(That same night)

Ding Dong! Ding Dong!

Min Ho looked over his shoulder and scanned the surroundings one more time. As far as he was concerned, nobody was around, and he was pretty well disguised, no one would be able to tell it was him. His finger reached for the grey button again.

Ding Dong! Ding Dong!

Aisssh! Where is she? The longer I stand out here, the higher the chance I’ll get caught! It’s almost twelve midnight! She posted that SNS post three hours ago. Surely she must be home by now?

Ding Dong! Ding Dong!

The second he had read that post, he had excused himself from his reunion with his family, citing a work emergency and began calling her phone. He drove to the gas station near her gym, but he didn’t see her car there. He called Jun Hyung, but he was spending Christmas Eve with his own family, and he too hadn’t been able to contact Shin Hye since her SNS post.

Where else can she be? At her parent’s place? What if…she had to stop her car somewhere along the way back because her knees started hurting again? The car probably couldn’t restart after that! It’s freezing tonight!

The thought of that made him press the grey button a few more times.

Ding, Ding, Ding Dong! Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding Dong!

Finally, he heard the sound of two bells ringing from behind the door, followed by scratching. ‘Norri, come on, move! I can’t open the door if you’re standing there!'

She was home. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Ding Dong! Ding Dong!

He was cold. He wanted to go in as soon as possible. He prayed with all his might that she had a fireplace.

She yanked the door open, a frown on her face. When she looked up at him, her annoyed expression quickly turned to surprise, ‘Eh? How did you know where I lived?...Is that on the internet too?!’ Her right hand that was absentmindedly patting the fluffy white creature in her arms suddenly went stiff. The thought that her address was possibly on the World Wide Web made her positively petrified.

‘Hi, hello. It’s nice to see you too.’ Was his reply, teeth chattering. ‘Hi, Norri.’

Still, Shin Hye didn’t invite him in. She just stood there, Norri perched on her left hip, her body sandwiched between the door and the doorframe, keeping the door open ajar. ‘Did you need something?’

‘I need warmth.’ He said wryly. Sometimes this girl can be sooo…sooo—

She looked him up and down, ‘But you must be wearing at least 5 layers under there.’

Through gritted teeth, Min Ho managed to say, ‘Are you going to let me in?’

It took Shin Hye a second or two to register the situation, then realization quickly spread across her face. Still, she hesitated. She the ball of her feet and placed Norri on the floor behind her, then looked back at Min Ho. Freezing Min Ho. ‘It’s Christmas Eve.’

‘I am aware.’

‘You’re cold.’

‘No, really?’

‘If I let you in…it’ll be you, me,…and my two dogs.’ She was stating facts. A thing she did very often.

‘That’s nice.’

‘I have a bottle of wine open.’

‘I’d like some.’

‘You want to come in…into my house…with the two of us…and my two dogs…and drink wine.’ Her mind was working like clockwork; he could see it in her eyes. ‘It’s…late.’

A strong gust of wind blew, and Min Ho felt the chill down to his very spine. He could barely feel his fingers now, ‘Yah! If you don’t let me in, there won’t be a Min Ho left!’

‘Things happen late at night…with two people…and wine.’

She looked down at her own attire. She wore a matching grey and blue flannel pyjama set. Cartoon snowmen painted most of the pyjama bottom. It wasn’t unflattering, but it wasn’t exactly cute either. ‘I’m dressed for bed.’

‘Shin Hye. I. Will. Not. Jump. You. I. Promise. Just. Please. Let. Me.’ He shuddered, ‘In.’

She looked at him hesitantly a little while longer, before she finally stepped a side, holding the door open a little wider. He slipped through the door with ease, as Shin Hye let it shut behind him, blocking the harsh, cold air out.

‘The first time I came to your house, you were ready to let me freeze outside.’ His ice-cold hand leaned on a bare wall as he bent to pull his sneaker off. Bongji and Norri danced around his legs, offering him a very canine Hello.
 

Instead of knocking horns like she usually did, Shin Hye simply stood, staring at him, back against the door. A man was inside her house. They were alone. Wait, she forgot good-looking. A good-looking man was inside her house, and they were alone. It was Christmas Eve. Magical things happened on Christmas Eve. A smile threatened to show as her wayward thoughts began to run wild.

‘Omo, she’s frozen!’ Min Ho’s voice sounding very much like motherese. Shin Hye’s glazed eyes snapped, and she found this tall, dark, 26-year old cradling Bongji in his arms, speaking to her like a baby. ‘Your Mommy’s frozen. How do we thaw her?’

Shin Hye smiled, mentally adding 100 honour points to Min Ho. Anyone who treated her dogs like a prince and princess, deserved 100 honour points.

Unaware that Shin Hye was no longer in a daze, he shifted Bongji to one arm, and then bent to pick Norri up. ‘I heard you two are parents. Congratulations! It’s a long way more for me. I envy you!’

Shin Hye giggled, ‘Oppa, have you heard yourself? These parents probably don’t appreciate being talked to like babies.’

Min Ho glanced up slowly, a look of contentment on his face, ‘Does that mean I have to stop talking to my daughter like a Princess when she gets married and has children of her own?’

Shin Hye pondered his question for a while. He did have a point. ‘Point taken. By all means, do continue.’

They were still standing by the doorway. Realizing what a terrible guest she was probably being, she rushed to say, ‘Ah…make yourself at home. Sit by the fireplace with the dogs. Warm up. I’ll make you a cup of tea.’

That was all the invitation he needed, with two dogs in tow, he immediately headed for the dancing orange and red flames. Over his shoulder, he cheekily answered, ‘Wine’s fine. You’ve got two bottles out.’ He sank into a couch, and stretched out his legs, ‘What were you trying to do? Get drunk yourself?’

Shin Hye’s cheeks coloured, as she called out from the kitchen, ‘It was cold!’ She pulled open a glass cabinet and took a sparkling wine glass out. ‘Do you want anything to eat?’

‘Not right now.’ Came his softer reply.

She walked back out to the living area and found Min Ho sprawled on the couch, Norri by his side, Bongji on his tummy. His hands were idly patting them. The firelight danced on his face, and for some reason, it made her belly do a little flip. Perhaps it was from the image of him “Fathering” her dogs…or perhaps it was because the flickering light, the shadows on his face made him a whole lot more formidable, more mysterious. She gulped.

‘I got you a glass.’ She said, bending down to fill his glass.

He peered at her though heavy-laden eyes, and her heart skipped a beat, ‘I missed you.’ Her heart skipped another beat. They had been together alone plenty of times but todays setting was slightly different, she could feel it.

‘Nado.’

With the exception of the howling wind outside, the crackling fireplace, and a snoring Norri, the room was pretty silent. It was a comfortable silence, and she quite liked it. Despite his unannounced arrival, she was glad he was here. She liked his company, even if albeit on the silent side. They were both tired from their busy schedules; these two days of holiday were to her, Godsend. She had been ready to spend the remaining hours of her Christmas Eve, and the first hours of Christmas Day on her own, with Bongji and Norri. It was a common occurrence. Due to her unexpected schedules, she never knew if she’d be able to spend Christmas with her family and loved ones. As a result, she had learned to not make any plans for this particular holiday. Instead, she always made it a point to send her family on short vacations together. She wanted them to enjoy themselves, even if she could not. This was probably the first Christmas Eve in a long time that she had company over.

‘Your home is cosy. I like it.’ He said, first to break the silence.

‘Your place isn’t too bad either.’ Her knees were beginning to ache from kneeling, so she hoisted herself up onto the couch Min Ho laid on, where she sat was next to his feet.

He moved Bongji off his torso, and settled her down next to the still sleeping Norri. ‘It doesn’t have a woman’s touch.’ He sat up, such that they sat side by side. ‘The woman’s touch makes a world of difference.’

‘Hire a female interior designer.’ Her answer, classical of practical Shin Hye.

Min Ho returned, ‘Only if her name is Park Shin Hye.’ He peered around the room, ‘Where’s your Christmas tree?’

‘I barely had time to set one up what with the filming, and the travelling.’

‘Ah, I would’ve asked Manager Han to help set one up for you if I had known!’

Shin Hye offered a thankful smile, but changed the direction of the conversation, she wanted to know the answer to the nagging question at the back of her mind, ‘My address isn’t on the internet right? You probably twisted Jun Oppa’s arm and got it from him.’

‘I’ll have you know, he told me all too willingly!’

Relief flood over Shin Hye, as she finally settled down, ‘Aissh! I need to have a good talk with that Oppa. He tells you way too many things!’

‘Yah! I’m your boyfriend! Why can’t I know?’ He finally pulled off his windbreaker and tossed it on the adjacent couch.

She joshed, ‘I need an air of mystery! How am I supposed to remain mysterious if he keeps telling you everything?’

‘If you’re worried that I’ll get bored, I promise you, I won’t.’ He reached over and held her hand, ‘You keep me on my toes. Like tonight…Yah! You should’ve told me that you were going to spend Christmas alone! You also should’ve told me that you were stuck at the gas station. You also should’ve told me when you got back!..You also should’ve answered your phone! Jun Hyung and I must’ve called you at least twenty times each!’

‘Oh? Is that why you’re here?’

‘Among other reasons…I think I had a mini heart attack when you didn’t answer the door on the second ring. I thought you were still stranded somewhere out there, car frozen.’

‘Ani, I came back about an hour before you came. I haven’t actually looked at my phone since the SNS post. My phone was on silent…Mianhae. I didn’t mean to worry both of you.’

She moved to get up, but Min Ho pulled her back down, a hand sneaking around to hold her waist. ‘Where are you going?’

‘To call Jun Oppa! Let him know I’m alright.’

‘I texted him when you were in the kitchen. He wished you an early Merry Christmas.’

‘I should wish him back!’ She made a move to get up again but Min Ho only tightened his grip around her waist.

‘Later.’ His voice huskier. His eyes yearning.

She may not have had much experience with men, and boyfriends, but she knew that look. She saw it in the storage closet. ‘Oppa,’ her voice soft, ‘you promised.’

His eyes danced, ‘Ne.’ With that, his eyes scanned the room, then his gaze fell back to her lips. He looked like he was contemplating between kissing her senseless, right there and then, or carrying her to her bedroom so he could have his way with her. But alas, without removing his hand from her waist, he turned to face the coffee table, and leaned forward to grab his wine glass, finishing it in four big gulps.

Much to her surprise, she felt disappointment flooding through her. She was anticipating the kiss after all. To hide her dissatisfaction, she too grabbed her wine glass and downed it.

Just then, her grandfather clocked chimed twelve.

To her, he said, ‘Merry Christmas, Shin Hye.’ To Bongji and Norri, he barked, literally.

The two dogs lifted their heads and stared at him curiously, ‘What is this silly fella doing?’ They seemed to say.

‘Yuletide greetings to you.’

Min Ho leaned his head back and guffawed, ‘Yuletide greetings?’

‘Merry Christmas is so vanilla. Everyone says it!’

‘You see, this is what I mean as, I’ll never grow bored of you.’

Without thinking, he leaned in for a kiss. His mouth lightly grazed her lips, before he slowly pulled away. He stopped short of about two inches away from her.

He could only see half her face clearly, but the way the firelight danced on her face, the way her eyes twinkled, the way her rosy, cherry lips were slightly parted, inviting him, made her look so darn…desirable.

He’d been good. He’d been damned good. He honestly had no idea how he’d succeeded keeping his hands off her, and his lips away, as alluring as she looked right now. ‘By chance, did you get me a Christmas present?’

Her doe-eyes widened further, ‘I…’ Her voice raspy.

‘I have something that I want…’ He grinned to show her he was just teasing. He didn’t want to scandalize her maidenly sensibilities. Paired with the fact that he hasn’t seen her in nearly two weeks, this was a chance he seriously could not pass up. From the very beginning he’d restrained his natural inclinations with her… Surely a small amount kissing wouldn’t hurt?