Forgotten Night

Flashback #12

24 December 2016, 8:00 PM

"What?" I asked. "You broke up with your boyfriend?"

"Hm," She said as if it was not a big deal. She did not look sad.

"When?" I asked.

"One week earlier." She said, putting her hands into her coat pocket. We were standing looking at the huge Christmas tree in the city. It had been just three days since I had got discharged from the military. And tonight was YuBin's birthday.

"Why?"

"Just... We did not match that well. And when I told him you will be coming back and I need to go to work and won't have much time for him; he said we should break up." She seemed so nonchalant about it. Not hurt or anything.

The feelings I had felt for her back in Army had died down by now. So it did not feel so thrilling or anything. But it slightly felt good though. Or more than just 'slightly'. I smiled to myself secretly. But that did not mean I had any feelings for her or anything. 

I was not sad. In fact, I was feeling happy. Hyun was back from the Military. I had missed him all these months. But he was back now. So the world felt bright again. And I was actually really glad that I can spend Christmas eve with Hyun than with my ex-boyfriend. It was also my birthday.

"Ah...I have a birthday gift for you." Hyun said suddenly, taking out a box from his pocket.

That year, I wanted it to be special and had spent hours trying to find something really suitable. But well...you can spend hours looking for a present for a best friend as well. No need to put other meanings behind it. But I was still kind of nervous giving it to her.

"What is it?" I asked. He held out the box. It was a jewellery shop box. I took the box from his hands and opened it. I blinked. It was beautiful. Really beautiful. A necklace. In the shape of my zodiac. With shining white stones in place of stars. It was really pretty. Even the box was pretty. But then my eyes fell to the brand name on the box.

And my happiness fell. It would be expensive.... Really expensive. I can't accept it. I looked up at him. "It's really expensive," I said.

"So?" he asked.

"I can't."

It slightly hurt. Okay, it really hurt. I had spent hours looking for this. She should be considerate of the person giving her a gift. But I should have expected this. This was YuBin. I thought I should have thrown away the box with the brand label.

"If you don't accept it, I am going to throw it out to the trash bin," I said bluntly. "I mean it."

He held out the box, insisting. But I began to wonder why he is giving me something like this. A piece of jewellery holds many meanings. What is this? I looked up in to Hyun's eyes. But they were the same as always. I felt a bit foolish. Coz it was not like it will actually mean anything. It was Hyun. There was no way he would... I accepted the box. If he says he will throw it out, he may actually throw it out.

"Shall I help you put it on?" He asked.

"Huh?"

"I will..." he said, without waiting for my answer and took the necklace from the box and came closer and started to put it on me. I froze. His closeness was too much for me. My breath caught somewhere inside me. Why is this happening? I did not want him to detect this. I should not get caught. I tried to fix my expression.

Being that close to her made me hold my breath. It's okay. It's just YuBin, I said to myself. The feelings I had for her was threatening to surface again. I pushed them down again. And moved back. YuBin smiled at me. And the necklace suited her really well. I liked my choice.

"Oh... It's snowing." She looked up. And I looked up as well. It was indeed snowing. And the lights on the huge Christmas tree was falling around us. Somewhere 'jingle bells' song was playing. And YuBin was smiling hold her hands out to touch the snow. And I was glad that we were together at that moment.

The snowwas falling on my hands, there was the smell of cake and muffins in the air, andsomewhere my favourite Christmas song was playing, and Hyun was smiling. And Iwas really happy that we were standing together here in this place, in thismoment.