Year Two

Chanyeol was delighted when his sister called home a week before Christmas to tell their parents that she’d be bringing a guest over this Christmas Eve too.

Li Wei Lin, the shy Chinese transfer student who had remained friends with Yoora even after the latter had gone off to university, would be joining the Park household for the second Christmas in a row.

Chanyeol was giddy with excitement.

Li Wei Lin hadn’t changed one bit, Chanyeol concluded after eyeing her from head to toe.

She was bundled up in a beige coat with a tartan scarf around her neck, the additional layers making her look rounder than she was.

While Yoora hugged her parents and chatted about her new university, the dorms and her roommates, Chanyeol helped Wei Lin with her coat and scarf.

The girl froze, eyes wide as Chanyeol carefully unravelled the scarf from around her neck.

“T-Thank you,” she squeaked, quickly pulling it out of his hands once he held it out to her.

“Let me help you with your coat,” Chanyeol offered but Wei Lin quickly shook her head, short strands of black hair tickling her cheeks.

“No, I got it,” she assured, rushing away from Chanyeol like he had the plague.

Chanyeol bit down on his lip to stop the laughter from spilling out.

Wei Lin followed Yoora around the house like a lost puppy.

Chanyeol pouted to himself. He’d really hoped to get some time with Wei Lin but with Yoora practically shooting daggers at him every time he tried to talk to her, his plan wasn’t working out very well.

Christmas Eve soon turned to Christmas Day and Chanyeol quickly forgot about teasing Wei Lin in lieu of opening his presents.

Since Yoora had given them a week’s notice this time, a small pile of presents waited for Wei Lin under the tree too.

The girl looked so touched, Chanyeol expected her to start crying right that instant.

Instead, she gave them all a sincere smile and presented a small bag filled with presents that she’d purchased for the Park family too.

“Oh, honey, you shouldn’t have,” Mrs. Park cooed as the Chinese girl handed the presents out to each person.

Chanyeol blinked when a neatly wrapped box was into his face.

“I-I wanted to,” Wei Lin answered Mrs. Park, her eyes focused on the red box in her hands.

Chanyeol grinned, accepting the present and making sure his large hands overlapped her small ones as he took the box from her.

Wei Lin pulled back sharply, eye darting to Chanyeol’s face in surprise and her ears burning at the teasing lilt of his lips.

“Thank you, Wei Lin,” Chanyeol whispered, dragging out her name till it sounded like whale-in.

He snickered to himself when Wei Lin’s expression crumbled and her cheeks reddened with embarrassment.

Chanyeol found it absolutely delightful when she looked at him with her large brown eyes, looking simultaneously surprised and vulnerable.

It made him want to coddle and coo to her, like she were his very own pet puppy.

The beautiful scarf Wei Lin had gifted Chanyeol made him feel guilty about the cheap keychain he had bought her as a present.

But he squashed that uncomfortable feeling and watched gleefully as the girl’s lips parted in a surprised gasp as she noticed the little charm attached to the keychain.

A whale charm.

She looked up at Chanyeol then, and he was taken aback by the redness in her eyes.

Chanyeol swallowed. The guilt from the stupid gift returned three-fold as he watched the short girl look away with a sniffle, trying hard to stop the tears that were welling up in her eyes.

This was not the reaction he had wanted. He had hoped the charm would make her turn red, either from anger or embarrassment. Maybe she would look at him with her wide doll-like eyes.

But he definitely hadn’t thought it would make her cry.

Now, Chanyeol just felt like an .