Froakie replied dizzily, then stumbled somewhat as it hopped back onto Ron's shoulder.
Just then, Willy walked over. Seeing Ron, he couldn't help but ask: "Are you participating in the fishing competition later?"
"The fishing competition?" Ron turned to look at the ice holes dug in the lake not far away, hesitated for a moment, then shook his head: "Probably not."
After all, it wouldn't be good to have Froakie hide in the lake to help him cheat in front of everyone. As for Ron's own fishing skills, they were truly nothing to write home about—otherwise, he wouldn't have avoided fishing like the plague as soon as the farm's finances improved.
"I see." Willy looked at Ron with some regret: "What about the Legendary Winter Fish then? Will you still go fish for it?"
Ron agreed to this quickly. Willy seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, generously shared what he considered the best fishing spot with Ron, then walked toward the ice holes with his fishing rod.
"Jas, let's go build a snowman." Penny had just taken Vincent from Jodi's hands. After searching around and finding Jas crouching behind the ice sculpture, she walked straight over.
Seeing Ron, she greeted him, then took Jas's hand.
Jas looked reluctantly at Froakie and couldn't help but grab onto the corner of Ron's clothes.
"Then isn't big brother coming with us?"
"Teacher Penny definitely wants to be with big brother too—" Before she could finish, Penny hurriedly covered Jas's mouth.
She looked at the ice sculpture Ron was working on with Leah, and at Jas still stubbornly holding onto Ron's clothes, standing frozen in place for a moment, trying to find some excuse to persuade Jas to come along.
Ron was similarly stunned for a moment. Leah's gaze darted between Ron and Penny's faces. Seeing this, she jokingly pushed Ron's arm: "Go. I've got this covered here. If you stay any longer, you'll start hindering more than helping."
"Then—then let's go." Ron said, placing his tools beside Leah and standing up. Jas didn't let go, so he didn't try to pull his clothes away forcefully, instead following Jas's momentum and walking forward a few steps.
Jas's eyes turned, and she immediately grabbed Ron and Penny's hands, one on each side, walking toward the snowy area not far away.
Vincent, holding Penny's other hand, said discontentedly: "Miss Penny didn't say she wanted to build a snowman with him!"
"Then she won't build one with just you either." Jas blinked mischievously at Vincent, who immediately jumped up and down.
Penny smiled somewhat embarrassedly, then softly thanked Ron.
"Don't mention it. I don't have anything else to do anyway," Ron said, taking Jas's hand.
Penny looked down at Jas, feeling somewhat dazed for a moment. The atmosphere was unexpectedly a bit ambiguous, making Penny, who already didn't quite know what to say to Ron, become even more shy.
Walking to the edge of the snowy area, Penny took out gloves for the two children and carefully put them on Jas.
"Did you knit these yourself, Teacher Penny?" Jas leaned in to look and couldn't help but ask softly.
"Mm, do you like them?"
"I love them!" Jas examined the Fairy Rose that Penny had personally sewn on, rejoicing for a moment. By this time, Penny was already putting Vincent's pair of gloves on him.
After examining them for a while, Jas seemed to discover something and shouted: "This is a different color from the ones you were knitting at the library! Did you also prepare a pair for big brother?"
At these words, Penny's hands stopped in place. She hesitated for a moment, then slowly raised her head and looked at Ron.
She had indeed knitted a pair for Ron, and had even prepared a scarf to go with them. But those were meant to be given to Ron on Winter 15th, because Ron was going to Kalos during this time, and she had heard that it was still summer there.
But when she went out today, as if possessed, she had still brought that pair of gloves with her.
The atmosphere froze for a moment. But seeing that Penny didn't deny it, Ron couldn't help but ask: "Mm, did you prepare some for me too?"
"Ah—that, this." Penny took out a pair of gloves. "I do have a pair—since we're building a snowman, it seems like wearing them now would be better. Do you need them?"
Seeing Ron reach out and take the gloves, Penny's anxious heart slowly settled. She then stared at Ron's hands. From working on the ice sculpture with Leah just now, they were a bit red from the cold, and the gloves fit just right.
"Thanks, that's a big help. They're very warm," Ron said, crouching down and starting to roll a snowball. "Then let's start building the snowman."
"Ah—okay," Penny said, though her gaze remained fixed on the gloves on Ron's hands.
She felt like she was going crazy. Just seeing Ron wearing the gloves she had knitted made an indescribable emotion well up inside her. This was a first in Penny's life. She couldn't quite explain it herself, only feeling the corners of her mouth involuntarily curving upward.
Like the feelings described in books, the kind only found in student days.
Hazy, ambiguous.
By this time, the snowball in Ron's hands was already quite large. Jas was just tall enough to push the snowball along beside him, while Ron supported it from the side to prevent the direction from deviating and causing the shape to change, or hitting something.
Boys at this age were most prone to developing thoughts of definitely marrying a gentle teacher in the future. Therefore, Vincent, who had long declared he would marry Miss Penny, was now rolling a snowball by himself with a bit of petulance. Being small and not getting the technique, his snowball scattered before long.
Seeing this, Ron said something to Jas, then crouched down to help Vincent roll a snowball.
"Hmph, my brother would help me too," Vincent huffed first, but watching the snowball quickly forming in Ron's hands, that vague jealousy immediately dissipated. As the snowball grew larger and larger, it transformed into admiration for Ron.
"Wow, this snowball is really huge! Sam never made me such a big snowball!" Vincent said. "How did you do it? Normally snowballs fall apart when they get this big."
He gestured with his hands, then listened with curious fascination as Ron shared his snowball-rolling method.
In this short while, Vincent had completely forgotten his earlier awkwardness, leaning in beside Ron and nodding continuously.
After a while, he said: "If you also let me hug Froakie—even if you marry Miss Penny, I'll bless you two."
Before Ron could say anything, Penny, who had been lost in thought nearby, had already rushed over to cover Vincent's mouth.
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