Last Christmas

BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZVY-pGDsN4

Seohyun reluctantly entered the toy store, sneaking up a few glances at her unniedul who was busying themselves shopping for the season clearance at the opposite store.

When she felt the coast was cleared, she ran to the most secluded spot… her eyes were shining brightly with the variety of toys that were greeting her.

She lets out a small shriek, not wanting to contain her excitement anymore. After all, It’s been ages since she last enter such store. She walked shyly to another spot, the cookware attracting her attention.

“Such thing still exist… omo, it’s still the hottest item now. As expected.” Seohyun clapped excitingly before taking the box of kid’s cooking utensils and checked it out.

“The price is much cheaper now.” She nodded approvingly but put it down at once when she noticed a mother and daughter pairing was approaching her at the same section.

“Buying for your daughter?” The mother asked, joyously.

“Aniyoo.. I don’t have one.”

“Haha, I thought so, such young ahgasshi wouldn’t have married yet right? So niece?”

“Uh…” Seohyun laughed awkwardly.. contemplating whether to say it or not. “Aniyo.. I just found it amusing that such thing still existed.”

“What? Really? Hahaha.”

“If you may, excuse me.” Seohyun bowed quickly, feeling the hotness starting to creep by her skin.

She walked away like a robot that some might even, mistook her as the robot being sold at the rack but then, her body stopped moving and it turned around willingly and at that exact moment her red hot face that were b with shyness turned into a giddy young kid.

“Keroro!” She exclaimed, running to hold the blue doll, called Tamama. She pulled the hand and moved it robotically. “Annyeong Tamama yeyo..” She giggled… but then a loud roaring laughter accompanied her so she stopped… she eyed the sound of laughter nervously.

That kid seemingly was laughing at her as an older man was covering the kid mouth with his palm despite trying to control his own laughter.

Truth to be told he has been noticing her presence since the first time she came in the store… and was very amused of her various reactions and her cover ups on not wanting to seem so obvious about her excitement in entering such store.

From the robotic walk, to her embarrassing squealing about the kid’s cookware…

“A-annyeonghaeseyo.. hahaha” He bowed to her, still having his laughter fits. “I’m Jung Yonghwa and here is Jung Mi Joon.”

“Me?” She inquired, sounding oblivious.

“Ne, you. Who else?” He asked, his lopsided grinned was apparent as his eyebrows raised… asking back the question to her.

She panicked and put back the Tamama doll inside the rack. “Annyeonghaeseyo.” She bowed back, her plump cheeks were adorned in reddish colour, looking like a tomato.

It looks so pinchable to Yonghwa, It took him a whole lot of self-control not to touch a stranger cheeks.

 “D-do you see.. everything?” She asked reluctantly.

“Ne…” The cute kid with bangs helped the older man to answer her question. Yonghwa burst in another fit of laughter, holding his stomach.

“Rude.” She mumbled turning her back on him, flaring her nose as a result… ready to walk away.

“I-im sorry..” He said “and this kid are too..”

She looked back at both of them. The older man face looked distorted, obviously trying to control his laughter again.

“I know we are being rude.. but we both just found you somehow cute?” He smiled, and she swore she felt that his cheeks were popping out and somehow it elicit some weird reactions from her heart.

“I-it’s fine.” She looked at the floor, embarrassed.

“I hope you don’t stop visiting this store afraid of encountering guys like us again.” He smiled shyly, as he rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.

 ‘Bad Joohyun.’ She scolded herself. He is a married man… and here you are having a crush on him. ‘Geez’

“I understand.” She bowed back awkwardly… walking away from both of them, burying her face with the scarf that was wrapped around her neck.

Her steps were put into a halt when the guy husky voice was calling out for her again. “Miss, you don’t want to buy the Keroro?”

She shook her head and continued walking away.

“Miss.”

“Yes.” She tilted her head, looking tired with his constant calling for her.

“Merry Christmas.” He saluted, giddily to her.

“Merry Christmas to you too.”

“Miss.”

“What?” She asked him back, sounding a bit annoyed and scolded herself mentally again for letting this stranger sees her anger.

“My Christmas gift?”

“I don’t even know you.”

“How about your name?” He sheepishly smiled.

“For?” She asked, feeling hot. This guy should seriously stop smiling..

“Making me smile.”

“Aren’t you tired of calling me out.” She sighed.

“Well, you look cute when you’re angry and I bet you would be prettier if you smile.” He answered back, biting his lower lips.

Seohyun took a while to digest what just happened. “Wait, are you flirting with me?”

“Does it seem, that way?” He squatted down and asked the boy beside him, palming the kid head in process.

“Ne.” That kid jumped.

“Then I guess, I am.”

was slightly parted in shock, as the wrinkles of her forehead getting more evident. “Do you, wife know about this?”

“Mwoh?” He laughed. “Wife?”

“Ne.”

“So if im not married you will go out with me? Is that what you’re saying?”

“That’s not the problem here.”

“Well, seem like you don’t deny it so I will take it as a yes.” He grinned triumphantly.

“Hah.” She looked at him, disbelievingly. “And can you stop smiling at me? Furthermore, it’s in front of your kid. Mi Joon ah, give your appa a good scolding later okay?” She shook her head in dismay.

“Appa?” The kid tapped his chin lightly, as if he was in a thinking mode. “Appa is at home, though.”

“Home?”

“So I will assume you like my smile too right?” He tried to suppress his smile but it was too obvious to be suppressed. “It’s good news for you then. I’m single and I’m his samchon. He’s my brother’s son.”

“Joohyun… Seo Joohyun.” Her unniedul voice can be heard, calling out for her.

“I’m sorry for assuming but I need to go.” She spared no time to walk away from the embarrassment she has created upon herself.

“Where have you been? Look at this skinny jeans I bought.” Tiffany opened the plastic bag and showed Seohyun, her clothes.

“I? I went to somewhere…” She answered, awkwardly.

“Aha.” Tiffany exclaimed. “You’re being suspicious… Tell me where have you been maknae?”

“Just somewhere..”

“You’re a terrible liar, Seo Joohyun.”

“Do you skip out and meet a man?” Yoona asked nonchalantly but her face grew amused at the discovery of the squirming maknae.

“So it’s true.. You meet a man.” Tiffany raised her eyebrows.

“Aniyoooo.” She waved her hand too vigorously, giving the truth away easily.

“Maknaeeeee.” They all laughed in unison. “You’re blusing.”

Their laughter was put into a stop though, when a cute kid tug their maknae’s hand.

“Pretty Noona. Samchon, ask me to give this to you.” The boy gave her a Tamama plushie before pointing to his samchon that was pleading with both of his hand before showing her the card hanging on the plushie’s neck.

“Go out with me. Pleaseeeee.” He begged, rubbing both of his hand together.

She blushed.

“I need to go, noona. My appa, come to pick me up.” The little kid waved to her giddily. “I want you as my imo.” The boy winked.

Seohyun was shocked by the sudden wink, looked at the running boy who gave his samchon a high five.

“Aigooo.. he’s going to be a heartbreaker when he’s a grown up man.” Sooyoung stated, amused.

Seohyun who was too blurred by all of these, tensed when she heard a man’s voice. “If you may, can I have your maknae for a day.”

“Of COURSE.” They all answered too willingly, much to Seohyun’s dismayed.

“Unnie..” She whined.

“By the way, where you two met?”

“The toy store.” He laughed. “She’s so cute in there..”

“Omo.. he said the word cute.” Yoona slapped Sunny’s arm albeit too strongly.

“Toy store? Maknae… you didn’t ask me to join you.” Taeyeon chimed in.

“You will be too loud unnie, it will be too embarrassing.”

Once they are far from their unniedul only, Seohyun’s voice finally came out sounding almost like a whisper. “I’m not usually like that Yonghwa sshi. I mean, going to toy store and all. I’m a pretty serious person in real life.”

“Is that why you’re so embarrassed until you play hide and seek with the toys in the store?” He laughed while she flared her nose in annoyance.

“Stop teasing me.”

“Then stop flirting with me.”

“Excuse me, you’re the one that is flirting with me.”

“You know, being oblivious to your charm is just as worst as flirting.” He who noticed the hesitation of the latter sighed. “Look, I’m not usually this straight forward especially to someone I barely know. Moreover, flirting with them. I’m surprised at myself too… so I think I must really like you to behave in such a rude manner.”

 “I’m not used to this sudden outing.”

“Then, let’s get used to it.”

“I like books not toys.”

“So, you went revisiting the toy store to reminisce about your childhood?”

She nodded slightly.

“Exactly the girl I thought you were. You’ve been bugging me and honestly I will feel like it’s a miss out chance if I don’t approach you out for a date. I’m not exactly looking for a special person for now but I’m really open for one if it’s you. You seem different. Miss? Can I have your name already?.”

Unknowingly… she muttered out her name. “Seo Joohyun. My name is Seo Joohyun.”

“So, do you believe in Santa Claus?”

“Not really, but I do believe in the hope that it brings.”

Jung Yonghwa smiled at her answer. She might not know it then, but that was the time that he was very sure that he might have just met his soulmate. Her answer, on Santa Claus.

***

“Omma, I don’t want toys as my gifts anymore.” Hye Rin whines.

“Wae?”

“It’s lame. I’m a grown up now.” The young girl says proudly.

“Then, Hye Rin ah.. You might miss meeting your soulmate.” Hye Rin’s appa approaches the pouting girl trying to reason with her.

“Is there such thing?”

“Of course… Like appa and omma.”

“How?”

“You know,. I fall in love with omma because omma is so embarrassed in entering such store before. Because she wanted so badly to protect her grown up ego that she doesn’t realize she was busy charming me.” He smiles flirtatiously at his wife earning a slap on his shoulder.

“Aniyo.. your appa is making it up.”

She doesn’t really want to admit it really but that exact annoying moment and the most embarrassing moment of her life and dent to her pride was also the moment that she met her husband.

“No, I speak nothing but the truth… she’s so cute that I want to marry her right away.”

“Ayee..”

“Honey.. It’s the truth.” Yonghwa playfully tap Seohyun’s nose. “Your omma, even kept that Tamama’s plushie at our bedside.” He laughs cheekily.

“Fine, I’m entering.” Hye Rin declares. “I want a love that as grand as yours.”

“Hye Rin ah.. Every love is as grand as ours if it’s treasure well. Remember that.” Seohyun advices her daughter. Hye Rin nods, before running inside the toy store.

“But take your time darling, appa don’t want you to get sweep off your feet like your omma did with appa.” Yonghwa screams.

“Now let us have some alone time.” Yonghwa grins sneakily, pinching his wife cheeks. “You don’t know how much I wanted your cheeks before.”

“It hurts.”

Yonghwa ignores Seohyun’s plea, and peck her tempting looking lips.

“You’re mine Seo Joohyun, ever since I saw you at the toy store.”

Author's Note

Honestly, i tried writing and even did some brainstorming for fluff but it all ended up in vain. I nearly gave up, thinking that my fluff writing skills might have just got rusty and i should never wrote one again.

It was that terrible, because i've been having a slew of longing-esque fic. You don't know how i almost wrote another one again and again. I don't know whether this is enough but do leave feedbacks be it in the form of comments, upvotes or even subscribing. I don't think i will do a sequel though.