27 days until Christmas

 After managing to get his bike lock defrosted, Nichkhun pedaled towards his family restaurant, hoping he wouldn't be late ... again.

 Shaking snow from his jacket he entered Horvejkul's and passed by a table filled with the regulars, a couple of ahjummas from down the street who always played card games while getting their authentic Thai curry from none other than their amazing head chef and owner, Mr. Horvejkul.

 "I thought you guys would be half way through your game of cutthroat poker by now," Nichkhun said as he smiled back at the ahjummas who were just simply sitting down on the table.

 One of the ahjummas laughed as she patted Khun's head. "But then we'd miss your big appearance on tv,"

 Nichkhun gave a confused look at the ahjumma and asked, "What are you talking about?" The ahjumma simply pointed towards the small tv hung at the corner of the restaurant as he saw his little dance routine shown on the screen. He looked back at the ahjummas and quickly defended himself, "You weren't supposed to see that." he added afterwards. He continued walking when he was encountered by his two sisters, Yanin and Sherleen.

 "Hey bro," Yanin greeted, carrying not only another bowl of curry but a child in her stomach as well. She's already at seven months and stilled dutifully working. Nichkhun and the rest of his family had insisted that she should take maternity leave, but she refused. It was a Horvejkul thing, to never give up.

 "Looks like all those tap lessons Mom made you take as a kid finally paid off," Sherleen commented, as Nichkhun gave a hug to both of his younger sisters.

 Nichkhun continued to the bar where his brother was talking on the phone. "Spiced cabbage, kimchi, same thing. I'm not Korean!" his brother screamed at the tiny cellular phone. Khun took a seat at the bar as his brother covered his hand over the speaker. "Nice of you to finally join us by the way,"

 "Whatever Nichan," he replied. "Hey, dad hasn't seen this has he?"

 Nichan bursted with laughter, "You flaunting all of your lame moves in front of the whole country?"

 Khun shook his head. "Still not fun-"

 "Nichkhun!" a voice called out to him. Nichkhun looked off to his side to see his father, back in the kitchen, eyeing him. Khun looked back at his brother and sighed,

 "I guess he already did."

 Khun walked towards his father, ready to apologize, but his father didn't seemed intrigued.

 "Late again," he tisked at his son, waggling a demeaning finger at him. Regardless, it wasn't the right time for another lecture, so he just tossed him an apron. "Take over for your brother before he scares all of our customers." Before Khun could even explain the Santa contest his dad already warned him. "I don't want to hear about it, I don't want to talk about it."

  Nichkhun simply obeyed his father's orders and went back towards the bar. He shooed Nichan off with his hand and heard a phone ring. Recognizing the default ringtone he always had, Khun dug his hand in his pocket to find his cell.

 "Yo!"

 "Is that how you answer all of your phone calls?" A female voice asked with disgust. Khun remembered this tone. It seemed like the same nagging and bossy attitude that was given to him just this morning.

 "Jessica?"

 "It's Miss Jung to you." the executive snarled. She sighed, a few minutes ago she had already checked the votes, and indeed it was her worst nightmare. "Congratulations, you made it to the finals."

 Nichkhun grinned, barely containing his excitement. "Are you serious?"

 "Hard to believe, I know." she replied, rolling her eyes. "Just be back at the mall tomorrow at 10 am."

 "Thank you so much, but wait ... 10?"

 Jessica smirked, "Is that a problem? Cause we can always find a third candidate."

 Khun shook his head. So what if he had work that day, he can blow it off. "I'll be there, but I might be a little late." The two said their farewells as he hung up the phone. He was just two people away from 50 million won, and he can just feel the Christmas spirit rising within him.

 After their shifts, the Horvejukul kids sat down outside in their usual resting place. It was a small coffee table, that was usually meant to play a card game or have a nice drink.

 "Here are three beers," Yanin announced as she set the glass bottles down, "And a nice ice cold water for me."

 "So you're really in the finals huh?" Sherleen asked, opening her beer.

 "I know," Khun replied. "You'd think all those guys who ripped their shirts off would make it, but I guess some people realize the true meaning of Christmas."

 "Does Dad even know you're doing this all for him?" Nichan asked.

 Nichkhun scoffed, as if his dad would listen to a single thing he said nowadays. "Of course not."

 "We need to save Horvejkul's,"

 "Which is why you," Sherleen pointed at Khun with her beer, "need to win that job."

 Khun smiled, "Way ahead of you sis."

 Nichan raised his beer at the center of the table, looking at his younger siblings to follow his lead. The three lifted their drinks as he cheered, "For Horvejkul's!" and the glasses made a bright clinking noise.

 Lights? Check.

 Decorations? Check.

 Finalists? Ch- .

 "Where is Nichkhun?" Jessica asked Hyoyeon, it was already 10 and she hasn't had any word on the third finalist. She was about ready to explode when Hyoyeon handed her back her coffee.

 "Don't worry, he called in and said he was going to be a little late."

 A little late? Jessica told him to come at 10 and if he wasn't going to follow her orders then he didn't deserve this job in the first place. Showing late to a competition for a job already gives a bad reputation.

 "If he doesn't come in two minutes he is out of the competition," Jessica warned her assistant. "Ugh, I need an aspirin right now."

 "The show hasn't even started and you're insisting on a drug?" a voice chuckled at her. "Seems like Jessica Jung is a good girl gone bad." Jessica turned around to the voice speaking to her and smiled.

 "Changmin?" she recognized. "What are you doing here?"

 Changmin looked out in the crowd and smiled. "Soo Man was supposed to stop by and check out all the malls so far, but something came up. I'm now his eyes and ears."

 "Hi Changmin," Hyoyeon greeted with a lack of enthusiasm.

 "Oh, is that you Hyoyeon?" Changmin questioned, not realizing who was addressing him. "I couldn't see you under all that hair - it looks nice though."

 Hyoyeon gave Changmin a smile, forced and fake, and walked away. She didn't like Changmin and she wasn't going to let him rain on her parade even when he already did that to Sica herself.

 Jessica turned to Changmin and whispered, "So how are we in comparison to the other malls?"

 "Well COEX has a new underground petting zoo, and Times Square booked some twin teeny boppers and both of them have been causing much interest." He looked back to the crowd of women and smiled. "But by the looks of this crowd it seems like you guys are doing a good job too."

 Running through the crowd came Nichkhun, exhausted, but at least he was here.

 "You're late," Jessica stated, glaring at the man.

 "I know, I just got caught up during work."

 "Dressing room, now." she demanded. Nichkhun nodded and began to ran backstage, but before he did he traced his steps back and smiled at Jessica.

 "By the way, thanks for choosing me. I know there must've been tons of candidates that would've fit this job better but at least you chose who really did fit the essence of Santa."

 Jessica simply smirked. "If the decision was up to me you wouldn't even be here."

 Nichkhun chuckled at himself then grinned even wider. "Well then, I'm glad you the decision wasn't up to you." And with that, he was off, before he could piss her off even more.

 Eventually everything got settled, and the three finalists were up on stage. Jessica was handed a mic as she looked directly at her three possible workers.

 "Today there will be three parts of your test," she announced. "First you will learn a dance routine and perform it in front of all of us, second there will be a question and answer format which will test your Christmas spirit, and finally the winner will be chosen with the audience's applause."

 The three candidates nodded their heads in understanding as the competition really began. Their choreographer was Jo Kwon, and the three were only given 15 minutes to learn and memorize the routine before they would all dance it together in front of the audience of girls. It seemed like none of the guys had any trouble with the routine and it showed through the actual performance.

 "Tell us why you should I'Park's y Santa," Jessica asked to the three finalists.

 Kikwang gave an eye smile and retorted, "Well who can't resist my body?" Then teased the audience with another flash of his abs.

 Siwon wiggled his eyebrows and responded, "Because the celebration of Jesus's birthday should be important to every kid, and with my appearance I can convince anyone that."

 Nichkhun tucked his hands in his pocket and smiled, "My mom always told us that Christmas was meant to be with family and loved ones. If I can just share that bit of information to every little kid that sits on my lap, then that will make me happy."

 "So that's it for our finals ladies and gentlemen!" Jessica announced as she walked onto stage along with the finalists. "Now remember, our y santa will be decided base on the volume of your applause, so make sure whoever you want to win gets your loudest scream. Let's start with Lee Kikwang!" There were screams for the cutie, but not from every person. Jessica raised her hand above Siwon's head which generated louder shrieks, and finally she raised her hand above Nichkhun's head, which earned multiple screams and clapping as well. 

 "Looks like we have a tie!" Jessica decided. "I guess we'll have to do it again."