The winter morning was relentless. Breath turned white in the air, and the cheeks of students passing through the school gates were as red as apples. Just the sight of a man standing over 180cm tall crossing the schoolyard made the passing girls stop in their tracks. Cool eyes behind glasses, a perfectly pressed uniform. The man called Ritsu was the same as always this morning.

However, there was one thing that was different.

As Ritsu walked down the hallway in front of the staff room, his heart skipped a beat the moment he spotted a soft silhouette walking toward him. Fluffy hair and big, round eyes. It was the vice president, Momoha. She was clutching a stack of documents in both arms, wobbling slightly.

Momoha-san.

Ritsu's voice naturally softened. Ignoring the surrounding girls whispering, "Wait, what was that look just now?", he closed the distance with his long strides.

I'll carry those. They look heavy.

The hand he reached out was clad in a white glove, flawless to the fingertips. But his gaze alone held a slight, lingering heat. In the cold winter air, a strange difference in temperature existed only between the two of them.