After that day, Ice stopped showing up to class as often.
The professor said it was because of SSC work, but Fire couldn't stop thinking about what happened.
It was like nothing had happened at all. Everyone just kept going, laughing, chatting. No one talked about how someone tried to hurt Ice.
Was she the only one still thinking about it? Or was she just overreacting?
"Hey, are you alright?"
Oriel's voice was quiet in the library, but Fire could still hear the worry in it.
"Yeah… I'm okay." Fire forced a smile, awkward and thin.
Dhylan returned with a small pile of books and dropped them on the table.
"I think that's enough," he said, still smiling, as he took the seat next to Oriel.
Fire leaned on the table, resting her chin in her palm. Her eyes flicked toward Oriel with a curious look.
"Say," she began, "why do people hate Ice so much?"
Oriel let out a sigh, her interest clearly dropping.
Dhylan looked up, thinking. "Because he's a culinary genius? Can I say that?" He glanced at Oriel.
"Sure," Oriel said flatly.
"Oriel got a scholarship, and I'm just here because I didn't know what else to do," Dhylan added with a laugh — until Oriel jabbed him with an elbow.
Fire turned to Oriel, raising an eyebrow.
Oriel shrugged, surrendering. "Hey, it's a great school. I couldn't say no."
"We don't really care about rankings or top scores," Dhylan went on. "As long as we pass, we're happy. And honestly, some of the students here are the same."
"But not Ice. You know that already," he added, glancing at Fire.
She nodded, firmly. She knew all too well.
"He's not the only one like that, though. Thing is, Ice pissed off a lot of powerful kids — sons and daughters of rich families."
Dhylan suddenly stood up and started looking through the nearby bookshelf.
"I saw it here somewhere…"
He came back with a folded school newspaper and sat down again. Oriel, still bored, didn't even glance up.
"Here," Dhylan stretched out his arm, handing Fire the newspaper. In the photo, Ice was holding some kind of trophy. The text was too small to read, but the headline stood out in bold, large letters.
'First-Year Student Takes the Crown by Landslide'
"That competition's usually for third and fourth-years," Dhylan said. His voice came from behind the paper as Fire scanned it.
The article was full of praise — inspiring, even.
"They let Ice join because they thought it wouldn't matter. He was just a freshman. But he ended up crushing everyone."
"And people hated that," he continued. "Especially the older students. So they banned him from competing again."
"What? That's not fair." Fire frowned.
The librarian gave them a sharp look and held a finger to her lips.
Fire mouthed a quick "sorry," then leaned closer to Dhylan as he lowered his voice.
"They made excuses, rules, whatever. But it was obvious. They just didn't want to look bad. A first-year making upperclassmen look like amateurs? The school hated that too."
Fire opened her mouth to respond, but the librarian was still watching. She closed it, giving Dhylan a look to keep going.
"He topped every class. No cheating, no favors. They couldn't find anything wrong. So when he became SSC president, they couldn't stop that either."
Dhylan shrugged. "Next step? Gossip. That's all they had left."
"Turning the whole school against him over rumors?" Fire whispered, her voice tight, a little angry.
"Well… Ice doesn't help himself much," Oriel said, flipping a page in her book. "He's got a bad attitude. Super competitive. Doesn't know when to shut up."
"But he's kind, too," Fire said, trying to keep her voice calm. She knew Oriel didn't like Ice.
"Honestly, I never really cared about him," Oriel said, finally turning to her. "I just can't stand his attitude — especially the way he talks to you. But yeah, I get why people hate him."
"And the way he coldly shuts down girls' confessions doesn't help either," she added.
Fire's mind flashed back to that moment — the one she saw with her own eyes.
It was true. But still… something about it didn't sit right with her.
Still, something about it felt off.
Maybe Ice just didn't know how to show feelings like that.
Maybe he wasn't a bad person. She kept those thoughts to herself.
She was walking down the hallway now, heading toward the SSC building, holding the proposal for the booth in her arms.
Her class had asked her to take the lead since it was her idea. Everyone had pitched in — planning, designing, and refining it together.
It had been tiring but fun.
Still, that wasn't what was on her mind right now.
Ice.
It had been a while since they last spoke, and now she had to hand the proposal to him.
Is he okay?
That question had been sitting in her head for days.
She couldn't forget the image of his hand — scratched and bleeding after the incident. It kept replaying in her mind.
She tried to find him that day but never succeeded.
Now, standing in front of the SSC room door, she paused and took a deep breath.
There were people inside. She could hear voices.
She wondered what Ice would say if he saw her.
Will he be happy to see me?
Probably not.
Her hand touched the doorknob — just about to turn it — when she heard a girl's voice from inside.
"We should kick her out too!"
Fire froze.
"Suspension isn't enough. What if she attacks us next?" The same voice again, more anxious now.
"She won't," came Ice's voice — calm, steady. He didn't sound angry. Just sure.
Another voice joined in, this time a different girl. "Her boyfriend was a bully, and he cheated on an exam. That's why he got expelled. What if she's the same?"
Expelled? Boyfriend? That confirmed her suspicions about the conversation.
"I checked her record. She's clean. No violations," Ice said flatly. Still calm. Still unreadable.
"But I'm still scared! What if?" another girl whined, genuinely worried.
"She won't," Ice answered confidently. But this time, Fire understood why — they only hate him. That's why he said it like that.
"Don't worry, girls! I'll protect you!" a guy chimed in with way too much energy.
Just then, a voice behind her snapped her out of it.
"Are you going in?"
Fire turned. A girl stood there — part of the council, from the looks of it.
"Y-yes. I just need to pass this... for Foundation Day," she said, clutching the folder a little tighter.
"You can just give it to me." The girl smiled politely.
Fire hesitated, then handed it over.
Now she was back in the hallway. She'd given the folder. Task complete.
But something didn't feel right.
Why do I feel so...
She couldn't even name it. Irritated? Disappointed?
She told herself it was fine. She got it done. That's what mattered.
And yet—
Before she could stop herself, a quiet, unspoken thought crossed her mind:
I wanted to see Ice.
Next Chapter: A warm bath. Flickering candlelight. A mind that refuses to stay still.
Even as Fire sinks beneath the surface, the weight of his words pulls her deeper.
Cruel voices echo, memories rewind, and Oriel's warning repeats like a quiet drumbeat in the back of her mind.
But Foundation Day won't wait for heartbreak.
The classroom is glowing, the students are buzzing, and for once… Fire isn't expected to do anything at all.
Pushed outside with nothing but time and a grateful heart, she steps into a festival built with her effort—and their appreciation.
But can she really enjoy the day…
…when her thoughts keep dragging her back underwater?