Chapter 4

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Winter 2010

The teenagers scrambled about dragging their luggage from the carriages giving one another a hand, as the train let out a whistle, white smoke filling the air. The sun had just risen, peaking between the tiny gaps of the ceiling structures.

Hoseok jumped onto the platform swinging his backpack onto one of his shoulders, feeling the cold air around him. His friends had gotten off the moment the train stopped at their destination and were running around the platform excitedly. Hoseok simply laughed watching them, much more relaxed, just taking in his surroundings. Switzerland had been one of the few places he had been dying to see. Looking at the sign 'Gimmelwald' carved like an arc over the exit sign he mentally ticked this task off his bucket list.

But standing here could only made him recollect all the instances his family made plans for vacations, promising a good time only for his parents bail out because work was more important than family. Though he was here on a school trip with all of his classmates and most importantly his closest friends, he couldn't help but wish Mia was here too. She was in a different school and a different country all together so obviously she couldn't join him, but if only she was here, he could have pulled her leg around a little bit to distract his mind. Her presence was important for him not just because he had fun teasing her but because she was also the only person who understood him the way no one else could, the only one he shared all his dreams with. Hoseok couldn't imagine opening up the way he did to his best friend to anyone else.

But he knew she would have barely survived here because the silly girl cannot stand the cold and he chuckled imagining her shivering furiously. She absolutely detested the idea of the skiing trip he was here for when he told her about it a few days back. He didn't let her disinterest deter him and was determined to enjoy this trip to the fullest. A trip he didn't know would change his life.

He was just about to walk towards the voices calling out to him, when he heard an "Oh!", watching from the corner of his eye a somebody tripping on the gap between the train and the platform. Impulsively, he turned towards her, grabbing her by the waist a little too late and a little too clumsily as she knocked him over, sending the both of them to meet the platform with a thud. He groaned, as her weight shifted uncomfortably on top of him, making him grab her the wrist of her hand that had held onto his shoulders as they fell, with the arm that was not wrapped around her to stop her from moving and crushing him further. She looked at him wide eyed, blinking rapidly behind her glasses, her straight hair draped over her neck, as she opened her mouth to say something, the sunlight reflecting on the metal of her braces. Hoseok felt his eyes dart over features, taking in every detail he had only seen from far away all these years. Her sharp nose, those thin lips, the way her tongue licked them softly, her-

Two strong hands had grabbed her by her sides hoisting her up, breaking the little-too-long eye contact they shared, as she stood upright with the help of the brown haired boy.

"Hobi." Jungkook offered his hand pulling him up as he gripped it and brushed the dust off his pants.

"Are you okay?" Jungkook turned to her as she nodded softly, pulling her jacket closer to her in the cold. "Thanks Bro"

Hoseok bumped the fist the other boy held out casually after which he led her away, his hand softly placed on her back. But just before they disappeared into the crowd, she turned looking over her shoulder at Hoseok, who did nothing but watch.

Winter 2016

Hoseok couldn't believe he hadn't recognized her.

Sure it had been 6 years and yes he had talked to her hardly a handful of times but how bad did his memory have to be to not recognize a girl who had been in his class for nearly all of middle school and high school. He couldn't be blamed though. How was he to know that the woman he just met was the same shy girl who used to sit all the way in the front of the class, who never attended any parties or clubs, never tried to make conversations with anyone and was one of the only girls Hoseok had never tried his charms on. Of course she was pretty and of course he had noticed her. All a Hoseok needed to notice someone was for her to be a girl and she, was a specially interesting one. There were times as he saw her walk across the canteen when he couldn't help but think how fun it would be to spoil someone as innocent as her. The kind of things he could introduce her to and teach her were countless and the mere thought used to excite him.

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