It was a cold night, four in the morning and Sungkyu was without sleep. In a couple of hours, Saturday morning arrived and with it, the sense of dread seemed to cover Sungkyu as the sheets of snow covered the streets in white. Sungkyu eventually got up around noon and noticed someone standing outside his home. It was Hoya. Sungkyu quickly dressed up and went out to meet him.

“I just wanted to drop by,” Hoya told him.

Sungkyu was clearly irritated by the simple explanation, “Is that all you wanted to say?”

“So, I guess Mina told you?”

“NO, Nayeon did.”

Hoya rolled his eyes, “Of course she did… But, you’re okay with it right, it’s not like you’re her brother or anything.”

Sungkyu scoffed.

That rubbed Hoya the wrong way, “She’s a grown girl, Sungkyu. I do not need your permission.”

Sungkyu rolled his eyes. “I thought we were friends, man. Best friends.”

“We are, aren’t we?” Hoya replied.

“You don’t need my permission, you’re right… But still…It’s just not right. You should’ve at least told me…”

“Oh come on! It’s not like you like her or anything.”

Sungkyu was at a loss. He bit his lip, unsure of what to say.

“We’ll still be friends. It’s not like we’ll be different or anything. ‘Sides I think Nayeon likes you. Go out with her.”
Sungkyu scoffed, “Her? She’s kind of a witch...”
 

“Yeah, that’s why I don’t really like her. But at least she’s not as bad as she was before. Chick used to be so arrogant, just because she’s one of the top students and all the teachers love her… But, I think you changed her.”

“What?!”

Hoya smiled, “Yeah, I hear love changes people. She’s kind of nice now…”

Sungkyu scoffed again, “Mina changed you or what?”

A warm look crept up Hoya’s face, “Yeah, I mean, she’s like an angel. When my ankle was injured, she brought me comfort. She told me about her parent’s divorce and everything, and she was just so kind to me.”
Sungkyu was astonished by how little she knew of Mina, “I didn’t know that.”

“Yeah, it’s not something you could just spill out.”
Sungkyu was upset.

“So we’re cool, right? Please don’t forget to return my game after vacation too,” Hoya told him as he turned back to leave.

Sungkyu went back inside and the TV, hoping to see something that’ll take his mind off the mess that was his life. He enjoyed watching some Power Rangers for a couple of hours and then finally remembered the day his mom and dad got him the red ranger on their last Christmas together. That depressed him. Things done change, he thought as he began flipping through channels. His father had left for work, so Sungkyu had no one to get things off his chest with.

He flipped the TV off and climbed the staircase slowly, producing the most irritable creaky noise. Then a knock on the door stopped him. He wondered who could it be, maybe it was the mail? He didn’t care much, he just felt like being alone for a while. He took a step, thinking maybe he should flip through his Bible. Maybe that would help him? He just wanted some answers. But then a familiar voice called out to him. It was Mina, who asked if Sungkyu was home.

He smiled gently, “She is an angel.”

Sungkyu hastened to answer the door.

Mina greeted him with her usual smile, “I thought you weren’t home.”
Sungkyu smiled back, and gestured her to come in. They sat in the living room where Sungkyu had sat watching TV.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve been inside. We played games with Hoya for your birthday last year, remember?”

Sungkyu frowned at Hoya’s name being spoken, “Yeah, I do…”

Mina noticed the hint of discomfort Gyujiji had exposed, so she came out clean, “He told you?”

Sungkyu sighed, answering with a soft-spoken “Yeah, but Nayeon told me before he did.”

Mina had her tongue in her cheek. “Why am I not surprised?”
Sungkyu had a monkey on his back, “So are you guys…”

“No, he just asked me out but I didn’t know how to respond, so I told him I’d answer him later…”

That answer couldn’t help but bring Sungkyu a sigh of relief, a sense of joy, and then a smile.

“What should I answer?”

Sungkyu was stupefied, why was she asking him?

“What do you think? He’s a nice guy I mean, but…”

Sungkyu was unsure how to answer. “The answer is for you to find out. It will be a benefit for you…”

Mina stared him weirdly.

He got embarrassed. Why’d I answer like that, he thought, it’s like such a vague and stupid answer not even I would say. What possessed me? It became stressful for him. But then he met Mina’s eyes. They were filled with a genuine sense of curiosity, curiosity for how he would answer. For Sungkyu, it was as though time had stopped at the worst moment possible. Such an utter feeling of dread, mingled with heartache had not visited him in years. He was trapped in a standstill, a moment of quiet horror.

Then he answered, “You want to go get some ice cream at this one place?”

Mina smiled, “Okay, I mean it’s cold but…”

“Yeah, but it’ll be good.”

“It’s okay too, since we’re friends and all, right? I’m still single too…”

Sungkyu answered hesitantly, “Yeah…”

He threw on his coat, red muffler, and left with Mina.

They walked at a leisurely pace. It was quite windy, but the two appreciated the beauty of winter. It was a cold day too, marked by the color white.

Mina spoke as she noticed the muffler adorning Sungkyu’s neck, “That’s the muffler I gave you the first Christmas we met. I’m surprised you still use it.”

“It’s a good muffler, still has many years in it I think.”

Mina smiled against the backdrop of a small park they were passing through. The angelic smile filled Sungkyu with a sense of warmth.

“You know what the oldest thing in the universe is?” he casually asked, wanting to play the poet, as if to impress Mina.

Mina thought about it, but couldn’t come up with a good answer.

“It’s love. A man once said that love is the oldest thing in existence, because when one experiences it, it was as though it was always there, from the very beginning. Love puts itself in the very beginning of time, so that when one searches for its origin, they’re filled with a sense of wonder and awe.”

Mina smiled gently at his response and the two continued until they reached the place Sungkyu had led them to. It was the Baskin Robbins Nayeon had taken Mina to twice before. When Sungkyu opened the door, he was welcomed by Sungyeol’s and Tzuyu’s voices that welcomed him in. As he stepped in first, he spotted a familiar face toward the back of the store. It was Nayeon who immediately locked eyes with him, and then with Mina’s as she came in. Nayeon left open as she looked at the two of them, letting the ice cream-filled spoon to drip the treat. But she wasn’t alone. She was eating with Hoya, who upon seeing Nayeon having open, stared back. He was puzzled to see the two.

Sungkyu felt nervous, but he proceeded to buy some ice cream for Mina and himself. The two then came by and sat next to Nayeon and Hoya.

“So…what are you guys doing together?” Sungkyu asked, attempting to deviate the attention from his being with Mina.

Nayeon answered, “I was buying presents and met Hoya. He was also buying presents. He invited me for some ice cream, and I took up on his offer since he was paying…”

Sunkgyu looked over at Hoya, raising his eyebrow. Was he scheming with her to get Mina to go out with him?

“I thought it’d be nice to eat together, since I thought it would be too girly for me to eat ice cream by myself… I get these cravings man…even though they usually bother me later.”
 

Mina ate quietly.

Nayeon, pretending not to care, asked, “Why are you together?”

Sungkyu swallowed his ice cream.

Mina answered, “He invited me and I thought it was a great idea.”

Nayeon raised her eyebrow and Hoya scoffed.

Tzuyu came by their table and handed over some coupons, hoping they would come back as customers again. The act only broke the murky atmosphere for a brief moment.

“She’s going out with Sungyeol,” Nayeon told Mina. She then glanced at Sungkyu, “She’ll be having a nice Christmas date she told me.”

Sungkyu felt guilty, but he questioned why he was feeling just that. After all, he didn’t do anything bad. He stood up and went to the restroom, Hoya followed him. Sungkyu wanted to take breather, but he couldn’t because Hoya was there. After finishing their business and washing their hands, Hoya asked him why he was with Mina.

“That’s not right, man.”

Sungkyu answered, “We’re friends though.”

“Yeah, but the two of you shouldn’t be alone.”
“You said we would still be friends; that things wouldn’t change.”
Hoya scoffed, smirking afterwards, “That’s pretty messed up, man.”

Sungkyu was upset, “Dude, you turning back on your word now? ‘Sides, you don’t own Mina or anything…”

Hoya’s anger was piqued, “Still, you know I like her.”
Sungkyu shot back without thinking, “I do, too!”

Hoya slapped him and rushed out as quickly as he could. Sunkgyu was left alone to wallow in shame. He then began questioning why he said what he just said. He caressed his cheek, Not even my dad hit me…

He left the restroom and saw Nayeon alone sitting at the table.

“Where’s Mina?” he asked, rubbing his cheek.

Nayeon laughed upon seeing the redness in his cheek, “What happened to you?”

“Nothing. Where’s Mina?”
“She left.” Nayeon answered reluctantly.

“Why?”

Nayeon looked Sungkyu in the eye, “I made her cry.”

Sungyu’s rage imploded, slamming the table. Sungyeol then came by in haste, gripping tightly onto Sungkyu’s wrist.
“Not here, friend. Take it outside.”
“Let go of my hand!”

“You better leave, friend.”

Sungkyu pulled his hand away. “Fine!”

He stormed off and Nayeon got up to follow him, but Sungyeol held her down, advising her to stay put because Sungkyu might be dangerous.

“It’s okay,” Nayeon assured him.

As she was leaving Tzuyu told her, “I hope you guys work things out. He seems like a nice guy, it’s just you know…Guys can be like that sometimes.”

Nayeon smiled. “I know.” She ran off, hoping to find Sungkyu.