Story

Cold...I never thought it’d be this cold. I sighed softly as I wrapped my arms around my legs that were pressed up against my chest. I pursed my lips together, resting my chin down on my knee as I started to reminisce on how much fail the past few weeks had been for me.

“JinAe...sshi?”

I looked up upon hearing my name, my eyes actually growing large as a stunning figure appeared before me. I felt my whole body freeze up as I stared at the man before me...wow...

“Are you JinAe-sshi?” he asked once again, flashing me a smile that almost melted my heart away.

“N-neh...” I stammered, swooning inwardly. This must be it...he must be the one...finally! “Y-you must be Dongwoon-sshi...” I mouthed softly as I stood up from my seat.

“Neh...how long have you been waiting?” he asked.

“Oh...not too long,” I magically managed to stay without stuttering my life away. However, I did lie to a slight extent for I had been waiting for just a little over half an hour (though that fact had gone unnoticed for the remainder of ‘date’).

“Well, I apologize for your waiting anyway,” he gave me this perfect smile...oh my GOD. This man was perfect, but I kept my guard up...slightly. Looks could definitely be deceiving.

I shook my head and smiled sheepishly towards him. “It’s okay...I didn’t wait long at all, please, take a seat.” I told him, my eyes not leaving this man who I could compare to a god residing at the high mountains of Mount Olympus. (Okay, maybe I am exaggerating it a bit but...seriously, he’s so handsome.)

“So...” And that was my ever so striking attempt to start up a conversation as the man, who’s name was...what was his name again? DONGWOON, yeah...as Dongwoon took the menu in front of him, skimming through what we would be feasting our taste buds on at that moment.

“What would you like, JinAe-sshi?”

I was too busy staring at him that his speech, the words coming out of his mouth, did not reach my ears, and therefore, was not able to be translated into comprehensible speech. My eyes were taking over at the moment, admiring this being of perfection in front of me, giving my best attempt not to drool in awe.

“JinAe-sshi?” and a hand waved in front of me, snapping me out of my daze.

“Y-Yeh?” (Yes?) I sounded flustered. Hmph, stupid hottie-induced delirium...the look on his face told me that I looked so stupid in front of him that moment. I then quickly looked away embarrassed, averting my gaze to the menu laid down in front of me.

I was busy scolding myself in my thoughts when I heard him chuckling, I quickly looked up, blinking as I watched him laugh to himself. Why? Is there something on my face? I pouted a little in embarrassment. “W-what’s wrong?” I asked.

“Oh, JinAe-sshi. Has anyone told you you look so cute right now?”

Cute? C-cute? ME?! I stuttered in my thoughts, my cheeks flaring up from both embarrassment and the feeling of being flattered at that compliment. “T-thank you...” I smiled softly as I tucked my hair behind my ear.

“Where should we go after our lunch today?” he wondered, his smile slowly melting my brain away.

“Well...” I started, “I’ve always dreamed of going to an amusement park for a date...” though looking at him and the clothes he was wearing (a rather formal outfit), it was quite impossible for us to do what I wanted. “But...we can always go some other time, yes?” I smiled, “Where do you want to go after lunch?” I then returned the question to him.

--

Lunch had been more than enjoyable, and we had decided to take a small stroll aronud the nearby park after our lunch period had concluded. I learned many more things about him, like how he was a complete gentleman, his business, and et cetera. All seemed perfect, but there was the one fact that never left my side. The fact that I was, indeed, bored.

He was honestly one of the most polite and amazing people I’d ever met, but that did not constitute the fact that he was enjoyable to be around all the time.

“So what are some of the things that you like to do, JinAe-sshi?”

So the conversation had finally been directed towards me. The only problem was that I was not interested in prolonging the end of this so called date. Honestly, nice people can be boring at times to, and he was like the epitome of the perfect example for that.

I let out a soft sigh as I chewed on my bottom lip gently, my eyes directed on my feet as we walked together by the park. How should I tell him that this is not going to work?

“JinAe-sshi?” he called out to me once again and I looked up noticing the worried look on his face. Was it that obvious that I was getting bored already? A pang of guilt pierced through me and I bit a little harder on my bottom lip.

“I’m sorry...what was your question again?”

“Um...by any chance...” his voice trailed off, “Are you...uninterested...in this date?”

I was a little bit taken back at the fact that he had just read my thoughts. Was I too obvious?

“I’m sorry...” I mumbled, hoping that he had caught it.

I heard him sigh, and I looked up to find him smiling at me, “I figured as much. Well, how about this? Let me walk you home, it’s the least I could do for you since you listened to me rant for the last...30 minutes or so,” he answered while looking at his watch to make sure his time intervals had been correct.

...and that was pretty much the end of my first bad experience.

Okay, so perhaps it wasn’t that bad. The guy was nice overall, but honestly, you need to have some more...fun with things at times, but having fun was perceptual I suppose, so maybe it was the compatibility that I had a problem with. I sound so hypocritical now...never once before did I think that compatibility had to be there...sigh.

So, I stared blankly on the lighted Christmas tree with my chin that was resting on my knees as I hugged my leg close to my chest as I sat on the couch with nothing else to do. Still, the song that had been playing for God knows how long and how many times already continuously played on the stereo.

Of course, not all of my experiences with past “dates” had ended as smoothly as that one. In fact, if taken into context, that was probably one of the “best” ones I had. Now, if I were to talk about a really horrible one, let me tell you about this one baby-faced jerk that went by the evil name of Yang Yoseob.

So our meeting had been typical. He bumped into me at the supermarket, and with our obvious genetic make-up that had made it so we had this innate need to flirt, we did so, exchanging numbers before we had left the supermarket. A couple of weeks later, he had invited me to dinner, and because I was obviously so enamoured or love-struck, I went ahead and actually put more than the very minimal effort into looking like I had come from a decent family, rather than the nearby dump with some worker there experimenting and making a live human being out of someone else’s garbage.

Now, unbeknownst to my knowledge, apparently I was not the only one he had invited to this little get together of ours for once I had arrived at the designated rendezvous point, I had spotted the (in my ever so eloquent language) effin’ bastard making out with two other woman at the same time, as if that did not exemplify player all over it. He could go die of STDs for all I care.

And without much more persuasion, at that encounter, I had walked up calmly in front of his figure, which he tried to get me to sit on his lap, but I had immediately refused (please, if he wanted me to sit anywhere near his groin area, he better have some type of professional doctor to replace his after I rip them apart), slapping him in my most kind manner and marched away, leaving the other two woman (or did they even have any dignity to be called as such) in a state of shock, too much in fact that they did not question my actions and just let me march away.

Just thinking about these past dates (which obviously didn’t turn out successfully as I wanted them to be) made me feel more irritated and frustrated as I laced my fingers against my hair and gently tugged on it with a low grunt escaping my throat. “Why must love be so complicated?”

“Because then, finding true love wouldn’t be worth it,” I heard the ever so familiar male say from behind me.

“K-Kikwang-oppa.”

“Hi yeom~” he said, puffing up his cheeks as he did so. I hated it when he did that. Not that it wasn’t cute, but exactly for that reason, too cute for my liking...

Pouting as if by doing so, I would defeat his cuteness, I stuck my tongue out at him as I slouched back on the couch, letting my feet dangle down before I moved my arms to cross them together against my chest. “What are you doing here at this time and day? Have you forgotten today is Christmas Eve? Shouldn’t you be home and celebrate with your family?” I asked as I tilted my head up at him.

“Hm, true...but then...I began wondering why you’re all alone here, sulking like that while listening to this song over and over again? Shouldn’t you be celebrating Christmas Eve too with someone? Or...Oh! I’m sorry...you failed yet again in finding your knight in shining armour, am I correct?” he snarled and I lifted my fist, shaking it at him. I so wanted to break his nose but then I knew that it wouldn’t change anything. I would just probably get myself hurt as well. Thus, rolling my eyes, I sighed.

“Shut up...there just doesn’t seem to be anyone right enough out there.”

“How far have you looked?”

I raised an eyebrow at his question, “What?” I asked as I watch him smile a little before he sat beside me.

“I asked how far have you looked for your Mr. Right?”

I was silenced as I desperately grasp that in my head and deciphered it into a language (not literally a language) that my brain could process. Was he meaning that literally or not? I wasn’t sure and so I shrugged. “Uh...well...I haven’t been anywhere besides Seoul...so...” I trailed of, tilting my head to the side as I furrowed my eyebrows thoughtfully and I heard him laugh.

“Yah! What’s so funny?”

He ceased his laughter...well, not really, just quieted down a bit, “Oh nothing. What are you planning on doing today?”

I glared at him...as much as I could anyway, “You know I hate it when you do that. Tell me what you meant!”

“Like I said, nothing.”

“I hate you.”

“I love you too, JinAe-yah~”

And I felt my cheeks heat up as I stared at him...I love you too, JinAe-yah~ those words...they...they felt a little...different today for some odd reason. It...sounded more affectionate than those other numerous I hate you - I love you too moments we’ve had before. I cleared my throat and looked away from him, jutting my lower lip out as I tried to find the reason why my heart suddenly fluttered as such and why the hell I was blushing! Of course he didn’t mean I love you too like one would say to his girlfriend or something, it was simply just to tease and annoy me to hell.

“Yah, yah, yah, quit sulking and get up.”

“WHYYYY?!” I whined, kicking my legs slightly as I did so. Honestly, someone up there miscalculated the perfect time for me to be born, because I was still as childish as I was when I was 12 (and I’m 19 now).

“We’re going out!”

“Since when?!” I asked incredulously.

“Since...now,” and he pulled me up from my sitting position and I ended up smashing my face against his chest. Because this was awkward in no way at all (especially not the fact that after all this time, I just now find out how muscular he is). “Gee, JinAe-yah, I didn’t know you felt that way about me.”

“Y-YAH!” I quickly exclaimed as I felt my cheeks turn a brighter shade of red. Oh god, what was happening to me?! I immediate tugged my hand away from him and hissed, gently rubbing my nose, scrunching it up in an uncomfortable fashion. “What the hell is there on your chest? I almost broke my nose!” I whined just so the conversation would be averted to something else and the awkward feeling eating me up would go away.

“What’s on my chest is pure muscle baby, you should feel honoured.”

“Oh please! I think I’m gonna puke!” I rolled my eyes at him and made a face. “And quit calling me baby! I’m not your baby! And I don’t want a father like you.”

“Well I’m very sorry that you could pass for one, a child that is,” he chuckled as he spoke, “But come on JinAe-yah~” he whined, pulling out his best aegyo look, “It’s Christmas Eve! And I demand you not to look like a dead hobo on Christmas Eve of all days!”

I watched his aegyo look and for some reason, it weirdly made me think he looked so...handsome. We’ve been friends since we were little kids (starting nursery when we were still very tiny and he was just a stick by then), but I’ve never seen him as someone who was handsome or hot before. I’ve always thought he was cute and, at times, so annoying that you’d find yourself having the urge to stab him as much as you can until you exhausted. However, today, oddly, I saw him as a handsome man…and not merely as just a friend, and that itself made me feel nervous and frightened, enough to make my heart rattle and back away from him the slightest bit…

What was this? Was this the effect of Christmas purposely inflicted on those who were all alone and depressed on such a joyous occasion, or was it just me being overly desperate? Ugh! I don’t know and I don’t want to know!

“I don’t wanna!” I said stubbornly, puffing my flushed cheeks out as I crossed my arms together once again. “And I’m not a hobo!” I growled at him as I tried all my best to look anywhere but at him. “And like you said, it’s Christmas Eve...you should go home and celebrate with your family.” I said softly as I lounged myself on the couch lazily once again.

A sigh escaped his lips as I felt his heavy stare piercing through my skin but I never dared to look him in the eyes, afraid I would feel something inappropriate. “My parents...” he started, “they have to go abroad because of work and my siblings are out with their special someones so...I’m practically all alone this Christmas too...” he continued and finally, I looked up at him to find him smiling at me. “That’s why...I thought...I should celebrate it with you since you don’t have anyone to celebrate it with.”

I felt my tears welling up my eyes as my lips quivered a little. It had been 10 years since I last celebrated Christmas with my mom and dad... Ever since that accident that took them away from me, I had been celebrating Christmas all alone. I’m quite thankful I didn’t turn to be like the Grinch who hated Christmas. Even if my Christmas is not so merry, I still appreciate the essence of it in a human’s life. Biting down on my lower lip, I looked down on my lap and sighed. “You should’ve told me earlier that you don’t have anyone to celebrate Christmas too...then I wouldn’t have been so stubborn.” I said, feeling a little sorry for him but more sorry for myself for feeling so pathetic.

“Yah, it’s not time to be so down. Cheer up,” he told me while pushing the sides of my mouth upward that I could only imagine to be a very awkward looking chubby, forced smile if I were to look at my own reflection. Now I would have retaliated, honestly...if it weren’t for his stupidly cute face smiling at me as he did my ridiculous actions with my cheeks, which involved him pinching them. “You’re so cute.”

“Y-Yah!” And that was my ever so well thought out and executed response.

“Come on, JinAe-yah~” He started pulling me up again, “Let’s go out, my treat. I’m bored~”

I kind of glared at him as he started yanking me off the couch again (intentionally making myself weight heavier than the normal weight of my very petite body just because it seemed so fun as he tried his best to pull me off the couch) before I sighed softly and acted as if my was glued on the spot where I was sitting. “Where are we going though~? It’s so cold out...” I whined like a big fat lazy kid wanting to mope around the house all day while eating gallons of ice cream all by myself.

He let go of my arm and groaned a little. Dang! It sounded so y.

...GASP! WHAT WAS I THINKING? I asked in my thoughts as I mentally slapped myself. Gosh! I can’t believe that I thought of something like that.

“You know, for a small person, your weight could probably combat an elephant’s.”

“Do you wanna die?” I asked as I made a face at him. “And I’m not small...”

“Not small, eh? So then you want to be called huge? Like OH MY GOD, YOU PASSED IN FRONT OF MY TV AND I MISSED THREE EPISODES OF MY SHOW! No, I don’t think you’d like that very much.”

Seriously, this person could say the right words that could make me snap. If only my glare would melt him down, I would be the happiest person on earth but noooo...it wouldn’t and it didn’t seem to have any effect on him and so, standing up from the couch, I smiled sarcastically at him and kicked him on the leg. “I’m so glad you know me so well that you know just when and what buttons to push to make me want to kill you,” I grunted as I walked passed him, bumping my shoulder against him (even if I was smaller that I couldn’t actually reach his shoulder) and made my way to kitchen. I need something to cool myself down.

“Making you want to kill me is part of my charm, babe.”

Someone shoot me for thinking about all the aspects about how seductive that last word had slurred off his beautiful...delicious lips.

I cleared my throat and grabbed a bottle of cold water from the fridge, downing it like there was no tomorrow. Why is this happening to me? Why now? Why him? Gah! All these stupid questions flooded my thoughts and I just don’t know what to do anymore, if only murdering someone was not a crime and a sin, I would’ve done so by now. He’s driving me crazy. “Stop that...call me that again and I swear to whoever is up there and down there that you’re ending up with them very soon enough when I kill you.”

“Sounds more like a promise than a threat to me. Ways of killing can be too.”

“Ugh shut up!” I hissed and stomped my feet furiously.

“Do you really want me to?” I could feel the smirk growing on his face even without looking at him. Ugh...stupid...UGH! “Besides,” he finally just picked me up and threw me over his shoulders...wait, what?! “You’re taking too long. Let’s gooo~”

“Whaa-”

And my front door slammed shut.

...Silence...

There was nothing but silence as we walked out there in the cold wearing nothing but my house clothes. I could feel my blood boiling up in anger as I clenched my fists tightly, trying to calm myself down from beating this man walking while carrying me on his shoulder like I was some kind of a bag or something. I was so pissed. Wait, pissed was rather an understatement to how much I really want to kill him right now...I’ve been wanting to kill him ever since he came to my apartment and started dragging me out.

You know, one would normally find it awkward when being greeted by a person with someone over their shoulder, having a perfect view of that person’s , but apparently no one really found that awkward for he had greeted a significant amount of people as we walked down the streets of Seoul.

“...Can you put me down now?”

“Don’t really feel like it. Besides, I’m starting to like the view from here~”

And that was enough reason for me to knee him on the stomach and so I did...with all my strength, hearing the satisfactory ‘oof’ reaction that I had been longing for. I felt content...until he spoke again.

“Girl, keep doing that and you just might break my heart...literally.”

“Put me down! YOU ERT!” I yelled at him as I started to wiggle my body and hit his back with my fists. Damn, he can be such a (in my ever so eloquent description) sometimes.

“Me? A ert? You wound me, JinAe-yah.” ...Why was it that I could tell he was pouting? And WHY WAS IT that I was imagining his pout in my head, taking in every single little detail of how damn cute he looked?

“J-just friggin’ put me down already!” I ignored his words and continued to wriggle away, wanting to be set down. The position I was in was just far too embarrassing and awkward, and seriously, I was starting to feel sick from my head being upside down. “Put me down~ Down! Down!” I whined ever so childishly.

“No!” he replied childishly as well (was he mocking me?), “Tell me I’m handsome first.”

...He was the devil’s advocate, I swear.

Huffing softly, I rolled my eyes and sighed. “You’re...” I trailed off, “Do I really have to?” I groaned, deciding to just resort to giving up and let him carry me around than tell him what he wanted me to tell him. It felt...quite awkward to tell him he’s handsome (when I do think he is).

“And cute...And sweet...and awesome...and that you’d totally date me if you could.”

Okay, now he’s becoming delusional. “Dream on! I would never say that! Put me down!” I squealed as I kicked my feet in the air.

“Fine fine, just tell me one thing then.”

“Which would be...”

“Tell me you love me~”

And I felt the whole world stop on me. Did he mean that? Omo...my heart. I quickly clenched my chest. I gnawed on my bottom lip and puffed my cheeks, “Stop joking...I’m cold...please, just put me down and I’d go with you...” I refuse to think about his teasings and mean jokes. I’m far too disappointed with how my love life is already to even let him frustrate me even more.

“Aw, come on, JinAe-yah~ It’s not hard. Just say Oh my God! Kiki-oppa, I love you~”

“...what did you eat today that you had gone insane? Did you hit your head or something? You’re starting to scare me...” was my only reply to him.

“Hmph, meanie.” He finally put me down...oh my God, never had I been so thankful for my feet touching the ground. “So where are we going anyway?”

“...You didn’t have anything planned?”

“Nope!”

“Well then, I dunno what to do-”

But my sentence had been interrupted by the ever so audible grumbling of my stomach.

“Sounds like your stomach wants some love~”
I rolled my eyes at him before I clutched my hands on my stomach. “Of course it does...it had been deviously deprived of any edible substances before we left my apartment...”

“Well, sounds like the little baby wants some attention.” He patted my stomach like I was pregnant...

“I’M NOT PREGNANT!”

“I DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING!” ...but then he gasped, “OH MY GOD!”

“What...?”

“Congratulations, JinAe-yah! When’s the baby due~?”

I could feel the stares of the many people on the street piercing through my skin. God! How embarrassing! I’m wearing my house clothes and my house sleepers and this...this...stupid creature was making such a commotion. “Okay...that’s it...I’m going home!” I snapped and turned around to walk back to where my apartment was.

“NOOO!” he immediately wrapped his arms around me, “You are not going anywhere, missy! We’re hanging out today whether you like it or not, so I suggest you start liking it, it’ll be less torturous that way.”

...Should I have felt special that I could feel his breath against the nape of my neck? Cause honestly, in our position, most people would think we were some type of couple in a romantically involved relationship or something, which was SO NOT TRUE (...why do I feel so disappointed in stating that). So, I quickly pulled away from his grasp and turned around to face him once again. “Why are you doing this to me?” I asked before taking a deep breath. “Why...why are you making things more complicated?” I suddenly blurted out, out of my frustration. Aish, I really should go home and lock myself up there in my apartment.

“Complicated?” he asked me sincerely this time, which was like a total 180 degree shift from how he had been acting earlier, “Yah, JinAe-yah, if you honestly don’t like something that I’m doing, just tell me, okay?” and he smiled. Ugh, he should be banned from smiling! It was like cancer, I tell you, slowly killing you from the inside...or something like that.

“D-don’t smile like that...” Cause you melt me...I continued in my thoughts as I looked away, coughing a little as I rubbed my hands together. “Aigoo~ so cold!” I randomly said as I looked anywhere but to him.

“Oh, here,” because it obviously wasn’t cliche enough that he had to take his own jacket and wrap it around my shoulders so caringly. “Come on, let’s eat already, I’m getting hungry too,” and without much persuasion, My feet had started walking along side him as he put one arm around my shoulder, letting him lead me to some destination still unknown to my knowledge.

Finally, some warmth. What else is best to eat in such a cold season like this but some hot ramen? With a wide cheeky grin on my face, I literally gawked at the huge bowl of noodles in front of me. “It smells and looks soooo delicious!” I squeaked oh so happily before I picked up my chopsticks and started to stir my bowl of delicious ramen. I almost forgot I was with someone.

“Aw, I thought you were referring to me when you said that, but I guess not,” he pouted, but I was too busy stirring my ramen to even care about what he said.

“Mm~ so yummy~” I giggled as I finally dug in. I could feel the heated liquid of the soup warm my system besides the warmth Kikwang’s jacket gave off.

“Feeling better?”

“Mhmmm~” I said while still slurping up noodles into my mouth (because this was proper etiquette).

“Good. Actually, I had a little something to share with you.”

“Hm?” I stopped eating for a moment to look up at him who sat across from me and found him digging in his pocket, finally pulling out a small folded piece of notebook paper. “What’s that?”

“This is a small list of things that define Min JinAe.”

“E-Eh?”

“Min JinAe, the apple to my pie.” (oh, the implications)

...I choked on my noodles as soon as I heard that. Seriously? How much more ridiculous could this guy get? I quickly grabbed the glass of water set in front of me and gulped it down before wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, careful not to stain his jacket.

“What the heck does that mean?” I asked, narrowing my eyes at him. However, instead of answering my question, he had blatantly ignored me and just continued.

“Min JinAe, the evil creature that lurks inside.”

...E-Evil...creature...he...he didn’t just called me that. “What did you say?”

“Min JinAe, with looks that could kill.”

Okay, that one is good enough and it sounds like it’s getting interesting. “Go on...”

“Min JinAe, with the inability to hold still.”

...I’m guessing he was making a reference to how much I had kicked and shoved when I was on his shoulder.

“YAH, THAT WAS SO NOT MY FAULT-”

“Min JinAe, with tempers fuming beyond the energy given off by the sun.”

“W-what the--- Yah! Lee Kikwang!” I glared and hissed at him.

“Min JinAe, who apparently doesn’t know how to have fun.”

“I so KNOW to have fun!” I retorted and puffed my cheeks. “You’re just a jerk--face! That’s why you can’t see I also know how to have fun.”

I heard him chuckle before continuing, “Where was I...oh right, you don’t know how to have fun. Next...umm...” he scanned the paper again, “Min JinAe, who would probably not make a good wife.”

...Yeesh! This man, seriously! “Yah! You! How could you say that! You don’t know how good of a wife I can be!”

“Min JinAe...the love of my life.”

And those where the right words to shut me up on my sit as I stared at him, my tears b at the corner of my eyes. Oh, don’t get me wrong...these are not tears of sadness but trust me...these are the tears one would shed when they feel extremely happy and/or overwhelmed which were the feelings coiling up within me.

“Y-Yah!” he said in an overly alarmed fashion as he scooted his chair beside me, wrapping both arms around my torso, “You weren’t supposed to end up crying! That wasn’t part of the plan!”

I felt my lips quiver as my tears trickled down my cheeks and I fisted his shirt as I buried my face on his shoulder. “Stupid...you’re such a meanie...”

“I-I’m sorry...”

I hesitantly wrapped my arms around his waist as well. I’ve never felt this kind of happiness before. Who would’ve known that the true love I had been looking for was actually just right here beside me all along?

“JinAe-yah?”

“Yes, Kiki-oppa?”

...Silence. I looked up, but before I could do anything, I found his lips on mine...and I didn’t even bother retaliating, just let him do as he pleased.

No more lonely Christmas...I wanna fall in love this Christmas...

I heard the familiar tune and lyrics in the background, and I smiled, thinking of my response to those lyrics. I believe I have.

We finally let go of each, looking into each other’s eyes (because cliches is what we live off of, right?) and smiled.

“I love you, Kiki-oppa...”

“I know,” he replied so conceitedly.

“Yah!” and we both laughed. Never thought I’d have such a wonderful Christmas.