Things That Happened on Christmas
Having run into acquaintances, they sit back down. The four-seater table splits perfectly between the two couples.
"Um… let me introduce you. These are my college buddies, Yoon Mi-na and Lee Jeong-su. And this is my girlfriend, Lee Seon-hwa."
"Hello. I'm Lee Seon-hwa."
"H-hello! I-I'm L-Lee Jeong-su!"
"…………Hello."
Once the introductions wrap up, a heavy silence falls over the table like clockwork. Explaining their relationship is easy since they're college classmates—unlike with Yeon-su—but an even weightier tension hangs in the air.
Mi-na fidgets restlessly the whole time, Jeong-su shoots Seon-hwa dirty glances, and Seon-hwa tugs at her hair, making it obvious how bored she is with the whole thing.
'This is suffocating…!'
It's like a pair of tongs clamping my collar and shaking me. Even so, the air feels thick enough to choke on. I thought getting toyed with by Yeon-su on stage was hell, but sitting here face-to-face like this? My spine goes rigid.
Of course, in this awkward setup, the only ones holding top-secret info under the surface are me and Mi-na. As long as neither of us slips up, the powder keg won't blow. Besides, neither of us is dumb enough to spill something that could poison ourselves.
At that moment, Mi-na—who'd been hesitating—stares at Seon-hwa and tosses out a question.
"Um, Lee Seon-hwa… right?"
"Yes."
"How long have you two been dating?"
Seon-hwa blinks in surprise. Wondering what this random question is about, but wanting to make a good impression on my friends, she answers earnestly.
"Hmm… about two months? Exactly 58 days if we're counting."
She plays it cool like she doesn't keep track, but she knows down to the day. …I thought it was just over 50; guess I need to log it properly.
Mi-na's mood sours even more after hearing that.
"That's pretty long…."
"Is it? Not even 100 days yet."
"I had no idea. Seon-woo never even mentioned he was seeing anyone to us."
"Ahem!"
Mi-na hits me with those abandoned-puppy eyes, but I look away. If I meet her gaze, it'll weaken my resolve nine times out of ten, so I just stare out the dark window.
Seon-hwa shrugs and backs me up.
"Can't be helped. It was my request."
"Your request?"
"It'd make things awkward for me if it got out."
"Awkward how…?"
"Well, even if you're Seon-woo's friend, it's pretty private, so… hard to say."
She smiles like it's our little secret and takes my hand on the table. The queen looks smug as hell, her nose even higher now.
When we started dating, she'd asked me not to blab about it since she's a streamer. This must be her thanking me for keeping that secret. Hiding our relationship from people around me—even close classmates like these—seems to score major points with her.
She laces our fingers sweetly, rubbing my hand with her soft thumb in praise. Seon-hwa's baby-soft skin feels amazing.
"……(grrrrr)"
Mi-na's eyes spin in fury. She glares at our intertwined hands with blazing hatred. Sweat beads on my palm from the intensity.
"Pfft~ Still not as long as us though, right?"
"Let go."
Jeong-su tries to drape an arm around Mi-na's shoulder like he won't lose, but she shuts him down with two curt syllables. Deflated, he pulls back awkwardly.
Desperate to dig for info, Mi-na locks eyes with Seon-hwa and unleashes a barrage of questions.
"Anyway, where were you two headed?"
"Oh, Seon-woo booked a hotel for Christmas."
"H-hotel…!"
"Speaking of which, check-in time's passed. We've done intros, so we should head out. Excuse us."
Seon-hwa stands abruptly, thrilled the topic came up. Naturally, our linked hands pull me up with her.
"W-wait a sec!"
"Hm? More business?"
"It's… too early to go in, right!? Such a rare coincidence—let's chat more!"
"We've already finished our coffee though—"
"Then order more! More caffeine's always better! Hey, go downstairs and grab four Americanos."
Mi-na jabs Jeong-su's side frantically.
"W-why me?"
"Go get them."
She bares her fangs with a growl. Her command brooks no argument.
"…Tch."
Jeong-su, ever the minion, has no choice but to get up. Grumbling, he trudges down the cafe stairs to the first floor.
With the nuisance gone, the real game begins. Mi-na openly glares at Seon-hwa now that her boyfriend's out. Seon-hwa furrows her brow at the inexplicable hostility. I pretend not to notice and stare out the window.
…This is insane. My chest swells to the bursting point. Even Jeong-su hanging around would've been better. Now Mi-na has an excuse to keep us here, and she tightens the noose.
"You said you've been together 50 days?"
"58."
"W-well, anyway, that's shorter than how long I've known Seon-woo!"
"You go way back?"
"Yeah, way longer than you!"
"…Obviously, since we're classmates. But what's that got to do with anything?"
"Pfft~ No big deal. Just saying I've known Seon-woo longer than you."
"……?"
Mi-na's face screams 'Gotcha!' Seon-hwa just looks confused. Mi-na latches onto this weird point. A smirk creeps across her face, like she's scored a win through the flames of jealousy.
Her interrogation doesn't stop there.
"Still, after dating that long, it's weird you haven't met."
"…Weird how?"
"When Seon-woo moved, shouldn't you have helped out then?"
"I heard about it. He said he called friends and I didn't need to come, so—"
"Oh come on, really?"
"Pardon?"
"Not helping on such a tough day? Probably just being polite, but you didn't even show your face? Are you really his girlfriend?"
"…Did you go?"
Mi-na's shoulders puff up at the counter-question.
"Of course! Closest friend—helped scrub every corner with my whole body, full effort♥"
"……? 'Helped you'?"
"Oops, slip-up. Hehe."
Mi-na glances at me with loaded eyes. Her face screams lewd bitch in heat, ready to wag her tail and call me master.
My neck stiffens now too. These near-misses to vital spots make my heart pound. She blatantly pokes at the queen's nerves.
…What the hell is this situation? It's turning into a childish battle of wits.
Mi-na growls provocatively from the start, Seon-hwa's eyes sharpening to 'Oh really?' Something about the "girlfriend" label ignites Mi-na's competitive fire, and she keeps jabbing. They end up glaring like they want to devour each other.
The queen doesn't dodge a fight either. As Mi-na's pesky barbs fly, Seon-hwa's lips press into a cold line.
"Hoo."
But she sighs, shoulders relaxing like this is pointless. She endures one round of Mi-na's blind aggression and hostility.
"Whatever your deal is, yeah, I haven't been great to my boyfriend."
"Hehe, well if the spark's already fading—"
"Sorry. I'll pay more attention from now on."
Mwah♥ Seon-hwa leans in and pecks my cheek lightly. She exudes sweet vanilla, pressing warm softness against my skin. Then she squeezes our linked hands tighter.
One simple move. The queen's elegant, concise counter lands.
Like 'Bet you can't do this.' It mocks Mi-na effortlessly. Her body language alone shuts down the sniping.
"……."
Mi-na reels back to square one. No, it's like she took a solid punch to the head.
"(Crunch crunch crunch!)"
Her eyes burn with waves of hatred and envy.
'…Can't take anymore.'
"Gonna hit the bathroom…."
"Hey, where you going?"
"Sorry, stomach's acting up bad. Feels like I'm gonna hurl."
"……Jeez."
She clutches her belly like it's urgent, so the queen reluctantly lets go. My gut's been burning like acid reflux anyway, so I bolt from the hellish table.
Temporary retreat from hell.
"Four Americanos."
"Yes, four Americanos. Please wait a moment."
He waits in the damn long line, shells out his own cash for four overpriced bean soups. His stomach churns, but what can he do? He barely coaxed Mi-na out because she was too lazy to go herself, but everywhere was sold out or full—two hours of wasted steps. No car either, so they just wandered Seoul's freezing streets. Even treating him like a dog, he can't complain.
'How the hell did that punk land a girl like that?'
Honestly shocked. Never imagined Chae Seon-woo had a girlfriend like her. Classy looks, platinum hair that suits her perfectly. Sharp, haughty eyes on a slim face, porcelain skin. The world stopped when he saw her face.
SNS star Yoon Mi-na's dazzling too, but meeting another shining gem steals his gaze.
For a split second—just a split second—his own girlfriend vanished from view.
"Your four Americanos!"
Anyway, he grabs the tray of paper cups and heads back up to the cafe. But when he gets to the table, only one person remains. Lee Seon-hwa, who introduced herself as Chae Seon-woo's girlfriend.
"Huh? Where'd everyone go?"
"Uh… both hit the bathroom."
"Mi-na too?"
"Yeah, something about being pissed off or whatever."
Seon-hwa fiddles with her phone, replying indifferently like she couldn't care less.
"……."
"……."
Suddenly alone, awkwardness sets in. Seon-hwa barely looks up from her phone, but Jeong-su tenses up on his own assumptions.
'…Still pretty on second look.'
Staring sparks dirty thoughts. If Chae Seon-woo's marked her… maybe. Delusions that he's better, naturally. Girlfriend right there, but he chugs the kimchi soup anyway.
"Um… how old are you?"
He probes, starting the hunt.
"Hmm… sorry. Too soon for personal details."
"I see… then what do you do? Office worker? Student?"
"Sorry, that's kinda private too."
"Ah, yeah…… Oh! Do you have Insta or Facebook?"
"Maybe look it up if you're free."
Ironclad defense. Every question gets a half-assed dodge. Eventually, she pretends not to hear or just ignores it.
'Damn, she's stuck-up!'
He spits inwardly. Curses her in his head while she won't even glance his way. Instant dislike.
'Wait, if she's Chae Seon-woo's girl, isn't she the one squealing on the bed that day?'
It hits him. The sleazy moans echoing on moving day. If it's her, it all fits.
'Fucking slut moaning like a whore, now acting all high and mighty.'
He glares with contempt, and Seon-hwa senses it, looking up.
"? Something on my face?"
"N-no."
"Hey, it's creepy—don't stare so long."
"……."
'The bitch who went 'ahh ahh' for big dick….'
Another vulgar curse in his head. His pure girlfriend's way prettier and better than this loose slut. Habitual mental win.
"That arrogant little bitch…."
Yoon Mi-na fixes her makeup in the women's restroom, grinding her teeth. After the master left, she kept up the rally, but the girl never lost a word. Always so prim and superior, like her ass was made of jade. Fine, her looks are top-tier, but that high nose pisses her off. And knowing she's the "girlfriend" makes her want to tear into her.
Feels like an intruder in her and master's secret garden.
"……Sigh."
Still, it's a shock. Master has a girlfriend? Seeing them holding hands dropped her heart. The world went black for a second.
But even if it guts her, Mi-na can't blame Chae Seon-woo. She has an official boyfriend too. No room to talk.
Their thing started as sex friends and risky play—no social ties expected.
'Fuck, why did I do that….'
Two years ago flashes in Mi-na's mind. Bald-headed Chae Seon-woo confessing to her. Her snorting rejection.
What if she'd accepted that clumsy confession? She imagines it. He's changed 180 degrees since, but regrets hit hard. Looking back in despair, the bus left long ago.
Sighs make her reflection melt in the mirror. Shaking her head at that loser's face.
"No, can't do this!"
Time to pull it together. Land a hit on that bitch, and look pretty for master.
Mi-na forces a smile, stepping out—right then,
"Huh?"
"Ah!"
Dramatic timing: She bumps into Chae Seon-woo washing up.
Godsent chance. Heart pumps, brain switches on. Quick thinking. Women's restroom's empty.
"Mi-na? Wh-what?!"
Mi-na drags Chae Seon-woo straight into the women's restroom. Into the farthest stall.
Click!
"Finally… alone with master…♥"
Door locked tight, she pants hot, excited breaths. She hikes her dress lewdly, eyeing master's crotch openly.
Master kidnapped into the women's stall♥