I was oblivious to this thing called "reality" and its utter lack of mercy.

♫

She found the situation she was in absolutely ridiculous. 21 years old with not a degree, no job and no income.

This was what she had to resort to for money.

Her dad used to tell her when she was a kid that no matter what happens, "Everything will be fine if you smile."

She used to believe him.

Used to.

Until the sweet playful days of warm sunlight and blueberry pancakes turned into living nightmares of endless arguments and shattered dinnerware, dark lonely nights spent hiding under her teddy blanket. A look of disgust, the last of what she remembered of her mother.

A packed luggage, a leave sealed with no goodbyes.


She tried smiling. She tried her very best, arching the corners of her lips high just like her dad said so. Maybe, just maybe everything will turn out fine.
 

But her mom never returned.

Her dad swallowed by misery, a dead man eight years ago leaving her to fend for herself.

Oh the irony. She had smiled, but the pain she remembered was raw and real, scratching at the deepest parts of her hearts, leaving a huge empty scar. She smiled but no prince charming came, no one to help her at her lowest point, nothing.

What a joke.
 

It was a chilly late December night in Seoul, the streets eerily empty with only the warm orange of street lamps. It wasn't just another night in December. It was Christmas Eve where everyone were celebrating this joyous day with their family and friends.

Well, there were exceptions of course.

Here in an affluent part of Seoul, Gangnam, rich kids party hard in the luxurious clubs that lined the street since 6 in the evening. And here she was, not a rich kid but stepping out of Artieme. Thick make up, dark smoky eyes and small red lips that blew out cold thin air. She was clad in a mini black dress and heels that proved to be way too difficult to walk in, yet she partied in all night. She had gotten what she wanted tonight and decided it's enough, although before 12.

" this." Being increasingly irritated by her six inch heels, she kicked them off in a single movement, almost losing her balance as her palm slammed loudly onto a nearby wall. The alcohol in her system was already showing its effects, her world a bright array of bizarre colours and blurred faces. She looked down at her clutched fingers, making sure the stack of bills amounting to 5 million won ($5000) were real before shoving them for safekeeping in her bra.

"Need help little miss?" a man stepped towards her with clear intentions.

Scanning the male in front of her from head to toe, she did not spot a single branded good.

"Oh darling, off."

Staggering, she pushed him aside and continued on her path. It was such a cold night and yet she was only in this thin piece of clothing. She stumbled into a nearby convenience store and got herself a steaming hot cup of coffee with much effort. By the time she plopped down heavily on the flimsy plastic chair outside, her heels were already thrown haphazardly on the table. Maybe the cold and the coffee would be enough to wake her up and get her home.
 

The rough dragging of the same flimsy white plastic chair she was sitting on interrupted her thoughts. A man had pulled a chair from the other table to hers, now seating across her with a stupid wide grin spread on his lips that she was itching to rip apart.

He reeked of alcohol.

"Can't bear to see a lonely lady on Christmas Eve, right?" the words rolled off his tongue, a small hiccup at the end of the sentence.

"I enjoy being alone." she stated plainly, sipping on her black coffee.

"But you see," he raised a hand, waving it side to side as he tried to point a finger at her, "no one enjoys being lonely."

It was then, she remembered. The first drop of white that landed on the tip his nose, melting almost instantaneously, leaving not a single trace. Then the second one, on his long eyelashes. She held out her palm, a snowflake landing in the middle before melting away.

It was snowing, the first snow that winter.

"Snow." she muttered softly.

The man seemed to have noticed her fascination with the snowflakes landing softly around them. Despite being very drunk, he could make out that the lady before him was a beauty Or maybe she wasn't, maybe it was the fact that he was dead drunk that made things around him appear magical on a lonely Christmas Eve. Maybe he should bring her back to his apartment. But no, he shook his head wildly, trying to dismiss his thoughts. He didn't have that sort of desires for her.

"They say if you make a wish on the first snow fall in winter, it'll come true."

She smirked at his ridiculous hearsay, "You believe in it?" 

She met eyes with the stranger. It was funny how she never noticed how beautiful he was, porcelain white skin with delicate features. His cheeks painted a deep pink and his thin red lips parted slightly breathing out mitsy cold air. The ever glint of mischievous in his chestnut brown eyes, though apparently very drunk.

He hiccuped again before breaking out into a grin, "No."

"That's total bull. If it's true I'd be a billionaire by now."

"You've tried it?" he broke out into fits of laughter, clutching his stomach. "You're crazy."

"Desperate times, desperate measures." she carefully sipped on her hot coffee.

"So, care to share with me why such a beautiful girl is drinking coffee in front of a convenience store, alone on a Christmas Eve?"

"Can't you tell?" she stood up, pointing to her attire and the heels on the table before sitting back down again and pointed to the direction of Artieme.

"Artieme?" the man slurred. Noticing her milky white skin showing off and the girl's repeated actions of rubbing her arms, he rashly took off his coat and wrapped it around her. It was cold and he needed the coat as well but he didn't know if it was his pride or to impress the girl that he did something he never once did. He was no gentleman, he was what girls called a selfish bastard who wanted but did not bother to undress or please the girl, the one who takes all the blanket and the one who kicks the girl out of his apartment after a steamy one night stand. He blamed it innerly on the fact that he was drunk and the girl before him was pretty, under the influence of alcohol.

"Thanks." she pulled the coat closer, taking the warmth it provided gladly.

"I go there all the time but I've never seen you."

"I go fortnightly."

"No wonder, I wouldn't have missed such a pretty lady. May I dare ask who are your parents?"

"Buried 6 feet underneath."

"Heir?"

"No."

"Then how did you get in Artieme?" the man banged the table with his palm drunkenly, "Commoners can't get in there, unless-"

It was true, Artieme or even the rest of the clubs in Gangnam had tight security control. Commoners like herself who wasn't a rich man's daughter or the heir to a massive amount of fortune wouldn't be able to get in, but not a commoner like her.
 

"I have my ways sweetie."

"Why would you want to get in there?"

Reaching into her bra, she pulled out a few bills before stuffing them back in securely. 

"Busy night," she said, seeing that the man in front of her was equally drunk, she thought it was no harm to spill her heart out. Especially on a lonely Christmas Eve. "Money to people the likes of you come easy. So easy that it doesn't hurt to spare commoners like me a few million wons a night that could last me a whole damn month."

She eyed the watch on the man waving to her temptingly. Roger Dubuis Millesime Double Flying Tourbillon, if she had that she wouldn't need to work for a good few years and spend her time flying around the world.

"Moneyyyyy?" he slurred, "I have loads of them. Take it."

He fished into his back pocket, patting around for a while before moving on to his front pocket. Bringing out an iPhone, he placed it on the table before realising his coat was on the lady instead of himself.

"Check the pockets." 

The lady amused only complied, only pulling out empty pockets as well.

"Oops," he laughed, scratching his head, "I don't have money."

She gave a small smile, feeling increasingly intrigued by the man's drunken actions. Maybe the reason why there wasn't any money on him was the fact that she had been one of those girls in the club that night, dancing around drunk strangers, letting them feel her up a little, leading them on and then whine about not having enough money to buy the latest branded bag on the cover of fashion magazines. She hated to admit that the male was a little cute and his child-like features were hard to miss. But the most important thing right now was none other than the fact that he was too drunk to play any dirty tricks of getting into her pants. His eyes wandered to the watch on his wrist. Pulling it off, he slammed it on the table. 

"Take it."

She raised an eyebrow, "I've got my fill for tonight." 

"I said take it." he reached over and shoved it in her hands.

"I have loads of money, so so so so so so much." he pouted, stretching his arms out as far as he can, "A watch is nothing."

Inside of her heart it was already bursting with fireworks. She hit a lottery tonight. Christmas might not be that bad. "Thanks."

"Next time." he pointed an index finger, "I'll give money to you."

"But," he added, eyes turning dark, "There's a catch."

"If is what you want then no. I don't do that sort of business." she brushed his finger away. She might be that kind of girl people stereotype her as, gold digger but she wouldn't betray herself to that extent.

"Fine." he pouted, bringing out his pinky. "Since you're pretty, I'll give it for free. Promise."

"I'm fine though."

"Pinky promise!" he pushed his pinky to her face. 

Yes the man was cute but enough was enough, "I said-"

"Now!" the man demanded, face red.

Seeing that there was no choice but to comply to his childish demands, she held out her pinky, curling it around his. 

The church bells rang softly from a distance on this lonely snowing Christmas Eve. Two fingers interlaced, a promise made to be broken because they both knew that behind this small promise of theirs was the fact that their paths will never intersect again.

He broke out into a soft giggle. "I guess, merry christmas?"

"Merry Christmas." she repeated softly.

"I'm Luhan."

"Haerin. Choi Haerin."

"Haerin..." his eyelids were drooping as his arms naturally folded to allow his head to rest on. "Beautiful name."

Their pinkies were still interlinked but the man had already fallen into a deep slumber.

Maybe, maybe it wasn't such a lonely christmas eve.

Luhan stared at the man, face filled with fine wrinkles before him. He blinked his eyes for a few times before raising his voice in annoyance.

"Who the hell are you? What do you want? Money? How much? Lend me a phone, I'll call Mr Kim. People these days..."

The man scoffed at him in disbelief, "Young man, if you're not leaving my store at this moment I swear," he raised his balled fist causing Luhan to flinch back by instinct.

"Wait where am I?" Luhan looked around him, slowly awakening from his dreams. He was in a neighbourhood he didn't recognise. The man before him rolled his eyes, "I'll give you 5 minutes to leave before I'm calling the police!" he shouted before slamming the door of the convenience store.

Luhan didn't remember what happened the night before, was it Christmas eve? He clearly remembered he was at Artieme. His nose tickled and he let out a great "Achoo!"

It was the chill on his bare arms that made him realise that his coat wasn't on him. His phone was on the table and his watch.

It was missing.

"What the hell happened." He tried to search in his brain for images of last night, but there was none. Maybe it was some girl he almost bed last night. 

"Forget it, I'll just get a new on-"

"Luhan!"

"Oh, Mr Kim!" Luhan waved lazily at the man pulling up in the black car. "You always know where to find me. I don't have to worry about being kidnappe-." The tone of his voice was raised at the end as he sneezed again.

"Stop calling me Mr Kim, geez you make me sound like I'm an old man." Jongdae rolled his eyes, opening the car door. "You caught a cold? Serves you right for sleeping out without even a damn coat. Get in the car, you have work to do."

"Can't you give me a break for once? It's Christmas, Jongdae. You need rest and I'm sick." Luhan rubbed his hands together pleadingly, "Please, just this once. Mhm?"

"No." Jongdae stated with finality. "If you want your credit cards deactivated, penthouse sold the-"

"Fine!" Luhan grumbled unhappily, not waiting for him to list down the consequences. "Just you wait til I become the CEO. I'll make sure you're the one working your off-" He sneezed again, face red.

"Aren't I already cleaning up all your mess?" Jongdae smirked, "Come on. You have to freshen up before going to the office."

"Yah Choi Haerin!"

"Choi Haerin!"

"Seoul's ugliest girl Choi Haerin!"

"PARK CHANYEOL'S WIFE TO BE CHOI HAER-"

"YAH PARK CHANYEOL! STOP SCREAMING MY NAME AT 8 IN THE MORNING ON WHAT? CHRISTMAS! REALLY WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?"

"Heh," the man was halted in his movements, hands still curled into a fist from knocking the door. Haerin's hands were on her hips demanding an explanation.

"I don't wish my door to break a second time, you know I can't even afford to pay my meals and I surely don't have enough to pay for a broken door."

"That's why I say you come and live with me." he invited himself into the small cozy two room apartment. The same one he had came to know these 8 years.

"Give me a break, it's Christmas." Haerin complained, squeezing some toothpaste and shoved it into .

"Of course that's not the reason I'm here. That's just a bonus." he fished into his pocket to bring out a mysterious black box. "A christmas present for you, Haerin."

"Merry Christmas."

There was an awkward  silence.

"Oh please, look at you." he rolled his eyes at Haerin's mouth full of foam.  "You're ruining the moment. Go and rinse your teeth before receiving your present."

Haerin's eyes widened with excitement as she ran to the sink and gurgled quickly before returning to the tall giant like a small puppy waiting for her treat.

"Open it up." Chanyeol pushed the box into Haerin's hands. "You better like it."

Her eager hands were quick to work and she opened the box to reveal a rose gold cartier love necklace.
 

"Oh my god." Haerin stared at Chanyeol in disbelief.

Not out of shock but annoyance, "You know I can't take this."

Chanyeol raised his hands in the air with an -I don't care- expression, "I gave it to you and it's yours now."
 

"I can't, it's too much." As much as Haerin appreciated Chanyeol's efforts, spending so much money on her was, such a waste. Yes, she was a gold digger. But Chanyeol was a friend, and she don't do that to friends. "And you know I'm incapable of buying you-"

A flash of last night's events ran through her mind.


"Yesterday I met this rich kid and you know what," she half ran to her room and came back with something glittering in her hands. "A ing Roger Dubuis watch! Let's go out today, I'll buy dinner!"

"I can buy you 10 of that if that's what you like Rin." Chanyeol slouched back onto the sofa, not the slightest amused by the watch gripped tightly in her fingers. He was rather, amused by the fact how charming Haerin was to even make a guy give up his Roger Dubuis for her. It must be a drunk kid, very drunk and high kid.
 

She sat back onto the sofa, weight sinking in. "And like I've always said I don't want to take things from you. You're doing me enough by letting me in Artieme all the time."

"Fine." Chanyeol knew he couldn't beat her with words, "Tonight's dinner in exchange for this necklace?"

"Deal."

"Park Chanyeol, just because I've got a Roger Dubuis in my hands now doesn't mean you can knock me off like that."

They were currently outside Seoul's highest restaurant - the one located on Namsan Tower. She knew just by the location and the posh restaurant exterior with fancy waiters lining the entrance that it was going to be one hell of a meal.

"But it's Christmas and the view from here is great," he gave her a small pleading smile before adding, "You know I'll never let you pay."

They quickly settled down by the window, ordering the Chef's special for the night.

"So beautiful."

"You remember the apartment building I told you about a month ago? That one I said the design was unique. There, that one beside the blue building." Haerin sighed as she pointed dreamily at the tall apartment building that could be seen clearly from their table. "I wonder how much it cost to live there."

"I can-"

Before Chanyeol could finish his words, he was cut off cleanly by Haerin. "No.

"Miss, your cured wild salmon. Sir, yours too." 

It was a dinner of small talks like how well Artieme is doing and what art piece Haerin is currently working on. They were comfortable, Chanyeol picking out the peas in her dish and Haerin wiping the sauce off the corner of his mouth. They laughed at the customer at Artieme who wanted to pick a fight with Chanyeol for accidentally pushing him in the crowd, only to be hauled out embarrassingly by the bouncers and cursed at the man who almost wanted to drag Haerin away yesterday night, if not for Chanyeol. That was when she called it a night.

"So, it's desserts already huh." he his lips, playing with his chocolate sundae which Haerin's sharp eyes caught, unfortunately.

She scooped a spoonful of her sundae and let it melt slowly in . "Spill the beans." She knew it like a habit, that's what Chanyeol always do when he was nervous and hiding something from her.

"Say it when I'm in a good mood. What did you do this time? Spoilt my TV? Accidentally threw away the painting I gave you?" she pondered for a moment of all the possible things a clumsy person like Chanyeol could do, "Got me another matchmaking date? Seriously, you don't wish for this sundae to end up on your head. S-"

"Jesus, I would kill than to do that again." It was a horrible nightmare for Chanyeol, a matchmaking session for Haerin which ended up with his friend getting kicked in the balls and Chanyeol splashed in the face with grapefruit juice. And of course, he never contacted that friend ever since out of guilt.

"So what is it this time?"

He sighed, knowing it's either now or never. He sipped some water to moisten his throat. "We've known each other for 8 years."

"Uh huh." Haerin nodded her head in agreement. 

Their meeting was one of a kind, a once in a life time, a now or never. They would never have met, never have talked, their paths never intersect if it wasn't for her father's death.

For Haerin, 8 years was a long time. She was only 13 but even at her age, she saw too much and knew too much of this cold harsh society. Her father's death, a funeral held. Of course, with no one to attend. Relatives? There were none. Friends? She didn't remember her desolated father had any. But a funeral had to be carried out in respect for the dead. It was where she met Chanyeol. He was as she recalled, a boy with bright eyes and elf ears. A cute chubby kid with frizzy hair, not fitting anywhere. A wrong room stepped in, only to end up being a beautiful mistake.

16 years old, Park Chanyeol, he had introduced himself, voice breaking. Haerin's first thought of this kid in front of her was that he was an oddball. But he was interesting, his positivity and the derp laugh he had that could have her laughing in the same solemn room where her father's funeral was held. But who cares? Haerin thought that funerals weren't held for the dead but for the living anyway. So they laughed and played, not for long because a worried Mrs Park rushed into the room to pick Chanyeol up, not leaving without a harsh chiding and a glare at small Haerin who knew nothing about untouchable elites.

That was where their story began.

For Chanyeol, 8 years wasn't a long time. At least not since the day he met her. A grandfather of his father's friend's cousin. Oh seriously, did he had to be dressed up in a suffocating suit and tie attending someone's grandfather's funeral that he didn't even know existed until that day? But he thanked himself for not putting up a fight with his mother and attended that boring funeral. And as he lingered the area, room after room, he finally stopped at an empty room. A lone girl sat before a man's picture. It wasn't the fact that the room was empty that he had stopped but the girl.

She wasn't crying or wailing. Nothing of those sort that could be heard down the corridors. The room was silent, almost serene. The little girl's face void of any emotions as she kneeled, spacing out. Chanyeol on that day, found himself a mission.To make that girl laugh. And he did. Not only did he managed to make her laugh, he managed to get her name. Haerin. Choi Haerin. 3 years younger than he was but did not have the decency to call him 'oppa' like the rest of the girls. But that could wait. He was more surprised when he got to know that it was her father's death anniversary, about to mutter a 'sorry' before Mrs Park barged into the room like a fuming bull, grabbing Chanyeol by the wrist and dragging him out.

That was where their story began.

"Rin, you know," he his lips again. "I think I'm ready."

"Ready for what?" she scooped up another spoonful of ice cream. "Inherit your dad's business?"

"Haerin?"

"I think you should too. You're already 24 and graduated with a PhD in Business Management."

"Haerin?"

"You don't have to worry too much, I'm sure you're capable. Just look at how well Artieme is doin-"

"Haerin!"

"What? I'm helping you analyse so you don't have to be so anxious ab-" a pained expression spread on her face as she held her breath. Grabbing the napkin, she spat out something in disgust.

"What did they put inside. Really, stones?" 

She folded the napkin, face already fuming in anger. "I need to call the manager."

"Rin."

"Park Chanyeol don't you dare stop me. They tried to kill me."

"Open up the napkin."

"Good idea." Haerin thought that they wouldn't have any excuses to deny their misdeed.

She unwrapped the napkin she folded in a rush and something tumbled out of the napkins, landing with a soft thud on the carpeted floor. Her breath stopped for a moment, eyes never leaving the shiny object.
 

With trembling hands, she lowered herself to pick up the glittering accessory. Her heart thundered as she silently prayed to the God she never believed in that all of this wasn't real.

Don't let this be real, she begged.

She held the diamond ring in her hands as if she was holding on to the weight of the world. Her gaze shifted to the man who was once sitting beside her, now knelt down on one knee.

"Haerin." Chanyeol repeated. His palms sweaty. Nervous was an understatement for the million of thoughts racing in him now. But just like their first meeting, it was a now or never.

"Will you marry me?"