ヘ^^ヘ

Light White

ヘ^^ヘ

The fire crackled in the small hearth and kept the living room lit and warm from the prickly cold weather assaulting Mrs. Jeon's dearer than empathy, daisies. The old hit songs of Japanese albums played in his grandpa's stereo, unbothered to immerse Jeongguk in their melody. The young man forged ahead along with his stylish pointed shoes in his hands── the ones Mela bought from Paris and gifted him in return of a fish cake treat from him on their second anniversary a month back.

Tension scarring his features, he slammed the soles of his shoes against each other. "I wonder what's gotten into her? When she starts rambling, it's like a referee's whistle that never stops. Weird." His unusual dimples dug his cheeks when he realized, "But she's kinda cute."

Suddenly his mother erupted from the lobby with a phone latched on her palm. "Jeongguk, stop acting like a hero. Mela's on the call, and she's saying that she's not coming with you. C'mon, talk with her."

She was going to hand him over the phone until he bent and spoke with a sly intention, "Ma, not a biggie. I'll go with Chiya, Mingi, or Sunmi."

He winked at her who stood agog.

"Chiya, Mingi, or Sunmi? What does he think of himself? A lady killer? I tell you, Dad, I'm going to kill him." Mela thundered to the balcony watching her dad finish his drink as he sat around a round table in the garden.

He got up proactively sticking a leg out so as not to hit the shade befitted to the bench and table all together because of his tall height. "Take the rough and the smooth, Mela. I'll quickly find the DVD. We both, father and daughter will watch The Guns on Navarone. It's a classic movie."

"God, not again." The talk of the movie didn't rile her more than being hurt by Jeongguk.

"Why? It evokes the feeling of patriotism, and, well, great use of ammunitions in the warfare scenes." He raised a tardy hand in appreciation.

"Ma, if she confronts the enemies at the warfare, I bet the soldiers would ultimately back out from the border wall. Total surrender!" Jeongguk made his mother laugh with his foibles.

"Mela, try the act of surrendering once. You know sometimes one step backward leads you two steps ahead." Her Dad grabbed her hand as she climbed down the stairs and used his battlefield experience as the base of the pact.

"That's not true Dad. He thinks that I'm the most stubborn girl in the whole universe but he doesn't have the foggiest idea that he's no less adamant than me."

Mrs. Jeon inserted the cuff links in his coat admiringly. "Jeongguk, all girls are stubborn before marriage--"

"And after marriage, they become satan with big red horns," Jeongguk quipped.

She slapped her hand on his head and his head bobbed sideways.

Mela got up from the sofa and walked up to the dining table to fetch some coffee. "Marriage with Jeongguk," she chuckled and rolled her eyes softly. "Impossible, Dad."

"Really?"

The voice was familiar but it was not of his Dad's. The two of them left their work and waited for the unknown person to come into focus.

"Then I'll contact Chiya, Mingi, and Sunmi."

Mela's anger was pulling its roots from the depth and before she could throw the heavy mug of un-slurped coffee at him, she snatched the remote from her Dad's grip and aimed at his head. "You . . ."

Jeongguk ducked and put on display his pearly teeth. "Mission failed. But the good thing is-" He checked his watch and adjusted his bowtie. "We still have eight minutes."

Her father's eyes told her to go upstairs and change. Mela pinched her earlobe gingerly and vanished before throwing a tantrum.

A few minutes later, she sauntered to the main door, wearing a velvet shroud up to knees. Jeongguk followed her from behind, sticking his hands at his back.

He borrowed the keys of her father's gypsy and then they drove to the venue after biding farewells. Just as he reached the parking lot and pulled the brakes, Mela sprung outside already and took off the shroud, so confident in her own skin. Therefore, she smoothened the delicate net woven over the dress that you wouldn't see off the rack.

Jeongguk was all equipped with the information of that dress, it was designed as per Mela's preference in her friend's atelier in Seoul.

He's poked his head across the windshield, his body still caged between his and the other car. "Mela, you are missing something!"

She turned around and lifted her bare shoulders. "What?"

He closed the car door with great difficulty and haphazardly went on to give her a pink silk sash. "It slipped my mind completely, I bought this for you."

"Then, what are looking at? Do it yourself." She turned had back and smiled.

"Okay-y," Jeongguk's fingers hated to tie the sash around a bunch of her hair. He opened it and then tried again.

She looked straight into his eyes and he blinked. "What?"

"Leave it. I'll let loose them."

She strangely waited for him to wreathe his arm around hers ── like a couple. "Shall we?"

"Oh, well, of course." His round eyes remained inert. Park Mela, the only daughter of Park Haru, the retired Army officer with an accumulated bounty surpassing most of the elite clans in Ama Sam. Pride was riding him high. He couldn't stop imagining her as his special one. That white ball gown looked like a brilliant substitute for a wedding gown under the moonlight.

He looked like a groom himself. Truth to be told, Jeongguk couldn't wait for the moment to revel in the atmosphere of dancing cheek to cheek with his lady love.

And in his naivety, he impulsively pulled her toward him. She sneaked a cursory glance around her, to confirm if anyone had seen her go out of balance.

🌾🌾🌾

A/n; Hello lovelies, this weekend had me completely. So I was bound to post an undercooked chapter for you chums. Tell me how was the chapter?

Ques: who all prefer winters ❄ over summers ☀ ?