Year Five

Chanyeol idly strummed his guitar, looking up at the star on the Christmas tree, lost in thought.

He could hear his mother bustling about in the kitchen. Mr. Park had decided to pick Yoora and Wei Lin up from their shared apartment for Christmas this year.

It had been two years since Chanyeol had last seen Li Wei Lin. He wondered whether she would come bearing gifts this year. The small golden box with Wei Lin’s present from last year was back under the tree tonight.

Chanyeol stopped pulling on the guitar strings when he heard the front door unlock.

Mrs. Park met them at the door and Chanyeol heard her welcoming his father, sister and their regular guest.

A familiar voice rang out then. “Merry Christmas, Mrs. Park. Thank you for having me again.”

Chanyeol straightened up, eyeing the doorway leading into the living room in anticipation.

He could already imagine his cute Wei Lin, wrapped up in a beige coat and soft scarf with her smooth hair up in pigtails. Her fair cheeks and nose flushed red from the cold, her sparkly brown eyes wide with innocence.

The picture was so clear in his mind that it took Chanyeol a good few minutes to reconcile it with the girl who actually walked into the room.

The same flushed cheeks and wide eyes greeted Chanyeol. But Wei Lin was no longer short and she had definitely lost all her baby fat. Chanyeol didn’t think it was possible for someone to change so drastically over the course of two years.

But there Li Wei Lin stood, long toned legs and an attractive trim figure. Her hair was still smooth and dark but she’d grown it out so it fell down her back gracefully.

Chanyeol swallowed thickly when her sharp eyes landed on his figure.

“Chanyeol,” she greeted coolly. “Merry Christmas.”

“M-Merry Christmas,” he answered after a beat.

It was ironic that he was the one stuttering through all his sentences that night.

Chanyeol cursed his luck when he realized he was seated across from Wei Lin at the dining table.

Any other year, he would’ve probably been delighted at the prospect of bothering the girl all night with subtle kicks under the table. But this year, Chanyeol was having an incredibly difficult time keeping his eyes on the Chinese girl’s face.

Try as he might, his gaze kept drifting… lower.

“How are your parents doing, Wei Lin?” Mrs. Park asked the girl as she served some of the side dishes onto their plates.

“They’re doing well, Mrs. Park. They’re planning to visit Korea next summer,” Wei Lin replied.

“If they do, you have to introduce me, okay?” Yoora piped up.

Wei Lin chuckled. “Of course, unnie. How can my parents not meet my best friend?”

It took Chanyeol two seconds to realize that it was the first time he was seeing Wei Lin laugh so genuinely. It took another second for him to conclude that she looked beautiful when she did. And an addition three seconds to figure out that he was openly gaping at the girl.

With a heavy blush, Chanyeol turned to his plate and speared a piece of steamed broccoli rather aggressively.

“Let’s open presents!” Yoora announced cheerily the next evening, once everyone had settled down with their cups of hot cocoa and eggnog.

“Oh, Wei Lin, can you get my presents too? They’re in my backpack,” Yoora told the Chinese girl.

Wei Lin nodded and padded over to where Yoora’s backpack was resting on the floor by the living room doorway.

While Mr. and Mrs. Park were distracted by Yoora who was ratting off about all the Christmas sales she’d come across, Chanyeol watched Wei Lin bend to pick up Yoora’s backpack.

The girl was dressed in a pair of black leggings that highlighted her lean legs and an oversized white sweater.

Chanyeol’s eyes trailed up her legs and stopped on her shapely behind.

‘What are you doing, Chanyeol?!’ he berated himself, looking away immediately. The collar of Chanyeol’s jumper seemed to be suffocating him. His ears felt hot and he was pretty sure his heart was racing like he’d just run a marathon.

“Here unnie,” Wei Lin handed the backpack to Yoora, oblivious to Chanyeol’s stares.

“Mr. Park, this is for you. Mrs. Park, here you go,” Wei Lin called out, handing each of them a wrapped up box. “Yoora unnie.”

Chanyeol was surprised when Wei Lin stopped in front of him.

“Park Chanyeol,” she called out, handing him a small black box.

Chanyeol blinked. He really hadn’t expected her to get him a present.

“T-Thanks,” he stuttered, accepting the box.

Yoora started passing out her own presents and then the presents under the tree.

Chanyeol fiddled with the black box curiously until his elder sister announced that they could unwrap their gifts.

Chanyeol tore into the black gift wrap. He opened the small box inside and gaped at what nestled within.

A customized guitar pick.

Chanyeol thumbed his initials on the pick with a small smile of awe.

Anyone who knew Chanyeol knew that music was a large part of his life. The customized guitar pick was a gift he could truly appreciate.

He looked up to thank Wei Lin but the words died in his throat when he noticed that she had unwrapped his gift, the small gold box.

She held up the whale plush toy and then gave him a hard stare filled with disdain.

Chanyeol swallowed, flushing with shame.

He’d bought the present last year, when he’d wanted to some more. Now his present just seemed insensitive, especially since she had gotten him a beautiful one.

Chanyeol sunk down into his armchair, feeling guilty and embarrassed.