By Zephyria “No!”
A scream escaped my lips.
The wall clock seemed to be pointing a sharp hour hand accusingly at me. I had intended to sleep for just two hours, but without realizing it, I had fallen into a deep slumber. I was completely late for my appointment with a client.
After a hurried wash and brush, I used wax to tame my unruly hair. Since I had fallen asleep in my suit, I decided to just wear the clothes I already had on.
Of all things, my car was in the company’s underground parking lot. Even if I were lucky enough to catch a taxi immediately, there was no way to avoid the company’s reprimand since the appointment time had already passed. For the remainder of Christmas, nothing but hell awaited me.
Strangely, however, there were no calls from the client, nor any from Reggie. It was natural to feel anxious and make a confirmation call when the other party hadn’t contacted me twenty minutes past the appointment time, yet my phone remained silent.
The roads were piled high with snow and had not yet been cleared. Moreover, from the residential area with its one-way streets, the road conditions were incredibly precarious. The gridlocked traffic felt exactly like my own suffocating heart.
Today was a White Christmas, and I had been rejected by my unrequited love and was late for a client meeting. I felt like the most miserable man in the world.
Trembling with fear, I called the client I was supposed to have lunch with. The call connected quickly.
Hello.
I spoke in the most polite voice I could muster.
“Jody, have you arrived?”
Jody answered from the other end in a bewildered tone.
Yes. I arrived a long time ago.
“Ah, I am so sorry. There was a traffic accident on a one-way street, so the road is very congested.”
And?
“I apologize. If you could just wait a little longer…”
Why?
“…Because I will be arriving soon.”
The conversation felt like we were talking past each other, as if we were discussing two entirely different things. Suddenly, there was a commotion on the other end of the line, and I felt the phone being passed through several people’s hands.
Lee?
It was Reggie Eagleton’s voice.
Why are you calling? Jody is here with me.
“What?”
I came to the appointment venue in your place.
“Why… why is Reggie…?”
The CEO requested it personally. It was an important matter, so they had no choice but to change the person in charge.
She spoke in a soft, polished voice, mindful of the client, but then suddenly lowered her voice to a neurotic whisper.
You’ve ruined my entire vacation. You’ll have to explain yourself next time we meet. Anyway, I’m busy, so hang up.
The call cut off abruptly, and silence fell. Having crossed the narrow lane of the one-way street, I stood there unsure whether to head to the main road to catch a taxi or simply go back home.
Soon, I made a decision. I had to find out what was going on. I decided to go to the office and wait for Reggie Eagleton.
That was when a bright red Ferrari parked across from the residential area caught my eye. Like a red rose revealing its color alone in a black-and-white movie, its striking hue commanded my attention. Without realizing it, my pace slowed.
“Is he going to work?”
I looked around in bewilderment, wondering if I was still trapped in last night’s hallucination.
Incredibly, Hakan Clause, who had supposedly departed for the distant land of Santa on a sleigh pulled by Rudolphs, was standing right before my eyes. Leaning his waist against the red Ferrari, he tilted his head slightly, looking at me with curiosity.
My heart became a muddy swirl of resentment, longing, relief, and emotion. I wondered what kind of expression was on my face right now.
“I thought you went back?”
I wore a smile, but my voice came out sharper than I had intended.
“I told you I was going to get my car.”
I scanned the red Ferrari. It was a sleek supercar, so stunning that I would have stared at it in a trance had I simply encountered it by chance on the street.
Clause stroked the hood as if petting a child, then looked at me as if seeking praise. I doubted he had appeared before me simply to brag about a supercar, but I had no time for deep thought.
“Is that so? Then I’ll see you next time.”
“Where are you going?”
“To work. I’m incredibly late right now.”
As I checked my wristwatch and tried to pass him, his large hand gripped mine firmly.
“You don’t have to go to work.”
“What?”
“You were exhausted by me all night; you’re not in good condition.”
Caught up in the momentum, I found myself sitting in the passenger seat of his Ferrari.
“Wha—what are you doing!”
Having walked around the hood to the driver’s seat, he spoke as he closed the car door.
“You don’t need to work until the end of the year. You’ve been given a vacation.”
I looked up at his face blankly. I thought hard, trying to make sense of his words, but I still couldn’t understand.
“I got a vacation? I… I never applied for a vacation.”
“I threatened them that I’d replace the products in the same line with PlayStations starting next year, and they gave you the vacation on their own.”
I stared at him, completely stunned. He let out a long sigh, as if frustrated.
“I’m saying I bought your time off in exchange for the deal with Zentens.”
“But why…?”
“I remembered the wish you made when you were twenty-four.”
“What?”
He leaned in close to me and pulled the seatbelt tight to secure it. For some reason, I felt I knew what he was going to say even before he spoke. As I froze from the uncomfortable sensation, he pulled me into an embrace, digging his chin into my shoulder.
“You said you wanted to have car sex in a Ferrari.”
The words made my eyes snap wide open. I slowly rolled my eyes to glance at Clause, who was resting his chin on my shoulder.
“Who was it that said they wanted to have car sex in a cramped car, suck the dick of the man driving, and then pull over on a deserted roadside to spread their legs on the hood?”
His large palm stroked my lower abdomen slowly, with clear intent.
I squeezed my eyes shut. I had an ominous feeling that these irrecoverable, lewd jokes would become a dark history that followed me for the rest of my life.
However, I didn’t feel entirely bad. Though I was embarrassed, his mischievous words and actions felt like he was striving to win my favor. He hadn’t shown me everything, but I could be certain now. He was shouting to me with all his heart and attention.
“You like me, don’t you?”
The movement of the palm stroking my lower abdomen stopped. Taking a small breath, he held his breath and looked into my eyes. The anxiety and nervousness in his gaze gradually shifted into passion and conviction.
“Yes. I like you.”
An intense emotion for me flashed through Clause’s eyes. However, he coldly blocked that emotion. He turned his head away.
“But for now, I didn’t want to admit my feelings.”
“Why? Why is that?”
Was he teasing me? In my impatience, I raised my voice.
Clause blew a breath out, bit his lower lip hard, and looked at me askew.
“Ah, what a letdown. You should have held out a bit longer.”
While pretending to groan, he looked intently into my eyes.
“I had a plan.”
“…What plan?”
“In my hometown, there is a tree that has lived for thousands of years. The largest Christmas tree in the square of Santa’s village. I wanted to show that tree to you. Beneath the tree flows a spring that grants immortal life, and brilliant magical stones pave the ground. Above all, what I wanted to show you most was a toy house made of cedar between the thickest branches. It’s one of my favorite places in the world. I thought confessing my love there would make for a wonderful memory for us.”
Santa’s village. A toy house inside a giant Christmas tree!
His story made me feel like a child. The existence of a Christmas village, something I’d only seen and heard of in fairy tales, thrilled me. But what truly made me unable to hold back was the fact that he had been making romantic plans for me.
I simply could not wait for his confession.
“I can’t wait.”
“You… can’t wait?”
“Confess to me right now!”
Clause seemed to like my impatient tone. He cast his gaze downward and let out a smirk. That smile shook my entire heart, and I let out a weak moan. I met his eyes as he looked back up.
“Shall I?”
Ah, he was trying to tease me again. He burst into laughter and then let out a deep sigh.
“Even Santa Claus wishes someone would grant his wish. Especially when the person he loves is the one.”
He whispered in a low voice, his face flushing.
“The years I’ve known you were too one-sided. I wanted to know you more, but I always hesitated because I couldn’t break the unwritten rule. But now that it’s come to this… the long wait doesn’t seem so bad. In the end, you came to me. Our remaining time will be eternal from now on.”
He took my hand and looked at my face calmly, taking his time. It was as if a past version of me were hidden within, as if he were retrieving every moment—the child who begged for a kiss, and the me who made absurd wishes to him. Looking into those deep eyes, I felt as though I had been facing his face for an eternity.
“So, what is your wish?”
A bright smile appeared on his face at the sight of me, desperate to grant his wish.
“I want to make you happy until the Christmas a thousand years from now. Will you grant my wish?”
There was no need to hesitate. I hugged him, showering him with kisses, and shouted.
“I will! I’d love to!”