One Day Before the New Year
Jeon Tae Ho and Kim Sohee went to the store to buy food.
They could have done it tomorrow, but they thought there would be too many people then. So, it was better to go today.
At the store, while Jeon Tae Ho stepped away to grab some ice cream (yes, ice cream—Kim Sohee had asked for it), Han So Woo approached Kim Sohee.
"Hey, Kim Sohee," he said with a smile.
"Han So Woo? Hey," she replied.
"How are you? I heard you stopped talking to Ho Su Min. And, well, that he's changed a lot," he asked.
"Oh, that... You know, he didn't change. We were just blind to it before. But honestly, he's always been a fool," she said.
They laughed.
At that moment, Jeon Tae Ho was already coming back with the ice cream. And he saw Han So Woo standing next to Kim Sohee, and they were...
"Laughing?"
He thought, feeling irritated as he looked at Han So Woo.
Without hesitation, Jeon Tae Ho walked up to them.
He stood behind Kim Sohee and rested his chin on her head.
"Sohee~ I got it," he said, raising his hand with the ice cream.
"Finally," Kim Sohee turned to face him. She lifted her hand to his head and ruffled his hair.
Jeon Tae Ho just smiled and said nothing. He only glanced at Han So Woo as if he were nothing more than empty space.
"Sohee, do you need anything else?" he asked.
"I don't think so."
"Then let's go home," Jeon Tae Ho said, still looking at Han So Woo.
And with that, they left for home.
New Year's Day
That evening, Kim Sohee and Jeon Tae Ho decided to go ice skating.
At the rink, Kim Sohee struggled to tie the laces on her skates.
Jeon Tae Ho noticed and crouched in front of her.
"I'll do it," he said, tying the laces for her.
"Thanks."
"Yeah. All done. Shall we go?"
"Yeah, let's go."
They stepped onto the ice.
It turned out that Kim Sohee was much better at skating than Jeon Tae Ho. So, he stayed close to her the entire time.
They laughed as they skated, and at one point, Jeon Tae Ho even fell, with Kim Sohee helping him back up.
And then, suddenly, it started snowing. The first snow of the season.
Jeon Tae Ho and Kim Sohee stood in the center of the rink.
Kim Sohee tilted her head up.
"Isn't it beautiful?" she asked Jeon Tae Ho, who wasn't looking at the snow at all. He was only looking at her.
"I should say it..." he thought.
"Sohee," he said.
Kim Sohee turned to him.
"Hm?"
"Sohee... Honestly... I like you. Not just like—I don't know what I'd do without you... And even if you don't feel the same way, I just want you to know—I will never stop loving you," he said, speaking straightforwardly. But his face betrayed his nervousness. It was completely red, and not because of the cold.
"Tae Ho, I..."
She didn't get to finish before he interrupted her.
"I'll understand. Even if you don't like me, you can still live in my apartment. And—"
This time, she interrupted him.
Kim Sohee cupped his face in her hands and tilted his head down toward her.
Jeon Tae Ho was surprised but stayed silent.
"Let me finish. I love you too... I know how that sounds, but it's the truth."
Jeon Tae Ho's eyes widened. He couldn't believe what he just heard.
"Really?"
"Yes!"
Kim Sohee smiled. She lowered her hands, and at that moment, overjoyed, Jeon Tae Ho lifted her up and spun her around.
"Tae Ho! We're going to fall—"
Before she could finish, they tumbled down.
"—down. I told you," she said, looking at Jeon Tae Ho.
But instead of getting annoyed, they just laughed.
***
And so, this story comes to an end.
This is my first story, so I'm really happy with how it turned out. (Even if I wrote it myself.)
I hope you enjoyed reading "Unrequited Winter Love."
—The End.