Areum has never felt as good and as bad at the same time as now. Outside the bathroom, where she now locked herself in, light music and conversations of people (relatives of her boyfriend) could be heard. And what should she do now?

The test was in her hands now. Yes, the one that brightens or destroys the lives of many girls: the pregnancy test. And she had two stripes on it.

The girl was sure that she wanted a child. Moreover, a child from a loved one is always a joy. She knew that she loved Kim Jongdae very much. However, she was very afraid of how the guy himself would react to this news. It seemed to Areum that he would not be ready for this.

She and Jongdae had met in the university: she immediately liked him. And how not to like it if the guy was charismatic, funny and always smiling? Yes, and he was so gentle and considerate with her. In general, they dated for seven happy years.

She had long considered herself almost his wife, but there was no official proposal yet. The girl tried not to get upset because of this, and lived on, bathing in his love. However, sometimes she could not cope with the strange envy towards her friends, who showed off their rings and marriages.

Jongdae did not say anything about this and preferred to remain silent, and it seemed to Areum that he was simply not ready for anything like that. Moreover, it was now Christmas Eve - they visited his family to celebrate together. But now, instead of celebrating, she sits on the toilet with the darkest thoughts and thinks what to do.

Sighing deeply, the girl got up from her place on the toilet and thoroughly washed her hands and rinsed her face. She looked at her reflection, noting the circles under her eyes. She needs to at least smile, or Jongdae will suspect something.

A light knock on the door.

“Are you okay?” Jongdae's soft voice. The girl sighed again and smiled at her reflection. Yes, everything will be alright. Even if they won’t get married, she’s sure that the guy would love their child. At least she hoped so.

“Yes, I’ll go out now,” she said as she went out of the door. Her beloved stood next to the bathroom and waited for her with a noticeable concern on his face. As soon as she approached him, he gently hugged her and pecked her on the cheek, checking the temperature.

“I still think, we shouldn't have taken the plane,” he sighed with frustration, and the girl smiled at him tenderly. She could not tolerate airplanes, but they had no other choice, since his family lived quite far away. Jongdae had been worried about her well-being from the very flight itself, but apparently the worries never left his mind.

“No, it's all right, I'd better go and help your mom,” she his cheek, just to calm the guy, and walked past in the direction of the kitchen. He was perfect, apart from the fact that he was still not her husband.

***

It was warm outside, despite the winter and windy weather. The guy's parents lived in the south, so here the winter could not be snowy and cold. Areum sighed once again for today, and white steam was released from her parted lips.

She almost ran away from the kitchen after a couple of hours alone with Jongdae's mom. The woman obviously disliked her, and this really bothered the girl: what was she doing wrong? She tried to help her, did whatever she ordered, and treated her with great respect. But she didn't care.

The woman looked at her with a condemning look and found a flaw in any of her actions. Areum hugged herself more comfortably in her jacket, breathing in the fresh air. Now the fresh air would be great for her. Unconsciously, her hand gently touched her still flat stomach.

“Guess who,” and her eyes got covered with someone’s palms, and the girl grinned. Who could it be? Obviously it was Jongdae's mom who loved to joke around with her so much. Of course.

“I don’t even know,” she giggled as the guy kissed her on the neck, and she laughed even more at the tickling sensation. He knew all her weak spots. “Perhaps this is my beloved and wonderful ... Hansol?”

Indignation was heard from behind and he turned her around, looking her straight in her eyes. The girl laughed, and he began to in response: for some reason, any thought of Hansol, her close friend, infuriated him to the point of impossibility. Him being jealous always delighted her and made her laugh.

“In any case,” and the guy pulled her hand, dragging her away from the house. The girl in astonishment scuttled after him, still not fully understanding where they were going. The guy smiled at her, and his look became mysterious and sly. “I have something to show you.”

“You drag me into the dark forest on Christmas night …” She deliberately made a frightened face and slightly resisted him. He only played along by glaring evilly back at her. “Jongdae, I will scream.”

The guy pulled her to him, hugging her around the waist and she felt his warm breath on her neck, which instantly warmed her. And he kept up with his role, smiling with his frightening and funny smile.

“Scream as much as you want, no one will