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Sanghyeok had just finished his stream a few minutes ago. It was already three in the morning, and although fatigue was starting to take over, he wasn’t quite ready to sleep. Maybe he’d eat something, read for a bit until sleep caught up with him, but all of that was forgotten when the sound of his phone pulled him out of his thoughts. It was a message from Jihoon: "Are you watching the snowfall?"
Sanghyeok frowned, moving closer to the window to look outside. He had forgotten that it was snowing. He typed a short reply: "No, I'm not watching it." It wasn’t long before another message came through: "Do you want to watch it together?"
He froze, staring at the screen as if it had cast a spell on him. His mind went blank for a moment, but then it quickly filled with questions and thoughts colliding with each other.
According to everyone, the first snowfall held special meaning. Watching it with someone wasn’t just a coincidence; it was romantic, almost symbolic. Tradition said it was shared with the person you love or have feelings for. And Sanghyeok’s heart began to race uncontrollably at the thought.
"It doesn’t have to mean anything... does it?" he thought, though doubt made him waver. His mind analyzed all possible scenarios. He wanted to go, of course. But, was it a good idea? Should he accept something that maybe meant much more than he was ready to handle?
In the end, he couldn’t resist. He typed an affirmative response before his nerves could paralyze him completely.
Jihoon replied instantly: "Where are you? I'll pick you up."
Sanghyeok wanted to refuse, to say it wasn’t necessary. But of course, it was Jihoon, and he knew that in the end, he would win. He accepted, and just the thought of seeing him already made him a little nervous.
It wasn’t long before his phone vibrated with a message that read: "I'm here." Sanghyeok took a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves that seemed determined to stay with him, and headed to the door. As he stepped outside, the cold night immediately wrapped around him, but he hardly noticed it, his attention completely captivated by the figure waiting for him by the car.
Jihoon was leaning against it, exuding that carefree attitude that always seemed so natural to him. That was when Sanghyeok cursed under his breath. Jihoon wasn’t wearing his usual comfortable, casual clothes; he looked great, dressed entirely in black—cargo pants, a hoodie, a puffer jacket, and boots that gave him an impressive, almost intimidating look. He looked different, almost unreachable, and on top of that, his style made him seem even taller than usual.
Sanghyeok looked down at his own clothes: a comfy outfit he had thrown on before his stream, not really thinking about it.
"Jihoonah," he said, feigning reproach as he got close enough for him to hear. "Why didn’t you tell me I should change?" He frowned, trying to look annoyed.
Jihoon flashed a wide smile, ignoring the reproach. "Hi to you too, Hyeokie."
Sanghyeok rolled his eyes, but couldn’t stop himself from smiling. In an exaggerated gesture, he bowed mockingly in front of Jihoon. Far from being offended, Jihoon only laughed more.
"Why do you say that? You look really cute," Jihoon replied, and Sanghyeok immediately felt his cheeks heat up.
"It’s not true, and you should’ve told me you were coming looking so good," Sanghyeok retorted, trying to sound annoyed, though his voice betrayed a slight tremble.
Jihoon, taken aback by the response, paused for a second. Sanghyeok could see his cheeks turn even redder.
Jihoon looked away, but quickly recovered. "Stop being a grump and get in," he said, flashing a smile that tried to hide the nervousness he felt.
Sanghyeok clicked his tongue but didn’t respond, following Jihoon to the passenger side, where he opened the door with the natural ease only he could have, as if none of this was slowly unraveling Sanghyeok’s neatly ordered thoughts.
They got in the car, and for a few minutes, the only sound was the engine and the gentle crunching of snow under the wheels. Jihoon drove calmly, one hand on the wheel, the other resting on the armrest, while Sanghyeok stared out the window, trying not to think too much about the fact that he was in the car with a handsome, gallant guy who had come to pick him up to watch the first snowfall, which definitely meant nothing more than friendship.
"How was your day?" Jihoon asked suddenly, his voice calm but curious, pulling Sanghyeok out of his thoughts. Sanghyeok blinked a couple of times, realizing he’d been lost in watching the passing lights outside the window.
"It was fine," he replied, letting the conversation flow naturally. "I spent the last six hours streaming." He let out a soft chuckle.
"Oh, you were streaming?" Jihoon turned his head slightly toward him, though his eyes remained mostly on the road. "What a shame, I missed it." As he said this, he pursed his lips into a pout that, while Sanghyeok knew it was deliberate, felt absurdly genuine and endearing.
Sanghyeok smiled, as he always did around Jihoon, though this time he had to look away before his thoughts betrayed him. "Nothing interesting happened. Just hours of gaming and messing around."
Jihoon shook his head almost immediately, his eyes still on the road as a playful smile curved his lips. "Well, I like watching you play," he said with a casual tone that didn’t quite match the effect those words had on Sanghyeok.
A moment of silence filled the car. Sanghyeok swallowed, knowing Jihoon likely hadn’t put much weight on that statement, but he couldn’t stop his mind from overanalyzing every word.
"Really?" he asked, incredulous. His voice felt a bit tense, and while he tried to sound nonchalant, the faint blush on his cheeks probably gave him away.
Jihoon nodded slightly, a calm and charming smile lighting up his face. "Yeah, it’s entertaining," he replied sincerely, his eyes glinting faintly under the soft glow of the car's dashboard.
Sanghyeok glanced at him sideways. "Like a monkey?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
Jihoon let out a laugh. "More like a cat," he corrected playfully, and Sanghyeok, unable to help himself, rolled his eyes. Still, he couldn’t suppress the small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
"And how was your day?" he asked, steering the conversation back toward Jihoon.
Jihoon shrugged slightly, one hand still on the wheel while the other rested on the armrest. "It was fine, I guess. Nothing out of the ordinary," he said at first, but then a mischievous smile appeared on his face. "Although it got better once I came to pick you up."
Sanghyeok blinked, clearly caught off guard. He wasn’t sure if it was the tone, the words, or the casual way Jihoon had said them, but his heart gave a little leap.
"Oh, we’re almost there," Jihoon said, and Sanghyeok was immensely grateful the previous topic hadn’t dragged on. "You should put on another jacket; it’s gotten colder," he added, glancing at him briefly before focusing back on the snow-covered street.
"I didn’t bring another one," Sanghyeok replied.
Jihoon sighed, as if he had already anticipated that answer. "I know," he said, his tone a mix of reproach, amusement, and a touch of tenderness that Sanghyeok found hard to ignore. "You never want to dress warmly enough."
Sanghyeok was about to retort, but Jihoon spoke first. "That’s why I brought one for you," he added, nodding toward the back seat.
Sanghyeok turned his head curiously, his eyes landing on a black jacket, neatly folded on the back seat. For a moment, he simply stared at it, as if the object were more than just a piece of clothing. He furrowed his brows slightly, his mind processing the obvious: Jihoon had brought it in advance, knowing that, as always, he would underestimate the cold.
That simple act, so typical of Jihoon, had a bigger impact than Sanghyeok was willing to admit. A mix of emotions washed over him, from mild disbelief to a warm, unexpected feeling in his chest. How long had the jacket been there? How long had Jihoon been planning to take care of him in such a subtle way?
On one hand, he was puzzled by how Jihoon always seemed to be one step ahead, anticipating his needs without even asking. On the other hand, there was something about that foresight that made him feel vulnerable, as if Jihoon understood aspects of him that he himself hadn’t fully recognized. It was an overwhelming feeling, but also comforting.
As his thoughts intertwined, his gaze remained fixed on the jacket. The simple fact that Jihoon had brought it and specifically chosen it for him said more than words ever could. It wasn’t just the garment; it was the message behind it. "I know how you are, and I’m here to take care of you, even if you don’t ask for it."
Sanghyeok felt a slight lump in his throat, accompanied by a warmth that began in his chest and spread to his face.
"I’ll accept it, but your accusations are false," he said, pretending to be offended.
Jihoon smiled, that mischievous smile that always managed to disarm him. "You're welcome," he replied as he stopped the car on a quiet little street lined with snow-covered trees.
Sanghyeok scoffed, but couldn’t help the small smile that appeared as he leaned toward the back seat to grab the jacket. As he did so, he noticed how thick and warm it was, and how it even had Jihoon’s familiar scent. Something as simple as that made his heart race a little faster.
He quickly put on the jacket, trying to hide the slight blush on his cheeks.
Jihoon, for his part, didn’t miss a second of the scene. His smile grew as he watched him all bundled up, as if that jacket were an extension of his own arms, wrapping around him. "You look cute," he commented casually, his voice soft but clear enough to make Sanghyeok freeze up completely.
The comment caught him off guard. Sanghyeok jerked his head up, and his eyes sought Jihoon’s almost instinctively. That’s when it happened—the thing he had been avoiding since getting in the car: they made eye contact.
Jihoon’s eyes were warm, deep, looking at him with a mix of tenderness and something else, something that made Sanghyeok feel vulnerable and defenseless. For a moment, everything around him seemed to disappear. The snow falling outside, the faint hum of the engine, even the winter cold were relegated to the background.
Sanghyeok tried to say something, anything to break the moment, but the words wouldn’t come. He could only hold the gaze, trapped in the intensity that Jihoon seemed to handle so effortlessly. Finally, he cleared his throat and looked away, jerking his head toward the window.
"Let’s go, I want to see the snow," he murmured, his voice barely audible, trying to sound annoyed, but the tremor in his words betrayed him.
Jihoon let out a soft laugh as he turned off the car’s engine before opening the door and stepping into the winter cold.
Sanghyeok followed him, stepping out of the car as the icy air immediately wrapped around him, causing him to exhale visibly as it mixed with the night air. As he stepped on the snow-covered ground, a slight shiver ran through his body, but the jacket Jihoon had given him did its job.
They stood for a moment side by side in silence, watching the snow fall gently, as if the sky itself wanted to paint the world with a bright white coat. The nearby streetlights gave a warm glow to the landscape.
Sanghyeok lifted his gaze, letting his eyes roam over the cloudy sky, from which snowflakes seemed to endlessly fall. He couldn’t remember the last time he had taken a moment to simply stop and observe something so simple, yet so full of beauty. It was as though the night itself invited them to stay there, in silence, sharing the moment.
Jihoon turned his head slightly to look at him. There was something in Sanghyeok’s expression, in how his eyes got lost in the sky, that made him feel a tightness in his chest. It was hard to explain exactly what it was, but he couldn’t take his eyes off him.
"It’s beautiful, isn’t it?" Jihoon said finally, his voice low, almost afraid to break the magic of the moment.
Sanghyeok looked down at him, his lips curving into a small smile. "Yeah, it is," he replied, his tone almost reverent.
"Come here, I want to show you something," Jihoon suddenly said, gently grabbing him by the wrist. His touch was firm but warm, as if he wanted to make sure Sanghyeok would follow him without a doubt, but without forcing him. Surprised by the gesture, Sanghyeok barely had time to react before Jihoon started walking, leading him down a narrow alley.
The place was illuminated by old lanterns, their glass covered by a fine layer of frost. The warm light they emitted flickered weakly, almost as if struggling against the cold. The lanterns cast long shadows on the stone walls of the surrounding buildings, creating an intimate and slightly melancholic atmosphere. Small mounds of snow piled up along the edges of the path, and the sound of their footsteps echoed softly and steadily in the stillness of the night.
"What are you hiding from me this time?" Sanghyeok asked, breaking the silence. He tried to make his voice sound casual, but he couldn’t help but focus on the feeling of Jihoon’s hand against his skin. The touch was so simple, yet it made him feel a whirlwind of emotions he wasn’t sure how to handle.
Jihoon turned just enough to glance at him over his shoulder, a playful smile lighting up his face despite the dimness. "Not much. Just a nice place," he replied, letting the mystery and anticipation hang in the air.
The alley finally opened up into a small hidden square, like a secret the city had been guarding jealously. The first thing that caught Sanghyeok’s attention was the fountain in the center. Although it was frozen, the stone sculptures still displayed intricate beauty: a group of dancing figures, their faces carved with expressions of joy, now trapped in ice. The snow piled up around the fountain gave it an ethereal quality, almost as if it were a scene taken straight from a winter fairy tale.
Around it, old wooden benches, covered in a pristine layer of snow, were lined beneath bare trees whose branches were adorned with hanging lights. The tiny bulbs, arranged almost carelessly, glowed with a soft intensity, casting a mixture of warm and cool tones over the square. The reflection of the lights on the ice of the fountain and the snow made the whole place seem magical, as if suspended outside of time.
Sanghyeok stopped, unable to prevent an expression of awe from forming on his face. "How... how did you find this?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid to break the spell the place seemed to hold.
Jihoon shrugged, gently releasing his grip to give Sanghyeok space to explore. "I stumbled upon it a while ago. I always thought it would be a nice place to share... with someone special."
The words lingered in the air, and although Jihoon tried to keep his tone casual, Sanghyeok could hear the sincerity behind them. He stood still for a moment, observing Jihoon’s profile against the glow, the warmth in his expression making everything inside Sanghyeok feel even more confusing and clear at the same time.
"It’s... amazing," he finally murmured, looking away towards the frozen fountain, unsure if he could maintain the intensity of the moment if he kept looking him in the eye. But even as he spoke, his heart was beating faster, as if something more than the cold was filling the space between them.
Jihoon smiled softly, pleased that the place had the impact he’d hoped for. He took a couple of steps toward the fountain, moving carefully over the snow that crunched beneath his feet. "I knew you’d like it. There’s something... special about it, right?" he said, stopping right at the edge of the fountain.
Sanghyeok followed, his eyes scanning every corner of the square. The lights, the ice, the stillness of the atmosphere. Everything seemed designed to make the moment feel intimate, as if they were alone in a secluded world. However, what he couldn’t stop thinking about was how Jihoon seemed to fit perfectly into this scene. There was something about the way the light illuminated him, the way his cheeks were slightly flushed from the cold, that made it impossible not to stare.
"Are you always like this?" Sanghyeok asked, trying to sound light, but his voice came out more serious than he had intended. Jihoon looked at him, raising an eyebrow.
"Like how?"
"Like... thoughtful," Sanghyeok replied, crossing his arms, as if that could protect him from the cold or from what he was feeling.
Jihoon shrugged, putting his hands in the pockets of his jacket. "Only when it’s worth it," he said, his voice softer this time, and Sanghyeok couldn’t help but feel that those words were directed straight at him.
Silence fell between them again, but this time it wasn’t uncomfortable. Sanghyeok let his gaze wander over the fountain, the dark sky, the flickering lights. Jihoon was only a few steps away, but that closeness, combined with the silence, made the air feel charged with something more.
Jihoon was the first to break the moment, turning to look directly at him. "Do you know why I brought you here?" he asked, his tone more serious, though still holding the warmth he was known for.
Sanghyeok blinked, surprised. "Because you thought I’d like it?" he replied, though he knew there was something more behind all this.
Jihoon smiled, but this time it was a smaller, more introspective smile. "Yes... but also because I wanted to tell you something. And I thought this place would be the right one."
Sanghyeok’s heart skipped a beat. The way Jihoon spoke, how his voice seemed to hesitate a little before finishing each sentence, put him on alert. "Tell me something?" he repeated, his own voice lower, almost uncertain.
Jihoon nodded and, after a moment of doubt, closed the distance between them. He wasn’t close enough to invade Sanghyeok’s space, but just close enough for him to see every detail of his face under the warm lights. "Sanghyeok... I know this might sound strange, but I wanted you to know before I regret it."
Time seemed to freeze as Jihoon searched for the right words. Sanghyeok felt anxiety building in his chest, but also something else. Something he had been hoping to hear.
"I brought you here because..." Jihoon took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on Sanghyeok’s. "Because I like you. A lot. And I can’t pretend it’s not true anymore."
The confession hung in the air between them, echoing like a sound that seemed to amplify in the stillness of the night. Jihoon’s words, so simple but full of meaning, floated between them as if they had left an invisible mark in the space that separated them. Jihoon seemed almost vulnerable, with his shoulders slightly tense and his hands in his pockets, as if that could stop them from trembling. His eyes, however, never left Sanghyeok, shining with a mixture of determination and a barely perceptible fear, as if he were putting all of his heart into that moment.
Sanghyeok, for his part, felt trapped between the weight of those words and the whirlwind of emotions that exploded inside him. For a moment, he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know what to say. It was as if his mind was about to reset, unable to process everything that this meant. He could feel the heat rising to his face, as if every fiber of his being was reacting to the intensity of the confession. His hands, which had been still until then, began to move slightly, looking for a place to hide, a gesture that could help him control the sudden nervousness that had overtaken him.
His heart was pounding so loudly that he was sure Jihoon could hear it. And as he tried to organize his thoughts, part of him couldn’t help but mentally repeat the words he had just heard: "I like you. A lot." Each syllable resonated with an echo that expanded in his chest, clashing with all his insecurities and doubts, but also awakening something warm and comforting that had been hidden until now.
The seconds seemed to stretch, turning into an endless lapse of time. Sanghyeok knew he had to say something, do something, but his lips remained sealed, as if the weight of what he felt was preventing him from speaking. Yet, even in his awkwardness, there was something in the intensity of his gaze, the slight tremble in his hands, and the flush on his cheeks, that began to communicate what his words could not express.
Jihoon immediately raised his hands, as if trying to dispel any pressure Sanghyeok might be feeling. "You don’t have to say anything, if you don’t want to," he said, his voice soft but with a slight tremor that betrayed how hard it was for him to keep his composure.
"No, no, I..." Sanghyeok began, his words stumbling from his mouth as he felt his cheeks burn even more. It was as if every fiber of his being was fighting to find the right way to say it. Finally, he took a deep breath, averting his gaze in embarrassment before saying, "I like you too."
The confession came out clumsily, almost like a whisper lost in the cold air. But the weight it carried was immense, and when he dared to glance at Jihoon, he saw his eyes widen, sparkling with disbelief and something else, something that seemed like pure relief.
Jihoon didn’t respond immediately. He stayed still, processing the words he had longed to hear, before a slow, sincere, and radiant smile spread across his face. His shoulders seemed to relax all at once, as if he had just released a burden he had been carrying for far too long.
"Really?" Jihoon asked finally, his tone bordering on disbelief.
Sanghyeok nodded with a barely perceptible movement, but he didn't dare look him directly in the eye. "Yeah, really. And if you ask me, I don’t know how you didn’t notice it before," he added with a failed attempt at sounding casual.
Jihoon let out a soft laugh, full of relief and happiness, and without thinking much more, he took a step toward Sanghyeok. "Sorry, sometimes I’m slower than I thought," he said in a playful tone, though his eyes were filled with something deeper, something that made Sanghyeok finally look at him.
The eye contact between them was electric, charged with all the emotions they had been accumulating for so long.
~~
They stayed a while longer, enjoying the place and each other’s company. The conversation flowed naturally, between comfortable silences and little laughs that seemed to arise from any casual remark. The snow continued to fall lightly, painting the world around them white, as if everything else had been paused.
On the way back, the journey felt lighter, filled with a different energy, as if the confession of their feelings had freed them from an invisible weight. Jihoon drove while occasionally sipping from the coffee they had bought on the way. Every so often, he would glance away from the road to look at Sanghyeok, who tried in vain to hide how that gesture made his heart beat faster.
When they arrived, Jihoon parked the car with almost automatic precision, although his mind was far from the routine movements. Sanghyeok was the first to step out, inhaling the cold night air, a futile attempt to calm the unease he felt in his chest. He stood beside the vehicle, his eyes fixed on the frost-covered ground, waiting for Jihoon to circle the car and join him.
When Jihoon finally appeared in front of him, Sanghyeok felt as if the world stopped for a moment. The closeness between them felt almost overwhelming, as if the space separating them was too small to contain all the emotions hanging in the air. The cold of the night became more evident, each breath forming a faint mist that floated between them, and Sanghyeok was surprised to notice how even something as simple as that seemed synchronized between them.
But what truly disarmed him was Jihoon’s gaze. It was soft, filled with an unexpected warmth, but at the same time intense, as if searching for something in him, as if wanting to tell him something that words couldn’t capture. Sanghyeok swallowed, aware of every little detail: the gentle touch of the breeze on his skin, the distant murmur of the wind, and above all, the weight of the unspoken connection that kept him anchored in the moment, unable to look away.
He didn’t know what to say. He wasn’t even sure if words were necessary. He could only stand there, feeling how everything inside him leaned toward Jihoon, caught in the magnetism of a moment that seemed too fragile and too important to break.
"Oh, the jacket," he said, suddenly remembering that he was still wearing it. He started to awkwardly take it off, but Jihoon took both of his hands, stopping him.
"Keep it," Jihoon said softly, adjusting the jacket over his shoulders. "We're still outside, and it’s cold."
Sanghyeok looked up, surprised by the gesture, but what truly left him speechless was the warmth in Jihoon’s eyes. There was something in them that made him feel small yet immense, as if he were the center of a universe that only Jihoon understood.
"Besides," Jihoon continued with a crooked smile, "it looks better on you than it does on me."
Sanghyeok opened his mouth to reply, maybe a clumsy joke to ease the tension that seemed to surround them, but he couldn’t find the words. Jihoon was still holding his hands, their fingers intertwined as if it were the most natural thing in the world. For a moment, neither of them spoke, they just let the silence envelop them, accompanied by the soft crunch of snow beneath their feet.
Jihoon lowered his gaze to their joined hands before lifting it again, meeting Sanghyeok’s eyes. There was something in his expression, a mix of tenderness and determination, that made Sanghyeok’s heart race even faster.
"I don’t know if I’m moving too fast," Jihoon murmured with a nervous smile, but his eyes never left Sanghyeok’s. "But... I really want to kiss you."
Sanghyeok felt a warmth spread through his body, almost as if the snow falling around them had completely melted. He didn’t answer with words, but gently squeezed Jihoon’s hands and nodded, just a slight movement, enough to take the step they had both been waiting for.
Jihoon leaned in cautiously, giving Sanghyeok time to pull away if he wished, but he didn’t. He closed his eyes just before their lips met, and the world seemed to stop entirely. The kiss was soft, hesitant at first, like a silent question.
For Jihoon, it was as if all the winter’s cold had vanished, leaving only the warmth Sanghyeok made him feel. For Sanghyeok, the kiss had the same effect as the first snowfall: something surprising, delicate and full of magic.
When they pulled away, Jihoon couldn’t help but smile, still too close for Sanghyeok to avoid the bright look he was giving him.
Sanghyeok smiled too, and this time, it was him who took the lead, leaning in to steal another kiss, brief but just as sweet.
The cold didn’t matter anymore. The first snowfall of the year had brought something warmer than any coat.