He loved the cold; always tended to leave the windows wide open at night. His body willingly welcomed the freezing breeze into the room while he slumbered like a baby. He was never one to use any blankets; he didn't even wear pajamas.

He found it difficult to explain.  For so long he had searched for the right terms - the exact words - to tell of his reasons. But he still didn't know how to describe the feelings that grew inside him whenever his physical body was an inch from freezing. Warmth always enveloped him when the world was cold. It was strange, but that was Yoochun.

He was the only one in his apartment building who went swimming during winter. He was the only one who didn't like sitting in front of the fire. He didn’t even like drinking hot cocoa on a chilly day. He loved making snow angels; loved lying on the snow covered ground and watching the flakes fall one by one. He tended to stay out until his cousin dragged him back inside the house.

Yoochun liked it when he shivered.  The sensation made him feel giddy, especially when chills went down his spine.  Shivering made him smile; it made him feel a burning in his chest. The burning egged him on. It was the best feeling of them all.

The thick woolen scarves he wore weren't to shield himself from the cold. No, absolutely not. He wore them to hide himself from the world. He knew he wasn’t particularly appealing, especially with his consequence and situation. He knew that no one would ever want him.

Just because.

----

She likes the dark. It's a strange thing about her, but it's something that she's taken with her from childhood. She loves the dark; even better when it's accompanied by coldness that can't be comforted by a warm bed or thick blankets.

She can never put to words the fluttering she feels in the pit of her stomach when she's in the dark; when electricity fails and she has to open the windows as wide as they go. Liyin just likes the dark; loves how she can be herself when she is enveloped by an unfeeling void.

It's a good thing that she lives alone; no one to look at her as if she's gone insane; no one to question her about  her obsession of the dark; no one to think of her strange whenever she falls  asleep on the floor without anything to keep her warm. Because she likes herself the way she is even though nobody else does.

In the mornings, she goes to work; donning black turtlenecks and slacks. Her face is always devoid of coloring; pale, uncaring. Heads turn towards her; some in curiosity, some in disgust.  Liyin couldn't care less, however. She doesn't even bother smiling.

She doesn't bat her eyelashes when her colleagues greet her.  She proceeds to her station, immediately isolating herself from everyone else.  They all know her. They all know how she likes her space. So no one approaches her. And that's one reason why Liyin has stayed there for five years.

---------

These two will meet on that one December night when the city is covered by pristine white snow.  It will be on the date when the day is shortest and the evening longest.

Yoochun will be huddled up in a secluded place in the park; an area that will have scarce lighting because virtually no one goes there. Liyin will find him there, alone and half asleep. His face will be buried beneath a thick woolen scarf. He will be wearing a waterproof jacket seemingly more suitable for rain than snow.

Liyin will look at him incredulously, as if he is insane to be outside at that time.

"Aren't you going to freeze to death if you sleep here?" She will ask him, quietly, almost inaudibly.

He will open his eyes slightly; will take a peek of this person who dares disturb him. He will notice the slight form, covered in shadows, donned in clothes that are too thin for the season. He will raise an eyebrow at her lack of scarf and mittens.

"At least I have a scarf," he will retort.

Liyin will shrug, "I like the cold."

"Well, I do, too."

Yoochun will sit up on the bench, almost as if he is offering her some space. She will take it, while he will observe her some more, blatantly staring at the woman who doesn't seem to find this situation out of the ordinary.

"Are you really wearing sunglasses?" Yoochun will ask, almost shrieking at the strangeness of it all.

"I also like the dark," she will reply simply, without any elaboration whatsoever.

"But wouldn't you be next to blind right now?"

"I don't need to see anything."

Yoochun will gape at her, his mouth slightly open, his eyes wide in confusion.

"Yeah, but -"

"Hey, I know that I disturbed you. But can you be quiet? This is the only place here that's dark so I don't want to go anywhere else."

He will shut his mouth. He will make a zipping motion on his lips. And then, he will lean back and close his eyes once more. But this time, he will not be sleeping. This time, his senses will be alert – almost on overdrive.

Liyin will adjust the glasses that she is wearing. She will embrace her legs, aware that she is sitting beside a stranger who likes the cold. She will not be able to help but smile because this situation doesn't seem weird. Not one bit.  It will actually feel quite comfortable.

Liyin will wonder how such a companionable silence is possible between two people that just met. She will wonder why her heart seems to be beating calmly - serenely.

She will tug at her turtleneck and try to bury half her face in it. She will do this the very same time that Yoochun will tug at his scarf.

"Hey, I know this restaurant near here. It's open 'round the clock. And they serve really good juk and jigae," Yoochun will say after a long comfortable while. He will start with a quiet cough.

Liyin will stare at him for a moment, eyes twinkling under the dark glasses. She will smile under the turtleneck and nod her head once. She will take the hand that Yoochun offers and stand close beside him as they walk in a familiar yet new direction.

They will stop in front of a small snack shop. He will look down at Liyin and smile, wide and sincere. He will pull his hand away from hers to slide the door open for them.

"Morning, Bieumie, Jae hyung," he will greet the couple by the small counter at the back of the shop.

The man, with ebony hair and pale skin will nod in response. The woman, on the other hand, will approach Yoochun, beaming.

"Park Yoochun, what are you do -" she will start but then realize that Yoochun is actually not alone. "Who is this?" she will ask, pointing quite blatantly at Liyin.

"Oh, this is – "

"Liyin."

"Liyin," Yoochun will repeat, his right hand scratching at the back of his neck.

"Liyin? And why didn't you know her name, Chunah?"

"I met her at the park, Bieumie," Yoochun will answer. He will then turn back to Liyin. "This is my cousin, Bieum. She's the cook."

The ladies will shake hands after which, Bieum will lead them to the seat she will say as reserved for her precious Chunah.

Liyin will not even try to hide a chuckle, which will earn her a toothy smile from the man that is sitting opposite her. They will still not talk, the companionable silence continuing from earlier. The lass in black will only realize that a long time has passed when Bieum returns with a couple of b bowls, one filled with porridge, the other with kimchi jigae.

"I'm not even going to ask why you're wearing sunglasses at -" the woman glances at the wall clock behind the ebony haired man. "At one in the morning." She will smile at Liyin before pushing the bowl of porridge in her direction.  "But please try the abalone porridge."

Bieum will not leave them; her husband will shake his head at her oblivion but will not utter a word about it. She will only look at her cousin. "It seems my prediction has finally come true, Chunah," she will say in hushed tones, almost as if she doesn't want Liyin to hear.

"Yeah, and about time, too."

"What are you guys talking about?" Liyin will inquire.

Before Bieum will be able to answer, however, her husband hurries her away with a loud, "Bimmie, orders!"

"Oh, sorry, loves, duty calls." She will stand from the seat between Liyin and Yoochun, straightening her apron. She will place a soft kiss atop his head before disappearing into the kitchen.

"What was that about?"  Liyin will question Yoochun again.

The latter will shrug. "A few years ago, she told me that I would meet someone who loves the cold as much as I do."

Yoochun will send her home after another couple of hours. He will hold her hand, tight inside his jacket pocket. And Liyin will let him. Somehow she will start having doubts about whatever is happening, but her hand in his feels so good that she will decide to push the unbelief into the depths of her mind - at least for a while.

When they arrive in front of her apartment building, she will try to pull her hand away. He will not let her, instead he will urge her to walk towards the elevators. She will obey, her heart starting to thump a beat faster. But she will obey.

After alighting the lift, however, Yoochun's hold will only get tighter. But the moment Liyin stops in front of her door, he will let go. He will smile at her, that toothy and sincere smile of his that seems to seek to melt her icy heart.

"So, I guess I should go now," Yoochun will begin. "I'm really happy to have met you, Liyin."

He will turn his back on her. She will let him walk away. After a few seconds, when he is already a couple of meters away, she will hasten to follow him. She will grasp at his arm to turn him around.

She will plant a chaste kiss on his lips. It will be a vow that she will never see him ever again.

But after a week or two, Liyin will still have that exact same tingling sensation in her stomach. It will be after a week or two – because really, Liyin will have lost track of time – when she will finally give in to that nagging feeling.  She will raid her closet for something to wear - something that isn't black - only to find a tiny red dress that will look a little too seductive for her. She will give up - hands thrown in the air in surrender, accompanied by a deep growl. She will grab the same turtleneck blouse she wore that night and put it on.

She will try her luck, glancing every now and then on her wristwatch. It will only be a little past dinner time, six hours earlier than when they first met. She goes to the tiny twenty-four hour snack shop. She will try to take a peek inside, hoping that he is there.

Hoping that he is waiting for her.

But she will not see him. And she will not be able to get herself to enter the place. Nerves will be eating her from the inside. So she will decide to go walk around for a while - until it's around that time. She will reach up to adjust her sunglasses, only to realize that she is not wearing them.

Liyin will watch a movie, but she will not be able to comprehend the story at all. She will, instead imagine the things that ought to happen later on. Then, she will eat some ice cream in a shop called Timeout Gelato.

She will observe the only other people there, a couple sitting side by side at a corner table. They will be holding hands, taking turns to feed the other a spoonful of the frozen treat every now and again.

Liyin will think of them as sickeningly sweet. But then, she will imagine herself in the same situation.

She will shiver in anticipation.

It will be a couple more hours later when Liyin will find herself in front of the snack shop once again. She will be chanting something inaudible - please be here, please be here, please, please be here. She will slide the door open after a couple more minutes of hesitating. And she will bow in greeting to the same ebony haired man that stood behind the small counter.

Her eyes will take in her surroundings, searching for the pair of familiar eyes that haunted her dreams and made her feel a burning feeling in her heart. But she will not see him. And the sinking feeling in her chest will make her whimper.

She will turn on her heels to walk back out, shoulders slumped and dejected. However, a high pitched laugh will ring into her ears, making her look back.

She will find him there, sporting an apron and carrying a tray with a bottle of water and a couple of stainless glasses.

He will stop on his tracks, lowering the tray onto the table in front of him. He will rub his eyes, almost as if he's trying to figure out if Liyin is really there. When he opens his eyes again, and she is still there, he will hasten towards without delay. He will stand before her and will then take her hands in his.

"Your hands are warm," she will say quietly.

He will pull back, thinking that she doesn't like it. But Liyin will hold on to him, her eyes never leaving his. He will stare back in confusion, head tilted to the side.

"Don't let go," she will add. "I like your warmth."