"We gain feelings and understanding through our experiences."
Friendships, first loves, and self reflective moments: all things that define us and remain with us as we try to live on. The triumphs and hardships we face in youth are what make us huma...
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"It's all winter here, even in August." -Spring Day
~~
Winter had always been your least favorite season. It was a time when things slowly died, hunkered down by the bitter cold. Life ceased to move forward during those last few months of the year. The constant chill and the depression that lingered in the air left your life at a standstill. You never understood why certain people seemed to enjoy the season, certain people such as Seokjin.
Your best friend always seemed to find something to appreciate in the bleakest of scenarios. Of course, this quality led him to voicing his adoration for the season any chance he could get. If it started snowing as he drove on the highway, he'd obsess over the intricate beauty of the snowflakes. If there was a huge pile of snow in his driveway, he'd reminisce about the days the two of you went sledding as children. If he slipped on a patch of ice, he'd pick himself up and suggest that the two of you go ice skating.
The moments he ranted about his love for winter were some of the few times Seokjin grated on your nerves. The two of you were usually a fairly agreeable pair, but winter was where you drew the line. Nothing Jin could say would convince you that winter was anything but miserable! The season became especially so the moment you received news that would change both of your lives.
You and Seokjin were a year apart in age, having known each other since you were in diapers. It all started on the playground when Seokjin came up to you one fateful day. A game of tag developed into a long friendship that managed to outlast everyone's expectations, including your own. Your worst fear growing up had always been that Seokjin would eventually move on and leave you behind. Instead, he did the opposite, never once letting you shoulder your worries alone. The two of you had grown and matured together, having seen each other's highs and lows. You were the shoulder he leaned on whenever he felt the weight of his parent's expectations become too heavy. He was the soothing voice that eased your pain after your first heartbreak, holding you as you cried your sorrows away.
The age gap never seemed to affect your friendship in any way. That is until you reached your last few years of high school. Both of you knew that things would eventually have to change, specifically when he went away to college. The two of you were transitioning to different stages in life and preparing to chase after separate dreams. Seokjin would be adjusting to adulthood and keeping up with his college classes, while you finished high school and got ready for college.
Though, the fact hadn't fully sunk in until one December day when Seokjin invited you over for some exciting news. He had applied for his dream college and had been accepted. Jin had decided that he wanted you to be the first person to know. You still remember his glossy eyes and tenderness with which he told you, "You're the most important person in my life."
Of course, you were incredibly happy for him. He'd talked about this college since the two of you were kids. But, deep down, you knew what this meant: he was leaving very soon. His dream college was out of state, and while you knew that he was doing this for his future, it terrified you. You couldn't imagine going through your last year of high school without Seokjin nearby. Your worst fear had come back to haunt you when you least expected it. That December day built upon the foundation of your hate for winter, becoming the thing that kept you up late into the night.
