Jongin gets off work at exactly 10pm, wishes his boss a ‘Merry Christmas’ to which Tao responds with a simple nod, and walks down to the tube line that will take him home. He takes his time walking the hallways, admiring the new ad posters for London Air Travel. Gorgeous landscapes from Barcelona, Rome, Paris, India, Sydney. Jongin still dreams of visiting those places and taking his own pictures. One day is what he always says.

Jongin smiles sadly and moves away from the posters. The platform is completely empty except for a group of young men laughing and being boisterous. There’s also a handsome stranger with a long navy coat and jet-black hair pushed back over his wide ears. Jongin does a double take once the information registers in his brain. It’s his handsome stranger. Chanyeol.

Christmas is turning out to be a day full of surprises.

It’s surreal seeing Chanyeol somewhere else other than across the counter at the booth. Suddenly meeting and talking to him seems more real than ever, and Jongin’s palms start to sweat.

Sehun’s annoying voice invades his thoughts, reminding him how he will get nowhere if he doesn’t speak up. And Jongin thinks, “What the hell.” It’s Christmas, miracles can happen—or so he’s seen in movies—his chance to talk is now or never.

Hiking his messenger bag higher on his shoulder, Jongin takes a deep breath, hoping to calm his nerves, and starts walking. The platform is like an unending backstage corridor and he hopes his courage lasts long enough for him to get on stage in time for his cue. But before he can get to his travel prince and sweep him off his feet with a y hello, the group of noisy guys approaches Chanyeol.

Jongin slows down his pace. Avoiding conflict is a rule he’s always lived by,