Although the cold winter has been so long, the scent of spring is now slowly coming. The streets that was once covered with thick blanket of snow will soon turn into grey, watery light as the gentle sunshine of springtime bringthens a new day.

Yuju is looking outside the chilled window, thinking of when will the cold air turn into warm, just like the grief turn into calm.

She took a look behind her as she felt the hinges of the door slowly moving. She saw a man peeks through a partially opened door before he enters the room.

Yuju bows her head as a sign of respect to the man in front of her.

Mr. Hwang: "You must've been Sinb's friend right?"

He asks right after they exchange bows and gives greetings with each other. But once Yuju and his eyes met a contact, they both felt a distance between them a thousand times farther than where they are standing right now.

But that feeling wasn't given a lot of attention when Mr. Hwang gave Yuju a fatherly smile.

Mr. Hwang: "Anyway, I'm Hwang Sung Jin. Sinb's Dad."

He offers a handshake that Yuju gladly accepts even though she felt a little bit of hesitation. After all she thought it was fine since it was Sinb's Dad.

Yuju: "I'm Yuna, Choi Yuna. Nice to meet you Sir"

She introduce herself as well as being Sinb's friend. Though Mr. Hwang keeps giving her a gentle smile, she still felt something that was hidden behind the mask he's been hiding in.

Mr. Hwang: "I don't exactly know what happened but thanks for staying here for my daughter for a while."

Yuju: "You're welcome, but it's nothing compared to what she have done for me." 

Mr. Hwang: "Is that so? You two must've been close, I think I already saw you here before"

Yuju: "Ah, Maybe that was when I stayed here when I was sick"

Mr. Hwang: "Ah yeah, I remember now. Anyway how's Sinb?"

Yuju: "She haven't woke up yet. But the doctor who visited says she'll be fine once she woke up."

Mr. Hwang: "Is that so? It's a good thing then."

Yuju: "That was so sudden, I never saw her like this before. She never told me any troubles and I never noticed anything, until now I didn't...

Just then she stopped when she saw the painting on Sinb's room. The girl on a white long gown that is still left unfinished. Her eyes were glued on it when Mr. Hwang noticed it.

Mr. Hwang: "You seemed to be staring on that painting for a while"

Yuju: "Ahh I'm sorry. That was because I already saw it before but it seems like Sinb hasn't still finished it. The face is still undone" 

Mr. Hwang: "Actually she made that painting when she was 10, and she haven't finish the face cause she never saw it for a long time"

Yuju then thought about it...

Yuju: "So that's what she is talking about when she said it was real." She whispers to herself.

Yuju: "Can I ask a question? That person in the painting. Who is she?" She courageously asks

Mr. Hwang: "That person is the person she has been longing for. That was her mom"

Yuju: "Her Mom? And she haven't seen her?"

Mr. Hwangs smirks.

Mr. Hwang: "That was because of you..." He mutters under his breath.

Yuju: "P..pardon?"

Mr. Hwang: "Nothing, can we not talk about it? Anyway aren't you going home yet?"

Yuju: "I...Can I stay here for a while? Until she woke up?"

Mr. Hwang: "You'll stay here?" He never thought that Sinb and Yuju is that close for her to offer herself on staying just to look for his daughter.

Mr. Hwang: "If that's what you wanted, you can stay here"

With his approval, Yuju decided to stay there.

They both exchange bows to each other before Mr. Hwang walks out of the room. 

Yuju took another glance at the painting before she takes a sit beside Sinb's bed and she fixes the blanket that was covering Sinb's body from the cold.

Yuju: "This fool...you never told me your troubles. If you felt pity towards me. Then I felt pity on you too"

She said while looking on Sinb's calm face, unlike the face she saw before she fainted in front of her. Until now, she still wonders what just happened.

But then she felt a need to use the bathroom. She stand up from her seat and is about to walk when she felt a tight grip on her wrist.

Sinb: "Don't leave" She said but her eyes were still closed.

Yuju: "I won't leave"

She slowly removes Sinb's grip on her and placed her hands under the blanket to keep her warm.

She went back on heading to the bathroom but then Sinb pulled her hands to her with a stronger force making her fall on Sinb's tight hug.

Sinb: "I said don't leave me alone" She said but when Yuju looked up on her face, her eyes are still shutted closed.

Yuju: "You're awake right?" She asks but she didn't move on her position in which her upper body is leaning on Sinb with her hug.

She felt that Sinb let a deep breath which means she's already awake. She tries to move and stand but Sinb locks her on her arms and Yuju just let her body rest on her.

Sinb: "Let's stay like this for a while" She said softly near Yuju's ears

Yuju didn't answer but she did what Sinb told her. That for a while becomes a minute, then more minutes have passed and it becomes an hour. 

Yuju lies herself beside Sinb with her hands placed on her waist and her head lying beside her chest. While Sinb wraps her arms around Yuju's shoulders and her chin touching her forehead. Both of them is trying to fall asleep under the same blanket but there are thoughts that's keeping them awake.

"Yerin unnie like Yuju" Sinb thought of it again "But am I being too selfish for wishing that we could stay like this?" 

She suddenly hugs Yuju more tighly making their body moves closer. Yuju who almost fall asleep noticed it and she felt like Sinb must've have been thinking of her own troubles.

Yuju: "Sinb-ah" She looked up on her as she says her name.

Sinb: "Hmmm?" She asks with her eyes still closed.

Yuju: "Earlier before you fainted, it seems that there is something that troubles you a lot"

Sinb finally opens her eyes as she looked at her.

Sinb: "I myself don't know. It feels like a nightmare that my mind refuse to remember"

Yuju: "Then you don't have to remember"

Sinb just nods and Yuju tightens her hug on Sinb's waist.

Yuju: "Sinb, what came out to your mind when you first saw me?"

She asks that thing not because she was curious, but because she wanted Sinb not to think of other things for a while

Sinb: "Nothing special, you're just a transferred student and a useless seatmate that time"

Yuju: "Aren't you being too honest?" She said with a frown on her face.

Sinb: "I chose to be honest right now" 

Yuju: "Is that so..."

Sinb: "Mmmm..." She said while nodding "Yuju-ah"

Yuju: "Mmm?"

Sinb: "I Love You" She whispers to her ears

"I Love You" Three simple words with a thousands of meaning which will suddenly came out when least expected. Yuju's heart isn't fluttered or gone insane with those words at all. Those words doesn't make her heart felt nervous or uneasy.

Instead, it makes her heart felt more peaceful, calm, relieved and healed. And most of it is she finally felt loved and she loves that feeling more than anything.

After that winter is spring, then summer and then autumn, but the cycle will repeat and it's winter again. Yuju then realize that, no matter how much she waited for the spring to come, winter will always come back and follows. 

But for her, that was definitely the warmest winter she had spend with the person she met before it comes, and she suddenly thought that she would love to spend all those seasons with her. She just wanted to be by her side even if everything changes.

Yuju: "I Love You Hwang Eun Bi" She said before she fall asleep on Sinb's warm hug. And Sinb lies a soft kiss on her forehead before she closes her eyes on Yuju's tight embrace.

Mr. Hwang secretly peeks through the door. And there he saw a sight that he has never thought of. Sinb his daughter and Jessica's daughter, Yuju.

Mr. Hwang: "Of all people...Why does it have to be her?" He said to himself and he remembers how him and Jessica were used to be before through Sinb and Yuju. But that warm and gentle look in his eyes turns into a cold and frightening gaze after remembering the night that makes him and Jessica forever apart.

Eunha: "You know this method? This is what we usually called F.O.I.L method. It would be easy if you follow this"

...

Eunha started explaining things about some rules on a math problem using a method she used to learn.

But she stopped when she notice Yerin doesn't even give a response even though she has been constantly looking at her.

Although Yerin's eyes were sticked on Eunha's face all the time, her mind isn't focused at all. Her body might be there but her soul is into somewhere else.

Eunha stares at her back but Yerin seems to be really not into it. She flicks her fingers in front of Yerin's eyes that brings her back to reality.

Eunha: "Yah...Are you even listening? I've been talking here the whole time but it seems like nothing came into your mind" She started complaining

Yerin: "ahh, I'm sorry I'm just thinking of somthing. Excuse me, I'll just wash my face first" 

Eunha's eyes follow Yerin's way on the bathroom. And as soon as she gets in, Eunha drops her head, hitting the table.

Eunha: "I'm too tired of her..." She deeply sigh, spreading her arms on the table as she rests her head on a book.

Yerin took so long at the bathroom and Eunha thought that she might be doing her things. She almost fall asleep leaning her head on the table but then she heard a buzzing sound on Yerin's laptop.

Out of curiosity, she opens the lid. It isn't her style to meddle on someone's things but it's just so sudden that she didn't even know why she did that.

["Don't forget at 9 PM. Just you, me and your friend."]

The door lock clicks and she quickly drops down the lid, placing the laptop back to how it used to be.

Yerin: "I'm sorry did I took so long? the cool air sticks on my body and I thought a need of a warm shower" She said while drying her hair with a towel

Eunha: "It's okay, but are you going anywhere?"

Yerin pause for a few seconds before she answer.

Yerin: "It's already 8:00, where would I go at this time? It's too cold outside though..." Her eyes glances left and right and she seemed uncomfortable with Eunha's question

"She's lying" Eunha thought 

Just then Yerin's phone started ringing. "Giraffe" She hesitates to answer that call in front of Eunha.

Yerin definitely knows where her conversation with Sowon will be heading so she decided to not answer that call for a moment.

Yerin: "Eunha, aren't you going home yet? You must've been tired for this day"

Eunha: "Ah, yeah...I think I should go now."

She started fixing her things on her bag, and before she leaves Yerin's room. She stopped on the door way and she took a glance on Yerin through her peripheral.

["You must have been working hard to know truth, Let's meet at the old warehouse at exactly 9 PM and I'll tell you an interesting story. Just the two of us, or you wanna bring your friend?"

"Don't forget at 9 PM. Just you, me and your friend."]

Eunha: "Yerin-ah, seriouly... what are you into?" She asks in her mind. Still thinking about the mysterious e-mail she've just read.

She suddenly thought of Yerin's reasons of why she didn't want to go to states.

["There's a lot of people I have to protect"

"There's a lot of things I have to do" 

"And there's a lot of things I have to take care of"]