She had a mug of hot chocolate in her hands as she sat down by the window sill. Snow has fallen days ago, hinting for a white Christmas this year. She remembers how she loves white Christmases. A sad smile etched itself on Joohyun’s lips as she takes a sip from the mug, savoring the warmth the hot chocolate has to offer her in the cold winter. The hot chocolate had warmed her body, but not her heart. Joohyun had never felt so cold and alone on Christmas Eve. She looked out of the window, watching some children having a snowball fight outside as she allowed herself to drown in her own thoughts.

This is the first Christmas Joohyun is spending without her. She used to spend Christmas with her family and friends, where Seungwan was always there to celebrate it with her. Their parents were best friends thus making Joohyun and Seungwan childhood friends and best friends as they grow up. There wasn’t a single Christmas Joohyun had celebrated that Seungwan wasn’t there with her. The both of them loved Christmas a lot, and now Joohyun wanted to hate it, because Seungwan isn’t there.

Joohyun remembers each and every Christmas they had spent together. Every moment with Seungwan was special, but it became even more special when it’s Christmas. Joohyun always felt the most completed during Christmas. Her family that she loved was there, her friends that she cherished were there and most importantly, Seungwan was there. Five years ago, the Christmas lights became brighter for her; she could hear the bells jingling and Santa’s laughter, literally, because her Christmas wish came true. Over the years, Joohyun had grown to like Seungwan more than friends and she had wished for Seungwan to feel the same for her. It seemed that Santa heard her when Seungwan asked her out on Christmas five years ago, the 25th of December. Joohyun couldn’t be any happier on that day, the day they went from being friends to lovers. A tiny part of Joohyun patted herself on the back mentally, relieved that she was a good child all these while.

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It was the 24th of December, meaning it was Christmas Eve. As usual, Joohyun was busy helping her family to prepare for the dinner tonight, where their family friends, the Sons, Kangs, Parks and Kims, will be there with them, like any other years, it was a tradition for the best friends, to celebrate together. Most of the years it would be celebrated in the Baes’ house, and this year were no different.

Joohyun bounced in her steps as she moved about in the house, helping her father with the Christmas tree decorations and later in the kitchen helping her mother to bake cookies and cook. Her parents both had wide smiles on their faces seeing how happy their daughter was. Christmas was always a special and the happiest day for Joohyun.

It wasn’t as if they haven’t met each other for a long time, in fact, they meet almost every day, but Joohyun was still excited to see her friends and exchange presents. She loved receiving presents and giving them out, even though most of the times her friends would prank her with something before giving her the real gift and she would be scared to the point her already pale skin became even whiter. Joohyun was a scaredy cat, she gets scared at almost everything which was why she was always the target for pranks. Not that she minded, because they were precious to her. Besides, Seungwan would be there to comfort her if things went bad.

The 16 years old Joohyun had a different Christmas wish this year, unlike the previous years where she would always wish for everyone around her to be healthy and happy all the time. It took her some time to realize it but she did, Joohyun prided herself to be a keen observer after all. She had noticed how different things were when Seungwan was with her, or not with her. She noticed every little thing about Seungwan, not that she didn’t pay attention to the rest of her friends, but she find herself seeing only Seungwan even in a crowd. The way she felt for and looked at Seungwan was different than the way she felt and looked at all their other friends, and that’s how Joohyun came to the conclusion. She had fallen for Son Seungwan, she wished for Seungwan to feel the same for her.

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Remembering those moments made Joohyun smile, yet she couldn’t seem to stop the tears from rolling. They had loved so deeply, as if nothing could ever break them apart. They had also fallen out. No – at least not Joohyun. She was, and still is very much in love with the dorky girl whose eyes shine even in the dark as if they contain stars in them, whose smile was as bright as the sun, Joohyun’s sun. She still loves Son Seungwan dearly, the girl who took her heart and never gave it back when she left a year ago, on the 25th of December last year. That was the last day Joohyun had ever seen Seungwan ever again.

She placed her mug down and wiped her face quickly when she was snapped out from memory lane. Seungwan wouldn’t be happy to see her in tears on an occasion the both of them loved. Joohyun patted her own cheeks, cheering herself up mentally,

‘Alright Bae Joohyun, you can do this. It’s Christmas eve, enjoy the celebration!’

A creak from the door had her turning her head towards the sound, only to see a slim and tall girl entering the room. The newcomer sat herself down beside Joohyun, a gentle smile plastered on her face,

“Still thinking about her?”

It wasn’t a question, it was more of a statement. Joohyun did not answer the girl, instead greeted her by leaning forward, giving the other girl a bear hug. Kang Seulgi was her name, she was no stranger to Joohyun. Instead, she was the second person, next to Seungwan, who could understand Joohyun without needing her to verbalize her thoughts. The three of them, Joohyun, Seungwan and Seulgi, grew up together. Their bond was so strong it was as if they could communicate telepathically. That was how Seulgi knew and understand why Joohyun is alone in her room, not downstairs greeting and welcoming guests for the Christmas dinner.<