Gazing straight ahead, Jeongyeon's hand the wheel as he drives onwards back to the hotel. The reception has ended and since then, the girl that sits next to him has never uttered a word. He glances at his side and watches her unmoving as she stares blankly into space. He diverts his attention to the front and fixed a smile.
 

"What are you thinking? You look bothered" He asks, tapping her hands.
 

Mina snaps out of her thoughts and turns to him. She smiles assuringly then shakes her head "It's nothing" She mumbles, planting her gaze back to the window. 'It was him. But why?' Mina closes her eyes in slight annoyance and frustration towards herself but also at the same time relief. The first sight of him indeed dropped her heart as she expected. It was fear that stopped her from approaching him, talks to him, hugs him. It was that sudden fear.
 

She decides to feel that fear long enough to analyse it and keep her self-control, to learn about it and not making any mistakes and hurt him. She is afraid for a reason, and Mina reminds herself that her good decision-making ability is temporarily offline due to fear and shock. She wants to wait before she can figure things out, wait for her brain's usual connections to resume and grasp the situation. She is furious to the fact she doesn't know what had happened to him and frustrated because of her pestering concerned towards him yet she is relief she didn't suddenly come and greet him as if they are complete stranger. Mina indeed planning to meet him and have a small talk but maybe...maybe not yet, not now, not will all eyes watching them.
 

When they arrive at the hotel, Mina and Jeongyeon go straight to their room and exchange night greeting as both are tired after the ceremony. Mina changes her clothes then sits in a chair on her room's balcony, thinking. Shortly, she grabs her phone and starts typing messages.
 

To: Sana Unnie

Unnie, can we meet tomorrow? There's a cafe across my hotel, I'll wait there at 2 p.m.








 

*  *  *  *

"You rarely reaches out to us unless we did first. I suppose you have something important to tell...or rather ask.." Sana breaks the silence after seeing how the younger struggle to form words. Mina hands that are clasped tightly on the table loosen as she raises her head and stares questionably to her sister.
 

Sana smiles and gazes at her latte. It sits prettily in a white china cup, a leaf pattern in delicate milky foam among the pale brown. She wraps her fingers around it, enjoying the heat that spreads through her hands. "Although...I maybe already know what's the question about" She adds. Sana raises her cup and blows lightly on the surface of her coffee.

It isn't surprising for Mina. Her sister is mature and smarter than her, not in all aspect but in some particular parts, especially emotions whilst her, she only meddles with facts and probability. She knows when it comes to feelings, Sana is more school than any classroom ever was, she is quick-witted in understanding and grasps every event, every person, every situation.
 

Mina sigh, and straighten her position. "Then, I'll go straight to the point." She draws her hands and lay it both on her lap."Unnie, Why didn't you tell me anything? And what actually happ----"
 

"Mina" The older interjected. Her voice laced with firmness and authoritative, as if she is scolding her. "You are quite shameless" It sounds harsher then she'd intended. As soon as the words registered in the younger's mind, she lowers her head. Was it embarrassment or guiltiness? Nevertheless, she's caught off guard by her sister's statement, knowing that she cannot argue more about it. She is in fact shameless. It is the first time she ever encountered this side of Sana, the honesty in her words, the cruelty in her action. It is intimidating.
 

The air is thick with the scent of coffee and no words have been spoken for a while. Sana sips her latte and begins to feel calmer, reminding herself not to going so hard towards Mina. "Chaeyoung is important to me, you know it too. He is genuine and stupid. My pure little brother." She speaks up. Mina bites her lips as Sana touches her chin and gently raises her head. "And you are my precious sister. I don't want to lose any of you, not again" The eyes that stared back at Mina is filled with unspoken concern.
 

"It is best for you not to push the matter. You wouldn't get anything from me" Sana gives the younger a measured smile and sips her coffee again, conveying that the banter portion of the conversation is over. Mina presses her lips, she understands what her sister is implying and decides not to ask any more question centring around him.
 

Sana drains her drink in three long swallows, then places the cup and saucer noiselessly on the mahogany table. Regarding Mina across the table, Sana purses her lips slightly, as though thinking of something she hasn't made up her mind about and tilts her head a bit to the right. "But, I believe you both need closure." She takes a piece of paper from her handbag and slides it towards Mina. The latter stares at it for a second then to her sister then back again to the paper. Her eyebrows furrow in confusion.
 

"What is this?" Mina asks, picking up the paper and examine the small white card. "La'Glow Frangrance Co. Perfumer Minatozaki Sana" She reads what is written on the surface along with an email and phone number. "Isn't this your business card?"
 

Sana chuckle and gestures the latter to flips the card. Mina follows and turns it, there on the white background is a handwritten address. "It's not that I couldn't give you the answer, it just, I am not the right person you should ask," Sana says, pointing to the card. "It is his address, meet him and hear it from himself."









 

*  *  *  *

"Ah!" Chaeyoung shriek.
 

"Ah!" The girl sits across her follows while quickly retract her hands. She raises her brows in apology and awkwardly laughs. Chaeyoung chuckle and gestures her to continue. His fingernails have grown long and it's time to cut it. She uses silver nail clip and carefully cut them almost completely straight across, and round them a little at the corners. His nails are soft and perfectly clean, and grows quickly like a child's fingernails. When she cut, he'll flinch or close his eyes. Irene thought that is cute. After it has done, she gathers the nails that she has cut away out of the towel on her lap and thrash it.
 

"Polish?" Irene suggests, giggling as she takes out maroon and blueish nail polish.  Chaeyoung sigh knowing there's no way he could say no but surrender. The latter excitedly fix her position sitting on the bed cross-legged next to Chaeyoung, while the guy is leaning against the headboard. Irene applies a base coat to each nail and waits for it to dry before she starts with of polish. Chaeyoung couldn't stop grinning as he would have to listen to her describing her new DIY nail polish or how her nails look like panda, or parrots, or little puppies. Honestly, he could willingly listen to her for all day 'oohed' and 'ahhed' and says 'so cute' in all the right places.

 

"Youngie?" She suddenly calls out, eyes planted on his hands. She swipes the brush along the left curve of his nails until the entire side is coated in polish and repeat the process on each nail. Chaeyoung hums while following Irene's instructions to blow his left hand that already polished.

"Yesterday, at the wedding...I saw her, Mina-sii" Her words hangs in the air as she pauses and presses her lips when she could feel eyes on her. She heaves a deep breath and hesitantly looks up. The intensity unnerves her. His eyes have frozen over like the surface of a winter puddle, robbing them of their usual warmth. She wants to rekindle his heat but his insides are too damp with uncried tears. Irene always knows he has pain inside, but now it is visible on his face and she wishes it would go away. How much it affects him, just by the mention of her name change his mood drastically. Irene doesn't know whether she should continue this, or where to actually starts or even if this is the right time.
 

"She...so, hmm" 'If I'd keep it any longer it would have made no difference, he will know the truth in no time.' Now only silence lingers in the air. Irene shiver in the streak of sunlight penetrate the glassy wall and tries to muster her courage, but a small sigh of anxiety leaps out of . She chooses today. To unravel everything and face the consequences. This fitfully sunny morning would either see the dawn of her new life where she will stay by his side with no more lie or snap her dreams in two where he couldn't forgive her.
 

Irene's eyes flicker towards him and loop her thumb into her jeans pocket, ready to take out an envelope. She forces a smile despite the heaviness that sits on her chest "Actually, Mina-sii, she...she left a let--"
 

"Irene" Chaeyoung cut in. His voice raised above the usual. There is no trace of tears, not in his eyes or in track marks on his reddening face. His eyes are narrowed, rigid, hard. Irene draws in a deep breath, the burning hard stare cause her to drop her head. She is deathly afraid of his ice, the coldness she never encountered. A silent sigh escapes Chaeyoung's mouth. He gently clasps her cheeks, caressing it with his thumb. "Let's not talk about her, alright" He cooed. "Now, I'm sorry for raising my voice, forgive me?" He smiles, showing off his dimple.
 

Irene shut her eyes, thinking, contemplating. What will she do now? Will it be fine? She breathes out and paints a sincere smile across her face before she scooted closer and hug him. "It's okay, I understand" She succeeds in thawing his anger and return that loving spark to his eyes. He circles his arms around her waist and buries his face on her shoulder.









 

*  *  *  *

Mina opens the window and inhales the crisp, cool air. The wind whispers as the snow falls like confetti on her woolly hats. She gazes at the untouched snow in front of her. The swirling white and the lush grass collides. The shrubs and trees are stained with white. The ground is as smooth as a cake and the snow falls like icing powder, perfecting it to its finest point.
 

There, she heard a sudden familiar voice saying; "Let's watch the first snow together hmm?" A deep husky voice playing like a tape in her minds stored as her precious memory. Mina glance to the corner of her hotel room, sits a first aid kit from the man in the wheelchair. She digs the card Sana gave from her palazzo pocket and stares at the address. It has been almost three weeks since her last meeting with her sister and winter has befallen them.
 

"It is his address, meet him and hear it from himself"