The rays radiating from the spotlight fell daintily on Ha Neul's delicate features, highlighting his jawline and cheekbones. Occasionally, gasps of "oohs" and "aahs" could be heard from the female crew but he was unfazed by them. His focus was on the clicking sound of the cameras that prompted him to strike charming poses alongside his female partner for the Christmas issue of OnStyle Magazine. Ha Neul was trying his best to create chemistry with his partner but the director kept saying that he lacked a solid eye contact with his partner. His eyes kept wandering and wavering. Truthfully, Ha Neul felt the same way. His body was there on the set but his mind had drifted far away. Somewhere on the mountains of Vancouver. He was worried as So Eun had yet to give him a call since she landed in Canada. Had she arrived safely? Was she alright? 

"We'll take a fifteen minutes break," the director called. 

Ha Neul heaved a sigh of relief and pulled away from his partner, immediately heading to the dressing room to find his manager.  

"Ha Neul-ah, you've had 3 missed calls from an unknown number. I didn't know if I should answer," his manager informed him. 

The corners of his lips curved up into a smile and Ha Neul anxiously dialled the number again. The recipient picked up after the first ring. Before he could greet her, she had answered first. 

"Kang Ha Neul! You're finally calling me back? Do you know how long I waited for you? If I wake up late for tomorrow's training, you know it's your fault," she nagged. 

She was angry and Ha Neul knew it, but her grumpy voice sounded so cute. He tried to hold back his laughter. 

"Yah So Eun-ah, did you forget that I'm a busy actor? I'm just having a short break from my photoshoot with my partner. Hearing how you're full of energy right now, I'm assuming everything went well on the flight?" He joked. 

She crossed her eyes. "You had no idea how nervous and embarrassed I was. After you left, I had to drag my carry-on luggage by myself, so when I was running to catch the flight and I tripped over it and crashed into this guy. He was wearing a smart burgundy suit and he turned out to be the same person who sat beside me on the plane. How coincidental was that? He was cold at first but he turned out really nice and he has the most captivating voice I've ever heard...." she blabbered and the scenes of that morning seemed to flash before her. She started imagining his voice and it echoed in her head. How flustered I had felt when he had called out my name.. 

Ha Neul frowned. "Eun-ah, didn't I tell you to stay away from strangers especially men? You never know what they're thinking. Okay, maybe he turned out nice but it's better to be safe than sorry. You're like a small, cute, little button. People might take advantage of you." 

"Don't think so little of me, Ha Neul! I may look small but you know better that I have a lot of spunk in me. Even you said so yourself. Besides, who won that taekwondo match we had when we were 10? It was this small, cute, little button," she laughed, patting herself on her shoulder. 

Ha Neul joined in her laughter. He was not actually upset, but he felt a tinge of jealousy at how she had described the man that she met in the plane. It had only been a few hours and she had remembered such details about him. 

"Fine, stop bringing up that taekwondo match. That was a black patch in my memories. But I won all the matches we had after that. I know you're a great fighter but you're better at skiing. Still, take care of yourself, and stay away from any guys who try to be funny alright?" he advised and caught her yawning.  

Ha Neul continued, "Hey I think I'll end this call here, you sound tired. Call me again when you're free. You don't want your teammates making fun of a panda on top of the mountains tomorrow morning, do you?" he grinned. 

"Yeah I am exhausted, I haven’t had enough rest. At least I know I'll be a cute panda. Bye Ha Neul, don’t miss me too much," So Eun mumbled. 

"I won’t. Bye Eun-ah," he said before hanging up. I'll miss you more than you know. 

******* 
 

The heat from the warm water felt so welcome on her fingers. So Eun meticulously massaged her calloused hands in the basin of warm water which her teammate Emma had brought to the resting hall. 

"Isn't this great?" Emma spoke, as she dipped her hands in the basin too. 

"It's wonderful. Ahh my poor hands are finally getting the attention they deserve," So Eun agreed. 

The other team members were all gathered around the fireplace with hot tea in their hands. They had two hours of break before their last run on the slopes. That would mark the last training session on the mountains and Coach Kang had promised to give them the weekend off before they resume training on their home ground. It had been a tough five days on the mountains and although she had prepared her physical and mental self for this training, So Eun could not deny that this was one of the hardest training sessions she had ever had. Emma and So Eun moved from the couch to join the rest of the team in front of the fireplace. They all broke into chatter and jokes as usual. 

"Sunny, you're amazing you know? I'd never have thought that you've just recovered from an injury," Liam praised So Eun.

She had gotten used to the team calling her 'Sunny' because they said her name was difficult to pronounce. She felt her cheeks turn red at his comment but she smiled. 

"Yeah you're really good. I couldn't keep my eyes off you when you started skiing down the slopes," Nathan, another one of the big guys confessed. 

"Haha, thanks. I tried my best out there. It was tough but you guys are all amazing as well," she replied shyly. 

"The way you handle the skis and your posture is perfect. I still need some help on that part," Liam claimed while scratching the back of his head. 

"Me too," echoed Emma and Olivia at the same time. 

So Eun laughed and nodded. "Sure, I'll help wherever I can." 

******* 
 

With her snow goggles firmly set over her eyes, So Eun was more determined than ever to better her alpine record. She used to compete in the women's moguls category but after her previous accident on the slopes, Coach Kang had advised her to focus on alpine skiing in the meantime. To his surprise, So Eun had managed to clock in speedy timings over the course of the training which led him to change her training programme that he had set for her before they started.   

She heard her teammates cheering for her at the side, while some of them waited for her at the finish line as they've already completed the course. 

"So Eun, lean slightly more forward but keep your back straight. Focus on the finish line. Keep all the corners clean and you'll definitely make a good record," advised Coach Kang.  

She nodded. A frosty draft brushed past, blowing her auburn hair that peeked out from under her headgear. The fire within her started to burn, forcing a rush of adrenaline to run through her veins. This was the same passion she felt when she started skiing competitively 6 years ago.  

"Ready? In 3, 2, 1, peeeeeeeep!" Coach Kang blew the whistle. 

As soon as she heard the piercing screech, So Eun drove herself down the slopes. She came down at a blistering pace, skillfully driving her ski poles in the ground to make the sharp corners. One by one, she conquered the corners gracefully. Coach Kang anxiously checked his stopwatch while nodding. She had reached the final corner and was still soaring at a high speed. Finally the finish line came into view. Come on, just a bit more So Eun. Faster, faster. She leaned forwards to increase her momentum and zoomed through the finish line. Cheers and claps could be heard from her teammates. 

So Eun pulled over to a stop and began panting. Instinctively, she looked up to the mountain and spotted her coach showing her a thumbs-up. Her lips curved into a smile. She knew she had clocked her personal best time.  

******* 
 

"Hey guys, let's stop for dinner before we head back home okay?" Nathan suggested. 

"Sure, what should we eat? Hmm, I think we should let our star skier choose," Liam teased while patting So Eun's shoulder. 

"Stop teasing me, Liam. Anyway, I feel like having some Asian dishes because I miss home. I've been eating way too much turkey with you guys," argued So Eun. 

"Oh, I know a good Asian-fusion restaurant around here. We can try that," Emma responded. 

Coach Kang dropped the team off at the restaurant before he left as he had urgent matters to attend to. As soon as they entered, the aroma of curry and cinnamon spice greeted their palate, immediately making So Eun's mouth water. The suave waiter escorted them to an empty table at the back of restaurant, where the kitchen was visible. It was only separated by a half-frosted glass panel which was translucent up till the shoulder height and clear all the way to the top. It probably helped the chefs to check on the customers. It also allowed the customers to watch how the chefs worked although it was not very obvious what they were cutting or cooking. 

While the team scrutinised the menu, So Eun could not help but admire the chefs swiftly moving about. She noticed one chef who stood out in his black attire while the rest were in white. Hmm, that must be the head chef. As he turned, she caught a glimpse of his face. It was strangely familiar; a high-bridged nose, chiseled jawline and charming eyes. However, his gaze seemed to exude a cold aura. No way. Could it be him?