I ran up to him. "H-how did you get here? There are no buses running today."

He weakly smirked and said in a low, quiet voice, "I have legs." I knew something was wrong right away. I led him towards the street light to get a better view of him. He looked paler than usual. He was shivering and the colour of his lips was blue.

"How long were you outside? Why didn't you just come in?"

"I didn't want to make you angrier and I didn't think your family would appreciate it if I walked into their house."

I softened at his courtesy. "Let's go in, you're going to freeze to death here." I opened the gate and wrapped my arm around his waist while holding on to his arm to help him walk inside. I could feel him shivering violently. I helped him take off his jacket and boots, and then took him up to my room. I tucked him in under my blanket. I felt his forehead and it was burning. I ran down to the kitchen and filled a bowl with cold water and grabbed a towel.

I ran back upstairs and placed the damp towel on his forehead. "Idiot, why did you walk here? You're not as strong as you were before.”

"I...wanted to apologize." he whispered with his eyes closed.

"For the scarf?" I asked, fixing the blanket on him.

He nodded, "and for saying those bad things about him. He did nothing wrong. I just don't like him."

I smiled at him. "You know what that sounds like? It sounds like you’re-"

He suddenly opened his eyes which caused me to stop in the middle of my sentence. “You surprised me.” I nervously laughed. “I-”

Daehyun interrupted, "I think I’m jealous."

I coughed on my spit from his sudden confession. "S-say that again?" I thought I didn’t hear right.

"I think that’s what I’m feeling. I’m not too sure myself. I think…I'm jealous of Park Jiho because he's always with you during school. He comfortably talks to you and does weird things that make you both laugh while I watch from the sidelines. It hurts."

"What hurts? Does your head hurt?" I grew worried about his condition and felt his burning forehead.

He grabbed my wrist. He lightly shook his head and closed his eyes. "My chest hurts.”

“W-where? Did anyone do anything to you? Tell me.”

He lightly shook his head. “It hurts right here." He laid his hand on the left side of his chest. "I don’t know why. No one physically hurt me. I think it’s hurting from inside. It’s really painful. It hurts when I see you guys so close together. It hurts when you talk about him. It hurts right now."

I moved his hand off his chest and placed my hand on that area, checking to feel what I’m hoping it is. I could feel his booming, fast, beating heart under my palm. A smile lit on my face. “That’s your…” I trailed off when I saw Daehyun’s eyelids drooping. I grabbed his arm and tucked it under his blanket. “Go to sleep, okay? I’ll talk to you in the morning.”

He nodded slightly and drifted off to a deep slumber. I stood up and walked towards the door to turn off the lights. Then, the clock from the living room rung, signalling midnight. I turned around to look at the sleeping figure before I closed the door. “Congratulations for becoming human, Jung Daehyun. And…Merry Christmas.”

----

The whole night, I stayed up taking care of Daehyun. I needed to pay extra attention to his health, now that he was human. I made soup for his cold and extra for my aunt and uncle since they would probably wake up with a hangover. They came home so drunk they didn't ask whose shoes and jacket were on the living room floor.

I remember I was sitting on a chair with my head resting on the side of the bed beside Daehyun but when I woke up, I was in bed with Daehyun nowhere to be seen. I sat up and tried to remember what happened last night. I was so tired that I thought I was the one who woke up with a hangover. The scene of Daehyun coming home replayed in my head. So did his…confession?

I grabbed my hair and tried to remember it clearly. “It hurts when I see you guys so close together. It hurts when you talk about him.”  I trashed around my bed. Someone confessed to me but it wasn’t just someone. It was Daehyun. I honestly didn’t know what to feel. I always thought of him an older brother I never had, including the other bots. We don't even talk that much so how did he even...?

I stopped trashing around and sat back up. “Wait…” I said to myself. “He didn’t necessarily confess his love towards me. He just told me his heart was hurting. When I’m angry, my blood pressure rises. Maybe that’s what he felt.” My mood brightened at my conclusion. “Nothing to worry about Lee Eun Mi.”

“Eun Mi?” I heard Daehyun knock on my door and I immediately hid under my blankets. *Wait, why am I hiding?* I heard Daehyun open my door. "Eun Mi, I know you're awake." He walked closer to me. I shut my eyes and breathed slowly and loudly, pretending to sleep.

He took the blanket off me and sat on the edge of the bed. "I heard you jumping on your bed from downstairs. You can't fool me."

I opened my eyes. "Who said I-" *Oops* He smirked. "You can't hide anything from me. Come downstairs, I'm about to make lunch." I looked at the clock. It was already past 12.

He stood up but I grabbed his arm. He turned around. "Wait... Where is my family?" I asked. He surely wouldn't have stepped out of this room if my family was still home.

"They left two hours ago to go swimming, was it? Or was it just a visit to their friend's place?" He shrugged. I sighed in relief; at least they didn't catch him. "Go wash up." He pushed my hand off his arm and went downstairs.

By the time I freshened myself up, Daehyun was placing the food on the plates. Then I remembered Daehyun's condition wasn't too well. "You're not supposed to be making me lunch, you're still sick!"

"Don't worry." He said. "I wore my mask." He waved the little piece of fabric in his fingers. I got that for him since I saw him eyeing the mask for a while when I went shopping with the aliens. He told me he didn't want it, but I knew he was lying so I bought it anyways.

I sat down on the chair. "Remember to take your medication after you eat, alright?" He gave me an OK sign. "When did you learn to cook?"

"I saw Youngjae do it." He replied, placing the plates on the table and sat down across from me.

I looked at the plate. "...this isn't lunch." He made eggs, hotdogs and he put out a loaf of bread on the side with a jar of jam in the middle. "It's an American breakfast."

He shrugged and poked his hotdog with a fork. "Youngjae's the one who makes breakfast."

I shook my head and chuckled. *Silly Daehyun* I was about to bite my egg when the phone rang from the living room. I grabbed it and walked back to the kitchen. "Hello?"

"Yah, Eun Mi!" Yongguk roared. "Why didn't you call back?"

"You called?" I asked. “I didn’t hear the phone ring.”

"Daehyun was supposed to tell you to call back." I looked at Daehyun who shrugged, hearing Yongguk's booming voice.

"I just woke up a while ago," I said.

"What happened to him yesterday?" he asked.

"He didn't tell you?"

"He said he had a virus and doesn't remember anything that happened last night. The stupid alien left us while we were busy eating. I called you but you didn't pick up last night. This morning we packed to our bags to come back but the buses weren't working." I glanced at Daehyun. *He doesn't remember?*

"Buses don't run on holidays," I told him.

"Then how did he come home?" he asked, obviously confused.

"He...walked. That's why he was sick yesterday."

"What?! He walked?" Yongguk screamed. I pulled the phone away from my ear, afraid that I’ll go deaf. Even Daehyun winced a bit. I could hear the other aliens making a fuss in the background. "It took more than an hour to come here by bus and he walked there?!"

"I don't know how, but he made it here around midnight. Don't worry, he's feeling a bit better." I glanced at Daehyun who was chewing his hotdog. He still looked really sick and pale.

The worried leader sighed in relief. "Good. He better not bother you or your family. He's coming back here tomorrow understand?" he instructed. "By the way," he continued, "the aliens and I wish you a Merry Christmas."

I smiled, "Merry Christmas to you too. Sorry I can't spend the day with you guys. Tell Himchan the mistletoe will have to wait until next year."

He chuckled, "Okay." I disconnected the phone and placed it on the table.

"What was that about?" Daehyun asked.

"You didn't hear his voice booming through the phone?" I took a bite of the hotdog.

He chuckled, "Just making conversation."

"Well then, I'll start it.” My eyebrows furrowed together. “How did you get here without passing out on the streets? It’s so far away too. Are you crazy?"

He chuckled, "I really thought I was going to pass out anytime soon but I survived. I needed to come here ASAP.” He poked his eggs with his fork."Why?"

“I wanted to apologize and I didn't think you'd forgive me if I told you over the phone."

My eyebrows relaxed and my expression softened. "I would've forgiven you anyways." The mood seemed really depressing so I decided to joke around. "...but think I'm angrier because you came here unexpectedly. I could've got in trouble and my back is hurting from taking care of you last night." I pretended to massage my shoulders.

I looked up and saw guilt all over his face. I quickly regretted my mean joke. I thought he would've said something sarcastic but he sat there quietly. "Daehyun I was just -"

He abruptly stood up from his chair and walked behind me. "You don't have to be mad, I was jok-" I stiffened at the touch of his hands on my shoulders. He started to massage my shoulders.

"W-what are you doing?" I stuttered.

Instead of the sarcastic remark he usually would say, he said, "I'm sorry for making you tired. I won't do stupid things again, I promise. I'm also sorry for saying bad things about Jiho and ripping up his scarf. I don't know what got over me."

My heart accelerated at his apology. I had never heard him apologize once. It sounded really weird. I put my hand over my heart to calm it down. *My chest hurts…Is this what you felt Daehyun? But it's not out of anger...what is this feeling?*

I cleared my throat. "Did you really forget what happened last night?"

"I didn't throw up all over the floor did I?" he chuckled. I shook my head. "Then I don't remember what I did or said. I only remember you bringing me to your room and when you fed me."

"Nothing else?" I felt a little disappointed for some reason but I guess happy in a way, since that awkward topic won't come up again.

"Why? Did you say something important?" I shook my head again. I suddenly remembered something so I turned around which made him stop massaging my shoulders. "I have your Christmas present, I'll go get it."

I ran upstairs to get the bag that was hidden in my closet. I ran downstairs back into the kitchen where Daehyun was waiting for me. He stood up. "You didn't have to get me anything. I ruined your present for Jiho, I don't deserve this." His eyes looked really regretful.

I shook my head. "I already forgave you! Merry Christmas Daehyun, I hope you cherish this well!" I gave him the bag.

He hesitated but took the bag. He shook the bag first, which made him look like a little kid who opens their gift when they wake up for Christmas. He took off the tape that sealed the bag and pulled out a bunny with a black costume. "This..."

"Pull the zipper down." I told him. He pulled it down and a pink bunny was revealed. "I made this during the break." I told him.

"Why does she have a costume?" he asked.

"Ah, that bunny represents you." I explained. "You have that cold, mysterious image on the outside but in the inside, I believe you're sweet, kind hearted, and caring. Your dark image covers your nice heart just like that black costume covers her real beauty. Total opposites."

He looked at the toy more closely. "Thanks. You're the only person who has ever said that to me."

"Because I'm the only person you know." I giggled.

"True. I don’t have a present for you though…" He scratched the top of his head.

I shook my head. "No need. Having you guys in my life is the only thing I need."

He snapped his fingers and pointed at me. "You said you had a list of things you wanted to do right? What did you write?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Uh...I wanted to have snowball fight, build snowmen, sled down a hill, bake cookies, skate-"

“That’s it, we'll do all that. Since we already had a snowball fight, let's build snowmen, slide down a hill, skate, and bake cookies." He offered.

"B-but you're still sick." I wasn't too sure about his health. He didn't look well enough to do all that, not to mention just standing up.

He shushed me, "I'm not a full human yet, so it won't affect me that much. Let's go." He stood up and went upstairs to change.

I looked down in guilt. *Should I tell him? What if he doesn't want to be human? But then, what if his health is affected?"

"Eun Mi, what are you doing? Hurry up." He was already out the door. I snapped out of my thoughts, wore my winter gear and followed him outside. *He won't be that careless will he?*