eclipse - Huang Renjun

57.

The chilly atmosphere greeted Yenmi as soon as she stepped out of her house. With much care, she bent down to pick up some snow in her gloved hands.

"First snow of this year." She spoke to herself, moulding the snow into a heart. She placed the heart on the side of the driveway, brushing her hands before getting up straight.

The wind whipped through the trees, creaking and groaning like an old rocking chair, as the snow fell, tiny little specs of ice floated down to fall on her body.

Li walked her way to the grocery store, careful enough with her steps. As Christmas was inching closer, almost every shop had those beautiful, colourful lights hung up- along with, of course, a decorated Christmas tree.

Yenmi loved Christmas, it always felt so jovial to her and made her forget all her woes when she spent her holidays with her family. This time, there was someone to add; another reason for her to love Christmas.

She entered the store, the warmth of the heater greeting her. The girl carefully removed her gloves, placing them in the pocket of her jacket.

She passed the cashier a beaming smile, so bright that the female who seemed rather dull also cheered up. Rubbing her palms together, Yenmi grabbed a basket and began filling it up.

Her basket in no time was full, for she had yet to decorate her tree. "Should I?" She mumbled, looking at a hot chocolate mix kept on the highest shelf. The question was left unanswered as she made her way to the counter, checking the supplies out.

"Thank you for shopping! Please come again!" The cashier said, handing her two bags which was filled to the very top. "Have a nice day!" She replied, exiting the store with ease.

When the cold hit the tip of her fingers, only then did she realise that she forgot to wear her gloves back on. "What a hassle." She muttered, looking down to both her full hands.

"Ah, I shouldn't have removed them-" She cut herself off with a soft gasp, feeling the weight off one of her hands getting lifted. "Hurry." He grumbled, having two hot drinks in his hands and holding a bag too, it certainly wasn't very comfortable.

Her eyes widened by a fraction as she frantically nodded, fishing the pair of gloves out from her pocket and somehow managing to wear them. "Take one." He added, nodding towards the paper cups.

Yenmi raised her brows in confusion but followed his words, taking one of the cups in her hands. He let out a sigh, glancing at her one more time before letting his feet move.

She hesitantly took a sip of the drink, following him. Her eyes instantly lit up when she felt the familiar chocolate coated her taste buds, subconsciously reaching for another sip.

"How'd you know?" She uttered, walking steadily by his side. He didn't seem to understand her question, therefore, humming. "Nevermind." She spoke to herself, nudging his arm instead.

"What brings you here, Renjun?"
"You."
"Huh?"

The Huang boy quietly chuckled at her flustered state, chugging down his hot chocolate. "No but seriously, it's snowing, why would you come out?"

"I like snow." He replied shortly, somewhat disappointing her by his blunt and short replies. "Oh, okay."

"And,

I was bored and presumed you'd be out here. If you wouldn't have, I would've visited you." He said, grunting as he adjusted his grip on the bag.

"Can we sit there for a while?" Yenmi asked, pointing to a secluded bench. He nodded, sitting down on the wooden seat beside her.

"Why do you like the snow?" She suddenly asked, being bored to guts to ask such a weirdly dumb question. "Do I need to have a reason to like the snow, Mei?" He asked back, amused.

"Then do you not have a reason to like me either?" She blurted, immediately smacking her palm on her mouth in realisation. He seemed surprised, covering it up with a laugh.

"I like the snow because that, back when I was younger, used to be my reason to get out of the house to make snowmen. To not just go out to train and so." He explained, pressing his lips together.

"I grew to love snow, I learnt how all the snowflakes were unique on their own, but in the end made up of the same material. Just they're exterior different.

Like us, all of us of different kinds, different goals, different mindsets. But in the end, we'd all be just a bunch of people looking for something to live for, someone to live for."

Li was awestruck by his words, in that brain, she once thought nothing would go around other than war, actually thought such mature and truthful things.

"The snowflakes- when crushed, turn into snow, right?" Yenmi hummed to his question, shifting closer to him subconsciously. "We too would turn into ashes one day, disappear. So instead of being all cramped up in my room during my early teen years, I decided to go live my life. Be free like a snowflake, give no care where or who my end laid in."

"Wow." Was all she could say, her jaw agape as she just stared at his side profile. "Wow indeed, Mei. Now drink up that hot choco before it gets cold." He smiled.

She nodded, gulping down the rest of the warm liquid before placing it aside. "So, Mr Renjun, be kind enough to continue talking. Your voice is like-" She paused to recall the phrase, biting her lower lip.

Renjun snickered, patting her head. "Music to your ears?" He continued, craning his neck to the side. "Yeah, that."

He looked down to her when he felt her arms hold on to his, leaning her head on his shoulder. "You're warm." She said under her breath. "..Thanks?"

Her eyes subconsciously trailed down to his bare fingers, narrowing her eyes at the same ring that adorned his ring finger too. She opened her mouth to ask him about it but was cut off by his phone ringing loudly.

Before she knew it, her lover had teleported after bidding her goodbye and of course, a peck on her forehead. Although her stomach churned at the affection, her mind seemed to be somewhere else.

Who gave him that ring?

Shameless self-promotion but go check out my new book, Mirai incase y'all wanna read smth new-