Chapter 64: Christmas Celebration -2
Chapter 64: Christmas Celebration -2
The Next Day, Christmas Eve.
When Dokyun opened his eyes and came out to the living room, the first one who had gotten up had already laid out the things she bought the day before on the dining table.
"You're up early?"
"Yes!"
Dokyun greeted her warmly.
Clear laughter, sparkling eyes, lips forming a smile. Sitting on the chair, legs swinging back and forth.
Seeing her obvious excitement, Dokyun couldn't help but smile and asked her a question.
"Are you preparing already?"
"Yeah! B-because it's a party!"
Nodding vigorously, she seemed to understand the meaning of my words and asked, fluttering her eyelids.
"Oh, you haven't prepared yet?"
A somewhat disappointed tone.
Dokyun approached her once again with a smile and gently brushed her hair as he spoke.
"Since it's still morning, let's eat breakfast first, then take our time."
"Oh, okay!"
She replied and then got up from the table, heading towards the kitchen, speaking to Dokyun.
"Th-then, breakfast will be a little!"
"Yes, just a little."
"Hehe"
Her laughter echoed again.
As she spoke, she exuded excitement and went to start cooking.
***
After finishing both breakfast and showering, they began the preparations for the party in earnest, and Dokyun asked her a question.
"What should we do first?"
The tree had been set up the day before, so all that was left was cooking and decorating the living room.
When Dokyun asked the question, Eunah made a contemplative sound and then spoke up.
"I-I'll handle the cooking s-since you're the bee for decoration!"
"Are you sure you can handle it alone?"
With a thought of 'there's probably a lot to do,' when he asked, she confidently nodded her head in response.
"Yeah! I-I'm more comfortable alone."
Although there was a slight feeling of sadness, perhaps implying 'don't bother me with unnecessary things,' Dokyun, realizing that he probably wouldn't be much help with cooking, smiled again and nodded in response.
"Okay, I got it. Then I'll go decorate. Call me if you need anything."
"Yes!"
Once the roles were assigned and she headed to the kitchen, Dokyun glanced at the party supplies spread out on the living room table.
'What should I do first?'
After pondering for a moment, he couldn't come up with a clear answer.
At times like this, having a smartphone would be helpful, but since Eunah had decided to hide it somewhere else while she was out, he couldn't use it right away.
"Hmm"
Dokyun gently stroked his chin as he continued to contemplate.
What came to mind immediately was balloons. He remembered seeing a picture on the internet of balloons with the numbers of the year attached to the wall.
Thinking of that, Dokyun rummaged through the balloons and took out two balloons shaped like '2', and one each shaped like '0' and '1', blew them up, and taped them to the wall.
After completing the process and stepping back to look at him, it seemed like a pretty picture worth looking at.
"Do I have talent?"
Could he have a talent for interior design? Feeling a slight sense of pride, Dokyun's confidence surged, and he began to add decorations one by one, fueled by his momentum.
Although it was something he had never done before, adding decorations one by one while pondering was more enjoyable than he had thought.
Just like when cooking, the joy of creating something with his own hands, one by one, was not less rewarding compared to other tasks.
Inflating balloons, sparkling decorations, and even candles to set the mood.
Before he knew it, Dokyun finished decorating and smiled with satisfaction as he looked at the decorations he had set up.
The sight of the familiar space creating a different atmosphere than usual was quite satisfying.
Nodding slightly, Dokyun decided it was enough and turned his head to look at the kitchen.
Was she done preparing as well? The bustling sounds from the kitchen had quieted down, and the dishes with finished food were now on the dining table.
Seeing him, Dokyun went to the kitchen and picked up a plate of food, then turned to Eunah with a question.
"Shall we move to the living room?"
"Oh, yes!"
Responding quickly to the question, Eunah, who had turned her head hastily, positively accepted the plate he was holding.
"Okay. Let me know if you need help."
"Yeah!"
With the response received, Dokyun took some time to move the plates to the living room.
Soon, the two of them who had finished preparing for the party sat down at the living room table.
"Wow"
Dokyun couldn't help but exclaim as he looked at the dishes on the table.
From the chicken and pizza they had initially planned for the party to salmon steak and salad, the prepared dishes on the table were all exceptional.
As they admired the dishes, Dokyun lifted his head from being absorbed in them and spoke to Eunah.
"Thank you for your hard work. It must have been tough to finish everything"
"Hehe Oh, it's nothing"
Blushing, she lowered her head deeply.
However, her shy demeanor was accompanied by a smile that indicated her embarrassment.
For a moment, as Dokyun faced her smile, he thought about how happy he was in this moment.
Occasionally intertwining their fingers with a slight squeeze or sharing a glance that made their hearts flutter, they continued to cherish each moment, capturing them with a camera when they found them amusing or touching.
Pouring drinks, exchanging smiles, and sharing laughter, their first Christmas together began, filling the first pages of their memory book.
It wasn't anything grand or extraordinary.
Simply tilting their glasses, eating the prepared food, sharing their thoughts, and laughing together constituted their time.
Moments of amusement or moments that touched their hearts were captured with a camera, and when they laughed together or leaned on each other's shoulders when they felt tipsy, time passed contentedly.
Continuing to offer food only to each other, her adorable pouting when he offered her food, made him feel affectionate, momentarily feeling dazed.
Was she feeling the same happiness he was feeling? He asked her, curious, and she responded with a bashful smile.
Feeling his heart pounding and his head spinning, he laughed and felt a sense of warmth.
For a moment, he looked at his moving fingertips and suddenly noticed the pair of glasses he had bought at the party supply store the day before.
He couldn't remember why he had bought them, but he decided to try them on, and when he looked at her with them on, she burst into laughter.
"Giggles!"
As she laughed, he felt momentarily proud that he had bought them the day before.
"You look like an old man!"
Her words reached him, and his mood sank slightly.
His shoulders slumped, lifting his hand to remove the glasses perched on his face, easing the bitterness.
Could it be that he had reached the age where being called "mister", hurt? For a moment, sadness washed over him.
He realized that in just a week, it would be New Year's, and when the New Year came, he would be 32 years old.
Dokyun had been looking at her, who had not stopped smiling until now.
"Since Miss Eunah is now 22"
Next year, she'll be 23.
Nine years apart from him.
"Uh"
In an instant, the thought crossed Dokyun's mind, "Isn't this a complete thief?"
"Uh?"
As Dokyun's shoulders slumped again from the rising thoughts, she, who had been looking at him, tilted her head with a teasing smile, raising a question.
In response, Dokyun raised a faint smile on his face.
"Oh, no. I just thought, 'Another year older.'"
"Oh!"
At Dokyun's words, a deeper smile spread across her face, followed by a cheerful tone.
"Yeah! Now, I'm becoming even more of an adult!"
She seemed pleased with the idea of aging.
Dokyun gently brushed her hair aside as he spoke.
"Is that so?"
"Do you not like it, Mr. Bee?"
"It feels like getting old, which isn't very appealing."
As he responded to her question, she raised another question, then leaned into his embrace, speaking.
"I I think it's nice to age, Mr. Bee"
"Hmm?"
"Because when I become an adult bee!"
Her added explanation brought further comfort.
After a moment of chuckling, Dokyun hugged her as she nestled against him, patting her back gently.
"It's fortunate. That Eunah likes me."
"Yeah! Mr. Bee is my favorite!"
Well, they say it's good to be favored by the person involved. Despite feeling a bit guilty, Dokyun couldn't help but smile again, enjoying the warmth of her embrace for a moment before glancing at the table and speaking.
"Should we start cleaning up now?"
The drinks had turned into empty bottles, and most of the food was nearly gone.
After a brief moment of consideration, he asked her, and her response came.
"Yes!"
***
The table was cleared, and the cleanup was done.
They decided to leave the decorations as they were until tomorrow, and after finishing their hygiene routines and lying down in bed, she, who had nestled beside me, spoke.
"Today was fun!"
"Yes, thanks to Eunah, it was really enjoyable."
"Hehe"
She giggled at the praise, and Dokyun, after briefly observing her, gently brushed her back and spoke.
"You worked hard preparing today."
"Yeah th-thank you!"
A nod of acknowledgment.
Immediately after, she raised her head, which had been buried in his chest, and stared at me intently, speaking firmly.
"Since since you worked hard you should receive praise, right?!"
Yes?
Well, since you worked hard praise!
Watching her with anticipation in her eyes as she exhales a snort, Dokyun feels a smile forming on his lips and brushes her hair while giving her praise.
"That's right, I should praise you for your hard work today."
With that said, Dokyun moves his head and plants a kiss on her forehead.
Peck.
Lips briefly touching and parting.
Lowering his head to look at her.
"Uh"
A slight narrowing of the eyes is visible.
Wondering if he did something wrong, Dokyun looks at her with a puzzled expression, and she narrows her eyes for a moment and stares back at him.
"Well, praise here too!"
Saying that, she lifts the hem of her dress to show what's underneath.
His gaze shifts below the dress.
The corners of his mouth twitch upwards.
Dokyun briefly recalls the day when they last intertwined their bodies.
It's been close to 2 weeks now.
A considerably long period of restraint.
"It's Christmas Eve today."
On a day like this, it should be okay, right? With that thought in mind.
"A sincere 6 hours."
The time of the year when men and women intertwine their bodies the most. That came to mind.
Since Jesus is a loving person, wouldn't it be right to share love even for His sake today? With that thought, Dokyun concludes his thinking with a broad smile on his lips and opens his mouth again.
"That's right. I should praise you there too."
Saying that, as he looks up at her face, even in the darkness, her cheeks were noticeably flushed.
"I forgot."
Finishing his sentence, Dokyun, thinking it's Christmas Eve, extends his arm and pushes his hand under her dress.