The Ice Boy Arrives

Neo could not believe what he saw. This 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 began to connect the dots, realizing that the boy had managed to open the room on his own, and that the name "Len" made perfect sense. Neo relaxed about a possible threat. After all, the boy was his roommate.

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

When he woke up the next day, he didn't even remember what had happened the day before. He followed his routine as usual, showering and getting ready for school.

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

Despite searching the small room, he couldn't find him anywhere. Where could he have gone? Would he be late for school? And how could this boy miss so many days? Could he have been in some kind of trouble for missing so many days?

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

Hoshi's school had a lot of stairs, but fortunately there was an elevator to use in situations like this.

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

There was a crowd and in the middle of 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 as well, radiating a cold and serene appearance.

Neo struggled to make his way to the back of the room on his crutches. The crowd seemed ready to swallow Len whole when a distant shout caught 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 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 replied.

"I missed you too."

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

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

"Are you being nice to a boy? I thought you only liked girls."

"Hey! You...!"

Len stood up, preventing Sunny from saying 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 frightening you yesterday. I was really tired and couldn't talk to you properly."

Neo found the boy's behavior strange.

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

The boy extended his hand to Neo and tried to shake his hand. But Neo's eyes were fixed on something or someone else.

Len was alarmed, thinking he might be looking at Sunny. But it couldn't be, 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 his trip, walked over to where the two of them were.

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

"I sprained it during training."

"How?"

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

"I wasn't feeling well and stumbled."

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

"Have you been studying a lot?"

Neo sighed as if to release his frustration.

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

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

"If you want, we can study together."

"Really?"

She nodded in agreement.

"Thank you."

During the break, they met in the library. Before they started studying, Saya brought the school newspaper.

"Did you see our pictures?"

"No."

She looked annoyed. "Why not?"

"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 paper, and he lost himself in memories of the night they had danced. The photo had turned out so well.

"You look so beautiful."

She blushed and Neo was embarrassed too.

"Let's... study..." She said as she pulled a notebook out of her bag, trying to change the subject.

"Yes, studying..."

"Which class is the hardest for you?"

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

"English."

"Seriously? That's the easiest."

"Then teach me, oh great sage," Neo said indignantly.

"It's not that difficult," Saya said, laughing.

After a while, Neo became curious. "And you?"

"What?"

"What class are you having trouble with?"

"Math."

"Really? That's the easiest one."

"Then teach me, oh great sage," Saya said, laughing.

"Okay, you got me."

They enjoyed each other's company while Len and Sunny watched them. Len was especially 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 field to watch the baseball team practice. It was the least he could do in his current condition. He sent out positive energy to everyone.

Returning to the dorm, he opened the door to his room 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 room as him. But Neo didn't mind. He put his things in a corner, brushed his teeth, got ready and lay down to sleep.

"How do you feel about Sunny's boyfriend, Neo?" Len asked, concentrating on his book, but he seemed curious.

Neo lay down and tried 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 replied:

"This is none of your business."

"Indeed it isn't."

There was silence between them.

"Let me sleep. You were tired yesterday, and I let you sleep without disturbing you. I don't think it's fair for you to bother me now."

"Right, I'll give you that rest. Sleep well."