“How are you?” Seunghyun asked the moment he returned. He wasn’t able to find the culprits.

“I don’t know,” Dara said.

“Tell me, was it Chaerin who ordered the girls to do this to you?”

“I can’t surely say, but she didn’t help me,” she said, her voice still trembling.

“She’s too much!” Seunghyun burst out, about to turn to the door again to find Chaerin when Dara stopped him.

“Don’t, Seunghyun. As I said, we can’t surely say it was her. Let’s not jump to conclusions.”

Seunghyun sat back on the bed.

Dara leaned her head on his shoulder. She can’t take it anymore. Her tears fell constantly. He let her be. He her hair while she was crying. He doesn’t care anymore if his shirt will get wet because of her tears. He promised her to stay beside her no matter what. While she was crying, most of the times, she would talk. At times, she would just cry. He just kept silent, letting her do the talking.

After a while, she leaned away and wiped her tears away. Seunghyun cupped her face and helped her wipe off the remaining tears. “Be strong, okay?”

Dara nodded.

“Do you want a cup of hot chocolate?”

Dara nodded again.

Seunghyun left to make her a cup of hot chocolate. When he came back to give it to her, he saw her sleeping figure on the bed, her legs still dangling from the edge of the bed. He put the cup down and went towards her. He fixed the blanket on her. He leaned close to her and kissed her forehead.

Then he went back to the party to look for the girls.

It has been a week since the incident. Dara was sitting by the bench near the Central Park Fountain. She expected the park to be almost empty since just yesterday, a snowstorm hit the city. That’s why she chose to visit the park at this time to be alone. And that is also why the fountain was frozen and the surroundings of the park are covered with thick blanket of snow.

Dara tightened the pink scarf she had around her neck. It had become colder now. She stared at her watch, it was 3 PM. She had been here for 2 hours already without really doing anything in particular, just staring at the occasional people passing by the park and not staying so long because of the coldness. By now, she felt she’s alone at the park. She was about to stand up when just by the other side of the fountain, there was a guy with his back facing her. What interested her so much was that this guy was so much like her, just sitting there and doing absolutely nothing. So, instead of leaving, she decided to transfer to another bench where she can closely observe the guy.

Every now and then, he would be gazing up the sky or looking down his shoes. Just that. However, she can’t see his face. Once, he sighed heavily that Dara knew it because his shoulders dropped. Dara didn’t notice it but it was already 5 PM. Because it’s late and because the snow started to fall again, she decided to stand up and leave. But her eyes never left the guy. To leave, she has to pass the guy so she grabbed the opportunity to look at the guy’s face.

While walking, she cupped her hands in front of and blew into it, she felt colder now. Of all the things to forget, she forgot to wear gloves. She was now nearing the guy. He was still sitting there, now motionless. When she reached the spot where she can see the side of his face, she stopped.

Instead of going straight to leave, she changed direction. She walked towards the guy. She walked carefully and quietly as if she would scare him away. Her eyes became weary. She slowed her pace towards him. He didn’t notice her at all. This scene reminded her of something. She had done this before – walking towards him carefully, afraid of getting noticed but it seemed useless since he was too focused on thinking and inattentive of his surroundings. Therefore, thinking that he would never notice her just like before, she decided to just sit beside him unnoticeably the moment she reaches him. But a few feet away from him, he looked up.

“Dara…”

Unexpectedly, Dara’s tears formed and fell silently down her cold cheeks.

He stood up to leave. He walked past her without saying another word.

Taken aback, Dara just stood on her spot not moving. When she recovered, she turned to face the guy who’s already far from her.

“Jiyong!” she called.

Despite of himself, Jiyong stopped but didn’t turn. He took a step forward but was stopped when little arms wrapped his waist from behind.

“Please…” Dara pleaded. “Stay…”

Jiyong stared at her entangled fingers. He put his hands on top of her cold ones to free himself but Dara was stubborn. She was holding on to him too tightly.

“Please stay,” she repeated. “I don’t care anymore. I don’t care if I look desperate now. I don’t care if Chaerin would know about this. I don’t care if you dislike me more and more because of what I’m doing right now. I just want you to stay with me. I want to be wrapped in your arms. I don’t want to be wrapped in someone else’s arms and more importantly, I don’t want you to be in somebody else’s arms. This Christmas, I just want to stay beside you. Even if until Christmas only. Please, be with me.”

Jiyong looked down at her hands again. Putting his hands on top of hers, he gently removed her arms and walked away.

Dara felt the cold snow on her head. Besides the gloves, she forgot to wear a beanie. She was looking down on her shoes, letting her tears drop to the cold floor underneath her feet. “He doesn’t care,” she whispered again and again. “He really had a change of heart.” The snow falling became thicker. Feeling colder, she hugged herself. She now looked more pathetic now. But as she said, she doesn’t care anymore.

Suddenly, she felt less cold. She opened her eyes and realized that her face was buried on someone’s chest. She looked up to see Jiyong.

Jiyong hugged her tighter.

“Jiyong?” she whispered.

He removed his beanie and gloves and wore them on Dara. Then he hugged her again.

“I won’t ever let you go from now on, not even if Christmas ends. I will stay beside you...”

Dara was surprised. But her shocked expression was replaced with a sweet smile. She hugged him back.

Dara and Jiyong spent the night together.

“This feels like a déjà vu,” Dara said, her eyes covered with a blindfold.

Jiyong just laughed beside her while driving.

“Are we there yet?” Dara asked again, feeling impatient.

Jiyong didn’t answer. After a while, the car stopped. He went to her side and opened the door for her. He helped her out.

“Ready?” Jiyong asked.

Dara nodded enthusiastically.

Jiyong removed the blindfold.

In front of Dara’s eyes were a million colorful lights. Although she was here before, this time’s different. She can clearly see how the whole Seoul celebrated Christmas. The lights were beautiful. They were colorful.

“Since it’s Christmas…” Jiyong said. “I wanted to show you this. For the past few days, I have been spending my time here thinking of you.”

“They’re beautiful…” Dara said amazement apparent on her voice.

“Are you alright?” Jiyong whispered on her ears, holding her hands tightly.

Dara exhaled and nodded. “Do you think she’ll accept us wholeheartedly?”

“Who knows?”

“Jingyo!” Chaerin squealed but her smile faltered seeing Dara beside him. She looked down to their tangled fingers. “What is a traitor doing here in my house?!”

“Chaerin, we’re here to tell you…” Jiyong started and stared at Dara who was hiding beside him.

Dara stared at him and regained her composure. “Chaerin, I can’t take it anymore. Rather, we can’t take it anymore. Please stop ruining other people’s lives. We’re tired of your games. They’re just not right. Everything you do is meddling with other people’s business,” she paused. “Look, Chaerin, I treat you as my best friend already. And I don’t want our friendship to be destroyed because of this. Please, just stop it already. I miss you. I miss the old Chaerin. I want her back. Can you give her back to us already?”

Chaerin clenched her fists. “GET OUT!”

“Chaerin, we will not leave until-“

“I SAID GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!!! DAMMIT!!!”

Chaerin stared at Jiyong and Dara leaving her house. She felt her knees wobble and she fell to the ground.

“I’m sorry we couldn’t spend Christmas with you tomorrow, Dara,” Jaejoong apologized.

“It’s alright,” Dara said.

“It was all too sudden. They called us to come home and celebrate it with them,” Auntie Hyesun explained. “But isn’t it unfair? You should come with us too so you could celebrate it with us.”

“It’s alright, Auntie,” Dara said. “Mom and Minzy called me this morning and greeted me in advance. It’s enough for me.”

“But you’re expecting another call, right? From your father?” Auntie Hyesun guessed.

Dara nodded a little. “I can’t leave the house. I’m still hoping he would come back.”

“He’ll come home,” Jaejoong assured her. “If Hyesun here can go home alone, I could have stayed with you. I couldn’t just leave her alone. She still acts like a baby.”

Auntie Hyesun pushed Jaejoong. They laughed.

“Extend my greetings to them,” Dara said. “Don’t worry about me, Bom and Taeyang volunteered to stay with me at home.”

“How about Jiyong?” Jaejoong said, in a teasing tone.

Dara giggled. “He just left to Busan.”

“I thought he promised to celebrate Christmas with you,” Auntie Hyesun said.

“He’s there for a business. And he’s going home tomorrow evening,” Dara explained.

“Oh, the bus is leaving,” Jaejoong said. He hugged Dara and kissed her hair. Auntie Hyesun did the same. After that, they waved each other goodbye.

Dara went home. She just spent her whole day with Taeyang and Bom.