Ice didn't show up all day. When I asked Oriel about it, she just shrugged and said it was probably a Student Council meeting. After all, University Foundation Day was coming up.
But he did have time to give me a violation notice this morning!
I crossed my arms as I stomped down the same hallway where he'd scolded me like a criminal. His stern voice echoed in my head, and my cheeks burned with frustration. I have to find him and get that slip back!
I didn't even know exactly where the Student Council office was. Oriel had said, kind of vaguely, "somewhere south," near the bigger buildings with more kitchen laboratories. Apparently, that's where the upperclassmen trained. They even wore different uniforms—so professional, they looked like real chefs.
I couldn't wait to wear that uniform someday.
Just thinking about it made my heart flutter with excitement.
...If I even survive a semester of Ice's mood swings.
I sighed dramatically. Why is he always so grumpy? He needs a girlfriend. Someone to melt all that ice in his veins.
I pouted. "What if I made him fall in love with me?" I muttered to myself, half-joking.
But then I imagined it—him falling for me, me pretending it was a game... and then the truth comes out. He finds out it was all just a bet. And I'm left—shattered.
I giggled. It sounded like something straight out of the romance novel I just finished.
Ice was cute, sure. But not that cute. Especially not when he yelled at me to stop running in the hallway. I was almost late—of course I had to run!
And seriously, why doesn't my charm work on him?
I pouted again, thinking about how often just one smile had worked wonders in the past.
—
"I'm really sorry, Manja! The traffic was horrible!" I'd said once, hands pressed together in apology. I'd just overslept.
"Please, sir! I left my wallet inside," I'd begged the gym security guard after I forgot it again.
"Could I get a small discount? Pretty please?" I'd asked with a sweet smile during auditions.
It usually worked. It always worked. Just a flash of a smile, and people melted.
But not him.
Never him.
I huffed, remembering the way he'd looked at me on the first day—like I was a nuisance. That cold, irritated stare had never changed.
Though... occasionally, he was kind. Just a little.
—
Lost in thought, I barely noticed where I was going. When I blinked back to the present, I realized I'd wandered all the way to the far end of the southern hallway—the quietest part of campus.
"Eh?" I looked around. I hadn't even looked for the Student Council office like I was supposed to.
Determined to try again, I turned around—then froze.
Something in the corner of my eye caught my attention.
A greenhouse?
I stopped and turned back. I'd never seen this part of the campus before.
Curiosity tugged at me. Before I knew it, my feet were already moving toward the large glass dome tucked behind the paved path. The air here felt... different. Calmer. Almost magical.
What if there's a serial killer inside? I paused.
Then laughed at myself. No way.
"I'll just take a peek. Just a peek!"
The door wasn't locked. I pushed it open, and the warm, golden light of afternoon spilled in like honey through the transparent walls.
My breath caught.
It was like walking into another world.
Lush greenery filled every inch—ferns, orchids, flowering vines in every direction, bursting with color against the backdrop of deep green. A small fountain sat silent in the center, and the paths were clean, almost pristine.
From the ceiling, delicate orchids hung like living chandeliers, swaying gently in the breeze. The greenhouse wasn't just beautiful—it was alive.
In the farthest corner stood a massive tree, so tall it pierced through the roof. Its ancient branches stretched like arms reaching for the sky. They must have built the greenhouse around it.
It looked... enchanted.
My heart raced. I jogged toward it, unable to resist.
This is just like that drama I watched, I thought. Maybe there's a vampire sealed inside. Or some monster, frozen in time.
I reached the tree's base, panting slightly, eyes wide.
And there—leaning against the trunk, eyes closed, his face bathed in soft sunlight—was Ice.
I gasped.
All the sharp edges were gone. Bathed in golden light, he looked calm... peaceful... almost angelic.
"...Ice?" I whispered.
I hadn't realized it before.
Some people are just better when they're asleep.