Merry Christmas

The basketball team and soccer team started sharing the field with each other.

Both captains had told them to behave and befriend with the opposite team, so the members didn't dare to do wrong. However, Zico was a carefree and didn't give a damn about anything around him, so when you saw basketball players all over soccer's area, is wasn't unbelievable.

"Aish ! We can't play if you guys keep running into our place !" Ricky yelled and pushed the puffy P.O our of his way. P.O scoffed, "Kiddo, did you just push me ?!"

Ricky stopped in track, his hands dropped nicely to his side, and his face drained out of color. Yup, he was scared of P.O. "Uh-h ... I ... I ..."

"Don't touch him, Jihoon. You were the one at fault. We had promised to share this field fair and won't make any fight" ChangJo stepped in between the boys, he raised his chin up, pushing Ricky behind his back and cooly stared at P.O.

"ChangJo ..." Ricky mumbled, touched. ChangJo didn't show that he cared for Ricky, but deep down inside, he was worried for Ricky to death because of how much lack of thinking Ricky had.

Before P.O could punch ChangJo or the opposite, Zico ran to them from the left, while Niel ran from the right.

"Yah ! Pyo Ji Hoon, what's wrong ?" Zico wiped his sweat with his bare hand, looked at Changjo accusingly.

"That brat over there picked on me" P.O pointed at Ricky, caused the little boy to jump in surprise. "Yah-h !"

Niel gazed at Zico, he wanted to shout 'You get your teammates away from mine !', but as the captain, he had to act wisely.

"On behalf of my teammate, I am sorry for his lack of behavior. Sorry, Jihoon-ssi" Niel bowed and looked up, still with that never-back-down eyes of him.

Zico sighed, "You don't have to, Daniel. Jihoon is the one to apologize" he glanced back at P.O, but that boy wouldn't want to say sorry.

"But, hyung ! I didn't do anyth-"

"Jihoon oppa ! Jiho oppa !" Haneul ran to them with a plastic bag and a pile of towels.

Everyone stopped arguing as the one and only girl on this field approached them. Both Zico and Niel softened as Haneul smiled widely and stopped in front of them.

P.O sighed, he knew that he couldn't act bully-like right now when Haneul was around. "Yoon Haneul, what ?"

Haneul threw a towel over and it planted nicely on P.O's head, "Break time ! Here you are !" she threw another towel to Zico, and he caught it coolly.

"Thanks, Haneul" Zico smiled and patted Haneul's head, which made Niel's heart to wince in jealousy.

"Let's go, Jihoon. I have to discuss with our team about some plans" Zico dragged P.O's shirt and pulled him along.

Ricky and Changjo looked at each other, knowingly smiled and scooted away too.

Niel looked at Zico and P.O with a sigh. *It's only a month and she had grown so close to them*. He turned around and stumbled backwards as Haneul was still there, standing so close to him.

"Haneul-ssi ..." he let out without knowing. *Shoot ! Why must I call out her name like that ?*

Haneul smiled at him, "I'm sorry ! Basketball team has a lot of hot-tempered guys, even Jiho oppa is hard to control"

Niel softened, not at the Zico's part, but at how gentle she was. "It's okay ... we also have Ricky who is really hard to calm him down"

"But he is cute" Haneul chuckled. "Yeah, right. Cute but short" Niel added.

And they ended up laughing together. Haneul suddenly stopped laughing, she pulled out a bottle of cold vitamin water, held it up right before Niel's eyes. "For you !"

Niel reached for it, speechless, "Isn't it for your team ... ?" he carefully took the bottle and yup, it was his favorite strawberry favour.

Haneul's leg unconciously curled up, she looked anywhere but Niel, "I ...I ...prepared it for you"

"..." Niel stared at her, as if she had 3 heads right now. Haneul beamed, turned her head left and right, then ran off, while being as red as a tomato.

After 5 good minutes, Niel bashfully smiled, "First was a cup of cappuchino, now is a strawberry vitamin, ... I wonder what surprise she has for me again"

 

---

 

The day before Christmas Eve, all teams had to come to school for the last practice before High School Olympic on next week.

And for a week the two teams shared a field together, Haneul had grown close to Teen Top, and specially Niel. They would chat and laugh good-naturally around each other, but there was still sometimes one or both of them would blush because of sudden skinship.

However, Niel was too scared to ask about her relationship with Zico. Zico showed so much unneeded caring towards Haneul, but being one friendly girl, Haneul didn't show that she hated it or got annoyed with it. That's how Niel's love life was in trouble.

ChunJi tried his very best to get the two together. But at the end, he had to shake his head in disappointment.

"I can't believe it. You spent almost every practice time with Haneul, but you couldn't confess to her !"

Teen Top looked at Chunji, he was being crazy himself, walking along the hallway, but he kept yelling like some mad man.

"Niel is not you. You can confess to 10 girls a day, but he only has one heart for Haneul" L.Joe smartly stated, caused Chunji to shut up.

"But, what if someone asks her out on Christmas ? And by someone, I mean Woo Jiho, aka our badass Zico" Chunji rolled his eyes, punched hard on Niel's back. "You fool ! She can't wait for a coward forever !"

"Shut up, hyung" Niel snapped.

ChunJi scoffed in disbelief. "You didn't just tell your hyung to shut up !"

"I am your captain" Niel smirked, pleased. Ricky giggled while clinging on ChangJo.

ChangJo walked in front, but he stopped, caused 5 other boys to crash on him. "Look ! Hyungs ! Zico is asking Haneul noona out !!"

"What the hell are you talking about, Choi Jong Hyun ? They had gone home hour ago" CAP sighed and pushed Changjo out of the way. But the maknae was right.

Zico was having his two hands on Haneul's arms, he looked like he was begging Haneul for something. They talked, then Haneul smiled smally, Zico sighed but he kept that stupid smile on his face. After a while, Zico ended up hugging Haneul and patted her head once in a while.

Niel couldn't bare to watch them anymore. He spunned on his sneakers and walked straight to the gate, to his home.

*So she is Zico's now. I am too late ...*

 

---

 

Christmas Eve. The streets were crowded with couples, friends, ... and a whole lot more colorful lights and shops.

Niel dragged his heavy legs along the crowdy street. He didn't know where he was going. He didn't know either.

He couldn't go to school for extra practice, which was a way to not to remember about Zico and Haneul together. He couldn't annoy ChunJi, L.Joe or CAP on this night, they needed to be with their girlfriends. And he just didn't want to babysit Ricky or ChangJo, so this lone captain had to stroll around the street all by himself.

He watched as each couple pass by him, laughing and hugging each other in loving way, Niel heaved a sigh, he had never hated seeing people in love like right now.

*They said love teachs people to love their life, but why I feel like this life is boring and meaningless ?* he asked himself. Deep down inside his heart, he knew too well the answer.

The girl he was in love with for 2 years, was with another guy right now, when he didn't even have a chance to confess his love for her.

Niel found himself a people-free place near the big Christmas Tree in center of Hongdae Street. Not much people came to this smal alley, because they were too busy trying to get a better look at the tree to enjoy alone time at this silent, calm place.

Niel made himself comfortable by leaning his back against the cold wall of a big, old building. He let his eyes wander around, watched as the lights on the Christmas Tree caught people's attention.

"I miss her ..." he mumbled, regretfully.

"Cappuchino ?"

A cheerful, familiar voice sang next to his ear. Niel's eyes snapped wide and big. He didn't want to turn into some crazy guy, who was mad in love and ended up imagining things related to his dream girl. *It can't be Haneul ... can it ?*

Like dejavu, he dared to turn around, and this time, he was sure, he knew this girl, and she was not a ghost or any stranger. She was an angel, his angel.

"How ...?" Niel stared at Haneul. She was wearing a red, warmy hoodie. She looked like a Santa Girl, who was smiling angelically in front of him. She seemed to light up this dark alley with her simple smile.

Haneul cocked her head aside, she giggled, "It took me a lot of hardwork to keep this cappuchino warm and run around the town to find my boy"

"Your ... boy ?" Niel asked.

Haneul chuckled, she grabbed Niel's hand, slammed a cup of warm cappuchino into his hand. Just like the first time they met. "Merry Christmas, I love you, Daniel Ahn" Haneul kissed his cheek, with a lot of effort to stand on his toes to reach Niel's height.

Niel didn't react. He was frozen. He was speechless. He was too happy to even cry of happiness.

Haneul's smile slowly faded. She dropped to her normal height, and sheepishly rubbed her Santa's hat. "I'm sorry ... it's okay if you don't like me back ... I will not appear in front of you from now on. Anyway, Merry Christmas, Daniel-ssi ...", she looked away, tried to hide her tears.

Haneul began running away, didn't want to bother Niel anymore.

Niel gasped, he quickly caught up with Haneul with ease. "Wait ! Haneul ah !!". He caught Haneul's hand, spun her around. He didn't to reply to her with words. It was not enough to express how he felt right now.

Niel pressed his lips against hers, let his love run from him to Haneul. He hugged her waist tightly, lovingly.

They pulled off, gazing at each other, still inside each other's embrace. "Yoon Haneul, I love you so much. It's two years since I first met you that October's rainy day. And I couldn't deny my love for you since then. Do you know how much you had broken my heart when you got close to Zico ? Do you know what I had turned into when I thought you were Zico's girlfriend already ?"

Haneul smiled, she rubbed Niel's cold cheeks, "He asked me to be his girlfriend, but I said that I had someone I love already. And he advised me to confess instead of keeping it inside my heart for too long. The day when I first came to this school, I met this boy, who was really a gentleman to help me with my clumsy, for two times. But he never noticed me, not until I decided to give him my favorite cappuchino on a rainy day, right, Daniel ?"

Niel grinned, he held a cup of cappuchino out, "This ? It has become my favorite too, since that time. So ... you are my girlfriend now ?"

"I'd love to, my Santa" Haneul beamed and led Niel away. "Come on, I don't want to spend Christmas Eve alone !"

"Aigoo, how come I have never known you are this active and mischievous, Yoon Haneul ?" Niel laughed joyfully.

Looking at his girlfriend from behind, he knew that he would protect and keep this girl forever by his side.

Wish you all a merry Christmas, whether love-birds or forever alone people out there <3