Sky Wang's Point of View
Okay.
So maybe screaming "Rainy, no murder on the field!" in the middle of a packed football match wasn't exactly my most elegant moment.
But in my defense, he was about to kill someone.
And someone had to stop him.
I mean, yes, I could've whispered, or pulled him aside, or not flailed like a cartoon character with an emotional megaphone—but hey, instincts are instincts.
Anyway, today's mission was Operation Cookie Charm. Also known as: make-the-scary-ice-prince-smile-with-sugar.
I had flour in my hair, three bandaids from an electric mixer incident, and my dorm kitchen smelled like a chocolate explosion. A good one though. Like if cocoa had emotions. Sweet, gooey emotions.
I peeked at the tray.
Heart-shaped cookies.
Some strawberry jam-filled. Some with chocolate chips arranged like little grumpy frowns. (Because obviously, it had to match Rain's resting face.)
I even made one giant one that said "SORRY FOR SCREAMING LIKE A DERANGED SEAGULL <3" in pink icing.
Ren would love that one.
I wrapped the box in blue paper and tied it with twine because ribbon felt too...desperate? But twine was cute. Chill. Not totally obsessed. (Okay, fine, a bit obsessed, but in an aesthetically pleasing way.)
When I found them on the law school terrace—Ren already smirking like the devil—Rain looked up from a book, dark eyes locking on mine like he had some built-in heat-seeking radar.
"Hi!" I chirped, waving the box. "I come bearing peace."
He didn't say anything, just raised an eyebrow as if to ask: What now, chaos child?
I held out the box. "Cookies. No poison. Probably."
Ren snorted. "That's not suspicious at all."
Rain took the box, looked at it like it was a puzzle he didn't quite understand, and then—blinked slowly.
Was that...amusement?
I gasped. "You smiled. That was totally a smile. I saw it."
"I did not," he said, voice low and perfectly deadpan.
"You did." I leaned closer. "It was micro but it happened."
Ren was shaking his head. "You're unreal."
"I'm adorable," I corrected, grinning as Rain opened the box. His eyes scanned the cookies, lingering a second longer on the one with the seagull apology.
I saw it.
The twitch at the corner of his lips.
Victory.
He picked up a strawberry heart, broke it in half, and took a bite. His jaw moved slowly, chewing like he was analyzing it for poison or emotional manipulation.
"Well?" I asked, bouncing on my toes. "Out of ten?"
He met my eyes.
"...Eight."
I gasped. "Rain Chen just rated me above average. Ren, get the camera. We're immortalizing this."
Rain rolled his eyes, clearly done with the nonsense. But he didn't hand the box back. He tucked it next to him like it belonged there.
And just like that, my day was made.
Because maybe, just maybe...
the Ice Prince liked my cookies.
And maybe—just maybe—he was starting to like me, too.