The sun had already set, Jeongyeon and Sana had almost made their way to the train station chasing for the second last trip off to Chungnam, as the stations will be closed for the holidays. It’s their last hope to be able to reach the platform on time. They ran just before the counter closes, dropping three pieces of one thousand bills.

“Chungnam. Please” Sana begged and breathed.

“Sorry miss, but we are close.”

“Please, it’s just 6:15. We are still in time for the last trip at least,” The ticket handler shook his head.

“Sorry miss, all tills are closed out”

“Please, I can’t miss this chance” Sana begged. Jeongyeon watched the scene right before her. She knew too well why Sana was desperate to see her. She knew too well who she was looking for, but she kept quiet, ponder, wondering what she should do next.

“Please, sir. It’s christmas. Can’t you just give me this chance,” Sana continued to beg in the background.

‘Why are you being like this, Sana? For a childhood dream, a kid’s memory? Why is this kid so important? Why..’ she reckoned. 

After a few minutes of reflecting to that childhood dream, Jeongyeon heard the slight noise of the incoming train.

“Please, just this once” Sana begged in the background

Jeongyeon stared at that empty platform which was about to be run by the last train of hope reaching Chungnam. 

‘Why am I always doing things just for you? I could just let you go and realize your own mistakes. But why can’t I just let you go..’ 

The train’s tracks had gradually become audible, as it closely reaches the platform.

‘I do stupid things. Just to get stupidly hurt. Why.. Why am I doing this, just for you.. It’s my turn to stop helping, It’s my turn to..’

Jeongyeon sighed as she shuts her eyes closed and let’s the loud train pass the platform as it slows down.

“That’s the second last trip. Please, please. Just take the money, and give me the ticket”

“Sorry Miss. Rules are Rules”

The station’s alarm suddenly beeps as a first warning for the doors.

‘Ah.. why. why. Why. WHY.’ Jeongyeon grunted, clenched her fists and launched towards Sana.

“Sana!” She instantly grabbed her hand as she pulled harshly

“Wha— Jeongyeon”

“Let’s go!”

“HEY! You two!” The ticket handler called as securities began chasing after them.

“Jeong—“

“You want to see her right? Then run faster and get ready to jump,” she scowled with her teeth gritted.

Jeongyeon hopped over the electronic barricades pulling Sana with her. Securities inside the platform began blocking their paths as Jeongyeon lead Sana around. The alarm buzzed signalling the closing of the doors. Jeongyeon made a huge leap with Sana clumsily following and falling over her just in time before the doors shut.

“Hey! Hey!” The securities yelled on the other side of the door. But the train had finally departed from the platform, on the way to Chungnam.

“Ow..” Jeongyeon uttered as she lifts half of her body off the ground “You okay?” She smiled.

“Y-Yeah. I am sorry.” She lifts her head up, locking eyes with Jeongyeon.

“It’s okay” She smiled as she pats Sana’s head 

“Jeongyeon..” Jeongyeon chuckled from the sound of her worried voice.

“Let’s go get Chaeyoung. Let’s get everything back.” Sana’s eyes widened with a tear dropping to her cheek, buried her head onto Jeongyeon’s chest and mumbled “Thank you”

Jeongyeon silently chuckled ‘Is this kid really that important to you?’ Jeongyeon thought as she watched Sana below her, with her face buried to her ‘—was she important because she’s Chaeyoung?’ She smiled. ‘—or because it is Chaeyoung, that’s why she’s important?’

🌨️

“Dahyun, Tzuyu!” Chaeyoung called out to them

“Chaengie!” Dahyun smiled, hovering a corn dog an inch close to “are we leaving no—“

“We gotta go back to Seoul!” Dahyun knitted her brows and tilted her head, turning towards Tzuyu, who shrugged and continued to eat her corn dog.

An awkward silence caught on as Dahyun’s facial expression remained staring at Chaeyoung.

“Uh.. are you not gonna ask why?” Chaeyoung cocked her head with agape.

“Uh.. no” She rolled her eyes, sighed and took a bite on her corn dog “I thought you’d just tell me, You did not say I was supposed to guess?” she relaxed her back on the bench and continued chewing.

“I.. well” she stuttered “we gotta go back to Seoul” Dahyun hummed and Tzuyu stared as they continued to chew.

“I.. I have to.. well..” she hesitated and averted her eyes, scratching her nape.

“—See Sana?” Dahyun grinned

“Huh, no?” She paused “yes.. maybe. I just have to tell her something”

“Well, all stations are closed for the holidays. So, I don’t think we’ll be able to go back,” Tzuyu uttered.

“Closed? Why? So.. no other way to go to Seoul?”

“No, sorry.” Tzuyu continued to chew. 

Chaeyoung sighed, lowered her head and sat in between them, placing her chin over her palms. Dahyun and Tzuyu glanced at each other and cleared their throat.

“Well, we’ll see them in two days then” Dahyun grinned, wrapping her arms around Chaeyoung

“Or why not call her,” Tzuyu uttered

“Yeah, but calling her? It’s like.. like—“

“If you get nervous calling her, then it just delivers the same message like how you’ll tell her in person right?” Tzuyu shrugged.

“Yeah but—” Dahyun stretched and yawned, interrupting the cub once again.

“Let’s go home Chaengu,” She smiled and began walking “—It’s still Christmas.” She giggled.

“I.. I guess you’re right” she sighed and stood up. Tzuyu reached out to grab Chaeyoung’s hand.

“Don’t give up. Christmas miracles do exist you know” she stood up, patting the cub on her head “let’s go” she held her hand and pulled her to follow.

“I guess..” 

🌨️

The train finally reached Chungnam’s central station. Jeongyeon and Sana looked around and alerted to find securities looking for them.

“Ah. They know we are here,” Sana mumbled.

“Of course, cause we mentioned going down to Chungnam.”

“Yeah, well, there’s no way out” she looked around for exits, trying to find a way to jump that barricade without the securities noticing.

“Hey! You two!”

“Oh, no!” Jeongyeon instantly grabbed Sana’s hand and ran.

“Get them!”

“Okay! We are jumping again!” Jeongyeon pulled Sana, as they tried to jump over the barricades, however Securities were already waiting for them on the other side. They halted, as Jeongyeon tried to look for another exit, until the Elevator bell rung on her right side.  She pulled Sana with her leading them to the elevator back to the ground floor.

“We’ll go out this way” Jeongyeon commanded as they went the other tunnel towards the other train stations. “uh.. green line!” She ran.

The barricades were clear of any guards as they both jumped over without being noticed by the handlers.

They ran out of the station, breathing, huffing, trying to catch their breath.

“Okay, never. Again.” Jeongyeon uttered.

“Well, who told you to just jump?” Sana breathed out

“You. Your determination made me” 

“We could have asked nicely”

“That guy wouldn't even give you a ticket, even if you begged on a bed of nails. I— Technically. Did you a favor” she breathed.

“Why did you? When you knew it was Chaeyoung?”

“—because..” she paused and stood up “—I can’t stand you”

“What?”

“Nothing. Let’s go.” She huffed and pulled out her phone, dialed a phone number waiting for the person on the other line to answer.

Sana stared at Jeongyeon as she talked to the person on the phone. She huffed still trying to catch her breath and hung her head low, watching the cold smoke release from her lips.

“Alright! Let’s go” Jeongyeon uttered. Sana turned and nodded.

🌨️

Chaeyoung, Dahyun and Tzuyu had finally reached home as their parents greeted them.

“Hey mom!” Dahyun grinned

“You girls are late”

“Yeah, sorry about that, what’s for dinner?” Dahyun laughed, and just before they all get in. Tzuyu held on Chaeyoung’s shirt.

“Tzuyu?”

“Call her” she uttered

“Not now, maybe later” Tzuyu then dialed something on her phone as she reached out to Chaeyoung. Passing the phone to her.

“Huh.” Tzuyu smiled as she left Chaeyoung outside.

She looked over the phone, and the call had been connected for at least 2 minutes now. She knitted her brows and uttered “Hello?” She could hear nothing but a slight gasp and breathing on the other line. “Hello, is someone there?” The other line breathed again, who seemed to be crying.

“Hey, are you crying? Hello” She waited, anticipated for the voice on the other line. She looked over the phone, to still see that this number is still connected and their time is still running. She placed the phone back in her ear and saw a figure across her. Facing her, with her hand clasped together.

The figure was familiar to her, her face, her height, her stance, everything was something she knew too well. Someone, she’s been wanting to see. 

“[Chaeyoung]” The girl on the other line uttered, her voice stuttered. 

“Jeongyeon? What is Sana doing here?” She watches Sana, walking closer to her with her hand clasped together near her lips.

“[She.. She wanted to see you]”

“She does?”

“[L-Listen to me Chaeyoung..]” her voice trembled over the line, Chaeyoung felt her heart dropped to the words she uttered “[She thinks it’s you.. let her think it’s you]”

“Me? What? Who?”

“[Remember that kid I told you about? During my trip to Osaka?]”

“Yeah.. that girl you talked about non-stop”

“[She’s Sana..]” Chaeyoung’s eyes widened as she stared over the girl walking closer to her “[It’s her..]” she cried over the phone, bursting out of tears “[take care of her for me.. it’s game over for me.. there’s no way she’d—]”

“Stop.” Chaeyoung uttered monotonously “Stop running away” she knitted her brows as she walked closer to Sana, dropping her heart with her every step, as the distance decreases. “It’s time for you and me to stop running away, Jeongyeon”

“[Look, she’s only here because she thought it’s you. She’s determined. She wants you]”

“We can’t decide what she wants.” Her distance with Sana, gets closer. “So, stand up. Cause after all these years, I am fighting for her. You should to”

“[Chaeyou—]”

“Don’t let me have her, because I won’t do the same for you. She’s the one who should decide. It’s not you, It’s not me.” She scowled.

Her steps reaches Sana. Sana wondered about Chaeyoung’s facial expression. 

“Chaeyoung?” Sana uttered as she watched her, staring into her with a phone in her ear. They both locked eyes as Sana smiled, opening up a piece of paper drawing she brought with her. 

She opened to reveal the drawing to Chaeyoung, without a word she smiled down on her. Chaeyoung smiled back and shook her head.

“Huh?— but you drew this..” Sana uttered with worry written all over her face.

Chaeyoung smiled, as she sees a blurred vision of a figure behind Sana. 

“It’s about time we both stop hiding..” Chaeyoung uttered to the phone while staring into Sana’s eyes with a smile on her face, “It’s about time we stop running..” Sana knitted her brows

Chaeyoung shifted her eyes from Sana to the figure behind her “I love her.. What’s your move?”

Sana tilted her head as she turned to see Jeongyeon behind her with a phone in her ear. She sighed over the phone, and reaches out her hand over to Sana, waiting for her palms to open. The moment she did Jeongyeon dropped a heart-shaped pebble, with a smile on her face. Sana’s eyes widened, and agape. 

“You?” Sana uttered. Jeongyeon nodded with a smile.

“I love her..” Jeongyeon lifted her head and looked over Chaeyoung with a smile “I’ll stop running too”