The semester was finally over, the last two weeks were awful, we had too many exams that I lost track. We didn’t even go to classes anymore just to do our exams, but at least for me, all my hard work paid off, I spent nights where I could find myself at nearly 3 am still revising for my tests on a desk full of empty cups of coffee. But now my favourite time of the year has arrived, it was Christmas. My mom asked me and my sister to help her putting up all the decorations, we had this tradition on doing it always together as long as I can remember.

The last day, as per usual, Nayoung, Yewon and I went to have lunch at our spot. I asked them if Kyulkyung could join us since she seemed a little down and I wanted her to cheer up. They both agreed and it was the four of us now.

“So Kyulkyung, are you excited to go back home for Winter break?” Yewon asked.

The tiny smile she had on her face dissapeared out of the blue.

“I can’t go back home” she sighed. “My parents are doing an extra effort for me to keep studying here thereby they’re always going on business trips.”

“Wait, you’re here, on your own?” I now asked.

She nodded and for some reason I felt how she was gloomy, my heart shrinked a bit, her eyes lost that special spark they have and she changed the topic as fast as she could.

The girls decided to leave earlier since they were going to go Christmas shopping together, but Kyulkyung and I were still sitting there.

“I came up with an idea” I told her. “I don’t want you to be alone on Christmas, it’s the season of the year when you’re supposed to be filled with joy, isn’t it? I’ll talk to my parents about it but they won’t hesitate having you home, the more the merrier, right?” “What do you say?”

She was shocked at my offer, her face was light up. I was waiting for her answer it looked like words didn’t came out of .

“I don’t even know what to say, I’m so thankful for having you as a friend, I know it’s not mutual because you’re best friends with Nayoung but for me, you’re my best friend. It will be okay for me to stay there? I don’t want to bother your family.”

She was on the verge of crying, you could perfectly hear her sniffing. She got up and gave me the warmest hug I’ve received in a while.

“My parents will be more than happy to have you, and we don’t have to be there stuck all the time, I will create all kinds of plans for you to feel like home, of course it won’t be the same but I’ll make it up to you.”

I got home and by then my mother and sister already finished decorating what it looked like a long time ago.

“Mom, can I talk to you for a moment?”

“Sure, it’s anything wrong?”

“No it’s not, so there’s this girl in class which is now a close friend of mine, she is going to spend Christmas on her own since she can’t go back home to China due to her parent’s job, can she stay with us please? I really don’t want her to be alone in the best time of the year.”

“Oh sweetie, that’s really kind of you, of course she can stay over there’s no problem, I’ll talk to you father but you can tell her we have said yes, she is welcome here.”

“Thank you so much mom” I hugged her, that really went better than I expected, I talked to both of my parents about Kyulkyung but they never got to meet her actually.