No body delivered the milk this morning as expected since it's Christmas Day. The shops were all shut too. But since my obsessive Asian mother is always prepared for the end of the world, we'd stocked up on three weeks worth of milk, even though it's only one day we won't be buying any.  Don't even get me started on the rice. And the kimchi? Well lets say for the last month our house has been saturated with the smell of hundreds of fermenting cabbages. 'Nuff said.

Back to my weekend. It began with waking up very early in the morning.

"Noooona! Noona." Jinho was bouncing up and down on my bed and whispering for me to get up. "It's already 5.30! You have to get up now!" He moaned.

"Go unwrap your presents. I'm sleepy," I said to him with my face in the pillow.

"No, you have to do it with me!" he sang, taking the blanket off of the bed. I groaned as I instantly felt the bite of the midwinter chill. This kid is cruising for a bruising. "Come on!"

"Fine. Geez just stop jumping on my bed before you break it!" I hissed and he got off with a satisfied smirk. I wasn't expecting any presents from my parents since they had stopped doing that ever since I lost interest in my childhood hobbies. The resulted to just givingme money to buy my own things and then eventually, each year I got nothing- which I was fine with since there was nothing I needed. The feeling was the same though as they gave me a hug and the usual 'Merry Christmas, Honey!'. It was different for Jinho though, who I suspected regardless of him being 14, still believed in Santa Claus.

We tiptoed down the stairs and I tripped a bit since it was still pretty dark. The only light was the one coming from our glittering Christmas tree. And at the bottom of it was a pile of presents patiently waiting. Jinho skipped towards them and slumped down right beside the first package. He was already opening it. I smiled as his face lit up from receiving the new phone he'd asked for. That one was from mum. The next was from me. I had gotten him a new set of video games which he instantly hugged me for since he'd really started to run out of steam with his old ones. A few other presents were from other family members who we couldn't visit at the moment and a few more fromme and mum.

"Noona, this is for you," he said with a shy smile, handing me a small box. I took it hesitantly.

"Jinho-ah, you don't usually give me anything. What is it?" I gave him a brief hug then took off the wrapping. Inside was a small music box that when opened revealed a small carousel with pink horses covered in gold ribbons and lace.The song was one I recognised well. It's the lullaby I sang to him when he used to get nightmares. "Jinho.....it's beautiful. Thank you."

"I painted and decorated it myself," he said, beaming proudly. I gave him another, much longer hug and laid down on my front to peer up at the Christmas tree.

"Noona."

"Hmm?"

"This one." He gave me another parcel that was substantial in size."It's adressed to both of us." I looked at the tag and it did indeed say 'For Haneul and Jinho' on it. It was from our neighbours.

"Open it, Jinho," I said, handing it back to my brother. He tore off the paper to reveal a gorgeous, hand woven fabric basket made from black bamboo strips and silver cord. "Oh, that's unusual. We'll have to thank them later."

"We didn't get them anything." His face was heartbreakingly disappointed that it made me want to cry.

"Don't worry, Jinho. I baked a cake yesterday. We can take it over when they wake up okay," I chirped. He nodded and looked much better. He's still a real kid. I wonder what he's like around his friends.

What was the basket for? Did they have the idea that I was still really into making dolls dresses so I needed a fabric basket? But then it wouldn't have been addressed to me and Jinho. This came from Woohyun's house.

I shook my head and watched my brother start to try out his new video games quietly. Sometime during that, I drifted back to sleep again. When I woke up, it was nine in the morning. Jinho was asleep too so I got up to make a special Christmas breakfast. We have our own tradition at Christmas: there is no tradition.

I made the usual rice and kimchi jigae but, since it was a special occasion, I put in extra effort to make Jinho's favourite Samgyupsal; which we only ever have when it's his birthday because my secret recipe has extra special ingredients only I know.

Half an hour later, my mum and brother came into the kitchen and devoured the whole of my amazing masterpiece then silently wondered off again to their lairs. I don't know why I bother. It was about time, though, that I thanked my neighbours for going out of their way.

"Jinho, are you ready?" I called to him. He came down stairs in his best clothes, looking very smart. He latched onto my arm which was holding the cake and we walked out the front door, five paces, towards the next door down. "Ring the bell then." I nudged him forwards. He pressed the bell then ran behind me and stood with his head down.

We waited a long time until the door opened and we were greeted by a groggy looking Woohyun in bunny pyjamas. He squinted at us and yawned whilst scratching his head.

"Err, Merry Christmas!" I said with a worried tone. Is he drunk?

"Mmm....Merry....Kissmas," He groaned walking back inside and leaving the door open. Maybe he did have to much to drink, it is that time of year.

I raised my eyebrows at Jinho who shrugged and followed Woohyun to his living room. I sighed and went to the kitchen after shutting the door to put the cake in the fridge.

"Yah! We brought you and your family a cake. You gonna just sit there and not ask them to come?" I said to Woohyun who was sprawled on his sofa, half asleep.

"They went out." He rolled over and yelled into the cushion.

"And...you didn't?" He looked up at me and shook his head childishly, his messy hair swishing about. "You should get dressed. It's almost midday."

"Heeeey. You're not my mum! I'll get dressed when I like." That deserved a slap on the back of the head.

"Don't be rude in front of guests," I lectured. He turned his head to Jinho and they both smirked.

"Is she always like this?" Woohyun asked. My brother nodded so I shoved his head with my finger. Woohyun grudgingly went up stairs and a few moments later, he was back down with clean clothes and smooth brushed hair. His clothes had no sleeves and his jeans were extremely tight.

"Is that going to be okay? Won't you be too cold?" I asked. He smirked and shook his head.

"I'm too hot to get cold." He laughed at his own joke and Jinho looked up at him in awe. I hope he's not getting influenced. "Why? Is it bothering you that you can see my muscles? Too much to handle?" He's back to his old self. I took Jinho's hand and walked him briskly to the door. Woohyun followed.

"Wait where are yo-" he began.

"Tell your parents Merry Christmas and thank you for the basket. It was absolutely beautiful. See you at school Woohyun-sii." He quickly grabbed my arm with an alarmed look.

"You're not leaving so soon are you. I just got changed..." he looked really depressed. "I'm by myself today. If you're not busy, could I spend Christmas with you?" he mumbled, embarassed.

I sighed and tilted my head to see his expression as he was facing the floor. His face was red and slightly angry.

"Well... I guess we're not busy." I walked out of the door and after a while, I heard Woohyun follow behind. Five paces and we were back inside my house. Jinho ran away upstairs to his room again.

It was pretty weird seeing Woohyun sitting at our dining room table and playing with our table mats. I thought I was supposed to hate this guy and make him pay for breaking Soyeon's heart. But I guess my morals tell me Christmas is the time to spend with someone who would otherwise be by themselves without their family.

"Where are your parents, Woohyun?" I pried. He suddenly looked up with a thoughtful expression. After a long time, he shook his head and resumed playing with the tableware.

"They're probably working as usual."

"On Christmas Day?!" He nodded.

"They're always working. It's nothing new."

"This year they sent us a present...?" Woohyun looked like he was trying hard to recall something.

"It's to put things in." Oh well done genius. I kind of got that much. "It's a fabric basket that my house keeper made to give to you and your brother. But you don't have to just use it for fabric."

"Why would your house keeper make us something so beautiful like that?"

"Don't know." He showed me a flower he made out of the napkins and beamed widely. I put on a smile and nodded back.

"Have I...ever met her?" I asked. He nodded.

"Probably. We send her on errands to the corner shop and post office a lot. You might have seen her," he said, placing the flower in a teacup.

"Ah I think I know who it is." I thought she was his grandmother since she popped in and out of their house a lot. I can remember one time when I was taking Jinho to school when we saw her struggling with some bags and we both went out of our way to carry them all the way back to Woohyun's house, even though we were almost at his school. Jinho was almost late and I was very late. She thanked us several times but still felt guilty. "What a nice old lady."

"Hey where's your parents?" Woohyun suddenly asked.

"My mum's visiting her friends." He nodded and the room became awkwardly silent.

"So we're here alone-"

"Until around five when she comes back." He nodded again.

"What should we do?"

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A/N Merry Christmas!