The Snowman
A Magical Christmas Collection 2022
Christmas breakfast and unwrapping presents were off the agenda. Myunghwa’s family played jenga and karaoke in the living room. Soah, her niece, dragged her outside to build a snowman. The adult game was not fun for the little girl. They each started with a ball of snow and rolled it around the front yard. Myunghwa’s tiny ball clung onto the snow faster. She stopped as it became humongous, and she couldn’t push it anymore. Myunghwa peeked at her niece. Soah struggled in the corner trying to push her snowball at the size of a soccer. Myunghwa let out a chuckle and rushed over.
It didn’t take long until the center of the snowman’s body was completed. Then his head. Soah rushed back from picking some fallen branches by the fence that separated them from the neighbors. They stuck the arms onto the middle body. They both participated in collecting stones for the eyes and mouth.
“Auntie, are we building a guy or girl?”
Of course, it had to be a guy. Myunghwa answered without hesitation. “A guy.”
“What kind of guy do you like? Someone like daddy?”
Myunghwa scowled. Her brother wasn’t bad, but she wouldn’t like someone like her brother. She’d share some realist traits with her niece.
“He doesn’t have to be handsome, as long as he's average, decent,” Myunghwa said. Please, he must be blindly handsome and manly.
“He doesn’t have to be rich, well off would be fine.” No, please he must be the richest of the rich. I’m willing to be his maid.
“He must know how to cook and help do chores.” No, I’ll service him if he’s handsome and rich.
Myunghwa cringed as she said, “He doesn’t need to have a great body as long as he can carry you.” Abs. Abs and must carry me like a feather.
“It’ll be great if he listens to you.” But a dominant and possessive male is just perfect and y.
Soah gaped with uncomprehending eyes. Myunghwa smiled and patted her . “Go get one of your father’s scarfs for the snowman and bring a carrot in the refrigerator.”
Soah ran like a penguin back into the house. Myunghwa stuck the stone one by one in a row down the snowman’s belly.
“I got it Auntie. I got it.” Myunghwa watched Soah struggled each step through the snow. It took her more effort to take her foot out.
They wrapped the scarf around the snowman. Then Myunghwa picked Soah to finish their last decoration. Soah stuck the carrot onto the bare place in the middle of the head. As Myunghwa was going to bring Soah down she leaned in and planted a kiss onto the snowman’s cheek. “Hurry Auntie. Kiss the other side.”
Playing along, Myunghwa leaned to the other side and kissed the snowman awkwardly.
“I’m tired.” Soah refused to be put down and wrapped her arms around Myunghwa’s neck.
Myunghwa was left with no choice but to carry the child inside. It didn’t take long for Soah to fall asleep even through the noise the family was still making. Karaoke was always something they ended up doing for longer. She was always too shy to ever sing in front of them.
Myunghwa headed to her bedroom door. She was lucky her room was the furthest from the living room. She pushed her door opened and her eyes spotted the gentleman in a suit on her bed leaning against the headboard. His arm crossed at his chest, sleeping. He wore the dark navy-blue scarf they put on the snowman.
“Mom!!!”
She turned her head from the living room back to her bedroom and he stood in front of her two eyes. She could smell his chest. The smell of manliness. A heavenly earth scent.
He gripped onto her hand, pulled her inside, and closed the door. He shoved Myunghwa against the wall.
“Shh…” Sweats dotted her forehead as his lips puckered and his breath hit her face. “I don’t like noisy people.”
Myunghwa pushed him away with furious strength. It was her room. Who was he to act all mighty?
He backed away and undo the scarf around his neck. It suffocated him and it looked hideous. He threw it on the floor. “Why is it so hot in here?”
Myunghwa heard a low growled and her eyes flew from the scarf to him. He was undressing. He threw his blazer on the floor and ed the top two buttons of his shirt. She forced her eyes shut and gripped onto the scarf. What was this crazy thing? Who was this crazy man? Her parents, no one mentioned about any guest on Christmas.
Her eyes fluttered opened when his stomach growled. No way. Please.
“Get me some food.”
Myunghwa hugged the scarf and fell flat to her bottom. His blazer crumped before her.
“Hurry.”
Myunghwa breathed deeply her nose flared. She stood up and yelled, “I am not your maid.”
Maid. That word rang in her ears. A shadow lurked above her. She tilted her head up and he stood tall. Those long legs. He bent down on his right knee. Left elbow rested on his left knee. His slender trace the side of her face before he fumbled with his wallet and pulled out a card, a black card.
“This can be yours.” He waved it in front of her two widened eyes. She caught some digits and his name, Son Hyunwoo. She assumed he was named Son Hyunwoo and not that he stole thw card from someone. No, Myunghwa don’t give in. She pushed him away and he fell onto his bottom. He scoffed.
“Who are you? What are you doing here?” Myunghwa covered herself. What if he was here to…?
“Consider yourself lucky.”
Myunghwa wouldn’t believe. She wasn’t a lucky person. She wouldn’t believe he was the hero who’d appeared out of nowhere to relieve her of stress. Hyunwoo stood and opened his arms as if to show her his full physique. Then he ed two more buttons. He was definitely crazy.
“Rich and handsome,” he said, “Wouldn’t you serve me?”
Myunghwa clasped her hand over . It couldn’t be. She needed to get out of the room.
Where were her parents? She needed to confirm with them. She ran around the house, but she couldn’t find anyone. Where did they go? They karaoke loudly earlier.
“Hurry,” Hyunwoo roared from the room.
Myunghwa rolled her eyes. Did he think she would go back in and be his slave? He could keep wishing.
“Don’t you dare try to disobey me.”
She heard him loud and clear, but she aimed for the door. She had to get out of the house. Then the floor started shaking, she heard pots and pan in the kitchen rattled. The table and couches clattered against the ground.
“Okay. Okay. Fine.” She barked. There were plenty of leftover from this morning. She wouldn’t die just to bring him a few plates.
She opened the refrigerator and pulled out the containers her mother neatly packed. She plated some jokbal, side dishes, kimchi stew, and rice on the tray and brought it to the room.
“I don’t eat leftover,” he snarled. Myunghwa set the tray down on her coffee table by the little living area.
“Then too bad. That’s all there is.”
Hyunwoo stared at her and her curtains started flying, heavy wind twirled her hair.
“Fine. I’ll cook you something,” Myunghwa roared. Everything stopped as if it never moved. “But it won’t taste as good as these.”
Hyunwoo waved his hand to dismiss her. She scoffed. What was he? King?
Myunghwa returned with the simple food she often cooked for herself in the morning. Savory pancake. Salt, water, chives, and flour. She placed it next to the tray he really didn’t touch. What a jerk.
“Sauce?” He raised an eyebrow. Who was he to sit casually on her couch and ordered her around?
He lifted his hand and Myunghwa scrambled to the kitchen. There was no way she’d live through another earthquake. She returned with a quick soy sauce and vinegar mix. She placed it on the table. “Happy now?”
He picked up the chopstick and started eating without looking at her. Myunghwa was curious to see his reaction to her food, so she stayed and watched. She felt completely satisfied when she saw that corner of his lips slight curved. He quickly dropped his smile as if it’d harm him to praise her. He cleared his throat, and she rolled her eyes.
“Water.”
She stomped to the kitchen and returned with water. Just exactly where did her family go? Myunghwa extended the water bottle to him, but he didn’t grab it. He firmly stared at her, she could pinpoint exactly where. Myunghwa stared at him unwilling to give in. She admitted, he was handsome, a little intimidating, and pleasing to her eyes, but his attitude was nasty. Myunghwa brought the bottle down to the table and he reached out and grabbed it. His fingers brushing against hers. Electricity overtook her whole body. She retrieved her hand, but he reached out with his other hand and grabbed her wrist and tugged her forward. She fell onto his lap. Her arms smashed between his defined abs and her. Myunghwa swallowed empty air. She didn’t think air was ventilating well in the room. She looked forward to the door. She never knew her door was so plain. She should probably put some decorations for the New Year.
Her body froze at the warmth of his fingers in her chin. Her chest heaving up and down gasping for air. He guided her to face him. Her face now inches away from his. He moved her face slightly to the left, to the right. He smiled. “Decent enough.”
Myunghwa frowned and forced herself up. Just when did he…his arm was around her waist and his hand on her hip. It held her firm in place. He pulled her closer and pressed his nose against her cheek. She didn’t dare to move. Didn’t know what other power he had over her. His hand held too securely. She knew he wasn’t going to let her go just because she said so. His words held power and she was to abide. She couldn’t believe her heart fluttered and butterflies filled her stomach at his intense gaze and his dominance. Her cheeks flamed as if there was a fireplace in her room. His hand s under her knees, and he rosed them from the couch. His pair of strong arms held her firmly in his embrace. She didn’t need to hold him for security. She didn’t feel like she would be dropped or would slip from his grip. His gaze fixated on her, and she felt with each step it intensified, awaking a different cell in her body.
Hyunwoo’s leg were long, but he took small and equal steps toward her bed. Myunghwa could live in these pair of arms forever. He didn’t even sweat carrying her. She loved the manly blank expression on his face that didn’t show an ounce of difficulty with her in his arm. Myunghwa felt the broadness of his shoulders and she must test it. She carefully leaned her head toward his shoulder. Once her head touched his clavicle, and he didn’t show any sign of rejection, she relaxed and molded herself onto him.
“Hold on,” he said.
She s her arms around his neck and brought her face closer to his. She debated if she should purposely brush her cheeks against his. The warmth of his arm behind her back disappeared when he tugged at the blanket. His hand returned and he slowly lowered her to the bed.
Her face flushed red, unsure of his next move. Was he going to undress her? Kiss her? Should she close her eyes? Her back touched her bed. Had her bed always been this soft? His head kept lowering, closer and closer to her.
“Merry Christmas,” he whispered. His soft lips kissed her forehead. Her eyes shut immediately and savored the tingling sensation flying around her body.
“Myunghwa. Myunghwa.” Someone called and banged her door multiple times.
Couldn’t…don’t they…just wait. Myunghwa forced her eyes opened and her brother barged through the door. Myunghwa panicked. Hyunwoo. She scanned her room, but Hyunwoo was nowhere. Her heart raced and she sat up. Not even the dishes were at the coffee table.
“Are you okay?” Her brother panicked and rushed by her side. “I knocked a thousand times. We thought you passed out.”
Myunghwa nodded and nodded without understanding what her brother said.
“How could you fall asleep without participating in any game? Get up,” he urged, “we got the perfect punishment for you.”
Myunghwa couldn’t believe her ears. Her brother couldn’t be serious.
“Go get us some more soju.”
Myunghwa groaned. They couldn’t be serious. Wait. Hyunwoo. She turned to ask her brother, but he was out the door. She touched her forehead. It was warm. It was so real.
She slipped into a hoodie and grabbed her keys on the drawer on her way out the door. She groaned. It started to snow. How dare they made her go buy them soju on Christmas night? The snowman. She ran over. He was there but the scarf was gone. Chills travel down her spine with the strong gust of wind that blew. She’d go to the convenience store. She shouldn’t have built that snowman in the first place. As she walked away, the goosebumps slowly rose throughout her body. She exited their gate onto the sidewalk. A strong light flashed before her eyes and her hands rushed to protect them. The light moved. She brought her hands down and saw a car across the street. She walked closer and the passenger window rolled down. Myunghwa jumped back. He was…Myunghwa ran forward, and the car pulled into the street. She stopped in fear it’d ran her over.
“Yah!” Rage built inside her.
He looked her in the eyes. The car drove passed her as the window rolled up. That grin. She fisted her hands. She could only watch the car drive into the dark as the snow fell on her. She swore, it was real.
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