Three days had passed after the first round of elimination without any news about the mentors from ASTRO. The practice rooms have also become quieter following the end of the first round as news about the disqualified candidates spread through the company. Mr Go had given them up to three days to pack their belongings and just a moment ago all remaining fourteen members of the competition had gathered at the lobby to send them off. It was an awkward moment for Winter, since she hadn’t known any of the four candidates before they were eliminated and hence had nothing much to say to them except “Good job” and “You will be missed”.

            Afterwards Winter and Yu Ri had stayed outside at the lobby to enjoy the breeze while the rest had gone back in. It was about five minutes before one of them broke the silence.

            “It feels weird right?” said Yu Ri. “I thought I would feel happier now that we have our break, but why don’t I feel happy at all?”

            “I know what you mean. On one hand we should be glad that we made it to the next round, but on the other, it having people leave and getting hurt. But I guess we will have to carry this weight in our hearts to debut. And when we do, we will do our best to repay their efforts. Right?”

            “Right.” After a short moment, Yu Ri said in a lighter tone, “hey, you know what day it is tomorrow?”

            “The first of December?”

            “Yep, and do you know what that means?” After seeing the puzzled look on Winter’s face, she continued, “it means there is going to be first snow tomorrow.”

            “Er…” Winter pondered, though she came up with nothing. “So?”

            “What do you mean, so?” Yu Ri said, clearly appalled. “According to the myth, if you kiss someone you love during the first snow, the both of you will become a couple. But technically, you can’t kiss Eun Woo, so—”

            Winter jumped up in shock at the idea. “You want me to kiss Eun Woo? What; that’s impossible—”

            “I know, I know,” Yu Ri had stood up beside her. “I’m not asking you to kiss Eun Woo. I know that’s clearly breaking the rules, but you can go out on a date with him! Even though it isn’t supported by a myth, if you go out on a date with him during the first snow, who knows, he might fall in love with you!”

            “You have got to be kidding me, Yu Ri.” Though her brain was telling her otherwise. “He is a busy person, he wouldn’t have time for me.”

            “But I heard he just came back from Japan. In fact, all of them are. If I’m not wrong, they should be coming back about… now.”

            Winter was about to rebut her nonsensical idea, when a black van turned a corner and pulled over in front of them. The door slid open and a tall, gorgeous man slipped out from it. It was doubtlessly Eun Woo, his sharp features shining through despite the mask’s attempts to conceal it.

            Winter turned back to Yu Ri, panicking and hoping against hope he hadn’t seen her. “B-but how? How did you know they would arrive now?”

            Yu Ri chuckled at Winter’s obvious horror. “I have my sources,” she said mysteriously, before giving Winter’s shoulder a hard push such that she stumbled backwards, about to fall. A hand steadied her back just in time, and Eun Woo’s face covered most of the blue sky in her view. It was as if she was caught in a dream.

            “Eun Woo,” she called softly, her voice fading out as she allowed herself to be mesmerized by his beauty.

            “Winter?” he said, and suddenly her back was straightened and she was staring at him face to face. The proximity surprised her and she jumped back a step, not knowing where to look.

            “T-thanks for that,” she mumbled, her gaze fixing on a piece of weathered stone somewhere in the leafless bushes. “Erm… you’re back! Welcome back! Where did you go? Japan?” She bit her tongue the moment those words escaped her lips. Bad move.

            Eun Woo chuckled at her clumsiness, his smile lighting his face. “Yes, I did. That was either a very good guess, or you did a background check on me.”

            She was red in the face, she knew it. “Ha ha, I must have heard it somewhere. Anyway, welcome back.” You have been missed, she added in her mind.

            “Thank you,” he said, his smile fading. He was looking at her with those puppy eyes again. “I’m so sorry about last time. Did you manage to finish the movie?”

            “Yes!” Winter lied, “I loved it.”

            “I wish I could make it up to you somehow.”

            Yu Ri’s words rang in her mind, and she said, “actually, there is a way for you to make it up to me.”

            Eun Woo’s face lit up at her words. “Really? How?”

            “Well, do you know what day it is tomorrow?”

            They agreed to meet at Hangang Park, where they could enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Han River, something that Winter found calming to her soul. They were to meet in the late afternoon since the place tended to be packed by joggers in the morning and they wanted to avoid the crowd as much as possible. Eun Woo appeared in a black clothed mask and c