A fire crackled inside the small wooden cabin. Namjoon stared at the flickering flames, unmoving as he relaxed into the warmth after a long day of trudging across snowy mountainsides to deliver various goods to villagers. The cold had seeped into his bones, perhaps his own soul, but the heat of the fire managed to thaw him little by little.

    Just as he held his hands out above the flames, Namjoon heard a tiny shriek.

    "Namjoonie! You're home!" a small voice yelled as his younger brother tried to tackle him into a hug.

    "Jiminnie! I missed you today," Namjoon replied fondly.

    Jimin looked up from where he had buried his face in Namjoon's bulky winter coat. "I know," he said with a bright smile. 

    "Well, now that I'm good and warm, I'll get started on dinner for you. We don't have a lot of meat left, so I think a vegetable soup would be nice for today. With the heavy snow, it'll be a while before I'll be able to get more. We'll have to make do for a little while, Jiminnie," said Namjoon.

    "It's okay. I like soup!"

    Namjoon laughed. "It's a good thing you do because we'll be having it for a while. Oh, how's Grandma doing today?"

    Jimin's bright smile fell slightly. "She's better than yesterday, but still coughing a lot. She said she's felt very cold."

    "That's better, at least. Maybe I can move her bed next to the fireplace for the time being."

    "I'm scared, Namjoonie. I don't want Grandma to be sick. I remember when Mommy got sick and then we lost her," Jimin sniffled.

    "Don't worry, Jimin. I'll do everything I can to make sure that doesn't happen again."

    He gently pulled Jimin into a hug, patting his head as he cried.

    After a few minutes, they began to work on the soup, and soon, it was ready. 

    "Let me take this to Grandma," Namjoon said, filling up a small bowl of warm soup. "Go ahead and get a bowl for yourself, Jiminnie. I'll be back in a minute."

    Opening the door to his grandma's room, Namjoon stepped in quietly, holding the bowl of soup in hand. His grandmother was sitting up in bed, and she smiled warmly as he approached. 

    "Thank you, my sweet grandson. Always thinking of others. You didn't work yourself too hard today, did you? I know you're trying to earn money to buy some medicine for me."

    Namjoon grinned. "It wasn't too terribly hard. And don't worry about the money, Grandma. Just focus on resting, okay?"

    "Okay. I'm so lucky to have a grandson like---." She dissolved into a fit of loud coughs. 

    "Grandma! Grandma, are you okay?" Namjoon yelled, rushing over to help try to stop the coughs. 

    After a few violent coughs, the sudden fit was over, but Namjoon was now even more worried about her condition. 

    "Don't worry, Namjoon. I can see it in your eyes. I'll be fine." She placed a reassuring hand over his and gave a tight smile. He tried his best to return it.

    The next day, before his job on the mountainside began, Namjoon trekked down the snowy hills to the center of the village. The village doctor's home was there, and Namjoon was going to ask about medicines for his grandmother.

    Coming upon the small house, he loudly knocked on the wooden door as he stood outside in the chilly winter air. The door opened, and he was greeted by the doctor's wife. He walked inside to the living area where the doctor was sitting.

    "Hello, Kim Namjoon. Have you come to ask about medicines again today?" the doctor said.

    "Unfortunately yes. My grandmother seems to only be getting worse. Do you think you might be able to examine what the problem might be?"

    "I would be glad to. I'll come by your cabin later today to check it out."

    Namjoon was relieved. "Thank you so much, sir. This means a lot!"

    He said his goodbyes to the doctor and his wife, and then carried on with his day, feeling a tiny bit better.

    For the next few hours, he trudged across the white mountaintops, hauling piles of wood over the snowy ground. Although his fingers were numb and he shivered almost constantly, he felt it was worth it in order for his brother and grandmother to have the things they needed.

    As he brought in a portion of wood to the small village store, the woman attending the counter rushed to help him carry all the logs. Since he was their main supply of wood, she was always very kind to him.

    While he stacked the pieces into a pile in a corner of the store, he couldn't help but overhear two ladies talking in unsuccessful attempts of whispering. 

    "Did you hear the news about the house a few villages away, on the northern mountain?"

    "No, not yet. Tell me!"

    "Well, you know the family that owns it is very wealthy. I haven't personally been, but the house is rumoured to practically be a mansion. And it seems they are needing some workers around the house. I've heard the pay is to be a fairly substantial amount, so I'm thinking about applying for a job there myself."

    "Maybe I should also...Oh! I did hear something else a few years ago regarding that particular house. It seems the son there lost both his parents maybe five years ago. Do you know what they say about him?"

    "No, go on."

    Namjoon's interest was piqued.

    "They say he used to be a bright, happy child. He was kind and polite and loved his parents dearly. But now, they say he's become cold. They say it's like his heart has just completely frozen over."

    "That's too sad."

    "I know. They say it's like he's a completely different person now. Maybe that's why there are so many open positions; everyone has left."

    "Maybe I should think on my decision then."

    "Yes, I will have to as well. I don't know if it would be worth-----."

    Namjoon was jolted out of the conversation he had been listening to by a log falling from the pile. He quickly scooped it up and hurried home, not wanting to be late when the doctor came.

    The doctor, done with his exam of Namjoon's grandmother, turned to face Namjoon, his lips turning down slightly. 

    "It seems she's getting worse."

    Namjoon loudly exhaled, frowning. 

    "The medicine she's been taking hasn't been helping. I don't have any more medicines that would do anything for her that I can make myself. We'll have to buy from a larger village, and it will take time to get here. Also, the cost may be high," the doctor said.

    "There's no other way?" Namjoon asked.

    "Unfortunately not. I feel terrible, knowing I am a doctor but my medicine skills are not enough to help your grandmother. This is all I can do."

    "Okay. Then I'll find some way to get the money needed."

    At that, the doctor looked lost in thought for a few seconds, then speaking once again he said, "You know, I heard about a job as a house helper in a home on the northern mountain. The pay is a large amount. If you worked there for a few months you'd definitely have enough to pay for the medicine."

    It sounded like the job the two women had been talking about in the store. Now, Namjoon was seriously considering it.

    "If I took it, I couldn't be here to take care of Jimin or my grandmother. Who would do that in my place?" Namjoon questioned.

    "In order to help you, my wife and I will personally watch over Jimin and your grandmother. I know someone who works in the house too, so I'll send him a letter asking if you can have a position. It should only take a few days to hear back."

    "Okay. I'll do it. Thank you for your help," Namjoon replied gratefully.

    "It's the least I can do, so don't worry. We'll do everything we can to help your grandmother in the meantime."

    The next few days were spent hauling wood and waiting for a reply from the house. Four days after the letter had been sent, a reply finally arrived.

    "Good news, Namjoon! It looks they're willing to give you a position. They've included directions to the house and say they'll expect you in the next few days," the doctor said as he read over the letter.

    Glancing at the map, the journey looked to be about a day's walk over the mountain. It would be difficult in the snow, but Namjoon was somewhat used to the conditions. 

    "Thank you, sir," Namjoon said to the doctor. "I'll get plenty of rest and start walking tomorrow morning."

    The next day he spent slowly making his way through the snowy mountains. On his way, he thought about what the women had said. He wondered if the young man's heart really had frozen over. 

    Eventually, he reached the larger village. Walking through it, he was amazed by how many people were on the streets and the bright glow of all the lights. Finally, he came upon the large house. It looked every bit like what the women had described it as, with four stories and a large smattering of windows.

    Namjoon nervously walked up to the door and cautiously knocked. Seconds later, the door opened to reveal a tall man, smiling widely at Namjoon.

    "Hello, you must be Namjoon. Doctor Park spoke highly of you in his letter. We've already hired a few others recently, so don't worry; there'll be other new people too."

    "Thank you so much for this opportunity, and yes, I am Kim Namjoon. Pleased to meet you." 

    "Oh yes, I suppose I should tell you my name as well. I'm Jung Hoseok, the head "employee" I guess you could say."

    Hoseok reached out a hand to grasp Namjoon's back and led him into the house. 

    "I'll give you a quick tour and then you can get settled. I know you've probably had a long day of walking."

    As he stepped into the main entrance, Namjoon looked up and his mouth opened wide in amazement. A beautiful glass chandelier was hanging from the ceiling, the crystals casting tiny shadows onto the walls. 

    "Wow," Namjoon breathed.

    Hoseok just smiled and led him on to the next room. 

    "This is the dining area, where the owner of the house prefers to take his meals. We are not to bother him at any time unless he specifically requests our prescence. Please keep that in mind."

    Namjoon nodded slowly at the strange rule. He would have to remember that.

    Hoseok showed him the kitchen, bathrooms, two living areas, the library, the laundry area, and the supply and cleaning closets. "It's nowhere close to every room, but I have a feeling you're needing to rest more than anything."

    He led Namjoon to the employee rooms and his new bed. 

    "Have a good night's rest. Tomorrow will be a long day, but you'll get used to it. Remember, breakfast is at seven o'clock sharp. Don't be late!" Hoseok enthusiastically waved good night and then silently shut the door. 

    Although he was tired from the trek across the mountain, Namjoon was wide awake due to the new environment he was in. He sat down on the bed, only to notice a large window at the back of the room.

    Examining it closer, it seemed to be a glass door that opened to reveal a small balcony, overlooking the village, which seemed tiny from so far away. Namjoon breathed in the cold night air, sighing peacefully. It felt calming. 

    Suddenly hearing a sound on his left, Namjoon looked over to see another person emerging from inside the house onto a balcony farther away. 

    The person, who looked to be a man, was beautiful. The moonlight shone down reflecting onto the man's brown hair as he gazed up in wonder at stars beginning to come out in the night sky overhead. 

    Namjoon was mesmerized and unconsciously, he began leaning over the railing to get a closer look, not noticing the small pot next to his arm until it was too late. It fell and made a loud noise, startling both Namjoon and the man. 

    Namjoon looked up after seeing it hit the ground and cringed. The man was looking at him and glaring. Heavily. For just a split second before he quickly darted back inside.

    Namjoon just stared after him, still processing what had just happened. He mechanically walked back to bed, hoping that whoever the man had been, he would forget about the event.