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– Didn’t get a Christmas present yet? Ryan laughed,
“I’m ashamed.”
– Haha! No need to be ashamed. I asked you to reach out if you needed help.
“I didn’t expect to contact you for this,”
– I’m always here to help Sihyeon. Don’t worry. You always took care of Speranza’s needs, so it’s surprising that you didn’t get her a gift.”
“I haven’t thought about a Christmas present in so long and completely forgot.”
– It’s okay to make mistakes. Have you checked the malls and toy stores nearby?
“Yes, most of them were sold out. The same for online shopping sites.”
Maybe there are still some stocks in remote areas, but given the current situation, it seems unlikely,
– I’m sure it won’t be easy to get it in a normal way.
I could hear the sound of being in deep thought over the other side of the phone.
Naturally, my mind became heavy too.
It’s not going to be easy for Ryan either.
The request to help me get a sold-out toy was absurd in itself.
No matter how competent Ryan was, I don’t think he’ll find a way.
– Maybe there’s a way.
“What? For real?”
I asked again in disbelief.
– I’m not sure. But around this time of year, there is a group of people who prepare gifts for children. They probably got a lot of toys this year, too.
“Are there people like that?”
– Sihyeon knows them well. Now I could say you know them better than I do.
“Me, me?”
I was puzzled and couldn’t understand what Ryan was trying to say.
Starting with Yerin next to me, I hurriedly recalled my acquaintances, but there seemed to be no one related to what Ryan mentioned.
I don’t have a clue.
Ryan giggled and laughed and threw out clues one by one.
– What day is Christmas?
“It’s the day when baby Jesus was born.”
– Who told Virgin Mary about her pregnancy?
My head got complicated by the enigmatic question.
Feeling frustrated, I looked at Yerin, who was sitting next to me.
“Yerin, do you know who told Virgin Mary about her pregnancy?”
It was a random question, but she answered quickly as if it were nothing.
“That? That’s Gabriel.”
“Gabriel?”
“Aren’t you talking about the one where the archangel Gabriel visited the Virgin Mary under the direction of God?”
Archangel Gabriel… …Angel… …Angel… …Angel… …Angel…
No way!
Back then, when I was unaware of Angels and Demons, I thought of Angels as the ones portrayed in stories.
Although that perception doesn’t hold true for me now, for many people, the image of Angels was still very appealing.
It was only natural to associate Christmas with Angels in that sense.
I checked my phone and saw the name ‘Ashmir’ in my contacts.
Feeling burdened to make a call, I sent a short message.
[Are you busy? I have something to ask]
I got a reply much faster than I thought.
[Where are you?]
Unfortunately, Ashmir did not seem to have any intention of talking on the phone.
Having faced a similar situation before, I replied comfortably.
[Please come to this location]
I sent a message indicating a suitable place with fewer people and headed there with Yerin.
Steering clear of the busy Christmas atmosphere, we arrived at a relatively peaceful park.
Yerin, who was brought along without any explanation, asked in a gruff tone,
“Why are we here? What happened to Speranza’s toy?”
“Just wait. You’ll find out soon enough,”
“What? You need to explain it to me…”
WHOOSH!
A strong gust of wind swept past us.
When I closed my eyes for a moment and opened them, three individuals with wings stood before us.
It was Ashmir and Urki, whom I had met a while ago, and another familiar face.
“Judge Ark?” I said, surprised.
“Haha! How have you been?” he replied, jovially.
“How? Why?” I asked, still confused.
“I had some business in this world, and I came here just in time. Ashmir received your message and I tagged along to say hello,”
Judge Ark explained with a laugh.
I put on a forced smile, trying to hide my bewilderment.
Why did Judge Ark come along when I only called Ashmir?
However, my confusion was nothing compared to Yerin’s.
She stammered, her voice trembling with panic.
“What’s going on? Why are they here all of a sudden?”
“I asked them to come,” I replied.
“But why? And if he’s a judge, isn’t he someone of high standing among the Angels? It’s like meeting the President, right?”
Judge Ark answered, “Being a judge is not such a big deal sometimes. And I’m here not for my official duties, just to say hello to a friend.”
“I’m sorry, Judge,” Yerin apologized.
“No need to be so formal. You can call me Grandpa Ark. Hohoho!”
After the introductions and greetings were over, Yerin finally relaxed.
“So, why did you reach out to Ashmir? I assume you have something to ask?”
“I heard from Ryan that the Angels prepare gifts for the children around this time?”
“Yes, every Christmas, we have an event where we give presents to children,”
I was genuinely surprised.
“Really?”
Judge Ark chuckled.
“I guess we’ve shattered your fantasies about heaven.”
“Hahaha…” I forced a laugh.
“As you may have guessed, Angels aren’t really interested in human events like this. But since Christmas is significant to many humans, we go along with their expectations to a certain extent. It helps us maintain a good image and a cooperative relationship with the humans.”
The Angels’ approach to gift-giving was more practical than I anticipated.
This seemed like a more believable mindset for the Angels I knew compared to the notion of spreading hope to children.
“You wouldn’t have been curious about this and called Ashmir, do you have anything you want to ask about?” asked Judge Ark.
“Yes, I’m looking for a toy for my daughter,” I replied.
“Can you tell me what kind of toy it is?” Judge Ark asked.
I pulled up a picture of the toy on my smartphone and showed it to him.
Urki, who was nearby, took a look and exclaimed,
“I’ve seen that toy before!”
“Really?” I asked, hopeful.
“Yes, I’m sure it was one of the toys we prepared,” Urki confirmed.
I was overjoyed to finally locate the toy I had been searching for all day.
Both I and Yerin’s faces lit up.
“I’m so sorry, but could we possibly get that toy? I’ll pay for it,” I said.
“Don’t worry about the cost. Given what we owe you, it’s the least we could do,” Judge Ark said with a smile.
“I wish I could repay you properly. It’s disappointing that all I can offer is a toy,” Judge Ark added, looking slightly disappointed.
“Just getting the toy is enough for me,” I said.
“You may think so, but we can’t. You’re still taking care of the Divine beast on our behalf, which is far from enough,” Judge Ark replied.
I nodded in agreement with Ark’s sincere attitude.
“Now, let me ask you a favor,” Judge Ark said.
“……?”
Time went by, and on Christmas Eve, the entire family gathered in the house.
A festive mood was created with the decoration of a Christmas tree, which was unusual for us, and the preparation of various colorful cakes and delicious food.
Everyone, including Speranza, Akum, Cheese, and the Divine Beast, was satisfied after eating their favorite food.
Even my mother, who was usually quiet, seemed to enjoy the Christmas festivities.
“It’s not bad to celebrate Christmas so joyfully,” she said with a smile.
I also shared a subtle smile while enjoying the Christmas Eve dinner.
As the night went on, the children who had eaten to their heart’s content began to nod off, one by one.
Akum and the Divine Beast were first to fall asleep and were moved to their pre-prepared beds.
My mother also went to bed, and Cheese, who had yawned loudly, followed her.
Only Speranza and I were left.
“Unnnn…”
Even though it was time for bed, Speranza was rubbing her eyes, trying to stay awake.
“Speranza, it’s time for bed now,” I said softly.
“But I want to see Santa, Papa,” she mumbled, half asleep.
I hugged her tightly around my arms at her cute appearance, and then slowly carried her to our bed.
Speranza was worried that Santa wouldn’t come because there were no chimneys, but I reassured her that he would enter through the window.
With that assurance, she fell asleep with a peaceful expression.
I made sure she was covered and warm, and then lay down on the bed next to her.
With the sound of the children breathing in the room, I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep.
CREEEK!