Cooking book volume 3...” I trail a snail’s pace through the tile-floor aisle, resuming dragging the tips of my fingers at the neatly arranged reading materials on the culinary section’s shelves.  There are a lot of health food magazines, latest recipes from world famous chefs, secret ingredient to make a great soup, collection of confection and all related to those.

        An old lady gets into my way and I scoot aside to let her pass. Her lorgnette falls lower on her nose as she makes an attempt to smile. Smiling courteously in return, I inch forward, occupying the space that I have left and continue searching for the book. It will mean a lot if I could present it to Grandma for this Christmas. I won’t let her miss the most recent cooking styles of nowadays. Look, who else can deal with the kitchen besides her?

        I reach forward and pluck a shiny-looking book wrapped in plastic from its branch. It looks like the best choice. I scan through the back cover to read the description whether it is too exaggerated or simple with what I have in my mind.   

       “Excuse me.” An optimistic-looking woman accosts as she makes a move to pick out the same book I chose just now. Slightly bowing, I turn aside and resuming examining. For real, this place almost packed, as I get chance to look around, peeking through the shelves. What are people doing here anyway? To buy book? Of course, what else. It is not like there are a lot of Christmas materials here which people are really looking forward to purchase.

         By fate, I accidentally land my eyes on an old, big, pot-bellied man in his red and white costume with two identical girls wearing the same clothes but only in dress version standing on either side of him. Children are queuing to sit on his lap and whisper something called wish. I could see their parents or guardians waiting, but by their chance, they stroll around every crook here. Some of them are having their hand stuffed, holding paper bags while the rest enjoying their free hands with magazines or reading materials on.

        Apparently, they are the main attraction.

        Skipping the credits and publication company address, I slide lower to check the price. Well, it is blocked. What is this?  Rebate? 30% discount? I turn around; only to bump into somebody blur while the book seems to purposely find its way to slip out from my grasp it. The gravity pulls it downwards to the clean floor which sends a ‘dup’ sound to the air.

        I regain my vision back as the usually heard voice chimes, making me instantly look up. “Hey.”

        “Ren?” Oh my Gosh.

       “I knew it was you all along. I was walking outside and then I found you walking in here.” He explains excitedly, judging to the continuous grin, and I can’t help but smile at his explanation. I watch him slowly descends downwards to the floor and gently takes the book in his hands, bringing it higher as he stretches his back to the usual being.

        I’m majorly pleased to keep bumping into him.

        I’m waiting for him to return it to me, but he doesn’t. Instead, he eyes the cover through the plastic wrapper and conscientiously whirls it to its back. He provides the same movement as me before which he gets his eyes swept over the surface of the cover.

        “You want to buy this book?” He shifts his eyes to mine which sending me off guard.

        “Yeah, but I can’t see the price. So I think-”

        “We can ask the cashier or genres sorter here, do you want to?” He cuts me right away.

        “But...” I’m afraid if it is too expensive – out of my budget.

        “Let’s go, we still can ask. It looks like you don’t want to return it.” He insists, somewhat, chuckling at his last sentence. Yes, I don’t want to retract back. It wills somehow making me uncomfortable if I don’t, at least, try to get it since it is already included in my intention. What will the people in mind say? Getting taunted won’t help to calm your heart.

       “Okay.” He beams and to my surprise, wrapping his palm around my elbow, dragging me along on his fast pace to the counter. We strides over the legs of couple of kids who recklessly sitting sprawled on the tile floor while immensely reading the comics, almost their face are buried into the pages. It appears that kids section shelves is right above their heads, and from here is the last section for this row to escape. Across to this aisle is where the counter placed and it looks like it is having a pretty long line.

        Once there, Ren taps the book on the counter, simply breaking through the queue of adult people. It is embarrassing when they shot glares at us. “Excuse me, sir. Can you tell me the price for this book?” He really asks anyway. It looks like he don’t care at the judging looks, or he doesn’t realise it. I don’t know whether he will get red if he does realize or vice versa. He is sometimes unpredictable.

        The cashier, too, sends a crook look before he pulls the book and spins to its back straight away. He spends a few moments before looking up and finally voices. “Actually, this book got thirty percent discount. The actual price is right here.” He straight-facedly indicates, pointing to the left, down of the cover which I don’t recalled whether I missed it just now or the opposite.

        It is not an arm and a leg value though.

        “Oh, right,” I pull open my purse and take out a note, “here.”

        He gives that crook look again before pulling my money with his two hands and put the book inside a white paper bag. He hands it to me and I sheepishly take it, “Thank you.”

        We pull out from the illegal queue and scurry to the exit. Secretly, I peek at him who still linking his hand with my arm. The way his completely black loose hair flies to each side from framing his face as they try to catch the air movement is beautiful, but being blown instead. I almost didn’t recognize him back there.

        “See, you got it.” He pipes up, pulling the door handle and steps aside, letting me to go out first before trailing behind after the bump from the closed door.   

       “We cut the line. That’s unmannered.” I mumble, lowering my head and eye the paper bag which is beyond lucky to buy it without getting into the line. Well, I bought it from my money, so don’t judge.

        He tosses his head towards me, sending the slapping strands across his cheek. “You want to go there?” I look around the area filled with busy people and finally find his point to a fully suited man straddling a big, flat box. He just stands there, bending his body to look at his shoes that sink into the not so thick snow, and then looks forward again with a goofy grin plastered on his face as a lady or it looks like a high school girl passes by.

        “Who’s him?”

        “It’s not him I’m talking about. Let’s go, you’ll find out,” he replies and pulls me closer to cross the sea of people. He sends my heart palpitating right away. I almost step onto a grey pigeon in response. I don’t have any idea where it comes anyway. I thought bird won’t come out during this cold season. Does bird gets hibernate? Letting the thought off, flying to nowhere, I step ahead, carefully not to get very closer to him.

        “I found him when I followed you there,” he adds simply jutting his lips back to the bookstore while pushes through the crowd and pulls me along, saving enough space to move. The muffler that wrapped around my neck is falling, limply down and I make a move to throw it back, clinging on my shoulder like before.

        “Hello there!” The man enthusiastically calls upon our presence. He’s got weird moustache which is looked funny to see from my point of view. “Do you want to try this? It’s special edition for this Christmas! You’ll shine than the Christmas tree! So you girls have your choice?” He opens the lid of the box and it reveals a various types of hair accessories stuck on a velvety black lining.

        I’ve found myself chuckling at his question, also at the amused face of Ren. He has mistaken Ren as a girl. Well, who doesn’t? Moreover he lets his hair loose which is so unusual. I silently smile at him who looks like he will take any moment to choose as his roving eyes roam on them. He has both of his brows crinkle in concentration though and he finally stretches out his hand, extracting a white with blue sparkles hair band that coils loosely on his finger. I look at the man who expectantly makes a sound.

        “Perfect choice! That one got a pair. Here it is.” He passes a simple blue bobby pin to Ren’s open palm. “It is for couple actually. By the way, you can pick this friendship-” Who get both girls accessories for couple? Unless, it is for particular case like...I don’t to want imagine it.

        “I’ll get these.” Ren quickly refuses to keep his choice. Amazed, I gauge at him who has already got his wallet out to pay and that man who leisurely plucks and packs them inside a mini paper bag.

        “No problem, girls. Here you go!” He chirps while holds out the small bag and gladly take the amount of money given. Ren thanks him for the service and pulls me back to the way, where crowd aren’t much for the time being.

        I remain looking at him without a bat of eyelashes. He is digging through the bag with his normal expression but I could sense the vivacity behind that beautiful feature. He picks out the match pin and brings it higher to the side of his head, tucking the remaining strands behind his ear. Neatly, he slips the pin that holds a grasp of his hair. He does it so fine. When he attempts to slip it off, it gets stuck which invites a cringe on his face.

        “Ow!” He poorly groans. I hold my arm higher and accost.

        “Here, let me help you.” He slightly squinted in his smile and tilts his head lower to mine. I gather a handful hair of him and put it far behind before I slide off the pin painstakingly, and pull it out between my fingers, brushing my fingers unintentionally against his cheek. The contact is somehow sending shiver down my spine. I can’t help but feeling a strike of sin for touching him as if I purposely do. What about him? He did it before though. But, because of his I-just-do-it being, I don’t have the right word of what he was thinking that time.

        “Thanks.” He acknowledges, pinning the same calm voice.

        “You’re welcome.” I timidly reply, gazing blankly at the bunch of snow adhered to the brick wall of gate, as if I could look through it. It is almost at the end of the town. Maybe I should at least say goodbye. “Um...I’m going home.”

        “Uh? Yeah, sure...,” he stops at his track, “...wait!” I stop too, wonderingly rubbing my palm against the bag straps until I can feel the warm of my sweat stuck along.

        “Hold up your hand.” He instructs. It takes me a moment to pull the bag straps deeper on my wrist and flatten my palm towards him. With his all smiley face, he drops the same hair band that he chose a few minutes ago.

        “For you.” He clasps my palms against him, apathetically rocks them back and forth, to and fro. I can’t think anything quirky at this moment because his nonchalant and spontaneous movements amaze me. He looks so sincere doing that, heeding for nothing in respond. He looks playful yet pleasant.  

        “Yeah, I think that’s it.” He finally voices out and I reluctantly let go of his hand. I don’t want to end just like this, so a few question of chit-chat won’t hurt right?

        “So...Are you here alone?”

        “Uh no!” He shakes his head, smiling widely. “No. I was with Hyun Seung. He went to a kiosk far away there and it got a very long line. So I decided to look around...and I meet you.”

         “Ah, really. Thanks for these, by the way.”

         “No problem.” I smiles softly and gradually stepping far away from him.

         “I...um, just send my regard to him and bye, see you...after the eve.” I make an attempt to wave, but end up dropping it back to my side.  

         “Right.” He simply waves gleefully with a beam shone on his face and the big stretch that he made urges the locks of his hair fall down against his eyes, covering half of his cheek. It makes him looks like a cool warrior, only he lacks of sword and traditional clothing.

        Hugging the hair band closer to my chest, I turn around and let out a puff of steam light-heartedly. I feel lighter and even lighter as the smile grows wider. I like this feeling.

Because, I like him.