"Do you need to take a break?"

It’s the last day of the week, and the air’s full of winter chills and icy blows of wind ready to pounce on its’ next victim. The city lights shower bright against the people venturing on the busy streets and in the midst of this cold winter night lays a tense atmosphere in a small studio tucked inside one of the largest buildings in the depths of the city.

The idol takes a moment to recollect himself before chugging down a bottle of water. As he’s about to continue on training, the look on his manager’s face makes him laugh and so he stops and stares back at him. "I’m fine, really. I just need to practice on the dance steps a little bit more, and I don’t want to stop until I finish memorizing it." He wipes the sweat pounding his forehead with his arm and quickly reminds himself of his manners, "Of course, if that’s okay with you Mr. Lee."

The gray-haired manager turns his lips into a fine line before exhaling a sigh of relent. "Sunggyu, I’m giving you another hour. The company’s going to close their doors anyhow. It’s best you get some sleep after this. The day’s almost gone!" A hand of comfort goes toward the entertainer’s right shoulder before the manager waves goodbye and dashes to his car.

"Yeah right, the day’s already gone." Sunggyu turns around and glances at the wall clock. He frowns that it’s already four in the morning.

The words of support from his manager flashes through his mind and he cringes at how wrong they are. There’s nothing terrible about what Mr. Lee said but how can he not worry about what’s going on? It’s been a year since he signed into this damn industry and he hasn’t at all gone as far as wanted—needed. There hasn’t been a day where Sunggyu hasn’t stopped pushing his body—pouring his heart out. It’s not like he has to skip meals or anything, but the work he’s had to overcome has been so heart-wrenching. It’s inhumane.

"Come on, Sunggyu. Just a little bit more." The pain in his legs sears himself into scars and he makes a sound of anguish before falling to the stone floor.

The brown haired man turns his gaze to the rectangular mirror in front of him. He watches the boy across of him in puzzlement and as he touches his pale cheek in tiredness, he realizes that the boy in the mirror is himself. He scrunches his eyebrows in pain and can’t help but pound the wooden ground with his fist. Sunggyu closes his eyes and inhales the deep atmosphere. He slowly gets up and shudders when feeling a sudden weight drag him down. How many chains are holding him back right now? The sharp-eyed man doesn’t bother to count when he already knows the answer’s infinite.

His eyes grow weary for a second—tired, deprived—but he repeats all the worth that’ll soon come out. This is for his family, his future, his dreams. It wasn’t easy talking about joining the entertainment industry to his parents, but it’s all he had left to do for them. He smiles in thankfulness of how understanding they had turned out to be, and before he lets the tears pricking his eyes to fall, Sunggyu quickly blinks them away and begins dancing once more.

"I need this more than anything."

　

　

Minutes and minutes go by, seconds and seconds flying away and as the frustrated man finishes off his practice, he listens to the sound of his breathing. The building echoes with the sound of nothing, and in the heart of nothing is the smallest sound of pants for air coming from the person solely here. Sunggyu completes his last dance stance and presses one of his hands against his chest to calm himself. Looking back at the time, he curses under his tongue and rushes himself to wear on his winter jacket before the building’s security system closes the premises.

Sunggyu runs out of the building in distaste and rolls his eyes when realizing that tiredness clings to him like a leech. He bites his lips in hopes that his practice claims to be useful for tomorrow’s check. The CEO of the entertainment’s coming to do his stupid annual review and it’s also the final truth on whether or not Sunggyu will be able to stay as a trainee. Simply thinking about it ties knots against his impoverished stomach and he can feel them twisting tighter and tighter in nervousness. His teeth start chattering from how scared he is and he clenches his hands.

Sunggyu checks the time once more and shakes his head in ridicule. There’s no way he can sleep now. It’s already five in the morning…

As if any more realizations could possibly come, yet another awareness pops out of his mind and it makes him grin. "It’s Christmas today huh."

An idea comes to his brain—to his mouth’s gratefulness—and he decides to head toward a local café. After walking a couple of blocks—too fast actually for his liking—an open coffee shop greets him by and he inhales the powering espresso smell as if it’s a drug. Coffee’s known to not be best for the skin, but Sunggyu only grins at his carelessness. For god’s sake, it’s Christmas! A cup of coffee will do no harm. He scoffs and shakes his head.

"I don’t think one pimple’s gunna make fans mad anyhow." With that said, he blinks at the café’s doormat before walking in.

The transition between the shivering studio and the warm coffee shop is sensational and Sunggyu rubs his shoulders in content. He finds himself surprised seeing that there’s a woman already here so early in the morning. A menu board grabs his attention and the weary trainee scans through the venue in a sudden lack of thirst. Sad that he’s not in the mood for anything, Sunggyu plops himself in an empty seat next to a window. The worker glances at him for a second before shrugging and continuing back to his work.

There’s so much going on in his pathetic little life, but Sunggyu knows he can’t take it for granted—not even the slightest bit of regret. He stares out the window and watches the cars go back and forward. How many people out there in the world are willing to take his place in a second? More than he could ever count. It’s not like the man didn’t know what he got himself into being a trainee. There are consequences that have to be taken—ready or not.

A tap jolts the table he’s seated at and Sunggyu shoots his head forward. It’ s the woman that came before him. His eyes flicker for a moment at the second cup of coffee she’s holding and he observes her. He clears his throat. "Can I help you?"

The young lady doesn’t answer and instead takes a seat across from him. Sunggyu studies her movements and smiles at the rarity of her nature. She’s distinguished—elegant, sophisticated but beautiful. The fair woman pushes a cup of coffee toward him and Sunggyu takes it. He realizes how embarrassing it is for him to be awing at her for so long and quickly looks back at the window once more.

He sips the warm drink and smiles in content of the taste.

"It’s peppermint coffee." The beaming sound of her voice chimes against him and Sunggyu diverts back to the woman in front of him. She tilts her head in what Sunggyu thinks to be confusion, and gives him a small hint of a smile. "Tough day at work?"

At that, Sunggyu breaks into laughter and covers his mouth in humiliation of how childish that was of him. "Yeah, you can say that." He looks at her for a second and can’t help but say, "You remind me of snow—simple, pure, beautiful."

She exhales out a laugh Sunggyu finds addicting and drinks her cup of coffee. He widens his eyes when her hand touches his and a wave of understanding washes over him. His eyes reach hers’ and Sunggyu bites his tongue in anger to not let his tears fall down before sighing. In that frozen moment, every problem—every obstacle—in his world disappears before his heart and he kisses the woman’s palm in admiration.

"You know, I haven’t drunken something this sweet in a long time?" He looks from her to the drink and smirks at how something as mere as this can make him so happy. "Merry Christmas."

The lovely woman smiles a smile breathtaking to the human eye. "Merry Christmas."

 

No words after that are exchanged, and the two of them allow the silence to take their problems far away as they stare out the window in this cold winter morning.

　

　

　

　

　

 

 

 

 

 

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MERRY DECEMBERR!!!! How'd this first oneshot go? I took so long trying to find a font best for this story because its so hard to choose LOL. so i just made it simple and chose whatever haa. i like things limited, since im really indecisive but whatevs :)).

thanks for reading !