I posted "Cold Winter Night" last December 28, 2012 and received a few comments about it. Since ajol_fxonee, asked me for a back story of it and people asking me to EXPLAIN it (see comments below - asking about the point of the story? :D ), I decided to delete "Cold Winter Night" and post a longer version (changed little details in "Cold Winter Night" and added what happened before that - like a prequel and added the said chapter in question). :) LOL 

Happy New Year!

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“What is happening?” Amber, who just finished up her cigarette, threw it to the ground and stepped on it when she saw the commotion happening outside H & A Hotel, the hotel where the most famous bar in Korea was located.

“Some guy being shouted at. People seem to be mad at him for some reason.” She concluded, putting her hands inside the front pockets of her thick jacket. “I’m freaking hate this cold weather.”

“It’s Christmas, and people at shouting at this guy.” She walked passed the people bombarding the poor shivering guy with questions and held his cold hand.

Upon entering the hotel, “Don’t worry about the crowd outside.” She guaranteed him, and let him sit in the nearby sofa in the hotel’s lobby, robbing his hands. “This will keep you warm for the mean time.”

“Luhan and Sehun,” She saw the name tags of the two security personnel. “Please keep those type of people out of this hotel, okay? If they look like a part of the mob outside, don’t let them in.”

“Oh ! Not this guy again.” Amber walked towards the other way, leaving the random guy she just helped, ignoring Kris that was waving at her obviously he had been drinking a little too much.

-x-

A man drinking his problems away, sitting in a stool by the bar located at the big terrace of H & A Hotel.

He raised his glass to signal the bartender for another glass of whatever alcohol the bar had left in stock.

The man wasn't bothered by loud crowd behind him dancing the night away. It was Christmas Eve, so people were really having fun. They went there to have fun, while he was doing the opposite.

“He won’t leave me alone.” Amber placed the lighter near the tip of her cigarette, letting her smoke her 4^th cigarette that night, and stood from her usual booth since she saw Kris again walking towards her.

"I am so sorry. I just need to do this." She told the guy and sat beside him, putting her arm on his shoulder.

"What are you doing with my girlfriend?" A tall blonde man pulled Henry from where he was sitting, punching him in the face.

"Kris, what are you doing? Let go of him." She shouted, rushed to Henry's side, wiping the blood dripping from his busted lip.

"You are replacing me with this loser dude." Kris shouted back, lifted Henry's face. Henry was too drunk to even react, and just removed Kris's hand upon his neck.

Kris chuckled, "He can't even punch me back."

"Enough already! I am not even your girlfriend to begin with." Amber pushed Kris by his chest.

"You're coming with me, whether you like it or not." Kris held her by her arm, dragging her away from Henry.

"Don't make a ing scene!" Amber cursed at him. "And I am not coming with you." Amber pulled her arm and helped Henry stand up.

"Get out!" Amber shouted at Kris.

"I am not leaving." Kris stubbornly insisted.

"She said, get out." Jonghyun beside Donghae and Yixing, spoke.

"I said I am not living." Kris firmly stood there staring at them then he was dragged outside the hotel by the three.

"Are you okay?" Amber asked the man she just saw that night.

"Wow! This night is definitely getting better." Henry sarcastically spoke, and wiped his swollen bloody lip.

Amber guided him back to his stool.

Henry saw her jumping over the counter and grabbed a random cloth and some ice inside the cold metal bucket, and handed it to him.

"Sorry, you became a part of that silly little drama."

"Nah, it's okay. I've been pushed down to the ground too much already."

"What do you want to drink then? It’s my treat." She smiled at him.

"I want to drink a lot!" He chuckled with arms raised up. He was definitely a bit drunk. "Your brothers might angry with you."

"They are not my brothers actually. And I am not actually allowed to go beyond the counter, but I know the place since I always hang-out here." She smiled at the drunken man and grabbed two empty glasses, and filled them with vodka.

"Hold this for me, will you?" She asked.

"Sure. My pleasure, my lady," Henry smiled again, bowing his head as if she was a princess.

"You're definitely drunk, dude." And she jumped over the counter again, sitting beside him.

She saw Henry drinking the alcohol she just gave him.

"Take it easy." Amber spoke, grabbing her glass that Henry was about to drink as well, drinking it in front of him. “I said hold it for me, not drink it,” placing an empty glass in front of him.

"Plus we have a lot to drink tonight." Amber pointed at the bottles of alcohol the bar had on stock, plus she just grabbed two bottles of vodka.

Henry then grabbed the bottle from her, "Cheers then!" drinking from it.

"Whoa!" Amber chuckled, then wiping the alcohol dripping from his lips.

"You can drink all you want since you've been hurt because of me." She gently touched his bruised lip while he smiled at her.

-x-

"At least some....someone's good to me." He pointed his thumb to himself.

"What do you mean by that?" She drank from the third bottle of vodka she just took from the counter, almost falling face down on the other side of the said counter. Thank goodness, Henry held on to her belt, saving her.

"Everyone besides you..." He drank another shot of vodka he just poured on the glass "Hates me"

"Hate is such a strong word" She was definitely drank. "Everyone besides me, don't like you..." She pointed at him, "yet." She corrected.

"Nope, they hate me." He poured vodka on their glasses. “H-A …” He paused, thinking.

She laughed, “T-E. You can’t even spell the word hate.” She ruffled his hair.

"Listen," She drank a shot of vodka first. "Well, this is good vodka." She commented and he laughed, “It sure is.”

"What was I saying?" She said, and he laughed ever more. "Oh, I remember. Listen," She gestured to come near her.

"Okay...I'll listen." He assured, drinking another shot.

"No one, I mean, no one… can tell you…” She placed her arm on his shoulder, his arm on her waist, and his hand on her leg“…not to chase your dreams" She advised.

"Cheers to your dreams dude!" She raised her glass at him.

"Cheers!" He raised his glass as well, and clunked their glasses together, still sitting close.

-x-

He yawned and rested his head on the wooden counter, beside their third bottle.

"I think you… reached your limit." Amber patted his head.

"Nope" He denied with his eyes closed. “I am not… even drunk yet.” He raised his finger like he just thought of an idea.

"If you're not drunk, can you still... drive back home?" She drank what was left from the bottle.

"That's mine." He whined, attempted to take the bottle from her.

She finished it all off, and stuck her tongue at him. He then cupped her face and kissed her. He could still taste the vodka that lingered on her lips.

He pulled a key card from his back pocket. "I don't need to… drive back home, you know."

She grinned at him. "Even better," kissing him again.

-x-

Amber was the first one to wake up that morning, and saw Henry sleeping beside her. She smiled upon seeing his face, touching his cheek.

"Crap!" She whispered since she felt like a jerk for what she was about to do, and immediately grabbed her clothes on the floor and got dressed.

She saw his composition sheets and a pen on the bedside table.

"You'll be famous someday. I know it." She wrote and chastely kissed him on the lips. He then smiled a bit in his sleep.

She headed to the door and took a last look of him still peacefully sleeping, him having no idea of the girl he just met leaving before he could even know her name.

-x-

She lit up a stick that came from a small white carton she had been keeping in her back pocket. She was a bit pissed off, it being beaten down since she was postponing the moment she would light up that said last stick. It should be her "last" stick. It was a promise that had always been forgotten as she light up another "last" stick tomorrow night at this apartment's rooftop.

She savored every millimeter of the burnt paper of her cigarette, blew such utter joy of smoke passing through her once smokeless lips. It was worth it. The said "last" stick was worth the wait.

It was another lonesome night indeed, as always, she thought. Another day wasted, another day of her ending up smoking the last stick of a pack of Marlboro Lights she always bought at a near-by newsstand every morning.

"Never knew you’re that type of smoker" The man like she was right now, standing near the ledge, elbows resting upon it.

"Never knew you cared that much" She said back to him, blowing smoke upon his face.

"The type of smoker that doesn't want to share" He smiled at her, took the stick from her slender fingers and finished it all up. "Cheater"

He threw it to the ground, and stepped on it, as he let out the smoke that filled his mouth, the smoke mixing with the cold air that night.

His eyes once again met her piercing gaze.

"How dare you do that? Buy your own damn cigarette." She asked, never letting him win the staring contest she initiated.

"I am just saving few minutes of your life." He was still playing the said contest.

"Too late for that now" Her lips were just above his.

He could now smell the scent of nicotine coming from her perfectly shaped lips. How he missed those lips.

"At least I am trying to save you" He pulled into a tight hug for she knew he was right. “Like you did four years ago”

She never thought she will see him again after what happened the night they met and the next morning she just left without even knowing each other’s names. Her life was turned upside down after meeting him.

“What struck me the most was after I met you,” he looked at her “you said ‘No one can tell you not to chase your dream.’ So I did chase after it that is why I am here right now, been chasing you, looking for you for four years now. But I finally saw you again. And I want you to be the first one to own my album before it will be released tomorrow.”           

He opened the album and let her see what was written inside, “Upon seeing the sea of faces with eyes fixated on me, you walked towards me and took my scared shivering hands, gently touching them, protecting me from the cold winter night. You gave up the little warmth you had left, for me. Thank you, whoever you are.”

She smiled upon seeing the name written on the album. She finally knew the name of the man that still have a huge effect on their lives.

“It is still missing something, your name. I never got the chance to know your name.”

“Amber. My name is Amber.” They finally knew each other’s name.

“Henry, I want you meet someone.” He held his hand and dragged him to her flat, two floors down.

“That’s Hayley, our daughter.” She whispered to him as they stood by the door as he was mesmerized by the sight of their sleeping three year old daughter. “She’s turning four soon.”