Word Count: 2,966

Note: This chapter is not an update, just a little bonus chapter to thank you all for reading my story! The events in this story are separate and not necessary for the plot. This chapter also does not fit in with the current timeline of the story (you can estimate that this probably happened after chapter seven or eight). Below, I have a few important announcements!

~~

It’s when Chanyeol puts out the “tree” that Baekhyun knows it’s almost Christmas.

While it may sound festive, Baekhyun could care less about the “tree,” which is in reality a potted spiny shrub that Chanyeol buys for a few bucks from some shady store and decorates poorly with cheap, plastic ornaments. It stands just a few feet tall in the open room of the Exo Credit Union where Baekhyun’s men hold their annual Christmas party, cheap ornaments gleaming in the light. Baekhyun’s mind recoils at the sight of the shrub and its ornaments into a state of disgust as he’s reminded of his least favorite holiday.

Christmas.

Byun Baekhyun hates Christmas.

When Baekhyun thinks of Christmas, he’s reminded of cold winter nights spent alone at the orphanage as a child, the other children never really wanting to talk to him. He never had a family to share presents with, and the festive party held by his men each year manages to only perturb him further.

It’s only a few days from Christmas Eve that he arrives back at the office from a long day of collecting loans with Jongin that he passes by the room, door hanging ajar. He hears loud clamor and sees flashes of color from the slight crevice and decides to poke his head inside.

“What the hell is going on inside here?” he asks.

He sees Chanyeol and Jongdae moving around pots of poinsettias and Jongin hanging red ribbon along the wall as several other men are bent over at the table with the shrub, hands busy writing onto small pieces of paper.

“We’re getting ready for the Christmas party,” Chanyeol beams, eliciting a sigh from Baekhyun’s cold lips.

His men are surprisingly innocent and quite immature at heart, despite their violent tendencies and dangerous jobs. He feels that they could be leading better lives with their families if not for their difficult circumstances.

“Well, you go ahead and do that,” Baekhyun mumbles, before stepping towards the door. “I won’t be joining this year either.”

“Hey, boss,” Jongdae whines, “before you go, you should at least write down your Christmas wish.”

Baekhyun whirls around on his heels at the door, asking, “You want me to do what?”

Jongdae points to the others huddled at the table with stocky pieces of paper.

“We’re all writing down our Christmas wishes onto those pieces of paper and folding them so we can put them under the tree,” Chanyeol explains. “Since we don’t really exchange presents, we thought it’d be nice if we put something else under the tree. Your wish may come true, you know.”

“I’m not interested,” Baekhyun grumbles.

He finds himself in the familiar chair in his dark office, eyes tracing the lights through the large clear panels of glass of the windows while his fingers bring a cigarette to his lips. He sees the reds and greens of Christmas decor and the dazzling lights peeking out through heavy blankets of snow.

Baekhyun lets out a sigh.

How he hates Christmas.

~~

A few days later, Baekhyun is passing by the room for the Christmas party once more, his attention caught by a young girl’s voice as she asks, “What is that?”

Baekhyun can’t help but take a few steps back and tilt his head so he’s looking through the slightly open door.

“It’s our Christmas tree, princess,” Chanyeol answers, rolling his eyes. “Maybe you could afford one, but we’re not rich like you. This is all we can afford.”

“I didn’t mean it that way,” Hwayoung sighs. “You could’ve bought a smaller tree that’s fake, you know. Or you could’ve bought one of those miniature trees that are already decorated.”

“Fake trees are nasty, princess,” Chanyeol huffs. “You don’t understand the importance of having a living plant. Not to mention, there’s no fun in buying one that’s already decorated.”

It’s after long minutes of Chanyeol ranting to Hwayoung about the philosophy behind collectively decorating a tree as a family that he finally loses his breath, voice rasping, “Anyways, do you want to write your Christmas wish on a piece of paper and leave it under the tree like everyone else?”

“Sure,” Hwayoung shrugs.

It’s in that moment that a thought strikes Baekhyun’s reeling mind.

Is there something that Hwayoung wants for Christmas?

While Baekhyun hates to admit it, he realizes that his thoughts have been captivated by the young girl, something stirring softly in his heart when he thinks about her. He doesn’t want to articulate his feelings, afraid that his gentle sentiments would soften his cold facade, but somewhere in his mind, he knows that he’s begun to feel a deep affection for Hwayoung.

And this affection turns to panic once Baekhyun realizes that there may be something that Hwayoung wants.

And his yearning heart is telling him that he needs to find out.

Because he wants Hwayoung to be happy.

~~

It’s at night that everyone else has left the building, and Baekhyun carefully checks his surroundings before sneaking out of his office. His lone steps echo loudly in the dark halls, the door to the room for the party creaking loudly as Baekhyun pushes it open.

He turns on the light before walking towards Chanyeol’s beloved shrub, fingers carefully prying open the folded cards, eyes scanning through the terrible handwriting of each one before folding them and placing them back on the table. Irritation causes his fingers to hasten as he reads some of the most ridiculous wishes.

Despite going through several, a large pile remains, Hwayoung’s swooping handwriting still nowhere to be found.

“When the hell did I hire so many men?” Baekhyun hisses under his breath when he noticies just how many are left.

It’s as he goes through them that he realizes his attempt to find Hwayoung’s wish is futile, that he could have already dismissed it and thrown it into the pile with the other ones he had opened.

Disappointment fills Baekhyun’s tired mind.

He’s going to have to buy her something, something that he needs to think of on his own.

As he’s about to leave, his eyes travel to the marker and blank pieces of paper on the other end of the table. It’s before he can go that his hands naturally reach for the marker, lips moving nervously as he recites the wish that he writes on the piece of paper before him.

Despite his great loathe for Christmas, he must admit, there’s something this year that he cares deeply about.

~~

Baekhyun finds himself standing on one of the city’s most popular streets, lined with restaurants and cramped stores. He nearly gags at the swarms of couples that he sees, but he has no time to revel in disgust with Christmas only two days away.

He begins walking uncertainly, feet already cold from the icy sidewalk and embarrassment painting his cheeks red.

It had been a nightmare buying a necklace for Hwayoung’s birthday, even with the help of Chanyeol and Jongdae.

How is he going to buy something for Hwayoung alone?

It’s as he’s squinting to make out the display in a window that he’s startled by a familiar voice. Baekhyun’s head whips to its direction, his body tensing when he recognizes Hwayoung walking out of a store, a bag in her hand.

What the hell is she doing here?

Baekhyun knows the fluster and embarrassment will overwhelm him if Hwayoung happens to find him shopping for a gift, and he finds himself walking into some random cafe. He can’t risk having the young girl find out that he’s out getting a Christmas gift for her, and he gets shudders just thinking a