Snow fell heavily outside, nketing everything in ayer of white and merging with the endless gray sky in the distance. Dn''s fingers were intertwined with ra''s, and his palms radiated a warmth like a quietly bubbling volcano.


    ra didn''t want to be too strict with Dn, especially since he was sick. She figured she''d let him have his way for now. Time seemed to drag on, and his fever was only getting worse instead of better. Finally, she couldn''t sit still any longer and decided to give him more water.


    Dn slowly opened his eyes, which were hazy, like he was lost and had no clue what was going on. "Mr. Dn, Aiden''s gone off somewhere. Let me drive you home. Even if we don''t have medicine there, at least you''ll be morefortable lying down."


    Instead of agreeing, Dn loosened his tie, as if he were overheating from the inside. ra quickly reached over to cover his corbone and retied the tie. Normally, Dn was all about neatness, always buttoning his shirt all the way up.


    As she adjusted his tie, she thought about driving back right away, not waiting for Aiden. But then Dn''s hot hand suddenly rested on hers. "We''re not going back,” he said, his voice raw and almost breaking. "There are cherry blossoms nearby. Did you know?"


    ra couldn''t remember where they were, convinced he was talking nonsense because of the fever. "Okay, cherry blossoms. If you want to see them, I''ll go pick some for you." She was just trying to humor him, but his eyes lit up unexpectedly. "Yes."


    "Seriously?" ra was taken aback. In this freezing weather, he really thought she''d find cherry blossoms? "Mr. Dn..."


    She meant to let it slide, but he released her hand and stared coldly out the window. "Go find them." ra looked at his profile. His hair was damp, and even the corners of his eyes were moist, his cheeks flushed-a vulnerability she''d never seen in him.


    Taking a deep breath, she opened the car door. "I''ll look. If I can''t find any in ten minutes, I''ming back. You''re feverish, and it''s dangerous to be alone in the car. I can''t leave you like this." His lips curled slightly, hisshes lowered. "Alright."


    The snow outside was thick, and as ra stepped into it, she could hear it crunching beneath her boots. She started toward the distant forest but couldn''t shake her worry for Dn, so she looped back to his car window and knocked.


    Dn slowly rolled down the window. His cheeks were still flushed, and his hair was tousled by the wind. ra had initially nned to fake a search and bring back anything. But there was something about Dn. In this icyndscape, he seemed like a mysterious figure cloaked in red.


    He didn''t have to say anything; just his presence made her want to do anything for him. ra never thought she''d feel a hint of sympathy for him. She quickly looked away, advising, "Roll up the window and stay put. I''ll find them, don''t worry."


    With that, she marched into the snowy expanse. She thought Dn''s mention of cherry blossoms was just feverish rambling, but after several minutes of walking, she actually found a cluster of cherry blossoms at a crumbling wall corner.


    The blossoms were a vibrant red, striking against the snowy backdrop. ra was surprised. How could there be cherry blossoms here? She hurried over to pick them, but as her hand touched the flowers, memories shed in her mind.


    In a dark cave, two children huddled together for warmth. Her fingers trembled, and she looked around, instinctively heading in one direction. After about twenty meters, she found a pit, and her heart pounded violently as if something hit it.


    It felt like a scene from a dream. In that dream, she and a little boy were trapped in a cave, the boy''s body ice-cold. The next day, she cut her skin to feed him her blood. ra stood at the pit''s edge, peering down.


    The pit was deep. She already knew the boy was Z. But how did Dn know about this ce? She stood there, her mind a mess. Only when her feet went numb from the cold did she remember Dn was still in the car.


    Quickly, she turned back, picked the cherry blossoms, and headed toward the car. But then a conversation echoed in her mind. "Don''t die on me. The cherry blossoms here in winter are beautiful. I''ll pick them for you, okay?"


    "Hey, can you hear me? Don''t die yet. I''m giving you my blood; don''t spit it out." ra took a few steps, rubbing her temples, the boy''s voice echoing again. "Will you really give me the cherry blossoms?"


    "Of course. They''re a gift from nature. Once I pick them for you, they''re yours." "Hmm, then you must remember."