*MINJIS POV*
    The morning of Christmas Eve. Something about it seemed peaceful and exciting. I walked into the kitchen, still wearing my pajamas, and made myself a cup of hot chocolate. Ive been drinking this a lot lately. Suddenly, my phone began to ring. I picked it up and pressed speaker.
    "Yeobseyo?"
    "Minji! Whatre you doing today?"
    "I was going to finish dropping of presents, but I did that yesterday. Waeyo?"
    "Let's do something! Im bored", Woohyun cried on the other line. I chuckled and clucked my tongue.
    "hm? im not in the mood to go out though", I said as I finished mixing my the contents in my cup.
    "Yah! The members and I are bored! How can you say that on this day?", He scolded.
    "Are you scolding me right now?", I laughed.
    "Aniya. It just sounds that way", he said in a cute tone. I took my phone off mute and pressed it to my ear. I picked up my mug and walked over to my couch.
    "I wasnt joking about not wanting to go out though. Want to come over my house? My moms cooking kimchi jiggae. You and the members can come over and eat".
    "Chincha? Call!", his voice raised an octave. "Guys, lets go Minji's for lunch! They're having kimchi jiggae!", His voice was a bit more distant. In the back, I could hear the other members cheering. "We'll be there in a few minutes. Myungsoo's not here though, so youll have to call him".
    "Arasso. See you soon. I need to call Myungsoo oppa, so i'll hang up first. Bye".

    With those final words, I hung up and dialed Myungsoo's number. Within a few rings, he picked up.
    "Yeobseyo?", he answered, sounding a bit out of breath.
    "Hey, Oppa. Are you busy?"
    "Aniya. Wae?", He said, his breathing still heavy.
    "You're breathing pretty heavily", I laughed.
    "Im carrying the Christmas tree. Umma said we should move it", he said with a grunt. "whatre you calliing for anyway?"
    "Oh, thats right. The other members are coming over for lunch. Want to join?"
    "Mm, as long as Im back home for dinner. I need to spend time with my family, you know".  His breathing was normal now.
    "Ara. See you soon then".
    "mhm", he said and hung up.
    I walked into the kitchen, where my mother was finishing up cooking.
    "Umma, the infinite members are going to come over for lunch. is that okay?"
    "Thats fine. Ive been wondering how we were going to finish all this soup!", she laughed, looking into the pot. I nodded and smiled and right then, I heard a knock at the door.  
    I ran over and opened the door. All seven members stood there, smiling. Sungjong was first to approach me. 
    "Noona! I feel like I havent seen you in forever", he whined and hugged me. 
    "Its only been a few days", I chuckled. "Come inside".
    They all came in and greeted my mother then took a seat in the living room. I turned the radio on for background noise.
    "Why aren't you guys with your family? Its Christmas Eve!"
    "We all went with our families yesterday. It was suppose to be today, but then it mightve  been difficult to be back in seoul on time considering the amount of people going to their hometown" Sunggyu said. 
    "Be back in time?"
    "We have a schedule tomorrow. itd have been troublesome if some of got stuck somewhere due to traffic or natural disasters" I nodded at his response. "We dont even have time to open our presents tomorrow morning", he whined.
    "Just open it at night then".
    "oh~", Sungyeol ooed. "Thats a good idea!"
    "Noona, why dont you come over tomorrow night, then? To open presents", Sungjong ran over to me and leaned. 
    "Im opening presents in the morning with my family!"
    "Then just come to  open the presents the members got you. Please?", he batted his eyeashes. 
    "You guys didnt even give me presents!"
    "We bought you presents. We just didnt give them to you yet", Dongwoo said lazily leaninng father back into the couch. 
    "Then its just more convenient! Just come Minji. Please?", Woohyun joined in. 
    "Fine", I finally agreed and the members cheered. Just at that moment, another knock came at the door. 
    "Come in!", I yelled from my seat. Myungsoo came in right away, holding a present in his hand. 
    "Here. This is yours".
    "Hold onto it. Im opening the presents you and the other members got me at their apartment".
    He nodded and put tossed it at Sunggyu. 
    "Lets eat then!"

    The dining room was crowded as everyone pulled out a chair. Something about the atmosphere felt cozy. The room was full of laughter and smiles. It felt warm enough to melt away the winter. 
    I looked over at Hoya. He was playing around with Dongwoo, trying to take a spoonful of soup from his bowl. I laughed, finding it funny to see an actual OTP right infront of me. Just at that moment, Hoya looked up at me. I tucked my hair behind my ear and looked away. I heard him chuckled and I couldnt help but smille. 
    After we finished eating, we all gathered back in the living room. At first, we all just sat and said nothing. Before anyone could get bored, I ran into my room and grabbed every INFINITE album I had. I ran back down and held them up.
    "Anyone wanna dance?", I raised an eyebrow. All the members got up and screamed. 
    "You have all our albums?"
    "Its not like you guys had 100 different ones, calm down".
    "Well yeah, but its still a big deal", Woohyun said. "Youre a true inspirit. Saranghae!", his tone changed and he lifted one leg up, throwing hearts towards me. I chuckled and pushed him over causing him to fall onto the couch. 
    "Really though Minji, you didnt have to buy every single one", Myungsoo said. 
    "Well I had to support your group. Youve wanted this success all your life! Plus, I couldnt afford to buy all the merchandise your group has so I just bought the albums" I shrugged. I ran over to the player and put a cd in. Before the dawn began playing and I clapped. "Dance for me!"
    It took them a while to get into position, but they did it. I laughed and tried to follow along, but it was too hard. At the end, I paused the cd.
    "You guys HAVE to teach me the chorus' choreography. And the scorpion dance part!"
    "No way, its to hard for you", Myungsoo argued. "Youve always been bad at dancing".
    "Teach me! At least tell me how to do the scorpion dance part", I whined. Myungsoo grumbled to himself but laid himself on the floor.
    "Its just a push off", he groaned a bit as he got up. "Pretty simple".
    I went onto the floor and whispered "and push off".
    My body slightly came up and I honestly thought I had succeeded, but my body began falling back down before I get on my feet. My chest hit the floor with a thud and I rolled over onto my back, trying to regain the breath that escaped from me when I had hit the floor.
    Myungsoo laughed hysterically but kneeled down beside me. 
    "You okay?",  he said with a smile. 
    "Im still breathing", I chuckled. I could hear the other member laughing too. They all stood up and surrounded me. Myungsoo's laugh died down then he layed himself beside me. Our heads were only a couple of inches away from eachother, our eyes on the ceiling. the other members began laying down too, forming a circle. Maybe if you looked down from above, it'd look like a flower. We all just stared at the ceiling for a while, our breathing becoming slower with each second that passed. 

*MYUNGSOOS POV*
    My attention shifted from the ceiling to the figure beside me. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was slow, but she was smiling. It wasnt big or very showy, but it was cute. Pretty. Then again, she was always pretty. No matter what she wore or how she did her hair, she was beautiful. Kind of like a flower. You could place it anywhere, but as long as it was alive and bloomed, it was pretty. I looked around at the other members. They all had their eyes closed and so I decided to close mine. 
    In one swift movement, I felt her snuggle her head in the space between my neck and shoulder. 
    "You always smell so nice. Like roses", she whispered. I opened my eyes and looked down at her. Her eyes were still closed. She continued speaking,
    "Thank you for being my friend, Oppa. Thanks for being a shoulder to lie on. Thank you for making me laugh. and singing for me. and protecting me... for everything". 
    She took a breath between every sentence. Her voice came out airy and soft and it tickled my ear but not more than it tickled my heart. She was always most honest and emotional before she slept. Im not quite sure if she knew she always did those things, but I did. Thats how I know cried when I left. Thats how i know she felt lonely. When we stayed on the phone late over the weekend she always fell asleep first. I dont know exactly whats going on in her head when shed do it, but she always would say things like that. Sentimental  things she never dared to confess awake. I still remember how it went.

    I told her how my day had been. How hard I had been practicing. I dont remember what i asked, but I remember that she didnt answer. I only heard her slow breathing. I repeated her name multiple times until she groaned. Then she began talking. At first, it had confused me because it had absoutely nothing to do with the question. Thats when she started to wimper.
    "I cried the day you told me you were leaving. Oppa, its weird, i didnt know how much itd hurt to see you leave", she said. "hurry back. im so lonely. so lonely". Then she began to softly cry. I stayed silent, not knowing how to respond. her cry soon died down and turned to breathing. I heard her groan one final time  before the line became her calm breathing. That was when I realized how strongly I was staring at the end of my bed. I called her name a couple more times until I heard her soft snoring. That was how I knew she was sleeping. 
    After that, there were a few more episodes. She'd say the same things and cry a bit then fall asleep. I was certain she never knew she did that because the next morning, shed call me back and apologize for falling asleep but never said anything about what she had said. And for her  sake, I didnt either. 
    Her soft snoring snapped me back to reality. I shook my head and chuckled. She still had the same bad habits. Yet, I was thankful for them. There was something about it that was comforting to me. It put my heart at rest. I slightly pushed her head away from my shoulder, trying not to wake her. When I stood up, she right leg twitched a bit. I stood still for a bit, making sure she wasnt awake. When I looked at the other members, they were all asleep too. Some of them had their legs over the person next to them and some were mumbling. I laughed at the sight. I wondered how our fans would react to the sight. 
    I walked into the kitchen and spotted Minji's mother washing dishes. 
    "Oh, Eomonie, let me help you"
    "Aniya, I can do it. I am a mother after all", she giggled.
    "its okay, it was my members that made this mess. i will help on their behalf". I walked over and began soaping the dishes. 
    "Aigoo, look how youve grown. It feels like just yesterday you were running around this houses, braking vases". I laughed at her statement and smiled, remembering the amount of China Minji and I had broken. 
    "I guess I really have grown, huh?"
    "Youve gotten much more handsome. I remember when Minji first showed me to you. I was dropping her off to class. She tugged on my sleeve and said 'thats him, umma. thats the friend i mad yesterday. isnt he handsome? my classmates are scared of him, but i dont know why. he has scary eyes but hes good. very good'", Minji's mom mimicked, laughing very loudly when she finished.
    "Minji thought i was handsome?", I questioned, trying not to smirk. 
    "Very. From kindergarten to second grade she told me that you were the handsomest boy in her grade and she was happy that you had become her bestfriend. After second grade she never mentioned it though. she stopped telling me everything. you know that stage",   her mom scowled. I laughed and her mother smiled. She rinsed of the last dish and sighed. 
    "Its nice to see you all grown up. Its- how do I put it... a refreshing feeling?" she smiled and patted my back. "Im gonna go up to my room and rest now. You should go rest too, it seems like everyone elses is asleep", she said as she walked away. 
    I said goodbye and watched her walk away. I looked around the, now empty, kitchen. I went into the cabinet, took a choco pie, and began walking towards the living room. Minji wouldnt mind, right? 
    When I walked into the living room, Hoya was leaning against the front of the couch. His chin rested upon his knees. He hadnt even looked up at me, and i wasnt sure he had noticed me until he said, 
    "I didnt know Minji snored. Has she always been like that?" he tilted his head, "but she wasnt snoring when I was here", he softly mumbled. 
    "Shes always been one to snore in her sleep", I shrugged. 
    "Its kind of cute", he smiled.
    "I know" i said, leaning my shoulder against the wall beside the couch. "when did you wake up?", I asked, taking a bite of my choco pie. 
    "Just a couple minutes ago. I heard her snoring", he laughed. 
    I moved myself onto the couch and for a while, we said nothing and just listened to the sound of Minji's snoring. I looked around at the other members and chuckled.
    "Dont you think the members sleep weird? I wonder if i look like that when I sleep".
    "Would you be able let her go if she chose me?", Hoya asked, ignoring my question completely. 
    "Lets not talk about that right now".
    "Would you?"
    "Hoya, the other members are here. lets not talk about this right now. Jebal". 
    "I would. If she chose you, id be able too".
    I looked at my watch, trying avoiding the conversation. A talk could lead to an argument and this was not the place for it. 
    "ive got to go. I have dinner in an hour", i said and stood from the couch. I crouched next to Minji and slightly shook her. Her eyes opened slightly.
    "You can go back to sleep, but i just wanted to let you know im about to go".
    She shot up quickly and began to panic.
    "wae? its so early!"
    "I have dinner in an hour. its already six", i said, laughing at how fast she had shot up. 
    "ah, thats right. i forgot'', she scratched her head. She rubbed her eyes and looked around at the other members. Hoya was already laying across the couch. As if he had not been up a couple minutes ago. As if he had not just had a conversation with me. 
    "how long have we been asleep?"
    "Maybe around an hour", i shrugged. "But i really have to go. ill see you tomorrow. were going to the aparment tomorrow night right?"
    she nodded. 
    "alright, see you then", i began walking towards the door. I waved and smiled before closing the door and she smiled and waved back. It was the kind of smile that looked like she was looking forward to seeing me again. Wether that was true or not, I let myself believe it was as i walked home.

    *HOYAS POV*
    Once Myungsoo had whispered to her, she shot up. It surprised me how quickly she reacted to those words. 
    "wae? so early!", she whined. 
    I laid myself across the crouch, crossing my arms across my chest, and turned to my side, closing my eyes. If pretend I was sleeping, itd be almost as if i hadnt heard any of it, right?

    We stayed at Minjis, playing games and talking, until it was late. Ten, to be exact. Finally, we left and drove back to the apartment. 
    We finally arrived at the apartment building. We all exited the car, laughing and teasing one another. Then, I heard my name being called. Everyone became silent, staring at the girl standing underneath the street light. I havent explained the relationship i had with her, but i guess the members had sensed it. Finally, Sunggyu broke the silence. 
    "We're gonna go inside. See you in a bit", Sunggyu patted my back and walked into the building. The other members followed behind.
    "Young hee, whatre you doing here? Howd you find my apartment building?"
    "My fathers a very succesful man. Did you not know?", she sarcastically said and laughed. "I asked him and he had some connections so... yeah. I promise, I wont leak it out", she said, raising her left hand and drawing an X over her heart. I laughed and nodded.
    "Whaat brings you here at this hour? You should be sleeping at home, waiting for the sun to rise".
    "Its just..", she pulled something out of her purse. "I wanted to give you this", she said and handed me a small box. "Dont open it now. Open it tomorrow, okay?", she softly smiled. 
    "ouh, i dont think i can accept this. i dont even have a present for you", i said, trying to hand it back.
    "Aniya, just seeing you is enough for me", she pushed my hand back. "just accept it. That can be my present". I nodded, deciding itd be best not to argue with her.
    "Do you need me to bring you home?", i asked, already walking towards my car. 
    "Ani, i have a driver today".
    We stood there for a while. Snow began to fall lightly and she began to get cold. She was trying not show it, but i could tell. She was rubbing her hands. 
    I tried to hand her my jacket but she pushed my hands back. 
    "Dont do that. im trying to get over you, remember?", she smiled sadly.  I didnt know how to respond so i just put my jacket back on. She looked down at her feet. 
    "i shouldnt have come", her voice cracked a bit. "i had no idea it was going to be this hard. i didnt know it was going to hurt this much to see you". She tried to laugh. She tried to cover the sound of her pain. but i could hear it. I could see it in the way she stood.
    "i-",  i tried to apologize. 
    "Dont do that. Dont apologize. It hurts more to know you feel bad for me", she said, closing her eyes. She took a deep breath and laughed. She lifted her head up but her eyes were staring up at the sky. She smiled, it looked, in disbelief. "its just...'', she said, her voice shakey. "Why dont you love me anymore?", looking at me as she said it. Then she broke. She began to cry. Hyperventillate. She fell into the snow and cried harder. 
    "Had i not been good enough? Had you forgotten all those years?". She covered her face with her hands and rolled into a ball. 
    Infront of me, a girl was crumbling. Breaking. and back then I wouldve sat next to her, cradled her and tell her everything was okay and that i was there; tell her that I loved her. But that was when i had. and I no longer did. So, instead, I crouched down, wrapped my jacket around her shoulders and let her cry. I stayed silent, rubbing her back. Not answering her question. Because how could someone tell them all the things that made them fall out of love? How could i tell her that i no longer liked the person she was? How could i tell her she just was no longer the same Young Hee i once loved? 
Exactly. 
I couldnt.
So i just continued to rub her back, hoping she knew it wasnt her fault. That it was the time and the distance that had seperated us. That the nature of growing had made us two different people. That we had chosen different paths that had two different results.
I just hoped she knew that it takes losing something to gain something and that she will be okay. She'll be okay. 

    She stopped crying eventually, but she was uncontrollably shaking from the cold. I carried her to her car and placed her inside. She reached to her shoulder to pull of my jacket, but i stopped her. 
    "Keep it. its my present to you", I said. She stared at me for a while, leaving her hand on her shoulder, trying to decide wether she should listen or not. She dropped her hand, deciding to keep it. 
    "Im not going to come around anymore. But if you ever need to come and see me, you can find me in gangnam", she said. Her eyes were puffy and her hair was frizzy from the cold but she spoke to me as if it wasnt. As if she had not been crying in the snow beside me moments ago. "This is my final goodbye, Lee Howon".
    "Ani. Its goodbye for now".
    "Ani, it is my final goodbye. To the Lee Howon I met in Busan. The one i left behind. The one I fell in love with. To me, you are still that Howon, but to you I am no longer the Young Hee you fell inlove with. Thats why you dont love me anymore, right?".
    I looked down to my hands, unable to respond. Mostly because I couldnt bring myself to tell her she was right- to tell her that was exactly the reason, but partially because I didnt have tthe heart to say it out loud and face the reality that, my first love no longer existed. 
    "Its okay. I mean, it doesnt make it hurt any less, but its better that I know why. Maybe I shouldve kept using my dilect. or maybe I shouldve continued dance instead of figure skating", she chuckled but quickly stopped. "Until I can face you as Hoya from Infinite, this is goodbye". I nodded and stuck out my hand. 
    "Farewell, Youngie". She hesitated, but shook my hand in the end. I closed the door as she told her driver to leave. I watched her drive away, leaving behind the boy she had fallen inlove with so many years ago.