(As promised I am revamping my stories so they’re more like an actual novel. If you read the previous version I recommend rereading because this one is longer and I put more effort into making everything sound good. I’ve even started reading each paragraph out loud before finalizing it to make sure it sounds good. Chapters 2 - 6 will be updated ASAP and then expect a new chapter soon after :D)

The days were growing shorter in Nazko.

Kibum knew the winter was approaching fast and he was left with little to ponder over as the vibrant colours of fall faded into the bleak obsolescence of winter. The few decorative trees in town had lost their leaves nearly a month previous and now sat empty and barren on either side of the main road, the only trace of their former glory being the skeletons of long dead brown imprints peaking out beneath the slush and snow that had been trampled down into a walking path along the roadside.

He exhaled and watched the cloud of breath in front of his face swirl away into nothingness. One of the things that he enjoyed about the cold were moments such as this. Something as small and insignificant as a cloud in the air could be made beautiful in a place like Nazko, far away from mainstream civilization and all of the stresses of his reality.

It was already so late into the afternoon that the sun was beginning to dip below the horizon in the distance. Snow crunched beneath his feet as he walked along the roadside towards the main street of town. He was on his way to the Pine Tree Cafe for a cup of hot cocoa, or maybe a mocha before the little amount of life that there was in town became completely extinguished for the evening.

It was the only cafe in the tiny town, and he was grateful for it. He'd come here to take a break from his many burdens after a rather nasty breakup a few months previous. It had left him in shambles, and with no one around to pick up the pieces he took matters into his own hands.

It was about time he went on vacation anyway, his life in Seoul was far too face paced and stressful to not need some time away once in a while. He'd found Nazko by chance while browsing through travel destinations online. It had appeared as a related search in connection with a larger tourist city in Canada that he was originally looking into. Finding Nazko was a lucky mistake. It wasn’t exactly a place that promoted tourism, which was perfect. The remoteness was exactly what he'd been looking for.

Kibum pushed open the cafe door. The sound of bells jingling, warmth and the aroma of fresh coffee beans filled the air as he stepped inside. Something was so homey about this place, he thought to himself as he took in the view of cozy little tables, the ones where during the day he often saw the local townies sit and talk with each other over cups of hot coffee. So much unlike the cafes in Seoul where people all sat alone, even when they were together. Isolated by the very devices they used to stay connected.

"Good afternoon Kibum!" Isabella, the only person who worked in the cafe aside from the owner, called out as he closed the door behind himself. She was a pretty slender blonde girl with large light blue eyes, and freckles dotting her nose and cheeks. Kibum had made friends with her rather quickly. It was nice having someone who didn't just want to be around him for his celebrity status. Nobody in a town like this would have any clue who he was back in Korea.

"Hello Izzy." Kibum replied, a genuine smile spread across his face when he saw that his friend was working tonight. It honestly was so nice to not be famous here, to have a real friend. Often it felt as though his friends back home were only his friends for his status, even the ones who had status themselves. It was a world of fakes and plastic. 

"What can I get for you today?" She asked, already turning towards the various machines behind the counter.

"A chocolate mocha?" Kibum asked.

"Coming right up. Go take a seat, I'll bring it out to you."

It was past 5pm, which meant less than an hour until closing, and nobody else was in the cafe. That was his favourite time of day to stop by. Him and Isabella could spend the remainder of the cafe’s open hours together gossiping and talking about the week before she had to head home for the evening.

He pulled out a chair from one of the round two person tables near the back of the cafe and looked out the window. Clouds had gathered in the sky earlier on in the afternoon, and he noticed the first flecks of snow falling in the darkness. It was mesmerizing.

“Look, it's snowing." Isabella remarked as she approached the table, Kibum's drink in hand. She placed the cup in front of him and sat down in the chair across from him. Kibum glanced out the window to see that soft white drops had began to descend from the hazy sky. Something about it was so lonely, but in a way that you wanted to immerse your entire being within the emotion

“Do you have snow where you're from?" She asked. Kibum hadn't conversed much about Korea with Isabella, and he had the notion that she probably had no clue where it was located or what it was like. She was a small town girl, and despite the internet being readily accessible she seemed rather innocent to the world outside of Nazko. The whole town had an air about it that nothing was modern. It was like a tiny, sheltered bubble. Preserved perfectly in decades past.

"Yes." He responded, chuckling slightly in amusement. "It snows