The two-week long winter vacation had passed by in a blink of an eye; today was the final day of holidays. The opening ceremony for the third academic semester awaited the students tomorrow.
Time seemed to flow rapidly from Asahi’s perspective, and the upcoming ceremony only served to cement this sentiment.
Generally, his previous winter vacations had consisted of him adopting an easy going lifestyle and loafing around at his house. This year had been more hectic than usual in comparison—perhaps too hectic. There had been several events in the week spanning between Christmas and New Year’s.
Still had a great time regardless, Asahi thought as he recollected the cherished memories he’d made. He couldn’t help but note that Fuyuka had been present in each one without fail. “You really ended up coming here everyday.”
“Yes. Thanks to that, I don’t feel bad about my cooking skills anymore,” Fuyuka said.
“Good. You shouldn’t,” he replied after a pause.
“Why did you hesitate when you said that?”
“No reason. I genuinely think you’ve gotten better at it.”
“Hmm... I thought you were about to tease me again.”
“Damn, I don’t remember being so ruthless that it made you skeptical.”
Fuyuka had shown some incredible improvement in her skills recently. She’d even reached a level where she could comfortably cook for herself. Although more elaborate dishes still posed a challenge, she didn’t break a sweat preparing single dishes or simple snacks. She had been fastidious, practicing whenever she had her free time at her apartment. Asahi could only assume that his mother had been supporting her behind the scenes, though he hadn’t verified.
Toko wasn’t the only new addition to Fuyuka’s contact list—the “Obnoxious Couple” had taken up two additional spots. From what Asahi could collect, she messaged them regularly. In fact, he’d often see Fuyuka tinkering with her phone after they’d eaten a meal together.
Normally, she wore a smile and enjoyed the interactions. Today, however, was different. Fuyuka—who occupied her now-regular spot at the edge of the sofa—typed and swiped away with awkward movements.
“Aoba tells me she’s only finished half of her homework,” Fuyuka said.
“Still has her work cut out for her. Chiaki told me he’d be pulling an all nighter to finish it.”
“Is there a chance we could show them our answers?”
“Nooope.”
“I figured you’d say that.”
Chiaki and Hinami must be scrambling to get done right about now, Asahi mused. They were the type of students who put off their homework up until the last possible second. I know Fuyuka wants to help those two procrastinating idiots, but they don’t deserve any sympathy. They brought it on themselves. It’s a shame, too—they’re both smart, but they never study. We shouldn’t cave in. It’s for their sake, too.
Contrary to the “Obnoxious Couple,” Asahi and Fuyuka were the kind of students who stuck to their strictly-planned study schedule. In the end, they were rewarded with ample time for relaxation. Fuyuka had suggested they work on their homework together. As a result, they’d completed it all before the shrine trip.
They’d just finished enjoying a meal and washing the dishes. The two of them were free to laze about as they pleased.
“Oh yeah, I noticed you still call Chiaki and Hinami by their last names.”
“I’m not comfortable enough to use their first names yet.”
“Why not? They’ll still be your friends even after the fact,” Asahi assured her.
Fuyuka responded with a faint nod. There was once a time when she regarded calling people by their first names as proof of their friendship. Nowadays, however, she focused on creating relationships without necessitating any proof whatsoever.
That’s a pretty huge step for her, honestly.
“I’m going to try my best to socialize with people this semester,” Fuyuka declared, her eyes sparkling fiercely with determination. Glints of anxiety and nervousness flickered across them occasionally, but they were far outweighed by her expectations and hope for the future.
Maybe meeting the rowdy bunch was a push in the right direction.
If Fuyuka was given enough time to adapt and use her own methods to work toward getting closer to people, the girl once known as “The Ice Queen” would surely break out of her frosty shell and find popularity amongst her colleagues.
It would mean that a large number of students would finally get to know Fuyuka for her real personality—something only Asahi had access to until now. This would, in turn, propel her to connect with others on a deeper level.
This was exactly what Asahi had wished for from the beginning... And yet, for reasons he couldn’t quite comprehend, the mere thought of her surrounded by so many of her classmates stirred a slight unease within his heart.
Why do I feel sorta bothered by it? Asahi questioned himself. “So are you gonna revert back to calling me with my surname again?”
“Wha—?”
“I’m fine if you wanna keep using my first name, just that it’ll stand out if you keep it up...”
“I-I’d like to keep things between us the way they are!” she protested loudly.
Guess she’s a bit embarrassed to go back to being so formal after so much time, he concluded. “All right, we’ll do as you say.”
Fuyuka elected to maintain the status quo moving forward. And while Asahi had no means to know exactly how many people Fuyuka would befriend when the new semester kicked off, he could relish this moment of time—no matter how brief it might’ve been—where he was the sole person Fuyuka referred to by name.
“I’m going to give it my hardest, Asahi. I promise,” Fuyuka said with a grin.
“Mhmm. Just know that I support you.”
His cliché reply was muttered in the same wonted indifference his mother used. Despite his feigned calm disposition, Asahi was shaken on the inside. He’d grown accustomed to being called by his name. Nonetheless, it still dispensed a unique tumult of emotion in his bosom; one that was much different to when she’d first addressed him as “Asahi.”
✦ ✦ ✦
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“Huh, she left her phone behind. That’s unusual,” Asahi noted to himself.
He’d just shown Fuyuka to the door before noticing her phone on the table in the living room. He figured that pulling out her phone was such a rare action for her that she’d simply forgotten to take it home with her.
She was surprisingly careless underneath the mature attitude she struck—yet another new aspect about her personality that he’d just discovered.
Oh well, this is a pretty expensive model, so it’d be best to get it back to her ASAP.
Asahi sighed and extended his hand to grab the phone. The motion woke it up and caused it to display the wallpaper: a photo of Fuyuka from her childhood days.
“Is that...?” he mumbled as he inspected the screen.
The girl in the photo was relatively shorter and more youthful compared to the current counterpart. Her expression was practically illuminated with joy. She bore such a dazzling grin that it seemed inconceivable that this was the Fuyuka he knew now, “Ice Queen” or otherwise.
There were two other people standing with her in the photo.
It was easy to infer that the woman—with her lovely long, black hair and sculpturesque, refined features—was her mother. Her soft smile was the picture-perfect definition of a cool, mature beauty.
Wonder if that’s how Fuyuka’s gonna look like in a few years.
The other figure was a tall, thin man in a suit. Even at first glance, Asahi could tell he was the uptight type. The man’s face was utterly expressionless; not even the faintest trace of a smile could be seen on his visage. Asahi felt slightly intimidated.
It wasn’t particularly hard to gather that it was a photo of the Himuro family together. Yet something stood out to Asahi—the man pictured felt somehow... off. And as if to solidify this feeling, Asahi noted that the man didn’t resemble Fuyuka in the slightest. It was as if he was an outright stranger.
The intercom buzzed for the second time that day, interrupting Asahi’s thoughts. He had an idea about who this unexpected guest might be. Sure enough, Fuyuka stood outside, visibly flustered.
“Looking for this, right?” he teased.
“Yes, thank you. I’d completely forgotten it,” she said.
“You’re fine since it was at my place, but you’d better be more careful when you take it out elsewhere. Okay?” he scolded.
“I will. Well then, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“Mhmm, catch you later.”
He sent her off and closed the door behind him. Fuyuka, whose hair fluttered in the playful breeze of the evening wind, seemed uncannily similar to the woman he’d seen on her phone’s wallpaper. The smile she’d just given him before she’d returned to her apartment, however, matched her childish, innocent expression from back then.
Nevertheless, Asahi couldn’t fathom the identity of the tall man in the photo or his relation to Fuyuka. The only thing for certain was that a melancholic shade of anxiety clouded her face whenever she brought up her family. Asahi was—unbeknownst to himself—edging closer to discovering the confined intricacies of Fuyuka’s past and what had driven her to becoming “The Ice Queen” in the first place.