She looked like a stranger to him at that moment in time. A highlight he did not recognize below the eyes, eyebrows that were more filled in than he had ever observed, a lip pinker than a cherry blossom or a flamingo, whichever came to mind first. She was pretty, prettier than he ever recalled seeing her. But her face was different enough for him to briefly wonder if she was in fact a stranger.

Though her voice was the same.

And so was the topic of their argument.

Him. And his lack of reaction.

“Did you even like me?”

Did he even like her? she asked. It was the same question. A pattern that kept repeating itself.

Had he ever liked her?

Of course, he had liked her. Otherwise, why would he have spent so much time with her? Even that year alone he had spent more time with her than he had with Jong In, his childhood best friend, something that had never happened before. 

Of course, he had liked her, liked her still but enough for him to react? To feel that elusive emotion that all of his previous lovers tried to generate within him? That feeling that came with desire, possessiveness, and a touch of suspicion? That feeling?

No. He couldn’t say that she did.

But to be fair, no one did.

That was how he had gotten that name in the first place after all. Ice Prince. A stupid moniker, one that made him cringe every time he heard it.

He understood her, he supposed. It must be tiring to be with someone who barely reacted in situations where others would display their possessiveness. It must be annoying to talk to another guy, to flirt with him, and see your lover not even blink. He knew that he should have talked to her, to have brought it up when she began talking to that other guy, despite the fact that he knew what she was doing. But he had simply been unable to, faking an emotion he knew nothing about always ended in an even bigger confrontation. Plus, it would simply delay the inevitable anyways.

His head hurt.

“Forget it,” she said. The tears spilling more out of anger and frustration than hurt, he assumed.

Ye Jun sighed as he watched her retreating form, angrily huffing away in a manner he had never seen before. At that moment, even her back looked like that of a stranger’s.

He sighed again, pulling out a cigarette then turned, making his way out of the sequestered side of the building. It was well past eight and he assumed most of the campus would be empty.

He began to walk, fumbling to light his cigarette as he did so. It was cold and it was night, winter already in full swing.

“Damn,” he muttered to himself as he tried to flick on the lighter. “Why the hell isn’t this working?”

Stepping into the dimly lit university park, he began to walk toward the train station, the unlit cigarette between his lips and his hands tucked into his pockets, having given up in that moment, when he paused.

Under a delicate light on a familiar bench was a person, slightly hunched, reading what looked to be a textbook. He recognized him almost immediately.

The cigarette trembled slightly in his mouth and he removed it from his lips, jamming it into his pocket before calling out that familiar name.

“Jong In.”

The person looked up and for a moment, Ye Jun felt a wave of comfort wash over him.

He didn’t have to ask why his childhood friend was there, he already knew the reason. It was slowly becoming a problem but at that moment, he really didn’t care, he was just glad that he was there.

His pace quickened slightly until he stood in front of him.

Jong In looked up, his cheeks and the tip of his nose were pink, the awful, unfashionable beanie covered nearly all of his forehead, his lips nearly blue, and while it wasn’t obvious from a distance, Ye Jun could see that he was shivering slightly.

How long had he been out there?

Ye Jun quickly began to shrug off his coat, prompting Jong In to stand as he placed it over his shoulders.

He internally sighed when Jong In turned to face him. “You heard the rumors, I’m guessing,” he said.

Jong In nodded, placing his textbook back into his bag. “Ji Soo told me this morning.”

Of course.

“Are you okay?” Jong In asked after a moment as Ye Jun steered them toward the station.

Ye Jun sighed. He wasn’t sure exactly how to explain what he was feeling at that moment. He placed his head on Jong In’s shoulder and wrapped his arms around him. The cold was biting into his back but still he felt comforted.

“She said the same thing they all said.”

Jong In did not respond and simply patted his head with his hand as they continued to walk. 

“Do you think there is something wrong with me?”

“Maybe,” Jong In replied and Ye Jun couldn’t help but smile into his shoulder.

“She wore makeup today, it was the first time I saw her like that, probably because we started university. It felt like I was talking to a stranger.”

“Ji Soo said she wore makeup in highschool too.”

“Really?” he said, just a little bit surprised.

Jong In sighed. “Maybe if you just noticed, you wouldn’t be tested so often.”

“So cruel,” he replied, mumbling into the fabric of his own coat.

“Aren’t you cold?” Jong In asked.

He was, the wind felt like slashes on his back but Jong In was still slightly shivering.

Ye Jun shook his head and simply held him tighter. 

The station came into their line of view and they quickly made their way toward it.

When the train door opened, they sat down beside each other.

“Can I go to your place tonight?” Ye Jun asked. He didn’t quite feel as bad as he did a moment before but he didn’t feel quite like parting just yet.

Jong In sighed. “We only live two blocks away from each other.”

“So cruel to someone who was just dumped.”

Jong In didn’t even blink. “I can’t be nice to you 24-7.”

Ye Jun laughed, not taking the remark seriously. After all, Jong In had waited for him in the cold.

“Please,” he whispered into his ear, not caring about the eyes that watched them.

Jong In flinched but did not pull back, then shook his head. “You’re going to hog all my pillows again.”

“I won’t,” he replied with a smile but he knew that he would but he also knew that Jong In would not reject him.

Jong In sighed again but Ye Jun could hear the acquiescence in his voice. “Fine, but you’re sleeping on the ground.”

Ye Jun laid his head against Jong In's shoulder and closed his eyes. “No way, why would I sleep on the ground when you have a perfectly good bed?”

Ye Jun felt him shake his head but upon opening his eyes, he could see a small smile on Jong In’s lips. His own lips fell into the shape of a smile as he watched the profile of his friend’s face. There was a familiar contentment there he immediately recognized. 

He could still feel the cold at his back but he didn’t care. He leaned further into his friend, securely placing his head on his shoulder and closing his eyes once more.

It was comforting.