Winter swept through Luna Solis Academy.
Everyone wrapped their jackets around themselves and huddled from hall to hall. They had to watch their steps and avoid slipping as heavy snow accumulated on the ground.
More students were feeling under the weather, causing some to fall sick and stay at home. As a child from a wealthy family of elites, Cadmus Mondragon never had to worry about the cold season. He was snugly fit in his thick coat and scarf, but he still had enough sense to worry about his other classmates, especially those from the lower class.
Cadmus definitely wasn't focusing on a certain someone.
He absolutely didn't feel relieved when it turned out that her parents could afford warm clothing for her, and of course, he absolutely had no intentions of ever sharing his scarf with her otherwise.
'That's just absurd! Cheesy as hell too!'
Still, even with her knitted coat and wooly beanie, which kind of made her resemble a cute fluffy marshmallow, Blair Winifred was still shivering in class.
She's always too small for her age, which was probably why she's extra vulnerable to the cold. Her nose was red, so were the tips of her ears, and her skin was paler than usual.
Then, there were her hands. They looked cold to touch.
'Not that I would ever touch them! O-Or offer to hold them to make her warmer!'
Their gym teacher had decided to give them a wintery treat by letting them play in the snow for one period. The class divided themselves into two sides so they could start a huge snowball fight.
Blair, as always, had wanted to skip and doze off back in the classroom but didn't get their gym teacher's permission. Cadmus, on the other hand, was excited about the snowball fight but couldn't seem to find it in himself to leave her alone.
'I mean, she looks so tiny and weak! She can get crushed so easily!'
Cadmus was simply observing the weakness of his opponents. It wasn't that he'd intentionally chosen the same side as Blair.
"Huh? Why're you here, Your Highness…?" she groused, not too happy to see him crouch behind the makeshift snow wall that she built.
"I worked hard to make this. There'll be renting fees. Pay up if you want to stay."
"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that…?" he grumbled while he scooped up a snowball with both of his hands.
"Not like you can defend this thing for too long, anyway. It'll go down at any moment."
Cadmus peeked out from behind the wall before launching his attack. He then hid back again and heard a splat along with a scream. Blair took a quick look to find he had scored a headshot.
"Ohhh, impressive, Your Highness."
Blair sounded genuine. Cadmus felt his heart flutter at the praise.
"Now, watch me! I'll show you I can defend this place!"
She imitated his pose earlier and raised her arm – only for a large snowball to smash straight into her face. Blair wobbled, the force of the throw making her topple backward. She crashed into a pile of snow – and with that, she got buried alive in a wash of white.
"NOOO! BLAIRRR!" Cadmus screamed.
His eyes flew wide in shock, worry seizing his heart like an iron fist. He then clenched his hands tightly, his teeth gritted together.
'WHO HIT HER?! I'M GONNA HIT 'EM BACK!'