Joohyun’s crimson scarf curled around her neck tightly, though it was doing a poor job of shielding her from the sharp and cold winter air. Her cheeks and the tip of her nose were tinged pink and going numb as she trudged through the crowded parking lot to the front of the mall. Joohyun absolutely loved Christmas, she loved the food, the merriment, the good company, and the satisfaction of getting a thoughtful gift for the people she loved. What she hated was braving the holiday foot traffic to find said gifts.

She exhaled and peeled off her gloves as the warmth of the building engulfed her. The mall was packed, moreso than Irene had originally anticipated.

“Excuse me…” she breathed out, smiling widely at the mother with a small child in tow, the latter of the two booking it for the toy store.

She took out her list from her bag, and scanned through the names as she paced rather slowly through the mall.

Yeri, Seulgi, Joy… she reads, squinting at the scribble at the bottom of the list, written in different handwriting, which read: And Haetnimmie too~ . Irene sighed, rolling her eyes and making a note to herself to tell Joy to stop rifling through her stuff, and to grab a toy for Haetnim on the way out as well.

Irene kept walking, looking around at the stores she could stop in, but in her holiday crazed stupor, tripped on an exposed electrical cord outside of an extravagantly decorated storefront.

“Ah ..” She grumbled, shooting a glare at the cable and the rather short employee running out of one of the store to help her.

“Ma’am! Oh my gosh are you-”

“Do I look like a ma’am to you?” Irene cuts her off as the girl helps her up from the floor. Irene can’t help but notice how tightly the girl is gripping her wrist, as if she was genuinely worried, and not just because her was on the line.

She’s shorter than Irene originally anticipated, and her kind expression immediately clouded with guilt after hearing Irene’s comment. The woman looked ridiculous. Not only was she in a santa suit onesie, but she had a matching hat and a necklace adorned with jingle bells. If one person liked Christmas more than Joohyun, it was this girl.

“Oh no. I-I I’m sorry I didn’t mean to insinuate anything I’m just told by my superiors that-” the girl rambled on hurriedly, only stopping when she noticed the grin spreading on Irene’s face.

“Did you hit your head?” she continues, to which Irene laughs.

“I was teasing you, Mrs. Claus. Do you have a first name?”

“Oh.. It’s Wendy. Sorry I couldn’t keep up, I just got scared when I saw you fall. Are you sure you’re okay? Oh and what’s your name?”

“Irene. And I’d be better with a hot chocolate.” Irene quips, her eyes narrowing at the implication playfully.

“Oh well the cafe over there-” Wendy points somewhere down the corridor of the mall, “has the BEST hot cocoa, especially cause they make their own whipped cream!” Wendy smiles brightly.

Irene giggles. “Do I have to be even more obtuse?”

Wendy tilts her head and her eyebrows furrow. “Please?”

“You. Me. Hot Chocolate, right now.”

“OH!” Wendy’s cheeks burn bright red. “Let me see if I can get a break. I’ll be right back.”

Irene stands outside of the store patiently scrolling through her text messages until she hears hurried footsteps and the consequent jingling of bells on Wendy’s necklace.

“Good news! Boss let me off early so…”

“So let’s go then?” Irene finishes with a smile.

…

It’s been a few hours and the hot chocolate has long since run dry, but Wendy and Irene are still seated within the warm and inviting cafe that Wendy recommended. A comfortable silence has settled, and Wendy stops swirling around the last drops of her hot chocolate to look up at Irene.

“Was this a date?” She blurts out.

Irene laughs at Wendy’s sudden bravery. “Of course it was.”

Wendy’s relief can be seen in her slight smirk. “But was it the first of many?” she retorts.

Irene pauses and takes a moment to mull it over, in attempt to hide the instant answer that threatened to spill from her lips. “I think so.”

Wendy and Irene grin accordingly, and Irene stands up from her chair.

“Well I’m sorry to cut this short but I actually have to finish shopping for my friends, and one of their dogs, actually.” Irene says, extending her hand out to Wendy, who stood up as well. “Care to join me?”

Wendy nodded and took Irene’s hand in hers, interlacing their fingers. Irene squeezes Wendy’s larger hand in hers, thankful for the warmth and for the companionship.

Wendy and Irene made a tradition of getting hot cocoa and gift shopping every Christmas for years after, and each year was more crowded than the next. Eventually Irene and Wendy’s friends joined, and then later Seungwan and Joohyun’s kids tagged along too. No one ever believed that Irene literally fell for Wendy, but all that mattered was that the hot chocolate  somehow got better every year, and that Irene got to celebrate every coming Christmas with the love of her life by her side.