Autumn had passed. The final exams were over without a hitch, and my grades were still on an upward trend.
My parents, who didn't pay much attention to my grades, began giving me more allowance as they continued to improve.
However, it seemed like the extra money was meant for me to treat Heena well.
They never missed an opportunity to say, "Buy something nice for Heena."
It almost felt like they liked her more than me.
With my wallet getting heavier, I faced a big dilemma as Christmas approached.
"Couple rings, they're quite expensive..."
I had thought of surprising Heena with couple rings.
We had talked about getting them a long time ago. Heena suggested getting couple t-shirts instead of cheap, toy-like accessories, so I dropped the idea.
Since we went on dates quite often, my budget was always tight.
Heena wasn't one to spend a lot before we started dating, but over half of her savings were tied up in piggy banks and small bank deposits. She even offered to break her piggy bank if I really wanted to get couple rings, but I discouraged her from doing so.
Surprisingly, we didn't have couple rings. So, I thought of getting them using the money I had been saving up for a potential trip and the extra allowance I got for doing well in the exams.
The price for a standard couple ring with initials started at 100,000 won.
Of course, there were cheaper options and DIY ring-making workshops, but I didn't want to give her something mediocre. I wanted it to be a surprise.
Especially the simple silver couple rings I was looking at really caught my eye.
A pair with initials was priced at 200,000 won.
"Wow... 200,000 won..."
It was a significant amount, yet somehow, it didn't seem too expensive compared to buying shoes or a jacket.
However, I couldn't make up my mind and was sprawled over my desk when I noticed the couple photo frame next to me.
It was from a photo and mini-frame we had made near Heena's house. We had added to the collection occasionally, and now there were quite a few.
Looking at Heena's smiling face in those photos, I felt silly for hesitating.
Right, Heena had bought me things more than once, and she had been such a wonderful girlfriend. There was no need to second-guess giving her a gift.
With my mind made up, I looked at the mandatory options required to make the purchase.
"What's this? Finger size... 14? 15?"
To place the order, I needed to specify the ring size.
Indeed, everyone's finger thickness varies, so it made sense. It was an obvious yet completely overlooked detail.
I wanted to keep it a surprise, so asking Heena for her ring size was out of the question. What to do?
I hurriedly searched the internet and found that you could measure the ring size at home if you have the hand, but I couldn't borrow Heena's hand right now.
The method of measuring would be too obvious if done in front of her.
Should I ask her to send a photo of her hand?
No. How can I tell the size from a photo?
As I pondered what to do, I suddenly thought of Yoonjung noona.
Come to think of it, even though Heena was a bit taller, they both had similar body shapes and their hand sizes seemed almost the same.
Maybe ordering the size that fits noona would work?
As soon as I thought of this, I called noona.
-The phone was answered promptly.
─Hello? What's up, calling me all of a sudden?
"Ah, noona! I need to ask you something."
─What is it?"
"What's your ring size?
─...Heeheehee, you're getting couple rings with Heena, aren't you?!
"Yeah. You and her seem to have similar sizes. Would the same size fit her?"
After my question, there was a brief burst of unpleasant laughter on the other end, and then her voice came through again.
─You better be thankful to your noona!
"Why?"
─Order size 11!
"Really? Are you sure? How do you know?"
─I compared our hands when I met you at your house last time~ I wear size 10, but the ring felt a bit tight. And Heena's fingers are just a tiny bit thicker than mine.
"Really?! Wow, I didn't expect you to know so precisely. Thanks, noona!"
─Hehe~ You're secretly getting them for Heena, right? Don't worry too much, even if the size is not perfect, it can be adjusted! It's probably not bigger than that.
"Thanks a lot! Thanks, noona!"
─Get a nice one! You and Jeongwoo are so alike in these ways~
-With a laugh, noona hung up. Did my brother also buy a gift for noona secretly?
Anyway, with this valuable information, I had solved the biggest problem. Now I just needed to measure my size.
I searched for a simple way to measure at home, gauged my size, and completed the order.
A thin silver couple ring. Engraved with our initials.
It was my first time spending this much money on something other than clothes, so I felt a bit nervous about whether it would turn out well.
---
Raei Translations
---
Two weeks after ordering the ring, on Christmas Eve.
Unfortunately, it was a Friday, so after school classes, it was already evening by the time I got back, and I could only meet Heena briefly in front of our neighborhood.
As it was the end of the year, a cold wind brushed against my face, bringing a chill with it.
Still, when I firmly held Heena's hand, which was inside my pocket along with mine, it felt warm all the way to the inside.
"So Heeseong hyung is coming tomorrow too?"
"Yeah. He seemed to want to go. Has your brother become good friends with your oppas? He said they play games together often?"
"Ah~ They did spend quite a lot of time together."
It seemed like he got along well with my younger brother. My younger brother was the type who could easily befriend anyone as long as they enjoyed playing games together. Heeseong hyung was a bit unique, but not in a bad way.
I wanted to spend Christmas just with Heena, but this time we agreed to meet up early with everyone and spend the day together. We planned to sneak away in the evening for a walk, just the two of us.
I was worried Heena might not like the idea, but to my surprise, she agreed happily. It didn't feel like she was doing it reluctantly because I asked.
"Oppa is so excited about bringing his gaming console, really."
"Really?"
"Yeah, is he that excited?"
"No, it's just... we don't have one at home."
True to his outgoing personality, Heeseong hyung had a lot of console games that many could enjoy together. He and I shared similar tastes in games.
Since we didn’t have a console at home, I was more drawn to it. Jeongwoo hyung was considering buying one.
"Hmm~ But I’ll join you guys tomorrow!"
"Is that okay?"
"Yeah, I enjoy anything when I'm with you."
As always, my girlfriend, who never fails to express her unwavering love, left me with nothing to do but smile.
As we walked, I slid my hand into the opposite pocket of the one holding Heena’s, feeling the rectangular gift box inside.
Our couple rings had arrived three days ago.
I wanted to give them to Heena right then and help her put them on, but I decided to wait until tomorrow.
I wanted to give them to her on Christmas Day, in a more special atmosphere.
Imagining the smile that would bloom on Heena's face when she received them made the corners of my mouth start to rise.
She caught me unable to manage my expression for a moment.
"What? What's making you so happy?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing. Just happy to be on a date with you on Christmas Eve."
"It doesn't seem like that~"
Her playful face provoked me to gently tickle the back of the hand I was holding.
"Stop it~"
Her voice stretched out in mock annoyance, making me want to tease her more, but I pushed back the rising mischievous urge and spoke again.
"But are you sure you're okay with not spending tomorrow just the two of us? It's Christmas, after all."
"Well, I do want to go on a date."
"Should we just hang out separately?"
"No~ Of course, I love dating you, but we see each other almost every day, right? I don’t want to be too fixated on anniversaries."
"Hmm."
"I find every day I spend with you special. So, it's all good."
She said that with a relieved smile.
Sometimes, I felt Heena sensed something in our relationship that I didn’t, something deeper than just affection. I had no idea what it was.
But, seeing that it didn’t trouble her, and instead made her happy like now, I wasn’t worried.
"We're meeting after lunch tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah~ Hehe."
She affirmed my words with a mysterious smile.
I was curious about why she was acting that way, but since we didn’t have much time left before parting, I didn’t want to waste it asking such questions.
I was enjoying the date today, and it seemed like tomorrow would be fun too.
Feeling light-hearted with anticipation, I matched my steps with Heena's.
We had been dating for 8 months now.
Time was flying by.
On Christmas Day.
I woke up early and was exchanging messages with Heena, waiting for her, when I noticed my parents were unusually busy tending to various things around the house.
They were cleaning places they usually didn’t touch and had bought a lot of food.
I thought they might be doing this because both of them were coming over, and it being Christmas, but it seemed a bit excessive.
"Do we need to go this far for just hanging out in the living room? They've been here before."
"Keep quiet and come out after you clean the bathroom."
My mom, in response to my curiosity, pushed me into the bathroom.
It was a hassle, but since Heena was coming over, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to have everything clean. So I obediently cleaned the bathroom and waited a couple of hours for them to arrive.
"......Huh?"
I rubbed my eyes, wondering if I was still sleepy, as I saw people entering through the front door, following Yoonjung noona who had arrived earlier.
Why my parents had been cleaning the house since the morning.
The meaning behind Heena's laughter yesterday.
Now, I understood it all.
"Yeonho~ Merry Christmas! Oh, hello Mrs. Yeonho’s mother!"
"Welcome. Why did you bring so many things? Just put the luggage here."
"Hmm, excuse us."
Following Heena and Heeseong hyung.
Their parents were also coming in.
To our house.
Autumn had passed. The final exams were over without a hitch, and my grades were still on an upward trend.
My parents, who didn't pay much attention to my grades, began giving me more allowance as they continued to improve.
However, it seemed like the extra money was meant for me to treat Heena well.
They never missed an opportunity to say, "Buy something nice for Heena."
It almost felt like they liked her more than me.
With my wallet getting heavier, I faced a big dilemma as Christmas approached.
"Couple rings, they're quite expensive..."
I had thought of surprising Heena with couple rings.
We had talked about getting them a long time ago. Heena suggested getting couple t-shirts instead of cheap, toy-like accessories, so I dropped the idea.
Since we went on dates quite often, my budget was always tight.
Heena wasn't one to spend a lot before we started dating, but over half of her savings were tied up in piggy banks and small bank deposits. She even offered to break her piggy bank if I really wanted to get couple rings, but I discouraged her from doing so.
Surprisingly, we didn't have couple rings. So, I thought of getting them using the money I had been saving up for a potential trip and the extra allowance I got for doing well in the exams.
The price for a standard couple ring with initials started at 100,000 won.
Of course, there were cheaper options and DIY ring-making workshops, but I didn't want to give her something mediocre. I wanted it to be a surprise.
Especially the simple silver couple rings I was looking at really caught my eye.
A pair with initials was priced at 200,000 won.
"Wow... 200,000 won..."
It was a significant amount, yet somehow, it didn't seem too expensive compared to buying shoes or a jacket.
However, I couldn't make up my mind and was sprawled over my desk when I noticed the couple photo frame next to me.
It was from a photo and mini-frame we had made near Heena's house. We had added to the collection occasionally, and now there were quite a few.
Looking at Heena's smiling face in those photos, I felt silly for hesitating.
Right, Heena had bought me things more than once, and she had been such a wonderful girlfriend. There was no need to second-guess giving her a gift.
With my mind made up, I looked at the mandatory options required to make the purchase.
"What's this? Finger size... 14? 15?"
To place the order, I needed to specify the ring size.
Indeed, everyone's finger thickness varies, so it made sense. It was an obvious yet completely overlooked detail.
I wanted to keep it a surprise, so asking Heena for her ring size was out of the question. What to do?
I hurriedly searched the internet and found that you could measure the ring size at home if you have the hand, but I couldn't borrow Heena's hand right now.
The method of measuring would be too obvious if done in front of her.
Should I ask her to send a photo of her hand?
No. How can I tell the size from a photo?
As I pondered what to do, I suddenly thought of Yoonjung noona.
Come to think of it, even though Heena was a bit taller, they both had similar body shapes and their hand sizes seemed almost the same.
Maybe ordering the size that fits noona would work?
As soon as I thought of this, I called noona.
-The phone was answered promptly.
─Hello? What's up, calling me all of a sudden?
"Ah, noona! I need to ask you something."
─What is it?"
"What's your ring size?
─...Heeheehee, you're getting couple rings with Heena, aren't you?!
"Yeah. You and her seem to have similar sizes. Would the same size fit her?"
After my question, there was a brief burst of unpleasant laughter on the other end, and then her voice came through again.
─You better be thankful to your noona!
"Why?"
─Order size 11!
"Really? Are you sure? How do you know?"
─I compared our hands when I met you at your house last time~ I wear size 10, but the ring felt a bit tight. And Heena's fingers are just a tiny bit thicker than mine.
"Really?! Wow, I didn't expect you to know so precisely. Thanks, noona!"
─Hehe~ You're secretly getting them for Heena, right? Don't worry too much, even if the size is not perfect, it can be adjusted! It's probably not bigger than that.
"Thanks a lot! Thanks, noona!"
─Get a nice one! You and Jeongwoo are so alike in these ways~
-With a laugh, noona hung up. Did my brother also buy a gift for noona secretly?
Anyway, with this valuable information, I had solved the biggest problem. Now I just needed to measure my size.
I searched for a simple way to measure at home, gauged my size, and completed the order.
A thin silver couple ring. Engraved with our initials.
It was my first time spending this much money on something other than clothes, so I felt a bit nervous about whether it would turn out well.
---
Raei Translations
---
Two weeks after ordering the ring, on Christmas Eve.
Unfortunately, it was a Friday, so after school classes, it was already evening by the time I got back, and I could only meet Heena briefly in front of our neighborhood.
As it was the end of the year, a cold wind brushed against my face, bringing a chill with it.
Still, when I firmly held Heena's hand, which was inside my pocket along with mine, it felt warm all the way to the inside.
"So Heeseong hyung is coming tomorrow too?"
"Yeah. He seemed to want to go. Has your brother become good friends with your oppas? He said they play games together often?"
"Ah~ They did spend quite a lot of time together."
It seemed like he got along well with my younger brother. My younger brother was the type who could easily befriend anyone as long as they enjoyed playing games together. Heeseong hyung was a bit unique, but not in a bad way.
I wanted to spend Christmas just with Heena, but this time we agreed to meet up early with everyone and spend the day together. We planned to sneak away in the evening for a walk, just the two of us.
I was worried Heena might not like the idea, but to my surprise, she agreed happily. It didn't feel like she was doing it reluctantly because I asked.
"Oppa is so excited about bringing his gaming console, really."
"Really?"
"Yeah, is he that excited?"
"No, it's just... we don't have one at home."
True to his outgoing personality, Heeseong hyung had a lot of console games that many could enjoy together. He and I shared similar tastes in games.
Since we didn’t have a console at home, I was more drawn to it. Jeongwoo hyung was considering buying one.
"Hmm~ But I’ll join you guys tomorrow!"
"Is that okay?"
"Yeah, I enjoy anything when I'm with you."
As always, my girlfriend, who never fails to express her unwavering love, left me with nothing to do but smile.
As we walked, I slid my hand into the opposite pocket of the one holding Heena’s, feeling the rectangular gift box inside.
Our couple rings had arrived three days ago.
I wanted to give them to Heena right then and help her put them on, but I decided to wait until tomorrow.
I wanted to give them to her on Christmas Day, in a more special atmosphere.
Imagining the smile that would bloom on Heena's face when she received them made the corners of my mouth start to rise.
She caught me unable to manage my expression for a moment.
"What? What's making you so happy?"
"Huh? Oh, nothing. Just happy to be on a date with you on Christmas Eve."
"It doesn't seem like that~"
Her playful face provoked me to gently tickle the back of the hand I was holding.
"Stop it~"
Her voice stretched out in mock annoyance, making me want to tease her more, but I pushed back the rising mischievous urge and spoke again.
"But are you sure you're okay with not spending tomorrow just the two of us? It's Christmas, after all."
"Well, I do want to go on a date."
"Should we just hang out separately?"
"No~ Of course, I love dating you, but we see each other almost every day, right? I don’t want to be too fixated on anniversaries."
"Hmm."
"I find every day I spend with you special. So, it's all good."
She said that with a relieved smile.
Sometimes, I felt Heena sensed something in our relationship that I didn’t, something deeper than just affection. I had no idea what it was.
But, seeing that it didn’t trouble her, and instead made her happy like now, I wasn’t worried.
"We're meeting after lunch tomorrow, right?"
"Yeah~ Hehe."
She affirmed my words with a mysterious smile.
I was curious about why she was acting that way, but since we didn’t have much time left before parting, I didn’t want to waste it asking such questions.
I was enjoying the date today, and it seemed like tomorrow would be fun too.
Feeling light-hearted with anticipation, I matched my steps with Heena's.
We had been dating for 8 months now.
Time was flying by.
On Christmas Day.
I woke up early and was exchanging messages with Heena, waiting for her, when I noticed my parents were unusually busy tending to various things around the house.
They were cleaning places they usually didn’t touch and had bought a lot of food.
I thought they might be doing this because both of them were coming over, and it being Christmas, but it seemed a bit excessive.
"Do we need to go this far for just hanging out in the living room? They've been here before."
"Keep quiet and come out after you clean the bathroom."
My mom, in response to my curiosity, pushed me into the bathroom.
It was a hassle, but since Heena was coming over, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to have everything clean. So I obediently cleaned the bathroom and waited a couple of hours for them to arrive.
"......Huh?"
I rubbed my eyes, wondering if I was still sleepy, as I saw people entering through the front door, following Yoonjung noona who had arrived earlier.
Why my parents had been cleaning the house since the morning.
The meaning behind Heena's laughter yesterday.
Now, I understood it all.
"Yeonho~ Merry Christmas! Oh, hello Mrs. Yeonho’s mother!"
"Welcome. Why did you bring so many things? Just put the luggage here."
"Hmm, excuse us."
Following Heena and Heeseong hyung.
Their parents were also coming in.
To our house.
