Golden Christmas
A Christmas Collection 2020Jungkook agreed to let Youngni decide on what they would do for Christmas evening. He would do whatever she wanted, no question asked. So, he ended up roaming the streets with his girlfriend wrapping both of her arms onto his. He wasn’t sure if she knew what she was doing, but he played along. Youngni chatted away with what she’d imagined for the evening. This or that. This and this. That and that. Oh. This too. Oh. That too.
The way her head swung back and forth, and her eyes constantly searched, he knew. She didn’t know what to do, but he waited.
She wasn’t sure where she should bring her boyfriend, but home wasn’t where she wanted to finish Christmas. She wanted to feel the Christmas breeze and the iciness of winter. She wanted to hear the bells jingled and the Christmas carols. She wanted to see the lights twinkled and the merriness that goes around.
“Jungkook,” she called. He was sure it was defeat her voice carried.
He poked his inner cheek with his tongue and waited.
“I don’t know what we should do.” She rested her heavy head against his chest. She shouldn’t have joked with him that he should follow her every move. She’d got no move.
He clicked his tongue when his prediction was right. He pulled his arm out of her hold and wrapped it around her neck drawing her closer to him. With her lost puppy eyes, she glanced up to him. Jungkook couldn’t hold back his laughter at her pleading eyes.
“I guess we’ll be doing nothing then.” He ruffled her hair.
“Ey…come on.” She fixed her hair. The evening couldn’t be dull. It was Christmas.
“What do you want to do?”
“Rollerblade. Ice skating. Hot chocolate. Randomly join a Christmas carol? Take some pictures? Play some games.”
“How about you just hold my hand for the rest of the evening?” Jungkook stuck his hand out.
Youngni smiled and laced her hand with his. She tip-toed and leaned into him. “But I’m greedy. I want more.”
She watched as a smile slowly surfaced on the handsome face of her boyfriend. “So…?”
“So….” He ruffled her hair again. “I guess we’re going with what I decide.”
“Mmhm…you suggest, I decide.”
Jungkook raised an eyebrow and crashed his forehead against hers. “Aren’t you just the smartest?”
In the distant, she could see a group of people caroling at the four-way intersection. She sang along to We Wish You A Merry Christmas. The people around slowly joined the chorus. The bells jingled into the thin air. She saw the crowding lines for the ice-skating rink. She saw the varieties of photo booths. She saw food vendors handing out tray of food samplers.
“You want to join the caroling?” Jungkook asked after hearing how she started releasing notes into the air.
“Cross that off the list. I’ll only sing to you.” Youngni lightly shook her body at the nerve crawling in her body. No one would ever have the chance to hear her beautiful voice.
“Such an honor for me,” Jungkook said, earning a punch on his arm.
He cleared his throat. “Well, since that is off this list what else can this capable girl do?”
Youngni nudged his stomach and sent him a glare. How dare he underestimate her? Just when the Christmas caroling ended, a loud voice projected from a speaker. Someone was on small stage that she failed to notice. Two golden bells hung in the backdrop.
“Merry Christmas, Everyone. We have two hands-on contests taking place on separate side here. Gingerbread House to the right and Giant Cookie to the left. We need at least two participants per group. Please sign up next to the stage here. We will begin in about 15 minutes. Duration will be an hour for each. We have two golden prizes, one for each. Come join the fun.”
“What do you think about that?” Youngni suggested.
“Gingerbread House or Giant Cookie?” Jungkook mused over the two options.
“Giant Cookie.” Youngni voted.
“Gingerbread House.” Jungkook countered.
“Why?”
“Cookie is boring.”
“You’ll win if we join the Gingerbread House?”
Jungkook shrugged. He wasn’t exactly sure if he’d win, but he didn’t see why they’d lose either.
“You’ll win?” She clung onto his arm and asked for assurance.
“We can try.” He hit his forehead against hers.
“We better win then. That golden prize will be ours.”
Rules for the Gingerbread House was to use the provided ingredients to build the best house. Rules for the Giant Cookies was followed the baking direction, bake a 12 inches cookie, and decorate. Gingerbread House would be evaluated based on creativity. Giant Cookie would be evaluated based on taste. Youngni stared at all the couples that were participating in the Gingerbread House Contest, her hands started trembling. It was more nerve-wrecking that she thought just to have many eyes on her. Then she peeked over to the people gathering at the Giant Cookie. There were equally large amount of people participating. About ten groups per contest. Mostly, couples joined. Everyone was placed in front of a table covered with a white cloth.
“We’re not backing out.” Jungkook whispered into her ear; she was forced back to reality.
“I’m not chickening out if that’s what you meant,” Youngni said and gulped nervously and took another look at the Giant Cookie.
Jungkook placed his palms onto her cheeks and turned her to face him. Her nose inches from his. “Then focus.”
Youngni lightly pushed him. “Don’t tease me.”
“Oh, this is nothing close to teasing.” He laughed before drawing her in for a hug. “We are going to make the best house no matter what.”
When the emcee shot the confetti cannon in the air, the timer began. Jungkook pulled the white cloth off revealing all the tools and supplies. Youngni saw the different packaging of sweets. Marshmallows, hard candies, beans, candy canes, gummies, and much more. The crackers had all different sizes.
“This seemed easy but not,” Youngni said after observing what was available. Jungkook started unwrapping the crackers.
“Let’s glue the house together first. While we’re doing that, we can think of how to decorate. Let’s just make a small house.”
Youngni reached for the edible glue after they decided on how to place the house onto the wooden board. People crowded at the rope that separate the participants from the observers. As time passed, the crowd grew. The emcee announced each 15-minute marks. When he announced that last 15 minutes, Youngni legs grew antsy and her head turned to look at other participants. Their roof had fell apart at the 30-minute mark and they had to retouched everything.
“Youngni,” Jungkook called. When she leaned into him, he hit his head against hers. “Focus.”
“You think it’ll survive?” Youngni was afraid the house would collapse at the last minute. It needed time for the glue to dry. The fragility of the roof and walls forced them to retouch the house with lighter decorations.
Youngni sat in a wooden bench behind the large Christmas tree dressed in golden decorations and waited for Jungkook. He returned and handed her the warm hot chocolate. She took it from him.
“Careful it’s still hot.” He held her arm and took the seat next to her. She wrapped her hands around the cup and set it on her lap.
After she took a sip, she finally broke the silence. “We should have joined the Giant Cookie.”
He felt bad that they had lost. Their design wasn’t lacking, but the glue wasn’t on their side. The roof fell apart at the last minute.
“It’s fine. We did our best.” Youngni said. Mentally, scolding herself for bringing it up. She knew he tried. He was always the toughest on himself. Jungkook’s creativity was never a disappointment. She leaned into him. “You built the best house. They just don’t have eyes.”
“Only a fool like you would say a house with no roof was the best.”
Youngni stood up and puckered her lips before saying to him, “I have eyes. That’s why I’m dating you.”
Jungkook smiled, she was always on his side no matter what the situation was. He was thankful for having her.
“We are supposed to be having fun. Not sulking after that darn contest.”
Jungkook took a sip of his drink and looked up at her. She shined brighter than the lights that surrounded her.
“Merry Christmas,” he whispered.
Youngni raised at brow at his sudden change of topic. She searched his pair of dreaming eyes. Those eyes that looked at her as if she was the only thing he sees. She loved it. That leap of joy made her leaned down and kissed his lips. “Merry Christmas.”
She smiled after seeing his bashful smile. His eyes traveled to the ground.
“Now if you won’t stop sulking, I’ll gladly bad mouth you more. You know that golden prize could have been ours of we join that Giant Cookie.”
Jungkook grinned. “Golden Prize? Giant Cookie?”
Youngni took a step back at his sudden change in attitude. “Yes. Giant Cookie leads to Golden Prize.”
Jungkook took the drink out of her hand and set both of their drink next to him. Youngni swallowed nervously when he stood up with his eyes focused on her.
“Well, I must congratulate you then. You got the Golden Kookie here.”
“You, Giant Cookie? You, Golden Prize? Golden Kookie?” She took a few steps back and laughed at his wittiness. He sure was right. He was her Golden Kookie.
Jungkook nodded and opened his arms for her to accept her golden award. She took a quick peek at her surrounding before decided how extreme she wanted to accept her award. When there was no one around, she ran forward with a giant smile. She jumped into his embrace, arms wrapped around his neck and legs around his torso. After a quick peck she told him, “My Golden Kookie.”
“Right here,” Jungkook said. He couldn’t hold back his chuckle. She jumped down and scanned her surrounding once again. She was thankful no one came to the back side.
“Well…let’s say I got the best prize,” she said. He laughed and charged forward. She was astonished when he scooped her off the ground and placed her over his right shoulder and spun her in circles. Their laughter echoed into the thin air with the Christmas song played from the stage.
Jungkook set her down and clashed his head with hers. “Shall we go home now?”
“I’m dizzy now.” She pretended to hold her head and her eyes peeked at him.
He turned his back to her and bent his knees. “Get on.”
Youngni hopped on without hesitation. Her arms tightly wrapped around his neck. “Are you sure? It’s a long way home.”
“How nice of you to ask after you hop on?” He secured her in place with a little jump before walking away.
“The drinks. The drinks.” Youngni pointed the abandon drinks on the bench.
“Hold tight,” Jungkook said and let go her of legs to toss the drinks into the trash can nearby.
“Let’s go home. I’m tired.” Youngni yawned and rested her head on her shoulder. The angle that still allowed her to see his face.
“Sleep. I’ll wake you up when we’re at your place.” Youngni shook her head and he looked at her questionably.
“Why?”
“Then I won’t get to stare at you.”
Jungkook shook with laughter. “You can do that anytime.”
“Not enough. Never will be.” Jungkook was lost in her eyes, the pair that showed him endless love.
The Christmas jingle slowly faded into the background as Jungkook brought them further and further away from spirited night. The chattering disappeared. The night stilled. All Youngni heard was his sweet voice singing and she couldn’t be happier to finish another year of Christmas with him. The gentle breeze brushed pasted them as she snuggled closer for warmth.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, Everyone!!! I hope you enjoy your time with these 4 couples.
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