It's been a month since I started attending the school that used to be for girls only. On the first day of PE class, I had a rather unpleasant experience.
It all started when Perseus Reiss, the prettiest, smartest girl in Class A, made a deal with me during the final dodgeball match. Actually, it wasn't just her; the coldest girl in my class, who earned the nickname "Snow Princess," also made a deal with me: whoever won would grant one wish to the loser.
And unfortunately, i won.
Perseus Reiss had already made her request: to tie me to a chair in an empty classroom after school. Just the two of us. And she almost did strange things to me.
She gave me the impression of a perfect girl, but behind her perfection was an inhuman flaw: she had no emotions or couldn't feel emotions.
And she also gave me a familiar feeling of someone I couldn't remember from when I was a child. I don't know why, but it felt really bad when I tried to recall my own childhood.
It was as if I had forgotten something important.
In fact, I also forgot about my childhood friend, my neighbor's daughter, who said we both promised to marry after we grew up when we still a child. I really don't remember what happened to my childhood after my birth mother passed away.
The only thing I remember is my promise not to sleep with any girl until I was an adult and could be responsible. The rest, memories with my family back then (except for two perverted aunts, Aunt Selena and Grace) seemed blurry.
And strangely, my hazy childhood memories slowly began to regain color after I met Iris Winterbourne. The Snow Princess who was collecting on our agreement.
***
A girl with long, straight silver hair, almost waist-length. She had a neat haircut, both from the front and back.
Her eyes radiated a cold gaze, indicating that she didn't want to be disturbed by anyone. Her pupils were red, almost as red as Valian's (Vincent vampire stepsister), but Iris's red appeared darker and colder. Plus, she had long, curled eyelashes that strangely had the same color as her hair.
She had the face of a beautiful girl, like a royal princess. A cute pointed chin, with a well-shaped, slightly aquiline nose, and cheeks that were neither too round nor too flat. Her lips were a thin, glossy pink, almost blending with her snow-white skin.
Her body was slender and full in the right places. Curvy, yet elegant and cold. The clothes she wore were always covered and neat, without a single unsightly crease. Hiding the beauty of the Snow Princess behind the gray uniform jacket she wore.
Currently, she was standing, trembling, with her face bowed before Vincent.
On Monday, less than a week after Vincent was almost molested by Perseus. Iris invited Vincent during break time to talk privately in an empty hallway.
They were near the new school building that was going to be built. That is, the club classroom building and the art classroom building. Because of that, the hallway there was very quiet. This was because most students were on break in the cafeteria, or just chatting in their classrooms.
"So? What do you need, Iris?" Vincent asked, yawning. He couldn't sleep last night because Vani suddenly entered his room and hugged him, making him a living cuddle doll. That youngest stepsister said it was Vincent's punishment because lately Vincent had been paying more attention to his new school life than to her.
"Um..."
Iris was still looking down at Vincent. They were only two steps apart. If Vincent were more pay attention, actually, Iris was currently wearing a very embarrassed expression, but fortunately, Vincent wasn't the type of person curious about someone's face when they were looking down. He only noticed Iris standing, trembling unnaturally.
"Are you alright? Iris?"
Taking a breath, Iris finally put on her serious mode.
She lifted her face. Only to make her cheeks melt with a pink blush.
She then lowered her head again. Making Vincent tilt his head in question.
"Iris?"
"Um..."
Once again, Iris lifted her face and looked Vincent in the eyes. At that moment, she lost control of her knees and stumbled forward towards Vincent.
"Ah."
"Ah?"
Vincent accidentally caught Iris's body as she stumbled forward.
"Hey? Iris? Are you alright?" Vincent asked anxiously.
And was answered by silence.
When Vincent lifted her face, Iris had already fainted. Both her eyelids were weakly closed.
"Eh? Iris?"
Vincent was forced to carry Iris's unconscious body to the infirmary.
Waiting beside the snow princess until she woke up. Finally, Iris opened her eyes.
And the first sight she saw was Vincent's face staring intently at her as if investigating something on her face.
"Ah?!"
Iris reflexively pulled the blanket that covered half of her body. Making Vincent surprised by her reaction.
"Iris? Are you alright?" Vincent asked again, but Iris still didn't answer.
"Should I leave?"
From behind the blanket, Iris shook her head.
"Don't."
Finally, Vincent didn't leave. He had already lifted his butt from the seat to leave Iris just now. He sat back down.
"So? Why did you call me and ask me to talk alone?"
Vincent asked again, yawning sleepily. Watching Iris's sleeping face for five minutes, which truly resembled Snow White, made Vincent very sleepy too. Besides, for some reason, Vincent felt familiar with Iris's face.
"Um.. we haven't met in a long time. I'm a little confused and still surprised to see you back at this school."
Like knocking on a locked door in Vincent's brain. One of his eyebrows twitched and furrowed downwards.
"Have we met somewhere before?" Vincent asked hesitantly. He tried to remember when he had met Iris.
Iris lowered the blanket from her face so her eyes could see Vincent's questioning face.
"You really forgot. You really forgot us and that incident."
Hearing Iris's words, Vincent became even more questioning.
"Us? That incident?" This time Vincent furrowed both eyebrows on his face. He really couldn't remember when he had met Iris, but for some reason, there was a feeling of longing tucked away in his heart.
"It would be better if you just forgot about it, Vincent."
Seeing Vincent's furrowed brows, Iris breathed a sigh of relief. She was quite happy to see Vincent back to normal. No need to open a Pandora's box that would destroy the present.
Vincent looked into Iris's eyes, which seemed happy to sigh.
"Alright, I don't know what you mean, Iris. Even so, I'm sure this is our first time meeting at this school."
Iris nodded once.
"So? What do you want from me? Why did you call me?"
"Um.. about the agreement from yesterday's PE class. I want to ask for something."
"What is it? As long as it's not a strange request—like that girl, I'll grant it after thinking about it first."
"That girl? Perseus?"
Vincent neither nodded nor shook his head. "She's a strange girl."
"Yes, I agree." Iris smiled faintly from behind the blanket that covered half of her face.
"Break time will be over soon. What's your request, Iris?"
"Um.." Iris seemed hesitant to say it. "I actually don't have many friends. Can I be one of your friends, Vincent?"
Vincent raised an eyebrow high. It was strange, a girl who looked cold and didn't care about school like Iris asking Vincent for friendship with a shy face hidden under a blanket like that. And not only that, Vincent felt like this had happened before.
"Alright. That's an easy request. I'd be happy to be friends with you, Iris."
Vincent smiled gently as he extended his hand to Iris, who was lying on the infirmary bed. Iris raised her right hand and shook Vincent's hand.
"This time, I won't let you go again." Iris shook Vincent's hand quite tightly, making Vincent feel strange.
"Alright... Um... Iris. I have to go back to class first. There are medicines and fruits prepared by the health teacher on the table, she said you can eat them."
Vincent awkwardly tried to pull his hand away from Iris's grip, which for some reason seemed unwilling to let Vincent go. But Iris eventually loosened her grip after Vincent finished speaking and nodded slightly.
"Okay."
"Then I'll go. See you in class." Vincent walked backward while waving and smiling awkwardly. Iris waved back at Vincent while watching his back leave the infirmary.
"I'm sure she knows me but I forgot her. I've met a lot of strange girls this year." Vincent walked towards his class while muttering and scratching his head, which wasn't itchy.
***