Suho walked into the university cafeteria. His eyes darted around as he tried to locate his juniors. They had promised to eat lunch together before they continued with their weekly photography club meeting.

He was late since he had another class to attend before meeting them. There was nothing else that he could do but try to meet them right after the class ended. He let out a deep breath once his eyes fell on a group of familiar male students who were busy eating and chatting with each other happily.

He took a few steps ahead and brought himself closer to them. Silently, he sat in the unoccupied chair next to them, simultaneously placing a few reference books on the table. His abrupt and unexpected actions caused four pairs of mischievous eyes to glare at him in shock.

“Hyung, you’re late.” Kyungsoo spoke, demanding for an excuse from Suho. He hated it when people aren't punctual. But since Suho was his senior, he couldn’t just get angry at him without listening to his explanations first. He still had to show some respect toward Suho. Plus, he wasn't always late. Unless there was something important that he needed to do.

“I had a class to attend before this. I thought the class was canceled, but... Ah- I’m sorry.” Suho answered. Feeling extremely exhausted and thirsty after rushing about like a crazy horse in order to attempt to be punctual for his appointments, he grabbed a random cup that was on the table as he drank it greedily.

“Hyung, that’s my bubble tea!” Sehun whined, pouting his cute lips as he snatched the cup away from Suho’s hand.

“So stingy...” Suho mocked.

“You guys already finished eating? I thought we promised to eat together?” Suho furrowed his brows. He touched his stomach and swallowed his saliva. His stomach growled hungrily.

“Yeah, we’re done. We were just waiting for you to come and start the meeting.” Chanyeol answered.

“But, don’t worry. We’ve ordered something nice for you to eat. Jongin will bring it-” Baekhyun was about to finish his sentence when Jongin suddenly appeared with a plate of sandwiches in his hand.

“Hyung, this is for you.” Jongin said and took a seat beside Suho, placing the plate in front of him.

“What are you doing here?” Suho asked, not touching the sandwiches.

“Ouch, hyung. That question. It hurts me. It seems like you hate me being here with all of you.”

“No, that’s not what I mean. You’re not in in the same faculty or even in the same club with us but you’re always here with us. Wherever, whenever - Don’t you have any classes?” Suho raised his brows; he didn't hate the fact that Jongin joined them during their activities. He was just curious because Jongin always spent his leisure time with Chanyeol, Sehun, Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and himself more than he should. Wasn’t he from the Dance Club? Suho wondered.

“Hyung, you still kept this book with you? It’s been three days. I thought you threw it away already...” Ignoring Suho's question, Jongin pulled out the notebook from in between Suho’s reference books as he opened it, flipping through it page by page.

“I threw it away. But then I took it back and brought it with me since it’s too much of a waste to just throw it away. Since you’re here, please take it back and be responsible for it.” Suho leaned back in the chair as he munched on the sandwich slowly.

“No... I won’t. It’s your responsibility now. You had already thrown it away. Who asked you to pick it back up? It’s all yours now.” Jongin looked away, firm in his decision on not taking back the book.

“See? You’re so troublesome!” Suho began to get angry. He was already worn out from handling all the club activities as the president of the club. Yet now he needed to handle this kind of a trivial matter? It really got on his nerves.

“What book?” Baekhyun and Chanyeol asked in unison, snatching the book away from Jongin while Kyungsoo and Sehun didn’t even bother to interfere.

“Do you want to return the book to her?” Jongin asked, a sly smile forming on his face.

“How do I do that? You’re the one who bumped into her three days ago.” Suho mumbled. He had already lost his appetite. The remaining three sandwiches no longer appealed to him even with the hunger in his stomach. His mind was filled with nothing but the notebook now.

After he had taken back the book three days ago, he had continued to look through the book. He had hoped that he’ll find something, an address or phone number specifically so that he could hand the notebook back to the rightful owner as soon as possible. But, the result was just too disappointing and irritated him.

“Hyung, have you ever looked at the last page of the notebook?” Jongin asked, waiting impatiently for Suho’s answer. Suho shook his head in hesitation. He admits that he had never looked at the last page of the book.

“There’s a picture with an address written behind it. The picture was inserted at the very last page of the notebook.” Jongin added, grabbing the remaining sandwich on the plate and eating it. Suho's eyes widened as he snatched the book away from Baekhyun and Chanyeol. Jongin was right. There was a picture on the last page with two girls in it. A short haired girl and a long haired girl. Suho cursed himself mentally for being so careless. He should’ve looked through the book until the very end.

“Why didn’t you tell me before?!”

“I saw the picture back then but er... I was in a hurry that day and forgot to tell you about that. Plus, I never expect that you’ll keep the book. I... I’m... er... sorry.” Jongin tried to defend himself even though he was obviously at fault here.

Suho shot him a poisonous glare before his gaze shifted to the picture.

“Which one-”

“The long haired one.” Jongin cut in. Suho looked up, confused. “It’s the long haired girl in the picture whom I bumped into a few days ago.” Jongin added, knowing what Suho was wondering about even before he had to ask.

Silence. There was no answer from Suho. He was staring at the picture intensely, eyes fixated on the picture.

"So, you’re the one who hates winter more than everything..." Suho whispered to himself before he smiled unconsciously.

 

 

Eunmi’s smile was even wider than before, reflecting her happiness and pleasure from the snowflakes falling on her palm. She had taken off her gloves as usual, so that she could feel the cool snowflakes melting in the realm of her palm. She didn't mind the biting cold at all as her eyes glittered with joy while she admired the beauty of the white snow. She did this almost every day since winter had started, on her way back home from university. Every winter, she would choose not to take any form of public transportation to get home. She would instead walk home so that she could play with the snow as much as she wants on the way back home.

‘A snowflake is one of God's most fragile creations, but look at what they can do when they stick together! In winter we lead a more inwards life. Our hearts are warm and cheery, like cottages under drifts...’ That was what her late-father had told her when she was eight years old, and it was amazing that she still remembers it even though an entire decade had passed.

She gazed up at the snowy sky and closed her eyes as she took a deep breath. A satisfied smile formed on her lips as she inhaled the cold, winter air. If she could eat the cold air, she would. She thought the cold air resembled cookies, like gingersnaps. In her mind they would be made with chunks of white chocolate and had a cool but brittle vanilla frosting. They would melt like snow in , turning creamy and warm. Such wonderful and magical snow. She chuckled. Although she was already an adult, she notice that her mind was still as childish as before, getting fascinated over such simple occurrences, but she didn't mind.

Since she got home earlier than Yoonmi today, she had a plan. A plan that had been on her mind for quite a long time. To cook dinner for Yoonmi. It was always Yoonmi who prepared everything for her all this time, so she thought that this would be a golden opportunity to return the favor to her sister. After she had sent a text message to Yoonmi and reminded her not to get home too late today, Eunmi hurried her steps, heading to a grocery store nearby before going back to the house.

In the meantime, Yoonmi who had been busy reading and writing her thesis in the library. After receiving Eunmi's text message, she hurriedly packed up all her stuff. She glanced at her watch, which was a gift from Eunmi on their 20^th birthday three months ago. It was getting late. The watch showed that it was almost 6.30 pm. That means that she had been immersed with the books and her paperwork for almost four whole hours in the library. She looked around, noticing that there were not many students left in the library. Besides her, there were only three librarians and a few other students left in the library.

She walked out and away from the library once she was done packing up all her stuff. She sighed as she remembered that she had totally forgotten something. The only thing that she hates more than the winter, was having to walk by the music room that was located near the library.

It was always locked and she had never seen anybody getting in or out of the room. There wasn't another path that she could have possibly taken and that was the problem. The atmosphere near the music room always made her develop goosebumps whenever she walked by. It was just too quiet and gloomy.

Yoonmi took a deep breath, convincing herself that she was brave as she slowly walked past the music room. Just a few steps away from the music room, her feet froze and her heart started beating like crazy. Her ears had caught the sound of a soft, slow and beautiful voice singing alongside a piano.

Yoonmi was left puzzled and speechless, not knowing if she should run away or just stay still. Her mind cautioned her to run away but her heart refused. The melody that was playing tugged at her heartstrings; it was too beautiful and captivating. She tried to ignore it but the voice glued her feet to the floor.

Each note gently touched her scarred heart, making it feel at ease. For a moment, she was able to forget about the traumatic memory that haunted her. There was a sense of peacefulness in the song. A kind of complete inner peace that eradicated all distresses, allowing her soul to be at rest and refreshed. Such a beautiful voice, such a beautiful melody and she was swayed...

 

I’m struggling to find you who I cannot see
I’m struggling to find you who I cannot hear
I see things that I couldn’t see before
I hear things that I couldn’t hear before
After you left me, I have grown a power that I didn’t have before

The selfish me who has only thought about myself
The me who didn’t know your feelings and ignored it
I couldn’t believe that I have changed this much
Your love can still move me like this

If I just think of you, I can fill this world with you
Because each snowdrop is one teardrop that belongs to you
But there's just one thing that I can’t do and it’s to make you come to me
I hope I don’t have this miserable power

Stopping the time, (I) go back to you
I open this book of memories and I open up your page
And in the book I’m in there, in there with you

The small and weak person, because of your love
Just like this for everything (my whole existence)
I changed the whole world

The me who didn’t know how to be thankful for love
The me who thought that the end was the end
To the image of you who wanted me to be, I fixed myself every day
I think my love will continue on forever

Stopping the time, (I) go back to you
I open this book of memories and I open up your page
And in the book I’m in there, in there with you
The things that I met that winter

I’m struggling to find you who I cannot see
I’m struggling to find you who I cannot hear...

-Miracles In December-

 

Silence. The sweet voice couldn't be heard after that. The beautiful and convincing melody no longer played. As the music stopped, Yoonmi felt like she had just woken up from a dream. A dream that had made her forgetten all the sorrowful and hurtful memories that she could never chase away all this time. A sweet dream that gave her new strength, a dream that she didn't want to wake up from.

“Oh, I’m late!” Only after that did Yoonmi realize that she was late to get home. Eunmi had reminded her just a while ago. Waiting no more, she finally made a move away from the music room.

Just a few seconds after Yoonmi rushed away from the room, the door which was locked from the inside was suddenly opened. A man stepped out from the music room as he stared at Yoonmi’s back with an empty look. After her silhouette had vanished from his sight, he left the music room as well, leaving it unlocked.