“People can be so quiet about their pain, that you forget they are hurting. That is why it is so important to always be kind.” -Tumblr

It was nightfall by the time Yoona trudged her heavy footsteps up the small slope leading up to the lobby of her apartment building, having spent the day wandering aimlessly around the city. Her tears had long dried since then. And right now, all Yoona felt was the fatigue in her soul and the numbness in her heart.

Just then, the barest of a white flake floated down before her. Yoona halted. Snow. The first snow had finally arrived.

The sound of tire meeting gravel entered her ears and Yoona looked up to see a Bentley pulling up into the lobby. Jiyong exited the vehicle, pausing to stare at the lean woman who was halfway up the little slope. His brows furrowed as he took in the sight, noting a certain pang of loneliness and sorrow radiating off the girl before getting distracted by a falling white flake. Snow. It’s snowing.

Yoona stared at the man who stood a distance away from her, noticing that he had barely seem surprised that they were living in the same building. Had he known, she wondered, had he known she was his new neighbour? What else did the man know but wasn’t telling her?

Yoona bridged the distance between them slowly, giving a nod of thanks as Jiyong held the lobby door open for her.

The uneasiness in Jiyong grew, just what had happened for the girl to look so... broken.

The lift arrived with a metallic ping. Yoona was about to press her floor button when Jiyong beat her to it.

“We’re neighbors.” she stated simply, and Jiyong nodded, “I know.”

Yoona stared at him curiously. Jiyong shrugged, “The address you gave on your personnel file to HR.”

Yoona nodded, “Ah, that was how he knew.”, she thought.

“You weren’t in the office today.” commented Jiyong as he peered down to the girl.

Yoona nodded slowly, “I went out to meet Lee Chaerin today.”

“Ah,” Jiyong thought, having finally figured out the reason behind the girl’s dejectedness, “She rejected you, didn’t she? Is that why you look so crestfallen? Don’t worry about it, it’s really has nothing to do with you or your capabilities, Chaerin just hates me that much.”

Yoona let out a watery chuckle at Jiyong’s attempt to reassure her. Oh, if only the man knew…

“It’s not that.” said Yoona, “I might actually have a shot at convincing Lee Chaerin.”

Jiyong stared at perplexed, uncomprehending.

“I’m sad because I miss home.” confessed Yoona as she stared at Jiyong, fighting her tears.

“Home?” asked Jiyong.

Yoona nodded, her voice cracking, “Home.”

And Jiyong felt a slight panic bubbling within him at the sight of her building tears. He hadn’t missed the quake of her voice either. The man was utterly at a loss, comforting a crying woman was simply not his forte.

Yoona fought a chuckle at the man’s distressed state even as he fought not to show it.

“Don’t cry.” said Jiyong simply.

And the tears in Yoona’s eyes merely welled up more in response.

Jiyong cursed when he saw that he had made things worse, but right before he could speak, the lift jerked hard before stalling, plunging the metal cabin into complete darkness.

Yoona collided into the hard plane of Jiyong’s chest with a startled ‘oof’, Jiyong who had held onto her instinctively when the lift came into a jarring stop.

Fumbling her bag, Yoona pulled away from Jiyong as she searched for her phone, checking for a signal. There was none. Flashing the light, Yoona pressed the bell button of the elevator repeatedly, “Hello, is there anyone? Hello?”

Huffing, Yoona was about to curse their rotten luck when she caught sight of a sweating Jiyong leaning against the wall of the elevator, breathing heavily.

Yoona’s pulse sped at the man’s apparent distress.

“Jiyong?” she said worriedly as she approached the man, the same man who was desperately trying to regulate his breathing.

“Can’t breathe.” wheezed Jiyong.

“What’s wrong?” questioned Yoona frantically, her anxiety building.

“Claustrophobia.” replied Jiyong curtly, his eyes were tightly shut as he tried to forget the fact that he was currently confined in a small dark metal box; a tiny suspended metal box with no way out.

Jiyong knew his tone was curt and borderline rude but that was honestly the best he could do amidst the rising panic and fear in him. The girl's frantic tone was cutting something deep in him and he wanted to reassure her despite his current mental state.

Yoona stared at the man in surprise. Jiyong was claustrophobic? Since when?

“Alright.” said Yoona, taking note to keep her voice as soothing as possible as she stepped closer to Jiyong.

Gently, she slipped her hands into Jiyong’s, offering the man some comfort, her own mind frantic with worry and amidst the shroud of darkness enveloping them, Jiyong’s eyes opened in shock.

“Breathe.” commanded Yoona softly, “Match your breathing to mine.”

With a quick squeeze to Yoona’s hand to convey his gratitude, Jiyong shut his eyes once more as he tried to follow the girl’s slow rhythmic breathing pattern. Jiyong focused on the girl's voice, holding on to her soothing tone like a drowning man in the sea, ignoring the foul voices in his head that taunted him about the god-damn walls that were creeping closer towrds him.

“There we go,” cooed Yoona, her fingers brushing the back of Jiyong's hand repeatedly in soothing, hypnotic motions, “Nice and easy.”

Breathing hard, Jiyong fought for control, his Adam apple bobbing as he inhaled deeply. Sweat droplets beaded across his forehead at his efforts. Slowly but surely, with every brush of her fingers and with every note of her calming voice, Jiyong felt that he could breathe that bit easier more, feeling his heart rate slow to a more manageable level as his terror abated.

“Let’s sit.” said Yoona as she tugged on Jiyong’s hand, knowing that fear had a funny way of zapping one's strength and turning their host's legs into rubbery jelly, not once releasing her hold on Jiyong as they made themselves comfortable on the cold hard ground, their backs pressed to the cool wall of the elevator.

Minutes passed.

“Better?” she asked, and Jiyong responded with a feeble nod, his eyes closed.

The light shone from Yoona’s phone from where she had set on the ground, illuminating just enough light for Yoona to have a clear look at Jiyong’s profile. It was only then had Yoona realized that she hadn't looked at Jiyong, not in the time that she deliberately re-inserted herself into his life. She had seen him, yes, but never did she allow herself to truly look at him.

Her eyes roamed over Jiyong's face as she took her time to reacquaint herself with his features, a (false) sense of bravery and security from the protection of the dark shadows driving her actions. Yoona's heart gave an odd pang as her doe eyes registered the difference between the Jiyong of her youth and the man before her. She took in the hollow of his cheeks and his cutting jawline, lamenting the