Previously...

With Yona's position as Hak's "friend" on her mind she wanted to send a signal to him how important he was to her. She decided to do this through gifts and get him the best christmas present. The problem is; She has no idea what to get him. With help from her friends, Yona and Kyung-mi agree to go shopping to find the perfect set of earrings for the he who had stopped wearing them for an unknown reason. Between making shopping plans and the shopping day, Yona asked Jae-ha and Yoon if they knew why Hak stopped wearing them, but they ended up calling Kija over who would have a better idea. Kija assured Yona the reason wasn't because of her, and Yona's plan was solidified: Find Hak some earrings for the Christmas gift.

During the breaks between classes, Yona scrolled through her phone, trying to get ideas for Hak's christmas present before she went shopping with Kyung-mi after school. Surely she'd looked at hundreds of earrings and similar accessories by now, but nothing had stuck out to her. Most of the earrings she'd seen were clearly for women: covered in crystals and sparkles. Sometimes they were just absurdly flashy like children's dress-up clip-on earrings, or they were a quick trend like bedazzled poop emoji earrings. Did these companies really expect people to wear these? Surely there were few opportunities to wear pieces like these.

Yona flipped her phone over on the desk, giving up on trying to find an idea online. She looked out the window at the bare trees blowing in the wind and shuddered at the cold they would have to brave while shopping later. Hopefully it didn't take too long to find something.

The bell chimed for the final time of the day, signaling the end of classes. Yona quickly put away her things and collected her bag, waiting for Kyung-mi to do the same across the room. Yona approached Kyung-mi's desk just as she stood up and was ready to leave.

"You seem eager." Kyung-mi teased as the two left the classroom.

Yona sighed. "I just want to get this over with. I tried looking for inspiration online, but it was hopeless."

Kyung-mi could already hear the defeat in Yona's tone.

"I just hope I find something good today."

The girls stopped to exchange their shoes before leaving the school, standing by their lockers. Kyung-mi looked at Yona who's expression shared the defeated look her tone had. "It's okay if you don't find something today." She assured her. "There's still a few weeks left. You have time." She smiled as she waited for Yona to close her shoe locker.

"I hope you're right." Yona bit her lip. She knew there was time, but it felt as though there wasn't any time at all. What would she do if she couldn't find him a nice pair of earrings? She didn't want to get him something that held little meaning or that wouldn't serve a purpose for him. Yona shook the negative thoughts from her head. No, she was going to find something and everything would go perfectly.

"Oh! let's try that store!" Kyung-mi pointed out a small boutique that had a variety of accessories in the window.

Yona nodded and the two turned into the store. Yona made a bee-line for the earrings as soon as she'd spotted them, quickly gleaming over the selection, but nothing was catching her eye.

"Could I help you find something?" The employee asked.

"We're looking for earrings." Kyung-mi told them.

"You're in the right spot then." The employee smiled and gestured to the display that Yona had been staring down. "Are you looking for anything in particular?"

Yona hummed as she looked. Sparkles, gold colour plating, beads, and crystals covered every piece in sight. Everything she'd seen so far was either meant for girls younger than her or a cheap accessory that looked just interesting enough to impress someone at a party without spending a fortune.

Kyung-mi smiled awkwardly at Yonas reaction and looked back at the employee apologetically. "We were hoping for something a little more plain, ideally something fit for her guy-friend?" She asked, hoping the store would carry something more toned down than earring covered in coloured crystals.

The employee paused before responding, confused as to why two young girls were looking for earrings for a boy. "I'm sorry, everything we carry has some sparkle to it. Perhaps you would have better luck at the store a little further down the street."

Yona sighed again, this time turning around to leave, disappointed that the store didn't have anything even close to what she was looking for. "Thanks." She said as she passed by the employee.

"Thank you for your help." Kyung-mi said and followed Yona out of the store.

"Yona? Are you okay?" She asked as soon as they'd left and the shop's door closed. "That didn't seem very like you. You're usually nicer to the employees."

Yona paused to recall their interaction. "Wait, was I rude? I'm sorry, I was just so focused." She took a deep breath to help ground herself. "I won't do it again, promise." She told her with a smile before looking down the street to find the next store. "Where should we go next?"

After going from store to store with no luck for what felt like hours, Kyung-mi and Yona both sat down on a bench to take a break.

Although Yona had made sure to be more self-aware and they'd both been polite to all the employees they'd encountered, they'd received some odd looks and reactions from store workers when they explained who the earrings were for. Some were nice and apologetic that they didn't have anything that would suit Hak, but others were downright judgemental. Yona was beginning to understand why Hak stopped wearing earrings. Maybe it wasn't just his professor, but that he was tired of having people judge him just for wearing them.

Yona scanned the shops around them until she spotted a small cafe across the street; The idea of a hot drink warming her up flooded her thoughts. "Do you want a drink?" She asked Kyung-mi as she stood up. "My treat." She pointed to the cafe.

"Ohh, yes please! Can you get me a hot chocolate?"

Yona nodded and started toward the cafe.

"Thanks!" Kyung-mi called after her.

Yona returned to join Kyung-mi on the bench not long after she'd left. She sat down beside her friend and passed one of the hot chocolates to her, then took a sip of her own.

Warmed by the sweet drink, Yona scanned the street for another shop they could try, but couldn't find anything of interest from where they sat.

"This hot chocolate is so nice." Kyung-mi hummed with her hands clasped around the cup and she leeched the warmth from it. "By the way, I was looking online for stores while you were getting these and it seems like there's a few more shops we could try if you want to keep looking."

Yona nodded intently. "It's not too late yet, if you're okay with it, let's keep looking." She said, taking another sip of her drink.

Once their drinks were empty, the two stood up to hunt down their next target, following what Kyung-mi had scouted out online. As they approached the next store, something else of interest came into view: a fair-sized public skating rink decorated with twinkling lights, trees, and Christmas decorations. The rink was crowded with people who'd rented skates, some speeding around the surface while others clung to the wall in an attempt to avoid a fall.

"That looks like fun." Yona's eyes twinkled in the lights as she watched on, temporarily distracted from the task at hand.

"Why not have Hak take you? That looks like a nice date spot!"

Yona's face burned red at the suggestion. "Maybe I should ask him." She said with a timid smile. "But first: The earrings!" She exclaimed and pointed toward the shop in front of them.

"Sorry we don't have what you're looking for. Have a nice evening!" An employee called after them as they left the store.

"Well, that was the last one I saw online." Kyung-mi said in a discouraged tone, disappointed none of the stores they'd visited had anything that Yona liked.

Yona's lip curled into a pout as she trudged down the street. "I've got to find them! There's got to be nice earrings out there somewhere! Where would he have gotten the ones he had otherwise?" Yona's disheartened attitude faded into a hopeful demeanor as the two continued to walk. "The station is at the end of this street, let's keep looking until we get there at least." She suggested.

Kyung-mi gave a thumbs up and the two started scanning each shop's windows as they passed by, hoping for something to stand out.

Yona pointed to a store just before the station, the window was filled with accessories and jewellery. "Let's try that one!"

"Where was that when I was looking online?" Kyung-mi mumbled to herself in confusion.

Yona shrugged and opened the shop's door.

The inside looked like all the other stores they'd visited and already Yona was feeling downtrodden, assuming this one would be like the rest.

"Hello there!" The shop's employee greeted them. "Welcome to Kouka's opening! Can I help you find something?"

Yona's eyes began to light up as she noticed items that were just plain metal and didn't have any gems, crystals, or sparkly bits on them. "I'm looking for some earrings for a friend." She explained, still looking at the displays.

"Oh wonderful!" The employee put her hands together excitedly. "What does your friend like? Long earrings? Sparkles? Maybe a matching set to share?"

Yona's face flushed red at the thought of sharing a matching set with Hak. "No, no. I couldn't share a set with him. We're not like that." She dismissed the idea and attempted to explain her situation.

"Oh, a boy! And just a friend, I understand. Let me show you some of the earrings I would suggest for him." The employee said happily and directed them to a different section of the store.

Yona and Kyung-mi both looked at each other in surprise. A shop appears out of nowhere, the employee didn't judge them, and they had options that could work for Hak's gift? Yona patted her cheek to make sure she wasn't dreaming before following the store worker to find their recommendation.

The employee gestured to the display now in front of them. It showed a few different styles, more subdued from what they'd been looking at and contrasted the rest of the store's bright and shiny collection.

Yona was finally feeling as though she would find something here. Her eyes wandered around the display stopping whenever she found a possible gift candidate. The small silver hoops could be nice, but they felt a little too… pirate. The star-shaped studs were cute, but they were probably a better gift for herself than Hak.

"What type of earrings do you envision him wearing?"

Yona paused, looking away from the surplus of earrings that surrounded them. "Hmm… Maybe something simple, but not as basic as a plain ball stud."

"Could I give my recommendation?" The employee asked.

Yona nodded. This person had already been helpful and wasn't judgmental and she knew her own store and products best, why not hear her recommendation?

The employee moved to showcase a set of earrings; One of the earrings had two chains, one of which hung from the stud with a feather at the bottom, the other chain attached to a cuff higher up the ear. The other half of the set was a simple stud.

Yona's eyes widened at the sight of the all-black earrings that were exactly what she'd been looking for. They were similar to earrings that Hak had worn before, but something new - and most importantly - from her.

"Oh these look really nice!" Kyung-mi admired the earrings alongside Yona. "Do you think he'd like them?"

Yona nodded excitedly before turning to face the employee. "I'd like to buy these, please."

The employee smiled softly and nodded. "Wonderful!" Her happy tone replaced and hesitancy that remained. "I'll get them ready for you." She said reaching below the display to fetch the packaging.

Yona and Kyung-mi both moved toward the register. The excitement was pouring out of Yona and she could hardly contain it. This was it: The perfect gift. It was almost too good to be true.

Yona made her purchase and proudly carried the small bag containing the earrings out of the store. Outside the sun had nearly set and the temperature had begun to drop.

Kyung-mi shivered and wrapped her arms around herself to try and contain her warmth. "I forgot how cold it was while we were in there."

A cloud formed from the breath Yona exhaled, but the warmth of her excitement and the blush on her cheeks warded off the cold. "Shall we head home?"

Kyung-mi nodded, now cupping her hands around her face to warm them. "My parents are probably wondering where I am. I didn't tell them I'd be out so late."

"Good thing we're close to the station then!"

The two girls paid for their train tickets, but before they could get to their platform Kyung-mi noticed someone familiar in the distance. "Is that Hae? Who is she with?"

Yona squinted to try and make out the girls across the wide hallway. One of them was definitely their friend; Her uniform was clearly the same as theirs and she carried herself the same way Hae did. But who was the girl beside her? Hae must know her from cello practice - she had a violin-shaped case slung over her shoulder - but she wore a different uniform and had long wavy chestnut brown hair and delicate looking glasses, and wasn't anyone Yona had met before. "She's got a violin, she must be someone Hae met at practice. Should we go say hi?" Yona continued to observe the two from afar, still trying to determine who the girl was.

Before Kyung-mi could respond, they noticed the mystery girl reach to hold Hae's hand, which Hae accepted and the two continued to chat like nothing had happened.

"On second thought," Yona paused, trying to interpret the events unfolding in front of them, "Maybe we should ask Hae about it tomorrow."

Kyung-mi agreed and the two continued to their platform, silently agreeing not to say anything about what they'd seen until they'd talked to Hae about it.

"See you tomorrow!" Yona called to Kyung-mi who got off the train a stop before her.

Now alone, Yona looked down to the small bag that held Hak's present. She could hardly wait to give it to him, it was a shame there were still a few weeks until Christmas.

Reaching her station, Yona got off the train and made her way through the crowds of people on the platform and toward the station exit. Just as she reached the exit gate she noticed someone behind her who gave her an uneasy feeling.

Yona did her best to quell the feeling, telling herself that she was just imagining things. This was a station, there were bound to be other people going the same direction as her. Brushing off the feeling, Yona passed through the gates and continued home.