Work Text:
At the end of the day, Cheol was waiting for someone outside their apartment, wearing a jacket with gloves and a scarf.
"She is taking some time…" He was about to go away but he heard a voice.
"KIM CHEOL! WAIT FOR ME!!!" A little ball of sunshine ran toward him.
"Arghh! Don’t yell! Hwang Mi-ae!" He covered her mouth, keeping her from yelling more and alerting the neighbours.
"Hehe sorry! I thought you would go without me!"
"It was I who invited you, why would I do that?"
"That’s right haha!"
Cheol just sighed before removing his hand, he watched her, sceptical. Mi-ae was wearing a jacket, a long skirt and gloves but nothing covered her neck. He removed his scarf and put it around her neck, it covered half her face.
"Wear it, you will be cold."
"Oh! Thank you! But won’t you be cold too?"
"No, I’m okay, let’s go."
He started walking toward the park with huge steps, Mi-ae was following him with difficulty, almost falling in the snow.
"You are going too fast!"
He slowed down when he heard her and he could soon see Mi-ae beside him, smiling and humming a song. They didn’t say anything else, just walking in the snow which was still falling too. It soon became hard for them to walk since snow began to cover around their knees but they continued to walk toward the park, holding hands since Mi-ae really had difficulties to continue to go forward.
"Hehe thank you Kim Cheol!"
"It’s nothing, you were just too small."
"Nooo don’t say that! You are just way too tall."
He shrugged, ignoring her remark before continuing to go to the park while holding her hand. She couldn’t help but blushes a little, maybe it was because of the cold or the hand or even both but she was happy anyway.
"By the way, why do you want to go to the park?"
"You will see."
She stopped asking questions and five minutes later, they were at the park and sat on the swings. Cheol pointed at the sky and Mi-ae could finally see why he wanted to bring her to the park precisely at this hour. Snow falling, the sun slowly going down.
"WOAH IT'S BEAUTIFUL ! Now I understand why you wanted to come now!" Miae said while giggling.
"You are finally smiling again", he turned towards her.
"Hmm? Why are you saying that Kim Cheol?"
"You were a bit…odd. Not paying attention to lessons or even afterschool lessons, you kept messing up the exercises and falling down."
"Oh, hahaha, you saw that! I'm fine! It's really nothing at all! I just slept late yesterday! I'm just a dummy, don't worry", she laughed as if she were used to this.
"...You can count on me, you know", Cheol mumbled.
"What did you say?"
"Nothing, take this."
He put something in her hands while watching somewhere else.
"Oh, it's a gift!? You are really giving me a gift? Can I open it???" She had a huge smile on her face.
"Do as you want."
She didn't wait and opened the gift, she had like little stars in her eyes.
"I WANTED IT FOR SO LONG! HOW DID YOU KNOW? She jumped up and down, before suddenly hugging her friend who caught her–THANK YOU KIM CHEOL! I WILL CHERISH IT"
"Do you like it that much?"
"OF COURSE IT IS YOUR FIRST GIFT TO ME! AND I LOVE IT"
Cheol felt his cheeks becoming red, was it cold or something else? He didn't know but as long as his friend was happy, he was happy too.
"Can you help me? I want to wear it now!"
"Alright alright…"
He sighed then helped her put on the necklace he gifted her, he couldn't help smiling a little after seeing her happy face.
As for Mi-Ae, she did see him smiling a bit and she felt herself becoming a little warmer inside. She blushed, hid herself behind the scarf.
"I'm sorry Kim Cheol, I don't have any gift for you! If I knew you were going to give me something I would have done the same!"
"You already gave me something Hwang Mi-ae."
She tilted her head, confused about what he just said, let go of him to stare in his eyes after.
"What? I didn't give you anything! If yes, what did I give you?"
"You don't need to know, but also don't need to give me anything either. We should go home, your mother will be worried."
"Eeehhh? I don't want to go home! She will nag me to study again and again even though we are on a winter break!"
"You have to celebrate the New Year with them, I'm sure she will not say anything."
Mi-ae just sighed before following Cheol once again in the snow, which covered up to her knees so it was becoming very difficult to circulate. He finished by carrying her on his back, she stayed close to his back, yawning. Why is she already tired? Did she sleep? He was lost in his thoughts and let go a little bit but it was enough for Mi-ae to slip and fall in the snow.
"AHHHHH KIM CHEOL! HELP!!!" She was sinking in the snow, entirely covered now.
"HWA–MI-AE! HOLD ON!"
He began to dig in the snow, desperately before seeing a hand stretched out.
He took her hand and took her out of the snow, carrying like a princess while she sneezed and even laughed.
"Why are you laughing!? You could have died! Because of me…" Cheol was worried and even sad because he felt guilty.
"Hahaha! I woke up thanks to this! I'm okay, thanks for helping me Kim Cheol! By the way
...Did you just call me by my name?"
He froze on the spot, silent a few minutes before starting to walk again in the snow, while ignoring his friend.
"Hey! Kim Cheol! Answer! You called me by my name! Say it again!"
"Never. Just rest Hwang Mi-ae."
She whined before sneezing again and felt herself slowly closing her eyes, while mumbling.
"Say it again Kim Cheol…You called me Mi-ae." These were the last words before she fell asleep.
The boy sighed while watching the girl sleeping in his arms, whispering.
"...Sleep tight Mi-ae."
A few moments later, he regretted calling her name and was bright red, muttering nonsense while his friend slept in his arms.