The snow started to cover the street, creating that very romantic scenery. Despite that, Sooyoung still have to continue on her photo shoot. The concept is about the season, but this time, she is doing it alone. It was not just about advertising the designer labeled clothes but also the scenery the place has to offer during winter. The boys all had done the Christmas decoration on the house, even the tree. The gifts are all placed under the tree as they all await for the day to open those.

After a tiring day, she proceeds to her Unnie’s café house to witness a busy seven lads who are all about serving customers. To help them, she took the cashier’s seat to have Nam Joon help on serving the other customers. Warm coffee is really a need for this kind of weather. It was around ten thirty when the last customer left as V flips the sign on the door to ‘CLOSED.’

“Woah! I really despise winter, aside from the cold weather, there’s the tsunami wave of customers,” V stretched his arms.

“But then, this is only the time where we triple our daily sales. For the past week, we had already made a record of tripling the highest sale we had during the other seasons,” Jin flipped the log book where they put all their daily and monthly reports.

“Noona, I saw your photo shoot! That was so cool!” Suga gave her a thumb up sign.

Nam Joon moves out the kitchen with Jimin, Jungkook and J-Hope holding a serve of warm caramel macchiato.

“I bet Soojin Unnie will be very happy to know that,” she smiled receiving the treat from the boys.

“Noona, when can we expect a baby Sooyoung or a baby Kris?” Jimin smiled at the lady who blushed.

“All of you are so eager to see me pregnant eh?” she replied.

“Well, in a few months you will be celebrating your first year anniversary so yeah, we want you pregnant,” Nam Joon grinned in which the boys agreed on.

Just then, the jingle of the bells made them all turn their head to see Kris and an eight year old little girl getting inside.

“Oh, that’s the girl who got lost!” Jungkook pointed over the girl.

“UNNIE!” the girl ran to meet Sooyoung’s open arms as Kris follows her closely, occupying the seat beside her.

“Meilin,” Sooyoung smiled as she hugs the girl close.

“Why are you two in here?” She asked her husband afterwards.

“Well, she had been wailing on her parents to spend the Christmas with us so here is your spoiled brat,” he gestured over the girl who frowned at him.

When she noticed the boys, she pointed on to them one by one. “Namjoon gege, J-hope gege, Jin gege, Jimin gege, Taehyung gege, Suga gege and Jungkook gege.”

The boys looked at her, amazed at how she was able to remember them when it was almost ten or eleven months since she saw them and that was just once.

“She has a very good photographic memory which I am so envious of,” Kris rolled his eyes at the little girl’s intelligence.

As a gift, they made a special serve of milk shake for her with some sweet treats.

“You are saying that she will be with us for the whole holiday season?” she asked as the boys work on tidying the shop so they can already close the shop.

“Yeah, since her parents can’t just refuse on this little girl’s request being the only child they have,” Kris wiped off the stain on the little girl’s face.

“Then we will do shopping tomorrow so she can have her presents too. How is that for you Mei?” she asked which made the little girl smile.

“Did you bring the car with you?” she asked.

“We took the bus as what she wishes, so we will take the bus.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

They slowly paved the way to the bus stop; Kris had the girl on his arms since she is already sleeping. Sooyoung keeps on giggling every time she looks at Kris.

“What’s funny?” he asked, getting annoyed by her attitude.

“Nothing, it’s just that we really look like a family now,” she giggled again.

“I already made countless offers but you keep on refusing,” he rolled his eyes.

“Oppa, there’s time for everything. This is not yet the time,” she moved closer, clinging on to his arm as they stood by the shed to wait for a bus.

When they got inside the bus, Sooyoung let Meilin sleep on her to let Kris stretch his strained arms.

It was a slow ride since the driver is afraid of the slippery road. It took them more than the usual time to get home. On the way, Kris then lifts Meilin up to his room where the girl will be spending her night.

“Sooyoung,” he called her right before she can get outside his room.

“Stay with us, tonight,” he asked, making her stop.

With a smile, “I’ll change first then I’ll come over.”

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Kris woke up from the giggling sounds beside him. He groaned before opening his eyes to see Meilin and Sooyoung busy on the latter’s phone.

“And this is your Kris gege’s face when he had his birthday. And this one was when … “ and all sorts of information spilled from his wife’s mouth regarding pictures of him which made him wonder.

“You have a collection of my pictures?” he asked his wife.

“Ne, from my personal collection down to what the boys have,” she grinned.

“Good morning Kris gege!” Meilin smiled at him.

“Good morning too princess,” he pinched her nose.

By breakfast, Meilin proved to be very familiar with the twelve of them, especially the Chinese among the boys. They even conversed with her in Chinese and laughs even on the boys pointless bickering which actually surprised her.

“Is she that close to this eleven?” she asked Kris.

“Yeah, she practically grew up with us actually,” he replied.

“Really?” she exclaimed looking back at the girl who is now teaching Baekhyun some Chinese words.

By around ten, Sooyoung and Meilin are already wrapped up with a coat and a scarf with earmuffs to go outside to have their shopping time as what the former promised.

“Sooyoung, are you sure you do not want any of the boys with you?” Kris looked at her as she helps Meilin put on her winter boots.

“I am fine, we will be safe so don’t worry,” she assured and grabbed her bag, “I will just call you when we are done so you can pick us up,” then left on the open door.

Kris then turned to look at Lay who gave a nod, leaving the boys on the living room.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

“Would you want the pink or the lavender one?” Sooyoung had the two beanie hat on her hands.

“Can I have the black one?” she looked up at her which made the older one sigh.

‘This girl surely had a different sense of fashion,’ she thought as she reaches for the black one then proceeds on the next side of the boutique for a dress.

The sales lady approached them immediately, “What can I do for you ma’am?”

“I want a dress for my daughter,” she smiled as the lady starts on pointing on the dresses that they have for a little girl.

“Miss, do you have a dress like that for Sooyoung Unnie?” Meilin looked up at the sales lady.

The addressed lady looked at the little girl, not quite getting what she means.

“Do you have a dress for a mother and a daughter with the same design?” Sooyoung rephrased.

The sales lady gave an understanding nod and led them to the other side where there are dresses which come in pair for a mother and a daughter.

As expected, Meilin asked for the black ones. After paying up, they went to a restaurant for lunch.

While the little girl is eating, Sooyoung checked the bags and all of the stuffs are black.

“Meilin, why do you love black?” she asked the girl.

“Because it makes you look good. You look beautiful in black,” she replied resuming on her food.

Sooyoung was just able to sigh at her response, ‘I hope she is not gothic or an emo when she grows up,” she thought.

Their next stop is to buy gifts for the boys and it proved to be fast since she knows already what to buy for them. They had it wrapped already too so they can put it under the tree when they got home.

By four in the afternoon, the two started to get out the mall so they can leave. It was not hard to bring the bags since most of the wrapped gifts she bought for the boys are small which fits on a single bag. Meilin even helped her bring those which proved to be a very thoughtful idea. She had already called Kris and told him to pick them up on the nearest bus stop.

While they are on the way, Sooyoung had that uncanny feeling that someone is trailing them. She turned around only to see people getting on their way out the mall. She ignored it and walked on, following the little girl’s trail, telling her which way to go. To surprise whoever follows them, she turned her head to see three men in black who all made an attempt to camouflage themselves on the moving crowd. Her eyes widened in fear as she puts all the bags on her one hand, pulling Meilin on the other as she hastens her steps.

The three men in black are still following them even when they made a turn where there are already few people on the road. Her fear escalates as she quickens her step all the more as the little girl looks behind to see who those people are.

“Unnie, why are we rushing?” she asked the disoriented Sooyoung who is already trembling with fear.

“Someone’s trailing us,” she replied, still not slowing down despite the fact that she is already dragging the little girl but then Meilin did not even complained.

‘Where’s the freaking Chinese husband of mine,’ she thought, turning her head only to see those three still trailing her. Too busy on escaping and looking back on those three that she screamed when she came in contact into someone, dropping all she is holding.

A pair of arms pulled her, a hand covering with the very voice she wants to hear rings on her ears.

“Shh.. calm down! I’m here,” Kris pulled her in a hug to stop her from trembling in fear.

“Oppa, someone’s following us,” she hiccups, not able to look at him in the eyes.

Kris bent down to ask Meilin, “Are you okay?”

The little girl leaned to whisper something on him, “Your Grandmother’s bodyguards are the one following us.”

His eyes widened upon hearing the little girl’s whisper. Sometimes, her sharp photographic memory helps. He looks up to see tears cascading down Sooyoung’s face, her body still trembling.

“Get in the car and bring these on the backseat with you,” he instructed Meilin who immediately complied and moves on picking the bags before going on to the car parked a few feet away from them.

He stood up and wiped her tears, pulling her into a hug, hushing her as he tries to make her stop from trembling.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

She was not able to have her dinner since the fear and the crying distraught her much that she immediately fell asleep. He watched her sleeping figure when Xiumin stepped inside his room.

“You called for me?” he asked the tall one.

“Can you gather all the possible image of my grandmother’s registered bodyguards or anyone working under my grandparents? I need to confirm something,” he looked at Xiumin.

“I’ll try. Does it have to do with what happened earlier?” he asked again.

Kris just gave a nod which means he will not spill anymore details so Xiumin left the room.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

By around midnight, he walked back inside his room to see Meilin curled up beside Sooyoung. He need to double his effort in protecting her since he knows very well what can those two old one’s can do. They may kill or hire assassins to dispense whoever gets in their way. And if that target survives the threat, they will resort on destroying their victim emotionally and even mentally which all the more scared him.

The thought of losing her scared him. Seeing her peacefully sleeping made him wish to stop the time. But then everything needs to go on. He just needs to brace himself on whatever might happen. For the mean time, he needs to closely monitor her schedule and whereabouts. He sat on the bedside and reached to caress her face, tucking some hair behind her ear.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The holidays went on very well much to his relief even on New Year’s Eve. The house was packed with people close to them. There’s Sooyoung’s eight lovely best friends and even their boyfriends for those who have; Soojin’s seven employees; Baekhyun’s bestfriend with her fiancée which brought delight to the crowd when they saw Daehyun, Baekhyun and V talking to each other. Sooyoung’s parent’s and his parent’s were there too, even her grandparents’ and two cousins, Jinri and Minki. Kris’ grandmother is there too. Sooyoung was finally able to meet Luhan’s wife, Han Joo In, a famous photographer/model in Europe and even in Korea. Meilin was so happy to have Andy and Janine around, but then only Janine gets to her pace since both are all girls.

Kris smiled at Sooyoung as she pulls her on a kiss just right after everybody cheered, “HAPPY NEW YEAR!”