“STOP THE CAROLS”

“Dashing through the snow
In a one-horse open sleigh
Over the fields we go
LAUGHING ALL THE WAY!”

Nearly slipping and falling on a pile of half-dusted cushions, you hop and sway around the tiny living room, carrying the old magazines to the kitchen in order to make the living room look more presentable if anyone decides to drop by for Christmas. The Christmas tree is still leaned against one corner of the sofa, not decorated yet, because you have got more cleaning to do before decorating.

A several socks and leggings lay on the armrests, two backpacks right inside the doorstep, a small pile of newly bought ramyeon packets on the table and t-shirts of every BEN10 alien are littering the carpeted floor.

Yes, your mom would kill you if she visits you this Christmas. Her second daughter is already a mess in her opinion, and if she sees this mess, you will definitely be disowned before 2021 arrives.

“What fun it is to ride and sing
A sleighing song tonight
HEY!
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way…”

You drop the magazines on the Kitchen Island and return to gather the clothes, singing on top of your voice. But suddenly realizing how ugly your own voice is sounding, you huff in disappointment and decide to turn on the Christmas playlist Chanyeol had sent in a USB last week.

The guy knew exactly the songs to suit the vibe. This time the vibe is Christmas, and he had chosen the best set of Christmas songs and carols.

“Giddy-up jingle horse, pick up your feet
Jingle around the clock
Mix and a-mingle in the jinglin' feet
That's the jingle bell rock…”

The very familiar voices of the world known artists fill you apartment, and with the help of the rhythm, you manage to clean the mess in a few minutes. Another few minutes and you’ve done the dusting and vacuuming (not to mom’s standards though), and another half an hour you’ve shoved the dirty clothes in the washing machine and folded the clean ones. And finally it’s time to start with the Christmas tree, when your phone starts ringing.

“Last Christmas… I gave you my heart…”

Yes, it’s a Christmas song too. You just love them that much.

“Yeoboseyo? Ah! Yes It’s me, security ahjussi!”

The aged voice of one of the security guards downstairs came through the call, and you had to slightly turn down the music to hear his words. “Miss! Having a blast with Christmas aren’t we?”

“Of course ahjussi! Wanna come and join me? I’m gonna bake some cookies too!”

You could hear his chuckles clearly. “I know you can’t bake young lady…well, it’s not the reason I called you.”

“Yeah I was wondering why.”

“There has been a complaint…”

“I always chose my recyclables neatly! And I never litter the passageway! Ever!”

“That’s not it Miss… the young gentleman right underneath your apartment said you’re playing your music a little too loud.”

“Is he a student?”

“Nope… He looks older than that.”

“Then does he have any kids? I mean babies who sleep all the time?”

“Nope. He lives there alone.”

“Then tell him to bear with it.” You declared your final decision. “It’s Christmas season and you hear Christmas songs and carols everywhere, so he’s got to endure it! Take care ahjussi.” You ended the call, and marched across the room to turn up the music again, very indignantly.

“What kind of heartless jerk hates Christmas music?” you wondered aloud, glaring at the floor as if you could see through it and spot the said jerk on the apartment beneath. “Si……..lent ni…….ght……. Ho…….ly ni……ght……”

Straightening the Christmas tree wasn’t easy, and you aren’t even sure whether it’ll suit the room given how large it was compared to your living space. But your family had been generous to spend a large sum for a Christmas tree last year, knowing how happy you’ll be with it, given how you loved the season and everything related with it.

Last year you had Chanyeol to make the tree stand on its corner, and Joohyun and Yeri had bought the baubles and streamers to decorate the large artificial pine. This year the two girls were away, spending the holidays in France with their parents, and Chanyeol is too busy with his new found golden retriever.

So here you are, panting and gasping and stumbling over the sofa to get the tree straight.

And that’s when the doorbell rings. You run to the door thinking it’s the security ahjussi, who’s actually come to join you with your imaginary baking.

But it’s an unfamiliar face standing at your door.

Black flip-flops, navy blue track suit, and a jet black tuft of hair fallen over a paper-white forehead.

His face is the epitome of distress.

That face definitely would look better with a smile.

“I think the security guard sent you my message.” He uttered, scrunching his nose slightly at the high notes coming from inside the living room. “Turn down your music a bit. Please. People are trying to live downstairs.”

“Is it that loud?” you ask, leaning on the door frame with your arms crossed. “I mean…I’m not the only one who play Christmas music around here so what’s the big deal?”

He takes a deep breath, and scratched one of his thick eyebrows.

Veiny hands!!!

What a nice time to notice random stuff about guys.

“Look here,” he takes a deep breath, and stuffs his hands back in his track pant pockets. “You might be super excited for Christmas, but not everyone out there is like that. Not everyone’s in a situation to celebrate Christmas like you do. Not everyone’s got time or energy or the mood to blast carols inside their walls and party like you do. So please understand.”

And without waiting for your reply, he turns around and walks towards the elevator, shoulders slumped and head hanging down as he drags his feet.

You maybe clumsy, but reading someone’s situation hasn’t been difficult to you ever. Suddenly having the urge and determination to pass your happy spirit to a moody stranger, you shout before he hit the elevator button. “Hey you ahjussi!”

He whirls his head around, eyebrows narrowed in slight annoyance.

“I might be older than you but I’m not old enough to be called ‘ahjussi’ you know.”

“Then tell me your name. It’s not like I can call you ‘oppa’.”

He looks at the elevator button again, and averts his eyes back to you. “Kim Junmyeon.”

“I was having some trouble with this large Christmas tree of mine. Will you help me out Kim Junmyeon-ssi?”

That’s it…show him a bit of bling bling décor first and get to work…it won’t harm if you spread some happiness does it?

He blinked and stands there for a several seconds, and finally turns to fully face you. “Will you stop blasting carols then?”

“Deal.” You grin back.

Junmyeon enters your place and you’re glad that you’ve cleaned just a few minutes ago, (this is what mom meant by saying ‘You’ll never know when you’ll be bringing over a guy’) and he looks around curiously while you mentally slap yourself for interpreting the situation in a wrong way. “Where do you wanna keep it?” he asks, walking over to the large tree.

“Over there. Next to the book shelf.”

And that’s it, he lifts the tree which is much taller than him as if it’s just a feather-stuffed pillow, and takes it to the corner and straightens it on its stand, to step back and dust his hands. “Done.”

“Thanks. Thank- thank you.” You stutter before you know it, wondering how this average sized guy is strong just like Chanyeol.

Maybe there’s a lot a muscle underneath that track suit.

He’s stepping out of the front door when you suddenly blurt out a question, something you didn’t think you would ask.

“Why do you hate them? I mean Christmas songs?”

He turns around again, totally unaware of the few plastic pine twigs stuck to his hair.

“I don’t hate them.” He sh