If last night, Yamada Ryo had dropped a bomb on Kita Ikuyo just before she went to bed—
Then today, Minami had taken advantage of her weakened defenses and dropped an atomic bomb on her.
Her mind was completely occupied with Minami's words.
Even as she made her way ho, washed up, and lay down in bed, she still couldn't stop thinking about what he had said.
"Ahhhhh! What the hell am I supposed to do?!"
She clutched her soft red hair in frustration, ssing it up into a tangled ss before finally stopping.
Kita Ikuyo had absolutely no idea what to do next.
"Maybe I should just not go tomorrow!"
Burying her face into her pillow, she mumbled to herself.
Yeah.
She could just not go.
She could call Minami and tell him outright.
That would put an end to this whole ss.
But—
"Why did Minami-senpai have to be so evil and say he'd wait there no matter what?!"
Kita Ikuyo was going crazy.
Even if she told him she wasn't coming, he'd still wait—wasn't that just forcing her to show up?!
This was a trap.
A sharp sword placed right against her neck, leaving her completely cornered.
Of course, there was still one way out.
She could just not go.
Let Minami stand there at Shimokitazawa Station all by himself, waiting in vain.
That would be the simplest and most effective solution.
But...
"It's winter right now."
Kita Ikuyo, who had been tossing and turning in bed, suddenly froze.
She stared at the ceiling.
Tokyo winters were cold.
She had specifically checked the weather forecast.
There was even a chance of light snow tomorrow.
With that kind of weather, just standing outside would be pure torture...
If Minami really did wait for her at the station entrance the entire ti...
The red-haired girl fell silent.
If he actually waited...
Even with his strong constitution, he'd probably still end up getting sick, right?
No, no, no, no—
She shook her head furiously, muttering to herself in disbelief, "Minami-senpai wouldn't actually be that stupid, right?"
Yeah.
Who in their right mind would willingly stand out in the snow, knowing full well what the weather would be like?
What kind of idiot would do sothing like that?
It was impossible—
But...
But what if he really does?
Hesitation.
Frustration.
A whirlwind of emotions surged through her mind once again.
Kita Ikuyo tossed and turned in bed.
Tonight—
For her—
Was destined to be a sleepless night.
The Next Morning—
"It's snowing."
After bringing all his clothes inside, Minami looked up at the sky.
Setting aside all the scripted scenarios running through his mind—
This was probably Tokyo's first snowfall of the year.
As he continued organizing his laundry, the icy wind from outside bit at his skin, making him instinctively shrink his neck.
"Damn, it's cold—"
No doubt about it.
So Cold.
The temperature had dropped so much that it was physically noticeable.
Under normal circumstances—
Minami would have taken advantage of this rare day off, curled up in his futon, and enjoyed a nice, comfortable sleep.
But today was different.
He exhaled a puff of white breath and pulled open his wardrobe.
Even though it was snowing, he had no intention of changing his original plan.
After a quick wash-up, he changed into his outdoor clothes and looked up.
The end of the year was approaching.
At Shuka High, there was only one final exam left next week before winter break officially began.
Minami's winter break plans were actually quite simple.
He would return ho from Tokyo to visit his two older sisters and his mother.
After all, he had spent the entire year in Tokyo without going back.
Now that he finally had so free ti, he figured he might as well go ho for New Year's and take a mont to reflect on the upcoming year.
With that thought in mind, Minami stepped out onto the street.
There weren't too many pedestrians, but it wasn't deserted either.
The small, delicate snowflakes lted instantly upon touching the ground.
As he walked, his footsteps made a crisp crunch, crunch against the pavent.
Shimokitazawa Station's entrance had a sheltered overhang to keep off the snow.
Not wanting to be stubborn, Minami stepped under it without hesitation.
He took out his phone and glanced at the ti.
8:50 AM.
There were still ten minutes until the agreed-upon eting ti of 9:00 AM.
Minami rubbed his hands together and looked around.
The world was painted in shades of white by the falling snow, but he didn't see a single trace of that distinct red hair.
Could it be... she's really not coming?
He exhaled another puff of warm breath, contemplating the possibility.
Logically speaking, Kita Ikuyo wasn't the type of girl who would just stand by and let soone freeze in the snow.
But then again—
Unexpected things happen all the ti.
What if she really wasn't coming?
"No point overthinking it."
Minami shook his head.
Because whether she ca or not—
He had already told Kita Ikuyo he would be waiting here.
No matter what.
That was a promise.
And since it was a promise he had made—
Then naturally, he had to keep it.
Even if standing in the cold just to wait for soone was a bit... well, irrational.
He started moving his body slightly to keep warm.
At the sa ti, he kept checking his phone.
Ten minutes wasn't long.
With just a bit of stretching and shifting his weight from foot to foot, the clock soon hit 9:00 AM.
He lifted his head again.
Still no sign of that bright red hair.
Well then...
I'll just keep waiting.
Minami didn't mind at all.
He rubbed his hands together again and exhaled warm breath into them.
9:00 AM ca and went.
Then 9:10 AM.
Then 9:20 AM.
The crowd at Shimokitazawa Station bustled with activity.
But among all those passing figures—
Minami still didn't spot the one person he was looking for.
Could it be that Kita-san really had a change of heart?
Is she actually not coming?
Minami propped his chin in his hand, lost in thought once again.
But simply thinking about it wasn't going to change anything.
Just like the delicate white snowflakes swirling around him—
If there was a girl standing beside him, watching them together, then this biting cold and these falling snowflakes might have felt romantic.
But without her—
They were nothing more than annoying, frigid reminders of winter's cruelty.
Minami let out another breath.
Still, he didn't waver.
He continued to wait.
Whether it was because he understood Kita Ikuyo from the countless simulations in his head—
Or simply because he wanted to keep his own promise—
He felt he should wait.
His already freezing hands rubbed together once more.
His feet remained firmly in place.
And just as he was about to check the ti again—
"Minami-senpai!"
A voice called out.
Minami instinctively lifted his head.
And then—he saw the most beautiful sight in this first snowfall.
A girl.
Her cheeks were flushed red from the cold, her expression carrying a hint of frustration.
She wore pink gloves, and the white earmuffs on her head made her look especially adorable.
But what truly caught Minami's attention—
Was still that head of red hair.
Like a bonfire burning in the depths of winter, inviting warmth, drawing people closer.
—
Inside a café on the street corner, with light brown wooden interiors—
"Unbelievable! I just can't believe it! Minami-senpai, are you an idiot?!"
Kita Ikuyo grumbled as she hurriedly wrapped Minami's frozen hands in hers.
Yes.
Was he an idiot?
He actually waited for her in this weather.
"Do you not care about your own health at all?!"
She huffed, glaring at him angrily.
"I don't think you have the right to say that, Ikuyo."
Minami chuckled, flipping his hands to hold hers in return.
This red-haired girl had arrived just as early—perhaps even earlier—than he had.
Her hands were just as cold as his. And if one looked closely, they could see faint water stains on the shoulders of her brown coat from the lting snow.
"Ugh—"
Realizing she had been exposed, Kita Ikuyo's fair face instantly turned scarlet.
"I-I was just worried about you, that's all!"
She turned her face away.
"Is that so?"
Seeing her reaction, Minami couldn't help but smile.
"Well, I really have to thank you for worrying about . But aside from that... there's sothing else I want to ask you."
"Sothing else?"
Kita Ikuyo tilted her head in confusion.
"Yeah. Sothing very important."
Minami nodded.
"So... where's that 'friend' of yours?"
"Huh—?!"
The mont those words left his mouth—
The angry, flustered look on Kita Ikuyo's face froze.
She wanted to tell him that she was just passing on a ssage from a friend—that they had asked her to co and tell him not to wait any longer.
But—
Before she could even open her mouth, she knew.
A lie like that would never fool Minami.
In fact—
He already knew.
He knew her so-called "friend" had never existed.
And yet, he kept bringing it up just to tease her—
This man...!
He was insufferable!
Honestly, why had she even bothered trying to stop him from waiting in the snow?
She should have just let him freeze out there!
Kita Ikuyo clutched her head, feeling like a complete fool.
But—given her personality—there was no way she could actually say sothing so an.
All she could do was lower her golden eyes, softening her expression as she looked at Minami in reluctant surrender.
That expression of hers... was practically a confession in itself.
Her so-called "friend" had never existed—just a simple lie.
And that fact was written all over her face.
Kita Ikuyo originally thought that by surrendering like this, Minami would understand and let go of the fact that she had lied.
But—
"Rather than just exchanging glances, I'd rather hear you say it yourself, Ikuyo."
He didn't back down at all.
Instead, he leaned in closer.
So close. So close. So close. So close. So close!!
Feeling him approach, Kita Ikuyo's heart started pounding violently.
As the face of Kessoku Band, a girl who always paid attention to her looks and aesthetics, she was naturally well aware of the charm of the black-haired young man before her.
His already sharp features seed even more refined under the café's warm lighting. His years of reading had sculpted an unexplainable intellectual aura.
From her angle, she could catch a glimpse of his collarbone beneath his coat, and when he lifted his hand slightly, his fair and well-proportioned wrist was exposed—
So good-looking!
The perfect mix of masculine charm and refined elegance—right in her strike zone.
And then there was the teasing smile in his eyes when he looked at her—
That alone made Kita Ikuyo montarily lose all ability to resist, as if the world had suddenly lost its mystery.
To put it simply—
She was also a girl. She also liked looking at handso guys and pretty girls.
And Minami just so happened to be exactly her type.
At this mont—
She had the urge to turn to the other won in the café, who were also staring in a daze, and proudly declare, "This is my boyfriend."
No, no, no!
Calm down! Calm down, Kita Ikuyo!
Think carefully.
Minami-senpai was forcing her to answer.
And guys who pressured girls like this were very dangerous!
She couldn't just fall for his tricks!
That's what she told herself, but in the end, she still turned her head slightly and murmured, "I... um... my 'friend' was a lie."
Weak!
That attitude was way too weak!
The little version of herself inside her head was already covering its face in regret—
Wasn't this basically just letting him tease her however he wanted?!
But thankfully, Minami wasn't that cruel.
Hearing her response, he simply smiled in satisfaction, nodded, and leaned back into his seat.
Phew—
Kita Ikuyo instinctively let out a breath of relief.
Guys like Minami really shouldn't pull stunts like that.
Because no matter how you looked at it, it was way too much for her poor heart to handle.
She lowered her head, took a sip of her coffee, and tried to act as if nothing had happened.
But before she could fully compose herself—
Minami suddenly spoke again, as if deep in thought.
"That being said... this ans you actually like , right?"
"Eh?!"
Once again, Kita Ikuyo let out a shocked noise.
She had lost count of how many tis she'd reacted like this today.
But Minami kept giving her more reasons to react that way.
She coughed several tis before she finally heard his next words—
"It's not hard to tell, right? Your so-called 'friend' was actually you... so concluding that you like isn't wrong, is it?"
"...That's... true..."
Even Kita Ikuyo couldn't refute it this ti.
Not that denying it would do any good.
She had dug this hole for herself with her own lie—and now she was buried in it.
She nervously glanced at Minami.
Now that he knew she liked him...
Considering his usual mischievous nature...
Who knew how he'd treat her next?
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