Jin Guk was the one driving the car provided for by Ma Doo Shik. They left their own vehicles in the city to avoid any paparazzi identifying them through their license plates. They hardly talked during the car ride except when they had to stop over a small grocery store to buy some food. After hours of driving, they've arrived at Ma Doo Shik's cabin. It was a quaint wooden cabin with only one bedroom. It seemed it was built for someone who wanted to get away from it all since it was quite secluded and had no electricity. 

Upon parking the car on the driveway, he gently Hye Mi’s face. She was still asleep. He didn't want to wake her up so he decided to carry her inside instead. He opened Hye Mi's door and wrapped her arm over his neck and carried her bridal style to the couch in front of the fireplace. He grabbed a blanket from the bedroom for Hye Mi and placed it on her to keep her warm. As he walked back outside to get the food that they bought, a little snowflake fell on his shoulder. He went to the kitchen and boiled water to make some hot cocoa.  While waiting for the water to boil, he noticed Hye Mi was still feeling cold. He went outside, it was snowing harder. He grabbed some firewood, placed it on the fireplace and lit the fire. He turned around to check if Hye Mi was more comfortable. But as he look at her, he noticed there were strands of hair covering her face. He smiled and knelt down beside her. He looked at her for a while and thought “Damn Go Hye Mi. All these years you still have my heart captive." He slowly tucked the strands behind her ear. As he was doing this, the kettle whistled loudly. Hye Mi's eyes shot open only to see Jin Guk touching her face. "What are you doing?" She asked.

Jin Guk immediately removed his hand from her face and was a bit embarrassed. "Uhh.. Nothing. Do you want some hot cocoa?" He said as he walked back to the kitchen. Hye Mi followed.

Gyeoure taeeonan areumdaun dangsineun

Nunchereom kkaekkeuthan namanui dangsin

born in the winter

this beautiful you

clean like snow

you who belongs to me

Hajiman bom, yeoreumgwa gaeul, kyeoul

Eonjena malgo kkaekkeuthae

Regardless whether it’s spring,summer,autumn, or winter

Always clear and clean

Gyeoure taeona areumdaun dangsineun

Nuncheoreom kkaekkeuthan namanui dangsin

born in the winter

this beautiful you

clean like snow

you who belongs to me

Saengil chukhahamnida, saengil chukhahamnida

Saengil chukhahamnida. Dangsinui saengireul

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday , Hoo…

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday To You

Hye Mi sang while making her hot cocoa.

"That will always be my favorite song that you sing." Jin Guk said.

"It will be your birthday soon. What are your plans?" Hye Mi asked.

"I don't know. I don't really plan anything for my birthday. You're usually the one who does that." He replied.

"Chincha? Well I guess it has become sort of a tradition for us to do something on your birthday. So what did you do last year? I heard you had a schedule abroad then so we couldn't do anything." She said after taking a sip from her hot cocoa.

"Actually, I was just at home playing video games." He said as he took a big gulp of hot cocoa from his cup.

"WHAT?!" She glared at him. "Ma Doo Shik said you were in Thailand."

Jin Guk gave a nervous laugh.  "Actually, at that time I was sort of avoiding you." He said as he scratched his head.

"Oh!" Hye Mi's face suddenly looked glum. She remembered that she rejected him a few months before that and now, just a night ago, she rejected him again.

Jin Guk noticed this. "Hye Mi are you okay?"

Hye Mi just kept her head bowed. She remained silent for a while before she murmured. "I keep on causing you pain."

Jin Guk was surprised with her answer. He just smiled and said "Tsk tsk don't entertain thoughts like that. It doesn’t matter because the joy you give me is so much more." He said while pinching her cheeks.

"Yah! Stop that!" She exclaimed.

Still Jin Guk continued holding on to her cheeks with a huge grin on his face.

"Aissh! I'll do the same to you then." Hye Mi said as she roughly pinched Jin Guk's cheeks.

"Ow!" Jin Guk exclaimed.

They stayed in that position for a while until finally Jin Guk stopped. Hye Mi then after let go of Jin Guk and rub her own cheeks.

"Yah Jin Guk-ah! We're not kids anymore you know." Hye Mi hissed.

Jin Guk just smiled and said. "Mianhe, I just really missed pinching your chubby cheeks."

"Hmph!" Hye Mi blew her bangs and crossed her arms as she stood up to go by the fireplace.

"Brrr. It's getting really cold." Hye Mi said.

 It began snowing outside. They sat on the rug near the fireplace. They sat there in silence for a while when Hye Mi stood up to get the blanket on the couch and wrapped herself with it.  Jin Guk was feeling really cold but opted to warm himself by hugging his own legs. His ears were already very red. Hye Mi noticed. "You look cold. Why don't you get a blanket?" She said.

"It's okay. I'm not co-aaaachooo." Jin Guk sneezed.

"Don't be ridiculous; see you're catching a cold. Where's the linen closet? I'll get you a blanket." Hye Mi asked as she rummaged through the cabinets.

"No need to do that. It's okay." He said.

But Hye Mi persisted on looking for a blanket and started opening cabinets.

"Hye Mi, stop. There are no more blankets." Jin Guk said.

"Huh?" Hye Mi stopped and faced him.

 "Apparently, this cabin only has one." He added.

"Oh." Hye Mi said as she sat back down by the fireplace.

She looked to her side. Jin Guk was trying to muster a smile despite being obviously cold. She couldn't take it.

"Aissh!" She let out in frustration. She stood up and sat right beside Jin Guk.

"What are you doing?" Jin Guk asked. He was quite surprised by Hye Mi's actions.

"Here." Hye Mi handed the other end of the blanket.

"It's okay. I don't need it."Jin Guk refused to take it.

"Yah! I know you're cold. This blanket is big enough to share. So stop acting like a hero and just take it." Hye Mi said sternly.

Jin Guk knew if he refuses again Hye Mi might just tie the blanket around him. "Kamshamnida." He said as he took the other end of the blanket and scooted closer to Hye Mi as he wrapped the blanket around his body.

Again, both sat in silence. Their bodies were so close to each other. They can feel each other breathing and hear each other's heart beating.

They started reminiscing about the fun times they had together to lighten the mood. Jin Guk began teasing her on her reaction during the time when they saw each other again in Mr. Kang's house where his towel fell on the floor. Hye Mi retorted by saying there was nothing to see.

 Eventually both of them fell asleep not knowing/minding the positions they were in.

The next day Hye Mi woke up with a clearer mind. She woke up with her head resting on Jin Guk's chest and his arm around her shoulder. She checked if Jin Guk was already awake. When she saw him still sleeping, she smiled and nuzzled even deeper into his chest. She really liked how Jin Guk smelled. It wasn't the strong macho smell that you would think a man with his looks and body would have. His was a bit soft, gentle, like a baby. 

"Good Morning!" Jin Guk said as he stretched his arms. Hye Mi sat up, hoping Jin Guk didn't notice she was just smelling him.  "Good morning.” She mumbled.

Jin Guk smirked. He knew that she just smelled him. He woke up a few minutes earlier than she did. He just pretended to be asleep.

Hye Mi got on her feet and went to the kitchen. She opened the thermos and poured the left over hot water from last night's hot cocoa into two cups with instant coffee. "Do you want some coffee?" She asked Jin Guk.  As she turned around, she was startled by Jin Guk who was suddenly there behind her. "Eep!" She exclaimed as she accidently spilled the hot coffee on Jin Guk’s torso which immediately seeped through the fabrics of his sweater and shirt.

"Ahh!" Jin Guk quickly removed his sweater and shirt to lessen the burning feeling of the hot coffee on his skin.

Hye Mi immediately grabbed a damp dish cloth and wiped Jin Guk's chest.

As she reached Jin Guk's abs, she suddenly stopped. She suddenly felt the heat filling up her cheeks.

Jin Guk held Hye Mi's hand which was stuck in his abs to take the dish cloth from her.

Hye Mi looked up. Her face became even more crimson.

"It's ok. Thank you." Jin Guk said with a smirk.

Realizing that his hand is on her hand and her hand was still on his abs, Hye Mi quickly let it go and tried to regain her composure.

"Next time you should know not to startle me like that. Uh… I'll start cooking breakfast." She said and scurried towards the stove.

They were about to finish eating breakfast when Hye Mi, thinking that it was time to talk about the serious matter at hand, suddenly asked Jin Guk. "So, what are we going to do now?"

Jin Guk, thinking it was nothing but a simple question with regard to what they're going to do that day, just answered "I don't know. I haven't made a snowman for a while now; maybe we can start there and just see what else we can do."

Confused, Hye Mi just stared at Jin Guk and blinked twice before he finally understood what she was really asking about.

"OH! Yes. I guess we should start talking about that now." He paused for a while, thinking carefully on how he'll answer her question.

"I'm going to talk to Samdong. I-I need to apologize, to explain..." She suddenly said.

Jin Guk shook his head. "You don't need to punish yourself Hye Mi. You are not at fault here. I'm the one who kissed you. I'm the one who forced you to ride the ferris wheel with me. If there is someone who needs to face the wrath of Samdong, it's..."

"But I let you." Hye Mi interjected.

 "What do you mean?" Jin Guk asked.

"The kiss. I let you kiss me." Hye Mi said looking straight at Jin Guk's eyes.

He noticed that tears are starting to form at the corners of her eyes. He realized that guilt is eating her up because of that kiss.

"No! Stop doing this to yourself. It was me. Blame me!" Jin Guk exclaimed.

"BUT I wanted you. I wanted you to kiss me. Even then at Pil Suk's place, I- I wanted you to kiss me." Hye Mi tears started to fall. "I wanted it. That is why I must apologize to Samdong. I haven't been honest with him. I haven't been honest with myself. I wanted you. I still want you. That is why I deserve all this guilt I'm feeling. I'm a terrible person. Because not only did I destroy my relationship with Samdong, back then when we started, I destroyed what could have been us."

"Hye Mi…" Jin Guk tried to reach for hand to calm her down.

"Hye Mi refused his hand and stood up.”Please stop being kind to me. It's… it’s... like torture. I know I've hurt you so much. That is why I don't deserve you. Please please Jin Guk find someone else to love." Hye Mi was now sobbing.

"WHAT?! NO! I love you Hye Mi. No one else. I don't care how much it hurts. I continue to love you because you're my joy, my light, my everything. It doesn't matter if you didn't choose me. Heck! If you still want to be with Samdong, I can take it.  But please don't ask me to stop loving you." Jin Guk exclaimed as he hit the table with the palms of his hands.

Hye Mi looked at Jin Guk intently. "Jin Guk there's something you should know. I came here with you, not only because I wanted to get away from the paparazzi, but also because I wanted to be selfish. I wanted to spend time with you just for one night, before, I…"

"Before you what?" Jin Guk interrupted.

*Knock*Knock*

Someone was at the door.

"Aish! Ahjussi's timing is really bad. Why check on us now?" Jin Guk said.

"It's not Ma Doo Shik." Hye Mi suddenly said.

"It's Samdong."

FIRST I WANT TO APOLOGIZE!!! I left this story without an update for far too long. I know I may have disappointed a number of my readers for not updating even though I said I will. Again, I'm really sorry. I've been really busy with school. I really hope I can post my next chapter soon. Huhu please forgive me.