Tiffany remember. Standing in the empty park. Chilly morning air carressed her thinly protected skin, winter is here. Tiffany remember... when winter was a season that meant so much.

Breathing out softly, she scanned the entirety of the park with tears in her eyes that won't fall just yet. This park meant so much to her. It hold so much beautiful memories from the past that pains her, ironically. She wished.. she could have changed her past. And saved her.

-

Jessica stands beside the slides with two cones of ice cream in her hands. One vanilla and one strawberry. Their favourite.

She fears that it's gonna melt anytime soon though, it's been 10 minutes, and before she bought the ice cream it was 2 hours. She's been small droplets of melted ice cream for the past 10 minutes, she might have to eat it both soon.

Looking around the empty park as it was late in the evening already, she noted how she hasn't seen the familiar black hair anywhere yet. They were supposed to meet 2 hours and 10 minutes ago.

A dent formed between her brows. She was a little concerned, but maybe more pained than not. She knows. The person she's been waiting for is busy with someone important. Someone else that is not her. 

Sighing, she decides she'll just eat the two cone ice cream after all.

She both ice cream simultaneously. Crouching down while glaring at the ground. She don't feel like crying. But she feel like crying. It's so complicated. Her feeling, that is.

Another 10 minutes passed. Her ice creams were finished. But she's still waiting.

She moved to sit on one of the swings, kicking the ground lightly to move the swing back and forth. 

Humming to herself, she sing softly

"You're a world away.. somewhere in the crowd.. in a foreign place.. are you happy now... are you happy now.. " it comes off almost a whisper, but anyone who's near would hear it. But she was alone. Because the person she was supposed to meet is not here.

"Jessi! " she snapped her head towards the voice. And she smiled warmly.

As if she had not been waiting for hours.

The person jogged towards her, panting lightly.

Jessica stay rooted sitting on the swing. She looked up to see the person looking back at her with guilty eyes. She stays smiling, very warmly too.

"Have you been waiting for the past 2 hours? " the former asked, guilt heavily evidence in her tone. And she's her hands, which means she is very guilty indeed.

"Well, 2 hours and 26 minutes, yes. " Jessica replied lightly, like it doesn't matter how long she'd wait. It does matter though. But suddenly it's not.

"Jessi... " the guilty girl whined softly and short, frowning disapprovingly as she stared the older girl down. She can't just take this so lightly like this. She's supposed to be angry at her.

"Come on, Tiff. It's already 9, if I don't return you home before supper, daddy is gonna kill the both of us, I'll be getting the worse punishment and I don't want that " Jessica notes with a light smile as she take the younger's hand in hers and lead her out of the park, into the isolated road.

"... Why didn't you go home.. what if I didn't turned up at all? How long would you have wait then? " Tiffany enquired with the intent of scolding her best friend, but she's to guilty to do that. She stared at the Jung back, it's always been like this for them, Jessica leading her to places.

Without looking back at the girl she's dragging, Jessica answered.

"You turned up didn't you? And even if you didn't, I would wait as long as it takes until you remember, I was there " 

Tiffany bit her lower lip in frustration. It can't always be like this. Not anymore.

"I have Taeyeon now, Jess.. I can't always put you number one.. " she uttered, not realizing that, that was what it take to break down Jessica's invinsible wall she had unconsciously built.

Breath hitching. Jessica almost faltered in her steps. Eyes stinging. She swallowed her pain, and continue to lead.

"If you haven't noticed, I haven't been for quite a while now.. I know where I stand " Tiffany instantly feel guilty all over again. She went to far. Jessica's emotionless tone proof that.

"Jessi- "

"I just missed my best friend... " 

Tiffany was instantly shut down. She felt tears gathered in her eyes. Jessica's voice was so vulnerable. And being her best friend since birth, she know, Jessica never shows her vulnerable side unless it's something really important to her.

They continued walking down the road, before coming across a familiar 24 hours store that they frequents. Or frequented. 

Jessica opened the ice cream freezer and take a cone of ice cream out. Strawberry. She paid for it and give it to Tiffany.

"Where's yours? " 

Jessica flashed a smile.

"I ate two already while waiting for you, one of it was yours, but it was melting so I had to eat it both. This is your replacement, sorry " she explained, saying sorry with a sheepish smile, as if it was her fault.

Tiffany look at this best friend of her with almost empathy. 

"What did I do to deserve you in my life..? " she muttered lowly with a touched, and guilty look. 

Jessica smiled softly. 

"I wonder too " and they chuckled at that.

They walked down the road again, they passed the park, and enter a neighbourhood. Their neighbourhood. Jessica only lives two streets down from Tiffany's house.

By the time they arrived at Tiffany's house, the ice cream was finished. 

Jessica knocked at the door, and a few seconds later Mr. and Mrs. Hwang surfaced from behind the door.

"Good evening, daddy, mommy! " Jessica greeted them with her trademark toothy grin, eyes closed and crinkled. She smiles like this only to the elders, her parents and Tiffany's parents for example, she likes to appear childish before them like this.

"Jessica! Oh honey, we haven't see you for months! " Mrs. Hwang exclaimed happily, embracing the girl with warmth tightly.

"Haha, I've been busy, sorry mom " Jessica reasoned, or lied. She kissed the woman's cheek with affection, before getting out of her hug and went for Mr. Hwang's next.

"Hey daddy.. " 

"Hey yourself, you brat " Mr. Hwang joked lightly with his gruff voice, ruffling the girl's hair affectionately

"How have you two been? I've missed you.. " Jessica claimed, pouting like a child as she eyes the two

"Oh you big baby.. we're fine, we've missed you too, you should stay for supper " Mrs. Hwang said

Jessica's eyes lit up, before nodding eagerly.

"Sure! I've missed mom's cooking! " Mr. and Mrs. Hwang chuckled fondly at their practically daughter cute behaviour.

"You guys haven't forgot about me, have you? " Tiffany muses with a playful eyeroll

"We see you everyday honey " Mr. Hwang offered

"Dad! " she pouted as the three 'big meanies' laughed at her

Jessica has always been the Hwangs other daughter. And same goes for the Jungs with Tiffany.

She had forgotten how good it was when they were just like this. Jessica always seems to have a soft spot reserved for herself with everyone. Everyone around them are fond of her. Even Taeyeon who came into their lives, in Tiffany's more ways than one, just a few months ago. Sometimes Tiffany feel afraid that one day, Jessica's undivided attention for her would be redirected to someone else. But she feared wrong, she realized that night, it wasn't her that was left abandoned. 

-

"Fany ah! We have to go now! " Tiffany heard Taeyeon's voice calling for her from their car

"In a minute! " she shouted back

Taeyeon sighed sadly. She watched her wife back as she stands in the middle of the park.

Taeyeon remember. The promise she made once to someone who meant a lot to the people she knows, and even herself. Someone who love was nothing compared to hers. Someone so kind that even mere strangers cried over her departure. She remember that night when they found her. At this very park.

-

"What do you mean shot?! Where is she?! " Tiffany screamed at the store's cashier, the very store she and Jessica frequented. 

"She was here when the man came in, he had a gun with him, he tried to threaten me for money, but Ms. Jung prevented her, they started to struggle when Ms. Jung tried to take his gun away, he pulled the trigger suddenly when the gun was facing Ms. Jung.. and I think.. it punctured her chest " with that being said by the shaken cashier, Tiffany bolted out of the store and went down the road heading towards the park

"Fany ah! " and Taeyeon had bolted right after her.

Tiffany feels like the park is where her answer lies. And she was right.

Tiffany saw the outlined of someone sitting on one of the swing, even from her distance she could see how heavily the person was breathing.

"Jessica! "

She kneeled before the girl. And she was horrified with the massive presence of blood, gushing out from her best friend's chest.

"oh my god.. Jessi, please, please hang on, we'll go to the hospital now, you'll be fine, you have to, okay? You can't die just yet, we still have a lot of things to- " Tiffany was rambling when Jessica put a weak finger over

Jessica chuckled weakly, her face was drenched with sweat, and her eyes was tired. Yet loving. Tiffany feels like it's gonna haunt her for life.

"You talk to much, Tiff.. " Jessica commented breathlessly

Taeyeon arrived just then. She kneeled right beside Tiffany, and just like her girlfriend, she was horrified

"Holy -! Sica! "

"Taengoo ah.. hey.. you're here too, I haven't seen you for days.. " Jessica said softly, eyeing her newly found best friend with fondness of it own.

"We need to take you to the hospital now, Sica yah! " 

"Nah.. It's to late for me.. " Jessica stated lightly, closing her eyes clamly with a small smile on her face, one of her hand loosely grasping on the swing's chain, another one holding a purple lilac.

"No! We still have time, you can't give up now Jessi! " Tiffany shouted pleadingly, desperately as tears poured down her face, Taeyeon was crying too, except more silently

"Sorry, Tiff.. but I know my body.. I can't hold on for longer.. " Jessica said softly, smiling serenely 

"No.. you can't do this to me... you promised me you'd stay with me for a long time! You promised you'd protect me! " 

"You have someone else to stay with you now.. For a lifetime.. You have someone else who could protect you.. I've done my part, Tiff " 

"It's not the same! I want you to stay with me too, for a lifetime! I want you to protect me like you always have! I want you! " Taeyeon wouldn't say she wasn't hurt a little when Tiffany said that. But she knows all along, what she can do, Jessica has done, and can do better.

"But not the same way I want you.. " 

Tiffany couldn't find her voice after hearing her dying best friend. And Taeyeon had always knew.

Jessica lifted her hand that was holding the lilac, and give it to Tiffany.

"Purple lilac... it means, first love.. " 

Tiffany feels a heaviness in her chest. That was when Taeyeon confirmed, her love for Tiffany was nothing compared to Jessica's.

Jessica put the lilac on Tiffany's palm.

"I love you, Tiffany. I was to coward to tell you that the past.. well, the past of all my life... It takes me a dying moment to confess, huh? " the dying girl said jokingly, smiling sheepishly.. and if she wasn't dying for real, Tiffany would have thought no harm was done. But it was done, in more ways than one.

"You can't do this to me.. " Tiffany could only say

"I'm sorry.. " and Jessica was

Taeyeon noted on how her breathing become more shallowed. Time was not with them.

"Be happy, Tiff... You and Taeyeon.. "

"Taengoo ah.... love her, okay? Love my pink loving monster for all your life.. promise me.. " Jessica requested in a fading whisper

Taeyeon could only nod as she bit back a sob.

'I will love her.. but it's nothing compared to yours, Sica ah.. '

Tiffany was shooking her head, pleading and begging for Jessica not to go. And Jessica could only smile.

Suddenly, snow flakes starts to fall. The first snow. Winter is here.

"Taeyeon will be your spring.. your summer.. and your autumn, Tiff... But I will always be your winter.. I give you my winter, Tiffany,, I will always love you in winter "

"Jessi.. Jessi? " fears filled them up when Jessica's head stay rested to the chain. small snow flakes resting on her hair. She looked serene. Like she was asleep. If only she was.

That night. Taeyeon witnessed how a part of Tiffany was taken away by the cold, and a part of her was given to a promise. 

She noted, she remembers how one time when they had first date, Tiffany had told her about Jessica.

'Jessi is my achilles heel.. no offense, but even if I have you, Jessica will always be- You are my seasons, my warmth and happiness. But Jessica is my cold, my winter. She came to me like the first snow, Taeyeon ah.. she's that important to me '

Jessica was Tiffany's winter. She can't take that away. Even if she wants to.

-

Tiffany turned down her heels to walk towards Taeyeon and their car. 2 steps. when suddenly.. snows fall.

Taeyeon looked up to the sky.

"The first snow... "

Tiffany caught a snow flake in her hand. And tears fall, finally.

A small breeze of wind blows around her, cold, but she felt familiar. This cold.

"Hello, Jessi... " she whispered to the wind

And then it stop.

"Goodbye... love you too, Jessi.. I love you too.. " 

And she keep on walking. Taeyeon opened the door for her and close it.

She turned around one last time at the park. Precisely a pair of swing, that moved lightly back and forth, as if someone was playing it.

"Even in death.. you came to her like the first snow... "

"Goodbye, Sica yah.. " and they left.

Unknown to them, someone was watching them all this while. 

Jessica sit on the swing, kicking it lightly back and forth. A small smile doning her face. She watched the car disappearing from her sight.

"Goodbye " a purple lilac in her hand. Winter come a little early this year. 

Bruh- what do you know, I sit for hours writing this, my head is heavy. Y'ALL BETTER COMMENTS A LOT AND UPVOTES.