RAVI'S POV:

"What? I mean... wae... wae-yo?" Her doe eyes dimmed in disappointment as she tried to cover it with curiosity but little did she knew that I was noticing even the tiniest detail about her from the depth of my damaged heart.

For instance, how she almost had a panic attack when she saw over the railing a little while earlier. A small smile made its way to my face without my consent as I studied her reaction from a different angle.

"You sure are very curious like Jyani hyung said. However, I believe I have told you enough about me for today. Whereas, you didn't say a word about yourself or even your nightmares..." I carefully laid my words out with a casual laugh as she immediately responded to my hint.

The whole point of the conversation was meant for her to open up to me but it didn't turn out that way. After having a seriously lengthy debate against my sanity and instincts in the stillness of that chilly night, I finally concluded the only possible path I had into unraveling the mystery behind her unreal resemblances to my Mira.

And that will be by taking the first step myself. If neither of us would want to break the ice of the awkward yet affectionate distance between us, then we would both freeze in regret soon. After five long years of trapping myself in her memories and drawing out her smile in my mind, I finally felt free from that curse. She's right before my eyes and all I had to do to have her back in my arms, is ask.

Should I call her Mira again?
Should I just hug her first?
She doesn't know how long I've thought about those before finally deciding.

Precisely at that very moment, she appeared on the hotel's terrace out of nowhere like the miracle I believed she was and so I did what I had to. I told her what she had to hear, in the hope of getting back something about her in return. However, my own idea backfired and I ended up breaking down at the reminder of the most agonizing scene I've ever witnessed in my pathetic lifetime. It began to ache so badly as I tried to erase that image but it only got clearer and I felt cowardly and helpless.

Right then, she did it.

She gathered all my shattered fragments in her ethereal embrace as she hushed my agony away. The moment her warm hands wrapped around me with all the care and love I remembered, I found myself surrendering to that sanctuary. Though I didn't get to hear what I was expecting, I was still more than grateful to be caressed by her heavenly arms once again. I realized how my love that disappeared with the rain that night has returned with a beautiful rainbow today.

"It's alright, Gia-shi. Like I said earlier, it is fine if you want to keep it to yourself. I guess I hadn't earned your trust enough for you to open up to me like I did..." I gave her my most genuine smile in attempt of screening the obvious disappointment as her face got paler in confusion.

"I hope you get to sleep well at least for tonight, Gia-shi. Good night." I began walking as fast as I could while her hurried footsteps behind me picked up pace quite audibly.

"Jamkkanmanyo... can't you at least tell me why it is not possible for her... I mean, your ex-lover to return?" I caught a glimpse of her troubled reflection in the glass door before me. She seemed utterly desperate and from the look of pain in her eyes, I wasn't sure who between us was hurting more. I put on an emergency grin as I turned around to face her one more time.

"Aren't you a little too persistent, Kang Gia-shi?" She was looking at me with nothing but curiosity. All of her body and soul was radiating with desperation of wanting to know my answer and I simply had no idea why. Though it burned me to say those words, I still pulled enough courage and said what she needed to hear.

"It's because... she's no more to return, Gia-shi. She died in an accident five years ago."

Without waiting for her response, I rushed out of the terrace and quickly locked myself in the elevator as a breath of relief escaped my trembling lips. I did it. I have finally taken that one courageous step towards her and now it was her turn to do so.

Although every last cell in my body was screaming to run back to the terrace and just kiss her until she recalls every last memory, I still restrained myself as per what I decided earlier. I had no choice but to take this slow because she seemed seriously agitated every time something familiar came up, like just now. I began to quickly recall every single detail I noticed about her since the first day as the elevator descended to my floor.

★★★  

Flashback ~
Gangwon Province, 2008.

I was quite taken aback by her seemingly unbelievable statement. She was waiting with her starry eyes sparkling in excitement, while I simply stared at her pretty face to ensure if she was telling the truth or not. Ever since our first encounter during last winter, Mira and I grew really close to each other in a very short span.

For a girl who grew up in the mountain temple with no coeval company, she was rather cheerful and really talkative which was quite the opposite of me and I found myself falling head over heels for all of her delicate charms in no time. I spent most of my vacation by either playing with her or getting pranked by her and she eventually became my only motivation to visit and climb up the cold mountain even in that minus degree temperature.

Soon after I returned to Seoul, we began writing to each other frequently, and even phone called at times, through which our bond strengthened further and I caught myself eagerly waiting for the next winter. So that I could visit the same freezing hill station that I recalled hating at first sight. However, I was not prepared for the surprise news she was keeping for me at all. Although I was well assured that she would never lie to me, what she had just said sounded too perfect to be true and I was afraid I might only end up hurting myself if it turned out to be just another one of her silly pranks.

"Yah! Did you really think that I would fall for that? It's December now, Choi Mira! Not the 1st of April!" I knocked her head slightly and stuffed the cookie that she baked in before popping one into my own.

"Aniya! This is really happening. The admission letter is in the temple and the head priest himself told me that he'd be sending me to Seoul next semester. We can go to all the places you've told me about, Won-ah! The amusement park, the canola field, your favorite coffee shop and even that place you joined as a trainee. Jeongmal-iya!" She shook my arms in frustration as I turned to look at her frantic reaction. Realizing that I'm not completely convinced yet, her dreamy eyes dulled in dismay as she mumbled to herself.

"Geurae... Don't believe me..." She got up and began to walk away as I instantly ran after her like a lost puppy.

"Yah... Don't be like that. It's not that I don't believe you..."

"Then, what? Are you not happy to have me in Seoul?" Her cute little lips remained in an upset pout, as her gaze stayed glued to the snowy forest ground, indicating how she was indeed upset with me. I grabbed both her wrists and squatted a little lower to meet her eye level but she avoided mine.

"Mira-yah... Don't be like that now, please! Of course, I'll be so damn happy to have you close to me all the time instead of one season in a year. It's just that it sounds too good to be true and I just don't want to be disappointed after getting my hopes up. You know you pull a lot of silly pranks on me. Keuchi...?" I gave her tiny wrists a soft squeeze as she finally glanced at my face. The pout was slowly disappearing and she seemed rather convinced by my sincere confession. Right away her naïve expression vanished as a playful grin painted her pretty face.

"Well... I guess you have no other option than getting used to being pranked throughout the year after this." She began to laugh like the little devil she was as I stood there in total disbelief.

"Hoel! I highly doubt that, Choi Mira-shi! From what I foresee with my Shikie Superpowers, you are only going to keep complaining about the vending machines and drag me around the city to get good quality green tea. Looks like, I'm going to have to stay beside