Ice.
The vein of my cooking existence.
Ice.
The monster who always yells at me and incinerates my soul's passion.
Ice!
The guy who fills my stomach with ridiculously delicious food—ehehe.
Iceeee… my super tiny crushie. Just a bit.
And Ice…
Is standing right in front of me.
When the door opened, my brain automatically mapped the room like an architect.
A wide entryway, cabinet on the left, painting on the right. Two meters in, the space widened into a minimalist room—two queen-sized beds on the left with a lamp between them, soft curtains on the right hiding what I'm sure is a giant window. At the far left, a door to the bathroom. On the right, a sofa and a coffee table.
And at the foot of the furthest bed…
Ice.
In a bathrobe.
Hair dripping.
Towel in hand.
Unfair!!! Presidential privilege much?! I didn't even get my keycard and this man is already fresh out of the bath?!
I wanted to protest—but then remembered I was supposed to avoid him. Also remembered that co-ed rooms weren't supposed to exist.
The universe paused for me.
I stepped back and quietly closed the door. Good thing I hadn't let go of the handle yet.
I crouched.
Ahhhhh my feet hurt.
This is definitely a mistake.
First of all, I'm supposed to be with a girl.
Second—WHY ICE?!
Why is the universe like this?!
I needed to complain. But to who? How?
A chibi scene popped into my head, drawn in pastel pencil lines.
Setting: Front desk.
Me, tiny chibi Fire:
"Hi! Can I change rooms? Why is the iceberg in my rooooom?!"
A second chibi popped up—the person in charge.
Still chibi, still poker-faced.
"Stop complaining. It's final."
Guess who?
ICE.
Chibi Ice with a tiny SSC patch.
Noooo this can't be. Did he set me up to torture me?!
A cold breeze skimmed my back—the door behind me opening—and snapped me out of the chibi fantasy.
I looked over my shoulder.
There he stood.
Tall.
Freshly showered.
Expressionless.
Handsomeness level illegally high.
Scary aura unchanged.
"I'll pack up and change rooms. You stay here," he said, voice calm as ever.
"Eh?"
Amazing response, Fire. Ten thousand internal words and that's all you say out loud.
I stood and glanced inside—our luggage were both there. His and mine.
"I'll get dressed and I'll be out," he added, walking back inside.
"I—I'll just move out!" I said quickly. "It's a mistake. You have the keycard anyway, so maybe… my actual room is somewhere else?"
I admired the carpet like it was a piece of art. "Haha… haha…"
"I don't think so." Ice disappeared into the bathroom again, leaving the door slightly ajar.
Can I peek?
STOP IT.
"But boys and girls should be separated!!" I took two steps forward so he could hear me.
"They are," he replied, voice echoing from the bathroom. Then the door opened again. "You were set up."
He stepped out, irritation written all over his face.
"They usually put me alone in cases like this," he said, disgruntled. I didn't catch most of the rambling because—
Ice.
Pajamas.
T-shirt.
Hair still drenched.
He looked like the exact husband-from-my-daydreams version of Ice who just finished showering and called me because the bath was ready.
It felt like… home.
"They probably thought it was fine since we were lab partners," he continued.
Ah.
Now I get it.
Just like how some classmates dumped work on me, SSC dumped this on him.
We were… sacrifices.
Because they hate him.
My chest twisted.
To always be put alone like that…
How cruel.
Okay, he's cruel and brutal too, but still—
"I'll get going," Ice said, grabbing his luggage.
"Wait."
I didn't even know what I wanted to say. Only that—
I didn't want to leave him alone.
"I don't think you can still get another room now," I murmured.
"I'll rent an additional one."
"This floor is super expensive!" I said, stepping closer like it was a life-or-death matter.
He hesitated.
Just a bit.
"It's fine," he said, moving again.
"It's not! If you spend all your money, you won't have anything left to buy souvenirs for Auntie!"
I practically threw myself in front of him.
"Why do you care?"
His expression shifted—hesitation melting into anger.
He looked at me like…
Like I betrayed him.
Next Chapter:
A slammed door.
A thrown lunchbox.
A dramatic "WHYYY?!" echoing through the room.
Fire's meltdown collides with Ice's temper—
and suddenly dieting is the least of their problems.