【Re:Freezing】 | Gray Fullbuster x OC

42. Top of Chain

It didn't feel like the world was crashing down upon her.

It didn't feel like her heart was split into two.

The only thing she felt was shock just like when she got hit by the Thunder Palace. It spreads through her body like tendrils before gradually fading away. It settles.

She actually waited for the distress and her mind to blank, for her heart to stop, anything that was relatively similar to what she read in those romance novels. Nothing.

But then again, fiction can sometimes be exaggerated.

With the ice tray in her hands, she casually flew up as if she hadn't heard a thing. The first thing she noticed was how quick Gray turned his head and put on a neutral expression. Lyon let out a quiet vexed huff before quickly smiling at Karissa and scooting closer to grab a plate.

"Here you go." Karissa patiently held out the tray for them and listened to their thanks. "Gray can you hold mines for a sec."

"Sure."

Once he took hers, she nonchalantly tossed the tray over her shoulder. The two other ice mages watched the tray disappear below followed by a shattering sound. They sweat dropped.

"What if Max came out? You would have knocked him out." Gray smirked in amusement while she simply shrugged and took hers before taking back her spot next to him.

"He would have survived." She snickered and went began eating her beloved vanilla cake.

The sweetness of the cake didn't feel as enjoyable as usual. His words that were an obvious indirect rejection to her feelings almost ruined the taste. It was like eating crackers when you were depressed.

There was no need to dramatically cry and sob into a pillow nor the need to avoid him like the plague.

It was fine.

But...

... Yeah. It stings.

―

The next day, she was on her way to the train station. She was dressed in loose black checkered long sleeve that had a high black collar that slightly drooped forward with white drawstrings. The end of her sleeves matched her collar. Her bottom was tight fitted marine blue pants. She wore black leather slip on shoes. Across her body was a light blue book bag that hid a book that desperately needed to be returned to a library, the book that had information about Unison Raids.

She already had a good grasp on the contents and already made sure to take notes on it in her room. All the contents were basically copy and pasted at home so there was no need to keep it with her.

Her destination was the library but she first wanted to make a stop at Hargeon. Why? She wanted to check out the bakery that sold her favourite cream cheese bagel with salmon. Verifying whether or not that place was still standing was crucial for her survival. Okay. Not really. But she'd like to know if they moved or something because that bagel was damn good.

Also, she took this trip as an opportunity to put a bit of distance between her and Gray after what she heard. She figured that spending more time with him now would just sting more. That was her rational approach. This was the idea she thought of when she returned home and got in her bed that day.

Nothing would change. There was no need to. If she decided to be foolish and avoid him, then she'd be proving that their friendship was worth so little. However, putting some distance was perhaps necessary.

She'd just have to do it in a way that didn't feel like she was avoiding him like a plague.

"Karissa!"