Genre: Angst, Romance

Summary: Cold winter nights are the perfect time to reminisce painful memories. For Minju, winter nights are something special, because of the girl she met outside the coffee shop one winter night.

Word Count: 4549

Hashtag: #JinjooFiestaS2_GoodbyeWinter

Goodbye Winter

Minju hugged the winter coat closer to her body. Though winter is coming to an end, the cold wind continues to blow, but that alone doesn’t stop her from taking her usual walk during the evening.

As she turns to look back on the snowy path she walked through, she couldn’t help but feel a little empty seeing only one set of footsteps. She smiles sadly, and turned back around to continue with her steps.

She looks at the sky, and sees that the moon is shining brighter than ever, its light illuminating her face, and the path around her. For Minju, the moonlight used to be peaceful and comforting, but now, all it is for her is a reminder of a sad and painful past.

It was winter then, like it is now, when she met her.

It was the season’s heaviest blizzard, and yet that didn’t stop Minju to leave the house to buy her favorite coffee. 

She didn’t even know why she bothered, she can definitely make her own coffee at home but something tells her to leave the house for a cup of coffee anyway.

A few more steps before reaching the coffee shop, she noticed a girl crouched down beside a huge pot of plant by the entrance. The girl was noticeably shivering, wearing a thin layer of clothes underneath a jacket not thick enough to fight the cold of the season.

Concerned, she immediately approached the girl, bringing out her hot pack from her pocket and handing it to the other without any hesitation.

“Are you alright!? Why are you out here in the cold?” Minju asked the girl, her voice clearly laced with concern. Despite being asked a question, the girl remained silent and continued to shiver.

Minju sighed, helping the girl stand up while muttering a “Let’s get you in the café, it’s safer in there.”

Once inside the café, Minju guided the girl to her usual spot, which is thankfully empty. She helped the other sit down, and rushed to the counter to order her something hot to drink. After paying, she went back to the table to try and talk to the girl once again.

“Uh—I didn’t know what to order for you so I just ordered a hot chocolate. Does that sound good to you?” She spoke in a soft voice, as if the other would break if she spoke any louder. The girl just nodded, not even muttering any word, causing Minju to sigh. 

They fall to a comfortable silence, with only the sounds of the coffee maker going off by the counter and the soft Christmas music playing in the background. Minju couldn’t help but stare at the girl, whose head still hangs low, unable to maintain any eye contact.

A few minutes later, the barista called for her name, indicating that her orders are ready. Minju proceeded to the counter, grabbed both of their drinks, and went back to the table to hand it to the girl.

“Here, drink this. It’ll make you feel better.” She said, slowly pushing the cup of steaming hot chocolate to the other’s direction.

“T—thanks.” The girl said in a weak voice before sipping on the hot chocolate. Minju couldn’t help but smile once the other sighed in content.

They fall into silence once again, with soft Christmas music still playing in the background. Once Minju saw the other looking a whole lot better than she first saw her, she tried initiating a conversation once again.

“Are you feeling better now?” She asked, and for the first time since they met, the girl glanced at her direction, finally making eye contact.

“Much better.” The girl nodded. “Thank you for the drink. I actually forgot my wallet at home, I’ll pay you when we see each other again.” She continued in her soft, weak voice. 

Minju smiled at the thought of seeing the other again. “What’s your name, by the way? I’m Kim Minju.” She introduced herself first while holding out her hand in hopes that the other would feel safe and comfortable around her.

“I’m Yujin. Ahn Yujin.” The girl—Yujin, introduced before reaching out to Minju’s hand for a handshake.

“What were you doing out there? If you don’t mind me asking, that is.” 

“Oh—I, I needed some time to think.” The other responded, earning a raised eyebrow from Minju.

“Do you usually prefer thinking out in the cold wearing the thinnest set of clothes ever made?” Minju joked, earning a soft chuckle from Yujin.

“No.” She shook her head. “It just so happens that I was in a hurry.”

They talk more and more, without noticing that hours had passed by. Minju found out that Yujin was actually younger, and that she only goes to this place during winter break since she had no choice to enroll to a school miles away because it was the only school that was willing to offer her a scholarship.

They were only reminded of the time when the kind barista informed them that the shop would be closing in 10 minutes.

“I guess it’s time to part ways.” Minju pouted.

“We’ve met four hours ago and you’re already whipped for me.” The younger said in a playful manner, a characteristic that Minju learned to love in the short time they’ve been together. She thinks that the huge smile on Yujin’s face fits her better than the sad and broken face she was wearing when they met.

“Whatever.” Minju rolled her eyes but laughed anyway. She couldn’t deny what the younger said anyway, so she decided to leave it at that.

“Come on, let’s go.” Yujin told her, grabbing Minju’s coat that the other gave when she realized that Yujin was still slightly shivering. She was about to hand it back to Minju but the older declined.

“Keep it for now. My house is just nearby so I could make a run for it.” 

“B—but” The younger tried to argue but stopped when she realized that Minju wouldn’t budge whatever she says. “O—okay.” 

“Good.” Minju laughed at the other’s defeated expression. She was about to head out of the coffee shop when Yujin grabbed her wrist, causing her to turn back around. “Yeah?”

“T—thanks for today. I really needed someone to be with. I—I’m glad it was you.” Yujin said with eyes filled with sincerity. 

“Let’s exchange numbers, shall we? You still have to give back my coat and pay for your drink.” Minju joked, knowing that the younger wouldn’t take it in an offensive way.

“Uh, I forgot my phone so I’ll just give you my number instead. You can text me once you’re home and I’ll reply right away.” Yujin explained, and Minju just nodded.

Yujin typed in her number into the other’s phone and handed it back. “I guess this is goodbye.”

“No.” Minju shook her head with a soft smile. “This is a see you next time.” 

Yujin laughed. “Alright. See you next time then!” She exclaimed before giving Minju a tight hug.

Minju’s eyes widened, not expecting the younger to initiate any skinship. Before she could say anything, Yujin was already out of the café and is heading her own way. 

She smiled, before going back to her own home with her mood a whole lot better than how it was before going out. 

Once she arrived, she immediately whipped out her phone and texted the other.

“It was nice meeting you.”

A few more minutes, her phone dinged and there was a notification from an unknown number.

“It was nice meeting you too.”

The wind blew harder, and so it was harder for Minju to keep herself warm as well. It has been a while since she started walking and she found herself in the playground not far by her own school. 

She walked to the swing set found on the higher grounds of the park. She always preferred sitting on this swing set to think, with the view overlooking the entire playground and the park surrounded by trees, filled with couples or families laughing and having a good time.

But right now, the park was empty, just like her heart. 

Brushing the pile of snow on top of the swing, she sat on it and proceeded to swing lightly, ignoring the coldness of the metal attached on the seat.

Minju couldn’t help but sigh. It was this very same place, around the same time, when she met Yujin for the second time.

Minju was preparing for bed, not to sleep but to have her weekly midnight movie marathon. She was preparing her glass of hot chocolate, accompanied by a few cookies her friend gave her the last time she visited their house.

As she was getting ready to find a comfortable position on the bed, her phone dinged with a notification. It was Yujin. 

“Can I see you right now?”

Minju smiled, the two of them had been talking nonstop for days since they met that cold evening, and this is the first time the other asked to see her again.

Quickly agreeing to the other’s request, she got dressed and rushed to their meeting place: the playground.

She arrived with a smile when she noticed Yujin sitting on one for the swings, but the smile on her face quickly faltered when she realized that Yujin had been crying, no, she still is. Minju quickly approached the younger’s sobbing figure and held the other in her arms.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, with none of them uttering any word. Once Yujin has calmed down, Minju proceeded to sit on the other swing.

“Do you want to talk about it?” The older asked, but the younger shook her head. Minju nodded in understanding.

“You know,” Minju started, catching the other’s attention. “I lived in this place my entire life. The first thing I noticed was that this swing set would be perfect for crying. So that’s what I usually do when I go here, I cry my eyes out until I feel better.” She reached for Yujin’s hands and held it tightly.

“And now, I see you crying here, and I realized that I wasn’t the only one who thought of that. And I’m glad, at least others are able to let out their feelings in this swing set, like I usually do.” 

Yujin smiled, she wasn’t expecting the older to tell her that it’s okay to cry, and that she does it too in this very same spot.

“Most of the time, I just look at the kids and their parents running, usually holding the blue cotton candy they bought from the stall. But now, the park is empty, and I’m pretty sure that’s what you’re feeling too.” Minju continued, standing up.

“What are you doing?” Yujin asked, curious as to why the other suddenly stood up.

“The park is empty.” The older said as if it was common sense. “If I go there, then it wouldn’t be empty. Stay here, okay? Instead of watching the kids, you can watch me instead.” And Minju was off, running to the center of the park, and then waved at Yujin.