Chapter 4: Miyamoto's Rage

Izumi gasped as she turned around. Kouji remained calm and didn't bother to turn. Miyamoto sprinted out of nowhere and hit Izumi on the head with a rock. She quickly tried to grab Kouji but he just sidestepped and Miyamoto fell in the snow again. She groaned really loud and ran again to Kouji. This time she was successful. She managed three steps and Kouji wriggled free of her wrath. He ran back to Izumi and yelled, "Orimoto!" which wasn't very smart of him, as he cause a very small avalanche that make a huge pile over Izumi's legs, covering her up to her waist. Thankfully, her head and arms were out. The good part was he managed to get away from Miyamoto. The bad part was he didn't know if Izumi was still conscious. Kouji got to his knees and began trying to dig her out. Miyamoto stepped up to Kouji and said,

"What a pity, she died," she sneered.

"Shut up!" he yelled as he flinged some snow off the ground and into Miyamoto's eyes, resuming at digging Izumi out. Miyamoto wiped the snow away from her face, appalled at Kouji's actions, then flounced away on her own.

Kouji was still trying to get her out. She was unconscious as Kouji though his hands would get frostbit if he kept digging with his hands. So he grappled Izumi's hands and yanked her out as he fell five feet back with Izumi, who was still inadvertent.

"Orimoto, wake up!" Kouji said loudly. But Izumi didn't wake up.

She lay there unconscious of her surroundings. But things were going through her mind. An image of Kouji running towards her ran through her head. All of a sudden she saw snow advancing towards her. After that, all she could remember was Kouji. Then she jolted awake and opened her eyes. She saw Kouji in front of her, yelling.

"Orimoto!" he screamed into her ear, without realizing Izumi awake.

"I'm awake!" she yelled back at him. Kouji changed face expression, stepping two footsteps back and said,

"I'm glad you're okay!"

"What?"

"Umm… nothing."

"Well.. all right."

"Are you okay? I mean, after being half-buried in snow?"

"Yes, I'm okay!"

"Well, c'mon we have to keep going… unless something's wrong…"

"Will you stop worrying about me! I'm fine!"

It was already becoming sunset from their arrival from Jiyuugaoka. They continued walking. Miyamoto went on her own direction, not minding Yanagimoto-sensei's instructions of where to go. She began kicking everything in her way.

"Damn it! Kouji hates me! Wait, if I get rid of Izumi…" she said as she kicked another rock, walked into the fog mist and disappeared.

The trail that Kouji and Izumi on ended, seeing that they needed to climb some ledges. Kouji saw it as no problem and climbed the first step. Izumi just watched him, slightly scared that she might fall down.

"Come on. It's not that hard."

"I don't know…"

"Fine, give me your hand."

Izumi accepted and grabbed Kouji's indigo-gloved covered hand. She climbed up, as she got her other hand on the ledge. Just then, she toppled on a rock sticking out on the side of the ledge.