I woke up to find Jisoo's side of the bed empty, and for a moment, I felt a twinge of disappointment. However, it wasn't unexpected, as I knew she had to leave early to attend to her own responsibilities. As I got out of bed and drew the curtains, the bright light from outside made me squint. It wasn't just the sun shining; the entire landscape was covered in white snow from the blizzard that had hit last night.
Realizing that today was my last day here, I made a mental note to enjoy it to the fullest before I returned to my busy life. The date was 24th December, and I had to leave early the next morning to avoid the traffic that usually builds up when people return home after the short Christmas break.
When I entered the kitchen, the warm aroma of tea welcomed me, and I saw my mom and sister, Alice, already seated with their cups.
I walked to the cupboard to get the cereal container, but Alice's question made me pause.
"What are you doing today?" she asked curiously. "Mom will be busy preparing dinner, and I'll probably help her when she needs it."
I considered her question for a moment before replying, "I was thinking of asking Jisoo to take me somewhere." The unexpected response made both Alice and mom look at me in surprise.
"So... something must have happened last night," Alice exclaimed teasingly, causing mom to chuckle like a teenager.
"Shut up," I said, pretending to be annoyed, but the amusement in my voice betrayed me.
"Ask Jisoo to drive you back to school," Alice advised, sensing my reluctance to leave this warm, cozy atmosphere.
"You've been watching a lot of movies and series lately, haven't you?" I teased Alice, making her roll her eyes as we all laughed. As our conversation died down, I announced, "I'll go take a shower and head out, alright? Don't call me," and darted up the stairs to my room.
After a refreshing shower, I grabbed my purse and bolted out the door, the weight of the day ahead heavy on my shoulders. The blizzard from the previous night had deposited an impressive amount of snow outside, and I couldn't help but wonder if Jisoo had ventured out earlier. When we were still together, I often had to drag her out of bed for a stroll, as she was reluctant to leave the warmth and comfort of our bed on frosty mornings. But once we were out in the snow, her joy and wonder made it all worthwhile.
Approaching Jisoo's door, I knocked twice and stood shivering on the doorstep, hoping she would emerge soon. When the wait became unbearable, I decided to give her a call. She answered, and her voice sent a tingle down my spine. "Chaeyoung, what is it?" she asked. So she went back to her own bed this morning to continue sleeping?
"Would you please get out of bed and take me out today?" I pleaded.
"Where are you going?"
"Anywhere... Maybe our old school?"
"The code for the door remains the same; help yourself in; it's cold outside," she responded.
As she had taken longer than expected, I wandered through the house, taking note of the minor changes that had occurred since I had left. The most obvious one was the number of books on Jisoo's shelf, which had grown significantly. I made an attempt to tidy up the coffee cups that had been left on the table for several days, a task I used to perform for her, but she now had no one to remind her. Finally, I heard footsteps on the stairs, and Jisoo appeared, clutching only her car keys.
"Hey, do you have your beanie?" Jisoo asked as she caught sight of me. I shook my head, uncertain. "Do I need one?" I asked, wondering if it was going to be that cold outside.
Jisoo chuckled, remembering how prone I was to catching a cold. "Is that something we should talk about?" she teased. I smiled, realizing that I had forgotten how playful she could be. "Will you start the car for me?" she asked, making me nod. She handed me the keys instead of throwing them at me
I stepped outside and walked towards her car. It was the same one she had before. I hopped in and turned on the heater to get rid of the chill. It didn't take long before Jisoo came back with a beanie in hand, lending it to me. I gratefully pulled it over my head, feeling the warmth spread over me.
As we approached the school, we realized that it was almost deserted on the outside. We lived nearby, and the security guard was someone we knew from the neighborhood. He had told us that some employees were either not celebrating the holidays or finishing up something, so there are some people inside.
"I don't think our former teachers are still here," Jisoo said, breaking the silence.
"I think it's better that way," I replied, looking around at the empty classrooms. I didn't want to be held up by small talk or nostalgia. I was here to do what we had come to do, and that was all.
"They'll talk to us for who knows how long, I'm here for the school, you know?" I explained, hoping Jisoo would understand.
"I doubt they'd want to hear that from you... aren't you one of their favorites?" she asked, her eyes sparkling mischievously.
I let out a chuckle, realizing that Jisoo was right. "Because I participate so much in class?" I teased, trying to deflect her attention.
"Because you suck up to them too much," she said, grinning.
I raised my brows in mock indignation, trying not to smile. "That's so mean," I replied, though I knew that she was right. Jisoo had always teased me, and it was one of the reasons why some of our friends had been surprised when we started dating.
"I'm not mean, just very honest," she clarified with a smirk. In response, I playfully swung my bag around and hit her on the side, prompting a chuckle from her. "Let's go," she said, turning around to lead the way. As we walked, I caught sight of the library on my left, triggering a rush of memories from our school days.
My mind wandered back to the countless times I'd see her in the library with her earphones on, engrossed in a book or engrossed in a phone game. Despite our differing schedules, she would always wait for me so we could walk to our next class together. We had a routine: we took turns waiting for each other, never leaving anyone behind.
Thinking back to those school days always fills me with nostalgia. Instead of texting her, I would loiter around the library's entrance, scanning the crowds for her familiar face. Once our eyes locked, her face lit up with joy, as if she had been waiting for me for ages.
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