Chapter 3.

As soon as the band had crossed off their last concert before Christmas, Jeremy decided that it was time to pull out the decorations.  When they returned to the ANJell dorms, he got the tree out its box, and with the help of Mi Nyeo he began to piece it together.

“How does this thing stand up?” whined Jeremy.  He couldn’t find any part that would keep the tree upright.

Decorated in chains of green tinsel, Mi Nyeo shrugged.  She turned to dig through the packaging on the floor and produced the missing tree stand.  “Is this it, Jeremy?”

He brightened.  “You found it!  Can you hold up the tree while I put it on?”

“Mm.”  She took the tree and held it up so that he could lie underneath it.

“Yah, hold it still,” he ordered.

With a smile on her face, Mi Nyeo pulled the tree’s base out of his grasp.

“Yah!”

She broke out into a giggle.  “I’m sorry.  Jolie is tickling me.”

“What?”  He peered around and saw that Jolie had somehow gotten inside.  She was Mi Nyeo’s leg like it was a popsicle.

“Jolie, who let you inside?” he asked the golden retriever.  “Stop tickling Mi Nyeo.”

The sounds of footsteps made them look across the room.

“What on God’s green earth is that?” said Mi Nam, looking at the tree with undisguised horror.

“It’s a Christmas tree, Oppa.”

“But it’s white!” protested her twin.

She pouted.  “A tree can be white.”

“Yeah, when it’s on display in a department store.  No one actually buys a white Christmas tree.  Oh God.  Is that green tinsel around your neck?  That’s so weird!”

“Jeremy says that I look nice in green.”

Shin Woo appeared just in time to hear this.  “He did, did he?”

“Hyung, why did you let Jolie inside?” said Jeremy.  “You know how Tae Kyung hates having her around.”

“Tae Kyung isn’t here to complain, and Jolie deserves to join in some of the Christmas festivities.  Interesting tree: A mix of green and white.  It’s not your usual style Jeremy,” observed Shin Woo.

“We even managed to find a green star!” said Mi Nyeo.

“I don’t get it,” said Mi Nam.  “What’s with all the green?”

“Maybe Jeremy thinks that it is Mi Nyeo’s favourite colour.”

“Green is nice,” she admitted.  “But there were so many beautiful decorations in yellow and gold that I liked better.”

Jeremy winced and focused on adjusting the tree stand.  He didn’t want to see Shin Woo’s reaction.

“Where did Hyung-nim go?” Mi Nyeo asked belatedly.

“To the studio,” answered Mi Nam.  “He’s really on a roll with that new album of his.  Who knows, maybe we’ll be recording it before you go back to Africa.”

“Ah.”

Jeremy gave Mi Nyeo a worried look.  “I’m sure he’ll be back soon, Mi Nyeo.  Why don’t we decorate the tree so that he can see it finished when he comes back?”

“Mong!” barked Jolie.

Mi Nyeo patted the dog’s fur.  “Do you think that I should cancel the reservation he made for dinner then?”

There was an awkward silence.

“What dinner, Mi Nyeo?” asked Shin Woo.

She draped some tinsel around the tree.  “He’s so tired these days that he must have forgotten we were going to eat together.  Do you think that Hyung-nim is getting enough to eat?”

Mi Nam shrugged, and Jeremy scratched his head.  Tae Kyung didn’t eat much in general.

“I’m sorry Jeremy, but I think I will take Hyung-nim some food instead of decorating the tree tonight,” said Mi Nyeo, looking dejected.

Jeremy, Mi Nam and Shin Woo traded looks faster than they could read them.  Mi Nyeo was about to exit the room, when a strange noise came from the back of Jeremy’s throat.

“Aaaiee!”

The three others stared at him.

“I mean, aish!  I’m so stupid.  How could I forget that Tae-Kyung asked us to take you instead.”

Mi Nyeo looked puzzled.  “He did?”

“He did?” said a disbelieving Mi Nam.

“Yes.  He knew that he would be busy and he was worried that you would feel lonely, so he asked us to take you out.  I completely forgot to pass on the change in plans.”

She looked relieved.  “So, he didn’t forget?”

“Forget?”  Jeremy pasted on a smile.  “Tae Kyung never forgets anything.”

“Unless he chooses to,” muttered Mi Nam.  “Look, I’d like to have dinner with you, twin, but I’m already doing something with He Yi.  So you three have fun without me.”

As if on cue, Shin Woo yawned.  “I don’t think I can go either.  Jeremy, your drumming tonight gave me a bad headache.  Mi Nyeo, is it all right if I stay and decorate the tree?”

“You want to decorate the tree?” said Jeremy suspiciously.

“Why not?” teased his elder.  “Besides, I have a feeling that you will have more fun without me.  Two is company, three is a crowd.  Right Jolie?”

Under the pretence of forgetfulness, Jeremy had to ask Mi Nyeo where and when Tae Kyung had made the reservation.  Once he learned that the restaurant was one that served overpriced food with candlelight and flowers, he began to feel nervous, and decided that the situation called for grunge wear.  The problem wasn’t that he was afraid of expensive and romantic places; it was that he was going there with Mi Nyeo – the one girl he had to pretend that he didn’t like.

He was in for another surprise when they arrived to claim their booking.  Tae Kyung had reserved a romantic secluded room with an optional view of the band playing in the main dining area.  It was the kind of place where girls got proposed to every night.

Mi Nyeo stared at the candles and flowers in amazement, and then folded her hands over her black jeans.  “This is...nice.”

“Sure, if you like having a stick shoved up your ,” said Jeremy, with a hint of envy.  He wondered if Tae Kyung was planning to propose to Mi Nyeo during her visit.  “Do you want to eat someplace else?” he asked.  “Ten levels of hotness is just a scooter ride away.”

She shook her head.  “Let’s eat here.  Hyung-nim would be hurt if we went somewhere else.  And I don’t think this place will put sticks in our...backs.”

“Okay,” he said.  “But don’t say that I didn’t warn you.”

They sat down to drinks and entrees.  In defiance of everything that his parents had taught him, Jeremy pushed aside the napkin and cutlery, and went straight for the food with his fingers.  Mi Nyeo hesitated, but soon followed his example.  After all, there was no one to offend at their secluded table.

“That’s good food,” said Jeremy holding up his greasy fingers.  “Mi Nyeo are you ready?”

She held up her own hands over the empty plates.  “Ready.”

“One, two, go!”

The race was on to see who could all their fingers the fastest.  Mi Nyeo was more thorough, but Jeremy covered more ground at once by shoving the tips of his fingers in his mouth.  When they were done, they threw up their napkins as a sign that they had finished.  Mi Nyeo’s napkin went up half a second before Jeremy’s – and there was no one to say that Jeremy had done it on purpose.

“Noooooo!” he cried, playing the part of the bad loser.

“I win!”

“Want to flick my forehead?”

“Hmmm,” she puffed out her cheeks.  “No.  I want...to go and wash my hands before the main meal so that we can have a rematch.”

“Yah.  That’s a terrible idea.  Come back and flick me.”

Mi Nyeo shuffled off to the wash room.  Jeremy decided to do the same, and wandered through the main dining area to get to it.  When he returned, she was loitering at the entrance to their room, watching the people dancing to the live music.

Some of the couples knew the steps, while others made up their own.  One girl with long black hair was laughing as she turned under a boy’s arm.  A pale-faced man was staring at his feet while the woman was waiting for him to look up at her.  An Ahjumma led her husband on the floor with the confidence that only experience could bring.

“Do you think that if he came here, he would have wanted to dance?” asked Mi Nyeo.

Jeremy looked at her.

Even though she was hiding the shadows, he could tell that she was sad.

“Not if you’re going to stand on his feet,” he answered.

“Ah.  Yes.  That is a problem.”

“Watch me,” he said, standing next to her.  “Back, left, together.”

She looked at him in surprise.  “Jeremy.”

“Yah.  I’m only teaching you the basic steps so that I don’t feel bad,” he said, blushing.  “Now, do what my feet do.  Back, left, together.  Then it’s forward, right, together.”

Standing next to him, Mi Nyeo looked down and mimicked Jeremy’s steps.

“Like that?”

He grinned.  “You got it.  Now just do it over and over again.”

The pair kept at it while their main course was placed on the table.

“I’m not as graceful as the people out there,” she said, comparing her own awkward steps to an ahjumma and her husband.  “They seem to fly.”

“That’s nothing,” said Jeremy, jogging over to sneak in a mouthful of food with a fork.  “You can do it too.”

Mi Nyeo stared at the couples and tried to move like they did.

Jeremy came back over to her.  “Give me your hands.”

Mi Nyeo held them out and he lifted one up to his shoulder.

“You can do it,” he said.  “Ready?”

He moved forward, and she moved with him.  A broad smile broke across her face when she got the first step just right.  Her eyes lit up when Jeremy helped her get through the next five.  They went through the motions again, and she was livid with happiness, even when she made a mistake.

“Jeremy!” she gushed.  “I feel so happy that my heart is about to burst.”

His eyes widened.  “You do kind of look like you’re going to explode.  You want to sit down and eat something?”

“No!”  Her cheeks flushed pink.  “Please, no.  I’m not hungry.”

“All right.”  He smiled.  “But I’m going to move you around a bit, but with the same steps.  Are you ready?”

“Yes,” she replied, like he was challenging her to ten levels of hotness.

Mi Nyeo was different this time.  She was more confident with her feet, and she kept her shining gaze on him.  The sky-blue blouse she was wearing floated when she moved.  Her hair got into her eyes, and then got swept back again.  She was laughing; clutching at him whenever he led her in another direction.

When they had worn the steps out, she held onto his shoulder and rocked with him from side to side.  Her laughter began to disappear, and her smile was replaced with a far more curious expression.  Her eyes were searching for something in his face.  He wasn’t sure what.

Suddenly, her head dropped against his chest as if they were back at the climbing wall.

“Thank you, Jeremy,” was all she said.

He managed to get the banter between them up and running by the time dessert arrived.  Their mutual worship for sweet things meant that they ordered everything, and then treated the plates like a rotating buffet.  Spoons were shared without much thought for indirect kisses- although Jeremy couldn’t resist smiling whenever she’d shove his spoon into .

Mi Nyeo seemed like she was enjoying herself, but Jeremy sensed that she was treating him differently.  He didn’t know how to fix it.  If he called her out on it, and made her put it in words, there was a chance that it would make things worse.

His scooter made things easy for him on the ride home, but as soon as they climbed off and went inside the ANJell dorms, Mi Nyeo was back to looking at him with the same curious expression she’d given him when they’d been dancing.

“I see that you both had a good time,” said Shin Woo from the depths of the living room couch.  Jolie was sprawled out on the floor nearby, looking contented to be inside for once.

“Mm.”  Mi Nyeo nodded.  “My teeth are still aching from all the cold desserts.”

“I like the tree, Hyung,” said Jeremy.  “I didn’t know you had it in you.  What do you think, Mi Nyeo?  Are you happy with it?”

“Shin Woo Hyung is a great tree decorator.”

“So no more backing out on helping me with parties, Hyung,” warned Jeremy.  “You’re helping me with the one we’re having on Christmas day.”

Mi Nyeo moved towards the stairs.  “Good night, Shin Woo Hyung.  Thank you, Jeremy.  I will see you both tomorrow.”

“Good night Mi Nyeo,” said Shin Woo.  “Tae Kyung isn’t home yet.”

“Ah,” she nodded.  “Thank you for telling me.”

They both listened to her climbing the stairs in silence.  Jeremy sat down on the ground to pet Jolie.

“She’ll check his room anyway,” said Shin Woo.  “It’s become a habit for her.  I guess we should be glad that she didn’t ask for him as soon as she was back.”

Jeremy frowned.  “I tried to message him, but I couldn’t get through.”

“I tried, too.  His phone is off.  He’s in one of his hermit moods.”

“Why do you think he’s acting like this with her, Hyung?  He’s crazy about her.  You’d think he’d take a bit of time off of work to see her.”

“You’re the one that’s been skipping the most rehearsals.  If anyone was crazy about her I’d say it was you.”

Jeremy squirmed around to look at Shin Woo.  “Nothing happened.

Shin Woo stared at him.

“Hyung asked me to look after her!” Jeremy protested.

Shin Woo’s lips curled.  “You’re full of guilt and shame, too, I see.”

There was a long pause.  “H-how did you know?  Was it the tree that gave me away?”

“That and many other things.”

He sighed.  “I can’t help it.  I tried to get over her but she won’t get out of my head and my chest.  I’m doomed to a one-sided love.”

“Do you really think that?  Huh.  You’re more obtuse than I thought.  I guess that means more fun for me.”

“How did you – you know – get over Mi Nyeo?  Maybe if I do just what you did, then she won’t be the end of me.”

They were interrupted by the sound of someone coming down the stairs.  Jeremy glanced up and caught Mi Nyeo running past them in her pyjamas.

“I’d better see if it’s Tae Kyung she’s going to meet,” he said.  “After I warn him, I’m going to hit him.”

Shin Woo yawned.  “Get one good punch in for me, too.”