Listen to Falling by Lee Sang Eun (My Princess OST) : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTIB6UBpsR8

Hana filtered the tea into the pot, carefully setting the cups and plates that had been bought as part of a set. She took a deep breath in and sighed, lifting the tray with her agile hands and walking into the living room.

Could it be called a living room? The house itself was as small as a shoebox. Before their mother had runaway with her high-school sweetheart, leaving the lone daughter and father to struggle with societal shame, the woman of the household was particular about the kitchen being set apart. The husband was deceived to care for his wife’s needs and despite the pathetic size of his home, he made space for one extra room in which his wife could dabble with ingredients and recipes. Even after leaving however, the kitchen didn’t go unused. The one good trait-and Hana was thankful for it was the only trait-the daughter had inherited from her mother was her cooking skills. The same arms that were used to defeat countless number of schools in hockey matches were nimble in the cooking sphere and not one day went by when Hana and her father did not enjoy this skill of hers.

They lived in a small town, a small hill-town that was famous for its spectacular scenery and warm atmosphere. As years passed however, a selfish regime dictated by illiterate politicians had thrown the town into dumps and many of Hana’s favourite Irish nuns had left the place to save themselves. The town’s ‘representatives’ were fighting for autonomy, too stupid to realize that the town had been doing better before such a political clout darkened it’s fate. Hana was lucky for not being a native of the town. Her father had shifted here from his home-state, which was another two-hundred kilometres away and was at a much better condition than it’s downtrodden counterpart. She was lucky, her father had told her, for she could escape the town without any repercussions and marry a good boy from his hometown.

“They’re better than the ones here,” her father informed her. Hana had mutely nodded, at the time too busy with her school friends and functions. She was only fifteen, marriage was a lifetime away.

But her father was serious. He had always been serious and now, it was too late for Hana to go back.

Right now, she would have been in the church with her school friends, bundled up in layers of shawls and jackets, singing along with the town choir. Christmas was in the air and here she was, serving tea to her first—and probably only—suitor.

Hana’s eyes stayed on the floor as she set the tray, hearing the clear voice of a man saying ‘thank you’. She pursed her lips and gave a light bow. Her friends would have laughed if they saw her like this. In school and in their company, she was a fierce debater and a passionate lover of literature. She wanted to be a teacher, not a wife. Biting her lip to restrain the tears from falling, Hana gulped and sat next to her father.

“Hana,” her father said, every syllable overflowing with glee. “This is your fiance, Kim SungGyu.”

Hana’s eyes flew open. Fiance? Was she already engaged to this stranger? For the first time, she saw the face of this man. He had sharp eyes, a nose that perfectly collaborated with his cheeks to make him look like a wise owl and thin lips that pulled up into a smile when he saw her looking at him. Hana couldn’t help but furrow her eyebrows. Had she seen him somewhere?

“You’re Hana,” SungGyu said, as if to confirm that the girl he was about to marry was not a leprechaun. Hana nodded and he nodded back, the conversation ending right there.

“Hmm,” the father of the boy cleared his throat. He glanced at Hana’s father who nodded.

“We’ll leave you two alone then?”

It was not a question really. They had no other choice but to be left alone, pretend to grow fond of each other within five minutes then agree to sign a contract that had virtually been sealed already. Nevertheless Hana pasted a smile on her face and bowed, standing up with SungGyu as they watched the backs of their fathers leave the house for a ‘short walk’. Silence fell when the door clicked to a close and Hana quietly cleared the table.

“I’ll help,” SungGyu said and Hana glanced at him over her shoulder.

“It’s okay,” she said in a low murmur. “If I could bring it all the way here, I can carry it all the way back too.”

She noticed SungGyu’s eyes widen, if that was even possible, as she entered the kitchen space and placed the tray in the sink. She turned around and placed her hand on her chest.

“Calm down Hana,” she whispered to herself and looked towards the door. “Calm down.”

SungGyu smiled when Hana re-entered the room and motioned for him to sit. She opened the window to let in some fresh air and wistfully looked out for a moment as the voices from the church above their house echoed towards her.

“You like Christmas?”

Hana turned around as SungGyu watched her, waiting for an answer. She sat herself down and nodded.

“I can be with my friends all day without feeling guilty about homework.”

SungGyu gave a soft laugh, it’s sound tickling Hana’s stomach. He has a nice voice, she thought.

“What about you?” Hana asked. SungGyu shrugged and rested his elbows on his knees.

“I was a prefect in my school,” he started. “So Christmas for me… it reminds me of all the responsibilities and work I had to handle with my friends, then seeing it all come to light on the final day.”

“Which school did you go to?”

“High school you mean? St. Joseph’s.”

Hana’s lips formed an ‘o’. It was one of the best, second to best actually, boys school in town. If SungGyu had been a prefect at St. Joseph’s then he was surely one of the top students.

“What are you studying now?” Hana knew SungGyu was older than her by eight years. He was 24 years old and studying was a phrase he could now laugh upon. Still, she thought.

“Law,” SungGyu answered, a smile on his lips. Hana could make out the passion in his eyes, he probably loved the subject and was one of the lucky few to get what they wanted.

“Oh okay…”

The conversation again came to a standstill and Hana fiddled with her fingers. Finally, she came up with a question she had always wanted to ask.

“How is Christmas at St. Joseph’s?”

SungGyu shrugged, pursing his lips. “Not very interesting really. I’ve heard Lorraine’s has a fairs and bake sales, right?”

Hana nodded, her eyes brightening for the first time that day. “We do! We had one yesterday. I made a chocolate fudge cake and everyone loved it! It sold out!”

SungGyu laughed at her enthusiastic reply and Hana smiled. It wasn’t a laugh that mocked at her youth. It was a laugh that appreciated it.

“But I’m sure,” Hana asked again, “Christmas must have been interesting at least once.”

SungGyu closed his eyes for a moment then opened them. “Ah yes, there was one incident. But I wouldn’t call it interesting really. It happened long time ago, when I was a prefect in junior high. It was one of those moments that for some reason, still stand out in my mind. It wasn’t interesting. Just a break away from the regular schedule of the day.”

Hana nodded. Junior high, she thought. The town’s system of junior high was quite different. Until the age of six, kids were enrolled into primary school and from then till sixteen years of age, they were in junior high, often co-educational. High school was from when they were seventeen to nineteen years old, but Hana was already in her first year of high school due to an early birthday.

Goosebumps ran across her body when a certain memory flickered in her brain. “I had one incident too.”

SungGyu leaned forward. “Really? Can I hear about it?”

Hana nodded. “It happened when I was eight years old. My first year in junior high. I was quite excited, it was going to be my first Christmas in school and there was going to be a huge event. The chief guest was an important man, though I cannot remember his name now and all of us were busy preparing for a parade of some sort. I was quite the sporty girl back then too and I was going to be involved in handling the staffs, spinning them around and all.

“The morning of that event, something quite unfortunate happened though. The staff I was carrying was chipped at the end so in between rehearsals, when I tried avoiding getting hit by the splinter, I lost balance and fell down. It was quite a bad fall really, my knee was badly scraped. My ankle too had twisted and I couldn’t believe my bad luck.”

Suddenly Hana’s chest was filled with warmth as she started talking further. “I remember the crowd around me dispersing and a tall figure kneeling next to me, asking me if I could walk. I looked up and was shocked. It was a prefect and looking at the medal on his chest, I knew he was one of the top ones. When I told him I couldn’t walk, he lifted me and carried me to the medical room, waiting even after I was treated. He was supposed to be in the principal’s office for a meeting but he had told his friends that he couldn’t leave me.”

Hana stopped talking then looked at SungGyu. She furrowed her eyebrows as he stared at her, as if he had just noticed her presence.

“What happened? Are you feeling unwell by any chance?”

“Which junior high school were you in?” SungGyu asked.

Hana blinked. “St. Paul’s. Why?”

SungGyu continued staring at her, but this time, a spark played in his eyes. “I was in St. Paul’s too.”

Hana widened her eyes, despite not understanding what was going on. “Oh okay…”

“Do you remember the prefect’s name?”

Hana pouted, racking her brains for a name. She closed her eyes and drifted back to the memory.

“Hurry up….!” The boy at the door motioned at his friend as he sat next to the quiet girl. He was talking to her, trying to make conversation and cheer her up. The girl couldn’t participate in the parade anymore and it was noticeable that she was upset about it.

“I’m busy Woohyun,” the prefect waved him off. The boy named Woohyun clicked his tongue.

“Yah Kim SungGyu!”

Hana gasped. She opened her eyes and suddenly, SungGyu wasn’t sitting on the couch. Instead he was on his knees, gazing at her face, a soft smile on his lips.

“You’ve grown up prettily,” he complimented. Hana blushed, still in disbelief. After a momentary pause, she stuttered, “Nice to m-m-meet you.”

SungGyu chuckled, pinching Hana’s cheeks. He laughed with full force when Hana’s ears turned red and she covered them with her hands.

Slowly, SungGyu took her hands and held them in front of him. “So will I get to spend my future Christmases with you?”

Hana blinked, trying not to choke on her breath at this sudden proposal.

“My Christmas is ruined,” the little girl whined, wiping the tears from her face. She stopped when the prefect held her hands and smiled.

“As long as I’m here,” the prefect murmured, “your Christmas will be perfect.”

“But you’ll leave, right? You have to go do some work…”

The prefect hushed the girl. “You’re spending your Christmas with me today, understand?”

“Hana?”

SungGyu asked, a flash of anxiety in his eyes. Hana smiled and nodded, leading SungGyu to grin and place a hand on her cheek.

Finally, Hana thought. No more lonely Christmases.

Note : Like Shoe-Store Guy, this story too is based on a true incident. It is based on the story of my mother’s childhood friend and how she met her husband. The couple are happily married and have three kids, the eldest and youngest being girls and the middle child a boy. All three kids have passed out of college and their family is definitely the best family to hang out with in this planet!

Here ends my final addition to An Infinite Christmas. Hope all of you enjoyed this little gift of mine! Always remember, miracles are everywhere, waiting for you to get out of your box and cross their path. Believe in love, believe in fate, believe in believing.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Love,

almost_asian