Of Traditions and Secret Santas

I Don't Feel Like Going Home Now...

 "Happiness! Hello, we are Red Velvet!" The group chorused, before glancing to Wendy to introduce the rest.

"And today we are making Christmas gifts," she held up a pack of coloured card and posed, making the rest of the group chuckle. "You guys voted for your top five gifts to make and we are going to attempt them today..." 

She held up the box full of slips of paper and passed it to Yeri at the other end of the semi-circle.

"Tree decoration!" She announced, her hands grabbing the basket full of supplies for that particular activity. 

Wendy impatiently moved the box to Joy - who took her sweet time picking her paper.

"Biscuit decorating..." Irene let out a breathy laugh at Seulgi's disappointment beside her, pretending to ignore Wendy's quiet sigh of relief that she wouldn't have the food activity.

"Seulgi! Come on stop sulking..." Wendy complained when Seulgi pouted, reluctantly picking out a piece of paper and opening it with an indignant face.

"Snow globes," she said, sounding a little perkier. Irene reached her hand into the box and picked the folded paper to the right of her, opening it up with a smile.

"Card decorating," Irene let a grin spread across her face when Seulgi grabbed her basket too, refusing to give it her straight away. She was so difficult.

"And best till last..." Wendy teased, thankfully taking the cameras off of Irene and Seulgi as she opened her paper. "Making a phone case..."

-

The girls got started straight away, Joy was carefully icing all five biscuits, Wendy was glueing her hands together and Yeri was sprinkling glitter.

Next to her, Irene could sense Seulgi's thoughts, what was she planning? 

Her hands kept pausing as they drifted towards the decorations in her basket until suddenly Irene felt a brush against her skin.

"Seulgi!" She squealed, trying to rub the glue off of her hands before it dried. "You'll make me sticky..." She complained quietly, shifting closer to Wendy and continuing with her painting on the card. 

Seulgi reached over again, delicately drawing an 's' with her brush on Irene's hand.

"You're impossible," Irene muttered.

"Hmm...?" Wendy looked up, clearing not listening to what was conspiring between Irene and Seulgi.

"Nothing, don't worry," Seulgi assured her, a smirk threatening to break across her face. Irene shot her a playful glare, she was a child sometimes.

"Irene-unnie." Irene cringed at the name but smiled politely when Seulgi handed her the finished snowglobe. "I made it an ice rink see? Because you said that when you were younger, you loved to skate because you felt the freest as you've ever felt..." A little blush spread across Seulgi's face when she revealed that.

"Thank you," Irene said, admiring the miniature girl in the snowglobe, who had her arms stretched out and one foot in the air as if waiting to push down on it. 

Seulgi handed the rest out and Irene placed her snowglobe carefully on the table.

When it came to her turn, she handed out Wendy's card first, then Yeri and Joy's. Seulgi let out a sincere smile when she got hers because she had painted her favourite place.

They had visited once when they first got famous, Seulgi had told her so much about the street from her childhood that Irene almost felt like she was there with her. The meaning went unsaid but Seulgi looked happy all the same.

-

"That was fun!" Yeri said after the shoot. "When are we doing our secret Santa?" Wendy let out a chuckle.

"You're so excitable," She mimicked Yeri's voice for a minute, before looking towards Irene. "When should we do it?"

"Let's head back to the dorm and do it while we wait for lunch," Irene suggested, grabbing her coat from the rack as they left the building.

Outside was mildly warm for December and Irene decided it was easier to hold her coat than to bother putting it on - the van was only up to the street after all. 

"Who's turn is to take the front?" Joy asked cautiously.

"You can have it," Irene shrugged. "You need to rest more, you look tired." Joy gave a thankful smile and stepped up the pace towards the van.

-

"Thank you for my card," Seulgi said when she passed Irene a blanket and sat down on her seat. "It was pretty, and I didn't know you could paint."

"I'm not very good at it," Irene chuckled, sitting on the seat next to Seulgi. "Thank you for my snow globe, it was cute." Seulgi lets a grin spread across her face.

"What are you doing this Christmas?" Seulgi asks, messing with the frayed fabric of the blanket absentmindedly.

"My parents and I always head out and get dinner, and we listen to Christmas music and make dances and perform plays," Irene replies, smiling at the memory. "They are in England currently, they took a trip for their anniversary..."

"That sounds sweet." Seulgi lets out a sigh. "We don't really celebrate it that much, it's more of a couples holiday and since I can't really date..." Irene patted her shoulder comfortingly.

"You've got me, and this group. We will be your significant other," she teases. "Now what should we order in for lunch?"

The drive to the dorm was filled with mindless chatter. Irene carefully woke Joy up as they approached, smiling when she mumbled 'five more minutes' almost incoherently.

"Thank you," Irene nodded to the driver as she left the van, the phrase was repeated as each member exited and they got to the dorm with rumbling tummies.

-

After ordering their pizza, they each wrote their names on a piece of card and placed it into the bowl. Irene handed it to each member until only one name was left. She held her paper, unfolding it and taking a peek. She had gotten Wendy.

"Who have you got?" Yeri asked as Wendy ordered them a pizza.

"That defeats the purpose." Irene laughed as Yeri huffed, going up to Joy and presumably asking the same question. Irene shook her head with fondness.

The pizza arrived with a few kind jokes about how they wouldn't kill him and keep his shirt for a trophy, then it was all for one as they fought over each slice.

"That's mine!" Yeri reached out to steal the last of the cheese pizza off of Seulgi. She resisted by holding the piece high above her head.

"You can have mine," Wendy gestured to the slice on her plate. 

Irene pretended she was not counting how much Wendy ate. Irene was the leader, after all, she should make sure her members were eating enough.

"Thank you!" Yeri took the slice, happily taking a bite.

"Have some of this Wendy," 

Irene subtly forced her spare slice onto Wendy's plate. 

"You have only had one and a half, we have dance and you will need your energy." She justified.

Wendy looked uncomfortable, but Seulgi moved the conversation on to ease her.

"What kind of things do you do at Christmas?" Yeri's eyes lit up.

"Our family like to see all of the lights!" She exclaimed. "They decorate this big tree and we watch it get every year. And we always get pyjamas as well as our gift on Christmas Eve because we always watch a Christmas movie..." She trailed off, smiling as if remembering the best moments of her life.

"We don't really celebrate," Joy said. "We send out cards to our family and visit the Church and that's really it."

"Us too," Seulgi agreed.

"It's different in Canada," Wendy joined in. "We prepare really early, in like November. And we open our presents on Christmas day." She let out a chuckle. "When I first came to Korea, I was shocked to see how little people celebrated. And when all the trainees started opening a gift on Christmas Eve I got really confused." The group let out a laugh. "We also get a lot of gifts, but here I notice you tend to get only a few. And Santa only wears red." Wendy blushed a little. "I yelled at a Santa when he wore that weird hat and was dressed in blue, he handed me a sweet and I kind of shouted 'what are you?' really loudly, my friends were mortified." 

Irene let out a laugh.

"Oh, Wendy..." Seulgi sighed. "I'm going to miss you guys when we all leave to visit our families..." Irene touched her knee in a sympathetic gesture.

"Make sure you all rest up and have a wonderful holiday though." She added. "You've all earned it."

"Merry Christmas." Joy nodded to each member. Each returned it with a genuine smile.

It would be a merry Christmas indeed.  

-

Hello! Welcome to my advent calendar. Each day (hopefully) I will update you with a new chapter of this story. This is my first ever Seulrene story so please give me support and criticism. Without further ado, enjoy the rest of the week!

 

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Comments

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cjmoo_ #1
Chapter 7: Hmm I'm sure they'll find out one way or another~
I find the pace of the story a little slow, but I guess it's okay since you explore quite a lot in every chapter.
cjmoo_ #2
Chapter 1: 'The pizza arrived with a few kind jokes about how they wouldn't kill him and keep his shirt for a trophy' - ahaha
leave_me_alone
#3
Chapter 7: Man, Seulgi must feel terrible
Kn245087
#4
Chapter 6: Even if it's no longer Christmas, solution 3 is best.
jasonds #5
Chapter 6: solution 3 please
taenyeverywhere
#6
Chapter 6: Solution 3
leave_me_alone
#7
Chapter 6: Solution three, just so it's not unfinished.
Wiertarka
#8
Chapter 6: I would like 3
leave_me_alone
#9
Chapter 5: I can't believe you thought about killing Wendy you monster