14 Days of Winter: A Journal by Kim Hajoon

Day Six: 가지마

KIM HAJOON'S JOURNAL ENTRY
FRI, DEC 18TH, 2020. 11.48 AM GMT.
The Savoy. Junior Suite. My Room.

Journal-nim,

Something unexpected happened today.

Okay. I'm still shaking as I'm writing this... But... Here goes.

I woke up today feeling like shit. Maybe it was the cold weather, maybe it was the food last night (That pie did taste a little weird)...

But it was most probably because today was supposed to be our last day together. I was supposed to move to another room today. I was supposed to be separated from Minjeong.

All my belongings were packed, my suitcases were already standing up proudly by my room's door. As I showered and shaved, I decided that I shouldn't look like I was dreading today. Minjeong would finally get her freedom. The mistake that happened five days ago was supposed to be over today.

Thus... I put on my biggest smile, and I went out of my room to have breakfast.

But, to my surprise... Minjeong was looking dejected too.

That couldn't be right, could it, Journal-nim? That disappointment I picked up from her tone yesterday when I told her that the front desk called and told me that the room was indeed vacating today. That had to be my wishful thinking, right?

"Morning, Hajoon-hyung..." she said softly, biting her toast.

That wasn't the Minjeong I had gotten used to these last few days. The Minjeong I knew was cheerful, super confident (a little over confident at times), and beyond cute. This Minjeong looked sad. She didn't talk much during breakfast, only the occasional smiling and making small talk.

She confused me, Journal-nim...

Was she really disappointed that I would be leaving the suite? But... Why? She'd enjoy this absolutely huge suite on her own. She can talk with her three friends to her heart's content, she can roll around the carpet in the living room if she wants, she can practice her singing again...

Gosh... Her singing.

I knew I'd miss her voice. Haven't I told you? It was as clear as a bell. It was the most beautiful voice I've ever heard.

After we finished breakfast, the hotel staff knocked on our door, and when I opened it he asked me if I was ready to move out. I nodded, then I turned to look at Minjeong.

"Well... This is it, I guess..." I said, forcing a smile. She smiled too. (Gosh, Journal-nim... That smile).
"Yeah... It's... Goodbye, I guess..." she said slowly. I chuckled.
"No... We'll still go out on the same day, right? We'll meet again next Wednesday at the lobby!" I told her, trying to sound cheerful. She chuckled slightly and nodded.
"Yes. I'll see you next Wednesday at the lobby! Then you need to show me Twining's shop at The Strand!" she said, sounding a little bit more cheerful, but her eyes were red.

Yes, Journal-nim. Her eyes were red. Maybe the cold weather made her eyes dry.

"Right... I'll get going then, it's been a pleasure knowing you, Kim Minjeong from Yangan-si..." I said.
"Mm!" she replied cutely. "Likewise, Kim Hajoon from Yongin-si!"

We chuckled awkwardly. At that moment, Journal-nim, we stood there, staring at each other, not knowing what to do.

To be completely honest, I wanted to hug her. But that would make me an absolute creep, so I restrained myself.

Instead, I smiled at her one last time, and turned myself around. The hotel staff opened the door, and I wheeled my luggages out...

That, Journal-nim...

Was when the unexpected thing happened.

Okay... I'm shaking...

Here goes.

...

Journal-nim...

She grabbed my hand.

"Don't go..." she whispered.

I was stunned, and the hotel staff was too (of course he did. Number one: He didn't know what 가지마 meant. Number two: KIM MIN JEONG HAD JUST GRABBED MY HAND!). I turned to look at her...

And there she was, clinging to my hand with both of her tiny hands, looking down to the carpeted floor. I stared at her, not fully comprehending what she said.

"Don't go..." she repeated, then she lifted her eyes to look at me.

Her eyes were teary.

"... I don't want to be alone."

Okay.

OKAY. OKAY.

OKAY OKAY OKAY!

I'm shaking. Shit. I'm absolutely shaking.

Alright. Calm down, Hajoon. You're an intellectual.

Okay. Where was I?

Ah yes. She said that.

She said that... And my heart melted on the spot.

It melted into a puddle.

"M–Minjeong?"
"Don't go. Don't move to the other room. Please just stay here with me. I'm... Fine. We have separate rooms anyway. I... I don't want to be quarantined alone. Please stay, Op–"

She bit her lips, and her face blushed as red as the Queen's Guards' uniform.

There she went again.

She had just almost called me 'Oppa' instead of 'Hyung' again.

I can't, Journal-nim. I can't. My heart will burst if it continues like this.

Question: What do you do when an absolutely adorable girl asks you to stay with her and not leave her alone?

It was a trick question... OF COURSE I STAYED!

I wanted to just jump up and hug her right then and there... But, again, it would make me an absolute creep. So... Again, I practiced restraint. Gosh. At this rate I'd pass as a Catholic priest.

Disclaimer: The hotel staff ended up thanking us profusely when we informed him that I would stay instead of moving to the other room. He said the hotel was going to be packed anyway, so any extra room would be great. So... Yeah. I did it for the greater good of Great Britain. I'm such a patriot... To a foreign country. Okay. That's beside the point.

Anyways!

Yes, I ended up staying, and so we wheeled my luggages back to my room, and Minjeong insisted on helping me unpack. Now, Journal-nim... That's when I noticed.

She looked so happy.

I tasked her to unpack my school stuff, and she did so with a huge smile on her face, humming a weird song about... Snakes? (She kept singing 'Black mamba... Ma-ma-ma-mamba...' and then 'Ayayayayayaya'). ...

Okay that was really weird.

But... She looked absolutely happy. And that was all that mattered.

I don't mind a little weirdness.

So... That's how the story goes this morning. We finished unpacking, and once everything was in place, she smiled from ear to ear and skipped out of my room, telling me that she'd talk to me again during lunch. That was supposed to be right about... Now.

"HAJOON-HYUNG! BAP MEOGJA! LUNCH HERE!'

No, Journal-nim. I didn't write it in all caps by mistake.

She did just SCREAM those words out loud. Now I'm hearing her laughing. She's evidently so happy.

Journal-nim... Why was she so happy?

She....

She couldn't, could she?