The Guardian

One Winter Night

It is as same as cold as other winters before. She drew herself on the mattress to keep her covers to stay warm. A little more while, she felt the need that she want something to warm her up in the cold night. She stood up from her bed, found a sweater on her luggage and put it on along with another jacket and headed downstairs for some snacks. She knew that there were not a lot of people by the time because it was too late and she guessed that everyone was sleeping. She ended up tiptoeing to her feet until she felt the need of direction. She didn't know where the kitchen was.

She brushed her palm on her nape. She heaved a sigh and turned right guessing and hoping she is right. She was about to step one more when a voice stopped her midway.

"The kitchen's on the left side," the voice said after mumbling some things she couldn't understand.

She turned to the guy that spoke and smiled at him, “Why, thank you, mister.”

“No problem,” he said and continued to walk ahead of her, also targeting the kitchen. She followed.

“Are you hungry?”

“A little,” she replied biting her lip. She don't know what to say. All she knows is that she is cold. She needs something hot to warm her up. “I felt so cold because it's already winter so I guess I'll go for something hot.”

“Ramen?”

“Could be.”

“Then I'll cook up for you,” he replied taking out pot from the cabinet and choosing the right size. “It would be nice if we save water for environmental purposes.”

She cannot help but smile on his remark, “Okay then.”

“You're not from here, right?” the guy asked while he puts the pot with hot water on the stove. He turned the heat on.

“Yeah,” she said. “I'm going home to my grandma's for winter season.”

“You're from Seoul?”

“Not really,” she walked to the stool and sat there. “I'm from Daegu but moved to Seoul because my mom asked me to come over there.”

“Oh,” he said putting all the salty ingredients to the heated water. “That's why.”

She just nodded and had a little giggle let out of her smile. She closed her intertwined hands and balled it into the table, feeling more the coldness of winter because the kitchen's more open. “I hope the ramen's really hot.”

The guy looked at the girl who sits still and politely on the stool. He smiled at himself and looked around the kitchen just to see an open window that lets the winter air in. He sighed to go and close it. The snow is already falling. Just yesterday, winter strated with the first snow and it's starting to chill out the people of Korea.

“Still cold?” he asked after closing the window. The girl just smiled and thanked him. He smiled at his thoughts and started to finish his cooking.

“THANK you for this delicious meal, I ate well,” the girl said after she slurped the last ramen soup left on her bowl. She could feel the spiciness of the food but after that she felt warmer. She turned up her head to be noticed by the guy who cooked up for her.

“Don't fret. It's nothing,” he chuckled and get her bowl to put on the sink. “It's still instant ramen you know.”

“Well, even instants have different version depends on the one cooking,” she said shrugging. “I often does mine overcooked.”

“Then why do you overcook it?”

“Not that I'm aware of,” she laughed and stood up from the stool. “Maybe I'm just a bad cook.”

“Maybe,” he mumbled while washing down the utensils they have used.

“Let me,” the girl said and got to the guy. “You're already the one who cooked.”

“No, it's fine,” he said shaking his head and pushed the girl's arms to get her out of the way. “Go ahead.”

“I'm not sure of that,” she replied to the guy. He gradually rejected the girl's offer until she gave up and stood beside him waiting for him to finish up. If this is how she could give back to the gentleman's kindness, she thought.

The guy clears his throat, “You must have missed your grandparents a lot that you took your time to go back here all the way.”

“They are my family,” she replied, all serious. “I lived with them all my life so I wanted to be there for them until their last breath.”

“I'm Suho by the way,” the guy said after putting all the dishes in the rack. “I haven't catched your name yet.”

Irene took a breath and gulped while smiling, “I'm Irene.”

“So you're alone?” the guy said in between his breath, hesitant to ask her. “You don't have someone to accompany you?”

She nodded, “I'm alone. I could manage though, the trip isn't new to me. I have traveled before, too.”

“It's still dangerous, though,” he said and followed the girl's steps. When they reached the staircase in the inn's lobby, he offered his arms which the latter accepted. Suho asked questions to the girl while she casually answers right then and there. He learned that the girl is a lounge singer in her town. He now have shared then that he writes a book that explains why he travels a lot—to have more inspirations in writing. Irene was intrigued and was more enthusiastic about him after that.

“I hope I could read your book one day,” she said sighing while she was standing in front of her room.

Suho smiled at the girl's cute demeanor. He noticed that she often plays with her lips and smiles a lot. And somehow, as he witness the smiles that the girl gives to him, he felt melting and melting as if the girl hit right through his soft spot. He doesn't know though, he wasn't aware of that inspite of his friends telling him that he is a strict and predictable person unlike of what he shows the girl right now—he couldn't control himself for being soft with the cute and pretty girl that is bubbly and light.

“If you really wanted to, I'll gladly read it for you,” his side of his lifts up, restraining himself to smile but ends up failing.

“Maybe next time,” Irene replied and turned her knob. “If ever we'll meet again.”

“That's what I'll hope for,” Suho replied. Irene goes inside her room, bidding the guy one last goodbye before she shuts it to go and try to sleep once again.