The Christmas tree and Santa decorations everywhere created a festive atmosphere. It was already our second Christmas together, Heena and I. This year, instead of spending Christmas with family, we decided to have our own time together.
Shortly after lunchtime, as soon as we met at our agreed location, Heena reached into her bag and pulled something out.
"Here, I made this myself. Merry Christmas!"
She then extended a charcoal-colored scarf to me. As I accepted the scarf she gave me, I was impressed by the noticeably improved quality compared to last year.
"Wow, you did a great job? It's beautiful."
"Right? So, let's throw away the one I gave you last year."
"What are you talking about? Why throw it away? I'm going to keep it as a treasure forever."
"That's weird! Why did you bring it today too!"
"It's winter and I'm on a date with you. Of course, I should wear it."
Heena tugged at the scarf I was wearing, which I fondly referred to as the 'Twisted Scarf of the Netherworld'. Of course, I had no intention of ever throwing away this scarf she had painstakingly knitted. I was dead serious about keeping it for life.
But to Heena, it seemed like nothing more than an embarrassing relic. As if she wanted to tear it apart right there, I took her hands holding the scarf and lowered them.
"Thank you. And don't make that face, okay?"
I kissed her slightly pouting lips to soothe her, as she was still making that face even after I put the old scarf in my bag.
I couldn't possibly throw away something my girlfriend had put so much effort into making.
"Here, this is my gift."
To Heena, still glaring at my bag with a sulky expression, I handed over the hand-knitted mittens I had pulled out. They were beige and a bit plain without any pattern. The scarf went in and the mittens came out – like magic!
Her eyes widened in surprise at the sight.
"Did you knit these yourself?"
"Yeah. It was easier than I thought."
Actually, I had heard from Heeseong hyung in early December that Heena was knitting a new scarf as revenge for last year. As soon as I heard that, I thought this was it! and immediately bought a mitten knitting set.
Since Heena had banned spending a lot on gifts after we got our couple rings, I was really struggling with what to do for Christmas, but this seemed like a perfect solution.
Plus, knitting is mostly wrist movement, so I didn't think it would strain my elbow too much. I figured if I ran out of time, I could always get help from my mom.
But as it turned out, I had a knack for knitting. I managed to complete it smoothly just by following the enclosed instructions. Moving my hands without much thought was quite fun, so it didn't even take that long to finish.
I regretted a bit not trying to knit a scarf myself, knowing now that I could have done it.
Heena appeared utterly surprised, not having imagined that she would receive a hand-knitted gift from me. Her mouth hung open slightly in astonishment.
"How do you like it? It's a bit plain, but..."
"I love it, I really love it! Thank you! I love you!"
She hugged my neck joyfully in response to my question and expressed her happiness with a kiss.
-Smooch, smooch.
Her lips, soft and moist like marshmallows, continuously kissed near my lips. I wrapped my arms around her waist and returned the kisses, looking into her eyes.
Before dating Heena, I used to find couples kissing openly on the streets quite eye-rolling, but now I understood their feelings.
Why care about others' eyes? We're so happy together!
"Uhm~ Should we just go home? I want to keep doing this."
"Suggesting that right after meeting is a bit... It's Christmas, let's at least take a walk."
"Should we?"
It seemed that even after all those kisses, it wasn't enough for her. Just 5 minutes into our meeting, she was suggesting we head home. Of course, enjoying the day that way wouldn't be bad, but since we spent last Christmas with family, I wanted to spend this year walking around with just the two of us.
Heena, probably having said it in jest, obediently unwrapped her arms from my neck. Holding hands, we strolled through the streets filled with the sound of carols.
It was already our last winter in high school. Since dating Heena, every day had been either blissfully happy or spectacularly dramatic, making time fly.
I had studied unusually hard, even though I couldn't take the college entrance exam. It still stings every time I think about it.
"By the way, I heard we're spending this New Year together, did you hear about it from your dad?"
"It's funny to think that I would hear such news from our dads..."
We had agreed to spend New Year's Eve and the day transition to January 1st with Heena's family. Interestingly, it wasn't even our idea; our dads had discussed it and set the schedule, just like when we went on a beach trip last summer.
I knew why they were organizing such a gathering.
"Probably my dad wants to have a drink with us."
"Your dad?"
"Yeah. My brothers also had their first drink with dad on their twentieth New Year’s Day.
Since you can legally drink from January 1st in the year you turn 19, he insists that the first drink must be with him.
But actually, my brothers and I had already tried it much earlier, when they were in high school. I barely touched a drop to my tongue before spitting it out.
It tasted awful. My brothers somehow managed to finish a bottle together, but after that, they never suggested drinking while in high school again.
"He'll probably try to see how much we can drink, are you okay with that? Maybe he won’t push you too hard."
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll probably drink well. Me and you."
"Oh, confident~ Well, everyone in our family drinks well, so I guess I won’t be too bad either."
I'm not sure how Heena will handle it. Honestly, I'm curious to see what she's like when she's drunk.
"But where should we go? We're just wandering aimlessly."
"Let's go wherever you want, Yeonho!"
"Uh, it feels like you've been pushing the decision of our destination onto me lately..."
"I'm happy anywhere as long as I'm with you, right?"
Is that how she's going to play it? I'm past the stage of getting flustered by those words.
"I also enjoy anything as long as I'm with you. So, where shall we go?"
"I said it first, so I win! You decide!"
"There's no such rule, you know."
"Hmph, are you sure you won't regret leaving it up to me?"
Seeing her pout as she spoke, I confidently assured her.
"Ah, I'll follow you anywhere! Just say the word!"
"Really? No backing out?"
"Of course."
"If you back out, you have to grant me a wish?"
Her eagerness to make a wish deal made me hesitate for a moment.
Why is she looking so uneasy? Surely she's not planning on taking me to a lingerie store or something? Even when we went swimsuit shopping last year, I felt like I was going to suffocate.
Ah, surely not.
"Deal!"
"You promise?"
"I said I would, didn't I? I, Han Yeonho, have never gone back on my word."
"That's what I thought."
She narrowed her eyes at me and then confidently started walking ahead. As long as it wasn't something embarrassing like a lingerie store, I was prepared to follow her anywhere.
If it really turned out to be a lingerie store, I would gracefully back out. With that in mind, I was curious about where she would take me.
But the place we soon arrived at was beyond my wildest imagination.
"What are you going to do?"
"Wow."
The large Motel sign in front of us made me exclaim in surprise. I never imagined she would choose such a place in broad daylight.
Standing there dumbfounded, looking up at the unexpected destination, Heena tugged at my coat and pressed for an answer.
"What will you do, Han Yeonho, who has never gone back on his word?"
"This is cheating, isn't it? We can't even go in there yet."
"If you're okay with it, I can find a way in. What's your decision?"
I was curious about how she planned to 'find a way in'. While I wanted to say, 'Go ahead, try it', I knew Heena could likely come up with a way.
No, she might already have a plan, knowing her meticulous nature.
Yet, I didn't want to concede defeat so easily, so I pondered hard but eventually had to admit defeat. My girlfriend was formidable.
"I admit defeat..."
"So, I win?"
"Yep, you win. But do you have a method?
"What method?"
"To get into the motel."
"There isn't one."
What?
"Did you bluff?"
"Nope~ If you had agreed, I would have started looking for a way then~"
"You tricked me!"
"Tricked? How can you say that to your girlfriend?"
No matter how cutely she spoke, this felt a bit underhanded. I might have overestimated Heena and gotten overly nervous, but I didn't expect this!
"Then, I'll give you a chance to change your mind now. Want to switch?"
"......."
But her coming at me like this puts me in a tough spot, doesn't it?
I couldn't easily respond, feeling intimidated by her confident attitude, as if she was ready to go in there right this moment.
In the end, unable to say anything, I slowly shook my head. To my surprise, Heena clicked her tongue and pouted.
"Chi, I was thinking of calling oppa to get us in, then kicking him out once we're inside."
I was chilled by her casual mention of such a devious plan.
She tricked me twice? She had a plan all along!
Though I found it hard to accept the outcome of our bet, complaining any further would have been petty.
Reluctantly, I admitted my defeat. Despite Heena seeming disappointed that I conceded, she soon broke into a wide grin.
"So, you'll grant my wish, right?"
"I guess I have no choice..."
"Yay~"
Watching my girlfriend jump for joy like a child warmed my heart.
Yeah, I didn't lose, I let her win. As a boyfriend, I just wanted to make her happy by letting her win.
After reassuring myself with this mental victory, I asked Heena, who was now wearing a mysterious smile.
"Are you going to use your wish now?"
"Yes!"
Her immediate response was just what I was hoping for. We didn't really have any particular destination in mind anyway. With it being Christmas, everywhere was crowded, and finding a place to go was difficult.
That was why we had been aimlessly walking around.
"What's your wish?"
"Don't run away, and stay right by my side while we shop, from entering to paying at the counter!"
"......."
Why this wish? Wait, does this mean...
Overwhelmed by a sudden sense of dread, I stopped in my tracks and looked at Heena with trembling eyes. Unfazed, she delivered her verdict with a clear, untroubled smile.
"Will you help me pick out lingerie?"
Holy shit.
The Christmas tree and Santa decorations everywhere created a festive atmosphere. It was already our second Christmas together, Heena and I. This year, instead of spending Christmas with family, we decided to have our own time together.
Shortly after lunchtime, as soon as we met at our agreed location, Heena reached into her bag and pulled something out.
"Here, I made this myself. Merry Christmas!"
She then extended a charcoal-colored scarf to me. As I accepted the scarf she gave me, I was impressed by the noticeably improved quality compared to last year.
"Wow, you did a great job? It's beautiful."
"Right? So, let's throw away the one I gave you last year."
"What are you talking about? Why throw it away? I'm going to keep it as a treasure forever."
"That's weird! Why did you bring it today too!"
"It's winter and I'm on a date with you. Of course, I should wear it."
Heena tugged at the scarf I was wearing, which I fondly referred to as the 'Twisted Scarf of the Netherworld'. Of course, I had no intention of ever throwing away this scarf she had painstakingly knitted. I was dead serious about keeping it for life.
But to Heena, it seemed like nothing more than an embarrassing relic. As if she wanted to tear it apart right there, I took her hands holding the scarf and lowered them.
"Thank you. And don't make that face, okay?"
I kissed her slightly pouting lips to soothe her, as she was still making that face even after I put the old scarf in my bag.
I couldn't possibly throw away something my girlfriend had put so much effort into making.
"Here, this is my gift."
To Heena, still glaring at my bag with a sulky expression, I handed over the hand-knitted mittens I had pulled out. They were beige and a bit plain without any pattern. The scarf went in and the mittens came out – like magic!
Her eyes widened in surprise at the sight.
"Did you knit these yourself?"
"Yeah. It was easier than I thought."
Actually, I had heard from Heeseong hyung in early December that Heena was knitting a new scarf as revenge for last year. As soon as I heard that, I thought this was it! and immediately bought a mitten knitting set.
Since Heena had banned spending a lot on gifts after we got our couple rings, I was really struggling with what to do for Christmas, but this seemed like a perfect solution.
Plus, knitting is mostly wrist movement, so I didn't think it would strain my elbow too much. I figured if I ran out of time, I could always get help from my mom.
But as it turned out, I had a knack for knitting. I managed to complete it smoothly just by following the enclosed instructions. Moving my hands without much thought was quite fun, so it didn't even take that long to finish.
I regretted a bit not trying to knit a scarf myself, knowing now that I could have done it.
Heena appeared utterly surprised, not having imagined that she would receive a hand-knitted gift from me. Her mouth hung open slightly in astonishment.
"How do you like it? It's a bit plain, but..."
"I love it, I really love it! Thank you! I love you!"
She hugged my neck joyfully in response to my question and expressed her happiness with a kiss.
-Smooch, smooch.
Her lips, soft and moist like marshmallows, continuously kissed near my lips. I wrapped my arms around her waist and returned the kisses, looking into her eyes.
Before dating Heena, I used to find couples kissing openly on the streets quite eye-rolling, but now I understood their feelings.
Why care about others' eyes? We're so happy together!
"Uhm~ Should we just go home? I want to keep doing this."
"Suggesting that right after meeting is a bit... It's Christmas, let's at least take a walk."
"Should we?"
It seemed that even after all those kisses, it wasn't enough for her. Just 5 minutes into our meeting, she was suggesting we head home. Of course, enjoying the day that way wouldn't be bad, but since we spent last Christmas with family, I wanted to spend this year walking around with just the two of us.
Heena, probably having said it in jest, obediently unwrapped her arms from my neck. Holding hands, we strolled through the streets filled with the sound of carols.
It was already our last winter in high school. Since dating Heena, every day had been either blissfully happy or spectacularly dramatic, making time fly.
I had studied unusually hard, even though I couldn't take the college entrance exam. It still stings every time I think about it.
"By the way, I heard we're spending this New Year together, did you hear about it from your dad?"
"It's funny to think that I would hear such news from our dads..."
We had agreed to spend New Year's Eve and the day transition to January 1st with Heena's family. Interestingly, it wasn't even our idea; our dads had discussed it and set the schedule, just like when we went on a beach trip last summer.
I knew why they were organizing such a gathering.
"Probably my dad wants to have a drink with us."
"Your dad?"
"Yeah. My brothers also had their first drink with dad on their twentieth New Year’s Day.
Since you can legally drink from January 1st in the year you turn 19, he insists that the first drink must be with him.
But actually, my brothers and I had already tried it much earlier, when they were in high school. I barely touched a drop to my tongue before spitting it out.
It tasted awful. My brothers somehow managed to finish a bottle together, but after that, they never suggested drinking while in high school again.
"He'll probably try to see how much we can drink, are you okay with that? Maybe he won’t push you too hard."
"Yeah, I'm fine. I'll probably drink well. Me and you."
"Oh, confident~ Well, everyone in our family drinks well, so I guess I won’t be too bad either."
I'm not sure how Heena will handle it. Honestly, I'm curious to see what she's like when she's drunk.
"But where should we go? We're just wandering aimlessly."
"Let's go wherever you want, Yeonho!"
"Uh, it feels like you've been pushing the decision of our destination onto me lately..."
"I'm happy anywhere as long as I'm with you, right?"
Is that how she's going to play it? I'm past the stage of getting flustered by those words.
"I also enjoy anything as long as I'm with you. So, where shall we go?"
"I said it first, so I win! You decide!"
"There's no such rule, you know."
"Hmph, are you sure you won't regret leaving it up to me?"
Seeing her pout as she spoke, I confidently assured her.
"Ah, I'll follow you anywhere! Just say the word!"
"Really? No backing out?"
"Of course."
"If you back out, you have to grant me a wish?"
Her eagerness to make a wish deal made me hesitate for a moment.
Why is she looking so uneasy? Surely she's not planning on taking me to a lingerie store or something? Even when we went swimsuit shopping last year, I felt like I was going to suffocate.
Ah, surely not.
"Deal!"
"You promise?"
"I said I would, didn't I? I, Han Yeonho, have never gone back on my word."
"That's what I thought."
She narrowed her eyes at me and then confidently started walking ahead. As long as it wasn't something embarrassing like a lingerie store, I was prepared to follow her anywhere.
If it really turned out to be a lingerie store, I would gracefully back out. With that in mind, I was curious about where she would take me.
But the place we soon arrived at was beyond my wildest imagination.
"What are you going to do?"
"Wow."
The large Motel sign in front of us made me exclaim in surprise. I never imagined she would choose such a place in broad daylight.
Standing there dumbfounded, looking up at the unexpected destination, Heena tugged at my coat and pressed for an answer.
"What will you do, Han Yeonho, who has never gone back on his word?"
"This is cheating, isn't it? We can't even go in there yet."
"If you're okay with it, I can find a way in. What's your decision?"
I was curious about how she planned to 'find a way in'. While I wanted to say, 'Go ahead, try it', I knew Heena could likely come up with a way.
No, she might already have a plan, knowing her meticulous nature.
Yet, I didn't want to concede defeat so easily, so I pondered hard but eventually had to admit defeat. My girlfriend was formidable.
"I admit defeat..."
"So, I win?"
"Yep, you win. But do you have a method?
"What method?"
"To get into the motel."
"There isn't one."
What?
"Did you bluff?"
"Nope~ If you had agreed, I would have started looking for a way then~"
"You tricked me!"
"Tricked? How can you say that to your girlfriend?"
No matter how cutely she spoke, this felt a bit underhanded. I might have overestimated Heena and gotten overly nervous, but I didn't expect this!
"Then, I'll give you a chance to change your mind now. Want to switch?"
"......."
But her coming at me like this puts me in a tough spot, doesn't it?
I couldn't easily respond, feeling intimidated by her confident attitude, as if she was ready to go in there right this moment.
In the end, unable to say anything, I slowly shook my head. To my surprise, Heena clicked her tongue and pouted.
"Chi, I was thinking of calling oppa to get us in, then kicking him out once we're inside."
I was chilled by her casual mention of such a devious plan.
She tricked me twice? She had a plan all along!
Though I found it hard to accept the outcome of our bet, complaining any further would have been petty.
Reluctantly, I admitted my defeat. Despite Heena seeming disappointed that I conceded, she soon broke into a wide grin.
"So, you'll grant my wish, right?"
"I guess I have no choice..."
"Yay~"
Watching my girlfriend jump for joy like a child warmed my heart.
Yeah, I didn't lose, I let her win. As a boyfriend, I just wanted to make her happy by letting her win.
After reassuring myself with this mental victory, I asked Heena, who was now wearing a mysterious smile.
"Are you going to use your wish now?"
"Yes!"
Her immediate response was just what I was hoping for. We didn't really have any particular destination in mind anyway. With it being Christmas, everywhere was crowded, and finding a place to go was difficult.
That was why we had been aimlessly walking around.
"What's your wish?"
"Don't run away, and stay right by my side while we shop, from entering to paying at the counter!"
"......."
Why this wish? Wait, does this mean...
Overwhelmed by a sudden sense of dread, I stopped in my tracks and looked at Heena with trembling eyes. Unfazed, she delivered her verdict with a clear, untroubled smile.
"Will you help me pick out lingerie?"
Holy shit.
