Yerin took a few seconds before finally processing the situation she was in. She took another chance to look at the doe eyes by her front before speaking, “Eunbi, it’s been a while,”

The latter replied, still with a smile on her face, “A long time, unnie, it’s been a long time. I see that you’re back from New York,”

“Yes, I just came back last weekend actually,” Yerin explained. Eunbi nodded and involuntarily shivered against the harsh winter wind.

“You’re cold,” Yerin said, “My senior told me there’s a café nearby that sells-“

“Hot choco?” Eunbi finished off.

Yerin was caught surprised for a moment before replying, “Yes,”

“I know the place! I was heading there to be honest. Should we go together?” Eunbi asked, her smile was still present on her lips. Yerin inwardly melted at that smile.

“Yes, I guess we should,” Yerin responded in a whisper.

---

Holiday music surrounded the whole café. Christmas decorations hanging on the ceiling, plastered on the wall, spiraled around a Christmas tree, and melodious laughter and chatters were everywhere. Yerin and Eunbi were seated near the window perfectly showcasing the snowy streets of Seoul.

“How’ve you been?” Eunbi asked, finally breaking the ice. They’ve been inside the café for at least 20 minutes now and after they’ve said their orders, they haven’t said a word to each other.

“I’ve been good. I’ve only been gone for five years but I already got myself lost among the streets of the city,” Yerin let out an awkward chuckle mentally rolling her eyes at herself for being so self-conscious.

“Are you here on vacation? When are you going back to New York?”

“I’m here for good,” Yerin answered which surprised Eunbi.

“Really? But what about your work?”

“I work here now,” Yerin said in hushed voice unsure of what to say.

“But you dedicated all your life for your work in New York? I mean, that’s the reason why you left right? You willingly left your life here in Seoul, that means it’s not just anything,”

Yerin’s gaze were travelling everywhere but Eunbi’s, “It is not just anything, it’s actually very important to me,”

“Then, why did you come back?”

“I’m helping a senior of mine back in college,” Eunbi’s furrowed her brows, still not getting the whole situation.

“My senior is the editor in chief of Sparkles. The sales have been dropping recently because of the new lifestyle magazine that made its debut two months ago. She personally asked for my help, said she needed someone competent in her team to find a solution,”

Eunbi’s lips formed a small ‘o’ in realization, “Sparkles! I love that magazine! I actually availed a subscription of it. Hm, I’m guessing the new lifestyle magazine you’re talking about is Modern? That magazine has been gearing up a lot of attention these days. You know, one tip that I can give you is Sparkles should really lever up on their layouts. The aesthetic level in Modern is crazy,”

Yerin leaned closer, interested in the topic, “What do you mean aesthetic?”

“You know, people nowadays don’t only go for the content. You got to present the content like art,”

“I’m not the artist here, you know I at being creative in the art department,” Eunbi laughed, clapping her hands in the process, “Oh, I remember how you failed Art class because the teacher found out I was the one who made your project. It was funny!”

“And I had to explain to her why I made you did it instead of me,”

“I told her one of your relatives died and you couldn’t make your project because of the preparations and stuff for the wake. I thought she’d buy it but-“

“You were always a pretty bad liar, Eunbi,”

“Says the girl who was caught lying about her art project,” Eunbi snorted.

“I wasn’t caught! I was just unlucky,”

“Still caught! Come on, Yerin unnie, you know I always win arguments,”

Yerin rolled her eyes, “It’s because you always want to have the last say,”

“And I do get the last say,”

“It’s because I let you,” Yerin stuck her tongue out childishly.

“Why’d you let me?”

Bright smiles, laughter, and eye contact.

Eunbi thought the time stopped, or the whole world suddenly came to an abrupt halt once their eyes met. She doesn’t know if it’s that smile or those eyes that made her feel mushy but she’s sure she wouldn’t feel that way if it wasn’t for the woman in front of her. The feeling wasn’t even foreign. It seemed natural.

Yerin noticed how the younger one stopped talking and silenced. Their eyes were still glued to each other. Searching, trying to look for a sign. A miracle perhaps.

“Oh crap,” Eunbi broke the eye contact when she felt her phone buzzing against her jean’s pocket. She fished it out from and squealed in shock, “Oh my god it’s past lunch break. My boss is already looking for me,”

Yerin searched for the wall clock inside the café and confirmed that it was indeed pas their break. She mentally asked herself how come her senior hasn’t contacted her yet asking for her. Ah I haven’t given her my phone number. Stupid. She thought.

“Yerin unnie, it was nice seeing you again. I got to go, I have to discuss this year’s winter collection with my boss. She hates waiting so I badly need to jet now,”

Yerin nodded and stood up first, “I guess I should go head back too,”

The both of them exited the café and huffed a sigh in sync. They giggled in amusement before again being enveloped in silence.

“So I guess I’ll see you around?” Eunbi asked.

Yerin gave her a curt nod and smiled, “You know I always need hot choco,”

Eunbi smiled for the last time then turned her back to walk the other way towards her building.

Yerin watched her retreating figure. Hesitating for a moment, she inwardly scolded herself before bravely calling out for Eunbi once again, “Eunbi!” she shouted.

Eunbi turned to look back at her.

“Can I take you out for dinner?”

Eunbi looked apologetically at her before shouting back, “Sorry, I’m busy tonight,”

i'm sorry i haven't updated for weeks. i sort of uploaded this story by impulse so i was in a state of an writer's block. but anyway, after collecting my thoughts, i've come up with a short chapter two. enjoy!

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