Staring out of the window of your 9th floor dormitory room with a wistful smile painted on your lips, you let your eyes wander along the white winter wonderland below you; the snow falling from the skies above completely changing the landscape before you. It formed a powdery carpet on ground, and turned the fern trees from green to white. You watched the snow fall onto the ground in a mesmerising manner, and for a moment you got so lost in your thoughts that you almost forgot about your family.

Family – what a bittersweet word for you this year.

Usually by this time of the year, you would be at your grandparent’s home either found in the kitchen helping prepare the family dinner, or out in the front yard playing with your younger siblings. This time of the year, it was usually a time filled with warmth and laughter for you but this year… things were different.

Your family had run into some financial difficulties and between funding your university education and paying for your grandparent’s medical bills, your parents could not afford a plane ticket home for you. With air fares pushed sky high during the holiday season, it was nearly impossible for you to go back home for the new year. You tried saving for your own plane ticket home but it still wasn’t enough after paying for your dormitory fees and living expenses. Alas, you came to accept that it’ll be a quiet New Year this year for you on the campus grounds, with all your friends’ home for the holidays.

It wasn’t the first time that you had spent the New Year away from home; the last time was during your second year of high school where a school field trip over winter break saw you counting down in front of Taipei 101 surrounded by friends and teachers.

But that was then, and this was now. You willingly went on the Taiwan field trip, self-assured with the knowledge that you’ll be seeing your family within 48 hours. But this time round, the wait before you could see your loved ones seemed endless. And to make matters worse, the quietness surrounding you amplified the loneliness in your heart and you could feel your chest involuntarily tighten as tears welled up in your eyes. Burying your face in your hands as you tucked your knees closer to your chest, you let your tears fall onto your sleeves, not caring if they got stained.

Between your tears and watching the snow outside your window, you missed the first knock on your door. You brushed it off as a figment of your imagination – who would be knocking on your door on New Year’s Eve? Everyone had long gone home for the celebration and festivities, there was no one left on campus!

The second knock came seconds later, and this time, you were sure that you were not imagining it. So you got up, wiped your tears and opened the door and the figure standing before you left you speechless.

Park Jaehyung – what was he doing here at this hour?

Sweet Jae was a fellow student like you in the same year. You had met him at the beginning of the academic year through a compulsory module you both had to take. A few conversations, meals and a project later, you had become friends with him. He would occasionally drop by the school library where you worked and that’s when you had your precious 5 minutes conversations with him as you checked out his books. You’ll occasionally drop one another texts just to make sure that the other party is sane and alive but showing up at your doorstep like this? It’s not something you expected Jae to do and to seeing him in flesh just cemented your shock even more.

You didn’t move until Jae waved a hand in your face.

“Y/N? You there?”

“Oh yes! Jae! What brings you here? Shouldn’t you be home…?”

“Well, I was… but I’m here now…I mean- I shouldn’t turn up unannounced but I called and you didn’t pick up so I decided to just drive here to pick you up.”

The image of your phone screen lighting up in your peripheral vision flashes through your mind and you mentally berate yourself for missing his call.

“I’m sorry, I was busy with something just now…”

“It’s alright Y/N. But may I?”

He gestured towards your apartment and for the second time that day, you mentally berated yourself for being so muddled.

“I’m so sorry Jae gosh…but please do!”

You opened the door wider and shifted your body to make space for him to enter and you closed the door before turning to face him.

“What brings you here, Jae?”

Upon hearing your question, Jae’s cheeks became dusted with pink and all of a sudden, his fingers became a more interesting subject than your face.

“Erm…actually…well, you know… it’s New Year’s Eve…and I know that you’re spending it alone this year…and Ididn’twantthat so I decided to ask my parents if I could invite you over for dinner and theysaidyessoirusheddownandhereiam.”

Jae may have rushed the last part of his sentence but only having to travel through the small space between the both of you, each word sounded crystal clear to you and your heart swelled at the thought of someone bothering to remember you; especially more so when they’re supposed to be busy with family and friends.

You paused for a moment to catch your breath before calling for his attention again.

“Jae, are you really inviting me to your family dinner?”

Jae’s n