Jung Soo Ah's POV

I gazed at Yoongi's flushed cheeks, and he appeared pale due to the crisp weather. With a cheeky smile, I glided my fingers over his face. His cheeks felt warm, like incandescent lanterns. Yoongi scrunched his face and swatted my hand away. "What are you up to? Are you plotting something?" he asked. His eyes were sharp, and his face resembled that of a sleek, prowling cat.

"Ouch, that hurts. I was just teasing you." I said, sitting back on the wooden chair. He looked away, scoffing as he ruffled his hair, mumbling something. He appeared even more red-faced, clearly both irritated and flustered.

I looked at my scooped hand, and memories of Yoongi's words from the Chinese New Year flooded my mind. Just as I drifted into recalling the happenings of that day, his voice snapped me out of my thoughts, "Soo Ah! What are you dreaming about?" I blinked and turned toward him, only to find him leaning toward me. "Don't think about hitting me with another snowball," he warned, raising an eyebrow.

With my hand already in a scooped shape and a mischievous grin, I theatrically aimed at him. He quickly sprang to his feet and took several steps back, bracing himself. "Yoongi! Don't step back. Hazel is behind you," I said. He turned around and picked up Hazel.

"Can you stop goofing around? You were fine just an hour ago."

I chuckled and said, "It's not a snowball." I held out my hand, glancing at the perfume bottle that was nestled in my hand. The delicate glass of the small bottle was tinted in a soft purple, its surface shimmering with subtle cuts of tiny diamonds, and on the top it had a golden stopper.

Yoongi said he liked my scent during the Chinese New Year. That was when the idea of giving him the perfume as a gift crossed my mind. That day, after I went to my room, I shut the door and windows. I checked if there were any other lingering odors. I spread a soft towel on the table and gently opened the perfume bottle. I poured the fragrant liquid into the small bottle, ensuring nothing was spilled.

"This is for you, my perfume. You said you liked it, didn't you?"

"Is this for me?" he asked, squinting his eyes.

"It's for you, Yoongi. Life is like lavender. Learn to take breaks from work and enjoy the calmness around you. Sometimes, being in quiet moments lets you think clearly. I hope this scent reminds you of what I said when you overwork," I replied. Yoongi took the bottle from my hand, as he held Hazel in one hand and clutched the perfume bottle tightly in the other. He turned it slowly as he studied it with a curious expression. His eyes lingered on the bottle, and a faint smile curled at the corners of his lips. I was relieved to see his soft smile, as he had been deeply worried about Hazel.

I slowly took steps sideways, bent, and scooped a handful of soft, powdery snow from the ground. My hand went numb with its icy touch. I packed the snow tightly, shaping it into a round. I threw at him as the snowflakes splattered.

"Soo Ah!" He yelled my name. He kept the bottle on the bench and dropped Hazel on the ground. He quickly made a snowball and threw it at me. It flew through the air, landing squarely on my face and sending a sharp, cold sting across my nose.

"Yoongi! That hurts. I threw it at your legs to make it less painful, but you..."

"Be thankful that I did not make a melon-sized snowball hit you," he replied, pulling a sly grin at the corners of his mouth.

"How generous of you." I sneered at him.

Suddenly, snow began to fall, dusting the ground like sugar sprinkled on a warm pastry. We both gazed upwards, and the gentle snowflakes landed on my cheeks, leaving the air smelling fresh and woodsy. Yoongi's hair was speckled with delicate snowflakes. I found Hazel sniffing the perfume, her ears flicking as she purred before curling up and falling asleep on Yoongi's hand.

Then we had our dinner before it could get cold and returned home. I was lying in bed and couldn't sleep. The sheets tangled around me as I tossed and turned. I sat up and walked over to the chick's basket, admiring it. I was relieved to know that the owner wouldn't be able to make it to Beijing the next day and that it would take a couple of days as she got busy with their fruit shop in the countryside. The thing that worried me was that I had gotten attached to it, and I couldn't bear the thought of it leaving. I would miss its chirping and the way it followed me with its tiny feet.

I went downstairs to find Yoongi and Hoseok working. I noticed Yoongi's eyes drooping while Hoseok was massaging his shoulder. Deciding not to disturb them, I went to the kitchen to make some tea. As I prepared it, I heard the name Min Woo mentioned several times. Once the tea was ready, I placed it on their table.

"Why are you up now at 3:00 in the morning?" Hoseok asked.

"I couldn't sleep," I said, walking toward the living room.

I curled up on the couch and watched my favorite drama on the television, keeping the volume down. The soft glow of the screen illuminated the dim room. Suddenly, I felt a presence behind me to find Hoseok popping his head up from behind the couch. I startled and got up, knocking my head with Hoseok.

"Ah!" We both cried.

"Hoseok, you scared me," I said.

"I should say that. I'll deal with you later. Are you worried?" he asked, rubbing his head.

"I'm not."

"Soo Ah, I can tell you're worried about something. That's probably why you're lying here like a ghost in the middle of the night, watching a drama."

"Um... I was thinking about the chick. Don't worry about me."

"Soo Ah, I know you're worried about the chicks leaving. But remember," he paused, sitting down on the couch, and continued, "Those who enter our lives are like the spring and fall seasons. They don't stay forever. They arrive like blooming flowers on the first day of spring, bringing warmth and happiness. Just as spring gives way to the inevitable fall of leaves, people sometimes leave us, like fall winds carry away golden leaves. It can be a time of letting go. Each season holds its own quiet beauty, and we must learn to appreciate what each offers, knowing that both blooming and letting go are parts of life."

"Where did you both learn to talk like this? I always wanted to ask you about this." Yoongi chimed in on our conversation while sipping his tea.

"Our whole family talks like this," Hoseok said, scratching his head.

Hoseok wrapped his hand around me, and I felt better. Yoongi stood behind Hoseok quietly. He handed me a folded piece of paper, looking at me for a second, and without a word, he turned to leave. I unfolded it, finding the words "Thank you for today." I smiled softly, folding the paper and slipping it into my pocket.

I decided to go to my room to sleep, knowing Hoseok would nag me for days if I didn't. As I walked past my grandparents' room, I heard what sounded like music at this late hour. My curiosity took over, and I couldn't resist peeking in since the door was slightly open.

After editing multiple times, I finally updated the chapter! Lol. I hope you like it.

For the next updates, I'll schedule them because I might not be around. Thank you so much for the lovely words some of you shared about how much you love the book and my writing. Reading those made me really happy.

-Shin Haari