The principal and several teachers had already left the room, leaving only Haruka, Akito, and Mistress Yamazaki behind.

  Mistress Yamazaki stepped forward, the soft but firm tap of her wooden staff echoing against the floor. "Very well then... come to the Asamayama Kannondō temple tomorrow. I’ll arrange a scenario where it appears you're under suspension, so don’t worry." Her voice was gentle, yet filled with conviction.

  Haruka nodded slowly. "Thank you..."

  Then suddenly, Akito stepped forward. "I want to come too," he said firmly, without hesitation.

  Mistress Yamazaki turned to him, slightly surprised. "But you—"

  "It’s fine," Akito cut in quickly, staring straight ahead. "I’ll do whatever it takes. I want to be by her side."

  A few seconds of silence passed. Then, Mistress Yamazaki gave a small smile. "Very well then. Prepare yourself. The path to the mountain isn’t easy. But this is the beginning of your journey, Hisui-kun."

  The next day, birds chirped among the lush trees. The path leading to the temple was shrouded in a light mist. The sky was clear, but the mountain air remained cold.

  Haruka wore warm clothes and carried a small backpack. Beside her, Akito walked while occasionally stealing glances in her direction.

  "Are you sure you want to come?" Haruka asked softly, not turning to him.

  "Of course," Akito replied firmly. "I made a promise, didn’t I?"

  They continued walking up the sloping stone path. From time to time, the sound of temple bells rang faintly in the distance.

  When I was a child... I once heard stories about a temple in Asama. They said... that place could 'purify' spiritual powers. I never imagined I’d set foot there... let alone with someone holding my hand this tightly. I spoke to myself in my heart.

  The ancient wooden temple stood tall amidst the forest, surrounded by the scent of incense and the gentle whisper of the wind. Mistress Yamazaki stood in the courtyard, welcoming their arrival.

  "Welcome," she said. "Starting today, this will be your home... and the birthplace of your power’s rebirth." "Hand over your belongings to Hisui-san, Haruka. Then follow me into the temple."

  "E-eh? Me?" Akito stuttered, pointing at himself. Mistress Yamazaki shot him a sharp look and said, "Place the luggage in the main room for Hisui-san. After that, you may observe Haruka’s training." "R-right..." Akito replied nervously.

  Haruka stood in the center of the temple courtyard. Around her, several talismans and spiritual symbols were laid out on the ground. Mistress Yamazaki spoke firmly, "Your power is an extension of your heart. If your heart wavers—the ice will go wild. Now, try controlling the temperature around you... but do not release any ice."

  Haruka closed her eyes, her breathing calm. The temperature began to drop by a few degrees, but not to the point of freezing. Akito, who had just arrived, sat on the temple steps, whispering in awe, "She’s really serious..."

  Mistress Yamazaki observed closely. "Hmm... the talent is real. But her heart still carries a heavy burden." Haruka clenched her teeth, sweat dripping down her face despite the cold air. Then— CRACK! A chunk of ice formed on the ground.

  "Stop!" Mistress Yamazaki called out. Haruka opened her eyes immediately, panting heavily. "Not yet... but we can start from there," said Mistress Yamazaki, looking at her with meaningful eyes.

  That afternoon, Akito walked through the quiet wooden corridors of the temple, the floorboards creaking beneath his steps. "Mistress Yamazaki?" he called out, seeing her sitting in a small garden, sipping tea. "Yes? What is it?" "Uh... there’s a small issue. Um, the room. There’s only one vacant room, and Haruka’s already taken it." Mistress Yamazaki gave a small smile, as if she had expected it. "There is only one. If you truly wish to accompany her in training every day... there’s no other option. Besides, I did try to warn you yesterday, but you seemed very enthusiastic." Why was I so enthusiastic in that kind of situation? Akito groaned in his heart. Wait... so that means... Realization slowly dawned on him. Akito swallowed hard. "So you mean... we’re sharing a room?" "Don’t worry. There are two futons. And I’ve set up a spiritual barrier. If your intentions are pure, there’s nothing to be concerned about."

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  Knock knock knock. Haruka turned her head from where she was sitting, ears perking up at the sound of the door. Suddenly, the door slid open and—

  “BOOOOOO!” Akito burst in with his hands raised like a ghost. SLAAAP!! “AAAGHHH!!” Akito cried out, clutching his cheek. “IDIOT!!” Haruka yelled. “Who the heck tries to scare someone in the middle of the night?!”

  After Akito explained everything with a pained expression on his face... “…So… we really do have to share a room?” Haruka stared at him. “Yeah! And why didn’t you say there were two futons from the beginning?!” “Ehh… hehehe... I thought one of them was just a spare futon.” Akito let out a frustrated groan and stared at the ceiling. “Why do I have to share a room with a stubborn girl… who can summon snow with her hands…” “But you’re the one who insisted on coming along~” Haruka teased with a grin. “…You’re impossible,” Akito muttered, sighing deeply—but he couldn’t hide the small smile creeping onto his lips.

  After a few minutes of slightly awkward silence, Haruka pointed to the futon beside her. “Well… since we’ve got no choice, you can sleep there. But don’t try anything weird, okay?!” “As if I would!” Akito snapped back, face turning red. Still, he walked over and sat down on the futon next to Haruka.

  The room fell quiet, with only the chirping of crickets and the cool mountain breeze drifting in through the slightly open wooden window. After the lights were turned off, only the moonlight illuminated the room.

  “…Akito,” Haruka spoke softly—almost a whisper. “Hm?” “…Thank you. For staying by my side. Even after what you saw yesterday…”

  Akito turned toward the silhouette of Haruka’s body in the moonlight. “I told you, didn’t I? I’m not leaving you again.” Haruka stayed silent for a moment, then answered, “I… I’m scared. Scared of losing control again. But with you here… somehow, I feel calmer.”

  A few quiet seconds passed. “…But you’re still not forgiven for scaring me earlier,” Haruka whispered. “Eeeeh?! You’re still holding a grudge?!”

  And so, the night continued with soft laughter, echoing in the cold of Mt. Asama— two hearts slowly growing closer, amidst their journey of training, strength… and facing the past.

  The next morning, I was awakened by the soft chirping of birds, as if they were telling me that today... would mark a great change.

  I rubbed my eyes and stretched my body. When I looked toward Akito, I saw a side of him I’d never seen before. Without realizing it, I drew closer. As I looked at his peaceful sleeping face, I whispered softly, “I love you.”

  Suddenly, he stirred awake. I quickly turned away, flustered, and crawled back into my futon.

  “Huh? Haruka? I thought I heard your voice just now?” “N-no, it’s nothing! F-forget it!” I stammered, face turning red. “Anyway, go get ready already. I’m going to use the bathroom first.” “Yeah... yeah...” he replied sleepily.

  A little while later, Akito rose from his futon and walked toward the bathroom.

  “Wait... Haruka said she was going to shower... which means—” His eyes widened as realization hit. Just then, the bathroom door slid open—revealing Haruka in nothing but a towel. “Eh!? PERVERT!!” she screamed and smacked Akito hard across the face. “AGHH—Hey, that hurt!” “Shut up, you peeping perv!” “I—I’m sorry! But I wasn’t peeping! And I’m not a perv!” “I just forgot you were in the shower, that’s all!”

  After a long, awkward silence...

  “You can shower now. I’m done,” she muttered. “R-right…”

  After getting dressed, I made my way to the dining room, where Mistress Yamazaki was already having breakfast. “You’re late, Hisui-kun.” Mistress Yamazaki say to him. “M-my apologies, Mistress Yamazaki.” Akito sat down beside me... but I subtly shifted away, creating some distance. Hey hey, she’s really on guard now… Akito thought to himself, a little dejected.

  After finishing the meal— “Thank you for the food,” we both said as we bowed politely to Mistress Yamazaki. Akito stood up and picked up his plate, heading toward the kitchen, but— “W-wait, Akito... l-let me wash your plate. Think of it as... my apology for what happened earlier. B-but just this once, okay?!” Haruka said with a flushed face, avoiding eye contact. “A-alright then... I’m sorry too, for forgetting you were in the bathroom,” Akito replied, handing her the plate.

  Haruka quickly took the dishes and walked off toward the kitchen.

  Why is my heart pounding like this...? Akito thought. This feeling... it’s just like when I bumped into her on our first day... What does it mean...?

  Later that day, after training...

  “Hey, Haruka. Do you want me to get you anything? I’m heading down to the minimarket to grab a canned coffee, three hours watching someone train with ice powers... I need a little caffeine boost too, y’know?” "A-aku rasa tidak ada, terima kasih, hati hati ya." "iyaa..."

  At the convenience store... "Ahhh... so refreshing... huh? Why does it taste weird? Wait, did I grab an iced drink? Ugh, that ice girl really stuck in my head." On the way back to the temple, Akito noticed a poster. “Huh? A fireworks festival? I’ve got to invite Haruka and Mistress Yamazaki. It’s been so long since I’ve seen something like this.”

  Upon arriving at the temple: "Hey Haruka, Mistress Yamazaki, let’s go to the fireworks festival tonight!" Akito invited them enthusiastically. "Fireworks festival? It’s been quite a while since I last attended one," Mistress Yamazaki replied. "Hey Haruka, you want to come too, right? You probably don’t get to see things like this often," Akito said, turning to her. "E-eh? I-I’m fine with it, but… it doesn’t feel right to leave Mistress Yamazaki alone at the temple," Haruka answered with a worried look. "In that case, come with us, Mistress Yamazaki." "Very well, if you insist, Hisui-kun." "Thank you, Mistress Yamazaki."

  We got ready to go to the festival. Haruka was given a kimono by Mistress Yamazaki. "So this is the kimono? S-should I really wear this? What would Akito think? Eh? Why am I even thinking about that… it’s just a normal festival," Haruka said to herself in her room, blushing. After I got out of the bathroom, I looked to my right and saw Akito. Our eyes met for a brief moment. My face turned red, and then Akito spoke nervously.

  "I-it’s not like I was trying to—" "H-how do I look?" I interrupted him, turning my face away. "Y-you look cute," Akito replied while scratching his cheek. "E-eh? You idiot, Akito," I mumbled, then walked away. Then I paused and spoke without looking back: "But… thank you."

  At the festival. “Waaaahhh,” Haruka gasped. “A-Akito, look at all the lanterns! And the things they're selling are so cute—come on, hurry up!” she shouted to Akito and Mistress Yamazaki. “Yeah, yeah…” Akito replied to Haruka.

  Then Haruka turned to us, bowed slightly, and smiled cheerfully. My heart started pounding again. What… is this feeling?