17 The Present (15/12/18)

(The year 2018)-

"Mia, get ready. Don't you want to go to the Christmas party shopping?"

Putting her laptop down from her lap, Mia took the cup of coffee from the side table, which was there for like an hour now.

'It's cold…..again….', she sighed and kept the cup down on the table.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

And the door opened.

"The Christmas party is this year, you know?"

A smiley, cheerful face entered her room, Mia also smiled at him.

But her face was looking tired. Her eyes were sleepy.

"Did you pull the whole night again?", he asked worriedly.

"Yeah, I just needed to finish some work before the holidays….", she said with a tired tone.

The guy came towards her and sat beside her on the bed.

Leaning forward, he gently kissed her forehead.

"Don't overwork yourself. I can't watch my wife's face like this."

"I am still your fiancé. We are not married yet..", Mia said with a teasing tone.

"Ohh really?...", saying this he grabbed her and embraced her in a hug.

"I know you are my fiancé, but you are going to marry me soon.

I am not going to let you go. I'll hold you like this forever…"

Hearing his words, Mia blushed and buried her face in his chest.

"I love you…"

"I love you too...."

"Ahem ahem…..Excuse me. Love birds…"

Hearing the familiar voice Mia tried to pull out from the hug but he didn't let her go.

"Jinaaa….Jina….My beloved sister-in-law…..

Do you always have to spoil the mood?", he said teasingly, still hugging Mia.

"Well, I didn't want to see all this either, my dear brother-in-law!

But, my mother, your sweet mother-in-law is calling you to have breakfast.

So leave my sister now, and come downstairs."

"Oh, should I leave her….or not….", he said and then hugged Mia even tighter.

"Ughhh...Do whatever you want.." Jina rolled her eyes and left the room with loud steps and an annoyed expression.

"Hahahaha!!", he laughed cheerfully.

"You love teasing her, don't you?", Mia said smiling at him.

"It's so fun to tease her. Did you see her face….Hahaha!"

"….Now come on, go ahead.

I'll freshen up and come downstairs…okay?"

"Okay…go freshen up….", he said.

"…"

"…"

"...How will I go, if you are not letting me go…..

Uhhh…..Let me go now...", Mia tried to pull out from the hug.

But he didn't let her go.

"Kiss me!"

"Huh?"

"I said kiss me. Then I'll let you go."

"What? Now?....N... No!", she blushed.

"What? I just asked for a kiss.

I am the one who always kisses you, now I want YOU to kiss ME.", he said with a pout.

Seeing his cute, pouting face, Mia smiled.

'Such a cutie….What do I do with you….'

"Okay. But first, loosen up the hug.

How will I kiss you, if you are holding me this tight?"

He loosened the grip.

Mia looked at him and smiled meaningfully.

"Now, close your eyes…."

"Huh?"

"Close your eyes, otherwise I won't kiss you!", Mia said pouting.

He immediately closed his eyes.

"Okay…Now…I am gonna kiss you…..I am gonna kiss you…Okay?

Get ready….Are you ready?"

He nodded desperately.

Mia laughed.

Then she slowly came closer to him.

"I will kiss you now…okay?", she whispered.

In excitement, his grip around her loosened completely.

Realizing it, Mia quickly kissed his nose, and then taking his hand away, she ran towards the bathroom.

Startled with her actions, he opened his eyes.

"Hey…."

"Sorry sweety, but I don't want to kiss you when I am looking like a mess.", Mia said standing at the door of the bathroom.

"…But you always look perfect….."

"Aww...But that's not gonna work...Hehe

Sorry…..

But I promise, when I'll kiss you, you'll never forget about it. EVER.", she said and closed the bathroom door.

"…That's not fair at all…", he whined.

"Love you!", she shouted from inside the bathroom.

"You better keep your promise…..

And love you too…

Now come down quickly."

"Yeah…"

~

~

"I dunno why are you marrying my annoying sister?", said Jina while taking a sip from her cup of coffee.

"Hey Jina, don't talk such things..", her mother scolded her.

"I am marrying her so that you won't be annoyed anymore.

I am saving you all, from her.

You should thank me, you know?", he said jokingly.

"Yeah, whatever.

But didn't you find any other girl?

Why only her, of all the girls around the world?"

"Jinaaaa….", her mother glared at her.

"Yeah…Maybe you are right Jina.", he nodded as if he was agreed to her statement.

"I think, I am hurrying up the things too much.

You know, what I should have done?"

Leaning forward on the table he grabbed Jina's hand.

"I should have asked YOU to marry me…", he said giving her a loving look.

"Ewww, NO WAY!!!", she yelled, withdrawing her hand quickly.

"Hahaha.."

"Hahaha…."

"Hahaha…"

Everyone burst into laughter.

Jina kept her head down feeling embarrassed.

"Your reaction is the best!", he said while wiping his eyes which were teared up a bit because of laughing.

"That's why you should never mess with him, understood Jina?", her father said.

"It's okay Dad. She is like a little sister to me.

It's fun to tease her."

"Aww…..Don't tease my little sister that much..", said Mia when she entered the dining area.

Sitting beside Jina, she continued,

"….I am going to marry soon, that's why she is upset.

She is gonna miss me so much. Right, Jina?",

Jina's eyes filled with tears.

"No, I won't!", she said hurriedly and got up from her chair.

Without saying anything further, she went towards her room.

Looking at her figure from back Mia sighed,

'I know you will, my silly sister….. I know you will….'

"She has been so annoyed these days.", complained her father.

"Yeah, she's been upset from the day she got to know that --"

"-That I am gonna marry next spring…!", Mia completed her mother's sentence.

'Spring…..The next spring…I am going to start my new life.

My new life with the man I love.....

.….Spring.....those were also the spring days …when I realized the feeling of love, for the first time in my life...the spring of 2004…...'