Station One.

~ welcome to my journey ~

The colourful blinking lights gives life to the big Christmas tree that stands at the middle of the hospital lobby. Blue, red and yellow lights illuminate it welcoming everyone who enters through the hospital door with warmth and comfort. Holiday season is coming and everyone is busy planning their parties and shopping for gifts to give to their family, friends and loved ones. Streets are crowded at night by people busily shuffling to their destinations, not minding the cold air. However, for some people Christmas is just an ordinary busy day in their work life.

“It’s so great to finally reunite with my chair again,” Ryeowook said stretching his arms as he sat on the chair when he reached the dietary ward. After eight hours of duty, he is glad that his shift is about to end.

“Good for you,” Sungmin said. He was sitting in front of his laptop with papers on it – probably some diet prescriptions for his VIP patients. “I had to finish this first,” he added still not looking away from his work.

Ryeowook went near him to look at what his best friend since college days was doing. “You’ve been working extra hours these days. What are you up to?”

“Ah nothing. Aside from my brother graduating on spring, I want to save for myself now,” he looked up to Ryeowook. “You’ll never know when you need money for emergency. Besides, it’ll be useful when I decide to settle down.”

“Saeun is lucky to have you,” Ryeowook patted his shoulder. “When you decide to pop the question to her, I should be the first one to know okay? After all, I’m the reason why you two have met.” It was eight years ago when Ryeowook first met Sungmin in his university. Having the same course, it was an unspoken agreement between the two that they will stick together throughout their college years. Eventually, the two became close and met other people who soon became their friends. In those four years of struggling to achieve that diploma, Sungmin and Ryeowook helped each other. Going through their internship days was one of those unforgettable experiences for the two because you’ll not only be practicing what you’ve learned in class but also meeting different people in the field. It’s like finally stepping in to the real world. Ryeowook still remembered that day when his studious friend became smitten by the pretty nurse intern he’d introduced. And he wondered if there is really what we call love at first sight and does it lasts long?

Ryeowook was not the type of person who believes in happy ever after as he says it only happens in fairytales. He watched some of his friends fall in and out of love and vowed that he wouldn’t believe in love unless fate proves it real to him. But now back in the present time, as he witnessed his own best friend’s love story develop, he somehow believes that love indeed has ways of finding its other half.

He bid goodbye at his friend and other colleagues before heading home. As he made his way out of the hospital, he noticed that the lobby was unusually calm unlike the other days when people rush in and out of it. Sometimes you can also hear the ambulance ringing as it brings in another injured person in the emergency room. Maybe this holiday season will let him rest for a bit with lesser workload. He only has to deal with the patients who unfortunately had to spend their holidays in their hospital bed.

Ryeowook pulled his scarf higher to hide even his mouth. The weather forecast said that the temperature will continue to drop as the year is about to end. And as he looked up the sky, the snow started to fall.

He fastens his pace so that he would be able to reach home without being caught by the heavy snowfall which he heard from the news before he left the hospital. He reached the train station which was crowded, as usual, with weary people who wants to go home fast. When his train arrived, he boarded it and sat at the back beside the window. As the train starts its journey, he leaned on the glass window and watched the scene before him. The snow started to color the view white which reminded him of a certain memory from many years ago.

The same tracks were covered with snow that time, but unlike now, he was a bit younger then. He used to ride this same train with a close friend he knew from his neighbourhood. He spent his childhood mem