A/N: Sorry for the late update guys. Was drowning in my pile of assignments and I had tech issues with my laptop too. Hehe, but did anyone miss Ha Neul in this story? I know I did, so I wanted to dedicate some love for him here. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Next update will be pretty soon!

*******
 

“Alright, it’s a wrap!” exclaimed the Director as they finished filming the last scene for the day.

Sighs of relief could be heard from Ha Neul and the other actors. They immediately began bowing and thanking all the crew members for their hard work. It was only 6 p.m., but the heavy snowfall made it difficult to continue the shoot, thus the director chose to halt the filming and resume another day. After the actors had a quick debrief with the director, they went their separate ways. Seeing Ha Neul leave, Actress Soo Ah, who was Ha Neul’s on-screen female partner for the movie hurried after him and pulled on his arm.

“Ha Neul-sshi, wait up!” she called.

Feeling the tug on his arm, Ha Neul turned to see Soo Ah’s hands gripped tightly around his. She released her grip but Ha Neul noticed her casually trace her fingers down his arm; a smirk emerging from the corner of her lips. Her gesture made him feel uncomfortable so he gently pulled his hand away.

“Ah, Soo Ah-sshi, what is it?”

“Do you want to get some coffee with me? The weather is so cold and it’s still early, don’t you think it’s the perfect time to get a drink…together?” she persuaded him in a cutesy tone.

Ha Neul turned to his manager and did a “please-help-me-hyung” expression with his brows and he immediately understood.

“I’m sorry Soo Ah-sshi, but Ha Neul has a schedule after this. He has to go quickly,” lied his manager.

Soo Ah just frowned and gave a disappointed pout. After apologising, Ha Neul went off and slid into his car.

“Omg thank you for saving me, hyung! I owe you one.”

“I think you owe me too many times. See, I even had to make up a lie for you. Poor girl, that Soo Ah. Tsk tsk,” his manager joked.

“Did you not see how she was trying to flirt with me? But I’m not interested in her at all! And well, it’s not really a lie. I do really have an appointment. It’s just unofficial,” Ha Neul tried to reason himself.

“Whatever it is, you better not go around giving me trouble. Remember, you’re a rising actor so people are starting to notice you.”

“I will take care of myself, hyung. Don’t worry,” he assured his manager.

*******

Ha Neul drove around Seoul on that cold winter night, stopping by at a couple of flower shops. He had entered three shops already, but none of them carried the kind of flowers he was looking for. After about two hours, he finally spotted a shop with pastel-coloured peonies sitting gracefully in their display window. A smile grew on his lips and he excitedly stepped into the dainty flower shop. As the entrance bell jingled, the florist from behind the counter greeted him.

“Good evening, how may I help you?” she asked.

“I’d like to have some of those flowers you have in the display window. I actually went to a few shops but they said those flowers are not in season so I’m really glad I found them here,” Ha Neul said.

“Great choice! Indeed, peonies are not in season at the moment. However, we flew them directly from overseas because we had a wedding event yesterday. These are some of the extra stocks.”

The florist ushered him towards the refrigerator where they kept the flowers fresh.

“Which colours would you like?” she asked. Seeing Ha Neul in a daze, she continued, “Is it for your girlfriend? I’m sure these pastel hues of coral and white would suit her well.”

“Yes they are…..err no I mean, she’s not my girlfriend…yet,” he blushed. “I’ll go with the coral ones. Please wrap them up nicely, but nothing too fancy. She likes things to be simple.”

The florist giggled. “Ahhh, I understand. Please give me a moment.”

She disappeared into the small workroom at the back and returned a couple of minutes later with a sweet bouquet of coral and peach-coloured peonies wrapped in brown paper and finished with a white lace ribbon.

“Is this alright?”

Ha Neul’s face lit up the moment he saw the flower arrangement. “That is perfect,” he beamed.

*******

“Thank you for flying with Korean Air. We hope you have enjoyed your flight. Have a great night!”

So Eun groggily ambled out of the plane, fighting the fatigue that washed over her body. After some delays, she had finally landed in her home country. She took a quick glance at her watch. It was already 2 a.m. Letting out a yawn, she waited for her baggage to appear on the belt before hurrying off towards the immigration counters. She just wanted to get home as soon as possible.

Ha Neul spotted his best friend just before she came out from the arrival gates. He cheekily kept himself out of sight and waited for her to pass him before sneakily trailing her from the back. She had not noticed that her handbag was not zipped and her purse had dropped on the ground. Ha Neul shook his head and rushed to recover the purse. A small laughter escaped his lips as he watched her later stop at a corner and fumble her handbag for what seemed to be her purse. Her face looked panicked. When she could not find it, she began to rummage through her luggage. Ha Neul pulled his black cap lower to cover his face and approached the distressed lady.

“Miss, I think you might have dropped this,” he masked his voice in a lower tone.

 He held out her purse with one hand, keeping the other hand behind him.

Hearing the voice, So Eun looked up. Her eyes fell upon the man whose face was hidden under his cap. But she only focused on the familiar purse in his hand.

“Ahhh, I’ve been looking for that! Thank you!”

So Eun had not caught on that the man was her best friend Ha Neul and went on to give him a sincere bow.

Not being able to hold it in anymore, Ha Neul burst out laughing and lifted the cap off his head. He pulled his left arm out to reveal the pretty bouquet he had bought last night.

“Welcome home, So Eun!” he exclaimed excitedly.

So Eun took a few seconds to register the situation and finally gave him a mock scowl before laughing too. Her hands reached for the beautiful bouquet of her favourite flowers. The fresh and fragrant aroma tingled on her nostrils, making her smile.

“You babo (fool). I told you not to fetch me from the airport. It’s already so late!”

“How can I not fetch you when I know you’ll be clumsy enough to drop your purse?” he teased.

She threw a light punch to his side and then opened her arms to embrace him. Ha Neul pulled her tighter and took in the scent that he had missed so much; his fingers running through her hair.

“Come on, let’s get you home, princess,” he mused.

*******

~One week before Gwangju Skiing Competition~

So Eun had been earnestly putting in the hours for her skiing training with her Korean teammates and new trainer, Coach Han. The competition was coming up in a few days and she had to put in her best effort and mentality if she wants to aim for the podium spot. Her biggest motivation was meeting Coach Kang and her training team from Canada once more, because they would be competing as well. So Eun got along well with her Korean teammates as most of them had been training together with her since many years back, till she got scouted into the national team. However, after she dropped out of the national team because of her unfortunate accident, she decided to return to her old team again. Most of them were very supportive of her, but there was one member, Woo Ri, who disliked her a lot. Woo Ri considered So Eun her biggest rival although they were on the same team. She hated how the coach always had so much praise for So Eun.

“So Eun, you better watch out for me during the competition next week,” Woo Ri hissed.

“I definitely will. Your skills are are getting better and better. I think I’ll need to learn from you,” So Eun replied with a smile. She knew Woo Ri did not like her but she did not want to focus on any negative energy because it would affect her performance.

Woo Ri’s eyes gave a piercing stare towards her direction before she left to meet with the coach. So Eun sighed. Her two ski runs on the slope earlier today was not particularly fast. So far, ever since she returned from Canada, she had not yet hit her personal best timing. What’s wrong? Is it the atmosphere? Is it because Coach Kang isn't here? I need to find my form soon; else it’d be too late.

With her heavy skiing gear, So Eun got back on the ski lift to complete her final run for the day. Coach Han and her other teammates have already left the training ground after the debrief but she stayed behind for one last run. She was dissatisfied with herself, so she could not go home feeling this way. One last time, So Eun. Let’s do our best. She assured herself.

The mountains bathed in the warm rays of the afternoon sun, and the snow glistened against them. The warm sun made her skin glow and she felt her energy rise again. So Eun positioned herself at the top of the slope and got ready to start her stopwatch. She cleared her mind and tried to focus on positive energy. At that moment, Soo Hyuk’s face popped up as a cloud in her thoughts. She smiled just thinking of him but shook her head to regain her focus. As she heaved in a deep breath, she could feel her lungs expanding, and with a push from her ski poles, So Eun propelled herself forward down the slope. She skilfully manoeuvred her skis to make the quickest turns and kept her body low. It was tough to keep her direction when the winds were so strong but she did her best to push herself faster. By then, she could see the finish line. Just a bit more So Eun, let’s go!

With a last push, So Eun breezed through the last couple of metres and crossed the finish line. Checking her watch, she broke into a grin. She had made her fastest run down the slope for that day, although it was still 2 seconds off her best record. In exhaustion, she lay down against the snow to regain her breathing; a joyful expression spread across her face.

*******

After washing up at the resort, So Eun prepared to leave. Several messages had popped up on her phone; some from her parents and Ha Neul, but the one that caught her eye was a notification from a certain gentleman who was halfway across the world from her.

Chef Soo @ 4.35 p.m.

~Hi, So Eun, what are you up to today? Hope you’re keeping warm in this cold weather. If not, I hope this picture makes your heart warm. :) ~

Attached to his text message was a picture of a bento set with a cup of cappuccino. The rice balls were arranged to look like dainty flowers and the froth from the coffee took the shape of a teddy bear. How cute. She squealed internally. Her fingers immediately danced to craft a reply.
 

So Eun @ 5.00 p.m.

~Omooo, that’s so cute! I wish your food would come right out of the picture! I can already imagine the aroma. You definitely made my heart warm, Soo Hyuk. I’m just done with skiing practice so I’m about to head home.~

Chef Soo @ 5.03 p.m.

~Ahh, you must be tired then. I wish I could fly over right now to personally send you my bento set. I miss you. But I guess I’ll see you soon?~

Reading his reply, So Eun’s heart skipped a beat. She missed him too but she was too shy to admit it.

So Eun @ 5.08 p.m.

~Really? How soon? I mean, will you be flying back to Korea any time soon?~

Chef Soo @ 5.10 p.m.

~Hmm, maybe? You’ll see when the time comes. In the mean time, take care okay. Drink lots of warm water~

So Eun @ 5.12 p.m.

~I will. And I’ll patiently wait for your arrival.~

Patiently? What a lie, So Eun. You literally wait for him to text you everyday and you say you’ll PATIENTLY wait? He’ll never come at this rate. Such thoughts ran across her mind as she waited for the taxi to arrive.