Light… Hino opened her eyes and rolled on her side to see a concerned Fuyuumi-chan looking at her. Outside, the clear blue skies gave no indication that a blizzard had occurred a day earlier. The sun was already high up in the sky, and she groaned and blinked groggily.

"Good morning, Kaho-senpai," said Fuyuumi.

"Oh, good morning, Fuyuumi-chan," Hino smiled. "When did you guys get back?"

"Oh…about 3 hours ago…at around 6 am."

6 am…that means I woke up at 9…wow. "I see. Did you sleep fine at the main lodge yesterday?" the senpai inquired.

"Well, there weren't any beds there, except for the ones in the clinic, but we let the older people sleep there, so the rest of us had to stay on the couches. It wasn't as comfortable as our beds, but it was okay. After we came back, everyone else went to their rooms to get more sleep, but when I came in here, you looked really…well, awful," Fuyuumi recalled, embarrassed. "So I cleaned up the table and got you some medicine I brought with me, too make you feel better."

"Oh, thank you, Fuyuumi-chan."

Hino looked around the room and noted that the noodle cups that she and Tsukimori had left the other night were not on the wooden table anymore. The spills were cleaned up, plastic spoons gone, and the trash can was empty. The thought of Tsukimori was enough to make tears well up, but the violinist quickly brushed them away and got up.

"Ano…Kaho-senpai, are you okay?" Fuyuumi looked at her curiously.

"Wh-why?" stammered the violinist.

"I-its just…well, you seem…different today."

"I'm okay," Hino said a tad hurriedly. She turned away from Fuyuumi and said, "Well, I'll just wash up," she said, hobbling as quickly as she could to the bathroom and closed the door behind her.

Leaning against the door, she stared at her reflection in the mirror in front of her and struggled to rearrange her features. Her throat hurt and her eyes were sill dry from all the tears she had shed the night before. Cupping her mouth over her hand, Hino breathed out and grimaced. My breath stinks, the girl said to herself, making a mental note to never skip brushing her teeth again. Well, who can blame me, after the night I just had, she thought miserably.

After rinsing her mouth and splashing her face, Hino made sure she looked "fine" and went out.

"Ano, Kaho-senpai--"

"Eh, Fuyuumi-chan…I…I'm sorry, but I don't really want to talk about it…it's kind of private,"

"Yes, I know," Fuyuumi smiled. "I just wanted to say that…well, if you want to talk about it, I'm here. And Kaho-senpai, I'm really thankful for you…for helping me, so I want to help you too."

Hino's eyes welled up again. "Arigato, Fuyuumi,"

That afternoon, Hino stayed in as usual, but, to everyone's surprise, Tsukimori decided to go skiing with the boys. This was a relief for her, since the last two times they had been left alone, the encounters had both been disasters.

Hihara, who had been looking forward to spending some quality time with her, was eager to stay in to keep her company. Besides, last night's blizzard scared the hell out of him. He had been on the slopes when the snow started falling rapidly, and by the time he was safely inside the large fortress, the olive-haired teenager was already covered in snow, shivering from cold and fear.

After the others had left, Hihara and Hino played a game of poker with the cards she brought. Poker. Hihara had suggested it first, and immediately, she thought back to that first day of their vacation, when she had first suggested playing card games.

"Tsukimori-kun? Do you know how to play cards? I'll bet you're good at poker; you have a great poker face."

A large, cold hand on top of hers, kind of clutching it, but very loosely, that she wasn't sure if she had imagined it. It was a nice feeling, and there was a tingly sensation in the pit of her stomach she couldn't explain. The hand was Tsukimori's.

"…please, Kaho-chan?"

Hihara's voice brought her back to reality, and she stared blankly at him. "H-huh?"

"Its your turn, Kaho-chan," he said slowly, looking at her strangely. "Are you okay?"

"O-oh, yeah. I'm fine." She was about to say something else when he cut her off.

"Listen, Kaho-chan…"

"Yes?"

"Uh, well, I, uh," Hihara fumbled with his words, unable to think of the best way to say what he wanted to say.

"Ilikeyou! Pleasegooutwithme!" The sentence, strung together like a single word, sprang out of his mouth before he could stop it, and he bowed in shame, blushing furiously in front of the girl he liked.

I like you. Please go out with me.

Hino was taken aback by Hihara's confession. She had not seen this coming, and, seeing her senpai shamefully looking down, unable to meet her eyes, Hino Kahoko could not help but feel guilty for wishing someone else had said that—a blue-haired, golden-eyed someone.

"Ano, Hihara-senpai--"

"Iunderstandifyoudon'twantto--" he blurted, still unable to face her.

"No, I was going to say--"

"ImeanIdon'tknowwhatIwasthinking--"

"Hihara-senpai!"

He looked up at her, astonished by how loud she could be when she wanted to. It was almost as loud as his own voice.

"I—I'll think about it," she said steadily, carefully.

His eyes shone upon hearing her reply. This was more than he expected. The outcomes of this fantasy he had created for months had never ended well—there were some when she had slapped him, some where she told him she loved someone else, and even one where he had ended up in a cage with a lion, standing in nothing but his underwear and yellow rubber ducky floaters on his arms. "Arigato, Hino-chan!"

Over at the main lodge, Yunoki, Tsuchiura and Tsukimori were putting on their ski gear. Tsukimori was yanking on his left boot when, Tsuchiura, dying of curiosity, asked him, "Oi, Tsukimori, why are you here?"

"I'm here because the principal asked me to come," Tsukimori said in his usual cool voice, even though he knew well enough that that wasn't the here that his rival was talking about.

Tsuchiura shot him a withering glance. "I meant, why are you HERE, skiing with us?"

"I received a call from my mother last night. She told me to relax while I was on vacation, so that's what I'm doing." He was, of course, lying. Hamai Misa had not called the night before, and, even if she had, Tsukimori doubted he would listen to his mother, as respectful and obedient a son he was.

Tsuchiura snorted. He didn't believe that pathetic excuse for a lie one bit. "Oh, mama's boy, are you? Come one, what's the real reason?"

Tsukimori, who by that time had finished getting ready, got off the wooden bench and, taking his ski rods, said curtly, "I don't answer to you. Frankly, it's none of your business, and your nosing in like that makes you seem like a gossipy girl. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be going ahead."

The violinist quickly made his way to the slope, pushing to the back of his mind thoughts of the girl that preoccupied him so much. I'm here because I can't face her. I can't face Hino, not after what she said to me, not after the things I told her. Tsukimori made his way down the slope with surprising speed and grace, as though he spent most of his time skiing, not practicing the violin. Tsuchiura and Yunoki, who had come out a few moments later, arrived just in time to see him move swiftly down the snow-covered mountain.

"Wow, I didn't know Tsukimori could ski so well," commented a bewildered Tsuchiura.

"I believe his family has a winter home in the Swiss Alps. They must've vacationed there often when he was still a kid," Yunoki said.

"It's hard to imagine Tsukimori doing anything but practice the violin." Tsuchiura tried to visualize a young Tsukimori struggling with skis, but failed miserably.

Yunoki thought about what Tsuchiura said, and remarked, "I don't think Tsukimori would have been like he is now if the situation had been different."

Tsuchiura looked at his senpai, confused. "What do you mean, Yunoki-senpai?"

"Tsukimori isn't like average teenagers because, well, he isn't from a normal family. The son of a famed pianist and a wealthy CEO can hardly be expected to handle the same pressures as a kid from an average family." Yunoki was surprised at himself. Why was he defending Tsukimori? A small, bitter smile flickered briefly across his face as he realized why he did it. I feel the same way he does. I feel pressured by the expectations of my family, too. He, to excel in the field of music, and I, to stop "playing around" in the arts. Oh, the irony.

Yunoki turned back to Tsuchiura and flashed him a good-natured smile. "Well, let's get going," and put on his goggles. If I cannot have Kahoko, then she at least deserves to be with someone who can make her happy. He started down the mountain, leaving behind the thoughts that plagued him.

Tsuchiura mulled over his senpai's words. Of course it made sense that Tsukimori would be pressured to do better in music. Of course he would strive to achieve that perfection others expected of him. Of course he would become focused and cold, his mind set on his goal. Of course he would push Hino away, denying himself the feelings he, too, had for her. How could I not have seen that, he thought to himself, frustrated. Maybe I am as slow as he makes me out to be. Tsuchiura stood, stock-still, even after Yunoki had went down the slope without him. He thought back to that night Hino had told him about her and Tsukimori. She was so hurt, so sad, so confused. All because of Tsukimori. The pianist's heart ached, wishing terribly that he would matter to Hino as much as Tsukimori did to her. Finally, he turned to look at the sloping curve in front of him and sighed, hoping that a quick ski down would help him sort his thoughts.

Hino, back in her room, curled up on her side and clutched her pillow. She had excused herself a while ago, telling Hihara she wanted to rest for a while. In truth, she wanted time by herself, to think about Hihara's confession.

It can't possibly be so bad, she thought to herself. What harm will one date do? Hihara-senpai has been a good friend, and, if I let him, he'd probably be a good boyfriend, too. I have to forget about HIM. Forget about him, move on, find someone who would take my heart and not break it into a million pieces. Hihara-senpai is a nice guy, and he seemsto be telling the truth. Besides, she sighed and rolled over on her back. Besides, it can't end as bad as what happened between me and Tsukimori.