The meetings she had with both Jiyong and Seunghyun, the Christmas tree’s decorating and the camera’s flashes somehow brought back memories from her mother country and with it, a tear escaped her eyes. She squeezed the coat better on her body while several other tears followed the initial one until one finger stopped them. She froze in place when she realized it wasn’t her finger. She quickly blinked to chase away the remaining tears and looked for the owner of the finger.

“Are you ok?” Seunghyun asked when she couldn’t even spell one word.

“Mmm…” she managed to say rolling around to make sure she left the hotel.

‘Did he followed me?’ she wanted to start a conversation with herself but his thick voice snapped her out of it:

“Did they make you feel embarrassed?” he tried to sound as accurate as he could.

“Huh? Aniyo…” she quickly lied.

"Then why are you crying?" he asked smiling lightly.

‘Because you’re right here in front of me!’ her mind shouted remembering how she deleted all the hundreds of pictures she had with him in her cell phone and how she changed the ‘Doom dada’ (his latest hit) ringtone with ‘Jingle bells’ this morning before going to work.

 “You know, us Koreans, we are not that bad but it’s really rare to see a foreigner around here…” he misinterpreted her silence as an ‘yes’ to his first question and he managed to  explain in a quite good English.

"Oh, no, really they didn't do anything..." she said trying to hold back her tears.

“Come on,  I’ll take you home!” he said smiling mercifully.

"Aniyo... it's no need..." she quickly said because she wouldn't want him to see where she had to live.

"I insist" he put his arm over her shoulders.

It seemed like even the snowflakes melted before they could reach his smile, how could she resist it?!

“Do you miss home?” he asked suddenly but he instantly wished he wouldn’t when her answer came through some pitchy sobs and long drips of tears. After three steps he made her stop and simply hugged her tight. They spent about 2 whole minutes like that. She kept her face hidden in his chest, crying like there was no tomorrow and he caressed her head easily.

“Mian haeyo…” suddenly came from somewhere inside his chest.

“What for?” he asked softly.

“Because you had to witness… this…” she said slowly pushing herself away from him, wiping her tears off.

“Feeling better?...” he asked stretching out his arm so she could grab it.

“Ne…” she answered ashamed.

“You’re sure?” he said placing her hand on his arm.

“Mhm…”

“Your hands are so cold!” he said smiling, making her blush even more.

“I only have to cross these three streets and I’m home…” she tried to explain the absence of her gloves.

Indeed, after several steps they were facing a tasteless grey door. She sighed discreetly and turned the key inside the locker.

“Um…” she said blushing again “…this is my lever for now…” she hid her eyes on the old looking rug. She took off her coat and carefully placed it on top of the pile from the already overflown chair.

“Uhm… may I bring you some… hot coco” she asked seeing that he won’t take off his coat but neither he’ll turn around to leave. “…or …some plain water…?” she resigned herself with a short sigh.

“Where’s your Christmas tree?” he asked after rolling his eyes around the room.

“I don’t have one…” she answered bitterly. ‘I can’t afford one’ she thought for herself, but he also understood it.

“If it’s not too much trouble, I would like a coco, please” he said looking for a place to put his little present box until he’ll take off his coat. He copied her and carefully placed it over hers.

Even though the room was smaller than his restroom and it didn’t had anything else but a simple bed, a table and two chairs that served as closets,  it was really neat and clean. He looked for a place on the floor to sit when she giggled.

“You know you may actually sit on the bed. It’s clean, you know?”

“Ani! That’s not it!” he rushed to put an end to this misunderstanding but she already left for the small pot.

She the gas cooker and after placing the pot on it, she took from a small shelf two mugs. She put them on the edge of the small uncovered sink.

He followed her without a word making everything twice as awkward.

“Careful, it’s really hot!” she said handing him the mug with the penguin holder.

“Yah, pingu!” he smiled really pleased. “I just love penguins!” he explained to her big eyes. “Oh, wait a minute!” he said quickly letting the mug on the small table and taking the gift instead.

‘When did that got here?’ she thought but she simply smiled when he faced her again, blushing.

“Umm… it’s not too much… but… I just thought it will fit you nicely…” he said giving her a  beautifully warped gift.

“What is this?”  she wouldn’t take it.

“Please! It’s for thanking you…” he said pointing to his bandage on his hand.  

“Um… thank you! Kamsahmnida…” she said receiving it with shaky hands. “May I…”

“Open it…” he spoke in the same time with her.

“Ne…” she smiled really shy, trying to not make a fool of herself because her hand were too shaky and she wouldn’t want to rip off the paper.

Seunghyun patiently waited for her to open the gift while he chid himself for his immature behavior her clumsiness made him smile but he wouldn’t want to make her feel embarrassed so he quickly hid his face in his big, penguin hot mug.

“I love them!!” she said putting on the new pair of black gloves.

“It’s really nothing much but… “

“No, really! I really love them!!” she smiled wide caressing the red lotus flower on them. “They’re really perfect!” she  said and all of a sudden she jumped crossing her arms around his neck, hugging him tight, even kissing his cheek.

He didn’t had a chance to react because she realized what she was doing quick enough, so she instantly let him go and grabbed her steamy mug, sipping the hot coco a little too fast… at least now she had an excuse for her boiling blood…

Seunghyun caught her wrist with one hand, while the other hand took the mug and put  it on the table next to them. He dragged her closer and closer until their noses met. He looked like he wanted to get inside her and maybe he even would’ve had if “Jingle bells” wouldn’t start jollying it around. His upper jaw twitched visibly and his eyes rolled angrily.

“I’m really starting to hate this melody…” he muttered and waited for her to answer her phone. “Oh…” he said when she quickly showed it wasn’t hers the one ringing. “Yeoboseyo!” he said shyly when she pointed him to answer.

“Where are you, man?!” he could hear Ji’s voice screaming on the other side. Luckily they were talking in Korean so he could smile widely and ask “The hell do you want now?”

“You said you’re going for a little fresh air!” Ji answered laughing. “You took it all??”

“Mwo?” Seunghyun kept his smile on.

“It’s been 2 hours!” Ji enlightened his senior.

“Jinjja?” he answered throwing a glance out on the small window and looked after the girl as she slowly gathered the cups and took them back in the kitchen. He sighed deeply, the maigic of this night was torn. He exchanged a couple of other words on the phone and by the time he was done, she came back empty handed, smiling.

“It’s ok” she said handing him his coat.

“I’m really sorry…  jeongmal mianhaeyo…” he said putting his coat on without knowing what else he could say. He simply took a deep bow and exited the door, but he regained his smile when he heard her thin voice:

“See you tomorrow…”

No, wait! That’s not what she meant to say!! She wanted to say “Good bye” but her lips got a will of their own!

“Ne!” he answered back, taking a second, faster bow.

She turned all red in a matter of 1 and a half second and quickly closed the door.  She leaned on it and slowly glided down, covering her cheeks with her hands and smiling with tears on her face.