1.

Yuna massaged her forehead, trying to soothe the pain in her head. It felt like she had been hit in the head to put her to sleep.

“So, this is the hangover,” she thought. It was not amused.

She patted the bed, finding it empty. Yuna could have sworn she'd slept with Ryujin, but she didn't remember much after snuggling with Ryujin and the rest to watch movies.

She made an effort to open her eyes and sit up on the edge of the bed, slowly. She groaned at the twinge of pain up there. On the bedside table was a glass of water and a pill, along with a note.

“This pill is an aspirin. Take it along with the whole glass of water, it will help with the hangover. <3”

Yuna sketched a sleepy smile and did as the note indicated. She then went to the bathroom to energetically scrub her teeth and tongue to leave her breath fresh, minty. She washed her face and went to the dorm kitchen. Yeji and Chaeryeong were on the couches. Yuna greeted them and replied that she felt good when asked.

She sat on one of the high chairs at the counter, and on the other side of the counter were Ryujin and Jisu, preparing food.

“Good morning,” Yuna said.

“Good morning, Yuna-yah,” Jisu replied, sending her an air kiss to which Yuna let out a short laugh.

Ryujin stopped what she was doing and walked around the counter, planting herself next to Yuna. She turned to face Ryujin, who curled up and kissed her. tasted minty.

“Good morning, my life,” Ryujin said when the kiss was over.

“Hello, love,” Yuna said smiling.

Ryujin put her hands on Yuna’s head and started to move them carefully.

“How are you? Do you have a headache?” she asked.

“A little. Thank you for the aspirin,” Yuna said, putting her own hands on top of Ryujin's hands.

Ryujin kissed her head, to which Yuna hummed softly, happily.

“Don't look at the phone too long if you want it to go away fast,” Ryujin said. “I'm not an expert on drunkenness and hangovers, but it will help.”

Yuna nodded and pulled Ryujin in for another kiss, shorter than the last one.

“I understand, thank you. Are you okay?”

“Same dull headache we all have, but no big deal. Don't worry.”

Yuna gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

“It's fine.”

Ryujin gave her a smile before returning to the kitchen. Yuna was busy watching her cook. Ryujin frowned in concentration and mumbled to herself on occasion, gestures that Yuna always found interesting.

Everything Ryujin did was interesting.

“Girls, I have news that could be considered good news,” Yeji shouted from the living room.

The three girls in the kitchen exchanged questioning glances. Before any of them could say anything, Yeji and Chaeryeong appeared on the scene.

“The police managed to find out that Seok-neul had two assistants,” Yeji said.

Just the reporter's name alone was enough to make Yuna, Ryujin and Jisu become enraptured. It was a name that none of the five girls were happy to hear.

“It seems that Seok-neul herself mentioned them by accident, but their names were enough for the police to find them. A woman and a man, the first named Eun-suk and the second, Han-soo,” Yeji continued. “They deny being involved or knowing anything about what he planned to do to Ryujin,” all the girls glanced at the aforementioned.

Ryujin put her hand to her stomach, a place Yuna recognized perfectly. The place of the first stabbing.

“According to our manager, they seemed to be sincere about it,” Yeji said.

“To put us in the picture, those... bastards,” Ryujin pronounced the rudeness with some reluctance, but no one scolded her, “still harassed Yuna and me.”

“Right,” Chaeryeong said, “and the best thing to do would be to file a lawsuit for harassment/defamation or complicity and a restraining order.”

“The restraining order will fall for sure,” Jisu interjected.

Yuna searched Ryujin with her eyes. She was scrunching the bridge of her nose, frowning.

“How disgusted I am to talk about this,” she said. “I'll have to consult with my lawyer. If there's any chance of winning a defamation or harassment suit, or getting a restraining order, then I'll do it,” she looked at Yuna, asking her with her eyes what she was thinking.

“We have the same lawyer on this,” Yuna said. “However, let me just say that, if those two swear never to come near us again, I'll call it a day.”

Yuna just wanted to get rid of that chain once and for all.

Ryujin nodded at her words.

“We'll see, but as long as they never appear in my field of vision, I'll be satisfied. Winning a defamation suit against them will be difficult and a headache.”

“I sent the images of both of them to the group anyway,” Yeji said. “Just in case.”

Ryujin suddenly raised a hand, drawing everyone's attention.

“As long as they’re not like their boss…” she said.

“Avoid saying his name,” Yuna pointed out in her mind. She had noticed it before, but she still pointed it out to herself every time.

The five girls were silent. There seemed to be nothing else to discuss.

“That's all,” Yeji said, breaking the silence.

“The food is almost done,” Jisu pointed out.

“Uh? Ah, yes,” Ryujin said, shaking her head. “Go set the table.”

With that, Yeji and Chaeryeong returned to the living room. Yuna accompanied them.

She felt uneasy.

 

---

 

“Let's see your eyes,” Ryujin said.

She unbuckled her seat belt and leaned toward Yuna, who stared into her eyes. Ryujin's eyes greeted her, critical.

“Well, they're not red and there's nothing strange about them,” she said without turning away.

“I don't think my parents will scold me for drinking, even less if I was accompanied by my unnies,” Yuna said, blinking a couple of times.

“True, true, but I want to avoid problems with my in-laws.”

Yuna's eyes bugged out.

“In-laws?” she stammered.

Ryujin raised an eyebrow.

“Sure, just like my parents are your parents. It's obvious, isn't it?”

Yuna scratched the back of her head. The truth was that it was, but she had never stopped to think about it. She liked the prospect.

“Yeah, you're right,” she said.

Ryujin smiled. She was not yet back in her seat.

“Do you have plans for the 24th?” Yuna asked.

“No, I'll stay at my place,” Ryujin said.

“Come to mine,” Yuna proposed, excited.

“If you tell me with that kind of enthusiasm…”

“Great!”

Ryujin let out a giggle and leaned even closer to kiss her. Yuna grabbed her by the neck and made sure to give her a good kiss goodbye.

“See you later, Ryujinie,” Yuna said as she pulled away.

“See you soon, my love,” Ryujin said, smiling.

Yuna got out of the car and waited for Ryujin's car to disappear before entering the house.

 

---

 

“Ryujinie, you put the star!” Yuna said.

Ryujin didn't have time to respond as Yuna threw the plastic golden star at her. Ryujin's eyes went wide with panic, but she was able to catch it on the fly.

Yuna gawked at her, to which Ryujin smiled smugly.

“Did you expect anything less from me?”

Yuna rolled her eyes, smiling.

“Be quiet and finish the tree,” she said cheerfully, pointing to the top of the Christmas tree.

Ryujin walked over to it, reached out with the star in her hand… and realized that she didn't reach the tip.

Her smug smile faded as Yuna burst out laughing.

Ryujin looked around, thankful that Yuna's parents weren't around to see the pathetic situation.

“You knew I wouldn't make it,” she reproached Yuna.

Yuna showed her the tip of her tongue and walked over to Ryujin.

“Maybe so,” she said. “Give it back to me: I'll put it in.”

She reached out to take the star, but Ryujin dodged it.

“Nah, I'll find a bench,” she said, stubborn.

Before Yuna could protest, she was already carrying a chair. Her cane rested on the couch. She didn't need it to walk around the house.

She mounted the chair and placed the star at the top of the tree. She raised a fist, triumphant, and Yuna grabbed her hips to help her down. She didn't let Ryujin go when she reached the floor. Instead, she kissed her. Ryujin melted and reciprocated, Yuna’s arms.

They kept the same position as their mouths parted, looking into each other's eyes.

Ryujin spread a smile across her face.

“What about the mistletoe” she asked.

Yuna looked above her, where there was nothing.

“We don't need it,” she replied. “Although if you want, I can fill the house with them. Then I can kiss you every moment.”

Ryujin chuckled and stood on her tiptoes to give her another kiss.

“It would take you a whole day to fill the ceiling.

“It's worth it.”

Ryujin shook her head, still smiling, and pulled away from her. Soon after, footsteps sounded.

“Ah, you finished,” Yuna's father said.

“Good job,” Yuna's mother congratulated. “When will your friends arrive, girls?”

Ryujin looked at the clock. Three o'clock in the afternoon.

“In an hour and a half or so,” Yuna said. “We'll go get ready.”

That said, she took Ryujin's hand and they went to the room together. Ryujin gave a kind smile to Yuna's parents, who returned it energetically.

To save time and mainly for pleasure, they showered together.

“I really like the smell of your shampoo,” Ryujin said as Yuna began to lather her hair.

“I know, I love it too,” Yuna replied.

Ryujin reached out her hands and plunged them into her hair. Yuna dropped her hands to her sides and closed her eyes, letting Ryujin wash her hair.

“The smell of oranges… on you smells spectacular.”

Yuna hummed lazily.

“You should try it,” she said.

“No, it wouldn't suit me.”

“You can't know unless you try it.”

“It's not just the shampoo. It's also your own smell, the smell of Yuna... It combines with the smell of the oranges.”

“And what would come out if it combined with the scent of Ryujin? There's only one way to find out.”

Ryujin let out a low chuckle.

“You win.”

She stood silently for a minute, washing Yuna's hair and contemplating her. Strands of hair constantly stuck to her face, and Ryujin brushed them away when it happened.

“It's your turn,” Ryujin said.

Yuna opened her eyes and immediately got down to work. As she washed Ryujin's hair, she scratched her head, which Ryujin thanked her for with a hum of delight. She had lost count of how many times she had fallen asleep with Yuna scratching her head while they watched a movie.

Fifteen minutes later, they were out of the bathroom. Through a game of rock-paper-scissors they decided who would use the hair dryer first.

“Gee!” Yuna said as she lost.

“Gee?” Ryujin repeated.

“Yes.”

“That's not how you say it.”

“What's it like, then?”

“.”

Yuna snorted.

“That's what you say. I can't believe you kiss your mom with that mouth.”

“I kiss you too, and don't tell me it doesn't taste spectacular.”

“I won't deny it, and I won't deny that you're a little pain sometimes.”

“You're a little pain sometimes," Ryujin mimicked, her voice getting higher.

“Agh, now! Let me comb your hair.”

“Weeell.”

Ryujin sat on the edge of the bed and Yuna sat behind her. The sound of the dryer soon took over the room. The warm air kissed the back of the neck and the back of Ryujin's head, who found it satisfying.

Yuna tugged at the knots in her hair with the brush, at which she had to restrain herself from letting out an oath.

“You didn't swear! Good girl,” Yuna said, raising her voice to make herself heard over the dryer.

Ryujin let out a grumpy growl.

“I won't say anything because it's the only way to avoid bigger knots,” she replied in the same volume.

“Right, honey.”

Ryujin felt a tug on her hair.

“Oh, it's not for you to be a brute either!”

Yuna laughed and ran her hand through Ryujin's hair.

“It's soft,” she said. “And the length…!”

Ryujin smiled proudly at the admiration Yuna's words emanated. Ryujin's hair, which she hadn't cut since Crazy in Love era, reached below her s, a length she had never reached before. She had cut it shortly before the attack on her person, when she thought she would have a comeback soon, an action she regretted. She stung to think that it would have gone lower if she hadn't cut it off.

“That's it,” Yuna said.

“It's my turn,” Ryujin said.

She switched positions with Yuna. She looked carefully for the knots in Yuna's hair to get rid of them, earning interjections from Yuna even though she was being as careful as possible.

“Your hair does have an enviable length,” Ryujin said.

“Hu, hu. I'm thinking of cutting it off a couple of centimeters…”

Ryujin pouted in protest.

“Or better not,” Yuna finished.

“I'm kidding. If you want to do it, then do it. The tips, right?”

“Yes, they're opening up in some places.”

“Then it's better to cut them off.”

Ryujin found it relaxing to talk about trivia. She thought it was a good sign that her life was normal, so she didn't get bored with such banalities. After the hectic year she had had, she required normalcy again.

Ryujin checked her messages when she was done. There was one from Yeji, in which she said they would be there in fifteen minutes.

“Either we've been fast, or they've been too slow,” Ryujin thought absently.

“What do we do in the meantime?” she asked Yuna.

“Kiss each other,” she proposed.

A smile spread across Ryujin's face. She sat on the bed, and Yuna sat on her lap. Soon, no sound could be heard in the room, not even the sound of their kisses, as they were calm and slow.

In these kinds of moments, Ryujin would let her mind go blank and let herself go. Whether they were leisurely kisses, driven by just the need to feel the other lips, or the fiery, sloppy kisses, whipped up by passion, Ryujin wasn’t bored. One had its own peculiarities, as well as the other, though all shared the base: longing. Longing to pour out the infinite love that built up deep within her heart.

Ryujin forced herself to pull away, panting softly. Yuna let out heavy breaths.

She had lost track of time (not unusual for such a moment), but she guessed it had been about five minutes. She touched her lips and looked at Yuna's lips.

“If we're careless, we'll end up with swollen lips,” Ryujin said.

“Ugh, I want to go on, but I don't want to risk what happened last time.”

Ryujin let out a chuckle at the memory. She and Yuna had spent fifteen minutes making out on Yuna’s bed when Yuna's mother called them to eat. Ryujin and Yuna had to do their best to keep their swollen lips from showing at the table.

“That's where we learned not to kiss each other to death before dinner,” Ryujin said.

Yuna let out a laugh and nudged her shoulder lightly.

“One more won't make a difference,” Yuna said.

She cupped Ryujin's face and kissed her once more. Ryujin let out a pleased sigh and placed her hands on Yuna's upper back. When the kiss broke, Yuna ran her fingers across Ryujin's face. She touched her left cheekbone, and Ryujin felt perfectly how her finger dipped a centimeter deeper than normal.

After she withdrew her hand, Ryujin herself touched her left cheekbone. It was like touching a loose tooth with her tongue or the space left after it fell out, an unconscious act.

“You're a very good kisser,” Ryujin said, looking Yuna in the eyes and her back.

“I'd say I learned from you, but I remember we were both clumsy at first.”

“That's because, well, you were my first kiss.”

Yuna blinked in surprise.

“Really?”

Ryujin nodded.

“I could have sworn you've kissed before,” Yuna said incredulously.

“No,” Ryujin said. “Never.”

“Why?”

Ryujin cocked her head.

“I didn't have time for romantic relationships when I was an apprentice, and I've been in love with you since we debuted, so there you go.”

“Oh,” Yuna said, “that makes sense.”

“And you?”

“I wasn't interested in any of that until I liked you.”

“Am I your first kiss?”

Yuna cupped her face once more and pressed her forehead to Ryujin's.

“My first everything,” Yuna whispered.

Ryujin inhaled sharply, feeling the joy run through her from top to bottom.

“I love you,” Ryujin said.

“I love you, Ryujinie.”

Yuna let go of her face and Ryujin took the opportunity to rub her nose with Yuna's nose. Then she rested her head on Yuna's chest, with her ear directly on her heart. She closed her eyes as Yuna wrapped her in a tight embrace. She listened to Yuna's serene heartbeat until she remembered that a visitor was coming soon.

“Damn, now I just want to stay like this for the rest of the day,” Ryujin said.

“I'd tell you if you want, I'll tell my unnies not to come, but I want to see them.”

Ryujin laughed.

“I want to see them too, so we'd better get moving.”

“Ten more seconds?”

“Make it twenty.”

“I agree.”

 

---

 

After dinner, the five of them were talking for a long time in the living room, drinking hot chocolate and with the Christmas tree lights frolicking on their features. Yeji, Jisu and Chaeryeong left around nine in the evening.

“It's beautiful,” Yuna said, fascinated, as they walked out the front door to see the three girls off.

Snowflakes were falling by the thousands, possibly millions. Houses, balconies, yards, yards, cars, the street itself, everything was blanketed in a thick layer of snow.

“An hour later and the streets will be impassable,” Yeji said. She was the only one who hadn't gotten into the car. She turned to the couple. Have a good night. Remember to bundle up and such.”

She gave Yuna a hug, whispering something that made her laugh, and then hugged Ryujin.

“I love you,” she said before getting into the car.

“We love you too, unnie,” Yuna said with a genuine smile on her lips.

Ryujin nodded, without saying anything.

“How hard it is to get an I love you out of Ryujin-ah,” Yeji said, in a mock hurt voice.

Ryujin rolled her eyes.

“I love you, unnie,” she said.

Yeji smiled widely, surprising Ryujin, could she provoke that much with a simple phrase? Although she also liked it when people nearby told her that they loved her.

She smiled back at Yeji and said goodbye one last time to Jisu and Chaeryeong, as did Yuna.

“Ryujin,” Yuna said as the carriage disappeared. “Is it too late to play with the snow?”

Ryujin held out her hand and let a few snowflakes accumulate in it. They began to melt instantly from her body heat.

“No,” she answered. “Let's get our coats and gloves.”

 

---

 

There weren't many people in the park near Yuna's house, so they had no trouble finding a secluded area on the grass, illuminated by the white light of the street lamps.

Yuna plopped down in the snow and began to move her arms and legs.

“An angel comes first,” she said.

Ryujin lay down a couple of meters away and imitated her. While they were at it, Yuna could only see the black night sky. There were no stars, which for Yuna was a good sign: the sky was covered with clouds, which allowed for snowfall.

“Maybe it's too early to say,” Yuna said, "but it's the best Christmas I've ever had.”

“I don't doubt it. For me it is the best.”

“Why?”

Ryujin laughed.

“You know. You just want me to say it.”

Yuna smiled.

“Because you're with me,” Ryujin said after a few seconds.

Yuna bit her lower lip. She wanted to scream with happiness. At that level she was excited when Ryujin said that kind of thing.

“For the same reason I think it's my favorite Christmas. I've always had good Christmases…”

“Me too.”

“Luckily for both of us, but it's the first time I've shared Christmas with someone outside of my family.”

“Yes, and that it's just with the love of my life is just fascinating.”

Had Yuna mentioned that she melted with love when Ryujin called her the love of her life?

“The love of my life,” Yuna savored the title. “I am pleased to tell you that you are also the love of my life.”

“You don't know how happy it makes me to hear you say it.”

“If it's anything like what I feel, then I can understand it.”

“I'd eat you up with kisses if we weren't in a public place.”

“There's no one around here.”

Ryujin took a few seconds to respond.

“That means we can make snowmen.”

“I didn't mean that, but I'll buy it.”

That said, Yuna stood up and admired her snow angel, perfectly outlined on the snowy mantle. She took a picture of it and then took one of Ryujin while Ryujin was still lying in the snow.

Ryujin stood up and scanned her snow angel.

“Perfect, like everything I do,” was her verdict.

Yuna snorted and Ryujin laughed at her reaction.

“Go back to lie down on yours to take a picture,” she said when she stopped laughing.

Yuna did so, smiling for the camera.

“An angel creating another angel,” Ryujin said as she took the picture.

“Aw, thank you.”

Yuna made a gesture to stand up, but a second later Ryujin was on top of her. She brought her face closer with an inexorable step and kissed Yuna. She grabbed her arms and sighed. Ryujin's lips were cold, something Yuna didn't notice until the second kiss.

Ryujin rolled to sit beside her. Her breath condescended in front of her in the form of a whitish cloud and her cheeks were rosy.

“It's what you wanted. It was good,” she said.

Yuna sat in the snow, touching her lips and looking around. A couple of people seemed to have looked at them, causing her to feel a wave of embarrassment. Despite this, she was able to continue kissing Ryujin without any problem.

“They saw us,” Yuna said.

Ryujin shrugged her shoulders.

“And? Life is too short not to do this kind of thing even once.”

Yuna smiled slyly.

“I still feel embarrassed.”

“Remember there's a video of the two of us making out like possessed women going around for almost a year now.”

“Reporter son of a…” Yuna mumbled. That video, despite JYP's efforts to eradicate it from all websites, kept coming up again and again.

“Well, I don't think the police will be called or anything because two people kissed in public.”

“You're right. Hey, let's write something in the snow.”

“Sure! I have an idea for that. “

They both got up and undid the angels, leaving the snow smooth again, like a canvas ready to be painted.

Ryujin grabbed her staff and drew a big heart in the snow with it.

“Who knew this thing could be so useful,” she commented as she worked.

She had to redo the work from scratch as it came out asymmetrical, at which she complained aloud, making Yuna laugh.

“Now!” she said when she finished.

Yuna evaluated it. It was perfect.

“It's my turn,” she said.

Ryujin held out the cane and she took it.

“What do I put inside?” Yuna asked, undecided.

“Whatever you want. Maybe the classic.”

So Yuna wrote RYUJIN <3 YUNA inside, adding in the extra space below a happy face.

“Very nice, my love,” Ryujin said, hugging her from the side.

Yuna hugged her back, smiling.

“I want to put RyuNa now,” she said.

“I 2Shin,” Ryujin said.

“Why do you want to put a mathematical formula inside a heart? That's unromantic.”

“You're a pain sometimes," Ryujin growled.

Yuna let out a mocking chuckle.

“No more than you, curmudgeon,” she replied.

Ryujin started to walk away.

“Where are you going?”

“Home! I don't want to do anything anymore,” Ryujin raised her voice in a sulk.

“And I'm the youngest?” Yuna muttered to herself. “Hey, let's do both!”

Ryujin stopped in place and turned around, wearing a triumphant little smile.

“Okay,” she said.

Yuna rolled her eyes and started drawing another heart next to the first one. This time it was Ryujin who wrote the inside.

2Shin was here :p

Then Ryujin drew one more heart, and Yuna put something similar inside.

RyuNa was here too :D

“I swear,” Ryujin said, contemplating the hearts in the snow, “I feel like the happiest person in the world right now.”

Yuna felt peace. From Ryujin's words, from the snow falling silently around, from feeling herself relaxed and carefree.

“I understand that feeling,” Yuna said softly.

After photographing the three hearts, Yuna looked at the time. Ten o'clock at night.

“We'd better get back now,” she said.

“Okay. Let's leave the hearts here; the snow will erase them in a while anyway.”

With that, Yuna handed the staff back to Ryujin and took her left arm. Thus, Ryujin and Yuna retraced their way to the latter's house at a leisurely pace.

 

---

 

Once changed into casual but equally warm clothes, Ryujin and Yuna sat down to watch Christmas movies in the living room. Yuna's mother had left them hot chocolate which, in Ryujin's opinion, was exquisite.

They were curled up in the middle of the couch, Ryujin wrapped around Yuna's arms. There was an equal chance that the positions would be reversed. Even though Yuna was taking more and more inches out of Ryujin, the older Shin still loved to cuddle Yuna on the couch or on the bed.

“Do you have a present for me?” Yuna asked when the first movie was over.

“Aren't you too old for that?”

“No.”

Ryujin chuckled.

“Let's see…” she said, putting a thoughtful finger to her chin. “Your present is me.”

Yuna pouted low.

“You've been mine for a long time.”

Had Ryujin mentioned how much she loved hearing that?

“Right, right. Well, maybe you should check under the Christmas tree,” she said, turning to Yuna.

Yuna straightened up and looked at her with eyes full of surprise.

“Although it's not Christmas yet, technically,” Ryujin said quietly, smiling inwardly.

Yuna pouted again, this one more audibly.

“Go on, then,” Ryujin conceded, standing up. “Let's bring Christmas forward.”

Yuna squealed excitedly and jumped up from the couch.

Ryujin followed her over to the little tree, which was sending colorful lights across the walls and floor. There was what appeared to be a box, wrapped in wrapping paper, on the carpet of the Christmas tree.

Yuna took it and tore the wrapping paper when Ryujin nodded to confirm that this was the gift.

Yuna pulled two silver chains from what was indeed a case. She held them before her, and the S's hanging from the chains clinked softly against each other before continuing to sway.

“Shin,” Yuna said reverently.

“Shin,” Ryujin confirmed. “We share an unusual surname, Yuna, yet another reason to think we are destined to be together. This will remind everyone that separately we are unique, but together we are even more so. A one-in-a-million couple.”

The younger Shin stood silently, looking at the necklaces. She let out a short laugh and was silent again. In the end, she pulled Ryujin close and enveloped her in a tight embrace, one that drenched Ryujin in the familiar warmth that poured out of every pore of Yuna's body. A warmth that pierced through the robes and went straight to her skin, to her soul.

“I didn't even think I would get a gift tonight,” Yuna said, "”so I'm twice as surprised. First because you did give me something even though it wasn't necessary, and second because it's priceless.”

Ryujin dipped her head into the hollow of Yuna's neck.

“You deserve only priceless things, my darling,” Ryujin said, happy that her gift was so appreciated.

“The best Christmas in the universe,” Yuna said softly.

She broke away and handed Ryujin a necklace. She brushed Yuna's hair aside before putting said necklace on, letting Yuna do the same for her.

When she finished, Yuna took her hands, looked into her eyes and kissed her. Ryujin stood on her tiptoes, reveling in the warmth that seemed to increase with each passing moment.

The couple made their way back to the couch, this time with Ryujin embracing Yuna. There, Yuna turned her torso to face her and asked:

“Are they silver?”

“The necklaces? Yes.”

“I like that metal. I think it's perfect.”

Ryujin hummed and her hair.

“Like you,” she said.

Yuna ran her hand down the side of her face and replied:

“Like us.”

“Like us,” Ryujin repeated.

Yuna's smile dwarfed. She broke eye contact with Ryujin and said quietly, embarrassed:

“Sorry for not gifting you anything…”

Ryujin frowned and immediately rested her fingers on Yuna's jaw and with gentle but firm gesture made her look into her eyes again. She relaxed her frown as she realized that there was genuine regret in Yuna's large eyes.

“You did give me a gift," she said softly.

“What gift?” Yuna asked in a low voice, still embarrassed.

Ryujin gave the smile that existed exclusively for Yuna and undid her grip on the girl's jaw. She wrapped her arms around her and squeezed her tightly.

“Having you in my arms is the best gift I could have ever been given.”

She felt Yuna's breathing stop for a second before resuming.

“Ryujin…”

“Don't be mortified, sweetheart,” Ryujin said. “You're all I want, now and forever.”

Yuna sighed sharply against her. Soon after, Yuna hugged her and pulled her tighter against herself.

“I love you, I love you,” she said, and it seemed like she was going to cry because of the trembling in her voice.

At this, Ryujin searched her eyes, finding them shining, but not from tears. They were shining with love, love for Ryujin.

“That gaze is also a priceless gift,” Ryujin whispered inches from Yuna's face.

That gaze made Ryujin's heart leap in bliss. It caused Ryujin to feel a burning sensation, one that Ryujin wanted to keep feeling forever.

“Your words… I love them so much…” Yuna murmured with the same trembling voice.

“They're true,” Ryujin answered, “so don't worry about giving me a gift,” she grabbed Yuna by the back of her neck and pulled her close, leaving her millimeters away from her face. “You are the only gift I want because every day I feel the same euphoria when you hug me, when you kiss me.”

Yuna moved even closer and made their lips touch briefly. Two sighs came at the same time, but Ryujin continued to string words together as she pulled herself together.

“You are a gift that is given to me daily. Each day I unwrap you and jump like a little girl to see what is inside.”

This time it was Ryujin who erased the tiny distance. She gave short, successive kisses to Yuna, producing almost imperceptible pops. Growing tired of it, she kissed her deeply. Groping, she ed her coat and reached for one of Yuna's hands. She took it and guided it under her shirt, holding back a shudder as she felt Yuna's cool fingers directly touch her skin.

 

---

 

Yuna stifled a nervous gasp at the touch of Ryujin's skin. The temperature difference between her fingers and the skin of Ryujin's abdomen made Ryujin feel warm. Ryujin guided her higher, at which point Yuna broke the kiss and glanced around, her heart pounding in her chest.

“Are we going to…?”

“No,” Ryujin interrupted her. “Just… let me go on.”

Seeing the resolve in her gaze, Yuna took one last glance down the hallway to the rooms before nodding to Ryujin.

Ryujin sought her lips again and resumed guiding her hand. Yuna almost pulled her hand back, but Ryujin ended up placing it near her left . Immediately, Yuna felt the slight throbbing of Ryujin's heart against her palm.

“Do you feel it?” Ryujin asked in a whisper as she broke the kiss. “My heart?”

Yuna swallowed and nodded. Her own was beating fast, mainly because of the words Ryujin had just gifted her with moments ago. She had liked them so much that she could neither smile nor speak, only look her girlfriend in the eyes, hoping to convey the feelings through them.

“Tell me… tell me that you love me,” Ryujin asked.

Yuna hesitated, but nodded again.

“I love you, Ryujin.”

Yuna felt Ryujin's heart beat harder against her palm. It stayed like that for less than five seconds before weakening again.

“That... that's what I mean,” Ryujin explained hoarsely. “I like that fluttering in my chest when you talk to me and tell me that you love me, that you love me. That feeling that I can't explain, just show you that it's there, it's the gift you give me daily, Yuna.”

Yuna was in a daze. Her sense of inadequacy had already diminished with Ryujin's earlier words, but now it was buried miles underground, replaced by awe. She knew from the bottom of her soul that Ryujin loved her, but these kinds of moments always managed to catch her off guard. She was overwhelmed by the love Ryujin directed towards her. It was a tide that almost drowned her, but never came to such an end; it filled her lungs and made them burn with bliss.

“I can say…” Yuna said, trying to get the daze out of her voice, “I can say that I understand what you've told me and that I've felt what you wanted me to feel. Agh, how do I take away this frustration of not being able to say something better... Ah!” she took Ryujin's hand and imitated her actions, guiding it under her shirt and resting it on top of her heart.

Ryujin caught her intentions, as she declared:

“I love you.”

Yuna's heart skipped several times before calming down again.

“You see?”

Ryujin nodded, seeing the spot on Yuna's shirt underneath where her hand was.

Yuna fell silent. She closed her eyes and rested her forehead on Ryujin's, dedicating herself to feeling Ryujin's heartbeat she lowered her palm.

“Anyway,” Yuna said after a while, “I'm going to give you a walnut pastrie.”

Ryujin hummed with laughter.

“I won't complain.”

Another moment of silence fell until Ryujin said:

“We'd better get our hands out of where they are. Your parents will think we're groping each other on the family couch.”

Yuna stifled a laugh and removed her hand from under Ryujin's shirt.

“It'll be hard to explain to them that we were actually cooing at each other as if our lives depended on it.”

Ryujin withdrew her hand and shook her head, a smile plastered on her face at the fictitious scenario.

Yuna adjusted her shirt and coat. She gave Ryujin one last kiss before settling into her arms and resuming the movie.

 

3.

 

“Do you do the head or the body first?” Ryujin asked.

Yuna leaned from side to side, thinking about the answer.

“The body,” she said at last. “Because what if you make the head too small?”

“You add more snow, duh,” Ryujin said.

“Hey! You know I don't like it when you use that hateful tone.”

“And that's why I use it," Ryujin said with a challenging smile.

Yuna didn't deign to continue the same argument. Ryujin liked to antagonize her on some things, so it was better to ignore her.

“Don't sulk, Yuna-yah,” Ryujin said noticing her face. “Let's do the body.”

Yuna let out a humph and stood up. She stood admiring the courtyard of Ryujin's house once again. The tree in the corner had completely bare branches, and its base was surrounded by snow. The table had fared no better in its fight against the snow, for its legs were covered in it.

Covered in snow and with the faint holyday Sun illuminating it, the courtyard was silent, still.

"It sure is a nice place," Yuna thought in reference to the location of Ryujin's house. Hers didn't experience as much peace often being in an area of Suwon where the hustle and bustle of people was constant.

She put her inconsequential musings aside and began to gather snow. She looked for the softest one, which was the one at the top. She carried it to the small mound Ryujin had and, when they had enough, they made a ball.

“Is that about the right size?” Ryujin asked.

Yuna weighed it with her eyes.

“Bigger?” Ryujin asked as she looked at Yuna.

Yuna nodded.

“Ok!” Ryujin said happily.

A while later, both girls had fattened the snowman's body considerably. Then she touched the head, which took less time.

“I'll get some stones and a carrot,” Ryujin said, pointing to the house.

“Okay, honey," Yuna replied, smiling at her.

Ryujin smiled back and walked into the house, walking without her cane, which rested on top of the patio table. She only used it when they went for a walk.

Seeing Ryujin walk with her confident, upright demeanor despite the cold instilled reassurance, even more than she felt, in Yuna.

She cleaned the surroundings of the snowman's body while Ryujin came. When she arrived, she was holding a carrot in one hand and several small black stones in the other.

“Where are the stones from?” Yuna asked.

“From my cats' litter box,” Ryujin answered without hesitation.

Yuna pierced her with her gaze, one that silently asked: are you kidding?

Ryujin laughed.

“It's a joke. Take a good look at them.”

She held out a handful to Yuna who, having them in front of her, realized that they were not stones. They were very flat and not black as she had thought.

“Sunflower seeds,” she said.

“Yep.”

“I've never used them for this,” Yuna said, crouching down to be level with the snowman.

“They work pretty well,” Ryujin said, mimicking her.

Yuna stuck out the tip of her tongue in an unconscious gesture of concentration. She gave Ryujin a quick glance, not surprised to see her frown. That was how one noticed she was focused on something.

When she finished, they both stood up and contemplated her work.

Yuna let out her joy in a laugh and hugged Ryujin sideways. She looked at her for a moment without so much as a smile.

“It looked pretty,” she said.

“Yeah!” Yuna confirmed.

She had waited two years to play with snow again, and she was having the time of her life. More so, since Ryujin was her playmate. She imagined the following winters doing the same thing, and the prospect, far from seeming boring, excited her.

“