Oran Knight is out (1/3 chapters for today)
Snowball Fight
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When I placed my belongings on my desk in the morning classroom, Hana, who had arrived earlier than me, spoke to me.
“Snowball fight?” (Lux)
“That’s right. A snowball fight it is, degozaru.” (Hana)
“…Wait, what?” (Lux)
Hana, who had been looking amused, widened her eyes at my puzzled expression.
“A snowball fight, you see… Ah, right, Lux, this is your first time seeing snow. A snowball fight is a game where you make round snowballs and throw them at each other. Even in Rodon, it doesn’t snow much, so we can only play it a few times a year, degozaru.” (Hana)
“Huh? We’re doing that in class?” (Lux)
I couldn’t quite grasp the idea, but since Hana seemed excited, it was probably fun.
“Exactly. From what I’ve heard, this event is usually held to get students who aren’t familiar with snow accustomed to it. But this year, it’s also being used to check the condition of the field for the academy competition, degozaru.” (Hana)
Yes, just the other day, the area for the academy competition had been completed. The buildings were apparently going to take a little longer, but the field itself was something we had worked hard on, piling up sandbags and digging trenches with pride. Since it had snowed right after the field was completed, they decided to use this opportunity to check for any issues while playing this “snowball fight” game.
“Hmm.” (Lux)
Perhaps unsatisfied with my lukewarm reaction, Hana continued speaking.
“It’s super fun! Once you try it, you’ll love it, degozaru!” (Hana)
“Even so… I don’t really know the rules…” (Lux)
“Ugh, just come with me! The fastest way to learn is to actually do it!” (Hana)
“Eh!? But class is about to start soon.” (Lux)
“That’s why today’s class is the snowball fight! I’ll explain on the way!” (Hana)
And so, I was hurriedly chased out of the classroom. The rest of the team, who had arrived later, followed along.
Outside, fine snowflakes were still falling. Though the snow wasn’t as deep as in the northern towns, the ground was covered. I liked the squeaky crunch of the snow underfoot, so as I walked, I enjoyed the sensation until something soft suddenly hit my head. A moment later, something cold slipped down my back, and before I knew it, I let out a pitiful “Wah!”. Hana laughed gleefully at my reaction.
“That’s terrible! What was that for?” (Lux)
“If you’re upset, throw one back, Lux, degozaru!” (Hana)
Provoked so easily, I quickly scooped up some snow, made a snowball, and threw it at Hana, only for her to dodge it effortlessly.
“Ah! That’s unfair!” (Lux)
While I was protesting, a snowball hit my shoulder from the side. Turning around, I saw Rick-san standing there.
“Rick-san too…? Come on, what are you doing?” (Lux)
“Ahaha, sorry, sorry. But Lux-kun, this is what a snowball fight is. There aren’t many complicated rules. Just throw snowballs and have fun.” (Rick)
Making snowballs and throwing them around might seem childish, but it was actually pretty fun.
“By the way, putting stones inside the snowballs is absolutely forbidden, degozaru.” (Hana)
I see, that would definitely be dangerous.
As we joked around, we passed through the town and headed north of Mount Paro. There were many other students heading to the venue for the snowball fight. Suddenly, I felt someone’s gaze on me and turned toward the source.
It was Gellar, watching me from a slight distance. When she noticed I had seen him, she quickly looked away. Since the incident with Rita-san, Gellar had been avoiding us.
I know why. The family Geller had been adopted into, the Seg Household, is essentially under the control of Bowman Deran Baxwal, and during Rita-san’s capture, they had also sent soldiers. Gellar must be in a complicated position. Following Saxon’s advice, we had also hesitated to question Geller about it, and as a result, we had been keeping an unspoken distance.
More than the snowball fight, I found myself preoccupied with thoughts of Gellar.
—
The snowball fight was played under a rule where getting hit by more than ten snowballs meant losing.
Participating absentmindedly, I ended up getting covered in snow and was quickly eliminated, leaving me unsure whether I had fun or not.
Well, maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I had been properly engaged.
Now, I was in the clubroom, sitting in front of the stove to warm my chilled body. My hands felt slightly numb from mild frostbite. Another thing I had experienced for the first time since coming to the north. The first time, I had no idea what was happening.
“Are you okay? Here, have some milk.” (Sonia)
Sonia had warmed some milk and handed it to me. The heat from the cup felt soothing.
“Thanks.” (Lux)
At the moment, only Sonia, Frank, Lev, and I were in the clubroom. The others were likely still enjoying the snowball fight. In other words, only those who had lost early had returned. Frank was silently dismantling his gun, while Lev was studying. I was surprised that Lev had dropped out so early, but apparently, he wasn’t fond of the cold.
“Hey, Lux. You seemed pretty out of it during the snowball fight. Did something happen?” (Sonia)
Sonia was sharp—she had immediately noticed my distraction.
“Actually, on the way to the venue, I locked eyes with Geller.” (Lux)
That alone was enough for her to understand.
“I see…” (Sonia)
“If you’re that worried, why not just talk to Gellar directly?” (Frank)
Having finished reassembling his gun, Frank joined the conversation.
“Oh, come on, Frank. You know the situation as well as we do.” (Sonia)
“But still, if you’re so distracted that it’s affecting everything else, that’s not great either, is it?” (Frank)
Frank had a point.
“He’s right. I know that I need to talk to Gellar at some point… Yeah, I’ll try reaching out to her tomorrow.” (Lux)
Yeah. If it were Geller, surely she would listen to us.
—
However, the next day, I never got the chance to talk to Geller. After the day of the snowball fight, Gellar disappeared from the academy.
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