⛄MERRY CHRISTMAS SPECIAL!🎁

(best read in black or white.)

"Minseong, get up!" Ae-ri tugged at Minseong's shoulder, shaking him lightly as he opened his eyes. "It's snowing, Minseong!" She smiled slightly, seeing his groggy reaction.

Minseong turned to her, rubbing his eyes with a yawn, a single drop of tear rolling down his cheek. "Minseong?" Ae-ri called out, seeing him half-asleep. She shook him again, this time getting up to the window and pulling the curtains away.

Snow fell and landed by the window, fog gathering on top of the window while trees and litter on the street seemed frozen in place. Minseong eyes widened, waking up immediately and rushing to look out the window.

It was a sight to behold indeed, attention averting to his sister who was already in a coat and a scarf. "Mum." He muttered, seeing how much she looked like the person he wanted to forget most.

Ae-ri tilted her head slightly, not having heard him. She grabbed his coat and gloves. "Come on, Minseong! Let's go!" She wrapped Minseong in his coat, letting him slide his hands through the holes of his sleeves.

He hesitantly shoved his hands into the gloves, "What about the hospital, sis?" He asked, Ae-ri merely grabbing his hand and leading him out. "Let's take a break for now, Minseong."

His eyes seemed to brighten, his demeanor softening as a white light flashed in his eyes.

"Go on, Minseong. There's a better place to play over there!" Ae-ri encouraged, reassuring him as he took slow and steady steps like a toddler learning how to walk.

After years of staying in that stuffy hospital bed, walking felt new yet natural. He took the last glance at Ae-ri who smiled brightly at him. "I'll stay here, Minseong." She spoke, her voice echoing.

Then he turned back to the white light, assuming it was the exit of the hospital. "Sis, you'll come with me, right?" He asked, scared and unsure.

"I'll join you soon, Minseong. I'll gather snow here first, okay?"

Minseong nodded at her words, feeling warm all of a sudden. The realization hit him like a truck, the sacrifice and affection his sister had done for him. So much she had given up just to return to him and tell him he would be fine.

Warm and bittersweet tears rolled down his cheeks as he moved closer towards the exit of the hospital. He was finally out, albeit without his sister.

Each step he took made him feel warmer and much more at peace, so many memories of him and his sister and the lingering feeling of wanting to see her for the last time.

"Sis, there's so much snow on the other side! Come quickly!" He beamed, the pain in his chest and the weight in his steps slowly fading.

"Okay! I'm coming, Minseong!"

A healthy Minseong Ae-ri dreamt off and the vision Minseong saw of himself.

"Minseong, the snow is beautiful right?" Ae-ri asked, seeing Minseong stare at her and hesitantly grab the snow in his hands, cupping it into a sphere.

Minseong was silent. "I'll get well, right sis?" She flinched at the question.

"Of course you will."

She slowly sat up, rubbing her eyes with a small yawn, a single bead of tear rolling down her cheek. "Minseong." She called out, getting off her bed and looking out the window. "It's Christmas..."

Snow that fell so gracefully, fog that clouded her view and the painkillers on the side of her bed. "Minseong." She muttered again, her heart heavy.

"It felt so real..." She choked, her knees feeling weak as she slowly sat on the ground, watching the snow from her clouded and dirty window.

Perhaps it wasn't the window that was blurry but the tears in her eyes that kept gathering at the corner and streaming out.

She wished she could sleep forever, stuck in time with only her and Minseong, forever watching the snow.

"Minseong, are you seeing the snow...?" She sobbed, grabbing her phone to text him yet again, her texts going unread or rather never received.

- Ae-ri

"I want us to be happy together. Merry Christmas!"
- Jeong Ae-ri

"We will watch the snow together! Merry Christmas!"
- Jeong Minseong

December 25th, 2024.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR! ❤️