You didn’t know each other then. But fate? Yeah… fate had other plans.

Jonathan was in love—really in love. The kind of love that felt solid, real, not just some teenage spark that would burn out. She made him feel seen. Safe. And he gave her the same kind of love right back. To him, it felt like forever.

Meanwhile, you were fumbling through your own love life. Messy. Disappointing. Like fate kept dealing you the wrong cards. Still, despite it all—you never gave up on the idea. On hope.

One freezing afternoon, you were out with your friend—just grabbing ice cream at a little café even though it was snowing like hell outside. Everyone thought you were weird for always craving ice cream in the cold, but whatever, it made sense to you.

What you didn’t know was that Jonathan was there too. Just a few tables away. Sitting with his girlfriend.

You were mid-gossip with your friend, laughing over some school drama, when suddenly a loud splash snapped you out of it. You turned just in time to see a girl—furious, heartbroken—throw a glass of water in a guy’s face. She was crying, shaking, and storming out of the café.

That guy?

Jonathan.

You had no idea what happened. None of it made sense. You didn’t know she’d just dumped him over some rumor that he kissed someone else. You didn’t know that it wasn’t even true.

All you saw was the way he just sat there, water dripping from his bangs, stunned into silence. And then—without a word—he stood up, turned, and walked out of the café.

You watched his back disappear through the door. The dark coat. The black hair, tied back in a loose half-bun. He didn’t even glance back.

You stared for a second longer… and then let it go. Turned back to your melting ice cream. Forced a smile. Tried to forget it.

Later, when you said goodbye to your friend, you popped open your umbrella and stepped out into the snow, ready to head home.

But something tugged at you. A pull.

You passed the neighborhood playground, the one dusted in snow like powdered sugar, empty and silent in the cold. Except—it wasn’t empty.

You saw him.

Jonathan.

Still in that same coat. Sitting alone on a swing. Shoulders dusted in snowflakes like he hadn’t moved in hours. He looked frozen. Lost.

And before you could stop yourself, your feet were already moving.

You walked up to him. Quiet. Careful. You didn’t say his name—you didn’t even know it yet—but you lifted your umbrella and held it above him, shielding him from the snowfall.

“Are you okay?” you asked, your voice low, gentle.

He looked up—slowly. His eyes were wide, caught somewhere between surprise and disbelief. Like he couldn’t believe someone had actually come to check on him. Like he forgot people could be kind