CL opened her eyes with fear. It felt like she had just ran a whole marathon. She was breathing heavily and s

“That was a nightmare…”, she told herself, trying to get up from the sidewalk.

Chaerin checked her phone’s screen. It was still 21:00. Her car had really crashed into that huge Christmas tree, the same she had seen earlier with Thunder.

“Thunder…”, CL muttered.

She dialed Thunder’s number is a rush.

“Hello?”, she heard.

“Thunder!”, she exclaimed. “I’ll be a bit late, but I’m already leaving home, ok?”, she said fast, before anything could stop her.

“Chaerin-ah! Thought you had given up. Sorry for doubting your words, we’re waiting for you.”, Thunder said.

CL smiled to herself. It was so comforting to listen to Thunder’s voice.

She walked to her car and made sure she was in good conditions to drive, checking herself and if she was fully awake.

Chaerin drove for some minutes, the car crash from before was still messing the traffic.

“That could be me…”, she thought, silently thanking God for having another chance that Christmas.

She stopped at a friend’s house before driving to Minzy’s place and then to the Park house right away.

“Merry Christmas!”, she cheered, getting inside the house, happy people everywhere.

CL looked around, there were a few things she should do before anything else.

“Bom!”, she shouted, walking fast to her friend, who was talking to a guy that seemed to be very interested on her.

“This is Han Seonwoo.”, she introduced the friend she took with her to her unnie.

“N-nice to meet you.”, Bom said, shaking hands with the young man, who couldn’t stop looking into her eyes.

“Oh, sorry, my dress is dirty. I dropped some beverage by accident.”, Bom smiled embarrassedly.

“N-no problem.”, the man took a tissue from his pocket and gave it to Bom. “Cold water is good to take this kind of mark away.”, he smiled.

“I’ll let you two talking, ok?”, CL said, slowly slipping away to give her friend some moment alone with her new flirt.

“CL told me you like corn.”, the man said, regretting his words right away for sounding so randomly stupid.

“She’s right!”, Bom dorkly laughed.

“She said you’re very pretty and good to have around.”, Seonwoo said, squeezing the cup in his hand. “She’s right!”, he finished laughing, imitating Bom’s previous action.

Bom found that to be adorable. She looked at CL, showing her a thumb up. The sign the guy was approved.

CL smiled satisfied at herself. She walked around, her eyes looking for one specific person.

“Dara!”, she exclaimed, when she saw her friend helping some food to a man at the table.

“Hi, CL! Merry Christmas.”, Dara hugged her. “This is GD.”, she said, pocking the man’s head with her elbow.

“Ouch!”, he exclaimed, looking at her. “Er…nice to meet you, CL. Dara said amazing things about you.”, the man greeted, getting up from his chair to bow properly.

“Dara said many things about you too.”, CL winked at Dara, both laughed for the internal joke.

“What?”, GD asked, looking at them.

“Nothing, baby dragon… Here, eat this.”, Dara fed her boyfriend some meat.

Chaerin smiled to herself again. Dara’s boyfriend seemed to be a nice guy. Her friend deserved the best.

“Hey, Minzy!”, she called when she spotted Minzy at the couch with a guy, approaching them in a hurry.

“Hey, CL!”, the younger girl greeted. “This is Daesung, we’re playing Naruto on PSP!”,she cheered.

“Wanna play with us?”, the guy offered, handing his PSP to CL.

“Oh… no, thanks. I have to… well ,I have to talk to Thunder. Behave you two, ok?”, Chaerin said and left with embarrassment. There was nothing to worry about Minzy. Her innocence was safe.

“She likes Thunder.”, Minzy said, looking at Daesung. “I bet Temari can beat Gaara!”, she moved her PSP in the air.

“Let’s bet then!”, Daesung confirmed and they played one more battle.

CL watched as Minzy and that guy were childishly playing that video-game. She walked some steps backwards and bumped into something.

“Chaerin-ah! Wanna break my mom’s cups?”, Thunder playfully asked, a stray in his hands.

“Let me help you!”, she exclaimed, taking the tray from Sanghyun’s hands and taking to a table herself.

CL turned back to look at Thunder, she felt her heart racing.

“There is… something in your hair.”, she lifted her hand and touched his hair. But there was nothing there, she just wanted to touch it.

“Thunder, i…”, Chaerin managed to say without rounds but she couldn’t.   

“It’s almost midnight! Come on! Let’s take the picture!”, Mrs. Park called everybody.

They got united at the main room, Dara preparing the timer of the camera.

“Here it goes… one, two…”, she said, placing herself besides her boyfriend.

“…three!”, CL heard and before the picture could be taken, she put herself in her tiptoes and kissed Thunder on the cheek.

The day she changed was now saved in an SD card.

It would soon go to a memory stick and then it would be printed to be placed on a fancy frame. But more than in all of those ways of saving a memory, that day would be forever in Chaerin’s heart.

After my dreaming,
I woke with this fear.
What am I leaving,
When I'm done here?