Ursa Major | Park Jin-Seong

11 • Seasonal Hibernation

"Sleep is a time in which humans are vulnerable. But sleeplessness is arguably even worse."
-초성민 (Cho Seong-Min)

"We refuse to sleep in favour of more useful things. People have come up with ways to stay awake day and night, in rebellion against sleep. But we all need it, and we won't survive without it. Yet, we still refuse."
-박진성 (Park Jin-Seong)

"君の存在だけで世界は万華鏡みたいに
くるくる回って光が射す
変わる季節と変わらない笑い声
君は思い出にならないよ
ここにいるから"
("With just your presence, the world becomes like a kaleidoscope, Spinning around and around, shining its light. With the seasons changing, but our laughing voices staying the same, you'll never be reduced to a memory 'cause you're right here with me.")
-Alisa Takigawa, "Season"

'Tis the season to be jolly, and to be third-wheeling. It's Sunday, December 25th, 2022. It's not good when Christmas lands on a Sunday. That's one less day of holiday that could have happened had it landed on any other day, except maybe Saturday because only hardcore jobs work on Saturdays.

The previous night, Areum was texting Jin-Seong, having a not-so casual conversation about whether or not a hot dog was a sandwich. Things were getting heated and they agreed to disagree. Areum was convinced that she was right, and that a hot dog was indeed a sandwich because it's literally "sandwiched" by two pieces of bread. Jin-Seong, on the other hand, wasn't budging from his standpoint that a hot dog absolutely was not a sandwich, because it was only one piece of bread connected together, and if anything, it should be considered a wrap.

정아름 (Jeong Areum):
Eonnie

초성민 (Cho Seong-Min):
What?

정아름:
Help me convince Jin-Seong that a hot dog is a sandwich

초성민:
???

정아름:
Please

초성민:
A hot dog is a god damn hot dog dongsaeng I don't know what you want me to do

정아름:
Forget I said anything ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

초성민:
하ㅏㅏㅏ Okay then

Areum had sighed loudly in her own empty apartment. She didn't really know why she and Jin-Seong were up arguing about a hot dog's sandwich status at 3 AM, or why Seong-Min was awake too, but they all had the day off so it would probably be fine to sleep in. Besides, she had something else she needed to ask him as well.

정아름 (Jeong Areum):
Hey can I ask you something non-hot dog related?

박진성 (Park Jin-Seong):
Okay sure

정아름:
I forced Seong-Min to tell me a good story about you guys a few months ago, but it was kind of vague, so do you mind filling in the details about the time you made out with her behind the school in your second year of high school?

박진성:
Um how am I supposed to be able to remember all the way back then ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

정아름:
Seriously you guys are hopeless 🤦‍♀️

박진성:
Oh ㅋㅋ sorry dongsaeng

And now, a sleep deprived Areum who was desperate for answers was also trying her best to figure out what the words on the "How to Make the Perfect Christmas Turkey" guide read. Was that a 질면조 (Jilmyeonjo)? Jail? No, it was a 칠면조 (Chilmyeonjo), a turkey. Misreading that tiny little line had Areum thinking up and down about why anyone would need to make a jail for Christmas.