Haseul sat down in her assigned place, put her backpack in a seat next to her and sighed with a mixture of relief and irritation.

After two hours of waiting at the train station, she finally boarded the train home. No one could tell exactly why the delay was so big; she's heard all kinds of explanations and excuses, from very trivial ones to totally unbelievable. An accident on the tracks, a sick driver, a government conspiracy, aliens - as they never got an official statement, everyone was free to imagine whatever helped them sleep at night. 

Haseul didn't want to imagine anything. She just wanted to get home for the winter break. After the mess that were her finals - notably after the college's intranet breakdown that nearly prevented her from handing in one of the essays on time - she didn't need any more stress to deal with, but clearly fate decided otherwise. It had one more trick up its sleeve, and that antic was the arguable pleasure of freezing her off while waiting for the delayed train.

Haseul stretched in her chair, sighing again. The people were trickling in [into the car, past her seat, rushing to reach their places and make themselves comfortable before the train started moving. She didn't pay attention to them, too engulfed in the thought that she was only a three-hour ride away from collapsing in her bed in her parents' flat. 

That's why she bounced in surprise when she heard someone speak right next to her.

"I'm sorry, I believe I have a seat here." The intruder was a girl with a soft voice, even softer features and an anxious demeanor. She wore a big scarf, obscuring almost half of her face, and Haseul wasn't sure if it was its fault or did she really hear the slightest hint of an accent in the girl's voice.

She quickly muttered some generic apologies and picked up her backpack from the chair. The girl nodded and her eyes turned into crescent moons; a suggestion of a smile. The suggestion turned into a confirmation when the stranger took off the scarf.

They didn't exchange another word until the train started running, and by then Haseul already had her earphones on. Just a minute or so later she felt her eyelids getting heavier and before she knew it, she was fast asleep. 

A metallic screech made Haseul jerk up, tearing out her earbuds with a frantic move of her hand. She looked around with bleary eyes, meeting a worried gaze of the girl beside her. To her right, on the other side of the window, was only darkness.

"What happened?" Haseul grimaced at how coarse and rough her voice always was after an impromptu nap.

"We stopped," said the girl, stating the obvious fact, looking just as confused as anyone around them. Haseul couldn't bring herself to joke about it; a worry started settling in her chest. She rubbed her eyes, once again looking outside. 

She could make out some lights far in the distance - probably a small town - but other than that, they were surrounded by darkness. The light from the car's windows poured on the ground, making the snow in the nearest proximity glisten just a little.

Haseul sighed, sinking in her seat. She was sure they'll move again any second now, so she was trying her best to keep her panic and gloomy thoughts at bay. The girl next to her, on the other hand, was twisting her fingers nervously. 

"No reason to worry," Haseul reassured her in a tired voice as soon as she noticed. "It happens sometimes."

The girl smiled hesitantly. "I really hope so. I'm visiting my aunt for the winter break and she's already worried sick after I had to wait so long at the station."

"The train should move any second now." Haseul waved her hand and looked out the window again.

But almost half an hour later the train was stuck, the reason still unknown. Someone in the row behind the girls tried asking the conductor, but they didn't get a clear answer. The staff member just asked them to stay calm and be patient, loud enough for everyone around to hear. 

Of course, the effect was opposite to what it should have been. The people around started squirming in their seats and some of them got up, saying something about "talking to someone more responsible". Haseul would be lying if she said she didn't feel anxiety growing in her chest.

The girl beside her fished out her phone from her pocket and dialed a number. "Hey, yeah, it's Vivi..." she said in a hushed voice.

Haseul put her earphones on again, this time in order not to eavesdrop. She stared at the car's ceiling and turned up the music. There was nothing she could do but wait.

After fifteen more minutes of nothing, Haseul noticed a movement at one of the ends of the car, right next to the door. She took out one of her earbuds just in time to hear someone mentioning leaving the train. She turned to the girl beside her.

"Someone just called a cab and they're hopping off," the girl said, unprompted. "Apparently there's a town nearby, roughly ten minutes on foot following the tracks." They both watched as the person walked out the door and disappeared into the darkness.

Haseul rubbed her hands. "Time to get away from here." She tapped at her father's contact name on her phone and stood up to walk away in search of  somewhere where she could have a little more privacy.

A quick call later, Haseul pocketed her phone and went back to her seat, where she grabbed her jacket. The girl came back as well, possibly finishing her own call, and she glanced at Haseul with an unsure expression. 

"What are you doing?" She asked when Haseul put on her scarf.

"I called my father," said Haseul, shrugging. She grabbed her backpack. "He said he's going to pick me up in that town down the tracks you mentioned. I don't intend to sit here and wait if even the staff has no idea when are we going to move again. And you? Got a ride?"

The girl shook her head, frowning. "Nope, my aunt can't come for me right now and I don't think any cab would take me all the way to Bucheon."

"You can come with me if you want," said Haseul before she really had the chance to think it over.

"Are you sure?"

"Of course. We're heading to the same city." Haseul huffed, taking her suitcase from the rack.

The girl's eyes sparkled and she reached for her jacket before stopping suddenly. "I don't think I have the cash to pay you for that."

"No need to. One more person in the car won't make a difference."

"Can I at least take you out for coffee sometime? Since we're both spending the winter break in the same city and all..." Vivi offered a small smile.

Haseul smiled back. "I'd like that a lot. I'm Haseul, by the way."

"I'm Vivi," the girl said, jumping off from the doorstep and into the snow.