“It’s so cold.” Yeojin murmurs behind her scarf. Under the roof of the bus stop, she sat on the bench and watched the snow slowly fall. She admires them for a while when they’re close enough to see. Due to her height and the bench’s seat height. She swung her legs back and forth. She looks up at the sky and thought of how dim they looked, but the kind that made you felt cozy.

 

“Yeojin!” a girl yells at the top of her lungs as she runs towards the bus stop. Yeojin hops off the bench to greet her.

 

“Yerim! You’re late!” Yeojin crossed her arms.

“Sorry! I just had to grab something before I left.” She smiles apologetically and showed off her backpack. Yeojin nods as a sign of “apology accepted.”

 

They both waited for the bus to arrive. Both of them wore a thicker coat compared to the ones during autumn. Christmas was coming around as well. They talked about miscellaneous things such as how the weather was getting colder each passing day, how they dreaded going to practice under these conditions and how even a comforter doesn’t suffice for sleep anymore; so and so forth until a bus that is going to their destination finally makes a stop. They hop on the bus and sits on by the very back. Yeojin sat by the window on her left while Yerim is just right beside her.  

 

“So where are we heading first?” Yerim cheerfully asks. Yeojin pulls out her phone, unlocks it and goes to her Notes app.

“I’ve got it all planned! First, are you hungry, Miss?” Yeojin points at her by using a finger gun.

“Why, yes I am, why’d you ask?” Yerim plays along.

“Well, Ma’am we’ll be going to that little dog cafe Haseul went to, the one with the rescued dogs.” Yeojin shows a picture of the location to which, Yerim squeals excitedly.

 

“After that?” Yerim eagerly questions.

“Not so fast, I’ll tell you after going to the cafe. Treat it like a tour.”

“Alright, tourist trapper, I’ll follow you.” Yerim smiles while Yeojin grins.

 

She wasn’t sure if it was the lighting from the silver lining, but she seemed to glow when the corner of her lips becomes a smile.*

 

As soon as the bus stopped the girls left and went straight to the cafe. Yerim skips as she follows Yeojin to the cafe.

 

The cafe is brightly lit with the interior decorated with wood that resembles a cabin. The dogs roamed the area. There were an ample amount of people but not too much that they couldn’t get a seat. Yerim offers to order for them while Yeojin excuses herself to go to the restroom. Despite her excited display, she felt queasy; nervous. She washes her hands and stares at herself at the mirror. She takes a shaky inhale and exhales.

 

Yerim on the other hand, admires the comfortable and homey atmosphere of the cafe. She pets and plays with a couple of dogs and smiles brightly to herself and giggles, but it wasn’t just because of the dogs.

 

The two spent their time enjoying the pastries and drinks they ordered (Yerim insisted to split the bill) and hanging out with different sorts of dogs. Yoejin, with her natural curiosity, had asked one of staffs about each dog they interacted with Yerim following up some of her own.

 

“Hey, Yeojin, that little one really seems to like you!” Yerim points out. Yeojin looks around the floor to find a small dog with folded triangular ears.

“Uh, hi?” Yeojin picks up the dog and without warning it started to her face. “Ah!” Yeojin yelps.

 

“It DOES like you!” Yerim laughs and takes a photo.

 

 

 

 Time flew and before they knew it they started to head out of the cafe.

 

“Alright, my trusty tour guide, where to next?” Yerim asks.

“Well, since we had just ate, let’s take a stroll at the park.” And Yerim only nodded.

“Let’s go!” Yerim yells and grabs Yeojin by the hand and excitedly sprints to the park.

 

She could’ve have sworn it was colder today, but her hand felt warm.*

 

They took a stroll around the park, silently admiring the snow covered grass and branches around them. Yerim hops in front of Yeojin pretends to knock.

“Do you wanna build a snowman?” She sings

“Let’s do it!”

 

And so they did. Yeojin rolled up a base and Yerim made the body and head. Together they gathered some twigs and pebbles and made their own little snowman. They gave each other a high five and Yerim steps back to admire the cute little thing they made, but not for too long because—

 

“Hey!” Yerim turns around after feeling a snowball hit her back with Yeojin feigning innocence with her hands around her back.

 

“Who? Me?? Yeojin points at herself.

“Okay, wise guy,” Yerim giggles as she grabs a handful of snow, “you’re gonna get!” She adds and chases Yeojin with a snowball.

 

The two ran around the park and fought each other with snow. Their laughter can be heard from far away.

 

As Yeojin tries to catch her breath but she gets picked up from behind.

 

“Whoa, whoa!”

“Gotcha— Ah!”

 

They both topple down on to the soft snow; hair and nose covered in it.

 

They laugh and stayed there for a while. They are reminded of autumn again.  Playing with the fallen leaves, only making good memories. Yerim decides to make a snow angel and Yeojin follows. Once they’ve made their own, they marvel at it.

 

“Look how small yours is.”

“Hey! It’s not that small!” Yeojin pouts.

“Yes it is.” Yerim teases.

“No it’s not!” Yeojin whines while Yerim chuckles.

 

It’s colder now but the sensation of warmth stays the same when she with her. *

 

For the remainder of the daylight, they spent their time together going to different shops, districts and stalls to their hearts content. Not a moment passed by that wasn’t filled with smiles and giggles.

 

 

She wonders why she hasn’t let go of her hand. She’s aware of how heavy her chest feels.*

 

Their last stop was by the mall. There is a fireworks display today and Yeojin thought it would be a good idea to watch it.

 

“Says here it doesn’t start until 8pm.” Yerim says, reading the poster.

“We still have a lot of time to kill,” Yeojin ponders, “Right! It’s almost Christmas, let’s buy some gifts for the members and for our family too?” Yeojin suggests.

“That’s great idea!” Yerim claps.

 

And so off they went inside. They went straight to the department store and browsed. With the abundance of items, they relied on each other on what would the person they’re going to gift would like the most. They decided to keep things small; for their budget and for luggage reasons. They felt tired so, they checked out the items and looked for a place to sit. Once they did, they sighed together.

 

“Shoot.” Yeojin expresses

“What’s wrong?”

“I think I left something in the store.”

“Really? Let’s go find it—”

“N, no! It’s alright, I’ll do it. I’ll be quick just sit there and rest.”

“Oh alright.”

 

Yeojin jogs back into the department store, and heads to the second floor extension of the area to exit it once again. She dashed into an accessory store just across it and took a deep breath and enters.

 

“Hi there! Welcome!” a sales person greets.

 

In a few minutes, Yeojin comes back and holds out her handkerchief.

“I dropped this in the department store, I didn’t want to lose it or else my Mom would kill me.” Yeojin sits down beside Yerim and they talked about the things they bought.

 

With hands filled with shopping bags, they both headed out the open, garden like area of the mall to find a spot away from the crowd but where it is easy to watch the fireworks without seeing phones being lifted to obscure their view. The found a little spot by a corner, but there were was nothing to sit on so they decided to stand.

 

“Thanks for taking me out today, Yeojin.”

“And thanks for hanging out with me.” Yeojin smiles.

“I had a lot of fun.” Yerim turns to her with the sweetest smile.

“You’d better!” Yeojin playfully huffs.

 

They stayed in silence for a while. They waited for the fireworks to start. But for every passing moment they felt, anxious. As if there was something more to be said; something more to be done. Yerim shifts the weight of her body constantly to either of her legs while Yeojin doesn’t know what to do with her own hands.

 

The snow has started to fall more.

 

Yeojin puts one of her hands in her coat pocket and squeezed her eyes tight.

 

And she decided to initiate*

 

“Yerim—!”

“Yeojin I—”

 

They spoke at the same time, facing each other with cheeks flushed pink. Neither of them moved. Yeojin gulps and stares at Yerim.

 

“You first…”

“No, no, you go ahead, it sounded important…”

“Okay…” Yeojin mutters with a shaky breath.

 

In Yeojin’s coat pocket hides a box. She grips the box with much anxiousness.

“I,” she coughs, “I don’t know where to start or how to start but, Choi Yerim if there’s anything right now that makes me nervous it’s you.” Yeojin remarks.

 

Yerim was taken aback.

 

“Wh…what do you mean?” She stutters a reply.

 

“You make me nervous. You make my hands shake like it’s freezing out but at the same time you make me feel warm. You make feel like it’s not even that cold out!” Yeojin spluttered. Her ears are getting redder by the second.

“What are you saying, Yeojin?” Yerim looks at her, confused.

“I’m saying that I like you, okay?” Yeojin admits as she pulls out the box from her coat pocket. “I just, I just like you a lot and I, I don’t know. Here, take it.”

 

Yerim takes it and opens the box.

 

There settled a simple bracelet with a heart in the middle. Shinning in silver under the glow of the light. She gasps.

 

“I don’t even know if you like me that way…” Yeojin mumbles behind her scarf.

“I do.”

“What?”

“I like you too, dummy.” Yerim embraces Yeojin. “Liked you for a long time now…” She whispers. Yeojin clings to Yerims coat as she returns the embrace.

 

“Wait, Yeojin, are you crying?” Yerim chuckles as she pulls away.

 

“No!” Yeojin wipes her tears with her sleeves. “Okay, maybe a little.” she weeps admitting it. Yerim cups Yeojin’s face and wipes her tears using her thumbs.

 

“Please don’t cry anymore.”

“I’m trying!”

 

Yerim laughs at the response.

 

“I just, I didn’t think you’d like me back…”

“Well now that’s just silly.” She giggles. They pull away from each other.

 

“Could you… Put the bracelet on my wrist, please?” Yerim asked timidly.

“O, oh. Okay!” Yeojin eagerly answers. She puts the bracelet around Yerim’s wrist and clips it on.

“It looks so pretty.” Yerim gushes.

“Just like the owner.”

“Ooh, getting a little romantic now, are we?”

“Stop.” Yeojin whines but all could Yerim do is enjoy the moment.

 

The fireworks display are up in the air. Different sparks and sparkles decorate the sky and sound of amazement from the audience can be heard.

 

“Thank you for the gift.” Yerim thanks Yeojin with a kiss on the cheek. This flusters her.

“Wh— Th, that’s not fair but you’re welcome...” Yeojin mumbles.

 

Yerim loosely embraces Yeojin from behind, arms over Yeojin’s shoulders. Yeojin holds Yerim’s hands. And they slowly sway together as the fireworks illuminated the sky.

 

As the day ends for them, they head home together back to the dorms. Never letting go even if they've fallen asleep in the cab.

 

It’s cold but her hands, they keep mine warm.*

 

---------END---------

 

 

 

A/N: Thanks for sticking around and reading this OS! If you've noticed that there were * in each italicized sentences, it means that these are shared feelings and thoughts by both characters! I hope you guys enjoyed this!