"Chaerinnie, it's Umma. Sorry, but your father and I won't be able to make it home for the holidays. Something important came up. You understand, sweetie. Anyway, if you get lonely, stop by your Aunt's house. Love you!"

Click.

Chaerin stared blankly at her phone before snapping it shut and tossing it aside. She would've been angry, but she had long since gotten used to her parents never being around. The sad truth was that her dad cared more about his jobs than he did her. When she was younger, this used to make her upset, but now it didn't even phase her.

Alone on Christmas?

That wasn't anything new. It wasn't any different from being alone on her birthday, or Thanksgiving, or most of the year.

They checked up on her, of course — every couple of days, by phone. But not because they genuinely cared or missed her. Only to ease any shred of guilt they might have and to reassure themselves that they were good parents. They all had an image to maintain, after all.

Chaerin sighed, falling back onto her bed and staring up at the ceiling.

She really didn't want to spend the next two days at her aunt's. She didn't want to have to deal with her aunt's stuck up daughters and she especially didn't want to be anywhere near her aunt's husband. Her first husband had died a while back, but she had been quick to remarry — but Chaerin wasn't particularly fond of her "new" uncle. She didn't like the way he seemed to hover over her when she was at their house, or the way his eyes would linger on her. It made her uncomfortable, and it didn't take a genius to know that he was scum. He was nothing but a lousy gold digger who had married her aunt for money. She hoped her aunt had signed a prenup, but she doubted it. Auntie Lee Da Eun was "in love" and in her eyes, her husband could do no wrong.

It was disgusting.

Granted, she herself was no stranger to letting guys — okay, one guy — use her, but at least she had an excuse. She was still young. She was allowed to make stupid mistakes. Da Eun was in her mid-forties. There was no reason for her to be acting like a 12-year-old girl at a Justin Bieber concert.

Rolling her eyes, Chaerin reached over and grabbed her phone. Flipping it open, she began to skim through her list of contacts, debating who to call. She was bored and in need of some amusement.

Sandara was in the Philippines, visiting her family for Christmas, so she was out of the question. Mingki… she couldn't disturb the youngest in their group. And then there leaves Park Bom.. she hadn't really spoken to her for a while, but knowing her, she was probably at a party or club, getting drunk. Or staying with Jiyong's family. It was hard to tell with her.

Her eyes fell on Youngbae's name and she blinked. She vaguely recalled him telling her that his great grandmother — on his mother's side — was staying with them for a few weeks and that she was really Christian. Smirking weakly, Chaerin sent him a smiley face before scrolling further down, pausing only when she came across a name that didn't quite belong.

Seunghyun? Since when was he on her list?

Better yet, why was he on her list?

She furrowed her brow in confusion, thinking back to earlier that month when they both got piss drunk attempting to drown every inch of sorrow from their broken hearts and he'd kissed her, who knows maybe even more had happened.

A snort erupted from her.

Ever since that day, she had been running into him more often than she would've liked. Everywhere she went, he was there, trying to put the moves on her. He'd sent her three candy grams, and she suspected that the two anonymous ones she'd received were also from him. He'd even asked her to acompany him to eat, which she promptly turned him down for.

She wasn't going to be anyone's rebound.

She'd learned her lesson the first time with Jiyong and Bom and she wasn't going to let it happen again.

Pushing those thoughts away, Chaerin closed her phone and sat up.

Her stomach growled.

Placing a hand on it, she got out of bed and made her way to the kitchen. After digging through the pantry for about five minutes, she searched the fridge, but nothing appealed to her. She wasn't in the mood for leftover spaghetti or frozen pizza that the other members had cooked.

"Guess I'm eating out." She murmured to herself, shutting the fridge.

She put her boots on and grabbed her purse and coat, before heading out the door.

oOo

The walk to a small café on the other side of the dorm took about half an hour, but felt like an eternity, and by the time Chaerin arrived, it had started snowing.

'Of course,' she thought bitterly to herself. 'Doesn't snow all month, but the one day I decide to walk anywhere…'

The door chimed as she stepped inside, and immediately she was engulfed by warmth. She welcomed it, pulling down her coat and taking off her gloves. After stuffing them into her bag, she rubbed her hands together and glanced around the café. It was crowded, but that was a given. Out of the corner of her eye, however, she spotted an empty table near the back, and as she walked up to the counter and stood in line, she hoped no one would take it.

"Fancy seeing you here." A familiar voice piped up from behind her, and Chaerin fought the urge to groan.

"Hello, Seunghyun." She answered coolly, not bothering to even turn around. "You know, if I didn't know any better, I'd think you were stalking me."

"Are you sure you aren't the one stalking me?" He teased.

"Don't flatter yourself." Chaerin shot back.

The line moved forward, and so did they.

"I would've thought you'd be into that." Seunghyun remarked, and she could practically hear him smirking.

Chaerin rolled her eyes. "Sorry, but this isn't Twilight and having a guy stalk me is creepy, not romantic."

"I'm not stalking you. It's just a coincidence that we happened to be here at the same time." Seunghyun said simply.

Chaerin was about to retort when the cashier called her up. Ignoring Seunghyun for the time being, she ordered a grilled panini and a latte, before handing the girl a ten dollar bill and making her way over to the empty table at the back. She had just gotten herself settled and made herself comfortable when Seunghyun seated himself across from her.

She narrowed her eyes.

Seunghyun grinned.

"This is the only spot left." He told her.

"So sit on the floor." Chaerin muttered.

"Are you like this with every guy?"

"Just the ones who don't know how to take a hint. I'm not interested."

"You kissed me back." Seunghyun reminded her, a knowing smirk tugging at his lips.

"You caught me off guard. I was in shock. That doesn't mean that I like you." Chaerin stated. "And for the record, your whole I'm-cool-and-laid-back-and-the-ladies-all-love-me doesn't do anything for me."

"Because you still like Jiyong." Seunghyun said.

"Liked Jiyong. Past tense."

"But you like guys like Jiyong."

"Who I like is none of your business."

"So… you don't find me the slightest bit attractive?"

Chaerin glanced over at him.

"I already told you. You're cute. But that means nothing to me." She said.

Seunghyun sighed, leaning back.

"You're really something, you know that?" He said, just as the girl from behind the counter came over and gave Chaerin her panini and latte.

The two waited until she was gone before continuing.

"So what do I have to do to get your attention?" Seunghyun asked as Chaerin took a bite out of her sandwich.

"Nothing." Chaerin said, once she'd finished chewing. "Because you and me? It's not happening."

"Just give me a chance." Seunghyun pressed.

"Listen. I've already dealt with one guy who got his heart broken by Park Bom, and I'm not about to take on another." Seunghyun told him. "I'm not going to be your rebound. So find someone else to play with."

"I don't want anyone else. I want you!" Seunghyun cried exasperatedly.

"Oh, please!" Chaerin scoffed, shaking her head in disbelief. "You don't even know me like that!"

"You're not like any girl -" Seunghyun started, but Chaerin cut him off.

"Wow, could you be any more cliché? I mean, really, what's next? Are you going to tell me that my eyes twinkle like stars or that my skin is as smooth as silk?" Chaerin mocked.

"Why are you being so difficult?" Seunghyun asked, clearly frustrated.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Does it bother you that I'm not falling for your cheesy little one liners or throwing myself at you like every other girl?" Chaerin sneered. She stood up abruptly, having had enough of Choi Seunghyun for one night, and grabbed her bag. "Tough luck."

With that, she spun around and marched out of the café.

The snow was coming down hard now, but Chaerin didn't care. She just wanted to get home.

She had just made it to the intersection when, much to her dismay, a familiar car pulled up to the curb. The window rolled down, revealing Seunghyun and his driver.

"Want me to give you a ride?" He offered.

"I'm fine." Chaerin snapped.

"Are you sure? It's pretty bad." Seunghyun said, motioning to the snow. "Come on, we'll get you back to your dorm."

"Not a chance." Chaerin replied, wrapping her arms around herself.

She took a few steps forward before realizing it was useless. The snow was messing up her hair and making it impossible to see. It would take forever to walk home.

"Fine." She muttered, conceding defeat.

Opening the door, Chaerin climbed into the back seat next to Seunghyun. Once buckled in, the driver began to drive — slowly and carefully, while Chaerin stared out the window. When they came to a red light, she was surprised when Seunghyun handed her her latte and panini, realizing she'd forgotten them behind.

"Thanks," she mumbled, setting her latte in her cup holder before unwrapping her sandwich and resuming where she'd left off.

"Your welcome." Seunghyun replied, not taking his eyes off the window.

The ride to her house was surprisingly quiet. Neither of them spoke, not even Seunghyun.

When they finally reached her dorm Seunghyun's driver pulled into the driveway and cut the engine.

"Well… see you around." He said, still staring out the window.

Chaerin nodded slowly, gathering up her things. "Yeah."

She was about to reach for the door handle when a thought struck her, making her stomach churn uncomfortably.

"The roads are really bad. You can barely see two feet in front of you." She said quietly. "Are you sure you're both okay in this weather?"

Seunghyun let out a chuckle. "Why? Are you worried about my safety?"

Chaerin rolled her eyes.

"I'm just saying… it's dangerous. You could get into an accident or something." She said. "Do you want to come in? Stay a bit until the weather gets better?"

"Forty minutes ago, you wanted nothing to do with me. Now you're inviting me into your home?" Seunghyun gave her an incredulous look. "I'm getting mixed signals here."

Chaerin huffed, crossing her arms defiantly. "I just don't want to be responsible if you get yourself killed on Christmas Eve. That's all. So are you coming or not?"

She heard Seunghyun sigh, and then tell his driver to wait for a while. Climbing out of the car, Chaerin made her way up to her porch, the snow beneath her boots crunching with every step she took, and unlocked the front door. Once Seunghyun was inside, she closed it and flicked on the lights.

"It's bigger than ours." Seunghyun remarked, glancing around in awe, it's the first time he'd been in there.

"Yes, well…" Chaerin trailed off, bending down to untie her boots and pull them off.

"So why are you here at your dorm instead of at home with your parents?" Seunghyun asked.

"They're not here." Chaerin said indifferently, peeling off her coat and hanging it up. "They're away on some business trip or whatever."

Seunghyun did the same, before tilting his head curiously.

"It's Christmas Eve." He said.

"I'm well aware." Chaerin replied.

"So… you're here alone?"

"Sure looks that way, doesn't it?" Chaerin grimaced. "But don't get any ideas."

"That's… really sad." Seunghyun murmured, ignoring her last remark.

Chaerin simply shrugged. "You get used to it. And besides, an empty dorm has plenty of advantages. If I was that type of girl, I'd probably let you take me or something."

Seunghyun cocked a brow. "Take?"

Chaerin smirked, before making her way into the living room. Seunghyun followed closely behind, taking in his unfamiliar surroundings.

"You can watch some TV if you want." She told him. "I'm just gonna go change."

Seunghyun nodded, plopping down on the sofa and grabbing the remote.

Chaerin lingered behind for a moment before turning on her heel and heading up the stairs and to her room. Once there, she reached behind herself and ped her pants. As it pooled to the floor, she pulled off her shirt and discarded her earings, leaving her in nothing but her bra and underwear. Walking over to her dresser, she quickly fished out her pajamas and changed into them. She was in the midst of letting down her hair when she heard a creak in the hallway outside her door, followed by a knock.

"Come in!" She called.

The door opened, and Seunghyun poked his head in.

"Hey, the snow's stopped. I think I can…" He trailed off as soon as he saw her, and Chaerin realized that this was the first time anyone had seen her look so… simple and plain. No make up, no rings or bizarre outfits with weird patterns. Just plain, boring Chaerin. She suddenly felt alarmingly insecure, and was about to tell Seunghyun to leave when he spoke up. "You look…"

"Boring. I know." Chaerin cut him off.

"I was going to say 'pretty'." Seunghyun said with a smirk.

Her heart fluttered.

Oh no.

That cheesy compliment actually worked?

"Umm… thanks." Was all she could muster.

"Well… I'm just gonna… head out now…" Seunghyun told her. "I'll see you around."

Chaerin nodded. "Y-yeah. Sure."

Seunghyun grinned lopsidedly at her, and was about to leave when Chaerin made a beeline for the door and caught his arm. "Stay. Please."

"Chaerin?" He furrowed his brow in confusion.

"Just stay." Chaerin begged quietly. "For a while. An hour. I just… I don't want to be alone."

Seunghyun gave her a sympathetic look and nodded.

"Okay."

Chaerin smiled gratefully at him.

"Thank you, Seunghyun."

X

Poor driver. I'm not sure if I liked how this turned out...I couldn't figure out how to end it. D: I hope you enjoyed in either way. and if you did please check out my CL/Dara friendship fic here ^^ I'm warning you it's a victim story.