Maginot Line with you

[Episode 25] Just, Merry Christmas

widely

widely-

The iced Americano placed down on the table clattered finely.

....like a vibration,

전정국

......

이지오

....

I looked up at him for a moment, seeing his actions that might have seemed unexpected.

Slightly brown eyes were looking straight at me.

전정국

....

전정국

thank you,

Still, it would be nice to say thank you.

"I guess this much of a response would be enough," Jeongguk thought, lowering his gaze and taking a natural sip of coffee.

Jungkook slowly turns his gaze away as if he doesn't care about the man still standing in front of the table and takes out the documents from his bag.

Long fingers clapped the papers together.

전정국

....

이지오

excuse me..,

전정국

...?

이지오

The scarf looks like it might fall off, so put it in your bag.

Suddenly, the thought “Suddenly?” suddenly popped into my head.

I stopped at the sight of him glancing at the scarf placed across the table.

....laughter erupted.

전정국

Thank you for your concern. But, I will take care of it myself ((smile

전정국

...Oh, if you're worried that it might fall and get stepped on, then put it away.

이지오

.......

이지오

Please. Then,

전정국

....((smile

전정국

........

He kept his gaze fixed on the scarf until the end, nodded briefly, and walked to the counter.

The president? Seeing the faint voice of someone who seemed like the president, it seemed like something unusual.

..actually for a very short time,

I did feel a sense of caution.

What kind of vigilance is this? Who is it aimed at?

Even though we are in a relationship where such feelings cannot be expressed, I wondered if it might be about Yoon Yeo-ju.

Wariness? Concern? Someone watching a woman you're interested in?

....Do you think you are protecting Yoon Yeo-ju right now?

전정국

.....

전정국

...What kind of guy do you think I am right now? What the heck.....

Jeongguk, frowning slightly, stirred his iced Americano with a straw.

What kind of feeling is this?

...the discomfort of being unintentionally viewed in a negative light by someone,

The reason is none other than Yoon Yeo-ju.

..I also lived my life restraining my emotions and desires in my own way.

Even the small favors shown under the guise of friendship can be seen as such actions by some people.

I've already become a kid who has crossed the line.

....and a faint sense of illusion that I had been caught doing something I didn't want to be caught doing.

Indescribable thoughts jumbled together and darkened my mind.

전정국

......

Swish

Swish-

전정국

((Turn your head and look out the window

He let out a long, shallow sigh and turned his head to look out the window.

Today, the colorful lights reflecting off the glass windows look beautiful.

It's Christmas Eve.

Click

Click_

That evening,

A car stops naturally in front of the female protagonist who is standing in front of the cafe, and she opens the passenger door as if she had been waiting.

I clench and unclench my slightly frozen hands and get into the car.

윤여주

....Ugh... It's cold,

전정국

Swish)) Are you cold?

윤여주

Yeah, I was standing outside for a while, so a little?

전정국

I told you to come out when I called, don't be cold...

윤여주

Heh, how much time is that?

This is the end of the conversation we had while slightly bowing our heads and fastening our seat belts.

The female protagonist slowly raised her head, which had been bowed, and smiled faintly as she continued speaking.

전정국

Do you know what day it is today?

윤여주

....?

윤여주

..did something happen today?

Jungkook chuckles at her reaction, as if she really doesn't know anything.

Squeak- As the car stops at a red light, he turns his head and looks at the female lead as he continues speaking.

전정국

...Really? You don't know even though you're in a cafe?

윤여주

......

윤여주

What is it... What, why are you taking so long...

전정국

....he

전정국

Christmas Eve, December 24th, huh? ((snickers

As soon as he said that,

The traffic light changed color from red to green. ..like a light that automatically changes color when the time comes.

Of course, we didn't start because we were in the left turn lane, not the straight lane...

...those eyes looking at me with a blue tint at the changed traffic light, and the cars passing by as if they were flowing past us.

That moment was so good that I almost forgot what I was going to say.

전정국

....

Swish

Swish-

Jungkook looked at her for a few seconds and then turned his head back to look ahead.

Turn left at the next traffic light.

윤여주

.......

윤여주

....Yeah, ah.... But why is that...?ㅎ

전정국

......

전정국

I'm alone today,

윤여주

.....

전정국

Do you want to go see the tree?

Is it because he said those words without looking at me?

At first, I thought it was more of a monologue than a question, even though he didn't even look at me, prompting me to answer.

My response that Christmas should be spent with family was lightly ignored. ...I'm already home alone.

윤여주

.....

윤여주

...Where are you going to see it?

전정국

Oh, are you really going?

윤여주

..you said you wanted to go together....why, can't you..?

전정국

Haha, no no - it's just... cooler than I thought

윤여주

.....

윤여주

....what.. this and that... what do you want me to do..

전정국

Good,

전정국

Smile)) Thank you for answering so coolly.

He glanced at me, smiled, and lightly turned the steering wheel to change lanes.

And... even those actions that followed naturally were so vividly etched into my mind.

Jeokbuk,

It was a street where you would step on thin ice every time you walked.

The small flurries of snow were reflected beautifully on the streetlights.

It was a snowy Christmas Eve, and since it was evening, there were quite a few people gathered around the square.

At some point, we too began to become immersed in them.

..when I was in the car, I thought about what to do if... other thoughts came to mind, but when I actually raised my head

Looking at the towering tree, those thoughts were washed away like melting snow. It was such a beautiful sight that I could only exclaim in awe.

윤여주

.....and...

윤여주

pretty...

Jeongguk speaks to the female protagonist, who is muttering as if possessed by something, with a voice that contains a slight smile.

The lights in her eyes twinkled.

전정국

....

전정국

This isn't your first time seeing a tree, but... I'm surprised the reaction is bigger than I expected.

윤여주

It's just... this is my first time seeing a tree this big...

윤여주

Hehe)) Thank you, thanks to you I get to see things like this tooㅎ

전정국

....Why did you have to... ...what would have happened if I hadn't brought you....?

Swish,

She looked at me with a smile, wearing a scarf that looked heavy around her neck.

I took a picture as if I was back in my teenage years, and I must have smiled without realizing it because I liked the way it looked.

전정국

......

윤여주

But... why did you suddenly ask me to go see the tree?

전정국

...huh..?

윤여주

..No, it's a bit out of the blue....

전정국

....

There are probably many reasons, but if even a little bit of what happened at the cafe today is included among them, would you hate it that much...?

......

I don't know,

전정국

..I just wanted to come once.

전정국

Actually, I was thinking of coming alone if you said no, but... I think it was a good idea to come together.

윤여주

Smile)) Yeah, good job hehe

전정국

....ah,.heh

For a moment, my thoughts stopped.

Maybe the heart stopped too...?

I quickly turned my head and looked up at the tree as I felt a loud thud as it fell.

...The time was almost midnight.

Maybe it was because I arrived there late, or maybe it was because I had been standing there for quite some time, but it was still too late to be standing around looking at the tree, so the street was much quieter than before.

전정국

......

When that clock strikes 12, I want to say Merry Christmas.

..Of course, I could just blurt it out casually, but at this very moment, my mouth wouldn't open. It was as if I was hesitating.

Meanwhile, my heart was pounding violently.

I kept getting more and more anxious and my heart was pounding.

I was looking around pretending it was obvious and saw a couple holding hands.

..If you look down, you will soon see a small hand,

.....If I lower my arm without thinking, how far will I be able to reach?

Will my fingertips feel cold when I brush against them in this cold weather? ..Oh, my hands aren't that warm either...

....

Strange thoughts suddenly popped into my head.

I can't really define the reason. I just,

The only reason that came to mind was just that.

11:59 PM

00:00 AM

전정국

....

On the street or in a cafe, you often hear a sentence that starts with "just..." in a refreshing way.

전정국

...It's 12 o'clock,

윤여주

Yeah..? ..Oh, uh- I see, heh

전정국

...

On their way home from work, parents call their children with the words, "I was just walking." Lovers express their love by saying, "I just wanted to hear your voice."

전정국

Today is Christmas. The 25th.

"Just" usually means there's no particular reason, but it's important enough that it doesn't require a reason.

It also means.

Swish

Swish_

전정국

.....

전정국

....((He puts his hand down and gently grabs the collar of the female protagonist's clothes.

전정국

....Merry Christmas,

윤여주

....?

전정국

.....

전정국

I just wanted to say, hehe. Merry Christmas, ((smile

The moment you open your mouth to say "just" in the latter sense, "just" is not really "just."

...

..

.

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It's already past Christmas, but.... ..the author likes Christmas... haha

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Everyone, it's a little early Happy New Year🎉!

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Thank you for reading today!

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If you have any questions or don't understand something in the work, please leave a comment at any time!!

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Sonting, please💜

Sonting😊