Eunbi glanced at the digital clock on her office wall, watching the seconds pass. Huffing a sigh, she swiveled her office chair towards the floor to ceiling glass window. Ah, it’s snowing again. She thought. She dragged the wheels of her chair closer to the window until she was only an inch away from it. The city looked so beautiful with snow scattered everywhere. Their building was only 6 storeys high so she wasn’t really towering over the people who were covered up with bundles of clothes below. She shuddered at the thought of walking under the snowing sky. Well, it’s the consequence of failing your driving tests.

“Sinb!” she jolted at the mention of her name. Yes, she goes by the name Sinb now. Sinb is one of South Korea’s fresh and talented designers who made a mark in the fashion industry this generation. She would’ve chosen to stick to her real name, but she knew she’d need a fresh start with a new identity. Sinb, she’s known as Sinb for five years now.

“Umji! I told you to knock before you enter!” She scolded her junior designer who only grinned playfully back at her.

“But I did knock! Three times in fact! But you were so engrossed at whatever you were looking at to notice,”

Eunbi made a face before rolling her chair back to her former position by her desk, “So, what made you visit my office?”

“The head editor wants your designs for the winter collection ASAP. You know Sowon unnie, when she says ASAP it means ASAP,”

“Gosh that girl, can’t she give me a break? She knows I slack a lot during winter when it’s cold. I prefer to be in bed at home right now wrapped in my blanket like a burrito with a hot choco,” Eunbi opened her first desk drawer to take out a few blue folders.

“Maybe that’s why she’s being urgent. She knows you’ll slack off,” Eunbi rolled her eyes before standing up with the blue folders in one hand. She walked forward approaching her junior and handed her two to three folders.

“That’s what I have so far. If she hates it, tell her to find a new designer,”

Umji widened her eyes in shock, “For real?”

Eunbi laughed and patted Umji, “I’m just kidding, silly!”

She walked pass the younger towards her door. Before she could open her door and leave, Umji halted her with a question, “Where are you going?”

Eunbi looked back with a playful grin on her lips, “It’s break time! I’m gonna go get myself some hot choco!”

---

“Yerin, this is not a joke, okay? Our sales have been dropping ever since that new lifestyle magazine came in town. We need to find a solution for this. It’s embarrassing that the once topping lifestyle magazine of all time is getting stomped on by that newbie mag!” Yerin bit the insides of her cheeks to stop herself from laughing. She just couldn’t help it. Her senior was getting so fed up by competition and she wasn’t just serious enough to focus.

“Calm down, I’m sure we can find a way to boost the magazine’s sales again. It’s just the people’s hype for a new magazine. It’ll tone down soon. I swear the mass market will return to Sparkles favorably,” Yerin assured.

“Oh, it’s snowing again,” someone from inside the room suddenly said out of the blue. This caused Yerin to shift her attention from her senior to the window inside their conference room. Pretty snowflakes. She said to herself. Even though she wasn’t out in the cold, she somehow felt her body freeze causing her to reach out for her once idle coffee on top of the table.

“Anyway, we’ve already been here in this room for five hours now, and I’m pretty sure everyone’s pretty tired already so let’s just continue the matter next time. This meeting is now dismissed,”

Yerin stood up from her seat and stretched a little, sitting for five hours was really tiring and her was pretty numb at the moment. Before her senior could leave the room, she approached Yerin, “Yerin, thank you for accepting my offer, I really needed someone competent in my team right now,”

“You’re welcome. And don’t sweat it! I was already planning on coming home anyways and work here,”

Jung Yerin, a writer.

As soon as she graduated college, she left the country to pursue her dream working for the New York press. And indeed she worked for it. Despite the struggles of living in a foreign country with language barriers constantly in the way, she managed to live on her own and make a name in her field.

She was so successful to the point that she almost forgot she had a home back in South Korea. That she used to have a life there. She used to have someone there.

Until one call came, it was from her senior in college asking if she could come home and work for her team. She knew that if she says yes she might leave behind the life she worked hard for, the life she dreamed of. But somehow, for some unknown reason, she said yes.

The next day came and she didn’t waste a minute to pack her bags. And at last, she was finally back in Seoul after five years.

Yerin’s thoughts were cut once her senior patted her right cheek, “Anyway, if you want some delicious hot chocolate drink, there’s this famous café a few streets away. You always buy those during winter,”

She suddenly felt something weird at the pit of her stomach. I just need some hot choco. She thought.

“Well, I’m off for some hot choco then! I hope I don’t get lost,” she kidded.

“Oh come on Yerin, I’m sure you won’t. It’s only been five years, nothing’s changed,”

---

“Oh my god today is colder than usual,” Eunbi rubbed her palms together before bringing it up to her lips, “I shouldn’t have left my bed this morning,” She groaned.

The café was just a street away from their building but since the weather was cold her shivering legs are preventing her to reach the said café within five minutes.

Just as she was about to cross the road, a little girl her tapped her, “Big sister, your shoes are untied!” Eunbi giggled finding the little girl cute, “Thank you, sweetie!” she waved good bye to the little girl who was now walking away from her with her mother.

“Ah, stupid Eunbi, how could you not notice your shoes were untied?” she walked ahead to a nearby waiting shed to tie her shoelaces, “I can’t believe I’ve been outside for fifteen minutes now. Gosh, all I wanted was a cup of hot chocolate, is that too much to ask?”

---

“Wait, she said it was only a few streets away, but why do I feel like I’ve already passed twenty streets?” Yerin muttered to herself while looking left and right trying to locate a certain café her senior mentioned a while ago.

She tucked her hands inside her coat’s pocket to keep them warm though it wasn’t enough since her fingers were already cold as ice. It’s only been five years but the streets of Seoul already seemed unfamiliar to her. She surveyed her surroundings and located a waiting shed a few steps ahead from her. She also noticed a girl was inside it too, crouched on the floor and tying her shoes.

“Maybe I should ask her for directions,” She suggested.

With heavy steps, she arrived at the shed.

 “I can’t believe I’ve been outside for fifteen minutes now. Gosh, all I wanted was a cup of hot chocolate, is that too much to ask?”

That voice. Yerin’s heart suddenly plummeted from her chest down to the snowy pavement. She could never forget that voice.

Five years living the life she’s always dreamed of in New York, she could’ve easily forgotten Seoul, South Korea. But there was always something holding her back. And it was this girl, the owner of that voice. The voice that made snowy winter evenings remind her of brunette locks, bittersweet smile, 6PM, and a tear rolling down a rosy cheek. And that girl was standing right in front of her.

“Eunbi?” She asked, surprised. Her voice might sound like it cracked but she was still too shocked to care. The girl in front of her stiffened for a while in her awkward position at the mention of her name. She looked up and those doe eyes freed the butterflies she kept imprisoned for so long.

Eunbi stood up, “Yerin unnie,” she acknowledged with a warm smile on her face.

Yerin felt her insides go round and round. That smile.

Falling snow, waiting shed, and cold hands.

hello, there isn't much sinrin for this chapter for this is sort of an introductory chapter. anyways, i hope y'all liked this.

comments are highly appreciated <3