Warming a Frozen Heart

Isolation

CHAPTER 4

Isolation

-JC-

I yawned as I watched those stupid four have fun. It's not my thing to do something energetic during vacations because I prefer to play computer games. Sushi here told me my game preferences were a bit off since they're normally for guys, but who is he to judge me like that? And it's not like I grew up living off on girly hobbies, anyway. I sighed and resumed reading my book when Kyousuke called me. Speak of the devil and he will come. "Hey JC, wanna go ziplining with us?"

I bit my lip in frustration. Oh yeah, this retard doesn't know I've never rode one yet and I'm freaking scared of it. Add the fact that this resort boasts the highest zipline in the area. "No."

"Why?"

"'Why?!' I should be the one asking you that! Why do I have to go, huh?!"

"Because YOLO!"

"YOLO your face!"

"Come on Grumpy Cat, live a little." He approached me and poked my cheek. "Come on, do things with friends like I do."

"Ha, sucks to be you." I continued reading and ignored him. "Go ziplining with your friends. It's actually for children like you."

"Hmm, it seems that you really want to, you're just scared. You're just scared of it, aren't you?"

"N-no, I'm not."

He straightened up and acted all military-like. "The sudden stutter of JC Snow has confirmed my theory!"

"I'm not scared!"

"Then come," he said with a daring tone. Such a fearless dimwit. "Fine. I'm going. I'm gonna prove to you that I'm--"

***

"--so goddamn scared! Kyousuke!" I felt my knees shaking as I clung to him nervously. The chilly air high up here at the first station freaked me out further. "Shit..."

"Ha, I knew it!" He shook me off his arm and watched me tremble. I walked carefully to one of the caretakers and asked him, "How long would I be in the air?"

He looked up as if he was estimating. "Five minutes or more."

I crept back to Kyousuke and felt as if the wind was knocked out of me. "H-he... he just said I would be up hanging in the air f-for five freakin' minutes! I'm backing out. I'm sooo backing out of here."

"Don't worry, I'll be right beside you. It's by pair anyway."

"Even worse, dagnabbit!" I stomped my foot carefully, as if there was no gravity. "I'll be up there entrusting my life to a chain or two and some cable while a dog is beside me! God! I am so out of here!"

"So out of here? You couldn't even climb the stairs without me, so how could you go back down all by yourself?"

"Stop derailing my argument with facts!" I shouted. The men beside us hoisted us into the harnesses and counted to three. The moment the guy behind me gave me a shove, I began to shriek and cling tightly to the ropes. "Calm down!" Kyousuke called. I opened one of my eyes to look at him, but instead I saw the whole resort under me, causing me to shriek even louder. He stretched out one of his hands to me. "That is dangerous you stupid sushi! You might decapitate your hand off!" I hollered.

"Just take it!"

I lifted one of my shaking hands off the cable and he caught it. "Man, you're so cold. Are you really that icy?"

The warm feeling of his hand suddenly stopped my shrieking and actually made me feel so safe. "So finally, you've stopped," he remarked. After a few minutes we finally reached the second station. The zipline was lower this time, yet Kyousuke still chose to hold my hand all the way through.