“What the did you eat?”

I think that’s the first time I heard her curse.

“Hey, that’s rude. I’m not that heavy!” I whined while tightening my grip above Mina’s shoulders.

It was Sunday and Mina wanted to meet up since she felt better than before. I was worried that her fever would return, but she insisted that she was fine and wanted to prove it by carrying me on her back.

After hearing some more grunts and deep breaths I told her to drop me.

“I think you broke my back.”

//

That day in particular was really cold. I remember the temperature dropping from 15 to 7 degrees celisius in one day. We decided to go into a small café down the road in Mina’s neighborhood to eat some cheesecake and have warm drinks.

While we were waiting for our order, Mina asked about my Friday evening when I was at Yein’s house for dinner.

“It was fine. A lot less awkward than I expected it to be.” I said and looked outside of  the window. The scenery was beautiful. It looked just like a movie. The autumn leaves coloured to roads, it made it look a lot less empty. There weren’t many people outside and those who were were wrapped in thick clothes from head to do. I still felt cold, though.

I told her how Friday went with more detail. It really wasn’t that bad. I might have actually enjoyed it.

My sister and I went together. Jungkook welcomed us, Yein was helping their mom setting up the table. I chatted with Jungkook and Yein for a while and then we had dinner. After that, Yejin had to leave because she had an important meeting the morning after. I stayed to play games with Jungkook and Yein. Around midnight I got a call from my angry mom asking me where I was. I took it as my cue to leave.

“Sounds like a lot of fun.” Mina told me genuinely. She took a bite from her cheesecake and her face showed pure pleasure. I took my phone out and snapped some pictures. I laughed at her, she was acting like a kid who tasted chocolate for the first time in months.

“I swear, if you ever mess up in any way, knock on my door with some cheesecake and you’re forgiven.”

“Good thing I’m treating you cheesecake now then since I shared a kiss with Yein last Friday.”

Mina immediately stopped chewing, her smiley face turning stone cold and her eyes shooting daggers at me. I could’ve sworn I saw her getting ready to throw the fork at me.

“I’m kidding!” I mumbled quickly.

“You better be.”

“I am, and you’re a liar. You were about to kill me even with cheesecake in your mouth.”

“Exceptions can be made, but I know you would never hurt anyone like that. Neither Yein or I. Which reminds me,” she took another bite of her cheesecake and gracefully enjoyed every bit of it, “I want to be friends with her.”

That’s something I didn’t expect. Why would she want to be friends with Yein out of all people?

“Well, she clearly meant a lot to you since you’re still friends with her. I want to get to know her myself, she seems to be a great girl.”

“Suite yourself. Don’t you have classes with her?”

“Three of which I share two with you. Want me to ditch you to sit next to her?” She smiled sweetly as if she didn’t just spill poison into words.

“Sitting besides her in one class is more than enough for you two to bond.” I quickly responded, “But don’t obsess over me too much, it’s hard to be loved by two girls at once.”

Mina grimaced, “Reality check: I just want you, I don’t need you.”

I threw my palm to my chest in an exaggerated manner, “I felt that one sting.”

We laughed it off and finished our cake. We stayed there since it was even colder outside. We talked and laughed some more. I lost track of time.

At some point Mina’s cellphone rung which woke me out of whatever state I was in. I looked outside and it was already dark. Either the days were getting shorter, or time was moving faster than usual. The previous made more sense, but it felt like the latter.

That evening I walked Mina home and took the bus back home. I put in my earphones, took a seat next to the window and opened my gallery to look at the pictures I took of Mina earlier. I smiled down at my screen while swiping through the images with a warm feeling spreading through my chest.

It was then when I first realized that I was seriously falling for this girl.

That café, Sissi’s, later became precious to us.

//

The following weeks were some of the happiest times of my high school life. I couldn’t recall everything that had happened, but I remember being happy in the most genuine way one could be.

I remember one day we made a bet on who would look better as the opposite gender. It wasn’t a fair game, Mina’s clothes were too small and tight for me to wear properly and Mina just looks cute in my oversized clothing.

On another day Mina was at my house for a few hours (too many). My parents insisted she should have dinner with us. My mom and I drove her home that night. It was the first time my parents formally met her.

During one cold night I was sent to do the groceries. Instead, I took a good forty-five minutes to get to Mina’s place where I accidentally spent the night. I slept on the couch and was awakened by two screaming girls, but it was okay since I received morning kisses afterwards.

We even went to our first party together, much against Mina’s will (not like we could’ve missed it, Chanwoo would ignore us for days). It turned out to be a great night and neither of us had any regrets of going. It was my first time seeing her drunk. A drunk Mina is a more talkative, social and clingy Mina, I learned.

We studied together for our first semester exams. We passed most of the subjects and I had the highest grades for the first time since freshman year. Those hours seriously drowning in books, day after day, paid off.

After the examination period, seniors were given a week off. Needless to say that week was filled with plans.

Chanwoo, Hanbin, Donghyuk and I went skiing for three days. It was so much fun that we turned it into an annual event.

Mina was absent a lot at the time because she had to practice for a Christmas event. After I returned from my ski trip I picked her up every day from the dance studio to spend some time together, but most of my vacation was spent with my friends. I grew a lot closer to Tzuyu and Chanwoo, close enough to call them my best friends.

Yein’s presence in my memories was lacking, but I knew that she had hung out with Mina a few times. I wondered what they would do or talk about, but Mina would say that it’s none of my business.
The temperature fell to minus 2 degrees celsius. It was freezing outside, and on a beautiful Tuesday the first snowfall took place. It was during one of my classes. I remember how the whole class seemed to be alive and excited at that moment watching the snowflakes cover the ground in white. After school all of my friends I played in the snow and left a snowman behind.

It was that day when I walked Mina to the bus stop.

The sign said that the bus would arrive in just about a minute. We held each others hands and put them in my pocket to keep us warm. Even sitting on the bench felt cold to our butts.

“Say Mina,”

“Yes?”

“Can I be your boyfriend?”

November 17th, was the day we were officially in a relationship.

///

a short chapter to announce im back on track :)

khalid - winter

the story is exactly the opposite of the song but it still inspired me lol