The First Snow.

(Title context: the first snow makes the people of the South and the North feel thrilled alike as it has such a romantic and wonderful meaning. There used to be a saying in Korea: "If you are out in the first snowfall of the season with someone you like, true love will blossom between you.")

(before):

Kai slammed their door in frustration as he ran his slender fingers through his messy nest of hair. On the other side of the door, Jennie yelled, “YEAH! JUST SLAM THE DOOR IN MY FACE! JUST IGNORE ANOTHER ONE OF YOUR PROBLEMS!”, and bursted into tears as she collapsed tiredly onto the floor, her tears silently cascading down her face as she stared at the old door, the paint peeling off. It flung open and there in the doorway stood Kai, unsure of what to feel. Anger? Sadness? Love? Sighing, Kai scooped Jennie into his arms and placed her gently onto their bed. Looking up at him sadly through her tears, she placed a fragile hand upon his beautiful face, “Kai… I…”, but Kai only got up and looked into the other direction, not allowing his Jennie to see his tears. “Jennie, Baby…, I can’t, not right now, I’m sorry…,” and with that he walked out of the door, not looking back at the broken girl and not hearing her gentle whisper as it faded slowly into the winter night air.“I’ll always love you Kai,”....

*five years later*

“Ugh, I’m so bored,” Jennie groaned as her and her friend Leena dropped onto the couch with a thump. It was a December night and the snow was falling with such a ferocious speed that within ten minutes of it snowing, everywhere Jennie looked was covered in a blanket of snow. The dead trees had glowing lights wrapped around their branches, making them look like a menacing fiery monster. Jennie shivered as she took one last glance at the snow and stared into the blazing fire in the fireplace. The heat coming from the fire had warmed up her room and had wrapped itself around her like a blanket of comfort and warmth. Jennie smiled in gratitude before remembering her boredom and looked at her friend, who was now scrolling through her phone with blank eyes. Then she remembered! She jumped up with a sudden, unknown energy and snatched her friend’s phone out her hand. “Hey!,” Leena yelled in surprise, “that’s my phone,” and chased Jennie around the room and the room was suddenly filled with life and laughter as it bounced off the brick walls. Once Leena had retrieved her phone and was sitting on the couch grumbling in annoyance, a gasping Jennie took hold of Leena’s icy hand and looked into her eyes, her eyes bright with eager, “sledding! Let’s go sledding! There’s a lot of snow and it’s snowing like crazy outside! It’s night and no one can see us being wild! Sounds fun?”.

“Are you out of your mind? It’s snowing so much outside, and that’s  a bad thing,” Leena added noticing the confused look on Jennie’s face, “and plus… you hate sledding remember?”, Leena reminded her, causing Jennie going back to an unwanted memory… 

*five years ago*

“Kai! Are you nuts?,” Jennie giggled as Kai dragged her across the vast area of snow, her small cold hands in  Kai’s big and warm ones. Kai smiled warmly at Jennie and wrapped his strong arms protectively around her, melting all the ice. She sighed as she looked down at the beautiful view. The city below the two glittered with life and the couple could hear the distant sound of shouting and the sound of cars honking their horns. “It’s like we’re at the top of the world,” Jennie whispered in absolute awe of the beauty that lay in front of her, “I didn’t realise at how beautiful our city actually was,” Jennie spun around Kai’s arm and looked up at him with a loving smile plastered on her face, “I love you Kai, I’ll love you forever Kai,” she stood on her tiptoes and gave her lover a small yet sweet kiss when… .

“Ouch”, something pinched her nose and she opened her eyes to only be greeted by snow falling gently around them. She extended her now gloved hand and caught a single snowflake and bought it closer, but it had melted by the time it had even reached her. Kai smiled affectionately at his lover and pulled her tighter in her hug, “you’re so adorable princess,” he murmured into her silky hair, ”I love you,” and they both had decided to go for sledding for the remainder of that hour and would continue to do so for days until the city lights had died out and the people happy chatters faded into a dull, dead slumber... 

*present*

Jennie had somehow convinced Leena to go sledding in the night snow. As soon as they stepped out of their homey cabin, the cold night air hit them unwelcomingly in the face, like an invisible barrier that prevented them from running towards the fun and freedom. By the time both of the girls reached the appropriate place to go sledding, their teeth were chattering and their fingertips felt numb to the bone. “Only for half an hour and then we’re going back,” Leena grumbled before putting down her sledding board onto the snowy ground, got onto it and was off before Jennie could even protest. Excited, Jennie was about to join her friends when… 

“Jennie, is that you?”, a familiar voice asked with disbelief and certainly towering above her was Jennie’s old boyfriend, Kai…

Jennie had spent nights upon nights dreaming and planning on things she would say if she ever met Kai, hoping that upon their first encounter after their breakup she’d sound tough and independent, to let Kai know that she was doing perfectly well without him. But when she saw him, she was too shocked to even think of all those things that she wanted to say to him and instead squeaked in a small voice as she tried to get up but only fell back in the snow with a loud thud. She felt her cheeks go red as Kai continued looking at her. Smiling down at her, he extended his gloved hand out towards her. She took it without a word and dusted the snow off. How dare that hot bastard smile after-, Jennie thought before it got interrupted by Kai’s husky voice, “oh, you’re sledding?,” he smiled at her, making her body warm in an instant, “so am I,” he said holding up his sledding board. Jennie nervously shuffled where she was standing as she desperately hoped that she didn’t look awkward. Where is Leena?, Jennie thought desperately, if only she was here. Jennie groaned silently before looking Kai directly in the eye and smiling coldly at him, hoping that she looked menacing.

“I better go now,” Jennie said and turned in the opposite direction, “or else my friend will get mad-”, but was cut off by Kai’s strong grip on her wrist. Shocked, she looked down at his hands and then looked up at him with wide eyes, “what you doing…,” she giggled nervously as she tried to pull away but was only pulled closer every time she tried to free herself from his grip but stopped when her body crashed into Kai’s strong, broad chest.

“Don’t go Jennie,” Kai whispered in a sudden desperation that she didn’t remember being there, “please.” 

“Kai… I gotta go… please, let me go…,” Jennie begged as she felt the tears as they threatened to betray her.

 As if he hadn’t realised his strong grip on her, he let her go suddenly and stepped back in shock and ran his hands through his messy curls, “I- I’m so sorry Jennie, I- Jennie, just hear me out and if you don’t want this you can go and I’ll leave you alone forever, you’ll never see me again,” he held up his pinky finger and held it out to a very confused Jennie and smiled one of his torturous smiles, “pinky promise.”

Not being able to help herself, Jennie laughed slightly before extending her hand and wrapped her pinky finger around his, “pinky promise,” she smiled at him before realising at the situation that lay in front of them. Clearing her throat, she stepped back, signalling for Kai to continue speaking. 

“I love you Jennie, I’ve always loved you, even when I left you that night I loved you, I’ve never stopped loving you. I can’t live without you Jennie, please, I want you, I need you, I want us,” there were tears now falling down both of their cheeks as they stood helplessly as they looked at each other with fading hope in both of their eyes. Even though they were standing so close to each other, it felt as though they were so far from each other. 

“Then why? Why did you leave me that night? Why didn’t you just stay?,” Jennie asked. It felt like a sudden weight had been lifted off her shoulder and heart. The world felt more different, filled with that light that Jennie had lost that night.

“I was scared Jennie, that night I was so scared that I’d say something stupid. I was so angry, it was blinding,” Kai looked Jennie deep into her eyes, “I was so scared I’d lose you more if i spoke more,” Kai laughed slightly, “I know it sounds dumb and cowardly of me-”, Kai was cut off suddenly by the feeling of Jennie’s lips on his. And after five years of dreaming and hoping, they were both in each other’s arms. When they had reluctantly pulled away, Jennie took a firm hold of Kai’s face, “I love you, you idiot, it’s not dumb and you’re not a coward, you didn’t have to run away that night and hide your feelings from me,” Jennie smiled at him through her tears, “never hide anything from me Kai.” Kai laughed in disbelief and swung Jennie around in his arms as they both laughed, their laughter filling the silent night air and were about to kiss again when… 

“Ouch”, something pinched her nose and she opened her eyes to only be greeted by snow falling gently around them. Jennie giggled in delight and ran around in the snowy field, trying to catch the snowflakes while Kai chased her as their laughter faded into the night air…