Two weeks passed, no calls and unanswered texts was making jonghyun restless. He could not sleep or eat, everything he does would only remind him of changhyun’s absence. The house had never felt so empty. Friends, family and colleagues, anyone as long as he could find ricky. Nothing worked.

God knows how much changjo had cried himself silently to sleep. He would stare at the empty side of the bed and a shiny drop of tear would escape the rims of his deep hazel eyes.

“eodiya… yoo changhyun”

Day by day he would brace the freezing snowy streets to find ricky. Sometimes even coming home with blue pale cheeks. What was it? The missing part of the puzzle. He stared blankly at the grey clouds raining down white flakes of snow when something lighted up within his mind.

His breath froze and time halted, it was dead silent and all he could hear was his own heartbeat. His finger twitches and within a heartbeat he speed through the living room and dragged something with him.

“wait for me ricky, you’re so dead!”         

Grinning wide, even when frosty snow was colliding against his bare skin the boy pulled through the coldness and made his way to the one place he knew Ricky would be. It was their old dorm where they first met, a small balcony facing the frozen Han River.

Undoubtedly yoo changhyun was there, sipping hot steamy coffee mindlessly staring into the scenery.

“YOO CHANGHYUUUN!!!!!!!”

“YOU SICK DAMNED BASTARD! HOW DARE YOU!!! AISH U DARE RUN FROM ME?!”

“ME! WOOK CHANGJO YA NEGA!!”

Ricky was startled so bad he had dropped his coffee and broke the mug. Cold sweats ran down his pale cheeks as he gulped down his spit trying to figure out the surprise changjo had brought. Astonished he leaned on the freezing balcony’s hedge and lifted his eyebrows.

"this was my surprise you ! Yea I forgot.. NO! I didn’t okay but you know I had to go practice that night right?!”

“ I was planning on sending the hyungs away tonight and we can celebrate Christmas together with your birthday but of course you had to run away! So like this damned pabbo I dragged this here”

“for you to see…. Ugh.. and ..forgive me”

Sobbing changjo wiped the escaping tears away from his flushed red cheeks. He was just too overwhelmed with emotions. He had never yearned so much for someone except for ricky. The world could disappear and it wouldn’t matter as long as changhyun were by his side.

Then the boy silently flicked the plug, turning on the lights. Indeed it was a beautiful sight. A Christmas tree decorated with glowing pink cherry blossoms all around it as a sweet symbol for the month of changhyun’s birthday. Golden drapes on the tree creating such a pretty words..

Happy birthday my love. My white Christmas surprise.

The dangling wrapped candy across the vines and the cute countless note cards filled with heartwarming messages and confessions. Everything prepared with effort and care by changjo for his beloved boyfriend. But ricky was too oblivious over the efforts jonghyun had made for the past few weeks that he had missed this beautiful event.

Shedding tears of happiness and warmth, he ran outside grabbing a large fuzzy knitted coat and swiftly covering jonghyun’s wide broad shoulder with it. Then he hurled his lean arms across changjo’s neck pulling the younger lad into a tight warm hug.

“pabbo. It took you long enough.”

“ aishhh I got a damn flu searching for you arasso. You ”

“mian…. I’ll never leave you again. Actually.. I was just about to call you and go home”

“but you came first. You always came first”

“kumawo….”

Saranghae… that word uttered completely simultaneous it brought sweet giggles echoing across the air. It was a cold white winter, but on that Christmas night the cherry blossom never blossomed brighter.