For someone that had four finals coming up all in the same week, Nayeon was very calm. Too calm in Jihyo’s opinion.

She bet that Nayeon wasn’t even studying right now. Swiveling in her chair, Jihyo looked across the room where the bunk bed stood. She recalled Nayeon calling dibs on the top bunk when they first settled in. Nayeon insisted that an angel such as herself had to take the top bunk to express kindness, that it was a burden only she could bear. Jihyo responded by rolling her eyes playfully and throwing a pillow at her before it was put inside its case.

Nayeon’s laugh was bright, Jihyo watching her legs sway back and forth. She was smiling. Nayeon frowned when she was concentrating. She wasn’t studying.

“Hey, unnie?” Jihyo almost laughed as she watched Nayeon’s legs freeze and when she met her eyes, she could tell that Nayeon knew she was caught in the act. That didn’t stop Nayeon from batting her eyes and flashing a grin.

“Yes?” Nayeon asked. “What can I help my cutest and favorite roommate with?”

She was Nayeon’s only roommate. “How’s studying going for you?”

Groaning, Nayeon’s face fell as her legs flopped down on the bed. “You didn’t even try to humor me.”

A smile tugged at her lips and Jihyo shook her head. “And you didn’t even try to deny it.”

Nayeon lifted her face from the pillow, puffing out a breath as stray hairs blew away from her eyes. “It’s not a big deal if I don’t study right now. There’s fourteen days left before my first final.”

“Two weeks you mean,” Jihyo said.

“It sounds like I have more time if I say fourteen days,” Nayeon chuckled.

Jihyo agreed, but favored with staying silent because saying Nayeon was right would eventually lead to the latter thinking that she was right about not needing to study. “Don’t you have four finals to take?”

“I wish.” Nayeon plopped back on the pillow and turned her head to look at her roommate properly. From here, Jihyo was able to make out her squished cheek. “I have five. I need to take my physics and chemistry exams on Wednesday.”

“God,” Jihyo whispered. “This is why Jeongyeon-unnie and I were trying to convince you in the beginning of the quarter to not enroll in that many classes.”

“Hey!” Nayeon sat up in bed. “You lack faith in me. I was able to handle juggling all my classes, I can handle a few tests.”

Jihyo frowned. She didn’t like Nayeon’s way of “handling it,” which consisted of all nighters and pumping coffee into her veins. “I know you can handle it. Not without neglecting your health though.”

“Oh?” Nayeon sounded surprised, a hint delighted. Jihyo didn’t know why. “How sweet of you to worry about me.”

Nodding, Jihyo took in the sight of Nayeon’s pajamas. The pink was cute. “Of course, you’re paying half the rent after all. You need to be alive.”

Nayeon sputtered, a cackle brightening her eyes. “Shut up!” Jihyo laughed as she raised her arms over her face to deflect a pillow thrown her way.

“Hey!” Jihyo said between giggles. “You’re not spreading  Christmas cheer right now!”

“Oh, don’t give me that. I have more spirit than you could ever muster!” Nayeon pointed at her accusingly. “While you’re over there burying yourself in essay prompts, I’m—” She turned her finger towards herself, emphasizing with a smirk. “Planning the perfect get-together.” She reached for her phone and held it up as if it held all of life’s truths. “Come see for yourself.”

Jihyo raised an eyebrow. Due to a mix of genuine curiosity and wanting a break from the ten page essay that had to be finished in a week, she stood up from the chair. She couldn’t settle in next to Nayeon on the top bunk, so Jihyo had to stick with hanging on to the metal ladder as the other scooted closer. The bed was small to the point where one of them was bound to fall off if they tried and even if they could fit, Jihyo would never leave because she hated writing about weird poetry written by old men.

“City of lights?” Jihyo squinted and Nayeon let her take the phone to read the article.

Nayeon nodded enthusiastically. “Apparently the town is going all out this year and it just so happens to take place when we and our friends are all done with tests.”

“Do you want me to he—” Nayeon shushed her by placing a finger between her lips.

“I’m stopping you right there,” Nayeon grinned. Jihyo wondered what type of dental care could make her smile so bright. “If I let you help, you’re going to inevitably become invested in making this get-together perfect and stress yourself out. What if you faint again just like in high school?”

Nayeon was exaggerating. Jihyo didn’t even faint then. She was only exhausted from having an all-nighter and escorted herself to the nurse’s office for a nap.

Jihyo rolled her eyes and took Nayeon’s hand away from her face. “And you have fou—five finals coming up!”

“But the due date for your essay is a lot closer than my finals,” Nayeon shot back. “You’re worrying too much, I’m not going to spend all my time planning this.”

She was right, but Jihyo still couldn’t shake off the feeling of worry. Even if it wasn’t because of Christmas planning, Nayeon would somehow push herself too hard. “Is anyone helping you?”

“Jeongyeon and Mina.” She rested her chin on her palms, regarding Jihyo with amusement.

Jihyo frowned. Then, she sighed. “If you say so. Try to study a little today, so you won’t have to cram everything in one night.”

“Whatever mom.” Nayeon laughed as Jihyo pushed her back onto the mattress.

_____________________________________________________________

When Momo and Sana saw Nayeon’s schedule, they screamed. Jeongyeon said they were being dramatic, but when she snatched the booklet from them her eyes widened. “What are you some masochist?” she asked. “Why do you have to go to so many events?”

Nayeon scoffed. “You guys are being babies, I can handle this.” She yawned and Jihyo frowned.

“You have ten days left til your finals,” Jeongyeon reminded her. “The clock is ticking.”

“Worry about yourself, why don’t you?” Nayeon snatched the planner back from her and checked if her pen still had ink. Those weren’t all of her responsibilities. “You have a calculus exam. That’s like twice the stress of one of my finals.”

Jeongyeon groaned, pressing her head against the table. “Don’t remind me.”

It was hard to imagine that the cafe they resided in was filled with bustling customers excited about the upcoming holiday.

Nayeon took a sip of her coffee, her eyebrows furrowing. “Ugh, so bitter.” She tore open a sugar packet and poured it inside her cup, but it was futile. Nayeon hated coffee no matter how much sugar was added.

“Why did you order coffee then?” Jeongyeon asked.

She shrugged. “It keeps me awake.” A reluctant look was on her face as she stirred her drink.

It was starting. Jihyo didn’t like Nayeon’s way of handling it.

_____________________________________________________________

Jihyo unlocked the door and was welcomed by the sounds of mumbling. Her eyes widened when she spotted Nayeon surrounded by stacks of papers on the kitchen counter. One for each subject, she assumed.

She would have asked Nayeon if she was alright, but she could tell the answer. Knowing Nayeon, she was either going to lie and say she was fine or admit she was tired before quickly changing the subject.

The first thing Jihyo noticed when she sat across from was that bags were beginning to form under Nayeon’s eyes. She wanted to tell Nayeon that she needed to find a new way to “handle it,” but kept shut. Instead, she turned her gaze to an empty mug beside Nayeon. Jihyo guessed that the other intended to brew a cup of coffee, but found herself hung up on school.

Wordlessly, Jihyo took the mug and walked to the kitchen behind her. Nayeon wouldn’t let Jihyo help plan for the City of Lights and even if Jihyo wanted to, she couldn’t change Nayeon’s habits herself. The least she could do was make her a drink and be there for Nayeon when she was having trouble. When she finished, she gently took an equation sheet from Nayeon and placed the drink into her hands.

Mumbling a thanks, Nayeon blew on the steaming cup and took a sip. She blinked. “This isn’t coffee.”

“Obviously, since you look like you’re about to vomit whenever you try it.” Jihyo took one of the piles of papers. She started organizing them, one short stack philosophy notes and one stack old quizzes. “Hot cocoa is more accustomed to your tastes.”

“I can’t stay awake with this.” Nayeon her lips and took another sip, eyes fluttering. Jihyo tore her gaze away, focused on arranging another heap of papers.

She shrugged. “I’ll wake you up then.”

Nayeon snorted. “No you won’t.”

Jihyo opened , but then closed it. Nayeon raised an eyebrow. “I’ll wake you up when I need the counter to cook.”

An airy laugh left Nayeon’s lips. “Of course.”

Two hours passed and Jihyo was on the brink of falling asleep, mentally cursing her science professor for assigning a paper as the final when she already had two to write, when she jolted awake from a sound. She blinked rapidly until her sight landed on the source of the noise, Nayeon snoring with her head cradled by her folding arms.

This was nice. Nayeon looked nice. Without a smirk adorning her features and haughty words being said, Nayeon seemed relaxed. Jihyo focused on the bags under Nayeon’s eyes and sighed. It was ironic considering Nayeon had to work her off to reach this state. She remembered Nayeon saying she had to go out later, something about an event for one of her clubs.

The City of Lights better be amazing because they both needed a reward when tests were over and winter break began.
_____________________________________________________________

When Nayeon woke up, it was because of a nearby alarm blaring. Yawning, Nayeon sat up and stretched her back as she lifted her arms. She turned off the alarm on her phone and saw that there was still an hour before the event for her club—god what was the name of this club again, she just wanted to go back to sleep. She didn’t remember setting an alarm.

Nayeon stood up to get ready, but shivered when something slipped off her shoulders and she was met with chilling air. She turned around and saw a wrinkled blanket on the ground. That’s when things clicked in place. Nayeon laughed. “She’s such a softie.”

_____________________________________________________________

“Oh no you don’t.” Jihyo took the empty coffee pitcher from Nayeon and placed a thermos into her hand instead. “Coffee is bad for you.”

“I’m here for a good time, not a long time.” Nayeon yawned, covering with her free hand.

“You hate coffee and you’re suffering.” Jihyo placed the pitcher back into its slot in the coffee machine.

“I’m here for a short time,” Nayeon shrugged. She blinked, giving Jihyo a once-over. “How many exams did you say you have to take again?”

“One on biology and the other two involve essays,” Jihyo said.

Nayeon shuddered. “What’s with your professors and assigning essays? Are they even going to read all of the papers they assigned?”

“I wouldn’t.” Jihyo hoped they didn’t read her paper thoroughly. As of right now, she was anything but confident.

Nayeon offered a smile. “Well, you can get through it. Remember that after all the suffering, you’re going to finally hang out with your friends thanks to yours truly.”

Jihyo hummed. “Mina is a miracle worker.”

Letting out a dramatic gasp, Nayeon pushed on Jihyo’s shoulder. There was no strength behind it. “You’re a jerk.”

“I learn from the best,” Jihyo grinned. “Let’s hurry up before we miss the bus station.”

“I don’t see why you’re so afraid of being late.” Jihyo shut the door behind her and shimmied the handle to make sure she locked it. “We always end up being one of the first people waiting at the station.”

“And I don’t want that to change.” Jihyo smiled when the knob wouldn’t budge. “Okay, let’s go.”

She liked being early. Waiting for the bus gave her time to do nothing, aimlessly look at the scenery around her. When they arrived at the signature bus sign, the two remained standing.

“You should sit down on the bench,” Nayeon said through her jittering teeth.

Nayeon blew hot air into her cupped hands. “It’s covered with sleet, unnie.”

“Yeah and if you sit on it, I get to sit on you and not touch the ice,” Nayeon explained. “It’s a win-win situation.”

“And how would I be winning?” Jihyo frowned.

“I would be sitting on you.” Nayeon laughed when Jihyo shoved her, but faltered when she lost footing. “Oh shi—”

Before Nayeon hit the snow however, Jihyo tugged at Nayeon’s jacket to keep her from falling. Nayeon gave her a surprised look and an apology was on the tip of Jihyo’s tongue, but it fell short when the former started laughing.

“Wha-why are you laughing?” Jihyo was glad that she didn’t seem mad or hurt.

“You look like some weird mugger,” Nayeon insisted. “Or one of those actors that dip people before kissing them.”

“Those two are not related in the slightest.” Jihyo helped Nayeon straighten up properly and guided her to a part of the sidewalk with less snow.

“It doesn’t, but if you were in my position you would think the same thing.” Nayeon reached up to fix her hair and for some reason Jihyo smiled. Maybe it was because she found it amusing that Nayeon refused to take off her mittens while doing so.

“By the way—” Nayeon turned towards her suddenly and Jihyo blinked. “There’s something I have to tell you about the City of Lights.”

“What is it?” Jihyo asked. “Do you need help?”

Nayeon opened , but stopped herself. “Nevermind.”

“Huh?” Jihyo tilted her head. “What is it? You can tell me.”

“You’ll find out eventually,” Nayeon smirked. “You just need to have patience.”

Jihyo thought she was a patient someone, but it was difficult to ignore a secret that was almost revealed. Before she could protest though, the bus came into view. Instead, she sighed and tried to ignore the smile Nayeon hid behind her thermos.

_____________________________________________________________

Jihyo was almost done with planning her essay when Nayeon rested her elbow on Jihyo’s shoulder and piped up, “So what did you put in that hot chocolate?”

“What do you mean?” Jihyo scribbled off a topic sentence when she realized it made no sense. “You only need two ingredients. Three if you want marshmallows.”

“I feel like it’s enhanced somehow.” Nayeon paused. “Did you put drugs in my drink or something?”

Jihyo sputtered, dropping her pen in favor of looking at her roommate. “H-how would you even do that?” she asked between her bursts of laughter.

“I don’t know.” Nayeon gave a little hop as she moved to sit on top of Jihyo’s desk. The latter huffed, but didn’t protest. She needed a break anyway.

“Does it taste like I put drugs?” Jihyo asked.

Nayeon shrugged, tapping her chin in thought. “It tastes like hot chocolate, but…better, I guess.”

“Thanks?” Personally, Jihyo thought her hot chocolate was okay. “How does it taste better?

“I don’t know.” Nayeon crossed her arms. “It’s just...really comforting and warm I guess. It makes me sentimental.”

Jihyo blinked. “So you think my hot chocolate is warm and comforting and then ask me if I put drugs in them. That makes sense.”

“Okay, let’s drop the drug thing,” Nayeon waved her hand in dismissal. “Maybe the cocoa mix you used is a bougie brand?”

Jihyo was about to insist that rich people would never use cocoa mix, but then stared at Nayeon in thought. “You’re using me as a distraction, aren’t you?”

Nayeon flinched. “I have no idea on what you’re talking about.”

“Are you having trouble with physics?” Jihyo turned around to check on her roommate’s desk, her eyes widening when it looked like the desk had gone through a tornado. Yeah, Nayeon was studying physics. “You can always ask Mina—”

“No.” Nayeon huffed. “Nope, no way am I asking her.”

Raising an eyebrow, Jihyo threw Nayeon a look. “You can ask her for help on planning the get together, but not to help you study?”

Groaning, Nayeon threw her head back. Jihyo snorted. “If I ask her, Jeongyeon is going to act so smug and be like ‘my girlfriend is so smart and kind and wow I’m so lucky.’”

“She is smart though,” Jihyo said.

“Well, yeah,” Nayeon agreed. “But I hate it when Jeongyeon gets into her girlfriend tangents. I already think about the fact that I’m single enough, you know?”

Jihyo leaned back on her seat. “I actually didn’t.”

“Well, now you do.” Nayeon mounted off Jihyo’s desk—she looked reluctant—and trotted back to her own. Before she sat down however, Nayeon finished the rest of her cocoa. Jihyo watched the way Nayeon’s throat bobbed, away the chocolate on her lips. Jihyo turned her gaze away and started reading her essay like a mantra. Jihyo didn’t see what was so special about the hot chocolate she made.

_____________________________________________________________

She had gotten used to the light from Nayeon’s lamp and Jihyo felt herself drift to sleep. However, her eyes opened at the sound of a click and heard shuffling feet in the dark. Jihyo waited for the ladder to creak under Nayeon’s weight as she ascended to her bed, but it didn’t come. Instead, the sound of a sigh reached her ears and a grumbled “I’m too lazy to climb this stupid thing.”

“Nayeon?” Jihyo tried to squint past the darkness.

There was a moment of silence. “Sorry,” Nayeon whispered. “I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

“It’s fine.” Jihyo shimmied until her back was against the wall and lifted her covers. The air gave her a shiver, but she kept the spot beside her open. “Come here.”

“Huh?” Jihyo stared at the darkness, hoping Nayeon’s figure was within it. There was no need to repeat what she said.

After Nayeon let out a long sigh—was she that tired—she crawled into the bed. Jihyo’s bed was bigger than Nayeon’s, but they were still close enough to where their feet bumped into each other.

“Your feet are freezing.” Jihyo didn’t attempt to move hers away.

Nayeon chuckled. “Sorry.” She didn’t show a sign of disapproval as Jihyo sandwiched one of her hands with both of her own. “Getting handsy, are we?”

“God, you’re like a human popsicle.” Jihyo rubbed Nayeon’s hand as if she were trying to light a fire. “Did you not notice or something?”

“Not really,” Nayeon said. “Besides if I froze myself, I wouldn’t have to take my finals.”

“Don’t think you’ll pass?” Jihyo froze when Nayeon rested her free hand against her cheek, but held Nayeon’s wrist when she tried to retract her touch.

“Oh, I know I’ll pass. This is me we’re talking about.” Jihyo scoffed. She closed her eyes as Nayeon traced circles on her cheek. “Still don’t want to take them.”

Humming in agreement, Jihyo wondered what type of face Nayeon was making. Nayeon’s fingers were beginning to warm up.

“In all honesty,” Nayeon started. “I’m afraid that as soon as I finish my tests, I’m going to pass out on my bed and miss out on the City of Lights.”

“Well, we can’t have that now.” Jihyo smiled and she was glad the dark was able to hide it. “Mina worked so hard on planning it.”

Jihyo felt a finger press against her forehead. “What are Jeongyeon and I then? Trash?”

“Of course not,” Jihyo retorted. “What kind of person lets trash go onto their bed?”

She tried not to shudder as Nayeon’s hand trailed down to the side of her neck. “Someone with low standards.”

“I’m about to kick you off this bed,” Jihyo warned and Nayeon let out a laugh.

When they reached a comfortable silence, it was then she realized that their legs were tangled under the blankets. It was nice. For some reason, Jihyo always felt nervous when they shared a quiet moment. She was afraid of saying something that would ruin it or ensure there would be no more moments after this.

“Are you still awake?” Jihyo asked.

The sound of shifting was accompanied by fingers moving against her skin. “Yeah.”

“Do you have anything important tomorrow?” Nayeon smelled like vanilla.

She yawned. “No. I just have a few classes tomorrow. We’re just reviewing material luckily.”

Jihyo tried to focus on how Nayeon’s hand felt. “Do you want to skip?” When she was met with a pause, she continued. “That way you can sleep properly for once and study at our apartment.”

“That’s true.” Nayeon’s thumb started tracing patterns on Jihyo’s neck. Jihyo couldn’t focus enough to figure out what Nayeon was drawing. “You know I don’t like staying here by myself though. It’s boring.”

Jihyo breathed out. “I can ditch with you.”

“You?” Nayeon laughed and Jihyo knew that she was bearing the type of smile that reached her eyes. “When did you become a rebel?”

“Finals have been getting to me.” Jihyo sighed. “If I see my professor at the state I’m in, it’s not going to end well.” It wasn’t the most prevalent reason, but it was a reason.

“When you put it that way, I guess I have to stay,” Nayeon giggled. Though finals were around the corner, that was the best sleep they had.

_____________________________________________________________

After urging Jihyo to get up from bed, Nayeon smiled when she passed her a steaming mug of hot chocolate. Jihyo didn’t bother to fix her hair, several strands sticking out. Nayeon liked it. She could tell Jihyo was actually relaxed.

“Can’t you make hot cocoa yourself?” Jihyo grumbled.

“Aww, don’t be so grumpy!” Nayeon pouted. “Besides, I like it when you make it for me.”

“That’s because you’re lazy.” A soft smile graced Jihyo’s lips when Nayeon savored the drink. Nayeon pretended not to notice. Maybe it wasn’t the hot chocolate that Nayeon found soothing after all.

_____________________________________________________________

Jihyo’s breath was visible as she let out a sigh. She knew that not using a car was cheaper, but wished she could be carried to the park instead of carry herself with aching legs.

“Do you think you passed your finals?” Nayeon asked. Her cheeks were dusted with color, matching the scarf Jihyo told her to wear before leaving.

“I don’t care at this point.” Jihyo let Nayeon tuck a strand of hair behind her ear. “I’m just glad they’re over.”

Nayeon laughed. “That’s a lie and you know it. Of course you care.”

“Well I don’t care right now.” Jihyo spotted the crowd gathering ahead and Nayeon pulled at her arm to lead the way.

Pushing through the crowd, the two managed to enter a large arch that was covered in Christmas lights. “This looks pretty,” Jihyo said.

“You haven’t even seen the main attraction yet,” Nayeon teased.

Jihyo shrugged. “Still pretty.”

When they reached the end of the tunnel, the first thing Jihyo noticed was the numerous vendors lighting up the park as they sold their wares. Children ran while holding neon light sticks and she saw that many of the trees were decorated with lights of red, green and purple. As she took in the scenery, Jihyo felt glad that Nayeon and the others organized this get-together.

“Okay, let’s go party!” Nayeon cheered.

“Shouldn’t we wait for everyone else though?” Jihyo looked around. Two boys stood out as they laid on the ground to create snow angels, but other than that, no other passerby caught her attention.

“Oh,” Nayeon breathed as if it was an afterthought. “They’re not coming. Today anyway.”

“What?” Jihyo’s eyes widened. “Did you accidentally tell them the wrong date?”

Nayeon shook her head. “The City of Lights is a week long event. I thought it would be nice if we went one day by ourselves and another day with our friends.”

“What would be the difference though?” As a response, Nayeon smiled and poked the crease between Jihyo’s furrowed eyebrows.

“The difference is that this way I can make sure you actually relax,” Nayeon said. “Knowing you, I bet you’re going to focus more on fussing over all of our friends than having fun.”

“I—” Jihyo couldn’t deny it. “Fine, but I would have liked it if you told me back in the bus station instead of surprised me.”

“I’ll make it up to you then.” Nayeon pointed at herself proudly. “What do you want to eat, it’ll be my treat.”

That sounded really nice. Jihyo had to admit that it was also suspicious.

Nayeon noticed her hesitance. “What is it?”

Expecting Nayeon to joke back or laugh, Jihyo ignored the knot in her stomach. “You know this is sounding a lot like a date.”

She froze instead. Jihyo stared at her, her face warming when she realized Nayeon’s reaction. “I-it does?” Jihyo could tell Nayeon attempted to sound calm and failed.

“Unnie.” Jihyo took a step closer. “Is this supposed to be a date?”

Nayeon stared at her as she struggled to form an excuse or joke, but gave up and tore her gaze to the ground. “Kinda.”

“Kinda,” Jihyo repeated. “This is kind of a date.”

Biting her lip, Nayeon peered up at her. “We can go back if you want.”

Jihyo could have left. She could have gone home and just pass out on her bed because in all honesty, she was exhausted. But she didn’t want to leave. She reached down to interlace her hand with Nayeon’s. “Where do you want to go first?”

Lifting her head, Nayeon flashed a grin. “Does that mean you—”

“Yes.” It was easier to tell the truth before Nayeon could finish the question. Jihyo’s face was burning and she knew Nayeon could tell. Nayeon squeezed her hand. “Yes I do.”

Jihyo couldn’t tear her eyes away from Nayeon’s smile. If the latter hadn’t started pushing her towards the rides, Jihyo knew she would’ve started comparing the girl’s smile to the brightness of the Christmas lights.

“By the way,” Nayeon said as they waited in line to buy tickets. “Don’t expect anything too special from me.”

Jihyo sent her a blank look.

“I don’t kiss until the third date,” Nayeon admitted.

That sentence alone made Jihyo forget about how nervous she was as she lightly slapped Nayeon’s shoulder. “Stop making me sound desperate!”

_____________________________________________________________

Half an hour later, Nayeon broke her own vow by kissing Jihyo under the Christmas lights.