Naturally, the snowman-building location wasn't at the mall.
The moment they stepped outside, the biting cold hit them.
Though it had stopped snowing, scattered patches of snow still lined the roadside.
They didn't linger on the streets, instead deciding to leave Keyaki Mall behind—there was too little snow here.
Kaoru followed behind as Yume Kobashi and Chihiro Shiranami clustered around Honami, especially Chihiro, who had been silent earlier but now wore an exceptionally happy smile directed at Honami.
While he understood why she acted cold toward him, it was still somewhat strange.
If she opposed his relationship with Honami, she could at least be considered to dislike him.
Yet Chihiro made no moves, nor did she seem to have told Honami about that day's incident, making her thoughts completely inscrutable.
"Though it's a bit late to say this now, I'm sorry for interrupting your date," Mako said beside him, sounding genuinely apologetic.
"Yume and Rin got too excited about taking photos with Honami."
"Don't worry about it. We didn't have any concrete plans anyway—just wandering around the mall and having dinner." Kaoru didn't deliberately create distance, even though Mako's presence made their group attract considerable attention, with even girls stealing glances.
"But this is a Christmas date, right?" Mako asked doubtfully.
"Are you expecting me to have planned some grand outing for Honami?" Kaoru chuckled.
"Ice skating on the artificial lake? Watching the fireworks show at night?"
"I wasn't talking about those things!" Mako protested slightly, knowing full well those weren't realistic options—Koudo Ikusei's entertainment facilities only met basic needs.
"You just seem a bit..."
When she hesitated, Kaoru finished for her.
"Seem calm and indifferent?" Amikura Mako nodded while also observing his reaction.
The guy's profile was strikingly handsome—no wonder people kept mentioning something about a celebrity.
"I was a bit excited about the date earlier, but not anymore." Kaoru recalled the earlier scene and couldn't help glancing at Ichinose.
Her delicate face remained unchanged, her smile as warm as ever.
No one would imagine something strange had once lingered at the corner of her lips.
Still, he touched his scarf.
Desire was desire, warmth was warmth—but a girl's sweetness contained far more.
Amikura Mako noticed his movement.
The scarf looked familiar—she seemed to have seen it in Ichinose's room before.
She didn't say anything, only instinctively hugged her own arms.
Before long, Kobashi Yume and the others finally found a spot to build a snowman.
"I'm gonna make the tallest, biggest snowman!"
"Dummy, there's not enough snow here. I'm gonna build the entire Heian-kyō!"
"Guh... T-that's cheating! Picking something I've never even heard of! I'll make one Rin-chan's never heard of either!"
"Honami-chan, wanna join us?"
"Sure, sure!"
The grassy field had turned into a snow-covered expanse.
The trees planted by the school were draped in frost, their branches weighed down by heavy snow that occasionally tumbled off, eliciting startled cries from the girls.
Not far away, the artificial lake had already frozen over.
The thin ice reflected glimmering light, and the school had put up warning signs nearby—apparently, some students had once tried playing on the ice, only to fall through because it was too thin.
The last time he'd built a snowman was probably during a vacation.
He'd taken some exhausted idols to Nagano for skiing and hot springs—it had been wonderfully relaxing.
"Kaoru, what should I do?" Ichinose looked troubled. "I don't think I can make a big snowman."
"Small ones are cute too." Kaoru eyed the lopsided little snowman she'd made and lied through his teeth.
"The top layer's been melted by the sun, so it's hard to shape."
"You make one too." Ichinose's cheeks were flushed pink.
Kaoru guided her in gathering snow, rolling it into a ball.
The two of them pushed the snowball around, letting it grow bigger and bigger.
"What kind of snowman do you want, Honami?"
"Hmm, something cute?"
"How about Olaf?"
"Of course!"
It's just a snowman at school—Disney probably won't send a lawyer's letter over this, Kaoru mused.
As he sculpted Olaf, Ichinose watched obediently beside him, eagerly helping with whatever he needed.
Meanwhile, Hirano Rin's attempt to recreate Heian-kyō had failed.
She blamed the snow for not cooperating and decided to give up.
Kobashi Yume, however, had piled up a massive snow mound, while Shiranami Chihiro's snowman looked a bit limp.
Amikura Mako stood nearby, offering guidance to the two of them.
"It's a bear."
"Why does it look like a ball?"
"It's tall and huge—a fearsome bear roaming the snowy mountains."
"Can't tell."
"Your eyes are the problem."
Amikura Mako realized her guidance wasn't getting through and turned to Shiranami Chihiro, who was still trying to salvage her snowman.
"Chihiro, it's leaning. This part's too small—it won't hold."
"Oh."
"Let me help you build it taller."
"Okay."
"Wait, its head fell off!"
"It's okay."
After a while, Amikura Mako noticed that Shiranami Chihiro clearly wasn't focused on building the snowman.
Who would keep sneaking glances in another direction while trying to stack snow?
Feeling a bit frustrated, Amikura Mako walked over to Kaoru and Ichinose, watching as the two of them carefully shaped Olaf's features.
She couldn't help but gasp in delight.
"Is this Olaf?"
"Yeah! Kaoru even knows how to make his front teeth!"
"So cute!"
The two girls huddled together, their eyes sparkling with excitement—though no one expected Amikura Mako to be into this kind of thing.
Even with someone watching closely, Kaoru didn't feel the slightest bit nervous.
His hands remained steady, and soon, the vague lump of snow began to take the unmistakable shape of Olaf.
"His arms are made of sticks, right?"
"The nose is a carrot!"
"What about the eyes?"
"Maybe we can use a rock as a placeholder?"
"It even has buttons on its body."
Listening to their lamentations, Kaoru found it somewhat amusing and chimed in.
"We can just buy carrots and buttons at the convenience store. It's not far from here anyway."
"Great idea!" Ichinose's eyes lit up.
Amikura Mako volunteered, "Hmm, should I go buy them?"
"I'd be worried if you went alone," Ichinose thought for a moment before suggesting.
"Kaoru, why don't you go with her?"
Kaoru's expression turned odd.
Him and Amikura Mako going together?
"I can go by myself," Amikura Mako averted her gaze, her voice slightly softer.
"Ahaha, that's not what I meant. It's just that Mako-chan is too adorable right now—what if some guy tries to hit on you along the way?" Ichinose wasn't just making things up.
She herself had been approached by upperclassmen, and some had even confessed to her.
Though she had turned them all down, it proved that even in this prestigious school, there were shallow guys who only cared about looks.
Since his girlfriend had spoken, Kaoru tactfully added.
"I actually need to buy a few things too. Amikura, would you mind accompanying me?"
Amikura Mako exchanged a brief glance with Ichinose before closing one eye playfully.
"Fine, I'll go with you. But I'm not scared of any flirty guys."
"Is that the result of your training?"
"Don't make me sound like some violent girl!"
"No need to worry. I'm the student council's vice president—feel free to hit them."
"Before that, I might just hit you instead."
"Aren't I helping you here?"
"Doesn't look like it. Someone's just egging me on to fight."
"I'm just saying I'll back you up. No matter what you do, I'll make sure nothing happens to you."
"..."
On the way, Amikura Mako crossed her arms and slightly turned her face away.
Their footprints stretched long shadows across the snow, one after the other.
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