“That was nice.” Jungkook whispered into the thin air as it slowly kissed his pale skin. He just got back after hours of flight but exhaustion is never close to bothering him as of now. The cold breeze greeted him much to his delight and just like what he had expected, the feeling was like learning how to breathe for the first time. Sure, it was because he missed inhaling the air of Korea and that was the missing piece of him that he had lost and was waiting to be found: the feeling of home. It’s already wintertime and the wind was too chilly that he rubbed his hands together to transmit even the littlest bit of heat to warm him up. But even though the cold breeze envelopes the city, the first snowfall isn’t even happening yet.

Coincidence? No. He really made sure that he’ll book a flight just before it happens, silently wishing that fate would be on his side and do its magic to meet the reason why he came back exactly on that day. 

Yes, let’s trust that cunning thing called fate.

Jungkook pulled his luggage and carried his bag then headed to a stall that sells hot chocolate and coffee. He carefully placed them by his side and ordered the former as it’ll be nicer to drink and for him, it matches the mood well. It seems like Hollywood films had turned him into a hopeless romantic kind of guy, especially when he grew fond of watching those romantic movies based on bestselling novels to kill time during breaks. His adoptive parents do not let him go out with his friends ‘cause they’re afraid that some of them could possibly influence their young man, and that is probably the reason why he was also seen as a weirdo who likes keeping himself in his own personal bubble.

He took a sip of his hot chocolate, but unlike the usual reaction of a guy in reminiscence who would close his eyes as he tastes the satisfying flavor, he immediately stuck his tongue out gently biting it the moment he felt the hot liquid. He was too excited that he forgot to blow it to make it warm. He quickly placed the drink on one of the vacant tables and fanned his tongue as if it would aid the tingling pain.

“That was stupid.” He just shrugged and went on with his bag and luggage while drinking the hot chocolate acoompanied by his slow steps. 

What exactly are the changes that happened to him in ten years? 

Jungkook grew taller, of course, and also started having biceps making him look so manly and attractive (not to mention his six pack abs that he got from working out at their house if he ran out of movies to watch). He grew fond of exploring the other things that he can do, and immediately discovered that singing is the thing that he likes the most. When it comes to clothing, he adapted his classmate’s ways and bought the same apparel as what they wear on a daily basis. And the most important of all, he mastered the language and almost forgot the one he used to speak had it not been for his adoptive father who flicks his forehead everytime he translates a word incorrectly.

Jungkook slowly lifted his head to get a nice view of the city. His eyes roamed around like a wandering child with amusement, curiosity slightly taking over them. They found its way to the sky and admired the stars with enthusiasm. Then, he realized that it has been a while since he stared at those twinkling diamonds, his mind still unable to discern the difference between the night skies of the two countries that he wasn’t able to enjoy the one from the place where he came from. Maybe because America doesn’t give much of a nostalgic feeling to him, and his young and silly self thought that the stars were as foreign as the land, oblivious that he and his great friend were staring at the same ones and the only thing that changes drastically is the world underneath them.

Jungkook sighed as the thought of the little girl kicked his mind for the nth time. He tried searching for her on social networking sites but it was either he was born unlucky to find her accounts or she doesn’t really have them in the first place. He tried scrolling through profiles of the students of some schools were she could’ve possibly entered, but none of them has the same hair as hers. It was kinda funny that he was searching for someone with the same highlights because a lot of things could have happened in a decade. She could’ve dyed her hair into black or any other colors that she likes, or worse, she cut them off and live like some of his female friends in highscool who prefers having those kind of hairstyles than the usual one. But, he believes he knows her too well with her different aura which screams her personality. He certainly believes that once he sees her, he could recognize her easily even in a sea of girls with the same highlights.

A sudden sound of a taxi approaching snapped him back to reality from his own reverie. Jungkook checked the time on his phone and lo and behold, the taxi that he called for arrived on time. The driver got off from the said vehicle and helped him place his luggage at the car’s compartment, then the both of them rode the car without a word. He gently tugged on the hem of his leather jacket as he keep the empty cup of hot chocolate on the side of his bag.

He was about to close the car door but a sudden force stopped him form doing so. With a puzzled look, he turned to see who it was but before he could see her face (‘her’ because of the tight coat and the feminine vibe that he obviously felt), she quickly got inside the car and sat beside him. Jungkook and the driver looked at her with horror but the former’s expression suddenly changed when it was her time to look at them and flashed an apologetic smile.

The light from the street lights that suddenly illuminated her face gave him a clearer view of it.

“I’m sorry for being rude and riding without your permission but would you please drive now? I’m in a hurry. I’m willing to pay in doubles if I cause trouble.” She suddenly speaks and unbeknownst to her, her soft voice rang on the head of the guy beside her who still looks astonished as if he had just seen an apparition of a horrifying ghost.

“Where are you heading to, Miss?”

Her destination was surprisingly the same as where Jungkook is heading to, so the driver just nodded and followed the girl’s command. He doesn’t care as long as she will pay the fare, and she looks harmless enough and too innocent to carry a knife and do a hideous felony. 

Without a warning, she snapped her fingers in front of Jungkook’s shocked face and gently patted his cheek making him surprised at the sudden contact. 

“Hey. Why are you looking at me like that?” Jungkook was caught off guard when she let out a soft chuckle. He stared at her and what caught his attention was her wavy hair that has a shade of mixed black and hazel brown with light strawberry blonde highlights, something he only saw once from a certain person before. Some parts were tied on her back with a red ribbon and he kept himself from touching her locks as the scenes of the past played on his head.

“Umm.. N-nothing.” Jungkook blurted out the stupidest reason that he could ever say in his 19 years of existence. 

“Okay. If that’s what you say so.” She relaxed herself on her seat and played with her fingers. Her nails were painted with mint green and some decors grazed them cutely. Before he could even admire her soft and smooth-looking hands, she kept them inside the pocket of her trench coat.

“Can I ask you a question?” Jungkook gained a bit of courage to speak but is too respectful to ask directly as he could be mistaken as a person who likes to meddle with others’ own business.

“You’re already asking.” It was Jungkook’s turn to chuckle at her remarks. If she’s the person he has been searching for, the heavens might have made some kind of ritual on her for her personality to change drastically. But, her different aura is still there and giving him hopes that she’s the Choi Yuna that he had left in the orphanage ten years ago.

“I was just joking. Go on.” She showed a fleeting smile and that is one thing that Jungkook noticed. She doesn’t smile genuinely. But, what surprised him is she talked to him in English. He admits that he’s more comfortable with it now and it’ll probably take weeks for him to get used to speaking Korean again.

“Oh. You speak English too?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I know you’re from America.”

“How did you know?”

“I saw you from the group of Americans at the airport.” He nodded, not forgetting about his intention. His hope sagged down a bit though. He thought she’ll confess that he knows who he is.

“Why are you in a hurry a while ago?” He bit his lower lip while expecting her to be nice and answer his question. She suddenly pouted after hearing what he said, and that action brought Jungkook to the thought that it was something personal.

“It’s okay if you d-don’t like to answer. I-I’m sorry if I’m being too.. n-nosy.”

“No. It was actually my bodyguards.”

‘Bodyguards? Is she some kind of an heiress who was expected to marry a guy for business then runs away from home and fled to another country just to escape? Or maybe..’

Sea of thoughts immediately drowned Jungkook. His mind automatically formulated some kind of plot the moment he heard her reason. 

With those silly things that crossed his mind, he could be a writer if he pursues that hidden talent.

“I was supposed to have a secret flight to California tonight to meet my grandparents.”

“‘Secret’ flight? What do you mean?” Jungkook tilted his head a bit with confusion of what the girl said. He doesn’t care if he’s asking too much questions. He just want to confirm even a bit of information about her so he may ask her for lunch tomorrow.

Too fast? For him, it isn’t. He promised himself that once he saw someone whom he thinks as the one he’s been searching for, he’ll immediately grab the opportunity to confirm it. And this girl beside him is his first candidate (and hopefully the last).

“I never knew I actually had grandparents and they’re still alive as of the moment. They’re waiting for me by the way, but those freaks had to get on the way and stop me from meeting my relatives. I tried hard to muster up my courage and book a flight to the place I loathed the most but they had to ruin all my efforts. I even left my luggage at the airport. Ugh!” Her continuous complaints made Jungkook laugh. She, on the other hand, just pouted with the reaction she had received. She felt comfortable with him and swore that this was the first time she actually shared something about her life to other people.

“How about your personal things? Your phone? Your wallet?” He finally asked her after laughing at her sudden explosion of her frustrations.

“I’m lucky enough to get them before I run off.” She rolled her eyes and he chuckled once again while shaking his head.

“And now you’re going back to Seoul?”

“No, I’m actually living here in Incheon but I wanna get away from my parents for now and I know an unnie who has a house at Seoul whom I can stay with for as long as I can.”

“Your sister?” Jungkook never thought that his simple question would lead to this conversation. He’s actually hitting two birds in one stone. He can get to make her comfortable with him so he may ask her for tomorrow and at the same time, he can get the informations he wanted.

“No. But she treats me like one.” He just nodded. She’s lucky to find someone whom she can trust. “I actually have a younger sister at home and I’m sure she’s fine. Yewon was never controlled by them anyway.” A long silence followed her statement. They found themselves enjoying the calming silence and Jungkook suddenly felt the sudden wave of drowsiness affecting him.

“I’m Yuna by the way. Kim Yuna.” She suddenly blurted out of the blue. Jungkook almost forgot that he has to ask her but was lucky enough that she herself told him her name.

“Kim Yuna, as in the figure skater?” Jungkook asked to mask his excitment. She has the same name as his bestfriend, and that is one confirmation but not strong enough. ‘Yuna’ is quite a common name in Korea.

“No. Her name is Yeon-ah and mine si Yu-na. You got the difference?” His hands almost found their way to pinch her cheeks but he kept them to himself because if she’s not Choi Yuna, it’s odd for him to pinch the cheeks of the girl he just met. She, on the other hand, offered her hand for him to shake which he gladly accepted.

The feeling of her hand was something that he knows he had missed. That warmth is the certain feeling of home aside from the breeze of the cold air. Soon, he felt her grip loosened and he felt himself ache at the loss of the warm contact. He wanted to hold it longer. He wanted to feel her soft hand on his as it warms his heart and sets his mind into peace but, this is not yet the right time to get what he wants. 

“What’s your name, by the way?”

“I’m Ju-“

“Ma’am and Sir, we’re already here.” He was interrupted by the driver. The long drive that he was expecting ended abruptly without realizing it. They were too engrossed with their conversation that they forgot they already arrived at their destination. It was Jungkook’s impulse that he quickly got out of the car and open the door for her, one action that made her cheeks show a slight hint of pink.

They paid and thanked the driver, and soon as he left, they were engulfed with silence as no one wants to start another conversation. But, Jungkook knows that he’ll miss the chance if he doesn’t take the initiative.

“So.. where’s your unnie’s house? I’ll take you there.” Yuna quickly shook her head upon hearing Jungkook’s offer.

“I’ll be fine. I know you’re tired and I bothered you a lot already. And your place might be still far from here.”

“Can you see that lonely three-storey house?” He asked as he kept his wallet on his bag, probably referring to that huge modern house which looked scary without lights. Yuna nodded slowly.

“That is where I live. It’s just near, right? So, tell me.” Yuna just gave in. She knows she’ll not win against him anyway. Guys tend to be like that. They’ll insist until you run out of choices.

“There.” Jungkook’s eyes formed a thin line at her answer. Hotel? He thought she said ‘house’ a while ago and he knows what he has heard. So what does she mean when she pointed at the five-star hotel nearby?

“Do you know that it is a famous hotel, Miss Kim? Are you kidding me?” Yuna just snickered at him and cringed at being called ‘Miss Kim.’

“Don’t call me with that name. You remind me of those freaks.” Jungkook seemed to get the idea that she was referring to her bodyguards who forbade her to go on with her flight.

“So what should I call you? Yuna..nim? Yuna..ssi?” He leaned over her and raised one of his eyebrows. The shorter was quick to sh