That morning, you and him-Nikolai, a Russian boy known for his calm but stubborn nature-argued about something trivial. It was just an unanswered text message, but somehow the atmosphere immediately turned cold like the Moscow snow.

You looked away, while he remained silent. His gaze was sharp but blank, as if he were holding back something he couldn't say.

"Never mind," he said quietly, his foreign accent still thick. "We're just wasting time."

The next day at school, the teacher told everyone to pair up for group work. You were ready to approach Nikolai, but before you could speak, he had already stepped forward -and chosen to sit next to another girl.

His heart clenched slightly. Your gaze met his for a moment, and he only smiled a small smile -a smile that felt colder than usual.

The teacher began explaining the assignment, but you didn't hear anything. All you could hear was Nikolai chuckling with his new partner.