"You and your mother are okay now?" Nayeon asks, leaning closer to Mina after the two binge-watched dramas and cuddled together with Mina becoming part of Nayeon's burrito blanket.

"I don't know," Mina said, leaning closer to Nayeon, brushing his nose against her hair. "I guess so?"

"Why do you sound so unsure?" Nayeon chuckled but her expression immediately fell when she glanced up to him.

"Minato?"

"Hmm?"

"Why?" Nayeon asked, not leaving her eyes off him when she saw how confused he is. Who wouldn't when, uhm, take this for example, your mother who has not been good to you suddenly asks for a second chance after years and you just find these things confusing because you have no idea what to do.

"It's just that," he sighed, his face doesn't have the strength to look in the eyes of the girl in front of him. So he looks down and his gaze lingers there for a while.

"It's been years, and... and after knowing what really happened, what she confessed, it just made my world rumble a bit, no, not a bit, but a lot. I guess I just got used to the way we are treating each other, ignoring and hating, but I can't erase the fact that she is still my mother and honestly, I've been longing for her attention for years." He heaved a deep sigh, and Nayeon just listened to him, gripping his hand to say he's not alone in this.

"When she said she wanted a second chance, I didn't know what to do or say. It all felt like a dream. Why... why is she telling this all now? Right when father's condition is not getting any better? When his health is already failing him? I just don't understand." Nayeon hears how almost inaudible the last thing Mina said.

She caressed his face. Nayeon pulled Mina's face up, and smiled and Mina thinks that smile was like an angel's and he felt everything around him, for a bit, lighten. As if he doesn't have any problems going on. Nayeon opened her arms, welcoming him, and he did so. He buries his face on the crook of her neck, engulfing her in a hug too. He needed this,

To recharge, Nayeon thought.

Mina felt fragile at this moment, and Nayeon thinks this might be the first time she sees him like this, too vulnerable, too breakable. Like a kid lost in a mall, surrounded by strangers he doesn't want to talk to. But Mina's Mina and she's sure he'll get through this as well.

"She is still your mother no matter what, and isn't that a good thing? That she tries to reconcile with her son, with her family. I think that is better than having none at all. Isn't this what you want, Mina?"

"It is, but why is it so hard?"

"There's not a single thing in life that isn't hard, pengu."

"You, I mean she did something to your family before, causing you to move but, how is that talking about her seems so easy for you as if she didn't do something so heavy to your family?"

Nayeon pulled away for the time being, looking at him straight in the eyes. She chuckles, causing Mina to be perplexed. Nayeon recalls what her father told her before,

"People come and go. They give you problems and hard times but it's up to you if you'll forgive and forget. And sometimes it's better to move on and go on with your life. Just let these past experiences be a lesson to you."

Nayeon kissed the top of Mina's head.

Until then, at least it's fine.

~~~~

"Would you think of it?" Jeongyeon raises a brow, about to say her newly found discovery.

"It's the first time we'll be celebrating Christmas altogether!"

"Unnie, it's been years since we all celebrate Christmas together. What are you doing?" Chaeyoung interrupts Jeongyeon's happiness, which is unfortunately, short-lived.

"That isn't what I meant, but anyways, Nayeon ah! We need to have a celebration or an event of some sort for the employees working here, it'll be great. It's a first that there's a lot of people." Jeongyeon slungs an arm around Nayeon's shoulder, locking the poor bunny's head in between Jeongyeon's arms.

"Aaah! Aw! Jeongyeon, it's better if you would let of my head... and better if they celebrate christmas with their family or love ones."

"It is! Before... ugh, go on then." She eventually gave up. Walking to sit on the chair placed in the corner of the room.

"She's grumpy again." Jihyo smiles, entering the scene with some files on her hand.

"Here, it's already arranged so just send them to that person." She eyes Jeongyeon at the corner.

"Anyways, unnie. I need to get off early. My family planned a trip this holiday so I'll be gone for a few weeks, only a few, don't worry, and they need me to fix something before packing. All of my duty is done anyways, so can I leave now?" Jihyo mutters, noticing the small pout Nayeon is doing.

"And here I thought we could celebrate Christmas altogether just like before." Jeongyeon says. Nayeon grabs the files and throws them into her drawer.

"Don't worry unnie, we can celebrate Christmas earlier," Jihyo grins, gives Nayeon a playful wink before disappearing again.

"Yah! Chou Tzuyu! Son Chaeyoung! Don't tell me you two have plans as well?" Jeongyeon, this time, is the one to shout.

However, the two youngest doesn't bother looking up, too immerse to the thing they're doing in their own monitors.

"Well, Jeongyeon. I suppose it's just fair that we celebrate christmas a bit early to make up to you. Jihyo's going to leave for a while as well,"

"Guess that's fine."

Nayeon looks at her, quite amused at the attitude Jeongyeon is showing her, "Something happened between the two of you?"

Bull's eye.

She saw how Jeongyeon's eyes widen of that as big as two plates.

"It's just that, Motomu wants me to meet his parents, and I'm just nervous you know." She stands up, opens Nayeon's drawer, and gets the files Jihyo gave a while ago.

Nayeon grins, remembering a scene all too familiar with this.

"Everything'll be fine, trust me!" She says to the woman before she leaves.

"Why is everyone acting so weird today?" She thinks to herself before laughing after witnessing Jeongyeon having a mental breakdown right after she left the room, her screams echoing throughout the floor.

~~~~

Sanji was busy strolling down the busy streets of Hongdae, filled with vendors who sought to sell even in this wintertime experience. Right next to him, was a very nervous Mina, fidgeting with his fingers every minute.

And it's been the nth time, Sanjiro keeps on counting. (If that's even countable.)

"Why are you SO weird today?" He asks, the fine, strict yet wise leader in Minato is all gone, all is left is that of a fluffy, long padded coat, with a matching bonnet, and red winter gloves. All that is missing is his red nose, which he already has, antlers, and he'll be perfect for a reindeer mascot already.

"It's my mother, she's trying her best but I don't know how to react whenever she does something. AND don't even start that even if she's with father at the moment, that doesn't erase the fact that I have to come home during Christmas and...And bring her gifts but I have to leave Nayeon, once again, and it's been messing my mind."

Sanji doesn't get it, "So the problem is?"

"I'm torn between staying and leaving, great." Mina mutters. Sarcasm drips from his voice.

"And I still have to buy a few things that why we're here." He adds.

"Well, yeah, obviously. What are we doing here for? Inhale the oxygen?"

"Shut up."

Their walks ended peacefully, with almost to no one recognized them. It had Minato enjoy the leisure of strolling the streets of winter Hongdae for some time, as this was his first time going out during winter. He never really thought of those before, but things are changing. He might've to point out that, it was a good change after all.

"How was Madame Myoui?" Sanji brings the topic up once. He was doing paperwork, not really the time to talk about those kinds of things but he knows well he couldn't hide away forever.

"It's fine, I guess. We're slowly progressing but I think we're fine." Mina smiles contentedly. He wasn't expecting that it would feel this good to reunite with someone who you thought at first wasn't really necessary in your life, but, oh boy, was he so wrong. It all felt so good.

"It's really great to hear that, Mina ah." Sanji drinks a glass of water before heading to his room. "Don't stay up too late, remember? We still have to do something important tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay."

Remembering, it was tomorrow of Nayeon's Christmas celebration with their company. The Myouis had theirs much early, knowing they would rather spend the Christmas time with their loved ones.

He looks at the stacks of papers on table, thinks if it really is a good idea to do some job to a time you're supposed to be enjoying and resting?

You couldn't blame him, Minato was not a fan of these kind of events. (Was.) That was before. There were celebrations, when he was just a kid but it was all for show. To show the public something. He only enjoyed it because his grandparents would prepare something for him, but overall, it wasn't a big deal for him.

It all changed though, when he met Nayeon, her family, friends, Jeongyeon, Chaeyoung, Jihyo, Tzuyu, Dahyun. He thinks his vision of Christmas is changed slowly, but surely.

~~~~

"It's fun to be celebrating these, looking behind; we were just a small league back then. Our 5-member company. It's strange seeing how far we've come now, and it feels really great, doesn't it?" Jeongyeon strikes the conversation, after getting her wine, and sitting beside her friends.

Jihyo smiles, her eyes glint, shines as she remembers the struggles they had to work before. "It is. It feels strange. Before, we had to persuade certain people and now, it feels like I'm living on top."

"Unnies, you all are being dramatic again. Come on, this isn't a time for emotional throwbacks and all." Chaeyoung hisses, her face turning sour upon tasting the odd-flavoured wine.

They all almost laugh at her reaction, until Tzuyu speaks up. "Well, most certainly, it is a good time for throwbacks, Chaeng. We've been through a lot here now, do we? It's worth celebrating how far we've been through."

The party is with happiness from their employees. They had hard times, probably hell-bent sometimes, but they managed to get through it.

Nayeon grins, now's the perfect time for an icing surprise.

After, starting the war, Jeongyeon comes rushing in revenge back to her, face almost covered with the icing, and she fumes. Jihyo laughs at them, both face covered with the cake icing, but regrets it right after the two stomped their way towards her and cups her face, splashing the tray of icing to her hair. It was a mess, really. Chaeyoung and Tzuyu were hiding but were immediately found out after all became silent and lured into the finished business; hundreds of cupcakes were aim into their direction.

It is fun, Nayeon thinks.

Really fun.

~~~~

Nayeon frowns, her pout is covered with the scarf she's wearing, burying almost half of her face into it, trying to survive how to breathe in the middle of the cold.

"You're leaving... again." She repeats what he says, and she buries her face further in the scarf. Almost wanting to be one with it. She hates Mina leaving, quite disappointed, sad, but she couldn't really blame him as well.

Ah, the difficulties of having a long distance relationship.

"Yes, but until the first week of the month only, I'll be back soon, I promise." Minato convinces her, but nothing seems to enlighten her mood this time. She just couldn't bear him leaving again, not again.

"You have a whole company waiting for you back there, your father who needs you and your mother that is trying to reunite with you. You also have to celebrate New Year and Christmas there with your family, or let me think, be working up all night on those days. I understand your situation, Mina. You can't promise that you'll be back just as quick. You can't let me have these false hopes always."

Mina stares at her, he hates to do this as well but one last thing, and I won't leave anymore, he wants to say but it'll spoil all the things he was doing.

He couldn't bear to see his love being sad like this, "Nayeon, please? Don't frown. Don't be sad anymore, I hate to leave knowing you'd be like this."

"It's always like this, Mina. What's new?" The coldness of the weather doesn't compare to the way she's feeling right now.

Minato bites his lip in worry. It was freezing. Nayeon is angry. He is leaving. Such a bad thing, indeed.

He holds her hand, tucks them inside the pocket of his coat, he notices how Nayeon's gaze was far away, avoiding his.

Nayeon wants to ask, 'until when are we going to be like this' but she thinks better not to. She doesn't want to add more to the problems of him.

"Rabbit?"

"Nayeonnie?"

"Please look at me," Mina sighs, his face inching closer to Nayeon's, needing warmth at the moment, wanting to feel that she's alright at the moment.

Nayeon albeit hesitantly, tilts her face towards him. She sighs. Letting out all her frustrations, her doubts, with it. She couldn't stay angry at him, couldn't stay grumpy, not when he touches his forehead with hers, and his eyes boring through her soul, and Nayeon feels like melting at the moment.

"I love you, I love you so much. I love you, I really do. I hope you know that." Mina says in a whisper, thick fogs of the winter air coming out from his mouth each word he speaks.

Nayeon chuckles softly, and Minato feels like in a bliss, "Yeah, after you said it so many times I think I'll know that."

"I'm sorry I couldn't stay by your side. I'm sorry our situation is like this. I'm sorry that you keep on staying strong even if sometimes it hurts you so much." Minato speaks, and Nayeon pulls away, lets herself be wrap by Minato's hug. Almost sighing in relief as her cold body reaches the warmth that is Mina.

Her hands wrapped inside the coat of his jacket, and Minato wraps her around his coat.

Minato kisses her forehead, as the bright lights displayed in houses, stalls, or trees, surround them and some Christmas theme playing in the middle of the night. Or that some people may see them. He couldn't care less, he just wanted her to know that he will always be there for her, and that he'll be hers for until the end of time.

He hopes Nayeon knows that.

~~~

It's Christmas, Nayeon's very much happy, with Mark bringing Jackson into their small celebration. Mr and Mrs. Im, who are looking very much proud with their nephew, with Dahyun having no idea what is happening,

It was happy, and Nayeon couldn't think of anything else that's going to bother her, not until she saw Jinyoung again.

She almost wants to break his face, if not for the small amount of self-control left within her. Thinks, maybe if Mina is here, It'll be much worse. She can handle it herself.

She squints her eyes at him, looks at his direction. Not ashamed to do so, because why would she even be ashamed? He lost a cause, not her. Besides, Nayeon's very much happy with her relationship now. He's nothing like Mina. Nowhere near Mina.

But it's christmas, and she doesn't want any argument happening. Much more if it's her ex. That's definitely the last thing she wants to do so. (Is it really?)

So she glares at him, steps on his foot, and accidentally spills her drink in front of him, and all she says was that, "I didn't see you there," and walks out.

Nayeon feels her shoulder lighten. And the girl he's with doesn't stop asking who sh