"Hello dear. Merry christmas to you too."

Mrs. Choi quickly engulfed her in bone crushing hug then proceed to peck both of her cheeks. Seolhyun shot her polite smile and was half dragged to dining room where all of Choi family had gathered. Minho quickly shot up and also hugged him tightly while Siwon waved cheerfully and she replied with wide smile and waved back.

"Merry Christmas, Seolhyun."

"Thank you, ahjusshi."

"Come and sit here, Seolhyun."

"No! Noona has to sit beside me!"

"Just sit with me, Hyun. Your oppa here hasn't seen you for a while."

"Noona, come on. Just sit beside me here."

"Boys!! Cut it out."

Mrs. Choi's booming voice made eerie silence. Her hard glare fell on all of her now sulking children. How could all children who all looked like a giant acted like an ooey goey puddle for their neighbor. Not to mention that two of them were already an adult by age.

"Seolhyun, please sit beside me."

"Mom!! It's unfair!"

His mom only glared at the pouting youngest. He slumped back into his seat with grumbles here and there while his older brothers only snickered and exchange high five under the table.

"I'm sorry that Junmyeon can't make it for christmas again,dear."

"Yeah. He's so bust with all of his uni s and..."

"Language, Minho. This is dining table."

"Sorry, dad. So as I just said, he's super duper busy chasing his degree. But don't worry, pretty. Your oppa here has brought tons of pretty things from Birmingham and London also. Name all you want and your handsome santa will grant it for you.", Minho winked then blew her a kiss across the table which made Seolhyun erupten in delighted giggles and Zelo visibly barfed.

"Santa my .", Zelo muttered which then blessed with a pinch on his stomach.

"Thank you so much. I really appreciate that, oppa.", she replied politely.

"Everything for you, dear. They all are wrapped under the tree. We'll open it later, okay?"

Seolhyun crooked a small smile and nodded. Christmas lunch was spent with chatters, mostly from the noisy three brothers. Mrs. Choi only laughed over how his sons tried so hard to attract Seolhyun's attention just like sugar that attracted ants. They just started to open presents when doorbell rang and soon after Hyejeong came in with both hand occupied with shopping bag.

"Hyejeong! Pleased that you can make it.", Mrs. Choi engulfed her in big warm hug.

"Me too, ma'am. I'm sorry that I couldn't attend the lunch invitation."

"No problem at all, dear. We still have some desserts for you."

Hyejeong smiled and waved at Seolhyun then smirked at floating Kai whose eyes narrowed to a slit. Something smelled fishy.

"Hey, Seol, I forgot your presents. It's under my tree. Let's get it after we've finished here."

Seolhyun only shrugged nonchalantly. "Okay."

"Hey, I can practically hear your brain is brewing something now. You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"

Hyejeong only chuckled upon hearing Kai's accusation. But that glint of mischief in her eyes was undeniable when she opened her front door and ushered them in.

"Seol?"

"Yes?", she replied with eyes still glued on Hyejeong's clean living room.

"Do you want some drink? Your present is the red box with golden ribbon under christmas tree.", Hyejeong made her way to kitchen.

"Everything is fine for me.", Seolhyun mumbled and made her way to small christmas tree on the corner of room.

Despite living alone, the amount of colorful boxes almost buried the small tree. At the top of those big and medium sized boxes, a small red one stood out the most as if it had its own glow.

"Do you think that's the one?", Kai whispered.

"Not sure. Probably."

"It is. Open it!"

Hyejeong piped in when she came back with a glass of eggnog and a plate of gingerbread cookies. Again, that naughty twinkle in her eyes made Kai frowned. Seolhyun carefully pulled the ribbon then opened the lid. Her eyes landed on a vine like necklace with black diamond-like stone as its pendant. However, if she took a close look carefully, she could see trace of dark crimson spot at the pendant core.

"It's really beautiful. Thank you so much although I don't expect a really expensive item."

"Actually it's a joint gift from me and Minjun oppa."

"Your boyfriend? But I've never met him before."

"Yeah but I told him a lot about you and he personally recommends this. He thought it would be very helpful and fit you better."

"Helpful?", she muttered and lifted the necklace from blue velvet cushion.

"Both of you didn't jix that necklace, did you?"

"Chill, Kai. Just because it will help, doesn't mean it's jinxed. Although it's indeed not your usual item also."

"What's this?"

"It's called The Devil's Eyes. Try put it on, Seol."

Seolhyun looked hesitant as she looked at the pendant intently, and now the crimson spot really looked like an eye that stared back at her. Shiver crawled down her spine and she shook her head lightly. Her fingers locked the necklace around her. A strange gush of wind entered her lungs and she had a cough fit before gaining her breath back.

"How's your feeling?", Hyejeong asked cheerfully.

"I'm okay. Strange but okay.", she mumbled, fingers traced her necklace and lifted her head.

A frown quickly decorated her face once she looked up. Her mind did some emotional check mentally. Was she okay? Was she sad? Was she angry? She was more than 100% sure that she wasn't. But why was she able to see Kai who sat beside Hyejeong, looking at her cautiously.

"Why can I see you now?"

"And why I can't see your aura now?"

"It works then!", Hyejeon squealed and clapped happily.

Seolhyun raised from her seat and walked slowly to Kai. Her hand lifted in front of her in attempt to touch his shoulder.

"Don't move!", she barked when Kai flinched.

She grimaced when her hand only held empty air instead. She could only feel the air around her palm slightly colder than around her.

"Amazing, isn't it?"

"How... How does this work?", Seolhyun finally muttered after short silence.

"Easy. You can see spirits by absorbing the nearest spirit's ability to see aura. But since you're bonded with Kai over here, you can only take his ability."

"It's unfair for me then!"

"But good for her. She can see you and that will assure her more since she finally knows that she's not alone. Am I right, Seol?"

"Err.. Well, it feels like having a stalker in a way."

"You can call it that way. Use it well and don't take it off, okay?"

Seolhyun hummed. "Thank you again, eonnie."

"Sure. Now, are you up for some movie? I know you don't want to go back to your room yet."

"I don't think I can close my eyes now."

After effect of the horror movie earlier had just hit her when Seolhyun finally touched her bed. And with her necklace, now she had the ability to see other ghosts also which she encountered after she exited Hyejeong's house. There, across the road, a ghost with half of his face destroyed stared at her with empty eyes. And that was pretty much a horror scene straight from a movie for her although it did nothing as she quickly took a sprint to her room. Her pupils slightly dilated and hands trembled without her knowing.

"If you're this terrified over that cheap movie, why you didn't refuse it? And you can take off the necklace if you don't want to see those kind of things."

"I.. I don't want to. Hyejeong eonnie told me not to take it off. Besides, it has been long time since I watched one so I though I could handle it now."

She huffed and pouted when Kai stifled a  chuckle. His nose was scrunched in a poor attempt of supressing his laugh.

"You can laugh if you want to, annoying bastard."

And his dam broke loose as Kai's laughter echoed though her walls and bombarded her eardrums. When he finally calmed down, he just noticed that Seolhyun had been watching him with crossed arms and squinted eyes.

"Done?"

"Yeah. Thank you. It has been long time since I have a good laugh."

"You're so mean and I don't even know why I got you as my guardian.", she grumbled then yawned loudly.

"Just sleep. I'll guard you. Don't worry about those ghosts, okay? They will not do anything to you.", Kai said, a chuckle still hinted on his tone.

Seolhyun mumbled something under her breath and snuggled under her comforter. Kai floated and lay down next to her. It still felt very strange to be able to see him without using any mirror or being angry and sad.

"Fine.", she finally heaved a long sigh with closed eyes.

"Long day that you had. Sleep, young lady."

Seolhyun tensed up when she felt light cold air on her forehead like someone blew on her bangs. Kai's face was right in front of her and his hand her hair when she opened her eyes.

"What?", he asked back when she only watched him silently with rigid face and eyes almost popped out of their socket.

'What is he doing? Isn't this too close? His face is too close! His hand is so cold. My stomach feels weird. I feel suffocated. What the hell is happening now? My face feels hot. I'm not blushing right now, right? Why he keeps staring at me? His eyes are so dark. Why haven't I noticed this before?"

"Nothing.", was her only muttered answer as she closed her eyes again.

The cold sensation on her forehead never left and her thundering hear lulled her to peaceful sleep with Kai's dark orbs felt like a hypnosis that pulled her deeper to dreamland.

A/n: I don't if anyone will read this but first I would like to deliver my apology for not updating this for almost 4 years. I made this when I was still in high school and now I almost finished college after my intern that I will undergo for the next 6 months. College was a rollercoaster and now I finally stumbled back to this after finding my old book archives that I had left at my house before leaving for college. I don't know when I will update this again but I promise I'll try to finish this as soon as possible. Please leave tons of comments and love. Thank you and I love you. Happy lunar new year of golden pig year.