“Do you love her?”

“I do, I really do.”

“Then prove it. Make her stay, I can’t stand you two being like this. Call me a cold or what but I love my cousin and you’re my friend so I love you as well.”

“I don’t know how.”

“That’s for you to figure out.” Irene sighed. “Yeri, Joy loves you, she never loved anyone like you even her girlfriends in America isn’t as special as you. She admitted that she was dating you to her mom, she was hit in the process.”

Yeri’s face froze. “She was hit?”

“Yes, I was not supposed to tell you, but maybe it’ll give you a little push.” Irene rolled her eyes. “Take this ski trip as an opportunity on how important Joy is to you and if you can handle her being not there for the next year.” Irene head in the shower because she was freezing from the snow fight she had with Mino. “Because I sure hell you can’t.” she said before going inside.

Yeri replayed that conversation with Irene for the hundredth time. It’s New Year’s Eve, and she really isn’t in the mood to be festive. She was lying down her room and staring at the ceiling.

‘Will I be able to live without Joy?’ those questions continuously repeating over and over her head, then she suddenly stood up.

“Hell ing no.” she said loudly. She dressed up in warm clothes and started going out. Jinwoo and their parents saw her and called her out.

“Where are you going young lady?” Their mom said.

“Somewhere…” she tried finding her words. Jinwoo was looking at her and smiling softly.

“Mom just let her go.”

“It’s new year.”

“So what?” Jinwoo said brashly which surprised everyone, he was the goody-goody in the family and he never talk back to their parents like that. “I think, I’ll go too.” Jinwoo suddenly stood up and dressed up in his coat and boots, he stood beside Yeri.

“What is up with the two of you?” Their dad asked suspiciously. “You two never agreed to anything like this before.”

“Let’s bring this.” They didn’t even listen to their father’s remark and just picked up sparklers and Roman candle from the pile of firework.

“Hey!” their father called out their attention

“We’ll be back tomorrow!” Jinwoo waved.

“Happy new year omma, appa.” They both head out the door, Yeri turned around and said “Oh, also the young lady likes young ladies too.” While waving at her parents before finally running off outside.

Their parents processed what Yeri said and heaved a sigh when they finally realized what she meant. That explains why she hates them setting her up on blind dates so much regardless of how handsome or how respectable the guy they set her up with.

“Where are you going anyways?”

“I dunno, somewhere.” Jinwoo said. “It’s frustrating there.”

“Decided to stop being a lap dog?”

“Hey!” Jinwoo said, seriously offended. “I envy you actually.”

“Me?” Yeri scoffed.

“You do all the things you want.” Jinwoo sighed. “All I did my life is to just say yes.”

Yeri felt bad for his twin brother, they grew up together and literally went out of their mother’s womb together but they’re really not close. They have different perspective in life and Jinwoo was the favorite twin while Yeri was the unwanted one.

“Our parents like you better.” Yeri said attempting to lift up her brother’s mood. “They hate me.”

“No they don’t.” Jinwoo chuckled. “They’re just frustrated because they can’t control you. You’re more of a challenge but no, they don’t hate you.”

“Thanks.” Yeri patted his back. “Maybe this 2016 we should hang out more.”

“Yeah, maybe we should.” Jinwoo patted her head in return.

“But seriously where are you going?”

“Maybe at Taehyun’s”

Yeri gave an ‘I see’ expression. “I’ll be going to Joy’s”

“Good luck, oh bring this.” He handed her out a box of sparklers. “Do something flashy.” He smiled proud of the pun he mad meanwhile Yeri scrunched her nose at Jinwoo’s remark.

“This is why we’re not close.” They both laughed and bid their goodbyes.

“Happy new year squirtle.” Jinwoo said.

“Happy new year .” Yeri greeted back.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Yeri arrived in Joy’s house, she contemplated if she’ll continue on what she’s planning. She doesn’t really have a plan at all. She looked around, the house was lit up and music can be heard inside.

“Park Sooyoung!” She shouted at the top of her lungs. “Park Sooyoung!!”

A small head peeked through the window and it was Irene, she smiled and went away, probably to call Joy and indeed she did. After minutes Joy went out and stared at Yeri.

“Want to light this up?” Yeri asked, then Joy’s mother appeared.

“What do you want with my daughter?”

The two tensed up, especially Joy, she knew she would be denied and maybe Yeri will be like ‘I just want to hang out with my friend’ but to her surprise it wasn’t the case at all.

“I like your daughter.” Yeri said. “No, I love her. She loves me too, and I think there is nothing wrong with that.”

Joy’s mother scoffed and rolled her eyes, and Joy was too stunned to even talk.

“Please don’t make her go. It won’t make a difference anyway ma’am. She’ll go to LA, our family is rich as well so I can drop everything and follow her there, sending her back won’t make us apart. I will always find a way to be with her.”

Joy was so touched, she swore she almost cried. Her mother just went inside without saying anything, fuming in anger and frustration.

“So light this up with me?”

“Yeah, sure.” Joy smiled.

“Aren’t you proud of me?”

“No.” Joy said lifelessly but still obvious that she was joking. They light the sparklers up and watched the flickering of the light.

“I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For taking so long to have the balls to do this. An