Weather forecast: Stormy --> Sunny

Pairing: Woorong

He hugged her from the back, his breath playfully tickling her neck. That was last Christmas Eve.

“Were you waiting for me?” he finally let go and said with a silly grin. Chorong rolled her eyes and placed her open right palm in front of him. “Gift?”

Woohyun chuckled as he reached into his pocket. Chorong looked on intently. Did he finally bring something this year or –

Her thoughts were abruptly dropped as she saw the familiar scene unfold again. He quickly retracted his hand from the pocket and positioned it next to his face.

“The gift is… me!”

Chorong pouted, her brows unconsciously furrowing as she did so. She hit him with considerable strength on one arm and said, “You’re so stingy! You always say that; I’ve received the same gift for years.”

“That’s because you never really accepted it.” His muffled words weren’t audible to her ears, so she swerved to look at him and questioned, “What did you say? I didn’t catch it.”

“I mean,” he started, “You should be thankful it never expired! It’s limited edition, alright? You can never find it anywhere else. It’s the best gift ever… isn’t it?”

Chorong sighed; a cloud of mist dispersed before her. “Your excuses are the best,” she sang. “Forget it, let’s go.” She began to walk away, crestfallen.

“But it’s the truth!” Woohyun insisted. His voice faded away as he watched her back figure shrink before him.

Their mistake was expecting each other to know how they felt and thought, when sometimes a little hint could be helpful. Behind their smiling faces and strong fronts laid sensitive yet stubborn hearts which couldn’t permit them to admit their wrongs.

Chorong held on to her desire of wanting a gift from Woohyun for too long to give it up. It wasn’t even that she had always wanted one, but seeing friends receive various fancy gifts from their loved ones made her anticipate, and that resulted in disappointment every time Woohyun didn’t bring any.

Woohyun longed for Chorong to tell him that she appreciates him just being there – he waited for too long to give it up. Moreover, he wasn’t rich enough to afford fancy presents; all he could give her was his time, so why can’t she accept that? Why is she so fixated on gifts, instead? It made him feel neglected, in a way.

Perhaps it was only for good that they went through that excruciating time, because that changed so very much for them, and their relationship.

Chorong was cold, very cold. It was sometime near Christmas but she wasn’t sure exactly when, because being locked up in the freezing container had paralyzed her sense of time. It was her fault for not leaving the freezer store as soon as the announcement rang that the supermarket was closing. Chorong was a patissier at a bakery and she was too caught up in picking ingredients for a new dessert.

Chorong had messaged Woohyun about her whereabouts before entering the freezer, and before her phone out. With trembling fingers and cold teardrops running down her face, she clutched onto the phone, hoping that Woohyun would come looking for her.

She had tried knocking down the door but she was simply too weak for that. Leaning against the metal door (because that’s the nearest place to outside and doing so made her feel closer to freedom), she kicked some shredded ice on the ground and wondered if she was going to die this miserable, because of her own carelessness. Chorong held back her tears because they’d only make her feel colder than she already was.

Chorong silently cursed the supermarket for not installing a clock in the freezer store, and herself – for not wearing a watch, but she never had such a habit. Woohyun did, though.

She suddenly missed Woohyun’s warm palms so much (she missed him so much). She didn’t want to dwell on things anymore, but she caught herself thinking: If Woohyun would arrive right then and tell her that he was her gift, that’d be the best gift for her, possibly the best ever in her life.

She didn’t want to sleep, even though her body was practically begging for her to close her eyes and enter into a slumber. She was afraid, that if she closed her eyes, she might never open them again. And she’d never see her family and friends again, and she’d never… get to hold his warm hands any longer.

Chorong didn’t pick up any of his calls, and neither did she go home – for over 24 hours. Woohyun put down everything he was doing and rushed to the place he last known her to be at. It was 5 am on Christmas day, and the whole mall was engulfed in darkness. As he stood before the glass door entrance, he knew that he was about to do might get him on the papers the following day, and probably even the hospital or police station, but at that moment, nothing mattered more than her life. Seeing that there was no tool around to break the glass, he shut his eyes tight, and when he flicked them open, he jumped forward against the glass, which shattered all over him as he got through to the other side. More than a few glass shards pierced his skin, but he bit his bottom lip and staggered forward in search of the supermarket.

Chorong was just about to lose consciousness when she heard noises at the door. She stirred and shook her head to wake herself up. Slowly, she stood up and knocked the door with her right fist with as much strength as she could muster.

“Chorong?” she heard his familiar voice on the other side of the door and this time, she couldn’t stop her tears from overflowing. She was a little surprised that she still had tears in that state. “Chorong, hold on! I’m coming!” he exclaimed. She managed to croak a soft “okay” as she felt her body go limp.

It was a bliss to return to his embrace again, and only then did she truly understand how strong the statement “the gift is me” could be. She always thought he was just joking and she remembered how she detested hearing it after a few times, but from then on, it became something she deeply cherished. It was his way of saying “I can give my all for you”, she figured. And all she could say as she saw his injuries through tear-filled eyes was, “I’m sorry; I love you.”

Her words brought a small smile to his face even as salty tears stung his wounds, because he finally heard the very words he wanted. At that moment, he would buy her anything she wanted if it would make happy. But he knew, no gift could compare to them just being together, and there for each other.

It was a week later, on New Year’s Day, when they re-enacted the scene from various years – times they’ve lost, misunderstanding and being bitter to each other.

Chorong smiled as she placed her palm out. “Gift?”

Woohyun chuckled as he reached into his coat, only to retrieve his empty hand again. “The gift is… me!” he exclaimed as laughter broke out from the both of them.

The same lines, but a whole different atmosphere.

This time, Woohyun closed the distance between them for a hug. It was peacefully quiet as they savoured the unspoken words and the joy of that moment. Thank you for being here.

Physical gifts bring temporary happiness, but lasting joy is found in appreciating the heart and presence of another.

“This is the very best way to love. Put your life on the line for your friends.” – John 15:13 (MSG)

“God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son so that whoever believes in him may not be lost, but have eternal life.” – John 3:16 (EXB)

A/N: Merry Christmas guys!! :D I'm sorry this isn't very Christmasy lol but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless! It was inspired by the pastor's words during Christmas service. He was talking about how he doesn't expect much from his wife because "the present is her" and I couldn't help but be reminded of Woohyun's words "the present is me", haha. You see, it's deeper than we think! Enjoy yourselves, have a good rest this Christmas season, and remember to appreciate the best gift of your loved ones' presence! (':