It was around six in the morning when Soeun was abruptly awaken from her slumber.

She laid curled up on her side, tightly wrapping the blanket around her to try and keep warm. The temperature within the complex was freezing with cold air drafts constantly flowing in from her window and the foot of the bedroom door. And it might have been her fault since she told Soojin to not waste her money on letting the heater running throughout the winter after she had claimed that the cold wasn't much of a bother. It was obvious Soeun was wrong. And what about the older? Well, she went out to buy a heating blanket to survive the cold winter nights, which is expected from her to outsmart the winter chills. 

Soeun felt her body shiver and teeth chatter. Curling up until her knees were at her chest, the dancer could also feel her breath losing its usual warmth. Her blanket was becoming defenseless against the cold atmosphere of her room, but it was also her only line of protection at the moment. 

The side of the bed behind her had dipped. Another body had slipped underneath her blanket before a pair of arms wrapped around her waist. She felt a chin land on her shoulder as cold feet brushed against her legs causing her own body to shudder. 

"Ssong-ah." Of course, it was Soojin who invaded her bed. This was not the older's first time crawling under her sheets, and usually on those days, it's her wanting to cuddle. A finger poked her on the cheek. Soojin sang, "Get up, Ssong-ah~ All I want for Christmas is you to play in the snow with me~" The last part was added in personally by Soojin. 

Soeun shift around in Soojin arms to return the embrace. The snow may seem cool to see and roll around in, but with Soojin in her arms and the cold becoming non-existent, the dancer just wants to stay in and sleep until the afternoon. 

"I don't wanna. Let's just stay inside and keep warm." Her voice was still coated in drowsiness. 

"Please?" The blood rushed to Soeun's ears as Soojin's breath blew against it as the older whispered into it. "For me?"

Opening one eye, she saw the doctor copying Jihyo's death weapon. Her eyes had the hopeful glint as she extended her bottom lip out. It reminded Soeun of a little white teacup puppy, making it hard to withstand the urge of saying yes. But she was a er for the girl she's in love with. 

"Could I just get five more minutes?" She wanted a bit more time with Soojin wrapped around her. 

Tucking herself under Soeun's chin, Soojin agreed, "okay." 

Soeun couldn't stop herself from grinning and went back to sleep to savor those extra five minutes. 

--

Dressed up in winter gear from their heads to their toes, they exit the apartment building and was greeted with thick blankets of white snow. Being born in autumn, snow didn't really appeal to Soeun compared to Soojin, who was born in this freezing season. But when she watched as the older rush into the falling snow with the biggest smile, Soeun thought that maybe there was something appealing about winter and its white frozen water after all. 

"Let's make a snowman!" Her unnie took hold of her hand and dragged her into the soft, white ice. 

Soeun laughed at her childish wants, but went along with it anyway. "I'll make it with you if you teach me how since I'm not much of a pro at building snowmen." 

"Lucky for you. I might be a professional." Soojin's voice was oozing with confidence. She kneeled down to bundle and pat together the soft snow into a decent size snowball. 

Cute. Soeun observed on how concentrated the shorter looked, by the looks of her slightly biting on her bottom lip and her brows knitted together. 

Soojin huffed out her cheek at Soeun once she was done setting up the beginning snowball. "Yah, don't sit there! Help me!" Grabbing a bit of snow beside her, she threw it at the younger. 

Dodging the attack, Soeun surrendered, "ok, ok!" Soeun trudged her way through the snow to Soojin. 

Rolling and bundling, they were able to get two large snowballs. They searched around for the essential supplies of sticks and rocks, then decorated their winter creation as they joked around and laughed. 

"This must be the best snowmen I've built." Soojin dusted off her mittens covered in bits of snow. 

The snowmen wasn't... the best, to say the least. Due to the uneven ground, the snow creation was unbalanced and dangerously tiled forward. Its stick arms were far too short and appeared as studs. The rocks used for the eyes, mouth, and buttons threatened to fall out of its place. And last, but not least, the snowman didn't seem to have a nose - Soeun did try to add in the nose, but a side of the head started to collapse (leading to the snowman having a much smaller head size). 

Soeun gave her a side-eye. "You're not much of a professional snowman builder if you think this was the best one." It was her way of teasing, of course. 

Rolling her eyes, Soojin delivered a jab Soeun on her side before beaming at her. "The best because this is the first one we've ever made together." Then she went to fix one of the eyes that had fallen off. 

There she goes messing with my heart again for the nth time. Soeun's burned red, and that was not because of the cold weather.

"Want to make snow angels?" Soojin suggested as she was already laying down on her back, looking up at Soeun with her giddy smile.

For someone who seen snow many times before, it seems like it was her first time.  But it was one of the rare times Soeun got to see the usual charismatic medical professional act like a child and not stressing about her piles of paperwork, so she joining the older on the snow. 

They waved their limbs around from side to side, creating wide indents. Snowflakes softly rained down from the gray clouds in the sky on their joyful faces. With the snow melting under their backs due to their natural body heat, Soeun began to feel herself freezing, but with Soojin next to her in pure bliss, she can endure it for the other just a bit longer. 

If snow angels exist, I think Soojin unnie's one for sure. She glanced at the said girl next to her. 

"You're spacing out again, Ssong-ah." Soojin turned to her. "A penny for a thought?" 

Shaking her head, Soeun stared into the sky, blinking away the fallen snow that fell into her eyes. "Nothing. You're just beautiful, that's all." She meant every word of it because no matter what, Soojin is always beautiful to her. 

"Oh? And where is this coming from?" Moving onto her side, Soojin looked at her with blushed cheeks. 

"Nowhere in particular. I just felt like saying it." Soeun tried to act cool again, placing back on an indifferent facade, and shrugged her shoulders. 

Soojin was already used to this type of Soeun. "Alright, whatever you say." She reto her back as she huffed. 

For a few more minutes, they laid there in enjoying each other's presence.

--

After their snowy shenanigans, they had retreated into the warmth of their apartment. Slipping off their wet shoes and hooking their padded coats, they headed to their own respective rooms to change into new clothes. 

Halfway pulling her arms into her sleeves, Soeun heard her phone ring and vibrate against the hardwood of her desk. She went to check the caller after successfully getting her arm through. Her eyes widened at the caller tag in surprise and accepted the call eagerly. 

"Hello?" She answered through the mic of the mobile device and patiently waited for a response. 

"Soeunnie?" It was a voice of a young woman that she was familiar with, and Soeun couldn't help, but to tear up. It's been years since she last heard it. 

"Yeah. It's me, unnie." She sat down on the edge of the bed when she felt like her legs were giving out. 

The fact that her older sister was contacting her after going their separate ways was difficult to believe. As they grew older, Soeun accepted the reality of them no longer being together and continued down the path towards her dream as her beloved older sister took the opposite path. Both sisters being quite different from each other; one being interested in becoming a worldwide journalist with the desire to see and explore every inch of the world, and the other wanting to become known for the arts of dancing. She tried her hardest to keep in contact, but their conflicting schedules made it impossible. And later, she stopped trying all together. 

"Soeunnie? You stil there?" Her unnie's voice was quiet and calm; completely the oppsite of hers. 

"Yeah." Soeun managed out, the hot tears began to roll down her cheeks. Her hands held onto the phone tightly as if she was scared to let it go. 

"Calm down, don't cry. Deep breaths." Her sister tried to comfort her, but the sound of her sniffs and the cracking of her voice told Soeun she was also crying. 

Soeun said in a soft voice, "I missed you." It was something she's been meaning to say before her emotions got the best of her. 

"I missed you, too. And I'm so sorry I've never found the time to be able to call you because of the series of flights and jetlag, but I wanted you to know I've always been hoping for the perfect chance to call you everyday."  

That made Soeun release everything she bottled up. She found life hard without her older sibling, considering they had spent their entire lifes together everyday from morning to night and until the next day. Every hardship she had encountered during her career as a choreographer was hard to overcome, but she refused to let her walls collapse and kept her head high. And those were the times she needed a source of strength and reassurance, in which her sister provided. So, her absence broke her the most. That is, until she found a certain someone she was able to rely on (and that same person was across the hall from her). 

Soeun took deep breaths and wiped her tears dry, knowing her sister probably didn't have much time to stay on the phone. "What made you think this was the perfect chance to call out of all those chances in the world?" It wasn't a harsh remark. She asked out of pure curiosity. 

"Let's say a little birdie told me the perfect time I would be able to call you from wherever I am." 

Now, who would that be? Soeun didn't think was possible for one of her friends to be able to contact her older sister, especially when they bare knew much about her. So, the only one that possibly knew how was- No way, she did not. 

"I'm guessing her plan on getting you up this early worked." Soeun listened as her sister laughed. "I've heard from mom and dad that she's amazing and exceeded their expectations, and that grandma even loves her." 

So, it was Soojin unnie. Maybe she was right about her being an angel, after all. "Yeah, I blame it on her love for snow." Soeun grinned as the memory of Soojin smiling earlier flashed in her mind. 

"I wish I could meet her one day, and see just how much my baby sister had fallen for her." And now, Soeun thinks her cheeks and ears would never turn back to it's normal shade. 

"W-what are you talking about?" The dancer hopes her room was soundproof as Soojin was still present in the same relative area as her. 

She heard her unnie puff out a breath of annoyance. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. I heard the stories from our parents right after you introduced her to them. And they're even shocked that you weren't dating her yet. Just when are you going to finally ask her out?" 

Sighing, Soeun replied, "I wonder the same thing, unnie." 

"And what's stopping you?" 

"The world apparently," blurted out Soeun. 

She heard as anguishing groan on the other side of the line. "And you let that stop you? You're the most stubborn person I know on earth, even when mom and dad opposed of you pursuing dance and you still went and majored in dance anyway."

This conversation was similar to the one she had with Jaehee a couple days ago before the cookie disaster happened. And after the rude interruption, it made her both more irritated yet also stubborn to achieve her goal on confessing before this year was over. Only if their friends weren't such a distraction and actually gave more helpful advice. 

"I promise you it won't. It'll take more than the world to stop me from confessing to her." She said it in a whisper in fear of Soojin overhearing her from anywhere inside the complex. 

"Good, because I want to meet her with the both of you in a relationship, not friends or anything in between." If they were both were talking about this in person, Soeun could guarantee that the older Park sibling would be giving her the 'I expect it to be done' look while pointing at her. 

"Alright, alright." The first call from her sister, and she received a lecture from her. It was not anything she expected after years ghosting. 

"Good." She heard another person's voice in the background telling her older sister she needed to prepare to hop on their flight. "Alright. Well Soeunnie, I have to go, but I wish you an early Merry Christmas, and make sure you tell her." 

Soeun smiled sadly. "Ok, I hope you have a good flight. And Merry Christmas to you, too. I'll talk to you next time when we have another chance." 

"Ok, bye bye, Soeunnie." Her sister bids farewell. 

"Bye, unnie." Soeun says her goodbye as the line soon cut off, ending the call. 

It was only for a short time, but it felt good to finally to talk to her sister again. And she was more than grateful for this opportunity. 

And now, I have someone to thank for all of this. Soeun stood back onto her feet and stepped out of her room. 

--

Soojin was already waiting in the living room with her laptop on her lap. The older seemed busy from the clicking noises due to the tips of her fingers typing on the keypad. She was wearing yet another of Soeun's hoodies and had a blanket covering her legs. 

Their shared apartment felt cozier. With the fireplace set ablaze, it was decorated with adorable Christmas knickknacks and red and green stockings dangling from the top edge. A fake evergreen strip covered with little bulbs of lights s around their picture frames with photos of themselves and their friends. They had only done light holiday decorating and agreed to wait until Christmas Eve to fully fest up their apartment with the help of their friends - apparently it was their turn to hold the party this year. 

"Whatcha doing?" Joining her on the couch, Soeun sat next to her and leaned to peek at the screen. It was a medical diagnose document filled with advance scientific terms, which made Soeun's head spin at the complexity. "More paperwork?" 

Soojin shook her head in disagreement. "I just thought I could take some time reorganizing some files while I waited for you to finish your call." Gliding her finger on the trackpad, she clicked down on it to save her new file, then shut the electronic and moved it on the stand next to her. Moving her attention to the younger, she asked, "how was it, by the way?" 

"It was nice to talk to her again." Soeun laid down and placed her on Soojin's lap in replacement of the laptop. "Thanks, Soojin unnie. I don't know what I could do to ever repay you." She stared up at the older with the biggest smile she can mutter. 

"No need, Ssong-ah. Just think of it as an early Christmas present from me." Soojin combed her fingers through the choreographer's brown locks with an endearing gaze. 

"How did you even get a hold of her?" Soeun held onto Soojin's other hand and relaxed at the soothing feeling of the other's fingers rubbing against her scalp. "Because I don't remember ever giving you my sister's number before."

Soojin shrugged. "I asked your grandma for her phone number, then had to make a few phone calls at different times until she finally picked up." 

Astonished, Soeun intertwined their fingers together - a perfect fit. "And you took the time to do that... for me?"

"Of course, I did. I know how much it means for you to talk to your sister again."

There it was. The way her eyes curved upwards. The scrunching of her nose. The gummy smile. Something sparked the fireworks in her stomach because there's no way this girl was real because she had to be one of God's lost angels - she would never get tired of repeating it. 

God, I love this girl. Yes, the same girl that had earned her parents' approval and captured her dear grandma's heart. Considering that's hard to do since it was her relatives. Heck, even her unnie wanted to meet her in person.

This had Soeun finding herself falling deeper in love with the young doctor. And it was equivalent to quicksand, where once you fell in, you could never get out and could only sink deeper into the sand. And that's what exactly what it seems like to Soeun right now - a trap without a way out. 

I want to say it to her now. No, I need to say it to her now. She felt her confidence build up more she studied Soojin's facial features. 

"I have the kneel set up for hot chocolate. And I think it should be-" 

"Soojin unnie." Soeun called out, giving the older's hand a light squeeze. 

"Y-Yeah?" The medical profession was confused on the sudden shift of atmosphere. "What is it, Ssong-ah?" 

Alright, Park Soeun. Nothing can stop you now. Taking a deep breath, Soeun says, "I'm in lo-" 

The sound of their kennel boiling cut her off. 

"Wait, hold that thought for a second." Forcing Soeun to sit up from her lap, Soojin rushed to attend to the steaming boiler. 

Quietly, Soeun took out her frustration on the poor sofa pillow after getting interrupted yet again. Even without her friends' presence and horrible advice, it still ended up in another failed attempt. And she was over hundred percent sure this time was going to be it. The entire world is literally trying to stop her. And she was right.

Soojin came back with mugs of hot chocolate, topped with fluffy whipped cream and mini marshmallows. 

"Here you are." She passed one mug to Soeun, who took it as if she didn't unleashed her troubles on the pillow nearby. "Now, what were you saying earlier?" 

Her ego was already bruised from the interruption, and now, her confidence tanked. "That... I'm in love with your hot chocolate." She lied. 

Soojin gave her an odd look. "Ok...? It's just our usual pack mixed with hot water though...?" She took a sip, still eyeing Soeun weirdly. 

"Just forget I ever said anything." The younger took a nice long sip out of her own mug. 

"Ok...?" Soojin reached for the remote and the television for any Christmas reruns. 

Maybe next- No. There's no point of saying that anymore. More like I will confess one day. Then Soeun joined the other in watching a Christmas sitcom rerun. 

--

Merry Christmas Eve from me! :D