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Solidarity
Wednesday, January 19th, 2022 11:52 pmA cafe, some festive music, hot drinks, and conversations. Jin Gyeom and Do Yeon talk about Christmas.
For Kiestan
* * *
Christmas songs surrounded them from every direction, like a hearty warming soup or a gift wrapped up tightly in wrapping paper, complete with a bow on top.
Jin Gyeom felt uncomfortable; it was loud, distracting, disorderly, and there were so many sounds and lights and people. Everywhere.
He focussed his attention on the person he was with; his friend, Do Yeon. She was smiling, her mouth turned upward and her eyes shining. Happy. Her voice held that something she claimed was happiness, an excited pace, a warm note--whatever it was, it was there, and she was happy.
Do Yeon liked celebrations, holidays, all of them.
Sitting across the table from Jin Gyeom in their usual coffee spot, a busy enough cafe in a busy enough part of the city, Do Yeon stirred her sweet smelling hot chocolate and bobbed the marshmallows under the cocoa to get them extra melty.
"So, do you have all your festive shopping sorted?" she asked brightly, her eyes bright and alert, interested in his answer.
"What festive shopping?" he asked.
"Greeting cards and gifts and food for celebrating."
"I don't celebrate Christmas," he replied, as deadpan as before.
"Surely someone you know celebrates it," Do Yeon went on, her tone as sweet as her chocolate drink.
"Yes."
She nodded. "And?"
"And what?"
"Well," she said, her smile faltering for a moment while she moved her gaze to her hot chocolate to gaze at the marshmallows and froth, "don't you want to wish them happy celebrations?"
"Celebrations are, by nature, intended to be happy events. But to answer your question, no: my thoughts and feelings on the matter aren't going to affect anything and since I don't celebrate the custom myself, why say anything about something I know nothing of? I'd rather stay out of it and leave the... merry-making to those invested in it. I wouldn't want to tarnish the mood."
Do Yeon's forehead crinkled in a frown. "How would you tarnish the mood, Jin Gyeom? That just wouldn't happen."
He gave her the same somewhat blank look he'd been giving her the entire day. "Do I strike you as merry? Or someone who wishes love and goodwill, peace and good tidings to all the people of Earth?"
She shrugged a single shoulder, still somehow managing to keep a smile in place on her face. "Come on, Jin Gyeom; I'm no more religious than you are. These days, you can celebrate the festive season and Christmas anyway. It's becoming more and more of a mainstream holiday for those who aren't religious, too. To me, it's about being happy and spending good times with the people who make you happy--your friends and family."
"Something you can do any day of the year with less hassle, less pressure and much less fanfare. OK. If it brings you joy, you do you, Do Yeon."
She huffed, frowning slightly. "But the streets aren't decorated and special songs aren't playing every day of the year. Families all over the world don't celebrate the same occasion every day of the year. If for no other reason, the day is special just for that alone."
"For what?" he asked.
"Love."
"Agree to disagree. Love for your family is something you practise every day. If you wish to show love for your fellow human beings, showing that love just for one day out of the entire year isn't going to do anything, and it is superfluous--you're not a better person than your neighbour just because you give a homeless person begging on the street a little change for the festive season and your neighbour passes them by without pausing. If every other day of the year, you'd rather look the other way and purposely tune out their pleas or pretend you don't see them, but for this one day in the name of the festive season, vibing, whatever you want to call it, I wouldn't classify that as compassion or anything approaching solidarity. In fact, I'd say that sort of person was callous and very possibly twisted. There's curating your experience and then there's twisting the narrative, Do Yeon."
She sighed heavily, her shoulders drooping and the smile slipping from her face. "Love," she said again, just plainly.
"If it makes you happy, Do Yeon."
"Actually, it makes me sad," she said, the shine of her eyes turning dull. "I wanted you to be happy, too. I wanted us to be happy together. It makes me happy when you're happy. We're friends, Jin Gyeom."
He nodded, reaching a hand across the table to touch her hand in a gesture of solidarity or comfort. "I'm not unhappy, Do Yeon. I'm perfectly fine. Your happiness can't just depend on those around you; people are just people. Your happiness must come from within to be self-sustaining. If you enjoy Christmas, enjoy away. Don't let the haters get you down, as they say."
She laughed, gazing at his hand touching hers before he followed her gaze and took his hand back, realising he'd been holding her hand for too long and how inconvenient and presumptuous of him, really. She was actually fine; laughing and all.
"Agree to disagree?"
"About what?" he asked.
Her eyes shimmered in the bright, colourful lights for just a moment or two, then she blinked, swallowed and nodded, smiling again. "Christmas, Jin Gyeom."
"That's what I've been trying to say, Do Yeon. Absolutely, yes--agree to disagree."
She took a sip of her hot chocolate at last. One more sip, and set her mug back down. "Jin Gyeom?"
"Do Yeon?" he returned.
"I'm glad that you're not unhappy."
"Likewise."
She stared at the marshmallows, now all melted, and smiled a small smile, took another sip of her cocoa, more slowly this time, and closed her eyes to listen to the music and chatter and vibe.
Jin Gyeom watched her and wondered if he should get her a Christmas card. While he didn't partake of the tradition himself, he genuinely wished Do Yeon a joyous, fulfilling and affirming festive season.
Best not, he decided. He didn't want her or anyone else to think the idea was growing on him, after all.
Instead, he took a sip of his coffee and patiently waited for Do Yeon to resume their conversation, or not. He was fine either way, as long as they got to hang out together.
