat bullets, and yet… as I’m checking how much I’m perspiring from my face, it turns out that I’m not and that being nervous was just all in my head. And no matter how much I acknowledge that it’s just my imagination, I can’t help but think Is this normal? Should I go see a doctor?

I turned around because I also didn’t want to show Aozameru exactly how embarrassed I felt like I was starting to look to him. I wanted to get away from him for just even a moment so that I could gather my composure again.

I raised my arms and shoulders a little. Then I placed the both of my palms on my face, shaking my head a little.

For some reason it felt as if I started dreaming and that I sort of felt the need to wake myself up.

I took a deep breath before I was ready to face Aozameru.

“Well, other than the main conversation topic at hand, I suppose in general, what I’m trying to tell you is that…”

A loud popping sound was heard from a distance that sort of cut Aozameru off from continuing what he wanted to say. Following the loud popping sound were bright lights.

I turned around and found Aozameru, standing there with his mouth open and moving as if he was talking, but I couldn’t quite hear what he was saying. A string of lights shot from the ground up from the night sky behind Aozameru.

“————, ————pretty.” Is just about the words I could hear from him at the time.

Eventually, Aozameru quickly noticed the firework show starting behind him as well. The both of us began watching the fireworks show, almost forgetting what we were just talking about.

“The fireworks are very pretty, right?” I asked Aozameru as he was leisurely watching the firework show with me.

“………” he didn’t respond back. it seems that he’s too moony over the bright spontaneous combusting lights in the night sky. At first the fireworks varied from colors and all sorts of shapes. It went from just yellow, orange and white to blue, red and green. It went to take the form of generic firework circle bursts different shapes such as triangles and squares and other sizes.

I was almost sure that the both of us didn’t even sneak at least a single glance at each other as the both of us were so absorbed into the attracting firework lights. I mean, of course! How couldn’t we help ourselves? It’s the main attraction of the summer festival after all.

However, I suppose we still did make small idle talks to each other. That was one thing the fireworks couldn’t distract us enough from.

“So, do you actually practice smiling?” Aozameru randomly asked me for some reason.

Why…? He did he want to know the secret to why he thinks my smile is the nicest one he’s seen…?

Y’know, I heard from Yuuta that she smiles whenever she’s drawing a smiling character just to get a feel for it.

“I don’t do that at all.” I answered.

“Hm…? is that so…?”

“Since the summer break started, I didn’t have any unfinished homework to do over it. And it was hot outside, so I mostly spent my time watching this crappy television show. I could sort of hardly smile at all at the time unless something funny or nice happened.”

“Hm… if you don’t smile often at home, then maybe I could agree to that ‘saying’ you mentioned even if it’s just for a little amount of extent.” Aozameru… oddly elaborated. “But if going out like this with you is what it takes for you to smile often, then maybe we should do it again sometime.”

“Huh? is that so…?”

So, does that mean the Ice-King of Highschool cares about my happiness?

Looking back on it, Aozameru was enthusiastic for his revenge on summer school. The warm season should’ve worked to his favor since he’s weak against the cold. And he mentioned about being excited for the summer festival. I was late to his invitation, but he didn’t seem to be as pissed and furious as I expected him to be, as a matter of fact, I saw him smile contently for the first time because of it.

I’ve seen his weakness against the winter season.

I’ve seen how he’s calm towards the spring season.

And as for the summer season… it sounds like he spent his time quite enjoyable.

It turns out that—

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Ice-King of Highschool is delighted during the Summer Season.

“What the hell is that filthy mutt doing here?” Aozameru reacted all of the sudden. Casually spewing out all sorts of random words and profanities.

I sighed.

“Why? Is it not allowed to be here? Maybe it’s here to watch the fireworks show too—… holy shit, wait, that dog is actually sort of cute.”

I turned my gaze to find out what Aozameru is ranting about this time. And it turns out that there’s a shiba inu wearing a summer festival mask at the side of its head.

“Do you recognize this pooch?” I asked him, as I approached the dog and crouched down to gently pat it on the head.

“What makes you ask that? And what kind of person says ‘pooch’ in this day and age?”

“Well, I didn’t think you would rant about the dog, or any animal really—unless you particularly hate dogs or if you actually recognize this one.”

“…I saw the filthy mutt while I was strolling around the festival stalls when you were busy being late. It was wearing a yukata, though, maybe it felt uncomfortable and they had to remove it from him.”

“………”

“………”

 Who says ‘filthy mutt’ in this day and age?

 

I stood up straight from crouching and patted my lap to dust off any fur that might’ve caught onto my pants.

 

Then I faced Aozameru.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Let’s definitely go to the summer festival together next summer season, okay?”

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