Hyunjung stood warily, her eyes unsure where to land as she did so. A small part of her hoped that what she was doing would be worth it. She looked around the table and everyone continued to chat happily without them noticing she was already out of her seat.

“Where are you going?” Jungkook asked between bites of pizza.

“I’m just going to talk to someone.”

He stopped chewing and cocked his head. “Who?”

“Eunsook. Don’t worry, I’ll come back,” she reassured, and Jungkook nodded. He turned behind him to watch her slip away, her slowly weaving between the tables to get to the back.

A smile ghosted on his lips when she kept glancing back his way, and he signalled her to keep going. After she took a few steps more without turning round, he twisted his body back. Opposite the table, he found Taehyung staring forward past him, at what would seem like just a space, but Jungkook speculated that wasn’t the case.

Jungkook turned his head.

Hyunjung had now made it to Eunsook’s table.

He turned back forward, and Taehyung was still detached from the conversation at the table.

Jungkook was certain that he wasn’t staring off into nowhere. He was definitely watching something – or more specifically, someone.

Jungkook knew.  

Taehyung blinked and his eyes drifted until he met with the steady, neutral expression of Jungkook. As quick as it happened, Taehyung shifted his eyes elsewhere. He was indifferent, pretending not to notice him, and took another sip of cool water. Taehyung didn’t dare look back at where he was observing previously.

That would have been very stupid.

-

Hyunjung kept clasping then un-clasping her hands in front of her. Eunsook didn’t seem to have noticed her, and Hyunjung waited. But for what? She would be here forever if she didn’t do something soon. She cleared . “Hi, Eunsook.”

Eunsook looked up from her pizza, her back straightening like a ramrod when she saw Hyunjung dawdling beside her table.

“H—hello,” Eunsook managed to utter.

Hyunjung shifted a little closer. “Do you want to come sit with us? You can take your pizza with us if you want.” She mustered a small smile. Was that too straightforward? Probably. “Uh, what I meant was,” Hyunjung began again, “I just thought—wondered if you wanted someone you can sit with. Since pretty much everyone else here are with their friends. I mean, uh, if you want to, of course…”

Eunsook blinked. “I… I don’t know.” She flicked her eyes to where Hyunjung gestured too. “It doesn’t look like there’s enough room for me.”

“That’s fine, we’ll just make room.”

Eunsook looked down again.

“If you’re worried that they won’t want you there, I can assure you they will. I know they’re noisy, but they’re really good company to be around,” Hyunjung told her with an encouraging smile.

Eunsook pursed her lips in thought and kept looking over at Hyunjung’s table. Shortly after, she gave a quick nod. “Okay.”

The curve of Hyunjung’s smile deepened. She couldn’t think of the fitting words to say, because she honestly thought that Eunsook wouldn’t accept her invitation, so all she could do was to carry the plate her pizza was on to her table. Eunsook protested, “You don’t have to carry all those for me, they’re heavy!”

“It’s fine, really!” Hyunjung reassured, but Eunsook said otherwise.

“It’s okay, I’ll carry my plate,” she insisted in a quiet voice, taking the plate from Hyunjung’s hands.

Hyunjung blinked. “At least let me carry your drink. You can’t carry all your things by yourself.” Although reluctant, Eunsook at least let her do that, and followed closely behind Hyunjung to her table. It wasn’t until the moment Hyunjung cleared to catch their attention, when Eunsook suddenly wished she hadn’t accepted her offer.

Eunsook was not used to such a lively group of people, and she was perfectly happy where she was a few minutes ago – sort of.

“Eunsook’s coming to sit with us, if that’s okay,” Hyunjung told them. Eunsook couldn’t even gather the courage to bring her eyes up.

“Of course she can!” chirped one voice. Eunsook presumed it was Hoseok.

“I don’t see a problem with it,” another added.

“I told you they wouldn’t mind,” Hyunjung whispered to her with a gentle nudge which snapped her out of her daze. But she still couldn’t bring herself to meet up with the faces watching her. But she was fine with Hyunjung.

Jimin spoke up, “There’s not much room, but I’m sure we can somehow figure a way to make Eunsook fit.”

“We can put a chair on the end of the table,” Namjoon suggested.

Jin rose from his seat. “That’s a good idea, I’ll go get one.”

Hyunjung sent a smile over at Eunsook who tried her best to do the same, but it only came out as a twitch of the lips. Jin came back with a chair, and positioned it at the top end of the table which was closer to Hoseok and Jungkook. Hyunjung gestured to the seat for Eunsook, and moving timidly, Eunsook placed her plate on the table and sat down. “Oh, here’s your drink by the way,” Hyunjung said.

Eunsook nodded. “Thank you.”

“No problem.” For a few seconds, Hyunjung stood by her side, her heels rocking backwards and forwards and her hands clasped in front. It was plain obvious she didn’t know what to do. Jungkook, who was beside her, saw this and tugged her hand. This took her by surprise and she was easily pulled towards him and down to her seat. One corner of his lip quirked up. “Hey.”

Hyunjung turned her head to him. “Hello.” They exchanged a stare between them, and Jungkook inched just a little closer to her while she was still.

But the intentions he had in mind were foiled when a low gurgling resounded between them, and Jungkook blinked at her.

Hyunjung averted her eyes. “That’s—uh… I haven’t eaten yet, sorry.”

Jungkook began chuckling to himself, and Hyunjung looked up. He reached to the middle of the table to grab her a slice of pizza and put it on her plate. Shortly after, he reached over and put another one. Hyunjung eyed the pizza and looked at Jungkook who by then was engaged in conversation with Namjoon who was across them. Even now she still admired how natural conversation was to him. She wandered her eyes around the table and saw the rest were also conversing with each other, so she brought her gaze down to her pizza and began eating.

“—So that means you went to the same elementary and middle school, right?”

Jungkook wasn’t the only one who was natural in conversation. Hoseok was just as lively. She glanced over, and could see how hard he was trying to talk to Eunsook, but she looked intimidated even as she held her fork to eat her pizza with a tremulous hand. Hyunjung couldn’t fully blame her, Hoseok was at times, over-the-top. And for a quiet and timid girl like Eunsook, it was definitely something she would be scared of.

Taehyung who was next to Hoseok, appeared as if all his energy had drained. Hoseok had obviously been talking a lot.

“Who went to the same school?” Hyunjung piped in, taking a bite from her pizza.

A look of relief flashed on Hoseok’s face when she spoke; someone was finally talking to him. And even Eunsook seemed less tense at the sound of her voice.

“You know Jungkook, Jimin, Shinae and Jin? Eunsook went to the same elementary and middle school as them,” Hoseok told her.

Surprise showed on Hyunjung’s face, and she exchanged a short look with Eunsook who cowered her head. “Really?”

Eunsook nodded briskly. “W-We didn’t talk to each other though. So I barely know them even after all these years.”

“Pardon?” Hoseok said, not intending to be rude, but Eunsook’s voice was so gentle that he didn’t catch what she said.

Hyunjung spotted the small rise of Eunsook’s chest. She must have been used to people asking her to repeat. Eunsook opened , but Hyunjung interrupted her before any words could escape –

“Yes she did, but she wasn’t close with them.”

Eunsook stared at her, but then shied her eyes away again. Hoseok nodded. “Oh, I see. Okay…” He paused. “So Taehyung –”

Hearing his name (or more so Hoseok’s voice), Taehyung sighed and closed his eyes, slouching against the backrest of his seat, which Hoseok didn’t take any notice of. He just continued to babble on whatever he wanted to say. But Taehyung paid little attention, and Hoseok seemed more like he was talking to himself than to Taehyung. And the odd thing was that he did not look unhappy, at all. And Taehyung had thought Jimin was overly positive and talkative. Hoseok was a whole different level.

Why did I even listen to Hyunjung and come to the damn—

A small laugh slipped from someone, and Taehyung peeked through half-lidded eyelids, and saw Hyunjung watching him with a hand covering to suppress her laughter. She was doing a pretty good job hiding it, but Taehyung noticed.

He couldn’t help it. He turned his head as both corners of his lips tugged upwards.

“—and that is why I never eat tangerines when I go to Jeju,” Hoseok finished with a triumphant glint in his eyes.

This time it was Eunsook who looked drained. She was the only one out of the three who was paying attention to Hoseok’s story.

“Thanks for that, Hoseok,” Taehyung said with little emotion.

Hoseok beamed. “No need for thanks!”

Taehyung sighed and observed Hyunjung who was smiling, to the point her eyes arched – the way they usually did. But even so, Taehyung never seemed to get tired of her smile. And he hoped there wouldn’t be a reason for her to stop.

He began to think going to the party wasn’t a bad idea after all.

-

Minutes, hours passed by so quickly.

They talked, exchanged so much conversation that there were moments when they had run out of things to talk about.

But it was fun. Hyunjung’s experience this year was definitely different to last year. And even if Eunsook barely talked or joined in, Hyunjung even managed to crack a smile from Eunsook at some point. It was a shame she had to leave so soon. But Hyunjung was glad she managed to talk to Eunsook, and gave her one of the chocolates she brought with her as a gift. Eunsook had blinked at her – surprised that Hyunjung even thought of her. But Hyunjung insisted she take the chocolate, which Eunsook had finally complied to, and wished a merry Christmas to her when she had to go.

Hyunjung hoped that she had sparked the beginning of a friendship between them, but she would have to wait and see.

As her classmates began to go one by one, the previously animate atmosphere began to calm. Namjoon had left only a few minutes ago, along with Hoseok and Jin – Hyunjung also gave her gifts to them too. She also received something from them in return, and she put them in her bag as soon as possible, just in case she’d forget and leave them.

She wasn’t sure what time it would be until she had to go as Jungkook’s dad was going to drop her off back to her house. She didn’t mind staying a little longer though.

“It’s so much quieter now that Hoseok’s gone home,” Yoongi commented while drinking the last of his coffee.

Taehyung sighed, murmuring, “You got that right.”

Yoongi chuckled in return. “But I feel so tired out now.”

“Same,” Jimin piped in. “I feel so bloated too.”

Jungkook laughed at him. “You didn’t even eat that much.”

Jimin shrugged. “Barely matters now, and also, you—uh, Hyunjung?”

Jungkook, Taehyung and Yoongi turned their heads to her. She was resting the weight of her head on her hand with her elbow propped on the table, her eyelids drooping.

“Are you okay?” Jungkook asked when she turned her eyes to him. “Are you tired?” He rubbed her back soothingly, and she nodded tiredly.

“My dad will be here soon, don’t worry.” He put an arm around her and pulled her body close to his so she could rest her head on his shoulder.

Yoongi’s lips curved. “I guess we’re all tired. But on the bright side, no more school till February.”

“I know right,” Jimin agreed with a grin, “There are some faces which I am so glad I won’t see for the next few months.”

“What if you see Mr. Song in the supermarket?”

“Taehyung, don’t rain on my parade.” Jimin was all positivity and watching him made Taehyung all the more exhausted. Jimin sighed in content and leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms up.

His grin suddenly fell, and he turned sharply behind him, his face scrunching up. “I thought you already went home.”

“Hi, Hyunjung,” Shinae chirped, and then waved to Jungkook, Yoongi and Taehyung.

“Hey, don’t ignore me.”

She put a plate with a slice of pizza in front of him, and sat down next to him without invitation. Jimin eyed the pizza and then back at her. “What?”

She pushed it closer to him. “I’m full, I don’t want it.”

Jimin pushed it back to her. “I don’t want it either.”

Shinae pushed it back.

Jimin did the same, but Shinae just pushed it back to him.

Jimin huffed and met his eyes with hers. “I said I don’t want it.”

“Annnnd now it begins,” Yoongi muttered as the others watched. Hyunjung kept her head on Jungkook’s shoulder, but she didn’t feel as tired anymore. Not while Jimin and Shinae were here.

“—For fu—did you just put paprika in my drink? I can’t believe you!” Jimin complained, snatching the spice jar from her hand.

The others looked at Shinae.

“I’m being nice and giving you food!”

Their eyes darted back at Jimin who stared at her. “You just put paprika in my drink. Who knows what you did to that pizza!”

“I didn’t do anything!” she shot back, clearly offended.

“Then why are you trying so hard to make me eat it?”

“You didn’t eat anything throughout the whole party.”

“Yes I did!” Jimin expostulated.

She glowered. “Yeah… Like, two slices of pizza! Your stomach is practically empty!”

“No, it’s not.”

“Yes, it is.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“Yes.”

“N—”

“Just eat the goddamn pizza,” Yoongi interjected, his voice flat.

“But—”

“Jimin.”

He huffed, pulling the plate towards him. “Fine! Alright!” He glared at Shinae. “Happy?”

“I am now.”

Jimin shared a look with Hyunjung as he took another bite of pizza. “See what I have to deal with?” he said, cocking his head towards Shinae.

“You two have known each other for ages,” Hyunjung commented. Even if they did quarrel over the most pathetic things, Hyunjung saw that the bond they shared was much more than that.

“Pfft, what? I’ve only known her since yesterday,” he joked, earning a nudge from the elbow by Shinae.

“You’re an .”

“So are you.”

“How are you, Hyunjung?” Shinae suddenly said, and Jimin rolled his eyes.

Hyunjung blinked. “I-I’m fine? I guess?”

Shinae smiled. “That’s good.”

Yoongi looked up from his phone and rose from his seat, picking up with him his coat which was draped over his chair. “My mom’s car is here. She said your dad’s here too,” he told Jungkook.

Jungkook checked the time on his phone. 19:27. “Ah, okay.”

Hyunjung lifted her head from his shoulder and stood up along with him, also taking her bag. Jungkook grabbed her coat before she could, and helped her put it on before wearing his own.

“I guess we’ll see you guys around?” Jimin said.

Shinae nodded. “Yeah, let’s all meet up sometime.”

Jungkook gave them a thumbs up. “Sure thing.” He turned to Hyunjung and put a hand on the low of her back. “Got everything?”

“I think so.”

“Let’s go?” He looked at both Yoongi and Hyunjung. They nodded.

Yoongi walked a little ahead of them while Jungkook led Hyunjung to the door, and she turned around last minute to wave. Not just to Taehyung, Jimin and Shinae, but her other classmates who were left. “Bye! Merry Christmas!”

“Merry Christmas!” they returned. Jungkook also gave them a final wave along with Yoongi.

“See you, guys,” Jungkook slipped in the last second.

The door shut.

And previous chat resumed.

Jimin finished the last of the pizza (but with Shinae still there, he didn’t have much of a choice). He leaned back in his chair. “Looks like it’s just us. When are you getting picked up, Taehyung?”

“I went here by bus, so it’ll probably come by soon,” he replied.

Shinae’s eyes narrowed at Jimin, and his face remained neutral. “What?”

“You have something on your face,” she pointed out and reached a hand to wipe his cheek.

“Is it gone?” Jimin touched where her hand was and then looked to see if there were any more stains.

She checked again and then shrugged. “Pretty much.”

“Thanks.”

“Oh wait –”

“OUCH! Stop pinching my face you crazy woman!” Jimin rubbed his cheek, sending a glare Shinae’s way. “It really hurts.”

“This is my cup of care,” she said, placing a cup in front of him. Taehyung glanced at Jimin to see what he would do.

Jimin looked down at it. “But it’s empty.”

“Exactly.”

“You are seriously –”

Cold air hit them as the door burst open, revealing Hyunjung – her cheeks red and her chest heaving up and down as if she just ran. “I—I—forgot—to—” she took a deep breath “—give you your presents!” She hurried over to them before any could stand up to get to her, and took them out. “Good thing Yoongi walked with us. It reminded me I hadn’t given him his present. This is for Jimin, and this one is for Shinae. Your cards are inside.”

“Thanks, Hyunjung.” Jimin smiled which made his eyes arch, and Hyunjung wanted to flush in happiness.

Shinae stood to take her into a hug. “You didn’t have to get us anything.”

“But I wanted to.” Hyunjung stayed a little more in her embrace, and later felt someone else press against her back, their arms around her waist to join the hug.

“Aw, is Jiminnie jealous? Too bad Hyunjung’s already taken,” Shinae teased with a laugh.

He rolled his eyes. “Hyunjung’s my friend too.”

“Yeah?” Shinae’s lips curled. “Well, what Jungkook doesn’t know is that me and Hyunjung are having a secret affair.”

“Huh?” Hyunjung had to think twice and Jimin snorted at her response.

Shinae laughed and patted her head. “I’m just kidding, girlie.”

Hyunjung looked over Shinae’s shoulder and met eyes with Taehyung who observed them in silence. Jimin and Shinae let her go, and Hyunjung made her way to Taehyung with the most exasperatingly biggest smile he had ever seen on her.

Okay, maybe that was an exaggeration.

But either way, she was smiling.

And she was smiling at him.

She took something out of her bag, and held it out to him. “I didn’t forget you.”

He stared at it for a while and she held it closer to him. It was wrapped neatly, and he had to admit he was surprised. He shared a look with her, before taking it. “Thanks,” he said, and stared down at it a little more. He didn't actually think she'd get anything for him. 

“I didn’t really know what to get you at first, but when I went shopping and saw it, I thought of you.” She shrugged. “Don’t ask why. It just did.”

Jimin and Shinae had already sat down and were watching the two. They were actually surprised he hadn’t said much. Usually he’d have some smartass comment to slip in, but he just stood there. With the gift held securely in his hands and a distant look in his eyes which meant that he didn’t know what to say. Which was weird even for Taehyung. He always had something to say.

Approximately 76% of the time at least. 

This situation fell into the remaining 24%.

Hyunjung stood opposite him, her arms swinging backwards and forwards, her gaze down to the floor. She later cleared and looked up at him with a sheepish smile. “Uh, can I… give you a hug?”

For a split second, he was left dumbfounded—his head blank—from her request.

Awkwardly, Hyunjung held her arms out a little, and before Taehyung could instinctively push her away or say anything – she went forward and wrapped her arms around him.

At first, he didn’t do anything. Didn’t react. He just stood stone-still. He had expected himself to push her away, but he didn’t, and he felt Hyunjung’s body relax when he returned the hug.

She pulled away.

The hug was short, about five or seven seconds at most, but it certainly felt longer.

“Jungkook’s waiting, I should probably go now.”

“See you,” Jimin said as she made her way towards the door.

Hyunjung opened it, and turned to wave for the last time. “Bye!”

They waved back as the door closed.

Taehyung looked down at the gift. 

What had just happened?

The car journey was a quiet one, as both were tired, but Jungkook at some point had slid his hand in hers, and Hyunjung was afraid that he would be able to hear how fast the rate of her heart was beating.

When they arrived and his dad had parked the car, Jungkook insisted on walking Hyunjung back to her front door, despite her assurances that she would be fine on her own.

Her hand was secure in his, and he swung them backwards and forwards as they approached nearer. It was dark by now, so all the street lamps were on.

Hyunjung took the keys from her pocket and unlocked the door. She turned around to face Jungkook, and both spent a moment looking at each other. The glowing light from the lamps flitted across his skin, showing the outline of his smile, and Hyunjung leaned forward to loop her arms around him. “Goodnight.”

Jungkook placed his hand at the low of her back to bring her closer. “Goodnight,” he whispered, and brushed his lips against her cheeks. “Merry Christmas.”

Hyunjung smiled. “You too.”

Jungkook tilted her chin, and kissed her. And he could feel how cold her lips were.

Jungkook stayed, only leaving until she closed the door.

He treaded back to his dad’s car, his hands in his pockets and his breath escaping in puffs. He opened the door of the car and sat in the front seat, then putting his seat belt on as soon as he closed the door.

Jungkook’s dad started the engine. “Hyunjung’s a nice girl,” he said, looking over at his son who had his head resting against the window panel.

Jungkook smiled to himself. “She is.”

December 2015

Hey Taehyung, what do you call a frozen elf hanging from the ceiling?

An elfcicle!

Did you like my joke? :D

You better be laughing right now because that was hilarious.

You don’t smile or laugh much, at least in front of others, but I hope to see you genuinely smile someday. Think and say what you want, you can even taunt me all you want, but I’m not losing hope… so don’t even think about underestimating me.

The scarf is to warm your cold heart. If you don’t wear it, I can guarantee you will also become an elf-cicle.

So merry Christmas!

Love from,

Hyunjung