The Dazzling Santa : Last Christmas
My Dearest Santa
“Jang Hyunseung!” I snap at him loudly until he opens up his eyes reluctantly. I put my hands on my waist, tapping my foot impatiently as I wait for him to stand up from his seat. “Don’t sleep here! We still have a lot of work to do!”
“We?” he gives me his usual arrogant smirks. “You mean ‘you’, right? I’ve finished mine around an hour ago.”
I look at the piles of boxes next to him and, just like what he said, he has finished wrapping all the Christmas presents we’re going to give for the children in the orphanage, where we’re going to spend our Christmas Eve for the charity night.
“Have you finished yours, Rihyun?” he asks me, raising one of his eyebrows, demanding an answer from me. He knows for sure I haven’t finished mine because there are still five boxes across from his table and it’s my tasks; I just finished discussing about the schedule for tonight when I walked pass the sleeping Jang Hyunseung.
“Ugh...,” I bite my bottom lip, not having any word to return to him. I stomp away with gritting teeth, “I hate you, Jang Hyunseung!”
“Me too,” he replies calmly and continues to sleep while I walk to my table and start to continue my tasks so I can stay as far as possible from him. I sigh and take the red gift wrap, starting to wrap the box of toy carefully.
I secretly glance at him and he is sleeping, resting his head on the table while I am busy working my tasks. I still don’t understand why he agreed to help the volunteer club to hold the charity night. I know he has a hidden purpose behind everything; he just wants to show that he is better than me.
Yes. That must be it.
Jang Hyunseung is my rival. He is my arch-enemy ever since we knew each other. He is the smartest student in our Major so basically saying both of us are racing against each other to be acknowledged as the number first student for grades. We dare ourselves to show that we can be better than the other one.
And, they said, he is the most eligible an dazzling male student. Every girl wants to be his girlfriend, except me of course.
Okay, I lie. I did want to be his girlfriend. I did.
Once.
When my mind starts to wander and my hands stop working, someone snaps his fingers in front of me, returning me back to my senses. Hyunseung stands with bored expression, “Don’t daydream here, young lady. What if someone takes advantage of you since you’re alone here?”
I can feel my face starts to burn so I quickly stand up but unfortunately I forget that I’m still holding a box. I manage to catch the box from hitting the floor but I lose my balance as my body falls forward.
I’m already prepared myself to fall onto the cold floor but Hyunseung catches me, wrapping my waist with his right arm. He quickly pulls me using his other hand until our faces are only inches away; I can even feel his hot breath on my face. Literally.
“Be careful,” he whispers, leaning dangerously close to me. “I’m not sure you want me to catch you every time you fall, right, Rihyun?”
I push him away and hide my blushing cheeks with my hand. I put the box and walk pass him, heading straight to the restroom to wash my face. I can’t believe he still has guts to say that to me after what he did to me last year.
Honestly speaking he is the least person I want to see on Christmas day. Seeing him only reminds me of the worst memory of the year for me; the day he embarassed me after I believed him with my feeling.
Last year, on Christmas day, I finally collected my courage to ask him out for a date. He agreed and told me to wait for him at the nearby park at the night. I waited for him for more than two hours but he never showed up. I called him but he didn’t pick up the call either.
The next day I saw him with Hyuna, the primadonna of our university, having lunch together at an expensive restaurant. My heart was broken into pieces when I saw Hyuna kissed his cheek; I finally realized that I was a fool who fell for him. I shouldn’t have fallen for him at the first place since he only saw me as his rival.
I never asked for his explanation and he never said a word either. Our relationship continues as rivals who try to win with various attempts. When I decided to join this voluntary activities, I was completely surprised because he joined at the next day as well.
“No, Rihyun,” I tell my own reflection on the mirror. “You are not going to fall for his fake dazzling smile. Not anymore.”
❇❇❇❇❇
“Thank you, Oppa!” a little girl thanks Hyunseung because he hands over a doll to her. “Merry Christmas, Oppa!”
“Merry Christmas, little angel,” he smiles and pats her head. “Go and play with your friends, okay?”
He notices that I’m looking at him; he looks at me with a smirk as if he is trying to say that he can do better with kids compared to me. I return my gaze to the small boy in front of me and give him a box of robotic toy, “Here for you. Merry Christmas.”
The little boy smiles and hugs me, “Merry Christmas, Noona! Saranghae!”
I chuckle upon his ‘little’ confession, ruffling his hair playfully, “Nado saranghae.”
“I will marry Noona when I have grown up!” he states proudly, giving me an innocent wide smile. “I will make Noona smile everyday!”
“Well, I guess I will wait for you then,” I wink to him, feeling happy to see the smile on his face. However the joy doesn’t stay too long.
“Say that again after you are as handsome as me, little boy,” Hyunseung interrupts, approaching me. He squats down and pats the boy’s head, “If you can't be like me, Noona will not marry you. Got it?”
The little boy blinks with confusion while I glare at him with disbelief. What is he talking about? Where does the confidence come from?
I grab his arm and flash a smile to the other kids quickly, “The other Noona will give you another cool toys, okay? Noona have something to do with your Hyung here.”
I drag him out from the orphanage until we stand behind a tree. I let go of his hand and tuck my hands inside my pockets because it’s really cold outside. I give him a deadly glare, “What are you trying to do? Messing up with me on Christmas Eve?”
“Telling the truth to the little kid,” he answers calmly. “Don’t give false hope to little kids or they will be disappointed in the future.”
“Since when did you can lecture me about having false hope?” I lose control over my emotion and snap at him. “Why are you here anyway? Why don’t you just go with your girlfriend? There is no use for you to stay here with me!”
Hyunseung doesn’t say a word while I try to control my breath. He takes off his scarf and suddenly puts it around my neck. He steps backwards and mumbles, “You’re cold.”
I clench my fists, feeling like a fool because I waste my time to talk with him. I throw the scarf back to him and hiss coldly, “I hate you, Jang Hyunseung.”
“Me too...,” I can hear he replies as I walk pass him, heading back to the building with teary eyes.
What did I expect from him?
❇❇❇❇❇
“Ah, it’s snowing,” I murmur, looking through the window. The white snow is falling beautifully on the Christmas morning. I put down the glass of my hot chocolate and smile, admiring the snow.
After the charity night yesterday, I returned to my apartment without even bothered to excuse myself from others. I didn’t feel really good and I wanted to avoid Hyunseung as quick as possible.
I can’t believe myself. Even after a year, even though I try to forget my feeling towards him, he is still dazzling me with his arrogant attitude. Why do I even fall for him anyway?
Why does he need to treat me sweetly time to time? Giving me a scarf like yesterday is not the first nice thing he ever did to me. He even drove me back before, borrowed me an umbrella when it’s raining that day, and lent me his jacket because it’s snowing last year.
I hate him. I hate him for making me gave my heart to him yet he gave it away so easily.
I grab my jacket and walk out from my apartment. I don’t know why but my feet lead me to the park where I supposed to meet up with Hyunseung last year. I sit on an empty bench as I try to catch the snow with my hand.
“What a surprise to see you here,” a familiar cocky voice surprises me. I look up and see Hyunseung is walking to my place. “What are you doing here alone? Waiting for me?”
I abruptly stand up, ready to leave but Hyunseung grabs my wrist tight, preventing me from leave. He cups my face with his other hand, making sure our eyes meet, “Why are you being like this, Rihyun?”
“If you think I’m going to fall for your little fake promise once again, think twice,” I blurt out, trying to act tough. “This year it won’t be anything like last Christmas, Jang Hyunseung.”
I pull my hand away and turn around; I want to go away. I don’t want to see him because he can turn my Christmas day into the worst day of my life easily, just like what he did to me last year.
“Last Christmas when I told you to wait for me here?” he mutters and I stop my steps. “Last Christmas when you waited for me here? Last Christmas when you saw me and Hyuna together?”
He knows.
But it’s not going to change anything.
“I wanted to be here with you. I wanted to tell you what I’ve been holding on inside...,” Hyunseung tells me, making my heart to skip a beat. I still don’t dare to turn around, seeing his face. “Someone threatened me if I dared to meet you that night. What do you think I would do?”
“I faked a date with Hyuna so the person would believe that I would never date you. Remember Lee Jongshin, the student from our class who is arrested for assaulting police officer six months ago? He threatened me because he liked you. I could only stay by acting as if I wanted to be your enemy...,” he explains and I can feel he is stepping closer to me, “...when I actually wanted to tell you everything yet you already hated me.”
I slowly turn around to see sadness in his eyes. He pats my head, shoving away the snow on my hair, “You have no idea how hurt my heart is whenever you tell me you hate me, Rihyun.”
A tear escapes my eyes but he quickly wipes it away, murmuring softly, “I’m not here to make you cry, you know. I don’t want you to hate me more.”
He pulls me into a hug, letting me to cry in his hug. He my hair and whispers, “Merry Christmas, Rihyun.”
I push him away slightly so I can look at his face directly. I smile and murmurs, “Saranghae...”
His eyes show the surprise look but he replies me before giving me a kiss on my forehead gently, “Nado saranghae.”
“Merry Christmas, my dazzling santa.”
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