Soojung absentmindedly walks around the school during break. Myungsoo’s off to the office for something that she doesn’t know, but she hopes he’s just fine. She knows he’s going to be fine, though. He always is. She inhales the cold air. Winter breeze is always fresher than any other season’s breeze. But she might hate this winter, and probably the upcoming winters too. If only things are easy, but apparently, they’re not.

She doesn’t look on where she’s going, just depending on her feet and only when she accidentally bumps into someone that makes a model of the solar system falls onto the floor and crashes, she looks up with a gasp. Her eyes widen in horror and she immediately kneels down and tries to put the planets at their places but it doesn’t work. “Oh my God. I’m so so so sorry!” she exclaims and that guy in front of her could only chuckle.

Of course he’d do that. He’s Jongin, always the bright Jongin that could get mad probably at nothing. Except for something like quizzes and treasure hunting.

“It’s alright,” he says. “I just have to put them back again with the glue.” He then stands up, balancing the model so that the planets won’t fall down. “And you might need to be a little more careful next time, Miss Jung.” He laughs at the end and Soojung feels relieved. Jongin’s always relax and she makes a mental note to ask him how he manages to be so calm almost all of the time. “Do you need my help?” she asks, unnecessarily scratching the back of her head. “Since you know, I’m the one who broke it.”

“You’re not eating?”

“I don’t feel like it.”

“Well, you should feel like it because you’re skinny,” he says with a grin. “But despite that, sure. Let’s do it at the library. Is that okay with you?”

Soojung nods, beaming at him. “Sure.”

+++

“Why are you doing this anyway?” she asks as she fixes the last planet according to its place. She looks at it and she couldn’t help but to feel amaze by his work. Everything is just perfect—from the shape, to the colours, to the looks, everything. She learns that Jongin is probably someone that’s detail in everything. She then averts her gaze to him who’s already staring down at her. He shrugs then. “My science teacher asked me to do it, and I should give him after the winter break. But instead of giving it later, I’ll give him before the break because I want to do nothing during the holidays. I mean, that’s how holidays supposed to be, isn’t it?” he grins and Soojung nods, very agree with what he says.

“Oh, have you tried solving the Rubik’s cube that I gave to you the other days?” he asks suddenly. Soojung flashes a guilty smile before she shakes her head. She reminds herself to try but she has been busy with the exams and suddenly the plane ticket came when she least expects it and Myungsoo and her father, and that’s enough for her to forget about the puzzle game. “Nope, unfortunately. But, I’ll promise I’ll try. During this winter break.” She says, promising to him even though Jongin has never asked her to promise. Jongin nods anyway.

“Why did you give it to me? Isn’t that yours?”

“Don’t worry about it. I have plenty at home. You seem very interested with the cube and I don’t see anything’s wrong to give it to you, so why not?”

“You should’ve not given it to me, you know? I’m a bad-tempered person. If I couldn’t make it after I try, I might probably throw it to the wall or something.” She says and Jongin could only laugh at that. He shakes his head afterwards.

“Don’t do that,” he says. He’s still laughing, though, imagining how furious Soojung could get if she fails and he thinks it might be scarier than how she was mad in the forest. “If I can make it, then you can too. Just don’t give up. There’re many ways to solve it on the internet. You can search for it. Or maybe we can meet and I’ll teach you. Maybe during winter break?” Jongin offers genuinely with a smile, and his smile is contagious because Soojung smiles too after a few seconds. She can’t believe she’s leaving very soon, and it’s alright if it’s months before, but now—when everything’s perfect? She bets she couldn’t leave without crying, especially when she has to leave that certain someone.

“Hello?” he waves his hand in front of her. “You’re here?”

Soojung’s startled before she’s finally back to earth from her thought. “Yeah, I’m sorry. During winter break?” she gulps. If only. She knows she might be busy during that time. Not might, though, she’s very sure she’ll be busy. “Well, I couldn’t promise you anything but—“

“Then can you at least give me your phone number or email?” he asks, taking a breath before he continues again. “And if you think that I’m actually hitting on you right now, it’s not like that, alright?” and he needs to stop because Soojung gives him a disbelief look that he has to laugh again. “