INT. ICE CREAM SHOP — LUNCH
For the past few days, Ice hadn't spoken to me. Not even a glance—unless it was for our group project.
Sigh.
I knew it. He was definitely irritated.
"Why drag me into nonsense like this," I could already hear him say.
"What's wrong?" Oriel asked, leaning in.
"Ice met Ace." Another sigh escaped before I could stop it. Oriel's eyes immediately lit up with hearts—then turned into blinking question marks. Understandably confused.
"What? How? Why Ice?" she asked.
"Who's Ace?" Dhylan suddenly cut in.
Oriel shot him a glare. "I just told you—Fyre's boyfriend, idiot!" Then she turned back to me. "I mean, you never officially said it, but everyone's assuming. It's kind of obvious."
"But still, why Ice?" she added. "I wanted to meet him too! Blaze is super handsome—"
Dhylan's eyes widened. "How can you say that in front of me?"
He tried to sound hurt, like a jealous boyfriend, but Oriel didn't even flinch.
"You two really look perfect together," she said, focusing on me again. "But… why do you look so stressed?"
Another deep breath escaped me.
"It's Ice. He got accidentally involved in Ace's surprise for me. Ace is always doing stuff like that, but Ice is—"
"Ice is the all-time antagonist. Don't mind him," Oriel cut in, rolling her eyes.
"I wish I could. But Ice is…"
My words trailed off, caught in a web of memory—his yelling, the way he pushed me away with every rude remark.
But also…
That time in the kitchen, when he quietly tended to my cuts.
That quiet moment on the playground.
The soft smile he gave me while carrying the parfait he made—just for me.
They all hated Ice, but I couldn't. Not like that.
"You have this hot boyfriend—Ace! The superstar! Forget Ice, he's nothing but rude," Oriel said, casually eating from her cup. Dhylan was buried in his laptop, only half-listening.
"The thing is… Ace and I are, hmm—"
I glanced around, as if the right word might be written on the wall. "We're just good friends."
Oriel froze mid-scoop, her spoon still in her mouth like someone hit pause.
"That's why we've never made anything public," I added with an awkward smile. Lying wasn't easy—but it wasn't exactly a lie either.
I trusted Oriel. I wanted her to know.
"It was an agreement. We let people assume, but we don't confirm anything. That way, it's easier to undo later."
"It was an emergency measure," I continued. "Ace had a lot of stalkers. Crazy fangirls."
"Wait, wouldn't that be more dangerous if they thought he had a girlfriend?" Oriel squinted, clearly trying to piece it all together.
"At first, yeah. But after a few months, it turned out to be a good idea. Some fans left, but Ace said he didn't want fans like that anyway. He even had someone break into his house once."
I shivered just remembering it.
"And then… he overheard some creepy guys trying to hit on me. So—" I paused.
"You made a contract to be a fake couple! Then you'll fall in love, and there'll be drama, and you'll struggle to confess your feelings—" Oriel jumped in, eyes sparkling.
"Can you let her finish the story?" Dhylan said, now more engaged than ever. "Sorry, Fyre. She's been reading the novels you lent her a little too seriously."
Oriel, now embarrassed, looked down and mumbled an apology.
These two never failed to lift my mood.
"Well… Ace and I are really, really close. Like siblings," I said.
"That's the best kind of foundation!" Oriel beamed.
Dhylan gently reined her in. "My Ori, calm down. You sound like a fan club president."
"I am!" she declared proudly.
I laughed. Just being around them washed my worries away like sunlight on wet pavement.
"Okay, back to the story," Dhylan prompted.
I nodded, shifting to a more serious tone. "To protect each other, we made a pact. If either of us falls for the other—or for someone else—we'll tell each other. No secrets."
I hesitated, then added, "Also… Ace is a rising star. He wanted to boost my career, too. Honestly, it has helped a lot."
"But isn't that like… using each other?" Dhylan asked, genuinely curious. Oriel elbowed him.
I smiled. "Kind of. But when you're good friends, it doesn't really feel that way. It was his idea, and I didn't agree at first, but now… I get it."
"What if he actually likes you and is just using that as an excuse? Fyre!" Oriel cried out dramatically.
I didn't even mind her rambling—it was kind of hilarious. I'd probably have the same reaction if the roles were reversed.
"It's like if Oriel asked me for a favor," I said, "and it ended up looking like she was using my connections. I wouldn't care."
"I wouldn't do that—promise!" Oriel said, raising her right hand like she was swearing in court.
I giggled. "Just saying, even if you did, I wouldn't mind. You could go on every magazine and say I sent you—I'd still be cool with it."
She paused for a moment. I thought she finally got it.
Then—
"See? See! This could still be a real couple!" Oriel said, punching Dhylan lightly.
"But we're mostly like brother and sister. Like, super close. The kind where if he said he loved me, I'd go 'ew,'" I said, trying to stop myself from laughing.
"Like me and DJ?" Oriel asked.
Dhylan and I answered in perfect unison: "No."
His was louder. Oriel blinked, now clearly confused.
Even by the end of the day, she refused to believe Ace and I were just friends.
And me? I was back to overthinking Ice.
Sigh.
I know what I have to do.
EXT. UNIVERSITY GATE – 3:00 PM
From the student council building, it took a few minutes to reach the afternoon classroom.
Ice had just wrapped up a meeting. With the University Foundation Day fast approaching, the endless planning was starting to wear her down.
A voice drifted from the back gate.
"I'm sorry, sir. You can't come in."
"Just for a moment. I only need to say goodbye to someone."
That voice—faint, but familiar.
Ice stopped, turning away from the direction of her class. The back gate? he guessed.
Hands in his pockets, posture calm but commanding, Ice moved like someone who didn't care—but the air around him always suggested otherwise.
At the gate, the guard stood firm. "If you're not a student, you can't come in."
On the other side was someone oddly dressed: a plain sweatsuit, hood up, cap pulled low beneath it, and a face mask hiding most of his features. Disguise or not, his presence was hard to miss.
Ice smirked. Trying to be discreet? He looks more like a shady dealer than a pop idol.
"What's going on?" Ice asked coolly.
The guard turned, recognizing him instantly. "He insists on coming inside. No ID."
The man perked up. "Bonjour! Ice, right?" He tugged his mask down just long enough to flash a grin. "It's me—Ace."
I know. I don't care.
"I can't let you in. Rules are rules," Ice said flatly.
Ace pouted, leaning forward. "Just a minute. I swear—I just want to say bye to Flamemy."
The effort in his voice was sincere, but Ice wasn't moved.
They were too similar. Ace must've known it too—his antics were useless here.
"Wait for her. Dismissal's soon," Ice said, already turning away.
Ace kept pleading, but neither Ice nor the guard entertained him further.
The hallway beyond was silent, wide, and still—classes still in session.
Disguised like that? He'll be recognized in five minutes. Ice shook his head.
Couple match made in heaven, he thought again, this time with a hint of sarcasm.
Next Chapter: In the quiet shade of a glasshouse, where sunlight filters like secrets through the trees, Zafire learns that silence can hurt more than words — and a single smile can melt walls she didn't know she had.
When unwanted attention from classmates pushes Ice to act, and a project victory brings relief and doubt, Zafire begins to question what lies behind his cold eyes. Is he angry? Disappointed?
Or… is he protecting something? Because sometimes, the coldest people burn the brightest.