It had been two hours on the flight, yet So Eun could not make herself comfortable in her seat. She wasn't sure if it was because she was feeling jittery on her first solo flight or if it was due to the person beside her. On the contrary, he looked composed, casually reading what looked like a cookbook and jotting some things down in his sleek black notebook. She subtly peered over to peek at his notebook and found herself admiring his gentle movements with the ink pen, which revealed a sophisticated handwriting that left her in awe.  

"Miss, if you are going to keep looking at me like that, I don't think I can continue writing," a low voice quipped. 

So Eun was brought out of her daze. 

"Huh..I'm sorry, I was uh....just...." she trailed off, unsure what to say. 

"I've noticed you feeling uncomfortable since the moment we got on the plane. If it's because of me, I could try and find an empty seat elsewhere," he replied concerned. 

"No, no...it's not you. It's just me..." So Eun slowly explained, "..it's the first time I'm flying by myself and I'm just feeling nervous because it's a long haul flight." She sighed. 

For the first time, she saw him carve a smile that accentuated his handsome features and she could almost feel her heart burst. 

"Really? We're in the same boat then, or should I say the same plane?" he stifled a laugh and continued, "It's the first time I'm in a flight by myself too!" 

So Eun grinned at his attempt to make a joke. Despite his cold exterior, he had a good sense of humour.  

"Well if you don't mind us becoming acquaintances, we won't be flying alone anymore, right? My name's Lee Soo Hyuk," he held his hand out for a handshake. 

"So Eun. Kim So Eun," she replied, watching his fingers envelop hers in a firm grip before he released them. 

A wave of calm rested over her shoulders, washing away her burden and fears. After the initial awkward introductions, the both of them alternated between light conversations, meals and short naps.  

~11 hours later ~ 

"This is your Captain speaking. We are preparing for landing. Please return to your seats and fasten your seatbelts. Vancouver welcomes you. The weather outside is 5 degrees Celsius. Thank you for flying with Air Canada, we hope you enjoyed your flight and please keep yourselves warm." 

As soon as the plane landed, So Eun turned to look at Soo Hyuk. 

"I guess this is where we part. I'm sorry for bumping into you earlier and thanks for the help. Goodbye," she said.  

"It's okay, I think you've apologised enough. I don't really like to bid goodbyes, because it shatters the hope of meeting again. So I'll say, till we meet again, So Eun-sshi," he answered and gave her a soft smile. 

So Eun blushed when she heard how attractive her name sounded when he said it in his deep voice. Till we meet again, Soo Hyuk-sshi. 

******* 
 

"Aunty Se Ra! I'm here!" So Eun cried after ringing the doorbell excitedly. The frosty air was beginning to make her teeth chatter. Her small hands found their way deep into her coat pockets seeking warmth. Her black boots were covered in white flakes of snow, and although she had put on a pair of thick leg warmers and socks, her feet were getting numb. She paced back and forth along the entryway to keep her body heated. 

"Oh my! Is it our Eun-ie?!" a loud shrill could be heard from behind the main doors. A moment later, the door sprang open and a lady in her pink apron and ginger hair jumped out to pull So Eun into a tight hug.  

"Ahh my girl So Eun! Look at how much you've grown!" Aunty Se Ra continued while So Eun's face that had turned pale from the cold. 

"Yes Aunty, it's so good to see you! But can I go inside first? It's freezing out here," So Eun replied with a giggle. 

"Of course, darling. Poor girl, you must be freezing," she muttered and pulled her close. 

So Eun smiled. Aunty Se Ra reminded her of her own mother, except Aunty was slightly more affectionate. Mum said it was probably because she had no daughter of her own. No wonder they are sisters.  

"Why didn't you tell me what time you arrived at the airport? I could have asked Driver Park to fetch you," she asked, worried. 

"I didn't want to trouble you. Besides I knew how to get to your house by myself, and I'm no longer a little girl, Aunty. I can get by on my own," So Eun reassured her and squeezed her arm. 

"Of course you can. But Canada isn't as safe as Korea, darling. Your Mum would give me a earful if anything happened to you. Oh yeah, and she called me last week to inform me that you were heading here. She didn't mention how long you'd be staying, but I prepared the spare bedroom for you just in case," she said and pointed upstairs. 

"You're the best, Aunty!" So Eun gave her a kiss on the cheek. "But I won't be staying with you for long. Coach Kang said he will be coming to take me to the athlete's training ground in four hours. I thought I'd catch up with you for a bit and maybe take a short na..aghhh..p...nap," she yawned, rubbing the tears from the corner of her eyes. 

"Four hours?! That's no time to be catching up with me. Go up and have some rest. I'll make sure to give Coach Kang a good scolding when he arrives later. How can he make my niece go for training when you've just landed here and barely even have time to chat with me?" Aunty Se Ra rattled. 

So Eun laughed and made her way up before she climbed into the familiar cozy bed and fell fast asleep. 

******* 

So Eun took in the scent of pine trees and the cold winter breeze that seeped through the windows of the car. Her hands gently rubbed the takeaway cup of latte, warming her icy fingers. She enjoyed the whiteness of winter but this was too cold for her liking. To make matters worse, she had to be up in the mountains the whole week for her skiing training.  

"Coach, do I really need to stay in the mountain resort the whole week? It's freezing out here!" she scowled. 

"You knew this was what you were in for when you started skiing right? Have you ever seen people skiing down the beach? Nope, that's called surfing," Coach Kang retorted. 

"Fine. But I just landed in Vancouver about 7 hours ago and I haven't had proper sleep. Isn't it too much to ask me to train right now?" she grunted. 

"You took a long flight here so there's no more time to waste, and I didn't say you'd be training right now. It's getting dark outside. I don't wanna be liable for any accidents. I just need to introduce you to your other team members before we start training tomorrow morning. They're all excited to meet you," he briefly explained. 

"Excited to meet me? Ugh, it’s either you told them weird things about me or showed them that video where I had such an unglamorous fall down the slopes during the Pyeongchang Ski Meet last year," she groaned, massaging her headache. 

So Eun began to recall her experience during the meet last year.

~flashback~

She had been steadily gaining points over the three qualifying rounds and managed to place herself in the final round. It had been her best run so far and her coach had expected her to finish in first or at least, the silver medal position. Her confidence rose and she too believed she would make it, but somehow when she made the last corner in the moguls, she had lost control of her speed and balance, flipping over in an awkward position. It dashed her dreams of getting her third gold medal of the season and landed her with a broken arm. 

It took her eight months to recover and rehabilitate and she had chosen to drop out of the national team. She had thought to quit skiing, but her parents had been so supportive of her, despite them initially wanting her to follow in their footsteps in becoming medical specialists. Ha Neul had also tried to convince her countlessly to continue skiing as he knew that skiing made her the happiest. 

After months of contemplation and regaining her confidence, she finally decided to resume her training in Canada. Coach Kang had been coaching her for over 7 years but he had left Korea a few months after the Pyeongchang competition to coach in Vancouver as it has been his dream. She knew that she needed to have him back to coach her if she wanted to restore her position in the national team. 

~At the team dinner~ 

"Okay guys, this is Kim So Eun from Korea. I'm sure you've heard about her. She'll be joining us for training for these two weeks. I know she's new here, but I expect you to work as a team and share your knowledge with each other so you can all improve. Understood?" Coach Kang's voice echoed through the dinner hall.

"Yes Coach!" the whole team answered. 

So Eun gave an awkward wave and smile before briefly introducing herself, "Hi, you can call me So Eun. I've been training with Coach Kang for many years before this, but I just came back from an injury. Please treat me nicely."  

She bowed to the team, only to hear a few giggles before they erupted in a welcome applause. It was then she realised that bowing was not a culture in Canada.  

Roasted turkey and egg salads filled the long dinner table, with mashed potato served as a side dish. There were only ten of them but the dinner looked like it could feed thirty. That was what she thought before she saw the guys in her team devouring the roasted turkey, down to the very bones. No wonder they're all so....buff. 

Some of the guys started to talk to her during dinner, curious about her. There were only two other girls and they seemed to be in a world of their own. She made a mental note to approach them after dinner. At exactly 9 p.m., Coach Kang instructed everyone to be back in their rooms to rest before their early morning training tomorrow. Everyone went back with their room buddies. Since So Eun was the last one to join them, Coach had booked an individual room for her. After finally settling down in her room, she remembered to contact her family and best friend.