"Yena.. I know you really want to see the snow up close but you know we can't let you." The man's sad voice nearly echoed in the room with nothing but a bed inside of it.

 

 

"I understand.." Dejected, she had no choice but to agree. Yena understood very well why they would keep her locked in her room all day.

 

 

Her body was weak. Her heart was weak. She couldn't handle staying outside for too long. And even if she could, it would have fatal consequences.

 

 

Though they tried to protect her, she didn't want to live her life anyways. Not being stuck in bed, looking at the same walls every single day.

 

 

The only people she talked to were her parents and the doctors and nurses that visited her every day or so.. it wasn't a life that was worth living. 
 

 

 

At least not to her. What was the point of living if she was in the same space, living the same scenarios playing over and over again?

 

 

Every year was the same; she would watch the snow fall through her window, being unable to touch it.. feel it.. All she really had was books to tell her what it was like.. and that satisfied her when she was younger..

 

 

But not anymore.

 

 

She wanted to experience things. Reading about it didn't tell her anything. She wanted to LIVE. What she was doing wasn't living. She was as good as a piece of furniture staying in the same part of the house everyday - she felt dead inside.

 

 

Through her window, as usual, she watched her parents enter the car, off to work again... And of course, as usual, she was left alone once again.. to look at the same damn walls and watch the same scenery from the one angle she could look through her window as she laid in bed..

 

 

 

...

 

 

"No. It can't always be like this." She told herself. Getting herself off the bed, she stood on her two feet and though she struggled for a little but due to not being used to moving around, she was able to stand and move around on her own..

 

 

Something she was proud of.. considering she lived her life relying on other people.

 

 

After "practicing" her walking skills and even trying to jump around a little bit, she took her coat which hung behind her door - she had worn it just recently in a trip to the hospital.

 

 

After wearing the coat, she opened the door of her room and looked around.. surely there was no one else in the house. Her parents were never a fan of housekeepers plus the nurses visit her on specified times so they never had to worry about her being alone too much.

 

 

Doesn't stop her from feeling lonely anyways. The professional relationship she had with her nurse wasn't much of a companionship. 



 

If anything, it made her feel lonelier.

 

 

Holding back her tears, she put a smile on her face and thought to herself, "I'm going to have fun."

 

 

With that thought rooted in her mind, she made her way to the front door. She placed her hand on the door knob and was slightly hesitant. She had never been outside, not for too long, at least.

 

 

The few travels to the hospital were her only reasons to leave and her little time outside was spend traveling from buildings to the car and vice versa. 



 

 

 

Taking a deep breath, she held the knob firmly.. turning it.. and she was able to feel something she had never felt before.

 

 

When she opened the door, cold air breezes in, the brightness outside entering the house and greeting her eyes.. everything was white, pure and beautiful. Of course, she was able to see this view before.

 

 

But that was different. The view she saw as her wheelchair was being pushed to the car was different from what she was able to see as she stood on her own two feet, opening the door with her own hands.. it was special. 
 

 

 

Yena took one step outside, and again, it was another special feeling. She was barely allowed to walk but now she's taking her first step outside, all on her own.

 

 

Unable to contain she excitement, as soon as she closed the door behind her, she started to run around in the snow.

 

 

Feeling the coldness on her hand as she touched it.. it was nothing like the softness of her bed or the fluffiness of her pillow.. nothing like she had ever touched before.

 

 

To most people, it wasn't something that was so special. Some would think it was simply part of daily life, it shows up ever year, every winter.. it snows.. and that's normal.

 

 

But for Yena who had only seen it through a barrier of glass, the window that only seemed to be in the way.. it was something she could cry over.

 

 

After playing around, running from one place to another, she fell back, laying on the snow and looking at the sky ever so lovingly. 
 

 

 

"Who are you?" A girl suddenly appeared in her field of vision, looking down at her. "I've never seen you around."

 

 

Albeit being a stranger, Yena flashed her brightest smile, catching the girl off guard.

 

 

Yena got up, almost jumping up, startling the other girl who had to move out of her way.

 

 

"Choi Yena." Yena faced the girl, offering her hand for a handshake.

 

 

"A-Ah.. Jo Yuri." The other girl, Yuri, accepted the handshake. 
 

 

 

"Ah~ Cute name~" Yena chirped. She was overjoyed by the mere fact that she was talking to someone that wasn't a doctor or a nurse.

 

 

"Oh.. Thank you." Yuri smiled back shyly. "As I was saying, I've never seen you around here."

 

 

"Well.. I don't go out much." Yena didn't mention the.. minor details. "I live in that house over there."

 

 

"Wow.. You must be a total indoor type." Yuri pointed at another nearby house. "We live really close yet I've never seen you."

 

 

"Rather than being an indoor type.. I just have strict parents." Yena sighed.

 

 

"That must ." Yuri pouted. 

 

 

"Believe me, it does." Yena puffed her cheeks but once she got a good idea, her lips formed into a smile. "Hey, since you're already here, why don't you keep me company?"

 

 

"Me? All of a sudden?" Yuri blinked a few times.

 

 

"I told you I don't go out much so I don't really know a lot of people." Yena held Yuri's hand. "Pleaaaase? It would be lonely to walk around by myself.. besides, I don't know my way around the neighborhood.."

 

 

"Agh- I get it-" Yuri couldn't find it in her to reject the other girl. She could see the enthusiasm in Yena's eyes.

 

 

"Great!" Yena cheered. "So~ Where are we going?"

 

 

"You're so energetic." Yuri said with a giggle. Wow, never in her whole life did Yena hear anyone call her energetic. Not while she was bedridden.

 

 

Somehow, hearing those words for the first time boosted her energy and she held Yuri's hand tighter. "So~?"

 

 

"Well, since you say you don't go out much, maybe we can just take a walk around the neighborhood?" Yuri suggested.

 

 

"Good call." Yena agreed. It's not like she can go anywhere far in the first place. Besides, she's been living there all her life but all she ever saw was the route from her house to the hospital which she had memorized perfectly by now.
 

 

 

"I've been living in this area for so long.. but I never really got around." Yena had a hint of regret in her voice as she remembered she years she spent in loneliness.

 

 

"Well, you can now." Yuri smiled at her. "I can always take you to other places next time but for now, let's start with the neighborhood~"

 

 

A sad smile appeared on Yena's face when she heard Yuri's offer. She really wished there was a next time. She knew that going outside was bound to have some sort of consequence.

 

 

Either she would push herself too much.. or her parents would find out. Either way, it would be unlikely that she would step out of the house again.. not with ease, at least.

 

 

But right now, she won't think about that. She won't think about what's going to happen. She will only focus on what she can see now. 

 

 

"Yena?" Yuri called her name, noticing she was spacing out.

 

 

"No, it's nothing~" Yena smiled, trying to shake off she sadness she felt. "Let's go?"

 

 

"Yeah." Yuri nodded.

 

 

From there, the two of them started their walk. It was silent most of the time, the two of them weren't talking but it wasn't an awkward kind of silence. 
 

 

 

As the two walked, hand in hand, Yuri could help but be fascinated by Yena's reactions.

 

 

To Yuri, it was the same buildings and houses she saw every single day.. but Yena looked more than excited to be seeing the buildings that Yuri would consider boring.

 

 

"I guess saying you don't go out much was an understatement." Yuri commented, another lonely smile showing on Yena's face.

 

 

"Well.. other than.. necessary travels, I really don't go out." Yena vaguely explained. "I actually escaped.. There was no one else in the house. It was the perfect opportunity."

 

"You what- Is that okay??" Yuri was quick to show worry.

 

 

"It's fine~" Yena brushed it off. "Don't worry about it. "This is the one time I'm going out."

 

 

"I mean.. I guess.." Yuri was still worried about it but remembering how happy Yena looked to be outside, she couldn't really ask her to go back.

 

 

"Putting that aside, what were you doing before you found me?" Yena shifted the topic.

 

 

"Hm.. Well, I was just hanging out."

 

 

"By yourself?"

 

 

"...I don't... really have people to hang out with."

 

 

"Aw... that's sad.."

 

 

"You're one to talk!" Yuri pouted at Yena's teasing. She was pretty sensitive when it came to topics about friendship. "I'm just.. not good at approaching people, okay?!"

 

 

"But you approached me."

 

 

"Well.. that was.." It just occurred to Yuri. She approached Yena first. "I don't know. I just felt like talking to you."

 

 

"But well, that's a good thing for both of us~" Yena squeezed Yuri's hand. "We both have a friend now~"

 

 

"H-Hey! I have friends! Kinda.." Yuri tried to defend as she pouted again.

 

 

"Okay~ Okay~" Yena laughed. "But you're my first friend."

 

 

"Is that so?" Yuri tried to reply cooly, looking to the side so Yena can't see her face.

 

 

Even then, Yena giggled when she saw how red Yuri's ears were getting. "Just say you're happy to have a friend."

 

 

"I told you I have other friends!" Yuri pulled her hand away, causing Yena to lose grip.

 

 

Yuri crossed her arms, being all pouty.

 

 

"Heeey~ I'm sorry. I was just teasing~" Yena gently elbowed Yuri's arm. "Yuuuri~ Jo Yuriiiiii~"

 

 

Yuri was trying to stop herself from smiling but Yena's persistence made her unable to hold back a gentle laugh. "Okay- Stop it already."

 

 

Yena took hold of Yuri's hand again and started pulling the other girl. The two played around and laughter was frequent as they walked.

 

 

It was strange. For two people who are meeting for the first time, they got along pretty well. They didn't know anything about each other, not in detail.. but they just enjoyed each other's company.

 

 

Eventually they reached a park. It was known in the area for having this huge tree in the center and Yena looked like a kid as she circled the tree.

 

 

"How did this tree grow like this???" Yena beamed as Yuri laughed.

 

 

"What are you? A kid??" Yuri teased. 

 

 

"Sorry, in the 19 years that I lived, I've never seen this tree.. I never even came to this park." Yena was looking around the tree.

 

 

"Wait- You're nineteen???" Yuri's mouth was wide open. "I didn't think you were much older than me- I'm-"

 

 

"Hahahaha~ Yes, I'm nineteen." Yena stopped her little adventure and walked back to Yuri. "You?"

 

 

"Uh- Seventeen.." Yuri shrunk back after realizing that Yena was two years her senior.

 

 

"What's with that?" Yena laughed out loud. "You're suddenly acting like that now??? Don't worry~ You don't have to treat me like your unnie.. Since I know you need friends.."

 

 

"What did you say???" Yuri glared.

 

 

"I didn't say anything Ms. I-have-other-friends." Yena smiled innocently.

 

 

"YOU!" Yuri started chasing Yena around the tree as the older girl around the tree.

 

 

The two of them continued to play like children, running around and occasionally throwing snowballs at one another. It felt more like a 7 and a 9 year old playing than a 17 and 19 year old hanging out.

 

 

It was all fun and games until Yena suddenly stopped running and leaned on the tree.

 

 

"You okay?" Yuri stopped when she noticed Yena was looking pale. It was getting colder so Yuri got worried.

 

 

"Yeah. Just.. tired, I guess." Yena sat down, leaning back against the tree.

 

 

"Well, I guess that was a lot of activity for an indoor person." Yuri went over and sat down next to Yena.

 

 

"Come closer." Yena tugged on Yuri's coat. "It's cold."

 

 

Though the invitation made her feel shy, Yuri complied, moving closer until their arms were touching.

 

 

Yena weakly smiled as she rested her head on Yuri's shoulder.

 

 

"I had fun." Yena's voice was soft, different from the energetic voice Yuri got used to.

 

 

"I.. I had fun too." Yuri pressed her lips together, looking over at Yena. Yena had her eyes closed, a smile on her face.

 

 

"It was really nice.. being able to enjoy myself for once." Yena's voice grew quieter as she spoke. "I really wish.. I could hang out with you again."

 

"I'd hang out with you any day." Yuri declared.

 

 

Yena had to keep her eyes closed to keep her tears from escaping. "Thank you."

 

 

Yuri couldn't reply to Yena. She didn't know what to say. So she just leaned back, letting her head rest on Yena's.

 

 

I'm sorry, Yuri.

 

 

That thought stayed in Yena's mind as she kept the tears caged in her eyes.

 

 

She actually overheard her father talking to the doctor this morning.

 

 

She wasn't going to make it.

 

 

They couldn't save her.

 

 

But even in her last days, he parents wanted to keep her there.. Safe in bed for as long as they can.

 

 

Knowing that, Yena didn't want to accept it.. To spend her last days stuck in a room.. She couldn't.

 

 

So she just wanted to be free.. but she didn't expect to meet Yuri.. Of course, she was hesitant. Should she make a friend when she was going to die anyways?

 

 

But she wanted someone to remember her. To at least know she was there.

 

 

So even though she knew what was coming, she wanted to spend that day with Yuri.
 

 

 

....

 

 

 

It's here.

 

 

 

Her consciousness was drifting away..

 

 

 

Ah.. I'm sleepy.

 

 

 

....

 

 

 

By then, Yuri felt the weight against her getting heavier.

 

 

Did she fall asleep? That's what Yuri initially thought.. But the paleness of Yena's skin.. and she increasing coldness she could feel from the other girl.. told her otherwise.

 

 

"...Yena?"

 

 

 

....

 

 

 

"Yena.. please.."

 

 

 

"You can't so this to me.." Yuri placed a hand on Yena's cheek.. her hand flinching as she felt the Yena's coldness. "You.. You said you wanted to hang out again you-"

 

 

 

...

 

 

...

 

 

 

"Yena.. please don't..."








 

. . .










 

~ + ~

 

 

 

 

||a/n: 'Snow' is a full narrative au I posted on twitter and I decided I'll put it up here as well. Some people choose to look forward to the future.. while some people prefer to live in the moment. Yena made her choice; She didn't want to stay in bed and wait for the inevitable.. she decided to choose her own fate. At the very least, at the last moments... she can say that she was truly happy.

I hope you enjoyed it.. or well, deeply empathize with Yena or in general, people who face her situation. Thanks for reading this one-shot. ||