AN: YAY! *posts* look! a christmas present! A side story even though the story hasn't technically started but because it is christmas :D EDIT: I NOTICED I DOUBLE POSTED THE CHAPTER 

let me set this on a timeless storyline where it is winter (the main storyline starts in spring by the way) and everyone celebrates Christmas! wonderful!

Enjoy and Merry christmas to everyone!

~~~

Withstanding a hurting ankle, Hyemi’s legs tell her slowing down is better, especially so with a heavy box in her hands; But she stubbornly shakes her head at the thought. No, no. She cannot wait. Or actually Hyemi cannot have her waiting.

With her scarf wrapping most of her face tighter than leggings around her legs, there is little vision left for Hyemi’s eyes through the strong wind and heavy snow. With much difficulty, she looks over her wristwatch to know she’s late, so hurrying home as fast as possible is her best option. Boots starts crunching in the ice again.

Ignoring the pain, Hyemi forces herself to half walk and half jog until she somehow manages to survive till the doorstep of the house, barely but successfully, opening the door with her thigh. She flings off the boots and shrugs the snow off her shoulders. Brings up her wrist, she desperately looks at her watch again.

A little past the time, but at least she is home. Relieved, she puts down the box and naturally calls out for Minha who doesn’t look present in the living room.

And there is no answer from her even after the third call. An odd feeling becomes overpowering when there are no sounds of the other girl emerging from her room. Strange, Hyemi thinks. Minha never misses their time to decorate for Christmas.

Trying not to think of the worst things that can happen to her roommate, she quickly untwines her scarf and goes off to look for her.

~

Minha decides to try again. She has one arm held up- her free hand tugging excessively at the opposite side of her wool top- and the material already overstretching at its hem. She groans inwardly over the unwanted length of her arms when the muscles start to feel sore.

Perhaps lying in bed will do the trick- and she will be able to twist and turn out of the woollen material easily; but she pouts at the sight of it instead. Even getting on to the mattress is difficult for her stiff body.

The sleeve will feel like it will come off. And if only she can bend a little bit more it probably will… but too bad she can’t. Her arms fall to her sides, dejected and tired. Minha wishes to stay quiet so that her roommate wouldn’t hear her struggle from the living room, but can’t help whispering a complaint or two. The sweater isn’t listening to her.

An answer to her ramblings isn’t what Minha wanted, but she is heard and assistance comes anyway. The sudden creak at her door makes her jump. Assistance apparently came with soft laughing, however, much to her dismay.

“You look stuck in that.”

“Shut up.”

A grin is shown and someone has come to save her.

Minha’s eyes flutter when a pair of arms hover her head within seconds. She doesn’t expect for slender fingers to pluck at the collar of her clothing swiftly, carefully lifting up until the top is pulled out of her head. The sweater drops by the culprit’s cold feet, kissing the toes with whatever warmth Minha’s body had. It isn’t a lot but the other girl says nothing.

They keep the short silence that follows after, both knowing that it will save Minha from feeling more embarrassed that her roommate actually catches her struggling with her clothes yet on another day. Instead of another tease or a mock to the mess she made, a warm touch to her shivering body and a brand new piece of sweater automatically slides into her arms.

They have done this so many times before, but Minha still cannot help flinching at the hands that touch her. They aren’t cold today but they always tickle, and she recoils upon contact, getting herself chided at yet again because of that.

“Hold still or I swear, you will be wearing those itchy wool sweaters Keumjo knitted this whole winter.” It is a threat that Hyemi is probably joking with but it got the younger girl nervously nodding in obedience.

But as hard as Minha wants to force herself to comply until her dressing is fixed properly, she still somehow fails, as she continues wriggling left to right. In the end, it only causes her roommate to look at her unpleased at how fidgety Minha is. So she cannot hold it in anymore. “Hold still. Please.” The older girl grabs her by her arms gently, and the girl in the wheelchair freezes (not literally) at the touch because the fingers feel gentle but firm. She cannot help feeling confused at how Hyemi’s fingers can always be so delicate with her. But it brings good to them both, for Minha has finally stop moving around.

Hyemi smiles at the improvement. “Much better.” Finishing with the collar adjustments, she gets up to fix the behind. “You have never been this shy before.” She says, grabbing the chance to torment a much flustered Minha- because it is such a rare, rare, sight. She doesn’t even know why Minha is being so nervous in the first place.

“I’m not shy.” In her weak defence the younger girl retorts, as she tries to hide her face.

“But why not wait for me to come back?” Hyemi asks curiously. The Minha she knows never pulled such a stunt before.

“Because,” The girl bound in her wheelchair crosses her arms. “I wanted to try changing myself, for once.”

“I won't allow,” A frown is drawn on Hyemi’s face, obviously unhappy over the statement. “I won’t allow it so don’t attempt it.” The frown isn’t a nice looking expression, but the younger girl has seen worse. “We are passing the coldest days of winter, what were you thinking?”

“But-” Minha wants to argue, but seeing how unwavering Hyemi is, she just looks away, unsatisfied at how she is treated like a child. “Fine,” The girl agrees but not without brooding. “I won’t.” She really wanted to help to be independent for once, not relying Hyemi and all. And Hyemi seems to notice that look of unhappiness, so much time isn't wasted as she kneels down to get to her roommate’s eye level.

A single look she gives, induces the goosebumps to crawl all over the younger girl’s biceps. Minha doesn’t know whether it is the caresses made to her bare skin or just Hyemi’s voice sending shivers down her spine, but the feeling being this close to her best friend frightens yet comforts her all at the same time. She tries her best to hide them all of that behind an expressionless face she pulls off best at.

“Stop sulking,” Without much warning, a pair of hands places themselves on Minha red cheeks, making her face to immediately burn up at contact. “After the winter clears, I promise we can let you try again.” Minha’s eyes widen and Hyemi seems to be enjoying this. “But, only when I’m looking,” She is enjoying this. "Alright?"

With much nodding from her, Minha has her luck to thank that her skin is already pink from the icy weather, or else the older girl will notice her blushing like a tomato. And true enough Hyemi doesn’t catch much of her uneasiness thanks to the freezing temperature. With Hyemi's hands removed from her cheeks, they are replaced with the younger girl’s hands brushing against her own face. Since Minha is busy trying to cool her face temperature down, the older girl finally decides to get up from her kneels and get on with whatever they are supposed to do. She doesn't hesistate taking up to the spot behind the wheelchair.

“Let’s go, we cannot miss decorations this year,” Hyemi says even though Minha’s mind already seems to have drift away from the idea of beautifying their Christmas tree. “I’ve borrowed leftover Christmas lights from Sungah’s parents’ restaurant. We can finally get bright blinking colours you asked for last Christmas. Isn’t that great?”

“Yeah,” Minha replies with much distraction found in her voice. "it's great." There isn’t actual excitement showing in her anymore but Hyemi is tired so she just takes her reply as it is and went off with decorating.

~

Fine as Hyemi may seem on the outside, she cannot control herself from breathing out a sigh of relief that she gets to see the younger girl enjoying herself with the decorating in the next couple of hours. She isn’t a strong believer of the joy of exchanging presents, but since Minha do insist that Hyemi should also gift herself and not only the younger girl with something from time to time, perhaps the Christmas present she has for herself this year is a congratulations to herself, for passing another tough winter day; she has passed it without Minha getting herself a cold, and for that, she is happy as well.

On the other hand, little to what Hyemi knows, Minha doesn’t believe she is enjoying herself at all. Aside from this Christmas’ presents exchange coming up, her mind is just too occupied looking forward to the first day she wakes up noticing the snow has melted away, so that she can try changing her sweater herself for once again.

~~

AN: Once again Merry Christmas!