INT- GREEN HOUSE
Silence.
The kind that presses into your ears.
I didn't even dare to breathe.
Ice was still standing there, the gun at his side.
The light had dimmed. The sun outside bled orange through the glass.
Bang.
"HOLY—! That's not safe!" I yelped.
He'd thrown the gun to the floor like it was nothing!
I was about to yell at him again when he suddenly dropped.
Collapsed.
Right in front of me.
The next part—I'm not even sure how we got here.
He was in front of me, so close, yet I couldn't see his face.
His head was lowered, leaning toward my shoulder, but I didn't feel any weight.
It was like he was trying to hide his face—
The same face I was too scared to even look at just minutes ago.
"I—" he muttered.
I was just staring at his back.
"That was my limit," he said.
I wasn't even sure what he meant.
"I tried my best, but just a little bit more and I'll—I won't be..."
Then I saw his fist.
He was clenching it so hard. Like he was trying to hold himself together.
Could it be... he was saying he wanted to just go berserk on them?
Knowing Ice's temper, that's not even a stretch.
From breaking the rule that this area's off-limits, to completely tearing up the school rulebook—
I'm pretty sure this was him showing mercy.
I just remembered nagging him to be a little bit kinder the other day.
"You did well," I whispered.
His body flinched.
Then slowly, he pulled back, glaring at me like I had done something wrong.
"You're not in the position to say that," he said coldly. "Look at you."
Look at me?
I blinked.
Wait...
Now that I really think about it—
My arms sting,
My legs ache,
And my scalp still burns where they yanked my hair.
My whole body hurts.
My hair's a total mess—cut like some toddler went wild with safety scissors.
My face is probably red, blotchy, and absolutely not cute.
Was it always this bad?
I didn't even notice.
He looked away, like he was the one who did something wrong.
Muttered something under his breath—low, tense, angry.
Something about... "paying"?
And just for a second—
I swear I saw a version of him that was even scarier.
Only for a blink.
But it was there.
EXT- CAMPUS GROUND
Sitting on one of the benches where they usually ate takeout, Oriel stared into the cold night. The air had that deep, quiet chill—like even the wind didn't want to speak lately. It felt colder than usual. She zipped up her jacket, then turned at the sound of approaching footsteps.
"Finally!" she protested as Dhylan appeared. "I'm freezing out here!"
Dhylan sat down beside her and started unpacking the contents of a paper bag—four containers, each still warm. Steam rose from a light soup, accompanied by slices of bread, boiled eggs, and a wedge of cheese.
"I've got news!" he announced cheerfully, like he'd just brought her a treasure.
But as always, the reaction was the same. Oriel reached out, pinched the skin under his eye, and tugged until he yelped.
"I told you—" she narrowed her eyes, "to buy dinner. Not bring gossip."
"Ow—ow! Okay! But this one's good!" Dhylan waved his hands dramatically, trying to defend himself. "It's about Ice's gun!"
Just like that, Oriel froze. Her hand let go as she looked at him, brow raised.
"Yes! They say the rumor was true!" he nodded enthusiastically, like the movement could somehow convince her.
"Huh? How would they even know that?" she asked, pulling out the cutlery from the bag.
"Some people saw it with their own eyes!" he said, leaning closer like they were trading secrets. "And get this—apparently the University knew about it."
"That's impossible." Oriel frowned. Logic kicked in, and Dhylan could tell she wasn't buying it.
"Well—okay, maybe that part's a stretch. But the real news is Ice is kicking people out again."
"What?!"
"I think it was eight people. Or maybe nine?"
"Get your story straight."
"It just happened, so I don't know the full details yet."
"You can't just kick people out of this university," she argued. "These students are big-time—rich, powerful. That's not how it works."
"But it's Ice," Dhylan said, munching on a piece of bread with cheese. "We've seen him do it before."
Oriel sighed. She couldn't deny that. It was strange from the beginning.
"I still don't get how he pulls it off." As a scholar student, being around the elite always made her nervous. Most students here came from families that could bend rules.
Ice's background wasn't a secret either—wealthy, sure, but not powerful. Just enough to be here. But not enough to command fear like that.
How did he manage it?
Her thoughts swirled, curiosity flaring—but she didn't act on it. Not yet.
Instead, she focused on what mattered now. "We really need to tell Fire to stay away from him," she said, blowing softly on the soup before sipping.
"My Ori," Dhylan said gently, "I told you—let her be."
Of course he'd say that.
But she didn't care. She was going to talk to Fire tomorrow.
"Hey," Dhylan said more seriously this time, his eyes steady and voice calm. "Fire will be fine."
Then he smiled—genuine, reassuring.
Ugh. She hated that.
Hated how much she believed him whenever he got like this.
How could she resist?
Oriel sighed and nodded like a sulking child… then finally started eating.