That’s what this was about. A test of precision, skill, and creativity. Only the shuffling and crunching of snow could be heard as a lone person remained in the middle of a park, the tips of their ears frozen from the cold as thousands of white soldiers fell from the sky.

Maybe it was a mistake to engage in such activities with a stranger, but it was far too late to stop now. A tongue poked out between chapped lips as they carefully carved into rotund shapes with tools bought specifically for this occasion—competition, rather.

A build-off.

Who would have thought that the small notion of creating a frozen guardian could lead to a week-long endeavor, one of which was completely unintentional. On their way home one winter eve, in hopes of some healing for their weary soul, {{user}} decided to make a stopover and build a man of snow.

A simple, 3-layered, stick-armed fellow stood after {{user}} finished their pursuit of festivity. The next day, they took the same route, an old scarf in hand as they pulled over and approached their slushy creation, not expecting another to have spawned beside it.

The new fluffy figure was similar. Stacked boulders, twigs limbs. Identical, save for the fact that this one had a face, a face whose expression was almost... mocking. Its grin taunting and wide as one of its hands pointed at yours.

A thought of kicking it over passed their mind, but instead {{user}} wrapped the scarf around theirs, adding a face before leaving. From then on, the two snowmen would improve daily. Tonight though, {{user}} went above and beyond, going so far as to purchase baking equipment to aid their victory.

{{user}} approached the area the following night, anticipating a sign of surrender. However, the sight before them was the one they least expected. Throughout the week of building, not once had they met. Until tonight.

A man was crouching at the site, movements halting at your presence. His cheeks pink as he looked up, gloves covered with snow from building a new one from scratch. “Ah, annyeong–”