Sehun felt the bus jerk to a stop. Relieved that the ride was finally over, he held onto his camera and his suitcase tightly. The passengers unloaded from the bus. They were dropped off in a village plaza with multiple small shops and a fountain in the center. If the weather weren’t so cold and the fountain was , Sehun felt sure that it would be very beautiful.

Hunger gnawed at his stomach insistently. Sighing, he fished through his pocket for his wallet. Locating it, he opened it to count the money he doled out for today’s meal. Satisfied that there was more than enough to buy him a meal, he set out through the plaza in search of stores.

~

After wandering through the plaza and stopping to take pictures of the calm scenery, Sehun finally reached a bakery. The savory aroma of various pastries baking escaped the bakery through the warm puffs of air snaking through the chimney of the little shop. Although snow had yet to fall, the air was frigid, and Sehun could see his breath. Dressed inappropriately for the weather, Sehun sneezed and rubbed his hands together. Worn out from the long bus ride, he trudged to the entrance of the shop. As he walked closer to the bakery, he felt the temperature around him drop slightly. Sneezing again, he wondered why the air felt colder as he walked towards the bakery.

It was then that Sehun noticed a figure sitting against the bakery next to the door. A boy who looked around Sehun’s age sat with his back flush on the building. His eyes were glued to the sky, as if he were waiting for something.

As Sehun walked so he was standing right next to the stranger, the air around him seemed to freeze. The boy realized Sehun’s presence, and slowly turned to face him.

The stranger was a beautiful person. He had large, doe-like brown eyes. His hair was a cold shade of gray; a little darker than white, but still very light. Despite the cold, his lips were a light pink hue. As he blinked at Sehun, his long lashes fluttered.

Sehun momentarily forgot how to breathe. How could such a beautiful person exist? Never in his life had he met someone as breathtakingly perfect as the stranger sitting beside him.

The angelic boy smiled and stood up. At this, Sehun felt the temperature rise in the air around him. His previous discomfort with the cold weather left him as he focused on the perfection of the silver-haired boy.

Sehun broke the pleasant silence by extending a hand to the boy.

“You look hungry. I was just about to go inside for some food, want to join me?” Sehun’s heart pounded in his chest as he waited anxiously for the boy’s response.

Much to his surprise, the boy responded with a look of confusion. The laugh that followed never reached his eyes as he replied to Sehun’s question.

“You’re asking me to eat with you? Why would anyone want to be with me?” Though his words were spoken lightly, Sehun could hear the bitterness behind his words.

“Ah, if the money is a problem, I’d be more than willing to pay-“Sehun stuttered, hoping he didn’t offend the stranger.

“Oh, no, that’s not a problem. On second thought, I’ll join you. I’m sorry for my initial response. It’s just been too long since I’ve had any interaction with another human being,” the stranger said quickly, cheeks tinting pink with embarrassment. “I’ve just arrived here, and I still have to adjust. The beginning of winter is always the hardest time for me.”

Though his words puzzled Sehun, he didn’t push further. He reveled in his newfound companion. Finally, someone who he could talk to! Sehun was making a fresh start in a new place, and he would definitely make up for the lack of social interaction he had back in Seoul.

The two walked into the bakery. They walked along the display cases of different pastries. Sehun ordered a red bean bun and a custard bun. His new friend ordered a coconut cream bun and a cup of hot coffee.

As they received their orders, they found a little table for two near the window. Sehun wasted no more time in introducing himself to the silver-haired boy.

“Hi, I’m Oh Sehun. I also just arrived here. It’s my first time being here, as well as my first time being in China.”

“Hi, Sehun. My name is Xi Lu Han, but please call me Luhan. I come back here every winter, so I know this place pretty well.”

“That sounds nice. Do you have family here?” Sehun asked, happy that he was having an actual conversation for once.

Luhan laughed, and made Sehun’s heart rate speed up.

“Family? I wonder… I think, I must’ve had a family once, but now, I just live alone in a cabin in the woods.” Luhan smiled, but the light never reached his eyes. Sehun smiled back, but felt troubled by the enigmatic boy. Every time Luhan showed a positive emotion, it seemed like there was a lot of sadness behind his enchanting smile.

“I’m sorry. I recently lost my parents in a car accident, so I had to move here from Seoul. I guess we’re on the same boat,” Sehun murmured.

Luhan raised his eyebrow at his last comment.

“I’m sorry for your loss, Sehun. But for reasons you won’t understand, you never want to be on the same boat as me.”

~

They ate the rest of their meal in companionable silence. After Sehun finished eating, he got up the nerve to continue talking to Luhan.

“Luhan… I’ve noticed that you’re only wearing a short-sleeved t-shirt and jeans. Aren’t you cold? I’m freezing, and I’m wearing more layers than you,” Sehun inquired.

“It might be hard for you to believe… But I never feel cold,” Luhan mused while swirling the whipped cream in his coffee. “This is going to sound really weird… But when the weather gets colder, I only feel warmer. It’s easiest for me to exist in the winter, which is why I’m only really around then.” Luhan’s words perplexed Sehun, but again, he felt that it wasn’t his place to question Luhan. What bothered Sehun was that every time Luhan talked, it seemed like he wouldn’t be around forever. Like Luhan thought that he wasn’t permanent, and would disappear without warning.

“So, Sehun, where are you going after this?” Luhan asked as he took another careful sip of his coffee. Sehun blushed and looked at his hands.

“Well… I haven’t really made plans for housing yet. I wasn’t able to book any dorms or rent any apartments in Seoul, so I was hoping that I could find a cheap place to live in today,” Sehun replied earnestly. Luhan frowned, looking worried for Sehun.

“Sehun, why are you here?” Luhan’s question took Sehun by surprise.

“I’m a first-year university student at Shaanxi University for the Arts starting after winter break.”

“The school year started a few months ago, in the fall…”

“Yeah, I know,” Sehun replied quickly, his tone sharper than he had intended it to be. “I had to work many part-time jobs to save up enough money for transportation and to pay off my rent in my parents’ apartment. That apartment is still millions of dollars in debt,” Sehun sighed.

“Come live with me,” Luhan said suddenly. Sehun looked up at him in surprise. “You don’t have to pay for rent or anything like that. Just come stay with me in my cabin. It’s small, but there’s enough space for two people. I’m really lonely and I’m more than happy to welcome you. You can live there for as long as you need to. I won’t be around all year, so I’m counting on you to keep the place nice and orderly. Please, Sehun,” Luhan breathed out. Surprised at his sudden offer, Sehun quickly replied,

“I’m sorry, but I can’t accept your offer. I can’t just freeload at your place; it doesn’t feel good on my conscience. Please let me pay you somehow.”

Luhan smiled slightly at this. Unbeknownst to Sehun, Luhan found his honesty and straight-forwardness adorable.

“Ok… Sehun, what are you going to study in university?” Again, Luhan’s question surprised Sehun.

“I’m going to work on becoming a nature photographer,” Sehun replied.

“A nature photographer… All right, how about this. Since I’m not around all year, I don’t get to see a lot of the world. Will you take pictures of the seasons and show them to me every winter?”

Luhan’s request didn’t seem strange to Sehun. Sehun rarely got out back in his hometown, so he hadn’t a clue what jobs photographers usually received. Taking pictures in exchange for rent, however, still seemed lacking to Sehun, since there wasn’t any money directly involved.

“I’ll take pictures for you and pay for our food. How about it?”

Luhan sighed, but he was delighted that Sehun finally agreed to living with him.

As they got up to leave the bakery, Sehun gave Luhan a smile that warmed him up more than any cup of coffee ever could.

“Thank you, Luhan.”