College Cravings

7🎇

Flash forward to winter break. Since my mom would murder me if I brought a boy home and wanted some alone time in my room, I spent a few times at JK's house over the month. His parents were not the typical strict Asian "tiger" parents, having lived through a traumatic experience and wanting to acclimate to the American culture with no reservations. So JK would pick me up from my house and back before the night was done.

Christmas Eve was celebrated at his house. After a pleasant dinner with his parents, JK and I holed up in his room to exchange gifts. To my surprise he lifted his guitar from the stand and sat on his bed. I placed myself on the floor at his feet looking at him curiously when he told me he wrote a new song. He strummed the first chord of an unfamiliar melody and I listened as the acoustic sounds filled the room. After a few lyrics, I recognized it as the poem he had written for me. I was amazed that he turned the poem into a song! The powerful emotional experience captured me, grabbed me, and tugged at my heart strings, especially when he ended the song singing,

"I love you...."

"Wow!" I said, eyes flickering with excitement. The rousing feelings I had gotten when he first wrote that poem returned. JK had poured his heart out to me again and this time I was able to look right into his warm brown eyes. "That was major."

It took me a second to reach up to him, on my knees. JK slid the guitar behind him and we shared an embrace. As I pulled my arms back, he seemed to be waiting for more of a response from me. "I love the song," I said softly.

"And I love you," he said, pulling my chest towards his with his arms still around me. Those three words weren't on a piece of paper, nor sung in a song. Could I finally say it back to him?

"Noona?"

"Mmm?"

He gave me a sweet peck on the lips. "What do you think?"

"Uhh...let's exchange Christmas presents." It was the first thing to come to my mind to change the subject.

We positioned ourselves on his bed sitting next to each other as he put the guitar back on its stand and I reached into my mini-backpack purse for a wrapped box. I held the present in front of JK. "Open yours first."

He ripped the paper off, opened the box, and held up the self-help book by his favorite author, reading the title out loud. "Aww, I already have this book. But thanks," he said, an appreciative look on his face.

"Oh, I didn't see this one on your book shelf," I admitted, pressing my lips together to form a straight line.

"It is still in a shopping bag in my closet."

"Sorry. Well, I stuck the receipt in there."

"Okay," he said with a smile.

Three beats later. "So...can I have my present?"

JK stared at me in disbelief as if I had asked him to give up drinking. "Your song was your gift."

"Oh!" I giggled nervously. "Of course...thank you...I-"

"Just kidding." JK stretched out his arm to grab something from under his pillow. "Here."

I took the shiny golden wrapped present from him and removed the paper to find a flat box, instantly recognizing the design of one of my new favorite K-pop group's CD. "Thank you, JK! But, you know, I have this CD already."

"Eh...I saw this group on your Spotify playlist...so..."

"Do you have the receipt?" I asked carefully.

"Yeah." JK grinned. "Well, look at us." He made a sweeping gesture with his hand from his present to mine. "You think you really know someone."

He leaned toward me and planted a kiss on my lips. Then his arms followed for a hug and eventually he pulled me in to sit on his lap as he rested against the headboard. We held each other under the glow of the Christmas lights strung across his room. It was so romantic.