A day like this the greatest for me. I’ve been trying to drown myself with work for the past month and a half now. My hunt for the “masked lady” hasn’t gone a step forward. I still have no information on her whatsoever. I don’t know maybe I really should give up on this silly hunt. Maybe it was just a kiss.

The thing is I’ve been having these recurring peculiar dreams for the past few weeks. Peculiar because I knew that the dream was that of the masked lady and our shared kiss. But the thing is, I keep on seeing Dara’s face as the masked lady. It was as if her face is pasted over the girl’s face.

Sometimes it scares the hell outta me. It’s not that I mind dreaming about Dara, but it’s how the way my dreams of the masked lady turn out. It’s creeping me out.

As I drove around the busy streets of Seoul’s business district, I couldn’t help but be awed at the different colors that lighted the streets. I just realized that it’s almost Christmas.

“Oh !!!” My voice boomed out.

I tried to recall how many days there are left before Christmas.

“Four in’ days?” I thought.

Four days and I haven’t got anything for Dara yet! Some best friend I am right? And so I thought.

“What shall I give her this time?:

“Bag?”

“Shoes?” Nah! She has a closet full of that already.

“Dress?” I can give her that, but the thing is, she is not into that so much. I can actually see her sniggering at me once she finds out that I gave her a dress.

“Aha! I know what to give her this time!” I smiled victoriously as an idea for the perfect gift came into my mind.

***

My feet hurts!

My poor feet hurts!

I’ve been walking around the mall checking every stall there is to find the perfect gift for my best friend. I’ve been doing this deed for the past four hours now and I still haven’t found any.

Not even one.

Actually, I really don’t have an idea what I’ll give him.

First, I thought of buying him a new tie. But immediately trashed the thought. Then I thought of getting him a good book to read. But then I just realized that Jiyong doesn’t really have the luxury of time to get down and read a good book. So I opted to buy the book for Youngbae.

Then I thought of giving him a dress shirt. Perhaps I could get him one of those pale pink colored shirts. That would look good on him.

But as I was going through the racks of Christian Dior’s latest collection of dress shirts for men, I couldn’t find anything that was in color pink. And the rest was not to my liking. I really wanted to find that perfect pink shirt for him.

I’m beginning to feel desperate. There were no pink colored shirts that I fancied.

And so, I scratched that idea as well.

So here I am rummaging through the busy stores of Seoul’s busiest mall searching for the right gift for Jiyong.

Such a hard task!

What could I give someone who almost has everything, anyway?

“Hmmmm.”

Perhaps I could end his suffering and give him the masked lady that he’s been searching for.

“Yeah right!” I cautioned myself.

As if I could do that.

I wish I really could.

But no!

He had seen the last of that masked lady.

And so I continued to begin my search again for the perfect gift. And after going through a few more stalls, my attention was suddenly caught when I saw this store at the other side of the mall.

“That’s it!” I suddenly felt relieved and happy as I saw the perfect gift on a display of that particular store.

***

“Yoboseyo?” I heard her answer at the end of the line.

“Where the hell have you been?” I asked.

“Well.Out.” She answered.

“Actually that’s really obvious. But I’ve been trying to reach you on your mobile phone for the past two hours now. I’ve been calling you on your house phone as well and all that I’m getting is that damned answering machine of yours.” I told her.

“Ji, my battery ran out on me again. And I just got in.” She instantly explained.

“Well you got me worried. I thought you were still busy helping Bom with her wedding preparations so I called her. And when she said that she hasn’t seen and heard from you the whole day, I just got worried.” I told her.

“I’m sorry. I just had some errands to do, that’s why.” Dara answered.

“Errand? What kind of errand is it that would take you the whole day to do?” I asked.

“I was out Christmas shopping, okay? I took this chance to buy my parents and the rest a gift.” She started to explain again.

The minute I heard her reason, my anger started to subside.

“Can I come over?” I asked.

“Ummmm, Ji, I’m really tired. I won’t be in the mood to talk. And besides, I still need to wrap these gifts that I bought.” She told me.

“So, what did you get me?” I asked.

“I’m not saying.” She said.

“Oh come on Dee!” I soon started to feel excited to know what she got for me.

“I said I’m not saying. You’ll just have to wait until Christmas, okay?”  She said.

“Please?” I knew I sounded like a child who couldn’t wait until its Christmas to open his gifts.

“Kwon Jiyong! What part of I’m-not-saying that you possibly didn’t understand?” She asked and was now beginning to sound like my mother whenever I ask her what gift she got me for Christmas.

“Please?” I asked again.

“Jiyong!!! You would just have to wait four more days and then it’ll be Christmas.” She said.

“Please?” I couldn’t stop myself begging her to tell me.

“You’re starting to sound like a child again, Jiyong! Cut it out!” I heard her laugh after she bawled at me.

“Fine! Then I won’t tell you what I got you then. You have to wait until Christmas.” I said as if copying her commanding tone.

“No problem with me.” She said.

“Fine. That’s good.” I said.

“So how are you?” She asked me.

“Fine. I’ve been busy with work. My staff and I really need to get things done before the holidays.” I told her as I started to shred the last of my business suit off me.

“Well that’s good.” She said.

“How about you? I haven’t seen you for about a week now.” I asked.

“Busy like you. Bommie and I are almost done planning her wedding.” She said.

“So, is it gonna be the wedding of the year kind of thing?” I asked.

“Yes it is.” She answered cheerfully.

“By the sound of your voice you’re excited as well, huh?” I asked.

“Who wouldn’t be? I mean they’ve picked Valentine’s Day as their wedding date. Now that’s really something.” She said.

“I suppose you also want to get married on that same date?”I questioned her.

“Ummmm, not really. Any day would do. That is if I’ll ever get married. I don’t even have a boyfriend! Let alone think of my wedding date.” She sounded frustrated as she said this.

“Hey, cheer up. There’s no need to be frustrated about it. Besides, you’re still young!” And I still have about a year and a half before we get married. I smiled at this thought.

“Easy for you to say. You can just pick one of your flings to be your bride.” She said.

“Yah! That’s not true. And who says I’m marrying one of my flings?” I asked her.

“Oh yeah, I forgot you’re all set into marrying that “masked lady” of yours.”

“That’s if I find her.” I replied.

“You mean you’re really going to marry her if you find her?” She asked.

“Maybe. I don’t know. But you see, I’ve been hunting her down for the past two months and I haven’t come up with anything yet. Who knows, I might just not marry anyone.” I answered her.

“I think you really shouldn’t.” She blurted out.

“And why is that may I ask?” I was curious to know her reason for saying such.

“Well for one thing, you might just end up cheating on her. I know very well that you can’t be with someone for a long time.” She explained.

“So you can’t picture me being married and being happy with the same girl for the rest of my life huh?” I asked.

“Don’t be offended but I honestly don’t.” She said in all truthfulness.

“Ouch! That hurts you know. I can’t believe that you think that low of me.” I said.

“Sorry. I’m just being honest. But I can still change what I think of you, but not until you prove it to me.” She said.

“I will. You’ll see.” I promised her.

“I’ll certainly wait for that!” She said.

“Fine. And what do I get if I’ve proven you wrong?” I challenged her.

“You’ve got my full respect.” She answered my challenge.

“That’s it?” I asked. I couldn’t believe that I’ll only get that out of being an honest to goodness boy.

“Well, there’s nothing else I can give you.”

“How about you staying a spinster for life?” I jokingly asked her.

“Yeah right! Rub it where it hurts! But I guess that wouldn’t be so hard cause I honestly have a feeling that I’ll be one in the future.” She again sounded frustrated.

“Don’t worry, I haven’t got plans of mar