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A shiny snowflake fell from the dark sky and floated around for a few seconds until it landed on the tip of someone’s nose.
‘Achoo!’
The young man rubbed his nose, sniffling slightly. He took a small sip of his not-hot hot chocolate, his tongue long burnt by it.
He looked around him in disdain, cringing at all the giggles and chatter. The green trees were filled with fairy lights of all colors, predominantly red, gold, and white. The streets were filled with stalls of all kinds. Children were running around; The smell of food filled the air, and he swore he heard the singing of carolers in the distance.
Park Jimin was in a place most people would kill to be in, at the happiest time of the year: Times Square on Christmas Eve.
He had planned it two weeks ago when his life was practically perfect. He had an amazing job, a beautiful house, best friends, and a lovely girlfriend. At least, he thought she was lovely.
‘Sorry, Jimin. I don’t like you anymore, and I think we should break up. I wanted to do this for a while, but I never got the courage to. These plane tickets to New York were the last straw. I have someone else to spend Christmas with. I’m sorry again.’
And she was out of his life just like that. The person he considered his best friend didn't even bat an eyelid before leaving him.
‘You always ask me questions about my day and my life, and that’s really annoying, you know? I never said anything because I didn’t want to hurt your feelings.’
It hit him like a truck. He never thought there was anything wrong with his two-year relationship, but of course, something was glaringly wrong if he couldn’t see how unhappy she was with him.
He remembers sitting in the middle of the living room, his figure shaking with sobs and his tiny hands clutching the two tickets he had so happily bought. That’s how his friends found him and pushed him to go on the trip all by himself because they knew he needed a break from everything.
A week ago, Jimin arrived in New York with a heavy heart, a polaroid camera, and five film sheets. His friends had given him an early Christmas present and warned him to fill the empty films with photos of sights that made him happy before coming back to Seoul.
‘Be glad we’re not giving you more. If it were up to me, I would have given you a hundred,’ Jin had warned him.
Until now, he’d taken only two pictures with it. One was the view of New York from the plane, and the other was of his enormous suite that he was sure he’d never be able to afford in his life ever again.
After that, he had been moping around in his hotel room and came for a walk only because the four walls had started suffocating him.
But now that he was here, with the Polaroid camera hung around his neck, he was not excited at all, and he was sure everyone could see the dark aura looming over him. He glanced at his phone, seeing the thousands of texts he sent his ex. He wasn’t even able to cry anymore. He’d just become numb to the feeling.
Still walking with his head down, Jimin didn’t realize he had bumped into someone and fell on his butt. He looked up to see a man in a Santa costume hovering over him.
“Ho ho ho! What do we have here?” He spoke in a cheerful tone. He bent down and pulled Jimin to his feet.
“Um… Thank you, Mr…” He trailed off, not knowing how to address the man.
“Oh, Santa is fine, kid!”
“Okay… Mr. Santa,” Jimin replied, feeling a little awkward. “I’ll get going now.” He was thankful for the English lessons he took months ago when he decided to spend this Christmas in New York.
“Uh-huh. Not so fast,” The man stopped Jimin and searched his face. “I can sense that you are not happy on Christmas Eve, and Santa Claus won’t let that happen.”
“I’m fine.” Jimin sighed. When the man gave him a look, he looked away. “Okay… maybe I’m not fine. But I don’t want to talk about it, especially not to a stranger. No offense.” He quickly added.
The man shook it off, good-naturedly. “I don’t need to listen to your story to know, boy. Just know that you are perfect just the way you are. Alright? Never let anyone else tell you what your worth is.”
Jimin freaked out a little bit but convinced himself that it might be something this man rehearsed for tonight. It was sad to think about the number of people who must have needed to hear this tonight. “Okay. Um… Thank you for the excellent advice.”
“Sure! That girlfr- sorry, ex- of yours doesn’t know what she’s missing out on. There are many people out there who would be ready to let you know that!”
It was safe to say that Jimin’s jaw was touching the ground now. “H-How? What? W-Who?”
“Oh! Look at the time! I’ve got to go now. Have a lot more advising to do, you know?” The man winked before turning away.
Shaking his head, Jimin walked ahead when the delicious aroma of Korean food stopped him in his tracks. Following the scent, he stood in front of a small Korean diner with a wooden board that read 'Jung's Family Restaurant.’ He hesitantly entered and quickly sat at one of the empty booths near the window. He could hear people talking in his native language, and the feeling eased a little.
“What would you like, dear?” An old lady (Mrs. Jung, he guessed) asked him in Korean, handing him a menu. His stomach growled as he read all the food listed down in a neat and tiny print, but he knew he couldn't afford to eat everything he wanted to. He ordered some good old ramen and soju and looked around the place as he waited for his food to arrive.
The diner seemed busy and was bustling with people. Surprisingly, it didn’t feel suffocating though it was smaller than his suite. It felt warm and cozy.
Within a few minutes, Mrs. Jung came up to him with a tray full of food. She set the tray down and sat in the chair opposite Jimin. “Here you go.”
“I didn’t order all this!” Jimin exclaimed, looking at all the tasty food in front of him. "And I don't have enough money to pay you."
The woman brushed off his incredulous look and said, “Today is Christmas Eve, and you’re eating only ramen? Nonsense! Now eat up. And don't worry about the bill. This," she gestured to the food, "is on the house.”
Wordlessly, Jimin picked up the wooden chopsticks and started eating. His eyes widened as he chewed the noodles. "This is delicious, Mrs. Jung!” He exclaimed. "You have to teach me how to cook like this!"
Mrs. Jung laughed heartily. "Sure, dear. This is what I aimed for when I first came to New York." She told Jimin about how she had to move from Korea for her son and how she started this restaurant when she noticed that there weren't a lot of Korean eateries around.
"Many Koreans live here, but they are all very disconnected from our culture. I wanted to create a place that felt like home for them. To show them that no matter where you are, you still have people who understand you and those who have faced situations similar to those you faced. At the end of the day, I just want to go to sleep knowing I made at least one person feel at home here."
Jimin nodded in awe. "You're an angel, Mrs. Jung."
The woman laughed before going to get him some water. Jimin finished chewing and held his Polaroid up to take a picture of the diner. He smiled, satisfied with the picture.
Mrs. Jung came back and sat down. "Now… I want to know what's got you down in the dumps."
Jimin's smile dimmed, and he dropped the picture into his bag and leaned back. "Is it really that obvious?"
Mrs. Jung shrugged. "I don't usually pry, cause… Well, people tell me things on their own! But tonight is a magical night, and nobody deserves to be sad. So humor me, please."
And that's how Jimin spent the next hour telling the curious, old woman about his break-up.
After he was done, Mrs. Jung gave him tissues to wipe his face, which had tears streaming down. "I just don't understand what I should do. Wasn't what I did enough? Should I start being more mature and cold for her to like me?"
"Honey, you should never change yourself for others!" The older one chided. "You know what? Come with me."
"Where?" Jimin looked confused.
"Trust me on this one," Mrs. Jung replied with a twinkle in her eyes. She went outside and whistled. As Jimin looked on, many people dressed in Christmas attire walked towards them.
There were people of all nationalities and were chattering, laughing, and screaming amongst themselves.
"Guys, please meet…" She trailed off and looked at Jimin.
"O-Oh! Jimin. Park Jimin. Nice to meet you." He bowed at them. A chorus of greetings rang around the group.
"Now, I want all of you to take Jimin under your wing for the night and show him how we do it around here. Got it?”
“Aye-Aye!” They cheered in unison, and before Jimin could process what was going on, he was pulled into the crowd.
"Hey, is this your first time here?" Jimin noticed that the man was around his age, maybe a little older. He nodded, and the man's face broke into a huge grin.
"Awesome! Do you live in Korea? How is it back there? You know, the last time I went back was when I was six! I'm sure it must have changed a lot from then," The man animatedly chatted while the group walked away from the restaurant.
Jimin just stared at him, thinking of how similar he was to this man. Two weeks ago, Jimin would have been the one chatting someone's ear off. And though he found someone whose antics were just like his own, all he could think of were his girlfriend's words.
‘You’re too loud and cheerful for me. I don’t like that. I like people like me: quiet and reserved.’
He knew he was too loud, but his friends said it was a good thing. In fact, that was apparently why his girlfriend fell for him in the first place. She said, “opposites attract.”
Not anymore, he guessed.
"Hey, are you okay? Am I talking too much? Sorry, I didn't give you a chance to talk!" The man scratched his head. "My name is Jung Hoseok. Nice to meet you."
Jimin took the extended hand. "Jung? That means…"
"Yep. I'm her grandson! She's my grandmother!" Hoseok grinned wider.
"I'm Park Jimin. But you already know that," Jimin said shyly. He felt way too intimidated by this cheerful man. Was this what his colleagues meant when they said they found him intimidating?
"Okay, Jimin. Get ready for one of the most magical experiences in your life!" Hoseok exclaimed dramatically.
Until then, Jimin didn't notice that they had stopped walking and were standing in front of… a hospital?
"A hospital? Are we here to meet a patient, Hoseok-ssi?" Jimin whispered in Hoseok's ear.
"We're here to meet every patient, Jimin," Hoseok whispered back. "And call me Hobi. That's what all my friends call me."
When Jimin turned his head, he found Hobi giving him a full-blown smile. He smiled back with a warm feeling in his heart.
"Okay. Here we go." The whole group went inside and started singing carols while a few handed out candy canes to the patients.
It was chaotic, to say the least. Not all of them were singers, Jimin noticed. But no one seemed to care as everyone watched the group dancing around and singing off-key as loudly as possible.
Someone handed Jimin a bag filled with candy canes, placed a Santa hat on his head, and prompted him towards a door. When he walked through the door, he found that he was in the pediatric ward, and curious eyes glanced at him.
He turned back to the door to find everyone from the group now watching him silently. Hobi mouthed, 'This is your moment to shine,' and gave him a thumbs up.
Jimin loved singing and dancing. This was easy for him. It had been a long time since he enjoyed dancing and singing as he didn't have time for them recently. But he surely couldn't be that bad.
He took a deep breath and started singing one of the very few Christmas carols he knew. And slowly, he started bobbing to the song. The children were still watching him, some of them wiggling their bodies. Jimin looked back for help, and the rest of the group took that as their cue to join in.
Soon, everybody was singing and dancing while Jimin handed candy canes to the children. He enjoyed watching the children's faces light up as they thanked him, and one of them even hugged him tightly.
Once the bag in his hand was empty, he went to the side and just took the moment in. There was an old couple in the Carol group dancing with each other. There were children from the group dancing with the patients and making them laugh. Hobi was dancing with one of the nurses who walked in.
At that moment, Jimin realized that his stomach hurt from laughing so much after a long time. He genuinely felt happy. He immediately held up his camera and clicked a picture of the room, wanting to capture the joy he felt.
"That was one of our best shows!"
They were walking to their next location, an orphanage, and Hobi made it his mission to tell Jimin how amazed he was by the younger’s talent.
"You should become a singer! I'd buy every album you make!"
Jimin laughed at that. Jung Hoseok was a funny guy.
"I'm being serious! You should."
"Alright, Hobi," Jimin said before his eye caught something. "Hey, you guys go on. I'll be right back."
The older man nodded, waved, and walked ahead, now finding someone else in the group to chat with.
Jimin averted his eyes and looked back at the boy, probably six years old, standing behind the food cart. Following the boy's gaze, Jimin found that he was looking at a group of kids playing at the claw machine.
"Why don't you join them?" The boy jumped, startled at being caught.
"Um… I don't think they'd want to be around someone like me," he said shyly.
"Why not?"
"Because I'm poor and homeless, and I don't have any money." It was then that Jimin noticed how old the boy's clothes looked.
"Where are your parents?" Jimin asked, kneeling until he was face-to-face with the boy.
"My parents have gone to collect food. Since tonight is Christmas Eve, they would have better luck at collecting food.” Jimin’s heart ached for the boy.
“Come with me.” He gave his hand for the small boy to hold. The boy, though confused, silently clutched Jimin’s hand with his tiny ones.
Jimin walked towards the claw machine, despite the slight tug he felt from the boy. He just looked back and smiled at the boy, and that was all it took for the younger to relax.
They reached the other kids, who were still laughing amongst themselves.
“Hey, kids!” Jimin chirped. The kids looked at him a little warily but waved. “This is my friend…” He turned to the boy.
“My name is Oliver,” the boy mumbled.
“Yeah! This is my friend Oliver. Would you mind accepting him as a part of your group?”
The boys looked at each other and then back at Oliver.
“We’re sorry, sir. But our mothers told us not to talk to strangers.” Saying so, all the boys ran away.
Oliver was now in tears, sniffling softly. “Nobody likes me. I don’t like this.”
Jimin kneeled. “Hey, hey. Don’t cry. You are special just the way you are, and it’s their loss that they don’t know that.”
‘Just know that you are perfect just the way you are. Alright? Never let anyone else tell you what your worth is.’ A tiny voice in the back of Jimin’s mind reminded him of the familiar words he heard from a strange, old man that night. He realized that Oliver was just like him, and neither deserved what they were going through.
“Which one do you want?”
Oliver looked confused. “Huh?”
Jimin gestured to the claw machine. “Pick one. Let’s see if this thing works.”
“I don’t think it does. Those boys have been trying for the past two hours.” Oliver had stopped crying now and was rubbing his red eyes.
“Ah, but they don’t know that I won a lot of these back home, and I know all the tricks,” Jimin whispered. “Come on. Pick one!”
The boy reluctantly pointed at the cute turtle he had been eyeing the whole night.
“What? That tiny thing? That would be way too easy. Wait.”Jimin’s eyes roamed the transparent box before settling on a giant teddy bear. “See that? That’s the one I’ll win for you!”
Jimin stepped forward, cracking his knuckles. A small smile tugged at his lips when he heard the boy giggling at his dramatics. “Let’s win this!”
After around ten tries, a lot of groaning, and silent cursing, Jimin finally gave up on the teddy bear and caught hold of the tiny turtle.
“Now that I think of it, the turtle seems cuter!” Jimin said thoughtfully, aiming his polaroid at Oliver, whose eyes reflected the lights around them.
“Sure,” Oliver snorted, which turned into a laugh when he looked at the pout on Jimin’s face. Suddenly, the boy’s stomach grumbled, and his cheeks tinted pink. “I… I think I should go now. Thank you for this.”
“Wait! I can’t let you go when you’re hungry. Let’s eat something.” Before the younger could respond, Jimin tugged him towards the familiar diner.
Jimin saw that the crowd had dissipated now, which was good because the owner would not be too busy now. “Mrs. Jung, are you here?” He called out to the woman who appeared from the storeroom.
“Oh, Jimin! You’re back. How was the…” Her voice trailed away when she saw the small boy holding Jimin’s hand. “Who’s this handsome, young man you’ve got here?” She asked in an awed voice.
The shy boy peeked from behind Jimin. “Hello. My name is Oliver,” he said. His stomach grumbled again, and he squeaked before going back to hide behind Jimin.
“Hello, Oliver. Are you perhaps here to eat something?” Mrs. Jung asked. Oliver looked at Jimin, who nodded at him.
“Yes, if it isn’t a hassle.” Jimin felt like a proud older brother when he saw how polite Oliver was.
“Of course not, dear! Here.” She handed him a menu card. “Go and sit at any table you like and look through what you want to eat.” The boy nodded and took the menu card from her before going and sitting on one of the chairs.
Jimin took Mrs. Jung to the side and explained the situation to her.
“Poor boy, he’s been through a lot. But your kind heart has brought him here, and he will be eating a hearty meal thanks to you. You are a good person, Jimin. You don’t need to be all mysterious and brooding to be attractive. Your goodness attracts others to you.”
Jimin looked away, not used to being complimented for just being himself.
“Excuse me. I’d like to have this.” And just as Jimin had guessed, Oliver pointed to the cheapest meal on the menu.
“Coming right up!” Mrs. Jung announced to Oliver before whispering to Jimin. “I know exactly how to get him to eat.” She winked at him.
Jimin smiled a little before announcing that he would be right back. He came back to see the diner full again five minutes later, but it was filled with the caroling group this time. He saw all of them surrounding Oliver, attentively listening to what the young boy was saying.
“Jimin!” Hobi exclaimed when he noticed the younger and pulled him into a tight hug. “I was wondering where you went. But Oliver here told us how you won him a turtle.”
“That’s right!” Oliver nodded happily. “He used his special skills.” Oliver’s tone was teasing, and he winked at Jimin. Jimin’s jaw dropped at seeing how playful and comfortable the young boy had become in such a short period.
“Here you go, Oliver. Jimin and Hobi will come with you to drop these off to your parents.” Mrs. Jung came out of the kitchen with four covers filled with food. “And remember what I said. Come here with them tomorrow, okay?” She asked sternly.
The boy nodded, scarfing down the food he was eating. As he continued eating and talking to everybody there, Jimin sat back and took out the film sheets he had bought. Five sheets were too less, he thought and had gone to buy a few more to capture these memories.
He took another picture of the diner, but this time, it had the people he had grown to love so much.
Jimin’s phone buzzed, and he pulled it out to see that his best friend had texted him.
Taetae: Jimin-ah! Please tell me you’re not crying your eyes out while watching holiday movies in your suite.
Jimin: My soulmate!!!! I’m so glad you texted! I miss you so much!! <3
Taetae: Not to sound rude, but are you okay? Why are there so many exclamation points?
Taetae: And I miss you too :(
Jimin: I’m just really happy today. It’s Christmas Eve, and it’s going to be midnight soon!
Taetae: I don’t know what happened, but I’m so glad you’re doing well. I would have loved to be with you, and if it weren’t for my stupid boss making me work on Christmas Eve, you know I’d be right there next to you.
Jimin: I know, Taetae. But It’s okay! I’ll be back before you know it! We’re spending New Year together, right?
Taetae: Of course!
Taetae: Well, my boss caught me. I have to go. But have fun, okay? I love you.
Jimin: I love you too ^-^
After dropping off Oliver and consoling his parents, who started crying, Jimin waved goodbye to Hobi, but not before clicking a picture with the cheerful man. He was so thankful to Hobi for welcoming him and reminding him of how beautiful cheerfulness looks.
He walked around the place which was almost empty now. He guessed people were now in their homes with their loved ones, ready to celebrate the holiday as a family. As he looked up to the sky, his phone buzzed with another text.
Best girlfriend: Hey, Jimin. I’m sorry I couldn’t reply to you.
Best girlfriend: I am so sorry for leaving you like that. But you have to understand that I am not into you.
Jimin: It’s okay.
Ex: What?
Jimin: Yeah. It really is. I cannot force you to like me, and that’s not your fault. But I learned that I am worth much more than being in a loveless relationship.
Ex: But, Jimin
Jimin: Thank you for these two years. I will always cherish them. And I hope you are happy wherever you are.
Ex: Wait! Jimin!
Jimin: Goodbye.
Jimin blocked her number and finally felt a huge weight fall off his shoulders. He looked up and saw that it had started snowing again. He felt giddy and delighted. He started laughing for a reason he didn’t know. But it felt so good to finally let go of every insecurity he had. He was a cheerful, happy, and kind person, and no one was going to make that seem like a bad thing.
“So, I see that you’re finally happy.” Jimin turns around to find the Santa Claus from before.
“Oh, Santa! You’re here!” Jimin went and stood in front of him. “Thank you. I genuinely mean it.” He didn’t have to explain anything more. He had a feeling Santa knew.
“Don’t thank me. It was all you. You don't have it in you to be unkind to others." Santa smiled softly.
Jimin nodded. "Well, thank you for believing in me when I didn't."
Santa chuckled. "You believed in me for so long. I had to return the favor somehow," He said.
The loud gong of a bell rang and Santa turned to Jimin. "I have to go now, but I hope to see you next year. Same time. I'm sure you can handle yourself till then." Jimin nodded. "Just remember: stay the way you are. The world needs people like you, Park Jimin.” He booped Jimin's nose, which had become red from the cold, and instantly, Jimin found himself filled with warmth. "I have a feeling you'll need the warmth for a little longer before you get under your blankets tonight." Santa nodded towards the snow.
Jimin didn't understand what he meant, but as he watched Santa walking away, he heard soft barks from nearby. He followed the sound to see a small puppy, shivering in the snow, struggling to walk.
He went to the puppy and picked it up. "I'm not ready for the night to end," he said, stroking it's fur. "So what do you say, big guy? Ready for an adventure?"
-fin