"Hey!" Taeyeon and Yuri let out in unison.

"You want to die, kid?" Hyoyeon followed the other two.

"Girls, let it go," Sooyoung looked at them with pleading eyes, not wanting to make an even more obvious scene.

The girl in front of them just narrowed her eyes, her smile so tiny. "Listen to Sooyoung, hm? Let it go," she said, looking straight at Sooyoung's eyes, but Soo averted her gaze, "This is between us. It doesn't concern you."

A bunch of scoffs were being thrown around by Sooyoung's friends, "Well, guess what? It does concern us. We'd always stick up to Sooyoungie," Taeyeon spoke up, clenching her fists. As young as they are, these girls grew up strong-willed and without fear. Unlike Sooyoung who was still gentle, but maybe that's because she's almost lived there for a year.

"It's my fault. I was in her way," Soo chewed on her bottom lip, trying to calm her friends down and avoid a fight.

"Sooyoung, she did it on purpose. We saw it with our own eyes!" Hyoyeon took her by the shoulders and shook her lightly. Yuri nodded in agreement, "Yeah! No noodles just fall like that without something or SOMEONE," she said emphasizing on the word as she looked at Jessica who was already frowning, "had to flip it."

Sooyoung turned away from her friends' looks and down to the floor where the bowl of noodles spilled from its container. She held Hyoyeon's hands, squeezing it once as she took it off her shoulder.

When she was about to reach down to clean up the mess, someone suddenly grabbed her wrist, making her stop. "Is there a problem here?" The voice was already too familiar to her.

It was Changmin's.

Looking up at him, he pulled her to his side a bit protectively.

"Oh, Changmin oppa!" Jesssica exclaimed as if the two were close. "We were just talking. Sooyoungie here got a little clumsy and spilled her noodles all over the floor," she squinted her eyes once more.

Just at that moment, Taeyeon tapped Changmin's shoulder and whispered something in his ear. Changmin simply nodded in understanding, and turned his attention back to Jessica. "I suggest you stop making up things, Sica. It's not good to do so. Have your parents taught you that?" He looked down at the shorter girl.

"B-but, oppa--" Jessica stuttered. "Is it too much to ask to leave her alone?" Changmin pressed on before taking Sooyoung's hand and leading her towards her usual table.

"Unnie.. Come on," The other girl, Seohyun, tugged on Jessica's arm. "It's not worth it with them," Tiffany and Yoona followed the little girl in leading Jessica away from the scene.

"Let her cold noodles do the dirty work," Hyoyeon snickered behind them while the other girls let out their giggles.

Changmin looked behind him and at Sooyoung with a questioning look, "cold noodles?"

At that question she stayed silent, smiling sheepishly as a tint of pink creeps upon her cheeks.

"Don't mind them, okay? Oppa's here for you," Changmin said gently as he bent down to clean of the stains on her leather shoes and a few on the hem of her skirt when they reached their table. "You don't have to do that, you know," Sooyoung claimed as she averted her eyes from him and her friends who were watching the two with eyes twinkling.

The boy sat down beside her, laughing lightly, "And you should know I have to because I'm the one to look after you," now his eyes were on her friends, "even though they got you covered," he nodded at their direction.

"But still," she sighed, exasperated.

"Don't think about it, kiddo," he smiled as he ruffled her hair, "I'll see you later on." He took his leave and went towards his own group of friends.

The trio were the next ones to take a seat right by Sooyoung. "Aw, Sooyoungie!" Taeyeon giggled.

"I guess he's not cold noodles anymore, eo?" Yuri grinned.

"You just warmed his heart," Hyoyeon said, looking at her dreamily.

Sooyoung turned around and rested her elbows on the table,  speechless on what her friends are implying, "I'm just... lucky to have him treat me as if I was his little sister," she smiled, but then pouted, feeling her stomach growl.

"Yah! ShikShin's hungry! We need to feed her fast," Taeyeon barked playfully at the two other girls. "Eat up, our food goddess," Yuri chuckled as she complied, putting her sandwich in front of Sooyoung's mouth, waiting for her to take a bite.

~~~

"Sooyoungie," Changmin smiled as she saw the girl leaning on a tree and playing with one of their precious secrets, Soomin. He waved at her and jogged to where she was. Sitting down, he kept his eyes on her and was bothered by the not responding girl. "Is everything alright?"

She kept quiet for a while, keeping her attention on the small dog. 

"She likes you, you know," she spoke at last, "Not just her, but I think also her crew. They're just scared to tell her." Without giving any names, Changmin already knew who she was talking about," And what about it, Soo?"
"Are you really that dense? I'm getting picked on by Jessica and her friends because of their attraction to you," Sooyoung looked at him with disbelief, "If they're not up to me to get closer to you, they'll up to you themselves! How do you think that makes me feel?" She juts out her bottom lip, looking at him with forlorn eyes.

Seeing her like that actually stung his heart. Sooyoung was always so cheerful and preppy no matter what comes in her way, but now... this was a whole new way of seeing her. It was hard to bear. Grunting lightly, he pulled her in his arms and into a tight embrace, "What do you want me to do about it, Youngie?"

"Oppa-yah..." She said softly, clinging onto his jacket, "I'm not asking you to do anything. I'm just tired of it." The girl sighed and pounded her fist onto the soft snow, making a white little whirlwind appear out of it, "Aish! Those noodles were for you! I can't believe they'd just dunk it like that.."
The boy let go of her, slightly stunned, "Th-That was.. for me?"

Sooyoung nodded, throwing her hands up, "It was! And they wasted perfectly good food," she pounded the soft ground again, making a mini blizzard all around them.

Changmin smiled at her, ruffling her hair again, "Idiot. I didn't ask you to even get me noodles That wouldn't have happened then," he then pinched her soft chubby cheeks, "Who said you should get me some, eo?

The girl puffed her cheeks at the gesture, "Me. I never repaid you for the noodles you gave me about a year ago, and I know how much you hate the cold," she slumped back on the bare tree. "I just thought..." she sighed and shook her head, not bothering to continue.

Leaning down next to her, he put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close to him, "Like I said... Don't think about it. They should know you're the only one I really care about. It will die down, okay?"

She nodded simply, bringing her arms around the boy, "Okay, cold noodles," Soo chuckled. He was slightly stunned by the nickname given to him and he knew what was the basis. It all began the day they met. He smiled to himself at the memory. 

"It's the holidays starting tomorrow. Lighten up. Okay, PatbingSoo?" He said to her, laughing lightly.

Soomin whimpered and jumped on them, coming in between. "Someone's jelly," Sooyoung said, laughing at the little dog and then cuddled her.

Changmin smiled and also patted Soomin's head, but then something hit him. "Oh yeah! Why is she named Soomin?" He asked, looking at Sooyoung with curious eyes. The girl smiled again as she played with Soomin, "Sooyoung plus Changmin."

~~~

"What day is it already?" Changmin woke up a bit groggily. He looked around his room, adjusting to the light that reached his eyes. One look out the window, with the sky dropping snow white tears, he already knew what was up. "Time flies quickly." 

On more look around his messy room, his eyes land on the coat rack where a black cotton scarf hung. "I still haven't returned that?" Changmin blinked back surprise. It was last year since he had it and the memory is stil so vivid, it's hard to forget.

xxOxx FLASHBACK xxOxx

Snow began to fall, the breeze creating little whirlwinds of snow, the land covered in beds of white ice, and two friends stood there outside the cold.

Sooyoung looked up to the shivering boy, though he was fully clothed and protected from the cold weather. His lips quivered as his teeth chattered, his arms hugged himself, trying to contain all warmth. "You really don't like the cold, do you?" She said, smiling amusingly at him. Changmin shot her a piercing look, "How can you bear this weather?"

Taking off her scarf that wrapped snuggly around her neck and she shook her head, "I learned to love winter," she got on her tippy toes and brought the scarf around the boy's neck securely. "That's why it's bearable," she had already taken her gloves off and stuffed it in her pockets, then took Changmin's hand in hers rubbing and blowing on them.

The gesture of her blowing, her hot warm breath on his skin, sent chills up his spine which was surprisingly good, and it made him long for her. Just like that, his body warmed up... and also his heart.

xxOxx END xxOxx

He could never forget that day. The way her skin brushed up against him sent tingles throughout his body, her soft warm breath lingering on his skin, how close she was to him, how she cared. No one else could do that to him. Sooyoung was just that special.

From his bed, he went straight to the shower to take a warm bath. Afterwards, he went towards his own closet to dress himself into appropriate winter clothing. He had already turned the doorknob to take his leave, but glancing at the coat rack again, his eyes landing on the rack, he went and took it along with him as he strutted to his friend's house.

Walking along the snow covered streets towards Sooyoungs house, he heard fast paced footsteps coming from behind him. When he was about to turn, someone had already jumped on his back. "Oppa-yah!"

As reflex, he bent down a bit to shift the girl's weight, his hands went to her legs as support, "Aish. Youngie," he said with a sigh, "You know I'm not strong enough to handle you like this." Soo's smile wavered, wrapping her arms more firmly around his neck, "But I know you are! And I just wanted to surprise you," with her one hand, she pinched his cheek from behind, tugging up the corners of his lips, "It's Christmas! Cheer up, cold noodles!"

Not being able to resist the aura that she brought, his lips eventually pulled up into a smile. Chuckling, he said, "Alright, fine. Anything to make PatbingSoo happy." She swung her legs happily by his sides and smiled one of her famous cheery ones, "Yay! Now..." she paused for a moment, "Want to go to my house? Besides thinking you're on your way there, I think you're already cold," she chuckled lightly.

Changmin didn't even notice until she had mentioned it. He was already shivering when the cold breeze blew and caressed both their bodies, "Let's go," he went straight down towards her house which was already a few steps away. Getting there, Sooyoung opened the door for him and lead him into the kitchen. They sat by the counter and conversed like they usually would, until Sooyoung looked straight into his eyes.

'Y-Yah, Youngie," Changmin started to get a bit conscious and averted his eyes away from the girl. Sooyoung shook her head, Your eyes just remind me of the hot chocolate my mom used to make," and again, she flashed her charming smile, "It's one of my favorites!"
The boy threatened to flush, "Almost everyone has brown eyes,"  he chuckled, "I bet you say that to a lot of people."

Again, she shook his head, "You're the first and the only one." True enough, in Sooyoung's perspective, Changmin's eyes were the darkest, clearest shade of brown she has ever seen. They were so striking, so captivating, that it was hard to look away. She could have stared at them always.

Sooyoung's mom had appeared in front of them and left two cups of hot chocolate just for the two. Turning her head towards her mom then to the cup, "speaking of..." she lightened up and smiled, taking her cup with one hand, and the other hand reached for Changmin's cup, eventually giving it to him. "Thanks, mom!"

He really didn't know what to think of that. But one thing's for sure... He's happy just like this.

Author's note:

In all honesty, I love Jessica, Seohyun, Tiffany, and Yoona. They're just a bit AU here, so.. no hatin', kay? SooSica is love, just saying XD