“Can you just.. explain what exactly happened?”

. . .

“Yah!! AHJUSSI!” Dara ran barefooted crossing the zebra cross, trying to catch the man with her shoes. A little while ago she was sitting peacefully in the subway. There were this very short moment when the train entered a tunnel, and the light was out during that time. Dara felt something on her feet, and when the light returned, she could no longer see her winged shoes on her feet.

What started this ridiculous cat and mouse chase was when Dara finally saw the man stealing her shoes getting out of the train.

“HELP! That man is a thief!” she shouted for help, but no one on the street seemed to care. That day she was even wearing her best white and red coat for Christmas, and was just going to head for work, but the universe played a trick on her.

. . .

“What? They steal shoes on subway nowadays?” Jiyong cut her story, and Dara only shrug.

“It’s just the beginning! Do you want me to continue or not?”

“Arasseo, arasseo.. “ Jiyong rolled his eyes, before sipping his hot choco and let the girl continued her story.

. . .

It was getting dark, and Dara was beginning to grow tired and hungry. Without that shoes, her father would kill her tonight when he needed her help the most at work. At that rate, people began to stare at her as she walked around like a hobo between the streets, barefooted. The other stared at her because of her beautiful face, wondering what could have happened to the lady.

One of those guys was lucky when Dara caught him staring at her and decided to ask him instead, “Excuse me, did you see a man, around this height, with bushy beard and evil face, walking around with a white shoes? White winged shoes?” she said. The guy gulped nervously before replying, “Uh.. I didn’t see him..”

Dara thanked him quickly before continuing her search, not knowing how the guy behind her was still staring at her, or how his friends were whispering, “Why do all the pretty ones weird? Too bad..”

. . .

“Whoa, you really are stupid aren’t you? Why didn’t you just report your shoes to the police?” said Jiyong, while adding more marshmallow to his own cup.

The messy-looking Dara sipped her hot chocolate fast, “Ah.. this thing is good. Maybe my dad will like this!”

The fireplace felt somehow warmer now, and with minimal lightings on the living room, Jiyong couldn’t help but feeling the cozy atmosphere surrounding both of them. Jiyong knew it wasn’t anything close to romantic or anything, but this girl in front of him had such a.. weird-comforting aura. When it comes to girls and women (he neatly separated them into these two categories for his own reasons), Jiyong was quite experienced. His dating stories were countless, and more than half of the contact list on his cellphone were dominated by female.

But none of the girls and women he had encountered was like this one. If his eyes were a scanner, then it just broke a few seconds ago because taking a deduction out of this girl was impossible. She was just who she was, and Jiyong didn’t know where to put her between his chart of ladies type he had always kept in mind.

“Wait wait wait, wait a second. Earlier you said that you were dumped? How- -”

But she cut him first, “Hnnn...I was about to get into that part!”

“Oh right. Please, continue..”

. . .

“AHJUSSI! YAH! I SAW YOU!”

With her loud yelling and everyone staring at him, the bearded-guy-with-an-evil-face started to pick up his pace as he ran and pushed himself into the crowd that night. Dara didn’t want to lose another chance of catching him and with all the energy left in her, she broke into the crowd, didn’t care when she was bumping into people on the way, trying hard not to lose his black jacket from her sight.

Her barefeet started to ache, and Dara didn’t feel like running anymore but it was so close. The space between them when the guy finally slowed down. Immediately she stretched her arm, reaching to grab the back of his jacket. But when she finally did, it was only his jacket that was left on her hand.

“Don’t run anymore! My father will- -“

That sentence was never completed, as her face hit something and for the next few seconds she couldn’t see anything properly. She gasped, an extremely thick smell of rotten fish and some other whatnots penetrated her lungs. She could still hear the city, somewhere behind and above her, but she was still shutting her eyes close, not ready for whatever it was surrounding her.

Finally, the suspense of not knowing where she was, was killing her. She opened her eyes and instantly froze right at the second she opened her eyes. An ocean of black trash bags, a couple of expired sardines, thrown away clothes from the Christmas Sale, all blended together wit herself as the cherry on top of them.

“Merry Christmas, dear.” the guy smirked, before running again, leaving her at the alley dumpster.

. . .

“WHAT THE- -”

“What..?”

“So when you said you were dumped, you really were thrown into a dumspter??” Jiyong said, staring at the price tag stuck in her head, at her messy clothing, at those disgusting dirt smeared all over her face. Fresh from the dumpster.

“Of course!” she nodded, before sipping her hot chocolate again. “I climbed out of the dumpster and searched for that guy, but he’s gone.”

“Then?”

“Then I saw you with my shoes!” she said, pointing at the winged shoes she was wearing, “This baby is a present from my dad!”

Jiyong didn’t understand how the shoes he clearly bought from the store was the same shoes she lost to a thief. He wanted to ask, but the girl kept telling the story.

“It was my birthday present, last year! When dad was delivering gifts in Korea. He got me this and ordered his men to fix it for me.” her eyes were once again twinkling when she mentioned those shoes.

“For a daddy’s girl, you’re being weird you know. If your dad could get you those shoes, and someone stole it from you, you can just ask him to get you a new one, right? What is wrong with you, really.” he sighed, finally knowing what type of girl this Dara was. She was the ‘spoiled clown’ type. Clueless and dumb, and loved by her rich father.

Dara shook her head, “Aigoo, my dad is always busy! Especially at this time of the year, he wouldn’t even read my text.”

“Ah, that kind of father..” Jiyong mumbled, still trying to deduce the girl in front of him.

She handed him the glass after finishing her hot chocolate, and just like that turning her back at him, facing the fireplace again. He wondered if she was cold or something, but the girl wasn’t even trying to warm herself. She was just there, sitting on the floor, staring at the dancing fire as if it was a good drama on TV. Then she smiled. “Kwon Jiyong, I’m glad you’re not on the naughty list this year.”

“Huh?”

She turned around and smirked, “My dad put you on the good list this year. Keep it up!”

He scoffed, “Yah, what’s with the naughty and good list? I’m always good, Santa has been giving me presents every year.” he joked, though part of it was right. His mom always sent him Christmas presents, his dongsaengs and past girlfriends, he was always surrounded by presents during Christmas. Except that one year when he hit a boy with a motorcycle and ran away with it. Like a karma, he didn’t get any presents that year. His mom got to pay to the parents of the victim, and Jiyong noted the days after that as probably one of the worst moments in his life.

She chuckled a bit, “It’s weird hearing people calling my dad Santa. Kekeke..”

Jiyong froze in instance, when he couldn’t even decide whether it was a joke or not.

“Mr. Kwon! Are you inside? Open up!”

***

Jiyong threw himself to the sofa after returning from the police station. Caressing Gaho softly on its back, he closed his eyes. That night was exhausting, even for him who had been used to being busy, working for the past few years.

The corner of his living room had a puddle of melting snow now, and his eyes trailed along the walls and finally to the hole on his ceiling, where that girl just did... a magic trick there. Great, now I have to fix the roof right after Christmas.

He rose up to get his toolbox, but Gaho crawled to his lap, positioning himself for a good night sleep there. “Gaho, get off. Sleep in your bed, boy.” he said, trying to shoo the dog away, but didn’t have the heart to move him. Gaho leaned closer to him, and before he knew it the dog barf at his shirt.

“Aiiishh! YAH GAHO! Aiiiiiissshhhh...”

Gaho wagged his tail happily and jumped off his lap before his master could scold him. Jiyong darted to his bathroom, quickly the tap as he rinsed the vomit off his shirt.

“Aigoo Gahooooo, what did you eat..” he mumbled, seeing a paperclip, a button, and some crumpled papers scattered on his sink. Sighing, he threw the paperclip to the trashbin underneath the sink, and the button too, and checking if the crumpled paper was an important receipt from his shopping spree today.

It’s in your sock!

Those words were written on the paper. “Gaho, what is this?” he yelled, asking the dog as if he could reply to him.

 “Did she do something..?” he asked his other self on the mirror, while staring at that crumpled note on the sink.

Couldn’t press the curiosity, Jiyong returned to his living room, straight to his fireplace. Socks filled with cards and gifts were hung there, and he noticed one that wasn’t even there before. An apple and little golden stars decorated that socks, and once again he comfirmed that he never own this sock before. That girl seriously did something.

He dug into the sock, pulling out an apple and a small christmas card stick to it.

Sorry I wrote it in a rush,

But my dad wishes you a Merry Christmas and a Happy Next Year!

Flip the card, you’ll find your present!

;D

San-Dara

P.S: Hohoho make sure to stay on the good list, Jiyong-ssi! See you next year!

“It’s Happy NEW Year, silly.”

It was hard to tell if Jiyong was smiling or crying when he flipped the card and found what he had been wanting all year. He found Yang Hyun Suk’s bussiness card from YG Entertainment, the person he always wanted to meet, along with the job he always wanted to apply to all his life. This might be the weirdest, yet the sweetest gift he had, and for that he silently thanked the girl with the winged shoes.

Merry Christmas too, Sandara.

***

One of the elves smiled and greeted her when Dara walked into their factory. They were counting gifts and checking things for the last time before everything was delivered to everyone. The scent of sweets and gift wraps were always here at the factory, where Dara spent most of her time here helping her Dad out.

“Is Dad here?” she asked one of the elves, who spontaneously pinched his nose with his fingers.

“Miss Dara where have you been?! Smelly!” he said, and Dara could only grin foolishly to him. “Many things happened today. But seriously, dad should be home by now!” she said, spreading her view only to see ocean of elves working extra hours on their stations.

“Yes Dara, where have you been? I thought you would help me in Seoul tonight!”

The girl turned around and found her favorite chubby man entering the factory from the back entrance. Today he was wearing his special red jacket and even shaved a bit, because her daughter didn’t like the beard at all.

“Welcome back, Boss!” the elves said, almost in harmony, and Mr. Claus waved at them. “Thank you for today my friends! One last ride after this and we’re done!”

The elves cheered and they worked even faster and merrier than before.

“Sorry dad, my shoes were stolen and everything went wrong, but look! I got it back!” she said, planting a kiss on her father’s cheek, before showing her treasured winged shoes.

Mr. Claus hugged her daughter tight, “You could just ask me, and I’ll get you the replacement!”

“But you said it was the one and only shoes! I can’t fly with other shoes, but I can fly with this~” she said, demonstrating her flying skill right away as she tiptoed and lifted herself a little in the air, flapping those little white wings at the side of the shoes.

The Christmas man only chuckled when he noticed something carved at the tongue of the shoes, “Dara, those aren’t the shoes I gave you. I don’t remember getting you Adidas. Yours was crafted by one of the elves, there wasn’t any brand on it.”

Dara stopped in the air and slowly got herself back to the ground, taking a second look at her shoes. She froze and soft chuckles escaped her lips, slowly becoming a loud laughter. “Aigoo.. I’m sorry Kwon Jiyong.. I’m sorry~!”

“Kwon Jiyong? He’s that one kid with a motorcycle right?” said Mr. Claus, remembering the naughty kid he blacklisted a few years ago.

“Stop saying that, he’s a good guy, dad! Oh, and I delivered his gift earlier, is that alright?”

“Yes, it’s alright, you did a wonderful job!” he said before pulling her to the back entrance, “Come on, one last ride! You’re coming right?”

“Not going to miss this! Let’s go go go!” she said, running a little as Mr.Claus rushed back to his automatic sleigh. “By the way, when can I get my riding license?”

Her dad sat on the sleigh, pushing himself to make room for his daughter, “You’re not going to ride this sleigh! It’s dangerous and- -“

“Arasseo arasseo~” she said, locking the sleigh door beside her. It wasn’t her first time going with his father on Christmas nights, but for some reasons, she couldn’t stop smiling tonight.

Thank you for the shoes, Jiyong.

***

The End

***

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