Episode 2.
Despite the chilling atmosphere that could freeze one’s heart, the boy’s appearance was that of a perfect prince—if only he would keep his mouth shut.
His lightly pigmented brown hair had strands so bright they looked almost blond where the sunlight touched. In stark contrast to his soft hair color, his expression was as cold as ice. The navy blue blazer over his white knit vest was stiff and sharply tailored, almost like a military uniform, making it look different from the school uniforms everyone else wore.
In all her time at school, Sena had never seen an Elmir Westlake student wear their uniform like that. Unless, perhaps, they were a model for the school’s promotional materials.
‘No, I should stop thinking like this…’
Without even realizing it, Sena found herself approaching the boy.
Since he was a little taller than her, she had to look up to meet his eyes.
“…Are you going to stay here?”
Her quiet attempt at conversation was met with no response.
His arms still firmly crossed, it was clear where his attention was focused—and Sena’s words were easily ignored.
The moment another murmur of voices reached them, Sena instinctively shook the box of jelly beans near his ear with both hands.
Since touching someone without their consent was extremely rude, she felt she had no other choice.
Rattle-rattle-rattle.
The noise perfectly blocked out the voices coming from the principal’s office. The boy’s gaze, which had been fixed downward, shifted sideways and landed on Sena.
“What are you doing?”
“Wouldn’t it be better… to stop listening?”
Sena offered an awkward smile.
Usually, in California, smiling like this would be met with a smile in return—an unspoken rule. But this boy seemed to disregard California’s rules entirely.
“It’s none of your business, is it? I’d appreciate it if you minded your own business and went on your way.”
So… cold.
Not only was his tone icy, but the speed of his words was surprisingly fast, leaving Sena startled.
But before she could even process her surprise, the boy bent down and picked something up from the ground, causing Sena’s smile to freeze.
…A rock?
Why?
What he held in his hand was a grayish-white rock, about the size of his palm.
“Why… are you holding that…?”
Surely he’s not planning to throw it through the principal’s office window? A loud alarm bell rang in Sena’s mind.
Maybe it was because he was holding the rock, but his eyes looked different now. Within his pie-cut eyes was a distinct glint of madness.
It was as if his father’s earlier warning was becoming a reality.
“Isn’t there a saying here, ‘Tit for tat’?”
“It’s famous in New York.”
Just as the boy was about to raise his arm, Sena, without a second thought, grabbed his wrist with both hands. Then, frantically scanning her surroundings, she spotted something and hurriedly picked it up before returning.
In her hand was an orange that had been lying on the ground. While the boy furrowed his brow, Sena swiftly swapped the rock in his hand for the orange. Their sizes were roughly similar.
The look in his eyes as he stared at the orange in his palm was suffocatingly cold.
“…I’m not in the mood for games with you.”
Sena forced herself to take a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. Fortunately, she managed to produce a smile that didn’t seem too awkward.
“I… didn’t hear anything.”
The frosty gaze that seemed ready to tear her apart with words just moments ago now simply watched her in silence.
“So… I hope you can do the same. You know these candies? They say they’re so delicious you can forget all your annoying and angry thoughts.”
How would he feel if he heard his own dad calling him a ‘crazy kid’ in front of the principal? Sena couldn’t even imagine.
She could only guess that it must feel incredibly stifling, infuriating, and painful.
That was why. That was the reason Sena made this decision.
“It’s your first day at school, right? This… is a gift for you!!”
Sena practically forced the box of jelly beans into his hands. As she pushed it against his chest, the boy had little choice but to accept it.
At that moment, the long chime of the Westminster Chime echoed above Sena and the boy.
“Why—”
“Think of it as a welcome gift! Well, see you!!”
Sena decided to leave before he could reject her. The bell had rung, meaning students would start cleaning up.
Her footsteps quickened into a run along the path leading to the Quad. Afraid that the boy might throw the jelly beans back with a “You eat them,” Sena didn’t dare look back. She didn’t even glance sideways, focusing only on what was ahead.
‘My Dazzling Land…’
Then, Dazzling Land shimmered like a mirage in her direct line of sight. As she rounded a cluster of trees, thinking, ‘He probably can’t see me from here now,’ her steps finally slowed to a halt.
“I hope you don’t throw them away……”
After all, I traded my Dazzling Land for them…
If she was going to regret giving away the jelly beans just a minute later, she shouldn’t have given them in the first place. Sena raised her hands and pressed them against her flushed, heated cheeks.
‘No, I don’t regret it…’
How could I?
With her vision darkened by her palms, the boy’s face became even clearer in her mind.
The expression he wore was impassive and cold, which only stirred Sena’s heart more. If possible, she would have liked to take him and run away, but since she couldn’t, all that was left was to give him the jelly beans.
Hoping it would offer him even the smallest comfort.
Wishing that his first memory here would be sweet, not bitter. With that hope, she had given away her precious, heart-crafted ticket to Dazzling Land.
Less than half a day later, the real name of the “Monster Log Frost” was known throughout the lower school.
Sean Frost.
The only son of the CEO of Arta, an electric car company currently regarded as one of the most promising in California.
His name and social standing, combined with the curiosity surrounding the new transfer student, sparked a wave of whispers.
He’s really handsome.
They say he’s from New York.
He’s like a prince.
With his extraordinary looks, as if blessed by the gods, and his unique aura, Sean Frost drew everyone’s attention just by walking down the hall.
His neatly fastened buttons, perfectly straight tie, white knit vest, and crisply folded sleeves—Sean’s attire stood out conspicuously among the other boys, who wore their ties loosely and their uniforms wrinkled, making him even more of a topic of conversation.
Now, everyone in the lower school knew of Sean Frost’s existence, but not a single one of them could claim to have seen him smile.
Because of this, a peculiar betting pool even started among the boys. The challenge was to casually approach Sean Frost and, while pretending to talk among themselves, deliver a prepared joke.
No winner emerged. There was no victor.
“Why did the golfer bring two pairs of pants?”
“In case he got a hole in one!!”
When Sena overheard some boys saying this behind Sean’s back as he stood by his locker in the hallway, she almost felt like smacking them on the back.
Don’t tell such lame jokes!!!
‘Why do I have to feel the secondhand embarrassment?!’
She didn’t know how different Sean’s school in New York was from California, but now Sena genuinely worried that in Sean Frost’s eyes, everyone must look like monkeys. She really did.
‘Sigh……’
Holding a stack of books in her arms, Sena was on her way to the science lab for her afternoon chemistry class. Since Elmir Westlake operated on an elective system starting from Grade 4, students had to move between classrooms instead of having all their classes in a homeroom.
As she was about to enter the science lab without much thought, someone coming out of it stopped abruptly, causing Sena to narrowly avoid a collision.
“Sorry!”
The moment she recognized the other person, Sena tightened her grip on the books in her arms. The person in front of her was none other than Sean.
“My apologies.”
Like the hallway, the science lab was empty. Sena’s mouth moved faster than her brain.
“So, how’s school life?”
While word had gotten around that he was a bit cold, Sean had never actually been described as rude.
“It’s good. Thanks for asking.”
It was because of this.
While keeping everyone at a distance of at least one foot, Sean Frost acted and spoke with impeccable politeness. It was a level of decorum that was hard to find, even if you searched with wide eyes, among the fourth-grade boys at this school.
“I didn’t mean to eavesdrop, but…”
Just when it seemed Sean would brush past her as usual, he instead remained standing in place, his gaze fixed on Sena.
“…Huh?”
“I happened to overhear you and your friend talking. You said that jelly was precious to you.”
Realizing the context, Sena visibly flustered.
“What? You said you absolutely need that jelly to go to Dazzling Land. You’re always singing about Dazzling Land, Dazzling Land!”
“Well, that’s how it turned out……”
I thought no one was around…!
At that moment, an incredibly gentle voice replied.
“Thank you. I’m also grateful for what you did back then, stopping me.”
Sena unconsciously tightened her arms around her books. It was her way of suppressing her inexplicably fluttering heart
