Soccer ended when winter started and Jaehwan couldn't have been more thankful. Hongbin was back.

Late nights were spent studying, and he would try his best to make the player improve his grades.  After a good couple hours they would relax and watch a drama, drinking hot chocolate. Under a blanket,  snuggled close for warmth on the heated wood flooring. Jaehwan got bold one day and rested his head on his friend's shoulder. Luckily, Hongbin didn't think much of it. In fact, he rested his head back against Jaehwan’s. Jaehwan smiled.

The first snow came on the first day of break. I threw on my clothes, my winter wear, hats, gloves and everything. I pounded on Hongbin’s door.

“Hongbin! Hongbeeeean!”

He came out a little bit later with a sled and his own gear on, and we went to our field.

We played in the snow. Had a snowball fight. Sled down the hill.

But it wasn't until the snowman did that day become special.

They were halfway through building it when Jaehwan wanted to have an important discussion.

“Do you think a man can be with another man?”

“Why do you ask?” Hongbin eyed him,  patting snow into the shape of a ball for the head. “That's a little random.”

“My parents were talking about it last night,” he lied.

“And what do they think?”

..

Jaehwan shrugged. “They seemed...against it..”

“And you?”

Jaehwan shook his head. “You first. I asked first.”

Hongbin continued to pat the snow as he hummed in thought. “I don't know. I don't really care. They can live their life as long as it doesn't interfere with others. They can do whatever they want.”

Jaehwan bit his lip and nodded. “I guess you're right.”

Hongbin looked at the other. “What do you think?”

“I think…” What should he say?  He was suspecting by now he might be gay, gay for Hongbin at least, and what should he say about himself?

“They're people too…”

Jaehwan paused. Hongbin nodded. Then smiled his perfect smile.

“Hey Jaehwan?”

“Hm?”

“Thanks for being my first friend.”

“Best friend,” I corrected quickly.

“Yeah. Best friend. And first friend. No one really wanted to be that to me when I got here. I was just a quiet weirdo-”

“You weren't a weirdo-”

“Thanks, but I kinda was.  And now I'm-”

“Hot,” Jaehwan blurted out.

“Wh-What?”

“H-Hot.” Jaehwan’s cheeks turned bright red, and not just from the cold breeze.

“I don't know if I would say hot. I think that’s you.”

“Wh-What!?” Jaehwan blanched.

“Y-Yeah.” Now Hongbin turned red. He continued, “I always wondered why I was more popular. You're cute and funny and-”

Jaehwan tuned him out, his mind spinning.

And next thing he knew, Hongbin moved closer.

And pressed his lips to Jaehwan’s.

Jaehwan turned bright red.

Then he fell on his .

“Wh-What!?”

“I'm sorry,” Hongbin said, and then talked faster than he ever did before, “I thought you were flirting with me and I thought it was gonna be okay especially after talking about the gay thing and thought they can't see us from here and-”

Jaehwan suddenly understood. He thought it was rejection. He stood up quickly and pressed his lips to Hongbin’s. Wet, sloppy, but whispered, “I like you too.”

Too.

And I was right. He did like me. A lot. Just as much as I liked him.

We kissed for a damn long time. So long that we got tired of standing and collapsed in the snow. The cold ice bit at our cheeks but that didn't stop us. I tried to impress him with some French kissing, but it was rather pathetic and disgusting. Yet here he was.  Letting me push my tongue inside his mouth. And kiss him.

And love him.