It's Christmas morning... I can feel it. Groggily, I feel myself slip away from that place where you're neither awake or asleep. Eyelids glued together, I squeeze them tighter so I don't have to leave the dream of you next to me this Christmas. 

You were offline. You needed a break, and left with only so much gratitude and mystery in your last tweet: "Thankyu... I'm sorry." 

Eyes still shut, I spread out my arm on what would've been your side of the bed, but now only warmed my freshly charged phone. I grasped it in my hand, slowly surrendering to reality as my lids tugged to each other and left you in dreamland... or so I thought. 

Held in my hand above my face was a pic of you sleeping. I totally forgot that you were my cover screen, suddenly remembering the pain of you gone. "How are you? Is it snowing in Jeonji-si? I hope this Christmas isn't a lonely one as it is without you," I sighed.

As if God had heard and answered my prayer, I got a text that literally bolted me out of my bed and out of my drowsiness. I pressed "Read" before the button even showed up on my screen:

"Merry Christmas, Jagiya ~~~Snow is falling from the sky!^^ Don't miss me too much, because I'm never too far from you. You'll always be my PrettieSS, and after this New Year's I'm coming home to you. Wait for me~~ Jagiya, FIGHTING! Merry Christmas and--" 

I took a deep breath, and prepared to fall, dive and sink back into your bed, aiming for the sea of comforters. I didn't even notice the two long, elegant hands sliding at the sides of your waist, ready to embrace me in his arms from behind. My closed eyes almost launched out of their sockets, as he breathed the last word from his text in my ear... a word I've NEVER heard from him, even before he went to the army and only longed for even more on this now not-so-lonely Christmas: 

"--saranghaeyo. Did you miss me, jagi?" 😍😭😢