77 "It's Christmas Time!"

"So? You've packed everything you've needed?" Mia asked as she was sitting on the bed in Jun's room while, Jun was sitting on the floor with a bag before him.

He was busy arranging his folded clothes in the bag.

"Hm." He nodded on Mia's question.

"So you won't be with us for this year's Christmas too…" She sounded sad.

"…." He stopped whatever he was doing as he got that she was downhearted.

He looked up at her.

"…I'm sorry…" He said. "I was excited for the Christmas too but…."

"Yeah…I know….Grandma needs you there…" She said lowering her eyes.

"Hmm….I would have brought her here with Nana, but she is sick and doctor told her not to travel much…"

"Yeah…Wait…!" Mia looked up with twinkled eyes as she got an idea. "…What if I come with you too? We both will take care of her!" She said as she loved her own idea.

"No. That's okay." Jun said. "Don't worry about Grandma I'll take care of her. This is pretty common actually; she gets sick in cold season so I'm used to this. It's not as serious as you are thinking it is."

"But—"

"And besides you've already got plans with our friends and family. And I don't want you to change them for me." Jun said and then he again started packing his stuff in the bag.

As Jun said that, Mia remembered her plans; which were actually 'their' plans.

All her school friends had decided to spend the Christmas Eve evening together.

While, there was also gonna be a Christmas party at her house with her family like every year.

"….I just don't feel right that you are not gonna be with us…."

"….It's okay Mia. We'll spend the Christmas together next year. And besides, you are not alone. All our friends are gonna be there…."

"…."

"We can write a letter to each other like we did every year, when we lived apart." Jun tried to cheer her up.

"Oh Yeah! That we can do!" Mia said smiling.

"Hmm. Now I just want to you to enjoy and tell me everything you did after I return. Okay?"

"…Okay….I'm gonna miss you Junaa…."

Ba Dum!

On those words, Jun looked up at her instantly. She was also looking at him, smiling gently.

As he saw her face, he felt something melting in his heart. A warm unfamiliar feeling….

His ears turned slight red….

Breaking eye contact with her, he quickly looked away.

"Enough of this sweet talk now. When I'm with you, you fight with me all the time; and now as I'm going, you are talking so sweet and all…."

Mia tilted her head in confusion.

"….I can understand if you have a problem when I fight….But you have it when I'm talking nice to you too!"

"W-Whatever….I donno anything….Just..Just let me finish my work…." He said, still not looking at her and now hurriedly stuffing his bag with his clothes.

"Fine!" Mia said getting up. "It's no use to talk with you nicely. You hate everything about me. I'm going now!" And saying that, she walked towards the door of his room with long and angry steps.

Before getting out from the door, she stopped and without turning back she said,

"And for the record….You are the one who starts a fight with me by saying those stupid things." And then she gushed out from there.

"Huhhh…" Jun sighed loudly as he looked around to his empty room.

~

The next morning, Jun went to his Grandma.

Though, Mia and Jun had just fought yesterday, they said goodbye to each other with a smile. Like nothing had happened. Promising to each other, that they'd write the Christmas letter, they waved goodbye.

~

~

Like they all had decided, Mia was standing before the Bakery on time.

It was 5'o clock in the evening.

Mia was the only one there who came on time and others were yet to come.

As it was the Christmas Eve, the crowd was huge.

Roads were packed with people. Everywhere she looked, she saw people and especially couples.

The restaurants were full. The reservations were done. The Bakery behind her was flooded with the people.

Long enough, at the main circle, she could see the tip of the huge Christmas tree, which was beautifully decorated with lightings and bulbs.

As someone came out from the Bakery, the sweet scent of baked cakes and crème came to her.

"Ummm….." She closed her eyes as she enjoyed the aroma. Her head unintentionally turned towards the shop. And a smile appeared on her face.

"Want some?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Mia opened her eyes to see Ray with a smile on his face as always. He was holding a brown paper bag in his left hand and a croissant in his right one.

Blinking surprised, Mia asked, "R-Ray?....You are here, already?"

"Yeah. I came here 15 minutes early. As no one was here and this bakery was screaming to me to come inside….I just couldn't resist myself….Haha…" He laughed goofily.

Mia smiled. 'He hasn't changed at all….'

"Here." He said handing the croissant in his hands to her. "You seemed to want this too."

"Hmm." She took it from his hands. "Thank you…! Wow! It's hot."

He quickly handed her tissues. She took them and wrapped them around the croissant.

While, he took out another croissant from his bag and took a huge bite. "Um. Hm! Yumm!" He exclaimed.

Mia also followed him and took a bite. "Umm….This is so tasty!"

"Hey…" Mia said remembering something, "What about your diet? Are you allowed to eat these?"

Ray stopped eating and looked at her. "Don't worry. Don't worry. It's okay to eat."

And he took the bite. "After all this is Christmas time! Time to eat!!"

"Hehe…." Mia laughed as she saw him enjoying eating.

"I remembered the days when you first came to our school." She said.

"Yeah….I know right?....I was so fat and –"

"Cute…!" Mia said with a smile.

Ray gasped and looked at her in surprise.

'…She thought I was cute??'

"You were so cute and cuddly. And the way you used to eat and enjoy your food…Hehe…I just got reminded of that."

"….."

As he didn't respond, Mia asked, "Why? What happened?"

"…Um…No…It's just that…No one ever has said this to me….I mean the looks I always got were; I wasn't behaving properly or I was so gross while eating…."

"…But you never minded those things. You kept doing what you liked.

But then, you totally changed yourself as you made the football your everything."

"….." Ray stopped before talking further. "…Football was not the only reason of my change."

"Huh? What do you mean?" Mia asked puzzled.

"N-Nothing." He said as he took the last bite of the croissant.

"Where are others?" He asked changing the subject.

Mia turned towards the road and looked around. "Donno. They should have been here by now."

"Hmm." Ray said as he also started searching for them in the crowd.

"Shoot!!!" Mia said as she quickly turned around to Ray. She kept looking down, trying to hide herself.

"W-What? What happened?" Ray asked.

"It's him!" She said.

"Who?" Ray asked looking around.

"That guy! Siwoo!" Mia said as she tried to cover her face with her hands from both the sides.