8

Honestly now, what was she supposed to do?! She was squeezing Ji’s white shirt in her arms and looked around for him. “Why I wasn’t paying attention to him??” she fought with herself rolling around the floor she met Ji and stained his shirt. When she reached Seunghyun’s door, she quickly hid it inside her cart and slowly knocked twice. Because she got no answer, she used her card to open the door. It was so quiet inside…  she silently stepped inside the room, everything around seemed untouched. She took a deep breath and after a forced gulp she opened wide the closet’s doors – it was empty. Tears came pouring down from her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away when she heard the entrance door opening.

“Ah, so good you’re here!” the overly annoying squeaky voice of her manager almost brought the tars back, but she fought them bravely.  “Clean everything and freshen up!” he said looking around.

“Gwajangnim…” she muttered.

“Ne?”

“Me… I … Today I had to bring something to the person inside this room…” she said trying hard not to let show the tremble in her voice.

“Ah, maybe he forgot!” the manager said carelessly. “If it was something important he’ll ask for it, if not, you may keep it” he spoke without facing her.

“Ne, gwajangnim…” she answered lowering her eyes so he wouldn’t see her new tears.

The snow that began since yesterday just became heavier with ever bigger snowflakes. She was following them as they hit the basement small square window, absent mind caressing the black gloves she received last night. She squatted on the floor holding a nicely warped up gift with snowmen shiny paper. Her eyes were all red and swollen, totally contrasting with her white – waxy face. She rested her forehead on the gift and sighed loudly.

“Aissi… c’mon honey… you wouldn’t be that lucky…” she smiled bitterly and took a deep breath. She hardly got up and slowly slapped her cheeks to cheer herself up. She stuffed the gift inside her big waistcloth pocket and even though she was aware of the way she was looking like, she carried around all day, hoping that she might be able to meet him. She even went against the rules and about every two hours she would climb down to the reception hall and look for him.

It was already dark and she just came back from one of her trips to the reception hall. She threw her eyes out on the small window from the basement room. The snowflakes that looked so happy all together until now, they became hectic and their suave air dance turned into a senseless overcrowding that made her smile bitterly again.

“I wonder… is it snowing like this back home too?” she whispered, not because she wanted to keep it quiet, but because she had no more power to speak out loud. She took her phone out of her pocket and dialed a number. As soon as she heard her mother’s voice, tears came falling down faster and hotter than before.

“Oh, mom…” she said almost whispering.

How could he simply ask where to find her, he didn’t even knew her name… And.. why was he here in the first place? He could clearly hear that there was a violent blizzard coming their way and he was one hour and a half away from home.  He sighed silently and pulled the cap better over his eyes, entering the hotel. He looked around the reception hall but he remembered the maids weren’t allowed in there, so he slowly walked towards the elevators. ‘Why are you even here if you must do it while hiding?’ his conscience started to charge him, but he wouldn’t quit it just yet.  The ‘personnel only’  elevator was just around the corner and he was heading towards it when a girl with a pink waistcloth went by. He quickly rolled around to pretend he’s changing his path, but in fact he followed her all the way down on some stairs until they reached a long grey hall with doors on a single part. The girl entered one of them and he planned to follow her more but he passed by a slightly opened white door. He thought he heard a familiar voice so he glided past it. He pushed it but he didn’t anticipate that it would creak so loud. He froze in place not only because of the loud noise but because of the girl’s pouring tears that drew on her face long black mascara stripes. He listened to her while she said her goodbyes in her language and only then he was able to step inside, smiling shyly.

“Anyoung haseyo” he said taking a short bow. “Are you ok?” he asked approaching her.

“Mhm…” she barely muttered. She was staring at him with teary, big eyes not knowing what to believe. Did he came for her or…?

“Mianhaeyo…” he started again when he stopped almost next to her. “I should’ve told you last night… yesterday was my final day here. After the last night party I had to leave…” he spoke a little slower than usually because he had no idea why but his words wouldn’t come out as easily as they used to… ‘maybe because I’m speaking in English?’ he thought trying hard to conceive a speech but his mind stuck on her lack of reaction. “Are you ok?...” he felt the need to ask the same question again, paying much more attention on his spelling.

“May you please give me paper tissue?” she said pointing towards a short table.

“S… Sure!...” he replied turning around to look for the indicated place, quashing on his own amused smile.    

“Kamsahamnida…!” she said grabbing it in one quick move. She rolled around and suddenly she noisily blew her nose and quickly wiped away the mascara under her eyes.

“Another one?” he asked without being able to hide his amusement anylonger when she turned to face him and she looked like a panda.

“No, thank you” she quickly replied trying to clear better her under-eyes makeup. She suddenly realized she was wearing the gloves he gave her.  Every drop of blood rushed towards the tips of her ears when she noticed his eyes stuck on her hands too. “I… I told you I really like them…” she babbled and slowly took them off.

He smiled looking down.

“Were you talking with your mother?” he asked switching away from the subject.

“Nae…” she answered stealing another smile from him. Realizing she just answered in Korean, she quickly lowered her eyes too. “I’m… trying to fit in…”

“C’mon!” he said all of a sudden and grabbed her shoulders. “I’ll take you home!” he said gently guiding her towards the door.

“Oh, waith!” she stopped in place.

“Huh?”

“Um… i… also have something for you… “ she mostly whispered, searching for the same spot she noticed on the floor a little time ago.

“You do?” he chuckled like a kid receiving candy.

“Well… it’s literally nothing big… but… it’s just that…” she stumbled upon her words judging herself for the guts she had to talk to him like this.

“It’s Christmas Eve” he helped her up. “And I really enjoy gifts” he smiled stretching out his hands to grab the package she took out of her giant front pocket.

‘Whaa… he’s so able…’ she smiled at his handiness when he unwrapped the gift without ripping the paper.

“Yaah!!” he shouted startling her. “Oh, mianhae…” he laughed out loud “I just love penguins!” he said rolling off the long, black, knitted scarf with a small penguin attached at its very end.

She smiled congratulating herself for the great idea she had to sew the small doll on the scarf after she knitted it. Her eyes doubled when he gave the scarf back to her and he laughed at them when they ran back on the floor.

“I said I really like it” his low voice melted away her legs and his perfume almost stopped her breathing when his ‘old’ scarf surrounded her neck.

She stared at him mesmerized as he rolled the black scarf he just received around his own neck.

“Ah… so fluffy!” he smiled totally pleased. “Gomawo! Thank you!” he laughed again at her eyes. “How do I look?”

“Divine…” she found herself thinking out loud.   

“Come with me! I have an idea!” he suddenly said grabbing her hand.

They took a couple of steps, but suddenly stopped in front of a hanger.

“Is this yours?” he asked  pointing to a black coat.

“Mhm…” she answered preparing to say something else too, but he covered her shoulders with it.

“Wait, where are we going?...”she asked following him.

“it’s a surprise” he answered dragging her away.

“But I’m not done here yet… and my boss…”

“I’ll deal with him” he said opening the big glass door  of the hotel.

They both froze for a little while they lost their eyes on the heavy snowing outside.

“C’mon, let’s go!” he said again dragging her towards a car.

“Whe…where are we going?” she tried once more to find out when he fastened her seatbelt and just smiled, starting the engine.