Thursday, 22nd of December 2015

Getting into the cab, Sarah hugged her bag out on her lap while she places a big shopping bag aside. She has just arrived back to Korea after her early Christmas celebration with her parents. She's back to reality. Although she managed to give the students' exams before she left for Florida, she will begin studying Master's Examination on mid-January. Nevertheless, she was also excited to go home and see Tony - her friend, Yeona told her she already brought Tony back in her apartment just this afternoon and left food and a drink. But of course not only Tony, she especially missed her Baekkie bunny as well. Speaking of which, upon his request for a gift, Sarah struggled to actually choose. She isn't the best when it comes to gifts because she personally likes cutesy stuffs. She just bought a simple black backpack with white straps on which gives the product more youthfulness to it; it suits Baekhyun.  Time check: four in the afternoon. It's still too early to do so but she plans to take a long nap right after arriving home because tomorrow, she will go straight to the groceries to buy the ingredients for the food that Baekhyun was requesting for. She was very worried about it and so she wanted to know and buy everything earlier. Taking her phone out, she texted Baekhyun.

[From: Sarah]

Oppa, I already arrived. I'm on my way home now. I'll take a nap first, let's just meet tomorrow if you have no schedule.

She doesn't usually stop him to come beforehand but right now, she was tired for real - or maybe the weather had something to do with it. She enjoyed the weather back home too much that when she felt coldness again, she felt tired and sleepy. After almost twenty minutes of ride, they finally arrived in front of her apartment. She paid first before getting out while carrying the shopping bag which contain the gift and her bag on the other hand. She stretched her waist for a couple of times before rushing into the gates since she felt cold. "Ah~ home." She groaned while pressing the pass code of her door. Once she was inside, she lazily walked to the living room and stopped halfway when her nose was welcomed by a familiar scent. "Oppa's perfume... Oppa?" She looked around while calling out - she could smell Baekhyun's perfume. Just when she was looking around, she saw Baekhyun's backpack at her couch which confirmed her assumptions. "Ehh... I told him I sleep..." She murmured and walked towards her bedroom right away. She put her bag and shopping bag down aside the door for a while before pushing it open.

And she was stunned by what she just saw. Byun Baekhyun - there on her bed lying down. WITH BLACK HAIR.

Sarah's feet got stiff on the ground as she looked back at him who simply waved a hand while chuckling. "You texted too late. I've been here for an hour already." He spoke while getting off the bed. He was wearing a black trench coat that ends just on his mid-thigh, inside was a turtle-neck black sweater and for his bottom, dark grey - his usual winter attire.

He arrived right across her in no time and smiled so handsomely but didn’t get any respond from the stunned woman. Her lips were parted and her eyes were bulging wide.  "Yah." He calls out and was about to hold her face when Sarah stepped back with her flustered expression. She covered her face and was trying to turn around. "Moya? Ey, didn't you like it. Come here." Baekhyun was pulling her close but she was still hiding her panicky face. "What's wrong?~ Didn't you want this?" He asked and was scooting down to peek at her face. It was so awkward yet so sweet right now because of how she reacted - Baekhyun knew he succeeded. After a few more escaping, Sarah finally was able to look up to him. Her words from their conversation before was echoing inside her head,

“But Oppa you're committed to me so you need change your hair to black cause I want to.”

Baekhyun smiled again and tapped her cheek. "What?" He asked. Sarah felt her tears already forming and without any word, she tiptoed and hugged him on the neck. Baekhyun was taken aback for a second before he was able to hug back.

"Oppa..."

"Hm?" He murmured. Sarah pulled away again and stared at his hair more closely. Hesitantly, she reached her hand to his head and ran her fingers across his hair as if seeing it alone wasn't enough. "W-why... why change it?" Sarah asked and her tears blurred her eyes even more. "Before, I told my stylists, when my hair was damaged because of bleaching, that I want to let it rest for a while just playing around with weird colors, changing it every single time whenever I want, then maybe it will lessen the damage. Blonde with a variety of colors was fun but in the end, it gets unexciting. I realized letting it rest too much and add those unserious, weird color plays, it's just damaging even more... So I want to accept and embrace what's real and what's really there... so my hair can fully heal now. Even if not yet completely, it feels very healthy right now. " He explained and the whole time, Sarah was just staring at him as if she was seeing a different light from his words about his hair. "So~ this is my gift. Where's mine?" He then put his hand out like he was ready to receive a gift but then, Sarah only hugged him on the neck and pulled his face lower to press their lips together. She was already trying to pull his coat down when he cut the kiss short first. "Take a rest. I'm not here to get some of that. We have all the time, right now you can sleep." He said and wiggled his eyebrows. "Ah, wait..." Sarah snapped a finger and stepped outside the room again to get the present.

"Here Oppa..."

"Ooh, nice." Baekhyun peeked into the paper bag and took the bag out. Sarah gulped feeling nervously worrying that he doesn't use cheap items.  "Grateful Days. Oh~ I read that pretty well huh?~" He read in English making Sarah laugh. "Oppa, that's not pricey like your other bag but I choose it well." Sarah said and rubbed the back of her neck. "Yes, I like it." Baekhyun even ped the bag and peeked inside. "Just simple. I like things simpler nowadays." He said and smiled at her. "Alright, you go sleep now. Thanks for this." He said and put the paper bag aside first beside the door. "Oppa, sorry if I have to sleep and you leave right away. But promise, we meet tomorrow." Sarah said as she was being pushed by Baekhyun towards the bed. "Who told you I will leave? I want to nap too. I spent hours in the Salon you know. You could still even smell it so strong right?" He asked and ruffled his black hair. He pushed her down the bed not even minding if she hasn't changed yet. He removed his trench coat first before lying down beside her and tucked the both of them under the blanket. Glancing at her desk, Sarah saw Tony and just waved a hand, she couldn't get up anymore, her body felt heavy. "I was playing with him while I was waiting, he seemed to miss this place... so much." Baekhyun said before pulled her by the waist and grabbed her hand putting it over his body. "Oppa..." Sarah still called and looked up to him while hugging his waist. "What." Baekhyun looked down and their faces met inches apart. "Saranghae..." Sarah murmured while looking intently into his eyes. Like the usual, Baekhyun responded with a chaste kiss on her lips. "You go sleep now, you look like a zombie already. Go sleep." He said and hugged her small body out and Sarah smiled as she cuddled her head on his chest more before closing her eyes. In no time, the pair drifts off to dreamland while holding each other's bodies like their lives depended on it.

_ _ _

Saturday, 24th December 2015; Christmas Eve

"Omo~ I did it! Look exactly like in photo... Wah~"

Having her hands over , Sarah looked down to the flat bottom casserole she just took out from the oven which contained the Cream Pasta she just made. She carried it quickly to the dining table and placed it just beside the bowl of Vegetable Salad she made. Other than those, she bought the other food in a restaurant. Her dining table was very much ready for the Christmas Eve that she's going to be celebrating with Baekhyun. Glancing at the wall clock, she realized she has one more hour until he comes since he said he'll arrive by eight. He said EXO's recording a surprise collaboration in the morning until afternoon and afterwards they're gonna have rehearsals until eight, he said he'll go straight there. Sarah was more than excited - although she has had boyfriends in the past, she's never celebrated Christmas Eve with them, it was always her parents only. It was a first for her which makes it very special aside from the fact that it's with Baekhyun. The remaining time, she cleaned all the mess she made in the kitchen and right after, she washed up. Afterwards, she changed into this,

Twirling in front of her mirror, she clapped her hands as she felt so cute and all right now. She especially bought the dress for this night and put a thin cardigan over it to keep her warm. She put light make up on before skipping towards Tony. "Tony~ I will bring you out tonight~ You eat with us there~" She said and gently carried the cage and walked out of the room, she doesn't usually do this for Tony but she thought why not tonight, it's just one time. She placed the cage on a tall stool that was right beside the dining table. "Yey~ No, we wait for Oppa." She said and rubbed her hands together while grinning. She glanced at her mini Christmas tree at one corner and grinned at the presents there. It was for her friends who she will only invite to celebrate tomorrow. Tonight is all for Baekhyun - all for the two of them alone. "Ahhh~ I hope he like this..." Sarah murmured while looking around. She really made an effort to put such a Christmas ambiance in her whole apartment since it's just small. "I'm so excited... Omo..." She fanned herself down while grinning. Aside from the food, she also bought some chocolate treats and bottle wine that they can share later on - she knew it was going to be a very very warm Christmas Eve later on. Regarding that part, she also felt ecstatic as if it was her first time and she simply didn't know why. "Calm down... patiently... Sarah..." She hushed to calm herself down and patted her chest lightly before nodding with a smile.

But that patience slowly turned into impatience when Baekhyun was still nowhere to be seen and it was already past ten in the evening. Still sitting on the same exact position, Sarah stared in space while letting her tears trickle down her cheeks contagiously. She has tried calling him countless times but he couldn't be reached at all. Now the food that she has prepared were already cold. The dim atmosphere that was still bright enough because of the Christmas lights seem to have turned dimmer with Sarah's sadness. Her tummy was growling; she was so hungry already but she didn't want to eat without Baekhyun. Two more hours before Christmas but she was still alone. "Oppa..." She murmured in between sobs, she kept on glancing down her phone. Putting it down for a while, she placed her arms onto the table and slowly buried her face into it. She began sobbing harder letting her tears drop right on the table. "Oppa... where are you..." She cried out and reaching one hand onto her tummy, she felt it growl again which made her cry even more. "So hungry..." She wept. She already looked like Rudolf with her very red nose, just perfect - ironically. Because of crying too much and trying to fight the urge to eat, Sarah ended up falling asleep right on that same position - it was pretty late now after all.

_ _ _

"Hyung, make it fast please."

Anxiously, Baekhyun glanced down at his phone while continuously calling Sarah. It was already eleven and he knew he was too late from what he has promised her. He really planned to come early, he even told s and managers beforehand while they were rehearsing but that was until they were called to the conference room and realized Lee Soo Man held a surprise company dinner for Christmas Eve. All the SM idols were there and they couldn't leave anymore once they arrived. Unfortunately to him, like the usual, their phones should be all off and given to the managers to avoid losing attention to the celebration and small events made by the idols themselves like games and small performances which are all prepared on the spot. He barely ate during the company dinner because he knew Sarah's been studying the recipe he wanted, he has seen it, and she even watched a video tutorial of it. It only finished a few minutes ago and immediately, he asked his manager to drive him to Sarah. "Hyung, faster." Baekhyun said and he already looked agitated because she wasn't answering. "Baekhyun's calm down. Didn't you say it's an all-friends celebration? I'm sure they'll understand it if you're late. They must be having fun there too, it's already eleven you know." The manager said. He didn't really tell him that it's only the two of them. His managers actually seldom drive him to Sarah's house and whenever they do, Baekhyun would always say they're not alone, that they were a group of friends. There was once or twice that he slept over her house and he was with his manager to drive him there, he would say the same that it's a sleepover hangout with all of them friends. But anyway, most of the time that he goes to Sarah, he drives alone with his car so his managers weren't that much suspicious of them, sometimes, maybe but luckily still, he had nice managers. But right now, he didn't even have the time to go home to the dorm to get changed. "H-hyung, they will get mad. I already told them I'm clear after eight." Baekhyun said and was still calling Sarah. "We're almost there." His manager, Hyunkyun spoke as he turned to the street that already leads to Sarah's house a few blocks away.

Once he was out, Baekhyun was ready to slide the door closed when Hyunkyun asked. "Don't your friends have cars? I never saw cars, even the last time I drove you here for your sleepover." Hyunkyun asked. Baekhyun gulped and tried to think about it. "Uh... They... They prefer taking bus since this village is a bit... small." He said even though it didn't make sense. "Oh really?" Hyunkyun asked and chuckled while looking around. 'Well then, Merry Christmas." He said and didn't ask further anymore. Baekhyun knew the man didn't believe him but damn, he couldn't care less about it right now. He closed the door before rushing into the gates. Looking down to his phone, he realized he hasn't hung up on the call he was trying to give her. He ran to the house ad frantically pressed onto the pass code before getting in. "Sarah." He called and marched in until he was welcomed by her small figure curled down the table, she was sleeping. His heart throbbed with so much guilt upon seeing the well prepared food on it, and even the very Christmas-y feel of the whole house Her phone was beside her and it was lighted up because of his calls but it was in silent mode. Time check, only a few more minutes until Christmas. Without further ado, he rushed to the table and bent one knee down to the floor to level her face. ”Sarah..." He called softly while shaking her arm lightly. Within a flash, Sarah jolted up showing her very puffy eyes and red nose. "O-Oppa..." Her eyebrows slowly curled awfully and began crying again. "Sorry." Baehyun grabbed her down for a hug and she cried louder.

"I thought you're not coming anymore..."

"I'm really sorry... SM had a company dinner and I couldn't leave." Baekhyun explained while rubbing his back. He pulled themselves up to stand and hugged her even more. "O-oppa... why not answer calls?" She cried while burying her face on his chest. "Earlier all of our phones were turned off and kept by our managers and when I already turned it on, I began calling you non-stop but you're not answering anymore, I drove here straight..." He explained while trying to grab her face to make her look up. "Have you been crying?" He murmured out of guilt. "O-oppa... I thought I celebrate Christmas alone... and I cook Pasta with nothing..." She cried awfully and Baekhyyun wiped her tears with his thumb continuously. "Oppa... I'm not eating yet... so hungry..." She added in between sobs. "Eummm, why not eat? Aigoo, Sarah, you should have eaten even if I'm not there, hm?" Baehyun murmured sweetly and pushed her down to sit again. "Oppa, all cold now." She looked up while pointing at the food.

"No problem, we will reheat it. Okay?"

Looking up to him, Sarah stood up again and hugged him on the waist. "Are you mad at me?" Baekhyun asked while rubbing her back. Sarah shook her head before looking up to him. "You have reason... but if no reason. I will get mad and not talk to you anymore..." She explained while sniffing. "Eum, thank you...." Baekhyun lovingly hushed before leaning down to capture her lips. He cut it short right away and pulled her down to sit again. "I will reheat—Oh~ It looks nice!" He said lifting up the casserole of Cream Pasta. The bacons on top were color black - burnt but he didn't mind. "C-chincha?" Sarah asked. "Yup, just like what I imagined. C'mon, let's reheat this. I've been dying to eat this. I barely ate in the company dinner you know~" He said and they went into the kitchen. As they put it back into the oven for a brief heating, Baekhyun pulled her by the waist again and ran his thumb across her swollen eyelids. "If I didn't come completely... would you still wait for me?" He asked out of curiosity. Sarah then nodded without hesitation. "Eomma always tell me avoid assuming things before hearing real reason. So I call to know reason but you're not answer... then I wait then now, I know your reason... so I’m not mad anymore." She explained. Baekhyun's hands both cupped her face this time as he grew silent for a while. "Oppa... I promise, not mad... But I feel really hungry now..." She murmured while shaking her head. "Sarah..." Baekhyun hushed and the girl was shocked to see his tears forming. "Oppa, no need to feel guilty. We reheat food and we can eat again." She said and nodded eagerly. Just then, she heard the wall clock on her living room alarming with its Christmas Tune indicating it's finally the 25th. She looked at him with so much excitement in her eyes and chanted, "Oppa~ It's Cristmas now! Oppa, Merry Ch—“

"Sarah, I love you."