Five guys and two girls finally arrived at the Ski resort on the first day of their winter break holding onto the handle of their suitcases that they had been rolling up the hill to the resort. They all stood in a row staring up at the lodge that could be passed as a hotel due to the number of levels of floors it consisted. They then turned around and took in the scenery in front of them. There was nothing but white. Pure white everywhere. The place was filled with snow - after all it was for skiing.

The group of seven teenagers were all pumping with excitement. It was their first time, at the age of 16, to go on a trip unsupervised. Though they did tell a white lie to their parents that they would be going with one of the guys, Ryosuke Yamada’s older sister who was taking a trip somewhere else with her boyfriend.

“Oh my God, I’m so excited!” one of the girls, Miki Takahara, squealed as she turned to her best friend. Her slightly chubby cheeks were flushed, her nose was pink and her face was white as a ghost. Despite the cold air, she was too excited to care.

Mizuki Matsuoka responded with a grin. It still felt surreal to her that she was afraid that if she was pinched she would wake up.

Her long black hair was flowing down her back. Her fringes were blown to one side due to the cool breeze. Wearing a pink scarf around her neck, a thick black coat, blue jeans and a knee-high boots, she was still shivering.

Before she could react to the feeling of a presence behind her, she was too late because she felt a thump and an index finger on both her cheeks, squeezing her cheeks and then pulling it.

“Are you thinking that this is a dream, Zuki-baka?”

“Leth meh goh,” Mizuki managed to say even as the person pulling her cheeks was trying to stretch it as far as it could possibly stretch. She smacked the two hands away, then jumped forward and turned around, standing in a guarded stance. “Do you have a death wish, Kei-baka?” she warned. She narrowed her eyes keeping her guard up.

Kei-baka was a nickname she had for her childhood friend Keito Okamoto. She had known him since they were babies all because their parents were best friends. Due to her parents close friendship, the two had grown up together. She already had her little brother to deal with his silly antics that Keito was thrown in as well to deal with. Her parents always said they were blessed with another son who would be able to protect her but she always wondered if it was a blessing in disguise because she always thought he was the devil’s incarnation who came to torment her life.

Since she called him Kei-baka from when they were in kindergarten, he had decided to call her Zuki-baka. Keito would do anything just to annoy her, which was why she wondered how she had gotten herself into coming on a trip where he would be there. A weekend with Keito, would be the last thing she would want.

She gave a quick glance over at her best friend since middle school, Miki. It was all because of her…

One week ago…

“Zuki, Zuki!” Miki came skidding to a halt in front of her.

The school bell had just rung a second ago for lunch time and Mizuki had just began packing her things together when she heard a huge commotion coming from outside. The door then slammed open before her classmates could open it to exit and Miki came barging in, breathlessly nearly knocking the students.

Miki began gasping for breath as she bent down, holding her knees. Mizuki frowned as she stood up and swung the bag over her shoulder before she gave her friend her undivided attention.

“What’s up?”

“It’s the winter break next week!” her friend cried out.

Mizuki’s frown deepened. “Obviously.”

“My mom and dad are going to force me to go see my grandparents for New Year’s...”

“Have a safe trip,” she cut in to wish.

“Hey, you’re so mean!” Miki balled her cheeks and cast a cynical look. “You know how boring I find it there no matter how much I love my grandparents.”

“And the money they give you every special occasions,” Mizuki pointed out.

Her friend stomped her foot in frustration. “Sometimes I wonder if we’re friends or enemies.”

She broke out a toothy grin. “Well, there is a say ‘keep your friend close and keep your enemies closer’,” she cackled.

Miki rolled her eyes. “Anyways, before I go on the boring trip, I had an idea of us going on our own trip during Christmas.”

Mizuki raised a brow curiously. “What kind of trip?”

“Skiing!” her friend squealed. “You said Keito-kun’s parents always go every year but this year they’re not going. I got the idea that we go on our own.”

She narrowed her eyes in suspicious as she watched her friend. “You’re not suggesting we go on a trip with Kei-baka?”

Miki bobbed her head giddily. “And Yuri-kun and the others…”

“No way!” Mizuki shrieked. “I refuse to go on a trip where Kei-baka is!”

“So, all the other years you’ve been coming on a trip because my parents forced you?”

Mizuki turned around in horror to face Keito. She had forgotten he was in the same class as her along with Ryosuke Yamada, Yuri Chinen, Yuto Nakajima and Ryutaro Morimoto. Miki was the only one who was in a different class. They were always the usual crowd she hung out with.

“O-of course I wasn’t forced,” she struggled to say. She was a little embarrassed to be caught.

“Good,” he said. “I’d hate to know that we forced you to come.”

“I wasn’t.”

“I’m glad.”

“I’m glad you’re glad.”

As the two began their competition on who will have the last word, Miki glanced over to her boyfriend, Yuri.

“Wouldn’t it be awesome if we went on our first trip as a couple,” she sighed as she stared at him dreamily.

Mizuki and Keito stopped and turned to their friends. “Even if we wanted to go, it’s not like our parents would allow us to travel alone,” Mizuki said.

“They’ll definitely say no,” Keito added. There are times when the two shared the same thoughts and now was that time.

“My sister said she’ll cover for us,” Ryosuke spoke up. “She wants to use the same excuse so she could go on a trip with her boyfriend.”

“I already told my parents,” Yuto announced.

“Same here,” Ryutaro said.

“Wait a minute!” Keito and Mizuki exclaimed in unison. “You guys planned this before hand?”

“What are you guys talking about? Yuri said with a frown. “We were discussing it yesterday during lunch.”

“Those guys didn’t hear,” Ryutaro pointed out, shaking his head disapprovingly. “They were too busy bickering.”

“So, it’s their fault in the end,” Ryosuke said.

“Hey, hey, you guys are so cold!” Mizuki cried out.

“Come on, let’s ditch them and go to the cafeteria on our own,” Keito suggested and without waiting for her response, he was already dragging her out of the classroom.

“They’re either hot or cold with each other,” Miki muttered under her breath.

~*~*~*~

Keito’s chuckle brought her back to the present. He stepped back so he could get a full view of her and folded his arms across his chest holding an amused expression. “I’m too young to have a death wish. I value my youth. Also I don’t plan on dying without a girlfriend.”

Mizuki’s brows lifted in surprise. She then burst out laughing. “Ha, ha. That was a good one!” she said in the mist of her laughter as she held on her stomach when pain emulated inside. “Which girl in her right mind would date you?”

“Oh my God; you two!” Miki groaned stopping an upcoming heated argument. “Could you two not have a lover’s row before we even enter the lodge?”

Mizuki and Keito’s head whipped to face the girl. “Who the hell are you calling lovers?” the duo snapped. They then faced each other again. “Don’t copy me!” they yelled. Then, “You don’t copy me!”

“Here they go again,” Yuri mumbled under his breath. He wrapped his arm around his girlfriend who also gave up on the two like the other three.

“They were at each other’s throat throughout the train journey,” Ryosuke said. His face paled as he recalled their train ride.

Yuto shivered. “Don’t remind me of the embarrassment!”

“Everyone was staring at us,” Ryutaro covered his mouth and whimpered.

“Who invited them anyways?” Yuri asked.

Mizuki and Keito heard the last comment. They turned to Yuri with menace. “How dare you guys!” Mizuki cried out.

Keito bobbed his head in agreement. “If you left us behind, we would never have talked to you guys again.”

Mizuki covered in a dramatic way and sobbed lightly. “You guys are so cruel.”

“Come on, Mizuki, let’s go in and leave these so-called friends,” Keito said as he wrapped a protective arm around his childhood friend and pulled her in while manoeuvring his suitcase behind him while Mizuki was doing the same with hers.

The two left the four guys and the girl baffled at their departure. A sweat dropped from the side of their face.

“They’re either hot or cold,” Miki said as she usually does whenever they leave her gobsmacked. No matter how many times their attitude suddenly changes, it never ceases to amaze her.

“I worry about them,” Ryosuke said in concern.

Yuri shook his head. “I refuse to be pulled into their craziness,” he said. “Miki-chin, let’s go in.”

“Yeah,” she agreed. “If they argue, we’ll just ignore them.” She allowed Yuri to guide her inside.

The three guys, who were left behind, glanced at each other. They then shrugged their shoulders and followed them inside to check in before they froze to death.

Inside the resort, at the lobby, Mizuki was gawking at the man behind the reception desk. He held a grin on his face.

“Welcome to Nishikido Winter Resort,” the man greeted them. “I’m Nishikido Ryo. I hope you enjoy your stay here.”

Mizuki cleared . She nodded her head and beamed at him. “We will. I’m Matsuoka Mizuki. By the way, your name is the same as the place. You’re not the owner are you?”

Keito frowned as he watched his friend babble on. Whenever she was nervous she tended to talk nonstop and she only got nervous whenever she liked someone. He lifted his gaze to eye the man suspiciously. What was nice about the slightly dark skinned man who looked ten years older than them?

“Yes, I own the place,” he responded, his voice husky with Kansai-ben dialect.

Mizuki grinned. “Really? It’s surprising that you would be working at the reception,” she said.

He flashed another grin. “It’s Christmas Eve and the receptionist suddenly had to travel to Hokkaido to spend Christmas with her family. There won’t be a replacement until tomorrow. So I have to cover until then.”

“That’s unfortunate,” Mizuki symphonised.

“Zuki-baka, why are you so interesting in that?” Keito’s voice startled her. She glared at him which he ignored. “Anyways, we made reservation for seven under the name Okamoto,” he told Ryo.

Ryo nodded and began searching for their reservation on the computer on the desk. He then looked up. “Ah, yes. You booked three rooms.” He paused to ring the bell and two bellboys came rushing to the lobby. Just then Miki and Yuri came in with the other three guys following behind. “Show these youngsters to room 301, 302 and 303.”

“Hai,” the two bellboys acknowledged their order. They bowed at Ryo and then turned to the seven teenagers. They wheeled a luggage carrier each and helped them put their suitcases in before they guided them to the elevator.

~*~*~*~

The group of seven rode the elevator back down to the lobby after unpacking and changing into warmer clothes. The two girls were sharing room 301; Yuri and Keito were sharing the second room while Ryosuke, Yuto and Ryutaro had 303. The group didn’t want to waste time idling in their rooms than spend it out side. They were all eager to have fun, especially when there were no adults to nag or scold them.

“You guys ready for skiing?” Ryo said when they returned to the reception.

Mizuki nodded eagerly. “Yes.”

Miki who was next to her had a hard time looking away from the handsome owner. Her boyfriend had to nudge her to snap out of her trance. She then cleared . “Come on, Mizuki, we should get going.”

Mizuki reluctantly followed her friends to the equipment loan shop that was near the entrance of the resort. They got their skiing equipment then headed out to the sky lift. The guys got snowboards while the girls stuck to skis.

“As soon as we get to the top, we’re racing, Zuki-baka,” Keito announced as they struggled walked up the slope. He was holding up and red and black snowboard with a bold writing on the back written ‘Hey! Say! JUMP’.

“I don’t want to race with you, Kei-baka,” she responded as she struggled to walk with her skis. “I’m just going to glide for a bit just to get a hang of things.”

“Don’t be such a girl!”

“I am a girl!”

The two stopped their bickering for a minute to jump on the ski lift as an two-person double chairlift came. They weren’t concerned if their friends were following behind them on the other cable seats.

They once again resumed their bickering.

“You don’t act like a girl,” he said as if they did not pause the conversation at all.

“What? How rude!” she exclaimed, flabbergasted. “You’re the one who don’t treat me like a girl!”

“I would but as I said, you don’t act like one.”

“We’re high up on the air, Kei-baka. If I were you I wouldn’t get me angry. I would throw you off here where no one can find you,” she warned him.

“You would not!”

“Don’t tempt me.”

“See,” he pointed an accusing finger at her. “A normal girl would not threaten a guy.”

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.”

Soon the cable was drawing closer to their landing spot. Mizuki smirked evilly as she thought of a way to get even. She got her gears ready and as soon as it was time to jump, she did. She was already gliding down.

“I thought we were racing,” she yelled over her shoulder then quickly looked straight ahead. It would be too risky to look away from her path sight in case she trips over or bumps into anything. Though the trees were far away on her right and left side.

Keito narrowed his eyes as he jumped off a few seconds later. He didn’t make any attempt to speed up yet. In fact he was giving her a handicap as a few minutes head start which he knew she would tell him off later. He took his time putting his goggles on, stretch his gloves so it wasn’t loose and making sure there was nothing dangling.

A minute passed and he jumped 30 degrees around so he had the trees on his front and back. He then bent his knees and held his hands on both side. He then pushed himself to start gliding. He soon picked up speed quickly and was already halfway, catching up to her. A minute later he was skiing alongside her and then another minute after that he was leaving her behind.

“Bye, bye, Zuki-baka,” he waved over his shoulder, giving her a wink and then zooming down the hill, leaving her frustrated.

“Cheater!” she yelled after him causing him to slow down.

“Eh?” he frowned. “How can I cheat in skiing? Do I have some kind of booster or a rocket?”

“No! It’s just you’re more experienced than me,” she pouted.

“Oh please!” he scoffed. “Come up with a better excuse.”

She glared at him.

“Okay fine,” he gave in. She decreased his speed more so she was at her pace. “We’ll ski together.”

Once again an evil grin crept up on the corner of . Before he could comprehend what the grin meant, it was too late. Mizuki zoomed off in a speed faster than earlier.

“Oi, you minx!” he shouted.

He then didn’t waste time to follow after her with his own high speed.

The race was on. This time Mizuki couldn’t use any tricks to throw him off guard. They were serious now. It took them less than five minutes to go all the way down the slope.

And the winner was… Keito. It was no surprise to her. After all he was the one who taught her how to ski in the first place. She was ten when she was invited to join them on their skiing trips.

“Race you down again,” he challenged her.

Mizuki grinned widely. “You just read my mind. This time I’m going to win.”

“In your dreams,” he snorted.

The two ran back to the ski lift and headed up to the same spot and jumped. But the next time he won again. When the third round came, there were no winners in the end because on her way down, Mizuki tripped and toppled down the slope. Keito managed to stop her before she went rolling down all the way. But he was not able to stop the sprain on her ankle.

Mizuki was crying in pain and Keito was paralysed in shock. Never was he in a position where he was useless. He was shocked. He had no clue to what to do and being unable to do anything left him frustrated.

“Keito, it hurts,” she cried out, snapping him out of his shock mode. He stared into her teary eyes. “Keito…”

“Okay, got it,” he finally made a decision. He swatted down with his back facing her and held his hands out behind him. He waved his hands when Mizuki made no movement to climb up. Her tears had subsided by now.”

“Eh, but…?”

“Do you want me to leave you hear then?” he snapped in frustration.

“No, but… I’m worried you might joke and say how heavy I am or something.”

“Mizuki, now is not the time for jokes,” he told her seriously which startled her. she had never seen him get serious about anything. “Come on. This is serious!”

“Yeah, I can tell,” she muttered. She sat up and leaned her front on his back and then wrapped her arms around his neck.

A blush immediately appeared on his cheeks and he was glad that she couldn’t see his face at that moment. Despite the situation, he could not help notice her chest pressing on his back. In fact for the first time he saw her as a girl.

“Urm… Keito… shouldn’t you get moving?” she said into his ears.

He tried not to shiver when he felt her breath on his ear and how it felt good. He cleared his throat audibly, shook his head to clear his thoughts of the strange feeling he was getting in the pit of his stomach and stood up with her.

He then carefully not to drop her jogged in the direction of the resort. He found his friends at the lobby. It seemed they had just come themselves.

“What happened?” Miki gasped seeing Mizuki on Keito’s back.

“Kei-baka pushed me down the hill because I was winning,” she joked, flashing her perfectly white teeth.

All five pair of eyes turned to Keito. They gulped soundlessly as they looked at him in horror.

He jerked his head back. “Hey, hey,” he cried out. “I can’t believe you believe that story,” he exclaimed in disbelief. “First of all, I don’t cheat unlike her and second of all what makes you think she was winning against me?”

Their friends bobbed their head as his theory made a lot more sense than Mizuki’s. Whenever the two had a competition, Keito was always the winner no matter how many times Mizuki tried to beat him in the same game.

“Anyways, we should get her to a hospital or something,” Keito’s attention returned to the situation in hand. “Are you still in any pain, Mizuki?”

“I’m fine now. You can put me down,” she assured him.

“Really? You’re fine?” he raised a brow, unconvinced with her bravery act.

“Yes.”

“Okay,” he said. But instead of lowering down for her to step down, Keito grabbed her foot that she had claimed earlier and squeezed it.

Mizuki let out a long, high-pitched scream startling everyone around the lobby and nearly giving heart attacks to some of them. Keito immediately let go of her foot and tried to keep his balance since her voice vibrated through his body like electricity.

“Kei-baka,” she growled once the pain died down a notch. She tightened her grip around his neck almost choking him. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Geh,” he choked out paling as white as a ghost. “Zuki-baka, let go,” he managed to say.

Mizuki loosened her grip as she felt Keito was about to drop her. He took a deep breath releasing it. He glanced over at his friends who stood there as if the two were entertaining them. Glancing over his shoulder, he glared at the girl on his back.

“Since you’re still in pain, I think we should go to the hospital and get it checked out in case it’s broken.”

“Erm… excuse me,” a husky deep voice interrupted them.

The group turned around and saw Ryo standing a foot away with an uncomfortable expression across his face. Mizuki’s arm once again tightened around his neck but this time not enough to choke him. In the corner of his eyes, Keito watched his friend’s reaction to the man.

She held her breath and stared at him. A smile slowly appeared on the corner of . Keito felt his stomach churn. The idea of Mizuki, his Mizuki, looking at another man like a puppy in love angered him.

He stopped his train of thoughts as he realised where it was leading him. His Mizuki? When was she his? He was appalled at himself for acting - feeling - like a jealous guy.

“Has something happened?” the older man with his husky Kansai-ben dialect asked. His eyes travelled over to Mizuki then down to her foot that was exposed in view and turning purple. “Oh God!” he gasped. “We need to get that checked.”

“I know,” Keito snapped. “That’s why I’m taking her to a hospital.”

“That would be wise if a hospital was nearby,” Ryo informed him. “Unfortunately this place is isolated. But don’t worry, for this reason I hired a live-in doctor who has splendid qualification. I’ll show you to the infirmary.”

Keito scoffed. He didn’t want help from the man Mizuki was spellbound by. But he was not in the position to decline the offer since Mizuki was in pain. Her safety always came first no matter how much they fought or acted nonchalant about each other.

“Fine,” he gave in, letting out an exasperating breath.

~*~*~*~

Mizuki winced when she felt the cold hands of the doctor’s on her ankle. Though it helped cool down the burning pain, she was not used to strangers touching her.

She was lying on the hospital bed in the awfully large infirmary consisting at least ten beds. It seemed the place was well stocked with equipments and utilities. Her leg was up on the air due to the doctor holding it up.

Keito was fidgeting, anxious to know the result. The rest of the group were in their rooms as Keito said they didn’t need to worry and he’d be besides her. “Is it broken, doctor…?”

“Ayumu,” the doctor filled in the dots. “You can call me Ayu.”

“Erm… Ayu-sensei,” he began, a little uncomfortable calling a stranger by the first name. “Is it broken?”

She placed Mizuki’s leg down carefully and looked at Keito. She smiled, almost taking his breath away. He had to dig his nails in his palm just to compose himself.

Today was not his day, he inwardly groaned.

“She’ll be fine,” Ayumu assured him. “Just a little sprain that will need at least a week to rest to get better.”

“A week?” Mizuki shrieked. “We only here for 2 days! I won’t be able to ski at all!”

Keito’s brows furrowed. He looked at little guilty that she was hurt and wouldn’t be able to have fun. He blamed himself for challenging her to a race. “Don’t worry,” he gently said.

“Don’t worry?” she shrieked. “I have to be stuck inside!”

“Don’t worry,” he repeated. “I’ll be here with you.”

She opened to yell some more but stopped as his words registered into her mind. “Oh.”

“Matsuoka-san, being inside won’t be boring,” Ryo said. “We have a lot of indoor facilities that you might enjoy.”

“It won’t be boring full stop,” Keito said in determination. “With me with her, she wouldn’t get bored. Right, Mizuki?”

Mizuki rolled her eyes. “Right.”

“Come, I’ll carry you to your room where you can rest.”

“No way!” she cried out, swatting his hand away when he tried to reach for her. “I refuse to be stuck in my room. I rather rest here.”

Keito sighed. “Fine.” He turned to the doctor. “Is that okay with you?”

Ayumu smiled. “She’s more than welcome to stay. I’m lonely here alone all the time. It’s nice to have patients.”

“It’s settled then,” he said looking at his childhood friend. Mizuki just stared back at him as she didn’t have any say at all.

~*~*~*~

As Keito promised, he stayed in with Mizuki while the others went out to ski the next morning and just like he assured her, he made sure she wasn’t bored. His company would have been perfect if he wasn’t moody. In fact, he started being moody ever since Ryo dropped by the infirmary and hung around with them and the doctor.

Mizuki found his behaviour strange. Keito wasn’t the type to easily hate people. That didn’t mean he easily liked people either. He just never really cared about things he thought wasn’t necessary to care about. So when he kept giving the cold shoulder towards the owner of the resort, she became very suspicious.

“What’s with you and Ryo-san?” she asked once they were alone in the cinema where they were the only two customers watching a movie. “You’ve been showing hostility ever since we met him.”

Keito shrugged his shoulder without looking at her. He dug into the popcorn box and grabbed a fistful of popcorns and popped a few in his mouth. He munched on it while keeping his gaze on the huge screen in front of them. “I don’t know what you talking about.”

“Really?” she sounded unconvinced. She gave him a quick glance before returning her gaze back on the screen. “Well, don’t be too rude to him,” she said after a few minutes of silently watching the movie. “He is after all the owner of this place. It’s bad enough I can’t ski, I sure won’t want to be kicked out of the place.”

Her warning didn’t really sink in to him, she noticed. Because later that afternoon while they went to the game room equipped with top of the rate games, he seemed to be having a competition with Ryo with each and every game while she watched with Ayumu. It was usually him always challenging her with games but today he seemed to be agitated to win against the older man.

“You have a sweet boyfriend,” Ayumu’s voice broke through her thoughts.

Mizuki did a double take. She stared at the resort’s doctor in alarm. “His not my boyfriend!” she shrieked over the loud music of the Dance Dance X they were now playing. The two were too into the game that they didn’t hear her.

“Oh?” Ayumu took a step back, a little startled by the outburst. “I’m sorry. I just assumed since the two of you are always together and the way he cares for you.”

“He doesn’t care for me,” Mizuki pointed out in a matter-of-fact tone. She turned to face her childhood friend before she went on. “The guy doesn’t even see me as a girl. Trust me the only thing he cares about is him not getting in trouble when his parents grill him for being unable to prevent the fall.”

Ayumu still held the dubious expression. Her gaze travelled over to Keito who was sweating due to intense dancing. He was frustrated that a guy who was ten years older than him was able to come out with better moves than him.

“I don’t know…” she spoke causing Mizuki to lift her gaze to look at the older woman. “The way he’s so protective of you whenever Ryo-kun comes, it’s like his a jealous boyfriend, especially when you go love struck whenever you look at Ryo-kun.”

Mizuki blushed. She hadn’t realised her behaviour until now. “Oh my God!” she gasped. “It’s not that I’m love struck. I’m just awed by how good looking he is.”

“Yeah,” Ayumu breathed out as she eyed the man of the subject. “He’s really good looking.”

“Plus…” it seemed Mizuki wasn’t done. “Ryo-san has a beauty spot under his right eye. For some reason I find beauty spots to be y.”

“Eh? Beauty spot?” the doctor echoed in confusion. hung open as she stared flabbergasted at the young girl.

“Yeah, it’s a weird taste I have,” she admitted. “Even Miki doesn’t know about it.”

Ayumu remained silence. She recalled seeing a beauty spot on someone else. Her brown orbs widened. “Doesn’t Keito-kun have a beauty spot under his left eye?” she questioned.

Mizuki stilled. “Erm… he does,” she avoided meeting the doctors eyes. “It’s different. He’s looks ugly.” The older woman raised a brow cynically. “Okay, okay, don’t give me that look!” she cried out. “I admit that’s his only good features. But that doesn’t mean I like him.”

“Like who?”

Both the girls froze at Keito’s voice behind them. They had not noticed that the guys have finished their game and had decided to join them. Mizuki flushed bright red. She slowly lifted her head with a strained smile across her face.

“No one,” she said through her teeth. “Anyways, I’m kind of hungry. Can we go eat something?” she changed the subject quickly.

Keito frowned. He glanced over at Ryo and narrowed his eyes. Instead of saying any word, he helped Mizuki up and guided her towards the restaurant with the two adults following behind, talking quietly amongst themselves.

~*~*~*~

The conversation she had with the doctor had left Mizuki restless. She became self-conscious around him. His every words was memorised in her mind, his gaze always pierced through her sending chills down her spine every time and his touch always left a tingling sensation inside her.

Just what was she feeling?

“It’s love.”

Mizuki snapped her head up to look at Miki in horror. How did she find out her feelings without her realising?

“No way,” Ryutaro disagreed.

“Yes way,” Ryosuke argued. “There is definitely love between the two.”

“Let’s just finish the movie and see if they really do end up falling in love or not,” Yuri said.

“Eh?” Mizuki blinked several times looking at them blankly. She realised she was back in the cinema late that evening with her friends watching another movie. A blush rose to her cheeks grasping the fact her friends weren’t talking about her.

I’m in love with Keito? She panicked inside. This was Kei-baka. No way could I be in love with him!

But as she tried to deny it, she couldn’t deny the feelings that were growing by the second. She watched him from the corner of her eyes as he was watching the movie quietly. She gulped audibly.

What shall I do? She thought in fear. I can’t confess to a guy who doesn’t even see me as a girl.

~*~*~*~

While Mizuki was in crises, Keito was in a dilemma. Though he had his eyes glued to the screen, he wasn’t exactly focusing his attention on the movie. His mind was on Mizuki and love for the resort owner.

How am I meant to compete with a guy like that who was mature and loaded? He shook his head. No-no. I can’t think like that. I don’t love Mizuki.

He knew he was denying his feelings, the feelings he had come across yesterday when she got hurt. But he wasn’t confident on going anywhere with his feelings because Mizuki was his best friend. She treated him nothing more than a friend. Sometimes he wondered if she even saw him as a guy or just a devil in reincarnation as she would always say whenever she was annoyed with him.

I’ll have to keep this feeling to myself, he mentally told himself. There was no way I could confess to her.

~*~*~*~

Sunday was the last day of their trip, although they weren’t leaving until first thing the next morning, the group of seven teenagers were groaning as the weekend was drawing to an end so quickly, especially Mizuki who only skied the first day only.

Mizuki and Keito were trying to bury their feelings as they had no desire to confess to each other but it was hard to put away the feelings that were growing every time they spent together. Their friends noticed their odd behaviour. They were quiet than usual, they even noticed how they would blush every time they grazed skin together and even how they would frequently glance at each other.

“What do you think their problem is?” Miki voiced out her concern to her boyfriend, Ryutaro, Yuto and Ryosuke as they watched from the lobby inside at the resort’s lounge.

Yuri shrugged his shoulder as the group silently watched from the distance at their two friends who were quietly sitting on a beanbag in front of the fireplace to keep themselves warm. “Maybe they matured.”

His girlfriend shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

“That’s definitely not true,” Ryosuke interjected. “Keito will never mature.”

“I agree,” Yuto added. “Impossible”

“Anyways, today the last day, let’s go outside.”

“I feel sorry for them,” Ryutaro said. “They won’t be able to Ski.”

“I feel guilty,” Miki mumbled.

“What does it matter?” her boyfriend exclaimed. “What’s there to feel guilty? They have been coming since they were little. They won’t miss much.”

“You’re right!” Miki said. “Let’s forget them and let us enjoy ourselves.”

The five teenagers felt angry vibes coming from behind. They turned to see both their friends giving them angry look.

“Well…” Yuri averted his brown orbs away from the two sending them death glares. “Don’t worry you have each other.”

Mizuki and Keito both looked at each other. “Are they really our friends?” Keito questioned out loud.

Mizuki held out her hands in a small gesture. “I wonder if they are too.”

The four guys and a girl face fell. Seeing the two acting normal again, they ignored them and headed outside. The two remaining went back to being awkward not knowing what to do.

“Is you sprain a bit better,” came a voice from behind. The voice belonged to the owner of the resort. Keito forehead seemed to throb.

“She’s fine!” he answered.

“No one asked you to answer,” she snapped at him. “My mouth isn’t for decoration you know.”

“Ah yes, how could I have forgotten a loud mouth?” he said with menace. He didn’t want to fight with her but the words were coming out of his mouth uncontrollably. “Not like a girl at all!”

Mizuki gasped. She struggled to respond at first as she was taken aback how his words pierced through her heart like a knife. She suddenly felt angry with him. “Shut up Kei-baka. I know you don’t think of as a girl but you don’t have to rub it in all the time,” she said angrily. Usually it doesn’t affect her but now that she realised that she likes him it hurts. She got up to leave. She was struggling to gain her balance on one foot when Ryo came and helped her.

“Is there somewhere you want to go?” he asked softly in her ears. “I can you if you would like.”

“Thanks,” she mumbled. “Anywhere is fine as long as it’s from him.” She shot Keito a glare as she emphasised the word ‘him’.

Keito took a step back, alarmed by her anger. He opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. He couldn’t do anything but watch the owner of the resort take her away.

Ryo let her use his arm to hold herself up as they walked away. He guided her slowly through the corridors that seemed like a maze to her. Mizuki knew she was trying to stop herself from crying in front of him but it was hard to force them back.

The owner of the resort saw her eyes were going watery. He took her towards the kitchen which was deserted. He started making hot chocolate and handed it over her. “Here,” he held out the mug in front of her.

She stared at him at first for a few seconds with her blurry vision as she couldn’t phantom how he could always smile so sweetly and innocently. She then drank the hot chocolate making her feel a bit better.

“Do you want to talk about it?” he opted. He then added, “I’m a good listener.”

“I’m in love with him,” she blurted out.

“Who? Keito?”

“Yes,” she bobbed her head. Since she already confessed, she might as well carry on being honest as she was feeling lighter in her heart. “I know I’m being ridiculous. I mean he used to say all that before and I didn’t mind. But now because my feelings have changed, it hurts. We were best friend since we were in our diapers and suddenly I’m in love with him! How is that possible?”

“I don’t think you are being ridiculous,” Ryo assured her. “I mean, you may have been in love with him all this time but since you were together since you were young you weren’t able to tell the difference. You may have been too comfortable with each other’s company that you didn’t realise it. Sometimes a change of environment makes you see things differently.”

“I see.” Mizuki bobbed her head once again. She was allowing his words to process inside her. His theory made so much sense. She glanced down at her mug again. A smile tugged on the corner of despite the situation. “Ryo-san.”

“Hmm?”

“You make the best hot chocolate I ever tasted.”

He grinned in triumph. “Thanks. This is what I always make when my wife gets upset.”

“Wife?” she cried out in shock. “You’re married.”

His grin widened a notch. “Yes.”

“Wow,” she breathed out. “She’s one lucky girl.” She took a deep breath and exhaled it slowly. “Anyways, Ryo-san, I’m alright now, thanks for caring. I’ll go and look for that idiot now.”

She slowly headed back when she saw Keito and Ayumu. Ayumu was holding onto Keito’s forearm. They were heading towards the infirmary.

“Sensei, I’m in love aren’t I. Love makes people do stupid things,” she heard Keito say.

“Yes, you are,” Ayumu replied back. “Don’t worry it’s mutual a feeling.”

They went into the infirmary closing the door behind. Mizuki froze. Tears were now pouring down.

She went blindly away from where she was not sure where she was going when she bumped into someone.

“What’s wrong?” Ryo asked in concern. “I came to see if you managed to get back on your own since you refused my help.”

He got her to sit down. She realised she was in a bar. It was quiet here since it wouldn’t be open until evening and they didn’t want any guest to drink then go skiing.

“Do you want to talk about it?” She kept quiet, not opening at all to speak. He walked around and behind the bar. He began making her a cocktail. He put a bit alcohol thinking she might need it as she looked as she was in a shock. “Here drink this.”

After taking a sip she wiped her tears with that back of her hand. “First it was hot chocolate, now it’s cocktail. You sure know what you’re doing.” Her attempt to joke failed miserably as she herself didn’t find it amusing.

“Do you want to talk about it? As I stated earlier, I’m a good listener.”

She let out an exasperating breath. “I didn’t want to confess to him because I was scared. Now it’s over. He’s in love with someone else.”

“Really?” Ryo was taken aback by the information. He frowned. “I could have sworn he’s in love with you.”

“Me?” she gasped. She tried to believe it but couldn’t as she heard that confession. “I think he’s in love with the doctor.”

His brows furrowed. “The doctor?”

“Yes, I heard him confess to her and she said it was mutual feeling.”

He shook his head in disbelief. “I think there might have been a misunderstanding. Trust me.”

“But I heard him,” she protested.

“She already has a guy she loves to bits,” he informed her. “I think what you heard could be wrong.”

“She does?”

“Yes, the guy she loves is y, gorgeous and rich. She’s really in love with him. Everyone in the resort knows about him.”

He flashed his best smile at her, making her worries disappear. “Now then…” He sighed and walked back around to stand in front of her. He pulled her off the stool. “Let’s go back.” He wiped her tears and the guided her back to the lobby.

~*~*~*~

A little bit earlier when Mizuki left after their little spat…

Keito was left stunned. He didn’t know what was wrong. He used to say those things before and she would always insult him back. Just then Ayumu came and joined him.

“You’re alone I see.” She then frowned when she noticed how he seemed upset. “What’s the matter? Is there something wrong?

He looked at her and realised he had company. “Sensei…” he began but she interrupted him.

“I told you to call me Ayu.”

“Erm… Ayu-sensei… Nothing is wrong,” he told her. She stared at him making him let out breathe of air. “Okay, fine. I’m just thinking and I don’t feel comfortable sharing with anyone. It’s too personal. Mizuki is the only one I can feel comfortable with.”

“Because you love her?”

“How did you know?” He gasped realising his mistake. He quickly added, “I mean of course not!”

“Too late,” she said sticking her tongue at him childishly. “I already heard it.” She folded her arms across her chest and tilted her head to look at him in an angle. “Besides, it was always obvious since you’re like a jealous angry wolf when Ryo-kun is with her.”

“Do you think she knows?” he whispered in horror.

Ayumu shook her head. “I don’t think so. Anyways, are you going tell me what made you feel down?”

“Oh, right.” He explained what happened a few short minutes ago.

“I see,” she said bobbing her head. “Your jealous rage made you act mean towards her.”

“I was not being jealous,” he argued. “I was trying to get this good-for-nothing-womaniser from doing anything to her. I was trying to protect her. Just because he’s good looking and rich he probably thinks he’s all that. Who knows how many girls he tried to entice. He probably has loads of girlfriends.”

“Well isn’t the good-for-nothing-womaniser alone with her now?” she pointed out. If he had been thinking clearly he would have heard the laughter in her tone. “Who knows what he will do now.”

This made his face go all green when he realised he let her go with him. The very thing he didn’t want.

He went looking for her but didn’t find her. He wondered where they went. He started to worry. He didn’t want her to fall for that guy. He looked for her everywhere but couldn’t find her. This made him even more worried.

“Ayu-sensei. I can’t find her!” he exclaimed after ten minutes - which felt like ten hours to him - of searching. By then he was frustrated and thinking of ways to kill the resort owner. “Do you know any other place they might have gone? I will not let that guy steal her.”

“Hmm… I wonder…” Ayumu pondered on her thoughts, although her eyes were dancing in amusement. “Maybe he has a hidden room. After all this resort belongs to him.” She was back to taunting him as she found it fun.

“Nooooooo!” he shrieked. His face was even paler than before. “Sensei, I think I’m not feeling well. What should I do?”

She burst out laughing, unable to control it in any longer. He stared at her wondering how she found his bad health funny or the grand situation he was in. He then began questioning her profession.

“Sorry,” she apologised in between her laughter. “I was only teasing. I’m sure they’re around somewhere. Here come with me.” She helped him guide him to her office.

“Sensei, I’m in love aren’t I,” he said quietly staring at her for answers as he stepped into the infirmary. “Love makes people do stupid things.”

“Yes, you are,” she answered. “Don’t worry it’s a mutual feeling.”

She closed the door behind her not seeing the girl frozen in place just a foot away. She gave him some aspirin which he drank with water.

“You need to tell her or she’ll be taken before you know it,” she advised him.

“You think it’s mutual?” he asked as it was too good to be true.

“Yes.”

“It’s weird you know…” he paused as he let out a dry laugh, “we were best friends since we were babies. It’s weird how it changed now.”

The doctor leaned back on her wheeled chair. “Well, you’re both together since you were babies like you said it’s easier to miss the most important feeling. Different places, different people can make you see things in another prospect. You can say you are able to open the blinds that were covering your eyes.”

“You’re smart and clever, sensei,” he praised her for her wise words that made more sense than his own thoughts. “You’re also really kind.”

“Yes,” she nodded in agreement. A twinkle of laughter was glinting in her eyes. “Even my husband says so.”

He gasped. “Wow, you’re married?”

“Yes.”

“Your husband is lucky to have you as his wife,” he said once he recovered.

“Yes, why shouldn’t he? I’m beautiful and smart. A great combination, don’t you think?”

He had to admit to himself that she was right but he could never feel anything for this beautiful and smart woman. All his feelings were purely for his childhood friend.

“Why don’t you confess?” Ayumu’s voice broke through his thoughts.

He took a short intake at her advice. “I’m scared.”

“Don’t be a baby!” she stated out loud. “Do you want her to be taken away by someone else?”

“Of course not!”

“Then be a man and tell her you love her.”

He gulped audibly. Was his pride as a man on the line now? But then again he wasn’t yet a…

“Shall we go and look for her,” she finally said breaking him from his thoughts.

“Crap, I forgot that guy is alone with her.”

He went to searching for her again. He found them at the bar. When he saw the guy moving towards Mizuki, he nearly lost the will to live. But the touch of Ayumu’s hand on his arm jolted him back to the matter in hand. He clenched his hands into a fist and stalked up to the two who were oblivious to the audience.

“Wait!” he yelled. Mizuki’s head whipped up, startled by his voice. Ryo stepped back so he had full view of the advancing Keito. “Mizuki, don’t fall for him,” Keito said with desperation as he went to her and grabbed her trying to move her away from Ryo.

“What’s wrong with you?” she cried out.

“I don’t want you to fall for a guy like him,” he went on. “Fall for me.” Mizuki’s eyes widened in shock. He took a large intake of breath before releasing it slowly. “I love you, Mizuki.”

She opened to speak but no words would come out. She cleared and tried again. “Y-y-you love me?” she stammered out.

“Yes. So don’t fall for him.”

“But I heard you talking to Ayu-sensei,” she protested. “You said, ‘I’m in love aren’t I? Love makes people do stupid things.’ and I heard her reply ‘Yes, you are, don’t worry it’s a mutual feeling’.”

He chuckled lightly. “You heard that?”

“Yes.”

“Zuki-baka,” he said earning a mocking glare from his childhood friend. “You got it wrong. I said I’m in love with you and I was stupid getting jealous of Ryo over you and I keep saying stupid things. She agreed saying you feel the same way. You do, right?”

She realised of her own stupidity. “Kei baka. You made me worry for no reason. Of course I love you.” This time she cried tears of joy. She put her hand around his back for a hug. He hugged her back. He then kissed her, a peck at first which then turned into a slow passionate kiss that lasted longer.

“It’s nice to see a happy ending. Don’t you think darling?” Ayumu spoke up breaking them apart.

“Yes, honey,” Ryo answered. “They make a wonderful couple.”

“Darling?” Mizuki echoed, her brows knitting together.

Keito glanced at Mizuki before the two adults. “Honey?”

Ryo wrapped an arm around Ayumu and pulled her closer to him. He was holding her left hand with hers. Mizuki and Keito finally notice the twinkling glint from their hands. They were wearing wedding bands.

“You guys are married!” the two teenagers chorused together in realisation.

“Yes.” They both said in unison, both flashing their best smile.

It took a while for the information to process in the teenagers mind. Slowly a grin broke across their face and soon they were laughing as they recalled the jealousy and their behaviour. The older couple also joined in.

Ten minutes later, Ryo had made them all a cup of tea and was sitting with them around the table.

“So, darling, Keito-kun here believes you were after his girlfriend,” Ayumu started.

Ryo chuckled. “Were you jealous, honey?”

“Not really,” she responded. “You don’t have a death wish.”

He burst out laughing. “No, I don’t.”

“Hey, how come you two never mentioned you guys were married before?” Mizuki asked curiously.

The doctor shrugged her shoulders. “You never asked.”

“You never did tell your surname, did you?” she said more as a statement than a question. “It is Nishikido, right?”

Ayumu nodded. “Yeah, it is.”

“How long have you two been married?” she questioned this time.

“How long have you been together?” Keito’s voice penetrated hers.

The older couple gazed into each other’s eyes lovingly, stalling to answer. Ryo placed his hand on top of his wife’s and squeezed it. “Two years and three months now.”

“And for days,” Ayumu added enthusiastically.

“But…” Ryo sharply said causing Keito and Mizuki to pull back and lean on their chair as they were not aware that they have been drawn in by the love the married couple shared.

“But what?” Mizuki dared to ask.

“We’ve known each other all our lives.”

“Eh?” Keito was confused now.

Ayumu grinned. “Like you two, we’ve been childhood friends.”

“And because we went on a skiing trip and met a few peoples, we saw each other different and began to realise our love for each other,” Ryo said.

“And later we came back when this place was going to be closed down and bought the place,” the doctor said. “We wanted to preserve our memories here.”

“That’s so sweet,” the young girl sniffled as she was close to tears by their story.

“So, that’s why you guys were helping us,” Keito burst out.

“Thank you,” Mizuki smiled at them. “Because of you two, we’ve managed to work out our feelings without losing each other.”

Keito wrinkled his nose as he didn’t want to thank them, especially Ryo. Though he wasn’t a threat to his relationship, he still harboured some competition with the man. But he had to admire the guy. “Yeah, thanks for everything,” he mumbled.

“Well, it was more like extra service,” the owner of the resort said.

The doctor agreed. “Yeah, you can say it’s an extra service.”

~*~*~*~

“Again!” Mizuki yelled from across the table. “It’s 2-0. Let’s play again.”

“No,” Keito said in boredom.

“You loser!” she cried out. “You just know I’ll beat you in the next game!”

“I’ve already beaten you twice,” he pointed out.

He had a point. But she didn’t like the fact she was losing and wanted a rematch. “That doesn’t count. I was just warming up.”

They were playing table tennis when their friends came back. Now that they established their feelings they have gone back to normal, which was back to competing.

“Again,” Mizuki pestered.

“I don’t want to,” he groaned.

“You meany.”

“It’s the same ol’, same ol’,” Miki complained as she and the four guys stood by the entrance of the room watching them. “They’re arguing as usual.”

“They sure don’t get bored of it,” her boyfriend added.

“Yes,” the rest agreed.

“Let’s play. If you win this game then I’ll give you a kiss,” Mizuki promised as a bargain.

This ignited a fire in Keito’s eyes. He was pumping with energy now. “Fine. One more game. But I’ll be winning.”

“This time they’re betting on kissing,” Ryosuke commented with a roll of his eyes. They didn’t comprehend what they heard.

“Yes, same ol’, same ol’,” Miki repeated. Suddenly her eyes widened. “Wait, when was kissing the same as before?” she shrieked. They all looked at each other all with the identical stunned look.

“Maybe something happened when we left,” Yuto mumbled, still in shock.

All at once the group rushed into the room and began interrogating the two, ending up interrupting their game. The game room became loud and lively as the five friends were questioning the two who were avoiding the questions. The doctor and the resort owner joined them, even taunting the new couple as they threatened to spill the story.

The trip was the start of Keito and Mizuki’s relationship. It wasn’t going to end there. They went back every year as an anniversary. They’d hang out with the Nishikido couple. They’d always have an argument - a competition - and it was up to Ayumu and Ryo to help them every year.

Miki, Yuri, Ryosuke, Yuto and Ryutaro always wondered how the hot and cold attitude turned into love…

… Too bad Keito and Mizuki weren’t sharing the answer.