Winter

Junhyung’s POV

I walked into the bookstore and saw Haneul sitting on the top of a ladder, decorating the Christmas tree. She was paying so much attention to it that she didn’t even realize I have been standing at the counter for at least fifteen minutes. Winter is here. That also means we have known each other for quite awhile now.

“OH MY GOD! WHAT ARE YOU!? A CREEPER!” She yelled when she saw me, almost falling off.

“WOAH BECAREFUL!” I rushed to her side.

“I’ve been standing here since like twenty minutes ago.” I said.

“Then why didn’t you make any sound!?” She shouted as she picked up more Christmas ornaments.

“I wanted to see how long it’ll take for you to actually realize I am here.” I said, smiling at her.

She made a face at me and continued with what she was doing.

“Winter is here. Christmas is coming.” I said, sitting on the table, fiddling with a star.

“Yea. Not that I care actually.” She said.

“Why not?” I asked, handling her more stuff.

“Just… It’s not that important to me after all.” She said.

“Then why are you decorating the tree?” I asked.

“Because I was asked to?” She said.

“You don’t like Christmas?” I asked.

“I don’t hate Christmas. Ah, don’t talk about it.” She said.

Before I could speak, she cut me off.

“Are you going to help me or are you going to just sit there?” She asked.

“I’m tired.” I said.

“So, I take that as a no?” She said.

“It’s okay.” She shrugged her shoulders as she continued to put stuff onto the tree.

“You never give people a chance to finish what they want to say. I meant, I’m tired, BUT! I’ll definitely help you.” I said.

She smiled slightly.

“Come down. What is a girl doing up on the ladder?” I said, pulling her sleeve.

“What? I am trying to hang stuff up here. Don’t pull me!” She kicked my arm slightly.

“Come down! I’ll do it!” I shouted.

“You didn’t have to shout.” She said, turning around to climb down.

“You never listen when I …” My eyes widened when I saw what she was trying to do.

“DON’T JUMP!!!” I shouted, but it was too late.

She sent my heart onto a roller coaster ride when she simply jumped off the ladder as thou she was in a playground.

“That’s like five steps off the ground! What if you sprain your ankle or miss the floor!?” I scolded.

She just giggled and continued what she was doing.

“I’m serious!” I said as I climbed up the ladder.

“Stop nagging like an Ahjusshi!” She shoved a box of ornaments to me.

“I’m just concerned and you call me naggy.” I mumbled.

“Stop mumbling! Are you praying!?” She laughed.

“I’M CONCERNED!” I shouted.

“OKAY! COME DOWN AND I’LL CLIMB DOWN STEP BY STEP AGAIN!” She yelled back.

“DON’T NEED! NEXT TIME IF YOU FALL FLAT ON YOUR FACE, DON’T CRY!” I yelled.

“If it happens, I wouldn’t be able to cry because I would have passed out already!” She pouted.

“PASS ME THE FREAKING LIGHTS!” I shouted.

“PUT THE FREAKING STARS AND BALLS UP FIRST!” She pointed.

“WHERE IS IT!?” I shouted.

“ARE YOU BLIND!? YOU’RE HOLDING IT!” She laughed.

“Blinded by anger!” I said, laughing as well.

We yelled at each other while putting up the ornaments. It was really tiring to yell, but it was fun too. Halfway through, I realized I was decorating the tree all by myself. She seemed to have disappeared to somewhere else.

“Lights!” I shouted.

She was squatting at the back, doing something I couldn’t see.

“YAH!! FRIEND!! LIGHTS!!!” I shouted, turning back to see what she was doing.

I couldn’t turn much because I am still on the ladder.

“What are you doing!?” I asked.

“Nothing!” She said, giggling to herself.

“Move away and let me see!” I said.

“NO!” She laughed.

I got off the ladder and went to her side.

“What are you doing?” I asked, trying to take a peek but she pushed me away.

“That looks like… My bag..” I mumbled.

“Let me see it!” I demanded.

“NO!!” She blocked me with her body.

“Why not!?” I yelled.

“Okay okay! Wait!!” She laughed.

“It’s my bag!” I said.

She laughed and moved away. My backpack had ribbons and ornaments all over it. She even stuck twigs into them. I wonder where she got them from.

“What is this!?” I laughed helplessly.

“I wanted to make a reindeer.” She said.

“Which part of it looks like a reindeer!?” I took a closer look at it.

“This is the eyes!” She pointed at the two stars.

“This is the ears!” She pointed to the twigs.

“And this is the nose!” She pointed at the red ball in the middle.

“And what’s with the ribbons all over? It’s like mummifying my bag!” I said.

“It looked like an alien! So I thought I should dress it up!” She said.

“It still looks alien-ish now!” I said.

“TSK!” She pushed me and walked off.

I looked at the bag, then at her.

“Why are you laughing!?” She asked.

“Nothing!” I said, looking down at my reindeer bag.

After we put up the lights and the stars, we stood back to admire our masterpiece.

“Nice.” I said.

“Mmm..” She nodded.

“AHH!” She whined as she rest her head onto the wall.

“What’s this!?” She shouted, taking out leaves and stars from her hair.

While she was trying to explain the parts of the reindeer, I secretly stuck ornaments into her bun. I’m so surprised that she didn’t even realize.

“Yong Junhyung!” She frowned.

“It’s not me!” I said.

“Then who!?” She asked.

“I don’t know! The reindeer, maybe!” I said.

“You’re dead!” She said, trying to grab me but I managed to move away fast enough.

“Come back!!” She yelled, running after me.

We ran around the bookstore, trying to dodge from each other. We even ended up throwing stuff at each other. The whole place was in a mess. Luckily it was late and there was no one around.

“Stop or I’ll throw this at you!” She shouted as she opened a bottle of stardust.

“You’ll throw it at me anyway!” I shouted back.

“That’s true!” She said, and without warning, I was covered in stardust.

“OH MY GOSH! YOU’RE GLITTERING!” She laughed.

“WE’RE FRIENDS! WE HAVE TO SHARE!!!” I caught her and wiped some of it onto her.

We were both covered by stardust and the whole bookstore looked like a war zone.

“You clean up!” She said.

“I’m tired!” I said.

“Am I not tired!?” She shouted.

“You look super energetic!” I said.

She glared at me and my smile faded.

“Where’s the mop?” I mumbled as I walked off.

I cleaned the place while she sat on the table, instructing me where to clean.

“THERE!!! ARE YOU BLIND!?” She shouted.

“It’s very fun eh!” I pouted as I swept the floor.

“It’s not bad. QUICK! CLEAN!” She yelled.

I continued my job while she sat on the table, watching me do it. I was supposed to come and sleep, but I ended up doing hard labour.

“I’m hungry!” She suddenly whined.

“Hungry? What do you want to eat?” I asked.

“No idea.” She pouted.

“I’ll go and buy ramen, is it okay?” I asked.

She smiled and nodded.

“Ice cream too!” She smiled.

“What ice cream!? It’s so cold!” I said.

“ICE CREAM!!!” She whined.

“Okay okay. Are you three?” I mumbled.

“Be quick!!!!!!!!!!” She shouted as she put the books back.

I ran to the convenience store nearby and bought food for the both of us. When I came back, she had her head in her arm on the table, asleep. Her other arm hugged the idiotic Donald Duck plushie I gave her. I thought she would just leave it aside at home, but she actually hugs it. 

“Yah, Chingu.” I called her softly.

She didn’t respond.

“Am I that slow? I ran already.” I mumbled, sitting in front of her.

I left the food aside. It was no fun eating alone.

She looked entirely different when she was asleep. She didn’t look so fierce. Her lips were slightly pouted and she would them occasionally. Even asleep, she cracks her neck and her fingers. I wonder how she does them.

I pushed the strand of hair that she was chewing on out of . She suddenly hugged my arm and rested her cheek onto it like a bolster. I didn’t dare to move, afraid that I would wake her up. She drooled all over my sleeve; it was gross, but cute at the same time. My hand started to numb, but I didn’t have the heart to pull my arm away from her. I rested my head against my upper arm. I watch her sleep. I never knew it could be so entertaining.

“Good night, my dear girl. I love you.” I mumbled as I her hair lightly.

It felt good to be able to sleep with her, even thou it's just like this. But I am greedy, I want more. Will you ever be able to accept as more than a friend?