“Hyuk, stop!” N called, frustrated. The usually energetic and happy leader was now tired and annoyed. When the maknae stopped mid-dance move and looked over, N put his hands on his hips. “You keep missing the time and doing the wrong move. We’ve been practicing this song for months now, Hyuk, what’s wrong with you?!”

 

Hyuk, a little frustrated himself, simply bowed his head and muttered, “I’m sorry, hyung.”

When both N and Ravi looked like they were about to say something, the choreographer stepped in to try and calm everyone down. He noticed how Hyuk’s eyes had hardened. “It’s okay, guys. We’ll fix it tomorrow. You all go back home and get some rest, okay? There’s no need to get upset, there’s still time to fix any problems.”

N nodded and the six members of VIXX bowed to the choreographer as he left. The boys separated to different sides of the practice room in order to gather their things. The ride back to the dorm was awkward, silent, and filled to the brim with tension. Even Leo was visibly unnerved.

When the guys of VIXX were all in the dorm, N turned to slowly shut the front door. When he turned back around, it seemed like he was back to his normal giddy self.

Hyuk sighed inwardly before making his way to the bathroom. He was in a really bad mood and couldn’t be around the others. Before he could make it to the safety of the bathroom, Ravi grabbed Hyuk’s arm and turned the younger boy around.

“Hyuk, what’s wrong lately? You’ve been grumpy all month. You’ve been screwing up choreography. You’ve been forgetting your lines. What is your problem?” Ravi asked.

Hyuk looked at the rapper and said, “Don’t worry about it, hyung. I’ll work on everything. I’m sorry for being such trouble.”

Hongbin’s jaw dropped at the attitude in Hyuk’s voice, Ravi’s face hardened, and Ken looked like he was ready to step in when Ravi grabbed Hyuk’s collar.

“Hyuk-ah, just chill,” Hongbin offered. “You, too, Ravi. Let go of Hyuk’s shirt. It’s Christmas Eve, you two shouldn’t be fighting like this.”

“Yeah, merry Christmas,” Hyuk scoffed, leaving the dorm, pushing past Leo and N along the way.

For the past month, nothing had been going right. Like Ravi said, Hyuk was constantly messing up choreography and his lines. But it wasn’t just that, things in everyday life seemed to be going wrong for Hyuk. It certainly didn’t help that it seemed like every time he turned around, someone was complaining about Hyuk’s actions or yelling at him for one thing or another. So much for a happy Christmas season.

“Bah humbug,” Hyuk muttered, shaking out of his inner reverie. He laughed humorlessly when he realized where he was. Hyuk had walked all the way back to the practice room without realizing it. “Might as well make use of it,” the maknae muttered, taking off his coat and turning on the stereo.

For the next few hours, Hyuk practiced the choreography for VIXX’s new song over and over again. It was close to midnight when the boy finally collapsed onto his back in exhaustion. He could’ve sworn the lights flickered behind his lids a few minutes later, but when Hyuk opened his eyes, they were normal. Hyuk shut his eyes once more and tried to let sleep take over.

Rustle, clank, BANG!

Hyuk shot to his feet, heart racing. He spun around, checking every corner of the practice room. Once he realized he was still alone, Hyuk laughed at his frightened state. Turning back to face the mirrors, Hyuk let out a yelp and fell onto his backside in fear. Hongbin was standing there, gauze wrapped from the top of his head to his chin. Hyuk couldn’t help but snort when he realized the gauze was tied into bunny ears at the top.

“Don’t even,” Hongbin warned, pointing a finger at the maknae. It was then that Hyuk realized something was off.

“Hyung, why are you see-through?!” Hyuk practically yelled.

Hongbin shook his head. “I’m not really here, I’m not really Hongbin, I don’t know. I just do my job. I don’t know specifics of how these things work.”

“Wha…” was all Hyuk could manage.

“Alright, here’s the deal,” Hongbin sighed, tugging at the bunny ears, “You need to get your act together or you’re not going to like what happens next. You’re about to be visited by three ghosts, blahblahblah, you get where I’m going?”

Hyuk was about to protest and say he didn’t. He didn’t get a chance, however, because Hongbin disappeared from view as soon as a clock somewhere chimed midnight. Hyuk shook his head and stood up, only to be knocked right back down.

“HYUK-AH!” a voice yelled.

Hyuk groaned at the weight on his stomach and opened his eyes to see who was sitting there. “Hakyeon-hyung? Dude...you look ridiculous…”

N reached up and tugged at the crown of mistletoe and holly sitting around his head. “I know,” he pouted. “But I don’t get a say in it…”

“Hyung, what’s going on?” Hyuk asked, trying to bring the boy on his stomach back to the present. Hyuk blinked in shock when he realized there was a slight golden glow surrounding N.

“Oh, right!” N yelled, shooting up. He yanked Hyuk with him, ignoring the boy’s protests. “I am the Ghost of Christmas Past and I’m here to….well….show you the past.”

Hyuk snorted as N’s voice became less energetic towards the end. “So, what? You’re going to show me last Christmas? Maybe the Christmas before? What, do you have a DVD or something?”

“Nope,” N replied. Hyuk grew nervous at the evil grin that spread across N’s face.

N reached out and grabbed Hyuk’s wrist. Not a second later, the world spun around them and the pair fell in a heap in the middle of the practice room. Hyuk groaned and quickly got off of N’s back.

“We’re still in the practice room,” Hyuk sighed.

“It’s not the where, it’s the when,” N grumbled, brushing dirt off his coat and straightening the wreath. “Look behind you while I fix this thing, yeah?”

Hyuk turned around and his jaw dropped. VIXX was on the far end of the practice room and so was a younger version of Hyuk, himself. Well, only a year younger if the 2012 calendar was anything to go by. N walked up and wrapped an arm around Hyuk’s shoulder as the younger boy watched as he and his friends tried to make Leo laugh with various Christmas decorations.

“What are we doing here?” Hyuk asked quietly, wondering what s were doing in the present. Probably trying to make Leo laugh without him or making last minute cookies.

“I’m showing you VIXX’s first Christmas together, duh,” N chuckled. “Hey, look! Leo laughed! Good job, Hyuk.”

Hyuk chuckled and watched as Leo chased the younger Hyuk around the room. The maknae forced back his tears and turned to N, who was focused on the wreath once more.

“Why?”

“Simple,” N said with a serious expression. “I’m reminding you what Christmas with your bandmates is supposed to be like. What you’re letting slip through your fingers with every second that passes. Showing you what might be your only happy Christmas with them.”

Before Hyuk could reply, N grabbed his wrist and the world was spinning again. This time however, it was only Hyuk that ended up in a heap on the practice room floor.

“It’s about time,” a deeper voice said. “Past is always running late because of some strange desire to reminisce.”

Hyuk whirled around and took a step back when he saw who was sitting on the ground. “Ravi-hyung!”

Ravi looked at himself in the mirror and smirked, “That’s who I am? Huh, not bad.”

Hyuk spluttered a confused response and Ravi held up his hand.

“Don’t even try to make sense of it, you’ll just get a headache. Just treat me like you would the real Ravi, Hyuk-ah,” Ravi said. He stood up and placed a hand on Hyuk’s shoulder. “Time to go.”

This time, Hyuk was ready and braced himself as the world spun and the pair landed. Ravi clapped Hyuk on the back in congratulations and plopped down on the couch.

“Welcome to the present Christmas,” Ravi sighed, stretching. “If you haven’t figured out already, I’m the Ghost of Christmas Present. Get going.”

Hyuk walked through the living room, looking for his bandmates.

“Maybe we should go look for him,” Hyuk heard Leo say from the kitchen.

Hyuk ran towards the source and found everyone sitting around the kitchen table. Ravi had his head in his hands and Hongbin was patting Ravi’s shoulder. N was picking at his sleeve and Ken was sadly stirring his cocoa. Leo was just sitting there looking at N.

“We should let him have some alone time to calm down first. We don’t even know where he is,” the leader said. Leo sighed and looked down at the table.

“This is all my fault,” Ravi groaned sitting back. Hyuk’s heart clenched when he realized how upset the older boy looked. “I shouldn’t have blown up on him like that.”

“We’re all stressed out, it’s okay,” Hongbin offered. Ravi shook his head in response and slumped lower in his seat.

“You guys do realize he’s probably just in the practice room, right?” Ken finally piped up. “I’m sure he’s fine. Our Hyuk knows how to take care of himself. He’ll be back soon.”

Sounds of agreement filled the room and Hyuk made his way back to the living room. He choked back even more tears and looked at the Ravi on the couch.

“Time to go?” Ravi asked, solemnly. Hyuk nodded and Ravi put his hand on the younger boy’s shoulder. “Okay. Keep an eye on Future will you? He gets a bit...morose sometimes. But you shouldn’t let him scare you, the guy’s a puppy.”

Hyuk didn’t have time to thank Ravi before he was in the practice room. Hyuk froze when he finally set sight on the figure in front of him. He was dressed head to toe in black with the hood of his jacket pulled up to cover his face.

“Let me guess,” Hyuk gulped. “Ghost of Christmas Future?”

The figure nodded and pushed his hood back. Hyuk let out a relieved sigh and the figure stared with a confused expression.

“Oh, it’s just Leo-hyung,” Hyuk muttered to himself. He chuckled when he looked up to see Leo staring some more. “Should we get going?”

Leo nodded once and reached towards Hyuk. He stopped a few centimeters short and pulled his hand back. Leo repeated this action a few times before finally grabbing onto Hyuk’s sleeve and sending the world spinning.

Hyuk landed softly, used to the travel by now, and looked around. He was in the practice room again, but this time the calendar said 2014. A poster right next to the calendar sent Hyuk’s jaw to the floor and heart into his throat.

“Leo-hyung! Why am I not in the group shot?!” Hyuk cried, staring at a poster of a five membered VIXX.

“This is what happens if you continue what you’re doing,” Leo’s soft voice came from behind Hyuk. The younger boy turned and motioned for Leo to elaborate.

“If you keep on your current path, your attitude will be the source of lots of infighting. The CEO will become frustrated with you and take you out of VIXX. If you haven’t managed to ruin your relationships with them, it’ll break your hyungs’ hearts to see you go,” Leo explained.

This time, Hyuk didn’t even attempt to stop the tears. He collapsed onto the floor, crying, and Leo shifted uncomfortably.

“Ya,” the older boy called out.

Hyuk tried to stop his tears and looked up.

“There is a way you can fix it,” Leo muttered, obviously uncomfortable with talking so much. He looked down at the crying boy and his gaze softened. “Apologize to your hyungs. Work hard. Don’t let yourself get so stressed out. Everything will be fine if you don’t stay such a Grinch.”

Hyuk chuckled and stood up. He wiped away his tears and nodded, “Okay, I’ll try harder. Can we go back now?”

Leo gave Hyuk a small smile and reached out to grab Hyuk’s sleeve. The world spun for the sixth time that night.

Hyuk woke up and groaned at the soreness in every part of his body. When he came fully to his senses, the maknae lunged forward to check his phone. The time read seven a.m. and the date December 25th. If he knew his hyungs, they would be awake and surrounding the tree, ready to open presents. Hyuk stood up and ran out of the building as fast as he could. He had to get home before it was too late.

Everyone jumped when the front door slammed open and a blur launched itself towards Leo. Ken, Ravi, Hongbin, and N stared as Hyuk clung to Leo, crying.

“I’m so sorry you guys! I’m so sorry for being a brat and ruining everything! I don’t want to fight anymore! I don’t want to be kicked out of VIXX!” Hyuk blubbered.

N came forward and tried to pry the maknae off of Leo. Everyone else was trying hard not to laugh at how confused, worried, and uncomfortable the vocalist looked. Leo then shocked everyone by reaching forward and hugging Hyuk back. He shrugged at N when the leader looked at him with a bemused expression.

“Hyuk-ah, calm down,” Ken said, walking up to rub the maknae’s back. “What are you talking about? Why are you worried about being kicked out of VIXX?”

Hyuk pulled away from Leo, ignoring the older boy’s relieved sigh, and launched into everything that happened the night before. From the ghosts, to the time travel, to the poster with only five boys, Hyuk told his bandmates everything. By the time he was done, the others were staring with wide eyes.

“So...basically...you dreamed A Christmas Carol?” Ken choked, trying to hold back laughter.

“I...Oh...Well, what do you know,” Hyuk laughed. “I did.”

Everyone in the room busted out into laughter. N clutched at his stomach and wiped away tears before speaking.

“Hyuk, you shouldn’t worry any. You’re not getting away from us that easily, even if you do act like a brat,” the leader smiled. N grinned and Hyuk grew nervous at the mischief in the older boy’s eyes, feeling a sense of deja vu. “DOG PILE!” N yelled.

N leapt onto Hyuk, knocking the younger onto the floor. He was quickly followed by Ravi, Ken (who grabbed Leo along the way and shoved the protesting boy between himself and Ravi), and finally Hongbin. Hyuk groaned from all the weight pressing onto him.

“See? What did I tell you?” N chuckled.

A “YA!!” from Leo was the only thing heard in the following silence. The dog pile fell apart thanks to the grumbling vocalist and soon all six boys were laying on the floor, laughing.

“Merry Christmas, hyungs,” Hyuk smiled.

“Merry Christmas, Hyuk,” the others replied in unison.