"woah... i didn't expect this crowd", 

as I trailed behind jungkook's back, i saw his mouth gaping wide at the scene which was standing before him. he was muttering to himself but still fiddling with the branches and trying to keep my balance up on the slippery ground, i was having trouble getting up to the same spot as him. 

"aishhh", i grunted and this made jungkook turned around to look at me. noticing that i was experiencing difficulty, he then gave me a hand.

"careful there,"

he pulled away those prickly branches that were in my way and with a strong pull, he got me up to his side. 

and woah. 

a deep sense of serenity engulfed me as i stare in rapture at the expanse of white that lay before me. with the sound of chortles and happiness filling up in the air, children and adults of all ages can be seen dancing delicately across the layer of ice which forms above a lake, birthed from the winter season that made the view all the more beautiful and heartwarming. i was indeed mesmerized by the scene but however, i heard jungkook letting out a sigh beside me. 

"what's the matter? isn't this place good?", i lifted my brows at him but he shook his head sadly. 

"what's the date today?", instead, he asked me.

"24 december", i answered him in no time and after which, he pressed his lips together. 

"no wonder. it's Christmas Eve,"

my head shot up at his words and only then did I realise too that christmas is arriving in just one day. i could no longer hide my excitement and so, tugging onto jungkook's sleeve, i gestured for him to skate with me until a sudden voice interrupted us. 

"howdy kookie,"

turning around, i saw another cowboy tipping off his hat, waving at us from afar. he acknowledged my presence and shortly after, he had already threw his arms over jungkook's shoulder.

"yo ma little buddy, why are you sulking? it's Christmas Eve", a wide smile spreads across his face and even i have to admit, i became infected by this happy virus in no time. 

trying to be polite for once, i was about to greet him back when jungkook pulled the cowboy to one corner all of a sudden, muttered a few words to him before then, the cowboy turned around to flash me a grin. punching him lightly on his arm, the cowboy laughed out loud,

"geez. just think about who am i! I'm jhope, i'm your hope, and definitely i've got a some good news for you,"

having said that, jhope then gestured for us to tag along with him. i was skeptical about leaving the frozen lake at first but seeing that both jungkook and jhope were waiting for me, i followed their steps anyway. 

within a few minutes, we arrived at another frozen lake but this time, only to find that there was nobody else around. 

"like what you see?", jhope smiled with his teeth showing but right after that, he started walking away from us. 

"hyung, where are you going? aren't you joining us?", it was then, jungkook asked.

waving his hand up in the air, jhope replied with his back still facing us,

"nah, I have to head back to namjoon's factory. he just called me a while ago, claiming that his machineries have broken down again,"
"ah, what a waste,"

"anyway", he suddenly stopped walking and whipped his head around to face us,

"merry christmas in advance and same to you, young lady", he gave me a wink and with that, jhope disappeared down the woods. 

of course by then, i was rather amused by the sorts of people i've just met up till now, but when i felt his skin touching lightly on mine, butterflies flew in my stomach once again. unknowingly, i let those words came out of my mouth,

"aye cowboy, just... who are you exactly to make me feel like this?"
"like what?"
"like... being loved,"

beside me, i watched as jungkook stiffened up and looked straight ahead of him. 

"me?"

he sounded genuinely confused at first but then letting out a sigh, he finally confessed,

"actually, i'm a orphan,"