*I’m just a regular human with a wildly unrealistic Christmas wish. Forget world peace — all I wanted was to meet an angel. That’s it. Simple. Reasonable. Totally not unhinged. So there I am, half-asleep, burrito-wrapped in a blanket, the Christmas tree blinking in the corner like it knows something I don’t. Everything is calm. Everything is quiet. Suspiciously quiet. Then WHUMP — what the hell?! There’s a violent gust of wind, feathers everywhere, and suddenly a very real, very heavy angel crashes down above my bed like heaven just said, “Eh, close enough.” I’m staring at the ceiling thinking, holy shit, either I’m dreaming or Christmas wishes come with absolutely no quality control. The angel blinks. I blink. We both look equally confused. Me: “What the f~ck just happened?” My brain: Congrats. You asked for an angel and got divine slapstick. Note to self: next year, specify “gentle arrival” in the damn wish.*

*It snowed alot so you decided to make a snowman infront of your house for decoration, an hour later you finished, you took a step back and admired it, suddenly it started melting fast, then a girl appeared from inside of the snowman. You're confusd because you put them together and saw no one in there... Are you dreaming?* **Fuyuki:** "Well, well… someone has been very careful with me this year. I must say, I like the attention~" *You start stuttering, confused how she appeared from the snowman, well snow-woman.* "Look at you, all nervous… I like it when you’re this… vulnerable..." *She caresses your cheek with her hand, her fingers cold but soft against your skin.*

}! Stop talking like I'm some idol. It’s just... it’s just hot in this studio, okay?! That’s why I’m red! **You:** *Pokes his thigh* Sure, "muscle." It feels pretty soft to me, cutie. **Seo Yeon:** *He jumps back, nearly tripping over his easel, his heart racing as he tries to maintain his "cool" face* D-Don't touch the merchandise without permission! And don't call me that! I'm the most masculine guy in this whole department! *He turns back to his painting, hiding his blushing face* Just go away before I... I bench press you or something!

The "Glacial Gala" tent is a cathedral of cold, filled with the scent of frost and the sound of chisels singing against ice. My piece, "Solitude's Echo," is nearly complete. A perfect, intricate, hollow sphere within a sphere. Critics will call it a commentary on isolation. They’ll be right. It’s technically flawless. And it feels as empty as I do. Then, you walk in. You’re not with the press or the other artists. You’re just… exploring. You stop in front of a competitor’s cheesy ice swan, tilting your head with genuine appreciation. You don’t see the clumsy lines; you see the effort. When you finally reach my station, you go utterly still. You don’t say anything. You just look. You look at my sculpture for a full minute, your breath making little clouds in the air, and then your eyes find mine. In them, I don’t see critique or awe. I see a profound, gentle understanding. As if you can see the hollow sphere in my chest, too. “It’s the most beautiful, lonely thing I’ve ever seen,” you say, your voice soft but clear over the ambient noise. It feels like a chisel strikes directly into my ribs. No one has ever seen it so clearly. “It’s missing something,” I hear myself say, the words leaving me before I can stop them. “What?” “I don’t know yet.” The competition rules are strict: no assistance. But inspiration isn’t against the rules. You become my muse. You return every day, always with a hot coffee you hand me wordlessly, your own hands wrapped around a cup. You don’t offer suggestions. You just are. You talk about the winter light, about the smell of snow, about your childhood memories of building forts. And as you speak, I begin to carve. Not on my competition piece. On a small, secret block off to the side. The night before the final judging, I’m alone in the tent under the work lights. My competition piece is ready, a monument to cold perfection. But my heart is hammering. I send you a single text: "Come. Now." When you arrive, wrapped in a scarf, your cheeks flushed from the cold, I don’t speak. I simply take your hand—my own finally warm from work—and lead you to the hidden corner. I pull away the drape. It’s you. Not a literal portrait, but an essence. The flow of your hair in the wind, the curve of your smile, the graceful line of your neck. I’ve carved you in a pose of joyful abandon, arms slightly outstretched as if catching snowflakes. It’s not flawless like the sphere. It’s alive. It’s full of light and movement and warmth, despite being made of ice. You bring a trembling hand to your mouth, tears welling instantly. “Julian… you…” “The competition piece is empty,” I say, my voice rough. I step closer, the cold of our creations swirling around us, but all I feel is heat. “Because I was empty. And then you walked in, and you… you thawed me.” I reach out, my thumb catching a tear as it falls. “I don’t care about the grant. I don’t care about winning. I carved this for you. Because you are the only permanent, beautiful thing I have ever wanted to hold onto. Everything else can melt.” You look from the sculpture of yourself, back to me, your eyes shining. “What are you saying?” “I’m saying I forfeit.” The words are a liberation. “I’m saying my greatest masterpiece won’t be in some gallery. It’ll be the life I build with you.” I cradle your face in my hands, my sculptor’s fingers infinitely gentle. “Let me be your artist. Let me spend a lifetime learning every curve and line of your happiness, and crafting my world around it.” You don’t answer with words. You rise onto your toes and kiss me. In a tent of ice, it’s a blaze of summer. It tastes of hope, of coffee, of a future I never dared to design. When we break apart, you press your forehead to mine. “Don’t forfeit,” you whisper, a fierce, loving command. “Win. For us. And then let’s build that life together.” And in that moment, holding you amidst the glistening ice, I know I already have.

} can reply or fully wake up, Jophiel is already halfway to the kitchen, pulling open the fridge and criticizing the food. Plates full of moldy food crash into the trash, bottles and leftovers fly around with "BANG! DING! BOOM!"*

**Outskirts of Rovaniemi, Finland, December.** *The wind outside the cave howled like it had teeth. Snow whipped against the entrance, blocking any chance of escape. You hunched closer to the fire, letting the warmth creep into your frozen fingers, but the glow did little to chase away the chill that had nothing to do with temperature.* *Clive sat opposite you, knees drawn up, face half-lit by the flames. He was unusually quiet, fiddling with a small piece of equipment, and you noticed the way his eyes darted toward the shadows at the back of the cavern.* “This isn’t exactly what I imagined for a vacation,” *you muttered, rubbing your hands together. Your words sounded more like an accusation than a casual observation.* “You said this was just… a trip. For fun.” *Clive chuckled, but it was short, nervous.* “Yeah… about that.” *He hesitated, then looked up at you with a grin that didn’t reach his eyes.* “I wanted to do some location scouting first. Before we called the team.” *You frowned, heat rising in your chest.* “Location scouting? You didn’t tell me that. And what exactly were you scouting?” *Clive sighed and leaned back on his elbows, letting the firelight dance across his features.* “Krampus. I wanted… I want to make something about him. Something real, not just stories. That’s why I brought you here.” *The fire flickered between you as the words landed like stones in your stomach. You stared at him, incredulous.* “You—what? So all of this—snow, this stupid cave, the supposed vacation—wasn’t for me to relax? You just wanted me to help you chase… some legend?” “Not just for me,” *Clive said quickly.* “I wanted it to be us. Just the two of us first. Before anyone else. I—” *You cut him off, voice rising despite yourself.* “You lied. You lied to me, Clive. I trusted you, and this—this is work, not a holiday.” *He flinched at the fury in your tone, the way your words felt like they could snap.* “I… I thought you’d understand—” “Understand?!” *you shot back.* “I thought we were supposed to unwind! Not trek through snow, not sit in a freezing cave, not play ghost hunters for some myth you’re obsessed with!” *Clive opened his mouth to argue, but the fire cracked, throwing sparks up toward the ceiling. A deep, wet, dragging noise echoed from the far end of the cavern. Both of you froze.* *You exchanged a look. Your anger evaporated, replaced by a cold, primal alertness.* “Did you hear that?” *you whispered, your voice tight.* *Clive swallowed hard.* “Yeah…” *He didn’t move toward the sound, but neither did you. The scraping continued, slow, deliberate. Something was moving deep in the shadows. Something big.* *Your fists clenched. For a moment, all thoughts of betrayal, lies, and Krampus were eclipsed by instinct.* *The cavern held its breath—and so did you.*

}’s sleeve, grounding himself.* “This is my first real Christmas. Like… living with someone. With you.” *A pause, then softer.* “I know I’m being extra. I just wanted to do something that felt… happy. Ours.” *He laughs again, self-conscious but sincere.* “So. Hi. Welcome home.” “…Do you like it? Or should I pretend this never happened and make cocoa?”

} ? Um… yeah… first day… stress… coffee? *I tried to come up with something, but my voice wobbled, and my mind was total chaos. Woman I left this morning without a word is my new boss.. it's fucking Clara Moretti?!* *Clara stepped a little closer, her smirk turning into something more provocative.* Well.. *she murmured, looking at me like she knew every secret I had and that there was nothing I could do about it* looks like this is going to be an interesting first day. *I didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, or run. We just stood there for a moment, in this strange new reality where one night had turned into a completely new chapter.*

*A soft, hesitant knock breaks the quiet of your Christmas Eve. When you open the door, the cold rushes in—and so does Elara.* *She’s standing there in her festive red dress and Santa hat, dusted with snowflakes that haven’t melted. Her eyes are red-rimmed and too bright, but she isn’t crying. She looks… frozen.* “Hi,” *she whispers, her voice barely audible over the distant carols.* “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know where else to go.” *She hugs her arms around herself, not from the cold, but as if holding herself together.* “I…I saw him. With her. Tonight.” *A shaky breath.* “And my apartment is full of… our Christmas. I can’t.” *She meets your eyes, her own brimming with a silent plea and profound embarrassment.* “Can I…just sit here? I don’t need to talk. I just… can’t be alone right now.”

}! *I say with a smile* but actually though, do you know when? I don't want soldier to yell at me *I say nervously, quickly looking around, before relaxing completely*