The Arrival of the Icy Boy

Neo couldn't believe what he was seeing. That scene had been very strange. A boy he had never seen before suddenly entered the room, introduced himself, and then went to sleep? What was going on? 

Gradually, he started connecting the dots when he realized that the boy had managed to open the room by himself, and the name "Len" made total sense. Neo relaxed regarding a potential threat. After all, that boy was his roommate.

In search of answers, he looked at the sleeping boy, but he realized it wouldn't help to stand there like a creepy guy. It would be wiser to ask the questions he had the next day. Besides, he was quite tired himself despite the fright, so he put the crutch aside and went back to sleep.

The next day, when he woke up, he didn't even remember what had happened the day before. He was following his routine as usual, taking a shower and getting ready for school. 

Once he was dressed, his attention turned to the suitcase next to the bunk, and he remembered the boy. 

Despite searching everywhere in that small space, he couldn't find him anywhere. Where could he have gone? Would he be late for school? And how could that boy miss so many days? Could he have been facing some problems due to so many days of absence?

Neo spent so much time pondering that he almost lost track of time. Since his injured foot prevented him from running, it made things even more difficult. 

Hoshi School had a lot of stairs, but fortunately, there was an elevator to use in these situations.

Before Neo reached the classroom, he could hear commotion coming from inside. It piqued his curiosity. 

There was a crowd, and amidst it, he recognized someone. It was the boy who had appeared out of nowhere the other day. 

It seemed that everyone was excited about his presence, and unlike the restlessness of everyone else, the boy remained calm and tried to calm the others too, exuding a cold and serene appearance.

Neo made his way to the back of the room with difficulty, using the crutches. The crowd seemed like it would swallow Len, when a shout from afar drew everyone's attention.

"LENNN!!"

It was Sunny, who seemed the strangest to Neo for being so animated. She made her way through the crowd and hugged the boy.

"Sunny, I'm back from my trip," Len said, smiling. "As fiery as ever, my flame."

"All of this to melt your icy heart," she replied affectionately.

"I wonder what I'd be without you to warm me every day. I really missed you," he responded.

"I missed you too."

Neo observed this with curiosity because he had never seen Sunny act so affectionately. It seemed like she didn't care about anyone except Saya, but it showed that there was someone she cared about after all.

The crowd dispersed, and Neo continued to watch the two with curiosity, which bothered Sunny. "What are you looking at, you nosy guy?"

"You being nice to a boy? I was starting to think you only liked girls."

"Hey! You...!"

Len stood up, preventing Sunny from saying anything more. He walked over to where Neo was and stood in front of him.

"What? It's a joke," Neo said, annoyed by the boy's presence.

"I apologize for scaring you yesterday. I was genuinely tired and couldn't talk to you properly."

Neo found that behavior of the boy strange.

"It's okay. You're apparently my roommate, I get it," Neo said, disinterested, trying to dismiss Len.

The boy extended his hand to Neo, attempting to shake hands. However, Neo's eyes were fixed on something or someone else.

Len was alarmed, thinking he might be looking at Sunny. But that couldn't be it, it had to be someone else, someone new. When he turned around, he saw that Sunny's best friend, Saya, had arrived, and it was her that Neo was looking at.

Saya, realizing that Len had returned from the trip, went to where the two were.

"Len, you're back. Welcome!" Len waved to her, but before he could respond, she asked, "Neo, what happened to your leg?"

"I sprained it during practice."

"How?"

Neo didn't want to talk too much about the circumstances that led to what happened, so he tried to keep it brief.

"I wasn't feeling well and ended up tripping."

With the few clues she was given, Saya managed to piece together part of the puzzle.

"Have you been studying a lot?"

Neo sighed as if he was releasing his frustration.

"It's been a bit tough; there are some parts I can't understand."

Saya felt sad at the response and imagined it was painful for him.

"If you want, we can study together."

"Really?"

She nodded in agreement.

"Thank you."

During the break, they met at the library. Before they began studying, Saya brought the school newspaper.

"Did you see our pictures?"

"No."

She looked annoyed. "How come?"

"I didn't have time."

She smiled in relief.

"That makes sense. Look, I brought it here. If you want a copy for yourself, just talk to the journalism club."

She showed him the newspaper, and he immersed himself in memories of the night they had danced. The photo had turned out so well.

"You look so beautiful."

She blushed, and Neo also became embarrassed.

"Let's... study..." She said while pulling a notebook from her bag, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, study..."

"Which class are you finding most difficult?"

The answer was so obvious for Neo that it seemed...

"English."

"Seriously? That's the easiest one."

"Teach me then, oh great sage," Neo said indignantly.

"It's not that big of a deal," Saya said while laughing.

After a while, Neo got curious about something. "And you?"

"What?"

"Which class are you struggling with?"

"Math."

"Seriously? That's the easiest one."

"Teach me then, oh great sage," Saya said, laughing.

"Okay, you got me."

They were having a lot of fun with each other's company, while Len and Sunny observed them. Len was particularly curious.

"How long has this been going on?" he asked.

"For a while. When I came back, they were like this," Sunny replied.

After class, Neo went to the courts to watch the baseball team practice. It was the least he could do in his current state. He sent positive energy to everyone.

Returning to the dorm, he opened the room door and was startled to find Len sitting on the couch reading a book. He hadn't quite gotten used to the idea of having another person in the same space as him. However, Neo didn't mind him. He put his things in a corner, brushed his teeth, got ready, and lay down to sleep.

"What do you feel for Sunny's friend, Neo?" Len asked, focused on his book, but he seemed curious.

Neo was lying down, trying to sleep, but he managed to hear what he had asked. He decided to ignore it.

"I know you're listening, and I also saw the way you looked at her."

Without much choice, Neo responded:

"That's none of your business."

"Indeed, it's not."

There was silence between them.

"Let me sleep. Yesterday, you were tired, and I let you sleep without bothering you. I don't think it's fair for you to bug me now."

"True, I'll give you that peace. Sleep well."