Chapter 8: Izumi's Questioning

The chilly wind blew as was Izumi holding onto Kouji's sleeping bag. She chattered her teeth while Kouji stood there, his tied wet hair forming icicles, and clutching himself while shivering. Izumi's hair also was forming icicles. It was worse for her since she had longer hair.

"Thank you for saving my life. I owe you one," she said while half-dancing and half-standing like a little ant.

Kouji looked down while still chattering his teeth and shivering. A strong wind blew and Izumi wrapped the sleeping bag around her tightly. She wished she had a towel to at least dry herself and keep the ice water from dripping everywhere.

"Why am I the one to always get caught in something? First snow topples on me now I fall through ice. I think someone's out to get me," she thought.

"Are you okay?" asked Kouji, interrupting her thoughts of someone out to get her, while shaking and clutching himself for warmth.

"Yeah…well, no."

"We need some place to stay warm for now. The snow will get worse later on."

"Where are we going to stay! We're in the middle of Iwate-san Mountains! Like we're going to find anything! And you last gave me the map!" Izumi searched her wet mushy pockets. It must have fallen into the water. "Well I don't have it! Where are we gonna go! We have no idea where bases or cabins are anymore!" Izumi said, freaking out.

"Well, d-do you want to freeze out here to death!" Kouji said loudly and coldly back to her.

"No!"

"Well, come on then," Kouji said as he walked away also half-dancing like he had ants in his pants.

"I'm s-ss-so c-c-cold, Kouji."

Kouji stopped and took off his thick indigo blazer. "Here, now stop c-c-complaining."

"What? But it's s-so cold. I have my own jacket."

"But you were full submerged in water. I wasn't. Now take it."

"No. I won't give in. You don't always have to be nice to me just because I'm some weak little girl. We'll be cold together."

Kouji wrapped his indigo blazer around her anyway. All he had left was his blue jacket with yellow stripes running down the sleeves.

"Kouji! Take your jacket back. You don't even have a sweater on. Only that little thin thing!"

"I'm f-fine! Okay? Now shush up."

"Kouji, I am not taking your jacket."

"Yes, you are."

"Look, I may be not as strong as you, but I still want you to be warm too!"

Kouji turned his head and just looked at her. Izumi stared back.

"P-please, I don't want you to get sick or develop something because of me." Izumi said, still jumping up and down.

"I just can't let you freeze out here," Kouji said, looking at the snow, crossed-armed, and chattering his teeth at the same time.

"Look; listen to me, Kouji. I'm okay. Don't worry about me."

"No you're not. You're always prone to getting crushed by something."

"What does that mean?"

"Never mind. G-give me back my jacket."

Kouji wrapped himself and turned his neck like a robot to see where to go.

"W-where should we go?"

"How should I know?"

Just then, a snowflake fell on Izumi's nose.

Kouji looked up with repulsive resentment towards the sky.

"Oh, no. It's snowing," Kouji said.

"What the hell are we going to do? Become popsicles!" Izumi yelled into his ear.

"Shut up! Do you want to start another avalanche? Because this time I'm not digging you out!"

"What? Stop blaming everything on me!"

"I'm not the one who wouldn't listen to get off thin ice when I had warned you like three times. Who the heck is stupid enough to not notice cracking sounds?"

"Well, sorry if I'm not as smart as you, Kouji! You know, you're starting to sound like Miyamoto!"

"What? How can you compare me to that insensitive girl?"

"Why don't you just go, since you're insulting me, like she wants you to!"

"Orimoto-san, what are you talking about?"

"You're just pretending to be nice to me! You're doing what Miyamoto wants you to do, which is to insult me!"

"What? Where did you get that idea from? Just because I was being sarcastic doesn't mean I'm being like Miyamoto!"

"Well, I..."

Just then, a light shone though the light-falling snow and onto Kouji and Izumi. It was Yanagimoto-sensei on a snow speeder. She jumped off her speeder and ran to the two.

"Orimoto! Minamoto! Are you two okay? You both have icicles forming on yourselves! What happened?"

"Aren't you wondering why the heck were lost?" Kouji said quietly.

"No, I know what happened." I'll take you to the cabin where all your classmates are and explain everything. Climb here. You two must be freezing to death.

"Yes, we are." Kouji said.

Yanagimoto-sensei sat on the speeder, while Kouji got behind her, and Izumi behind him, clinging onto Kouji and shivering. Yanagimoto-sensei got up to give Kouji and Izumi blankets and threw Kouji and Izumi's bags into a compartment. Then they drove off.