Another Day, Another Shot

Falling Snow, Falling in Love

I miss winter, but more than that, I MISS MI-JO EOMMA AND HOONIEEE 🥹

PROMPT: Cha Mi Jo and Robin visited her orphanage for the holiday season.

FALLING SNOW, FALLING IN LOVE

One of Cha Mi-jo's long standing holiday traditions was visiting her childhood orphanage to celebrate the Christmas season with the other children there. Despite the cold weather and snow falling, the warm presence of the people there, especially the loving children, fill her heart to the brim.

Mi-jo always brings beautifully wrapped Christmas presents, from toys to clothes, for the children. The moment she parked her car at the gravel parking lot, the kids' footsteps can already be heard running, pummeling the snow and stones on the ground.

"Aigoo! Don't run! You might slip!" The warning fell on deaf ears, the wind just carried the gentle warning away. Kids.

Cheers and hugs were immediately heard and felt by Mi-jo. Nothing beats this feeling – like her heart was about to burst.

Mi-jo wasn't playing favourites because she loved all these kids, but she really has a special connection with one particular kid. Hoon. She was actually in the process of adopting him legally, and she's hoping it's going to get approved soon so she can tell him already as his New Year's gift. She loved him like her own child already.

It didn't matter if Mi-jo's a single mother to an adopted child because family wasn't just about blood relations. She learned that early in life. It's about the love you feel around the people who are genuinely happy to be in your life.

But a father figure for Hoon won't hurt, right? It won't make Mi-jo less of a strong, independent woman and mother.

Mi-jo quickly forgot about those thoughts and just focused on the present. She hugged Hoon. "How are you, Hoon-ah? Are you enjoying time away from school?"

They talked about Hoon's stories and what he's been up to since they went on Christmas break in school. As they were talking, Hoon noticed a man who went with Mi-jo that day. When Hoon stopped talking, she looked at where he was looking. Or rather who he was looking at.

Robin Gu. The handsome man Mi-jo was with. He had gentle facial features, and a cute dimple peeking through. She crouched down to meet Hoon's eye level. "Hoon-ah, this is my friend, Robin-ssi."

As a polite kid, Hoon bowed down to greet Robin. "Annyeong, Robin-ssi. My name is Hoon. Mi-jo noona calls me Hoonie." Robin crouched down to Hoon's level, too. "Annyeong, Hoonie! My name is Robin. Nice to meet you, young man," he said in return. He ruffled Hoon's hair and offered his hand for Hoon to shake if he wanted to.

At that moment, Mi-jo knew that everything would be alright.

Robin accepts Hoon. Hoon likes Robin. That was what mattered.

"Mi Jo-ssi, go along with Hoon. Let me carry these inside for you," Robin said. "Go spend time with the kids outside. I know you've been dying to play with them as much as I believe they've been waiting for your arrival today."

"Hoonie, want to play outside in the snow?" Mi-jo asked. "Only if Robin-ssi will play with us, too."

That earned a laugh from Mi-jo and Robin. "Of course! I'll just put these gifts inside and follow you. Save me some snowballs, okay?"

Mi-jo smiled at her boys.

Off they went to play in the snow.

They built snowmen, laid on the ground to mark snow angels, and of course the kids' ultimate favourite game, snowball fight. They chased each other around the vast snow across the small outdoor garden of the orphanage.

As Mi-jo watched Robin and Hoon playing, it hit her – a sudden realisation.

Maybe part of falling in love with someone was also falling in love with yourself in the process. Mi-jo loved who she was whenever she's with Robin. She gets to share her inner thoughts with him, and he listens. She gets to be affectionate, and he coaxes her out of her shyness at times. She became a better version of herself, and with Hoon and Robin around, she's sure to be the best version of herself soon enough.