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Yesterday, it was snowing.
Today, it’s snowing too.
Tomorrow, it will also be snowing.
And the day after, there will surely be snow again.
Despite the declining temperatures and the onset of winter, Han Yoohyun wasn’t particularly vulnerable to the cold. It was as if he carried an innate warmth, deep within him — like a flickering flame that wasn’t yet kindled to its full potential but still continued to blaze and burn on.
Although, that logic certainly hadn’t mattered much to a very specific individual.
As of this moment, Yoohyun stood before his older brother, who was only five years older than he was, but had frequently acted like he had worldly experiences and also possessed the audacity to back it up. Although, these were words he’d never dare to utter to the other boy himself.
They were both young and at the age where it was far too early for either of them to be completely independent, yet this large family home only contained the two of them. In the place of where their parents may have been found, they discovered an envelope of money instead, accompanied by a note that mentioned they’d temporarily gone travelling. The envelope contained enough money that would make a child seem like a billionaire but the weight that it carried was burdensome.
Han Yoojin, the older of the two, had simply broken out into a smile with a complicated expression and said that their mother and father must love each other very much.
Since then, Yoojin had taken care of Yoohyun and had recently made his first steps into his first year as a teenager, being the ripe age of thirteen, while Yoohyun remained seven years old, but would soon turn eight when his birthday came around, which was only a few days away.
As such, Yoojin had intended to take him out and about, but he wore a contemplative expression as he stared at Yoohyun, who had just put on what was practically the fourth layer he’d been given, on top of his existing shirt, a long-sleeved shirt, a sweater and the latest addition being a coat.
“Yoohyun-ah, maybe you need another jacket,” Yoojin hummed thoughtfully, then cupped his chin.
Yoohyun gave him a pointed look at those words.
Yoojin shook his head sternly, then threw his arms around his little brother and pulled him into a tight hug. “What if you get too cold and end up sick? Hyung will cry, you know?”
Yoohyun reciprocated the hug, then pressed his warm cheek against Yoojin’s icy skin. “Hyung is colder than I am though.
“…That’s because I’m bigger than you and know how to regulate my own body temperature. It’s a superpower you get when you’re 10 years old.”
“I don’t think—”
“Hyung is older and wiser!”
With that, Yoohyun was pulled apart from Yoojin, who had gone to retrieve his last piece of clothing: a scarf. He’d known this because there was only one scarf within the household. When Yoojin originally searched for another and wasn’t able to find one, he’d wrapped it around Yoohyun without a moment’s hesitation. In the exact same way back then, Yoohyun let his older brother bundle him up in a scarf that once belonged to their parents.
Like he was observing his life’s work, Yoojin positively beamed, then pressed both his hands over his face and dramatically wept.
“There’s no way my little brother is this cute…” he sobbed.
With that, Yoojin scooped the smaller Yoohyun into his arms and pressed a light kiss against his cheek, then paced over towards the window.
“Look, Yoohyun-ah. It’s snowing again today.”
“Mm,” he replied vacantly, nestling his head into the crook of Yoojin’s neck and barely sparing a glance to the landscape outside.
In response, Yoojin simply stroked Yoohyun’s back and petted his head. “I hope it snows on your birthday too.”
Despite Yoojin’s hopeful wish, Yoohyun never quite understood the charm of snowfall.
When he contemplated on the very concept of it, snow was just vapour and precipitation that had been frozen during its atmospheric descent and was simply ice that falls to the floor.
He would later come to know that snow on his birthday was a phenomenon that had been labelled as a ‘White Christmas’.
A white Christmas.
That was what the weather had forecasted for tomorrow, or practically, for all of this week.
It was snowing yesterday, today as well, and would be continuing into tomorrow too.
With the ongoing torrents of snow, Seoul’s Christmas Eve had become blanketed in layers upon layers of falling snow. The ground, painted in a crisp white, only ever being tainted when one strolled through and imprinted the ice with their footsteps. Even so, the snow would continue to fall and erase the traces that were once left behind.
Within an office that was free from outside disturbances, Han Yoohyun gazed absentmindedly out the window and quietly observed the descending snowflakes until he heard a knock against the door, albeit mostly out of courtesy, as it opened shortly afterward.
Before him stood Seok Shimyung, his secretary and also the Head of Haeyeon’s HR Department.
The man gave a slight inclination of his head in greeting, then bowed his head respectfully and spoke easily, like it was routinely. “Good afternoon, Guild Leader-nim. I wish you a happy 25th birthday in advance. We’ve finished making preparations and the annual birthday party will be hosted in the foyer from 5:00pm onwards. It is of utmost importance that you attend.”
Yoohyun’s gaze flitted briefly over towards Shimyung at those words but he offered no response, with his attention shortly returning back to the window once the other man had finished speaking.
He only spared a moment because his older brother had always emphasised that it was basic decorum to acknowledge others when they were speaking, so that’s what he did. Even now, he continued to follow Yoojin’s teachings, despite his lack of emotional depth — only ever being able to go through the motions.
Without another word, Shimyung excused himself, then closed the door shut as he left, and the room belonged solely to Han Yoohyun once again.
Finally, Yoohyun lifted himself from his seat and paced over towards the window, then pressed his finger against the frosted glass and applied a miniscule amount of pressure. When he’d lifted his finger off the glass, a small dot had been left behind.
Once again, Yoohyun pressed his finger against the glass, albeit a short distance away from the original dot he’d left behind. Just like that, another dot was positioned sideways by the previous one, then beneath it, he dragged his finger across the glass and drew a curved line — almost straight, yet the edges were lifted upward.
If one were to describe the Haeyeon Guildmaster, they would never think to use the words ‘awkward’ or ‘clumsy’ but the haphazard illustration of a smiley face on the frosted glass was nothing short of such descriptors.
Like a child, he drew a circle around it to form a face, then created its body and short hair with several other lines. Beside it, he began another figure that had been a little smaller than the first one he’d drawn.
Somewhere, in the far-off distance, he felt like he could hear a single child’s laughter: a memory that was gradually beginning to be blurred by time, where two young children enjoyed life’s simplicities — gazing upon the Christmas lights, drawing on frosted glass, and burying themselves under the blankets that were taken from their own respective rooms and their parents’. The second child did not laugh with the first but was simply enamoured by them.
With that, Yoohyun finished the last stroke and was presented with a piece of two little people, drawn onto the frosted glass, with their hands being interconnected. It remained only for a brief moment, with the cold air beginning to frost the window once more.
It seemed like it was a cold day today.
He wondered if that person was bundled up and warm.
He wondered what that person was doing right now.
He wondered what that person was thinking of right now.
Selfishly, he wished he occupied a part of that person’s mind. Even if he were occasionally reminisced on with anger and disappointment as the accompaniment to such memories, so be it.
It didn’t matter because at the very least, he still remained within that person— his older brother’s mind. There was still space for him, even amidst all of Yoojin’s new connections in life.
As the years went by, Yoohyun gradually began to lose his resemblance to his older brother. His softer facial features began to harden when he reached adolescence, gradually transitioning into features that were far more chiselled, as if he were sculpted marble. His fluffier hair, that was unlike Yoojin’s straight hair since birth, remained unkempt as ever, in the same way it would be left when his older brother ruffled his hair affectionately.
Before he’d known it, he had already surpassed Yoojin’s height as well. He was someone that Yoohyun once needed to look up to, but as he entered his last year of middle school, he was able to meet Yoojin on eye level, and after they’d separated, Yoojin had now craned his head upward ever so slightly to properly face him.
Any semblance of the ordinary life that he once lived was being erased mercilessly by the undaunting passage of time.
Even if there came a day where he would change beyond recognition, Han Yoohyun’s core would remain the same for all of eternity.
At the centre of his world, there was only room for one.
It was a world of one.
His one world, where there was no space for anything else or anybody else.
Yoohyun closed his eyes and allowed his vision to be momentarily swallowed by the darkness until he’d been interrupted by the feeling of something vibrating within the pocket of his dress pants. He reached for that mundane object and pulled out his phone to see ‘Team Head Seok’ on the dial, in addition to the time, which was well past 5:00pm. Instead of rejecting the call, he shoved it back into his pocket, then made his way over to the reception lobby.
Even without needing to bear his surroundings, Yoohyun was able to simply observe all the numerous decorations that had been decked out throughout the entire guild.
Bright Christmas fairy lights hung overhead, faintly twinkling and casting a luminous, warm glow across the entire vicinity, being accompanied by banners and loops made of red and green paper. Golden confetti littered the floor, making it seem all the more extravagant when the light hit them and they shimmered brilliantly.
More prominent than anything else was the Christmas tree that stood proudly in the centre of the foyer. Countless ornaments hung from it, from baubles to candy canes that were still wrapped in plastic, and atop of it, a golden star was positioned perfectly. Beneath the tree laid dozens and dozens of present boxes. Some of them were wrapped extravagantly, with business cards tucked under the ribbon, while some were far more homely, wrapped awkwardly and seeming like nothing more than a clump of patterned paper.
“Guild Leader-nim,” a voice suddenly interjected. “I was beginning to think you wouldn’t make it.”
Yoohyun didn’t bother to give his attention to Seok Shimyung this time, only focusing on the crowd before him that suddenly fell silent when they noticed him approaching the space. The bustle and hustle turned into a wave of quietness far too quickly, until one person stepped forward and staggered over their feet nervously.
“G-Guild Leader-nim!” they blurted out. “I recently joined Haeyeon and I’m so honoured to be a part of this guild…”
“Me too!” another piped in.
“Me three!”
“And me!” shouted somebody. “Guild Leader-nim, let me pour you a glass as thanks!”
“Guild Leader-nim! This gochujang fried chicken is really tasty!” one other person chimed.
With that, half the crowd exploded back into joyous laughter and began to gather around Yoohyun, while a few other groups had scattered themselves amongst the space and kept their distance from him. Embodying either fear or adoration was the natural reaction when faced against an S-Class Hunter, especially if one were a higher rank and would feel challenged by his very presence, so this much was expected.
Shimyung approached Yoohyun with an empty wine glass, then offered it to him.
“All of the food and drink were procured from our usual suppliers,” Shimyung elaborated. “They’re safe for everyone else’s consumption, and by extension, yours too. Take this.”
Yoohyun took the glass, then another guild member rushed forward to pour liquor into his glass with flushed cheeks, presumably the one that had spoken earlier. They swiftly retreated and he swirled the alcohol in the glass momentarily, then looked at Shimyung.
“Command silence, then raise it,” Shimyung instructed and made a swift mimicry of him raising a glass high up into the air. “And drink it. It will boost morale. Only then will you be able to leave. As per usual, the shift workers for tomorrow have not been stationed by that place.”
Yoohyun nodded. Effortlessly and if only for a brief moment, the overwhelming aura of an S-Class swept throughout the lobby. At the feeling of being caught like a deer in headlights, a few of the lower-class hunters had stumbled but were caught and stabilised by their colleagues that had been close in proximity.
As people gradually began to recover from their shock, they turned to face the origin of that aura, which had been their very own guild leader. In the exact moment that all eyes were on him, Yoohyun lifted his glass, albeit a little lower than what he’d been told to do, then tilted it sideways and let the wine trickle outward.
Just as it traced the edge of the glass and fell, a small black flame began to flicker and consumed the descending liquor. Instead of being quenched, it only burst into a larger fire; its colours, becoming a symphony of obsidian and a deep violet, until it reduced to nothingness just as it once was, leaving behind a vortex of empty space.
At the spectacle, someone yelled out. “Guild Leader-nim! I love you!”
“I was a fan of Han Yoohyun-nim before I joined Haeyeon!” another wailed.
“Good work,” Shimyung commended. “I would recommend you stay but… if you wish to leave, you may do so.”
Yoohyun nodded, only sparing a moment to acknowledge Shimyung’s words, then checked the time on his phone. In a few minutes, midnight would fall.
He swiftly left the scene, then headed outside and gazed upon the falling snow. As soon as he stepped out and beyond the comforting doors of the warm Haeyeon Guild, the cold, dry winds encased him. It wrapped around him, with the frosty gusts embracing his body and caressing his exposed skin, almost like the touch of a lover.
Yoohyun drew upon his mana and activated one of his skills: Blue Willow Leaves. Before him, a cluster of invisible leaves began to form, only being able to be perceived by himself. Ever since he’d upgraded it and learnt how to handle it more efficiently, the invisibility worked wonders in dungeons.
The leaves clustered together into small clumps and then, Yoohyun stepped forward and ascended into the air. He ran continuously, letting the willow leaves guide him to his heart’s desires, just as they’d been doing for the past several years on one very specific day.
Always and without fail, he would visit his older brother on Christmas.
It wasn’t visiting, per se, since he only ever observed him one-sidedly, but this was Han Yoohyun’s one and only wish. He wanted this more than anything else.
In the past, Han Yoojin had sent him text messages to wish him a happy birthday and continued to do so, despite the lack of response, then would call him, even if it never went through, and would leave behind a voicemail where he would solemnly sing happy birthday. He’d kept each of those close to him, revisiting them countless times and replaying the sound of Yoojin’s voice to the extent that it would practically be on loop.
However, Yoojin had stopped at one point, likely thinking that his efforts to reconnect with his little brother were futile, as if he’d been climbing up a tree and expecting fruit, only to find that everything had been consumed by fruit flies.
And then, finally, Yoohyun descended before a familiar place.
He stood before a building that was worn with age, with the walls on the exterior having faint cracks and the interior having chips on the paint. Within this building, there was a lower room, practically akin to a basement, where his older brother remained.
Yoohyun crept forward and hid his presence as he inched closer to one of the building’s lower windows, where he would be offered a small glimpse into the world that belonged to Yoojin.
There he was.
Seated amidst all the chaos that littered his personal room was his older brother. The television was stationed in front of him, broadcasting a Christmas special as they welcomed another white Christmas again this year. Yoojin was crumpled on the floor, having tucked his head into his knees, with a cheap, thin and frayed blanket wrapped tightly around his figure, only quietly listening to the television like it was nothing more than background noise.
Yoohyun knew that it was cold today. He wondered what he’d do if Yoojin got too cold and ended up sick. He thought that he should bundle up more, but his older brother wouldn’t do either of those because he was waiting.
Whether for better or for worse, Yoohyun knew what he was waiting for. At some point later today, another exclusive special would appear and broadcast the party that was held at the Haeyeon Guild in celebration of their leader’s birthday.
It felt like years and years had passed like this.
Two yearning hearts, that could only wish for the company of the other, being subjected to a separation that neither of them ever wished for.
Yesterday, it was snowing.
Today, it’s snowing too.
Tomorrow, it will also be snowing.
And the day after, there will surely be snow again.
Despite the declining temperatures and the onset of winter, Han Yoohyun wasn’t particularly vulnerable to the cold.
However, he had never known another day of warmth ever since he’d left Han Yoojin’s side.