Summer break at Holy Cross High meant empty classrooms, quiet dormitories, and a rare silence in the chaos.
But not for Kaiser Klein.
While others traveled abroad or relaxed in luxury resorts, Kaiser remained locked in his rigid routine—training before sunrise, studying until midnight. Every second of his day accounted for, every breath aligned with discipline.
His life was a blueprint. Cold, precise, and predictable.
Until that day.
It was the final week of summer. The city basked in golden sunlight, and Kaiser—out of sheer boredom more than need—stepped into a local mall. He moved through the crowd like a shadow, unseen and uninterested. No one caught his eye.
Until—she did.
She stood quietly by the bookstore window, flipping through a novel like the world behind her didn't exist. Long brown hair fell in soft waves down her back, catching the sunlight in warm glints. Her schoolbag hung lazily off one shoulder, and her posture was relaxed, yet poised.
But it wasn't her beauty that made him pause.
It was her stillness.
In a world full of noise and masks, she seemed... real. Effortlessly real.
Her eyes—deep crimson, warm yet unreadable—lifted to meet his.
Not startled. Not intimidated.
Curious.
She offered a light smile, a nod. A moment of recognition, even though they were strangers.
"Looking for something?" she asked casually, her voice calm, confident.
Kaiser blinked. He wasn't used to people speaking to him like that. No nervousness. No agenda.
"…Not really," he replied, his voice flat but not unkind.
She shrugged, still smiling. "Sometimes that's the best way to find something worthwhile."
She turned back to her book, and Kaiser found himself standing there longer than he meant to. Watching. Thinking.
Then, just like that, the moment passed.
But something lingered.
A ripple in the still water of his life.
The first day back at school arrived. Uniforms were pressed, shoes polished, and ambition filled the air like perfume. Students returned to the battlefield, eager to reclaim their ranks.
Kaiser, as always, walked alone.
His presence drew glances. Whispers. But he ignored them, eyes forward.
Until they stopped on a familiar figure standing beneath the old cherry tree by the school gate.
Her.
Same soft brown hair. Same piercing red eyes. But now she wore the Holy Cross uniform, and it fit her like it was made for her.
She caught his stare and smiled—easy, open.
"Yo, Ice Prince," she called out with a teasing grin. "Didn't think I'd see you again."
Kaiser's expression didn't change. He didn't answer. But his pace slowed.
She stepped forward, hands in her pockets, walking right up to him.
"We're classmates now," she said, her tone light. "Looks like you're stuck with me."
His eyes narrowed slightly. He studied her like a puzzle no one had given him the pieces to.
Then he turned away, silent as ever.
But behind him, he heard her laugh—soft, melodic, real.
For a second… just a second… the corner of his mouth tugged upward.
A smile.