Kris’s POV:

After sending my mother off at the airport, I was finally relieved that she was gone. She was starting to get stressful and too much to handle. I sometimes even wonder how I managed to stay alive when I was younger, with her crazy personality. Happily driving the car away from the airport, we drove past a public plaza. Jessica seemed to have noticed something interested as she gasped, looking out the car window like a little kid.

“Oppa!” she called out as her left arm extended towards me, waving the air in between us. “Can we go there?” her eyes were still glued to outside the car.

My eyebrows furrowed as I tried to eye what she was referring to, but failed due to the traffic light turning green. I drove forward but made a u-turn to find out what had interested her in the first place.

“There?” I said as I pulled up to the side of the road.

My finger pointed at the direction of the plaza where there were many people with happy smiles on their faces as they snuggled into their warm coats and scarves. There was an ice skating rink built in the center of the plaza, just for the winter season.

Jessica nodded as her eyes twinkled at the joyous expressions people wore as they were having fun skating on the white ice. “We never got to go, remember?” she looked up at me. “You made me stay home when they rest of the group went ice skating.”

“And you want to go now?” I questioned, eying her clothing. She wasn’t quite prepared for the cold weather. Just a simple hooded sweater and jeans aren’t going to help her last long on the freezing ice. “You might get sick.”

She nodded her head shyly. “Can we?” she had her hands clasped together, in anticipation.

I chuckled before giving a smile. “Sure, but you’re going to freeze.” I leaned back and grabbed my hoodie from the back seat that I had forgot in here a couple days ago and handed it to her.

She quickly put it on over her sweater and smiled. “Can we go now?” she asked with wide eyes.

Giving her a nod, she excitedly exited the car. I followed after her with a grin on my face.

Jessica suddenly stopped in her steps and looked back to find me. I stood next to her and entwined her hand with mine before sticking it in my jacket pocket, wanting her to be warm before pulling her towards the skate rental booth.

“Hello! How long would you like to rent your skates?” the worker asked politely with a jolly smile.

I glanced over at Jessica who was busily eying the times on the paper on the counter. “An hour and a half.” She smiled, excitement definitely present in her eyes.

“Alright~ And what sizes for the skates?” the worker asked after punching in some keys on the computer.

Jessica blinked uncomprehendingly. “I…I don’t know my size in skates.” She admitted shyly.

“That’s okay. There’s a foot mat right below you, you can measure your foot.” The worker pointed down at our feet to show us the measuring mat for skate sizes.

I stood over on the right side of the mat, seeing that there were bigger sizes on that side. Jessica moved over to the left side, seeming that her feet were smaller.

“Oppa! You’re feet are so big!” she exclaimed as she finally found a size that fit her.

“Says the one with small, petite feet.” I teased, earning a gasp and pout from her.

Glancing down to check the sizes, we then told the lady our skate sizes.

I chuckled at her as she hopped up and down cutely, waiting for the worker to come back with the skates. She seemed very enthusiastic and thrilled to ice skate. I found that absolutely adorable. Although it was nighttime and the moon had just come out, she still wanted to skate in this cold weather.

Receiving our skates, we then paid for the time before heading towards the bench to change into them. Planting myself down onto the hard wooden bench, I slipped off my shoes and slid my feet into the black skates. Tying the laces, I was almost finished as I glanced over to my side to see Jessica curiously examining the white skates she had gotten.

“Why aren’t you putting them on?” I blinked at her as I finished knotting my other pair of skate laces.

Jessica looked at me and grinned timidly. “Oppa, can you help me put them on?”

I chuckled before getting up and kneeling myself in front of her and helped her change into the skates. It was easy, considering that her feet were petite and cute. Tightening the skates on her by tugging on the laces, I then tied both of them quickly.

“There you go, Cinderella.” I laughed as I stood up, giving her a peck on her lips on the way.

Jessica grinned. “Thank you, Oppa.” She happily eyed the skates on her feet.

Grabbing our shoes off the floor, I took them and made my way over to the cubbies and slid the shoes into an empty one. Waddling myself back to Jessica, I grabbed her hand, letting her stand up before making our way towards the ice.

I entered the rink first, quickly adjusting to it, seeming that I was experienced with it from previous visits back then. I glided myself around for a moment before spinning around to see Jessica hesitating to come inside the ice rink. I gestured her to come in with a smile.

Jessica flashed a small smile before returning to her hesitant look. She slowly poked her left foot in, letting it set lightly on the ice as she gripped onto the railing. I watched her carefully, wondering why she was being extra careful. Bravely, she stepped her right foot in as well and gripped even harder onto the railing like it was her life. She stood there as she stared down at the glossy white ice below her. Moving slightly, her eyes widened as she was slipping and she pulled herself even closer to the wall, keeping her tight grip on the railing.

People who were skating by, murmured at her for randomly stopping and blocking the way of the line that was formed in a circle shape around the rink. I frowned before shooting a glare towards the people and glided myself towards her.

“You don’t know how to skate, do you?” I held onto her waist, trying to steady her better.

She bit her lip and looked down. She shook her head and then looked back up at me with apologetic eyes. opened and I knew that she was going to apologize.

“There’s no need to apologize.” I spoke before she could emit any words out of . “Let me be the first to teach you.” I smiled, knowing that I would also be the first for something else in her life. I held out my hands for her.

Jessica gave me a bright smile and willingly let go of the railing, holding onto my hands tightly, scared that she’ll fall.

“Don’t worry. You’ll get used to the ice.” I spoke as I led her away from the railing smoothly as I skated backwards.

Her face started to fill with panic. “Oppa! I can’t…I’m going to fall.” She whimpered and she felt her legs wobbling from the unfamiliar smooth ice. Her body was bent over as she kept herself still, letting me guide her.

“You’ll be fine. Just loosen up.” I stopped in place and nudged her to straighten up her back.

Her eyes widened as she started to stumble back, her arms flailing as she let go of my hands. She started to exclaim in fright, not wanting to fall. Her excessive arm flailing had somehow worked and she quickly spun around in a circle, not falling. It only last two seconds before she started to panic again as she was struggling to balance herself.

I chuckled as I watched her cute expressions change throughout her face from mixed fright and relaxation. I decided to help her out of her frightened state and held onto her, making herself in balance as she hugged onto me.

“Jess, if you keep hugging onto me, we’re both going to fall.” I chuckled as I shifted myself into a more steady position.

“I like it better this way. I don’t feel like I’m going to fall.” She pouted. “Can’t I just skate like this?” she questioned innocently, gripping onto my jacket.

I nodded, “You can, but I won’t know where I’m going. You might trip on my skates too.”

She bit her lip and unwillingly let go of me. I smiled before turning around and grabbing onto her hands, pulling her along with me slowly as I circled the rink. I glanced back every often to see how she was doing and she seemed to be getting the hang of it. Her grip on my hands with tighten every time we turned but other than that, she seemed to be familiarizing herself with the ice.

I felt her hands tighten on mine another time and