Love Me Once Again

Thirty-five

Another five months had passed, including Yesung's birthday. I saw that he celebrated his birthday in Osaka. SMtown had a concert in Osaka. And they celebrated with a cake and the fans sang birthday song for him. It was all up in Youtube. By the time I was up, his day was almost over, though I had wished him in advance. All he said back was a thank you. I would like to think that he was very busy.

I was quite busy too. Our research was showing great results and we had two new lab assistants and hence I was moved to the wards part time to help. There were a few patients whom I had taken a special interest in because of their cases and especially a ten year old girl Carey, she was so sweet and so smart. It was a joy to see her and yet sorry to see her in the hospital because of her condition, where she could be out there playing with her friends.

But what kept me busy was the amount of summer parties we had and the outings and the sightseeing. I went back to Quebec at least three more times with different bunch of people. At first I sent quite a number of pictures to Yesung because I thought he might like it. Then I think, perhaps because of his workbstress or whatever, he was like upset with me, I detected a pissed off tone, so I stopped sending him pictures or trying to tell him what I did. I texted to Jongjin instead and Jongjin was very enthusiastic.

Summer was a time where everybody traveled everywhere. Chris also went back to UK for a bit. He did invited me along but I had no leave left. I had used up my two weeks when the brothers came. You don't get too much leave when you are on a study exchange..

Winter in Toronto was not any better than in Seoul. There were more heavy snowfalls and snowstorms as compared and sometimes I had to trekked knee deep in snow to get to the hospital. While somehow the number of patients dipped in winter, Carey was still here. She had became one of our study subjects and she was quite proud about it.

"My name will be there when you published the research, won't it?" she had asked me. And I nodded with a smile. She was the reason I bore the snow and trudged my way to the hospital everyday.

When Christmas came, we decorated the hospital like our house. Christmas here was definitely much celebrated than in Seoul. Most patients would go home just for the season except those who couldn't. Carey was looking forward to go home as well. Her aunt had a baby and she wanted to meet him. But on Christmas Eve, she went into shock and frightened everybody and so we kept her in the hospital for observation instead. I could tell she was very disappointed but she kept up a brave smile and acted like it was no big deal. For a ten year old, it was definitely hell of a big deal.

Boxing day was her eleventh birthday. We threw her a big party organised by Chris who dressed up as her favourite Marvel character Thor. When he appeared, I couldn't help laughing. He looked ridiculously good.

He grinned at me. One thing about Chris, he's always confident about everything he does. I don't think I ever saw him feeling insecure before.

He was of course, the star of the day apart from the birthday girl. Everybody wanted to take picture with him, even the nurses and therapists.

While everybody was laughing and giggling over their christmas presents and opening them, Carey suddenly shouted. All of us stopped whatever we were doing at the moment and looked over to her.

"Hanna!" she called me. "You are under the mistletoe with Thor!"

I looked up. So did Chris. I've always heard and read about this silly christmas tradition but it was not followed in Korea.

Then people started to chant, "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"

What..?

Chris looked at me and gave me a sheepish shrug, as if to say, no choice. I pouted too. Well, for the love of christmas and Carey, I obliged.