‘Merry Christmas’ this is a phrase that makes almost everyone excited as they had been waited for 364 days just for it. It’s a joyous occasion whereby gifts are exchanged and whereby it is a holiday where everyone stays at home spending time with your love ones cuddling together as there will be white snow on the streets which donned in red whereby golden bells jingle along the street heartily.

 

Yet for Minji, it was not such a festive season, it was her mother’s death anniversary. Instead of shedding tears of joy in this festive season, she shed tears of remembrance, for her Christmas was a bitter day for her as she missed her mother. She took a photo album that contained photographs of her mother and her. Those were the good times they had together till that faithful night.

 

She was seating on the front seat looking at her mother who was driving the car. She didn’t know how and why but all she knew was that she heard a loud sounding screech in a moment then; her seat was pushed backward as an impact from another vehicle pushed the car backward. The windshield cracked and shattered down. Another impact from another vehicle crushed the back of the car, pushing her forward and making the glass from the windshield fall on her mother. Her mother face was all bloody red whereas only a glass stuck at her arms as she shield herself with her arms. Her cries were heard by the crowd. She cried not because of the pain that she was feeling in her arm but because of the injuries her mother sustained as she said, “Minji I love you, merry Christmas.”

 

Tears streamed down her face and she shook away those memories, plugging in her headphone and blasted Michael Jackson songs, leashed her dog and she got up her bicycle and cycled towards her mother grave wearing sunglasses. She can’t afford to ride on a vehicle, she fear vehicles. She also can’t afford to lose her pride by wearing sunglasses; no one can see her cry. Passer-by were amazed by what Minji did, her dog, Dougie dashed in the front where as she cycled behind like how Santa Claus ride on the snow sled led by reindeers.

 

Upon arrival, she let out her tears once more, she missed her mother. While she cried, Dougie was wondering around sniffling that area. Dougie barked as she saw two other dogs, Adam and Eve.

 

“Dougie, why are you barking?” Minji asked her dog, she looked up and a male figure holding two dogs and he answered, “Because she has friends.”

 

Minji smiled in her sunglasses but it was obvious that her voice was harsh from crying.

 

“Do you need me to look after your dog?” He offered out of kind heart but Minji declined, “I need her to company me.”

 

“Alright,” He said and stood by.

 

Minji looked up and asked, “Why are you still here?”

 

“I am looking for someone who can accompany me for Christmas… I don’t want a lonely Christmas,” He said.

 

“Alright, I need accompany. What’s your name by the way?” She asked.

 

“Taemin, Lee Taemin, and then what about yours?” He asked.

 

“Minji, Gong Minji, nice to meet you,” Minji smiled.

 

“Let’s do something for one another,” Taemin said.

 

“What for and why? We just met like seconds ago,” Minji said.

 

“Let us prepare a gift for one another; for once can we be fake lovers?” He asked and he rubbed his nape, “I need a girlfriend because my brother want to help me choose my wife if I can't find a girlfriend in a year. I can’t find one for the past 364 days and it’s the 365th day, I met you. There will be a party this evening and I need someone to pretend to be my girlfriend, please,” Taemin said and looked at her.

 

Minji hesitated for a while then she nodded her head. She spoke, “But, I have a condition which is to make me happy. Don’t make me shed a tear at all, be it tears of happiness or tears of sadness. Once I shed a drop of tear because of extreme feelings, I will walk away from you and never will we meet again.”

 

Taemin nodded his head and glanced at his watch, it was 11:11 am he spoke, “Let us meet in few hours time, use this time to prepare a gift for one another.” With that, Taemin being a gentleman walked Minji home.

 

“Thank you Taemin-ssi for sending me home,” Minji said and waved goodbye to Taemin. Taemin shook his head and said, “Drop the formalities, we are a couple remember? Call me Taemin oppa.”

 

Minji nodded her head, ‘We are just a fake pair of couples…’ She thought.

 

“Bye T-Taemin oppa,” She stuttered and she waved her hands. Taemin shook his head and hugged her and he explained, “This is the minimum you should bid goodbye.” Minji nodded her head hiding her flustered face; her cheeks were burning. She never felt this feeling before. She does not know why her face will get warm out of sudden. She supposed that the weather was too cold.

 

 

 

 

 

She then went in her house and grabbed some money before heading out again, placing her dog at home. She went to the mall. She didn’t know what to buy. Just then, she remembered that she forgot to get Taemin’s contact, how was she going to find him.

 

“Looking for me?” Taemin asked out of nowhere smiling.

 

Minji shook her head, denying it, and said, “No and I don’t know what you like.”

 

“Actually, you don’t have to buy anything for me. I owe you a favour instead. I asked you to be my pretended girlfriend and thank you,” Taemin said and pull her towards him and held her hand and continued walking.

 

“Shall we buy a set of couple outfit?” Taemin asked and he nodded his head and pulled Minji to a shop.

 

Minji let out a smile, a genuine smile for once in many years because she didn’t need to celebrate Christmas alone for once since the death of her mom.

 

 

 

 

 

Time flew by so quickly and it was evening. Taemin had squandered a handful amount of money on Minji however he felt satisfied. Minji was in a gorgeous knee length black velvet dress whereas Taemin is in a suit. For the whole afternoon, Minji learnt that Taemin was the son of one of the richest CEO and that party will have all his friends who were also rich also his brother and the rest of his family members.

 

Taemin and Minji walked in with their arms crossed and Taemin leading her around. After grabbing enough attention, he announced, “This is my girlfriend."

 

Those words made her realised that that was not true and it brought Minji back to the reality remembering that she will only be his girlfriend for a night and only that night. Her brain knew that this happiness will only be short-lived but her heart was unwilling to cooperate. Her heart was pounding at an extreme speed as seconds passed by beside Taemin, as fast as the heart would beat if she were to run. After much self-debate with her heart and mind, she decided that she wanted to stay by his side more than a day.

 

The day ended and Taemin sent Minji home. “This is for you,” He said passing her an envelope.

 

"Bye," He said.

 

At that very moment, Minji really wanted to ask him not to leave. She really wanted to think of multiple excuses to make in stay but refused to open.

 

"Minji, go in, its cold here," Taemin spoke and it interrupted her thoughts and she automatically entered her house.

 

Once she entered her apartment, she opened the envelope. It was a piece of paper tore from a book, probably a diary entry.

 

‘Dear diary,
That girl… She mesmerised me. I can’t stop thinking of her. But who am I to do so? I am nothing compared to her. She is the queenka, whereas I am just a nerd. She won’t like me…
But, I liked her. I loved her.
I am her fan. But she didn’t know.
The words that I wanted to tell her:
Gong Minji, I love you.
I know you wanted to protect yourself so you became proud but no, I don’t believe that you are corky, not at all. Thank you for helping me out earlier. If it was not because of you who shouted, “Stop bullying him!” I would be punched by the bullies.
Thank you for making me smile by smiling at me sometimes.
Thank you for making an effort to smile at me.
Signing off,
Taeminnie; Lee Taemin; TaeNerd’

 

Tears welled up Minji’s eyes, she was touched. She didn’t know that he had liked her since those days. She didn’t know who Taemin was but she knew who TaeNerd was. TaeNerd was that guy who wore nerdy, thick-rimmed spectacles to school and that hoodie which covered his forehead. She liked Taemin after spending a day with him and she never expected that he liked her which surprised her. She ran out of her house. To her surprise, she saw Taemin was still around, he probably was waiting for her to reappear. She smiled at him and ran towards him, embracing him tightly and she whispered in his ears, “Thank you Taemin, for still remembering me , thank you Taemin for giving me a chance to love and to be loved. I love you Taemin.” Taemin smiled and gave Minji a bouquet of roses and said, “There is ninety-nine roses, I will love you till the last rose dies. There are ninety-eight real roses and one is man-made one. Shall our love be everlasting.”