“Is everyone ready?”

Eunbi looks at everyone, counting to make sure no one was left behind. After all, it was hard keeping track of eleven children. After the three third years graduated, their friend group within the high school was smaller until Nako adopted two first years; Wonyoung and Yujin.

Chaewon stands beside Hitomi, pointing to Nako who was in the middle of the two taller kids, which makes her look like one instead.

Hitomi threatens to tell Nako what Chaewon did, despite the fact that she was giggling loud enough to catch the said goblin’s attention.

“What are you two looking at?”

“Nothing at all!”

Hitomi hands her a pair of skates before grabbing her own. Chaewon thanks her and starts tying the laces.

Being around her is a lot less daunting. Stuttering was less of an issue and they can tease each other without the fear of being rude. Nowadays she feels comfort and warmth, and a slight fluttering in her stomach. 

“Don’t forget to stretch before going in!” Eunbi reminds them, despite the only people following her being Minju and Nako. 

Yujin groans. “This isn’t gym class, unnie.” She was already tying her skates at the edge of the rink.

“Don’t blame me when you trip and fall then.” Eunbi starts skating away, leaving her behind. “I won’t be teaching you either.”

“Wait no, come back here-” Yujin begs, rushing herself which makes her tie the laces wrong.

Wonyoung follows right behind, not forgetting to stick her tongue out at her, making Yujin whine louder.

Chaewon ties her red hair up, recently dyed because of a dare she couldn’t refuse. Hyewon pointed out that it was the same color as Hitomi’s fairy keychain (she still kept it on her, even when she changed her bag in the middle of the year), since she was given the choice to pick a color. Of course she vehemently denies the relation between the two. 

Hitomi was quick, already on the ice, waiting for the rest of them.

“Do you know how to skate?” 

Chaewon doesn’t. She had no idea why she agreed to a skating trip with the group. Sure, she can ride a bike. She can even swim decently thanks to a few lessons she took as a kid. 

The expectant look in Hitomi’s eyes reminds her why she did.

“Of course. I’m like, Yuzuru’s sister,” she bragged. “This is a piece of cake.”

“Then come on over.” 

Wanting to wipe the smug look on her face, Chaewon stands up.

Chaewon steps on the ice and gracefully glides forward. Holy , I’m doing it. She even raises her arms and poses, eyes closed and grinning. 

And then falls flat on the ground.

Unfortunately, Hitomi wasn’t the only one to witness her fall. A few bystanders snickered to themselves, while Yuri and Minju didn’t even bother to keep quiet, roaring in laughter.

“If I get up you two are dead.”

Not one to underestimate Chaewon’s words, the two skate away as fast as they can, Minju dragging the unskilled Yuri away.

Now if only she could stand up.

She gets up on her knees, using all her strength to settle her feet and keep them from sliding back down. Her arms flailed around, trying to keep herself balanced.

“Maybe you should stop shaking so hard.” Hitomi points to her trembling knees, bent like a baby deer trying to stand up.

Chaewon glares at her, before focusing on not accidentally getting a concussion from the hard ice.

Hitomi, being the kind soul she is, holds out both her hands to Chaewon. “Hold on to me,” she says. 

Chaewon takes her hand, taking her time to stand up straight. 

“Keep your knees slightly bent, but keep your body straight,” she tells her. Chaewon does as she says, her balance a lot more stable now. “Now try pushing yourself forward. Don’t worry, I’m here to catch you,” she assures her.

Imitating what the others are doing, she pushes herself slightly sideways. She almost falls but Hitomi pulls her in the right direction. She continued but with the other foot, and soon she was skating. Moving slowly, but still skating.

“I’m doing it, I’m doing it,” Chaewon says in amazement. “Look, Tomi! I’m moving!”

Hitomi chuckles. “You are, unnie. You’re doing great.”

Chaewon smiles at the compliment. She notices a child skating towards them. She tries to warn Hitomi who was skating backward with no vision of what was behind her. 

Hitomi bumps into him, causing her to lose balance and fall backward. She yelps, letting go of Chaewon to not bring her down.

Chaewon catches her by the waist, but that causes her to fall along with Hitomi, landing on the ice. She lands on her back, tucked in to protect her head and Hitomi’s. 

The kid that caused them to fall was laughing, not even remorseful. Chaewon glares at him, ready to give him a piece of her mind when Hitomi interrupts her.

“Are you alright?”

Ignoring her, she grabs Hitomi by the shoulders, scanning her body for any gashes or injuries. Thankfully, there was no sign of any. She sighs in relief.

“Good, you’re not hurt.”

Chaewon doesn’t notice how Hitomi had reddened significantly, both from her inspecting her body and the fact that she was more relieved that Hitomi wasn’t hurt instead of herself.

“Hey lovebirds! Come here, let’s take a picture!”

The rest of the group are already congregating together at the side of the rink, waving at the rest of them to come over.

“Help me out?” Chaewon asks, her hands outstretched.

Hitomi pulls her up and leads her to them, skating together.

 

//

 

“What are you going to do?” Yena whispers.

“What?”

Yena gestures to Hitomi who was seated opposite of them, eating a slice of cake they ordered. Chaewon shrugs. 

She glances at Hitomi and notices how she visibly shivers, shoulders slightly shaking, rubbing her hands together on the table.

“Are you cold?”

“Not at all, it’s so hot in here,” she says, dripping with sarcasm. 

On the wall was the remote for the air conditioner pointing towards them. It would be easier if she just turned down the temperature and redirected the gust of wind elsewhere.

She doesn’t do that. Instead, she loosely grabs her hand under the table. Hitomi doesn’t ask further and tightens her grip before returning to roasting Yuri.

Their hands were still interlaced with one another, but neither made any move to separate them. 

 

//

 

Yena’s words shouldn’t have affected her.

Sure, it was a question she’d been asking herself too, after a year of navigating around each other. Even Minju caught on to the tension between them.

Being the coward she is, she decides to go with the flow and feel things out. Unfortunately, that went on forever, and now she is at a crossroad, forced to make a decision.
 

She thinks about how this may be her last year here, not even sure if she was going to study in a nearby college. There was a possibility that she’ll move to a different city altogether.

The older members of their group were able to keep in touch with them even with the distance, but the idea that she may not be able to stop by her class when she wants to see her brings out a certain fear in her.

Chaewon forces herself out of bed and looks at the clock. 11 PM. 

I can’t believe I’m doing this.

Grabbing her phone and her coat, she runs downstairs and unlocks her bike. “Heading to the convenience store, be back in a few!” she yells out with her bike in tow.

She gets on the street and starts pedaling, recalling the way to her house. Good thing it was only ten minutes away, else she’d die from exhaustion.

It was freezing cold, but Chaewon ignores it and trudges forwards, pedaling faster than she ever did. She should’ve at least changed out of her sleepwear.

She arrives at her house, a green two-story building with a small flower garden, already wilting from the cold. Chaewon parks her bike at the side of the house and spots a window with its lights open and a tree right next to it. Chaewon curses. 

The things she would do for this girl.

With all her might, she holds on to the trunk and climbs the tree, hoping she wouldn’t slide off. She grabs a sturdy-looking branch and pulls herself up, sitting on it while holding on for dear life.

, the curtain isn’t open. 

Chaewon brings out her phone, stored in her back pocket. She calls her.

The window opens revealing Hitomi with her phone in hand, clearly surprised by her appearance. 

“Why are you-”

“I think I’m about to fall so just hear me out,” she interrupts. “I know you’re going back home for Christmas but-” she takes a deep breath, “-want to go out? When you get back home.

“A date?”

“Uh, yes. A date. If you’re okay with that.”

Hitomi stares at her, thinking, then her face reddens. She nods bashfully.

“Really?” she asks in disbelief. Chaewon did not expect this to go well. Actually, she didn’t expect anything at all.

Hitomi nods, this time with more conviction. “I’m sure.”

At this moment, her grip on the tree loosens, and she falls out of balance. She lands on her side and she groans in pain, eyes closed. Chaewon rolls over. Her vision was replaced with the night sky. She hears Hitomi yelling her name.

She gives a thumbs up. The pain already subsided and it doesn’t seem like she has any broken bones. Hitomi giggles, then closes the window, returning to whatever she was doing.

“I did it,” she mutters.

Chaewon feels her phone ring so she sits up and opens her messages. It was from Hitomi, saying “I can’t wait :)” 

“I did it!” she repeats louder.

She jumps around, even if someone might see her out there acting like a psycho.

Chaewon is too busy basking in her joy to care.