(A/N: I included Jong-Hyun as memories of Taemin's past in this chapter...it's quite sad so apologies for that)

They were almost at their destination.

Taemin had asked Naeun to input her address on his phone before he convinced her to sleep for the remaining journey; she looked extremely exhausted. Luckily for Taemin, he had a cup of espresso before they left the hotel, so he was fully awake to drive a two-hour long ride.

When he parked the car outside Naeun's house, Taemin nudged her awake, "We're here". She fluttered her eyes open, letting out a yawn as she stretched her arms. It was one minute to midnight when they stood at the front door. Naeun turned to Taemin, "Before we go in, just know that my mom and sister can be a little embarrassing and would probably ask you a TON of questions, especially my sister, since you came with me in an expensive-looking car and your outfit is pretty obvious that they're all expensive brands, so if she asks you about them and assumes things before you even try to get a word out..."

Taemin chuckled at her. Was she always this chattery when she talked about her family? She kept going until Taemin interrupted her, "I'd be happy to answer whatever questions they ask". Naeun blushed, realizing that she had chattered herself away. She checked her phone again; it was time.

Ding-Dong!

The door opened.

"MERRY CHRISTMAS, MOM!!" Naeun squealed as she gave her a big bear hug. Mommy Son was in shock for a few seconds before she hugged her beloved daughter back.

"What are you doing here? You weren't supposed to come back until tomorrow!" she exclaimed. She turned to Taemin.

"My, who is this young man?"

Taemin quickly did a ninety-degree bow to her before introducing himself.

"Who is it, mom?" another voice behind them said.

"Saeeun-ah!" Naeun shouted. A girl slightly shorter than Naeun with a bob haircut appeared across the hallway.

"Unnie!!" she squealed, "What are you doing here? I thought..." her eyes gazed at the dashing man behind her sister. Her eyes beamed, "Who are you?" she asked with such interest, her mother gave her a smack on her arm.

"Where are your manners, young lady?"

Saeeun rubbed her arm before bowing at Taemin who bowed to her in return.

Mommy Son quickly urged them to come inside to avoid the cold Christmas night. As Saeeun prepared a bowl of grapes and cherries, Naeun got her gift out and gave it to her mother.

"Oh, Naeun you didn't have to," her mother said as she stared at her unwrapped gift. It was a beautiful coffee mug that had the drawings of the town lights with the word, 'Starlight' engraved on it.

Saeeun had always complained about getting a new bullet journal for the New Year so that was exactly what Naeun bought for her little sister - a thick, leathery blank journal with a personalized bookmark that spelled her name. Saeeun hugged her sister in thanks. As she let go of Naeun, Saeeun's sharp eyes caught Taemin's scarf around her sister's neck.

"Where did you get that?!"

Naeun's hand reached to the scarf, "Oh, this isn't mine. I borrowed it from him," pointing at Taemin who smiled sheepishly. Saeeun's glanced between the two before taking a full scan at Taemin as if her eyes were metal detectors.

Smack!

Another whip from Mommy Son to poor Saeeun.

"Mom!" she whined, rubbing her now aching arm.

"Manners, Son Saeeun! It is rude to stare at someone!" she hissed at her youngest daughter.

"That's alright," Taemin said, "I'm used to getting..."

"Are you rich?" Saeeun suddenly blurted, "How'd you meet my sister? Wait, why are you two even here; don't you all have curfews? How'd you guys even get here?" and then the question that Taemin should have seen coming, but did not prepare for, "ARE YOU TWO DATING?!"

Lord save me, Naeun silently prayed.

"Okay, that's it, young lady," hissed Mommy Son, dragging Saeeun away from the dining table, "Up to your room now, come one, it's past your bedtime already".

Saeeun whined in protest, "But it's Christmas!!"

The two continued squabbling until Saeeun was pushed into her room.

"Terribly sorry about my daughter," Mommy Son apologized, "She's got quite a loose tongue whenever she meets new people".

"That's alright," Taemin reassured her. He was especially acting rather shy which made Naeun an eyebrow at him.

"I'm assuming you drove my daughter all the way from the mountains to bring her here," Mommy Son said as she poured more water for the two teenagers. Taemin nodded at her.

"Well, you simply must stay for the night!"

Their heads snapped up, "Eh?!"

Mommy Son looked at them in bewilderment, "You don't expect me to allow you children to go back to the resort in the middle of the night, do you? It's a two-hour drive! No, no, I insist that you stay here for the night, Taemin. You'll drive back first thing in the morning".

This was not what Taemin had planned, although it was dumb of him to not consider the two-hour drive back to the hotel. He mentally smacked himself.

"We have an empty guestroom that you can use for the night. I'm sure I can find some of my ex-husband's old clothes for you to change into," Mommy Son said as she stood up. Naeun tried to intervene with her mother's idea, but she simply waved her daughter's attempt.

"I will not allow a young man to drive my daughter in the middle of the night, endangering both your lives". This time, Taemin tried reasoning with her, "I could always go back to my own place; it's not too far from here".

"Nonsense," she snapped, "Look at you, you're all worn out. It's Christmas children, let's not start the holiday season with squabbling". At that, the two kept quiet. Mommy Son then guided Taemin to the bathroom to freshen himself up and instructed her daughter to change into her sleepwear as well.

Naeun trudged herself to her room where Saeeun was already sound asleep. She smiled at the sight of her adorable twelve-year-old sister.

"Still a baby at heart," she giggled. She was glad to be back.

That's when it hit her.

I haven't thanked him yet! Aish, Son Naeun, you pabo girl...

She power-walked to the guestroom across her bedroom, "Taemin I - " (Cue Stupid Instrumental - While You were Sleeping OST)

BADUM, BADUM, BADUM!

Taemin stood right in front of her, shirtless. She didn't realize her jaw drop as she unconsciously stared at his defined six-pack abs and the clear veins that ran down his muscular arms.

"Umm..." Taemin's voice snapped Naeun back to reality and immediately apologized, "Ahh! Mianhae, mianhae!" and slammed her eyes and the door shut.

"You can come in now," Naeun heard Taemin through the door. She let out a huge breath before opening the door. The clothes her mother gave were slightly too big for Taemin - she forgot how round her dad was back then and couldn't stop a chuckle from escaping.

"She offered to find a smaller size, but I didn't want to trouble her".

Naeun smiled at his consideration before scanning the room that she had not seen for years. Avoided would be the more appropriate word.

"This used to be my dad's room," she said.

"Your parents slept separately?"

"They had a complicated relationship".

Taemin nodded, not wanting to press the topic further.

"Guess you're going to call it a night?"

Taemin shook his head, "That double shot espresso really packed a punch. I don't think I can sleep anytime soon".

Naeun pursed her lips and Taemin looked at her curiously, "What?"

"Mind if I stay here a bit with you? I'm not sleepy yet either, but I don't want to risk waking my sister up; she's a really light sleeper".

Taemin smiled at her before sitting on the floor, patting the space next to him for her to join him.

Awhile later, Naeun spoke, "Thank you, for driving me all the way here. I really owe you big time now".

"You can pay me back by going on another date with me when we get back," he flirted. Naeun laughed, "Yeah, keep dreaming there, Pretty Boy". He clutched his heart as he attempted to look hurt which made Naeun giggle at the sight of his ridiculous expression. They resumed staring at the full moon that shined through the large window.

"It's important to stick close to your family," Taemin said.

Naeun scoffed at him, "Tell that to my dad". Her statement caught Taemin off guard. She let out a sigh before apologizing for her sudden snap.

"It's just, in movies, school, church, everybody keeps emphasizing the importance of family and love. That with a family's love, you can conquer anything. Every speech, every sermon, every quote I hear about family, I wanted to rip my ears off. Not once did he come back for us. I know that his relationship with my mom was collapsing, but a small part of me, as the little girl who remembered how her dad taught her to ride a bike, to make weird faces for Saeeun whenever she cried; the man who read to me every night, a small part of me hoped he would've come back for his girls; that he'd come back to set things right with my mom because isn't that what husbands and wives do? They fight, but then patch things back up. But I guess my dad found alcohol and cigars more comforting than his own family. Sometimes I wonder if he ever loved us".

Silence filled the room.

"You have every right to be mad at your dad for abandoning your family," Taemin said, "A parent abandoning their family is probably the worst thing a parent could do. But I'm sure your dad did love you and Saeeun. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have made those memories with you - the story times, the bike lessons, all of it. He just had it real rough than most new dads, and didn't know how to rely on his family for support and comfort".

Naeun hugged her knees close to her. She hated her dad for leaving her; hated him for abandoning their mother to care for a toddler and a newborn baby; hated him for not even writing a letter or a note to tell them he was going to leave. And yet, a tiny part of her heart still missed him. She missed the feeling of a father's love.

"What's your family like?" she asked curiously, "Do you spend a lot of time with them?"

Taemin hummed before he spoke, "Not as much as you do since they're always busy with work and managing the company, but if they ever find the slightest window of time for me, they'd take it".

"It wasn't always like that though," he continued (Cue In Silence Instrumental - Psycho but it's Okay OST), "I used to despise my parents".

Naeun sensed a deep conversation was about to unveil. All eyes and ears were focused on Taemin.

"I never made any friends in middle school with the way I looked. My classmates would laugh at me, play tricks on me, and call me names that I realize now, were pretty lame. I didn't think telling my parents about it would change anything since they were always so busy - going on business trips, countless hours of meetings 24/7; it was normal not seeing them for a whole week! I thought they wouldn't bother listening to my problem with the ones they were already dealing with from the company and everything".

Naeun's heart sank as she listened to his story. She wanted to comfort him but decided to wait until he was finished.

"I was on my way to a convenience store to buy some cup noodles when a senior recognized me". A warm smile formed on his face.

"His name was Jong-Hyun, and he was my first friend. He used to save my all the time from my bullies. They were afraid of him considering he was three years our senior. He was the one who introduced me to music - showed me how it could become my sanctuary. He helped unlock my passion for the piano. I begged my dad to find me a private tutor after that. He was my inspiration, my brother".

He's using past tense, Naeun realized.

"I looked up to Jong-Hyun, amazed by how he seemed to have everything planned out, but what I saw was only the tip of the iceberg".

At this point, Taemin's voice lowered, "Jong-Hyun had been battling with severe depression way before he met me. He hid it so well, I didn't notice it was killing him". Taemin paused for a moment. Naeun swore she could see the corner of his eyelids shimmer.

"Two years later, he took his own life".

A small gasp escaped .

"For months, my life was a living hell. The bullies came. They haunted me, taunted me, and blamed me for Jong-Hyun's death, saying that if I had been a true friend, I should've been able to see past his hard shell. The worst thing was, I believed them..."

That's not true, Naeun's mind shouted. The words almost escaped , but she swallowed them back in.

Not yet Naeun, not yet.

"I became a completely different person - I barely spoke, barely ate, got into more fights with my dad, ignored my mother a lot, and stopped playing the piano. I was basically an empty can: hollow and lifeless. Months later, however, a letter was mailed to my house. It was from Jong-Hyun and it was supposed to arrive the day after his death was announced".

Taemin couldn't bear to look at Naeun anymore, afraid that he would crack in front of her. He stared at the moon instead.

"He wrote a lot of things, but what surprised me was when he told me to confess to my parents about everything. I was mad at first, 'This is your dying wish from me?'. His last sentence was everybody deserves a second chance. So, I did. Their reactions were far beyond what I had expected".

Taemin explained how his mother came running to him, pulling him into a tight embrace as she caressed his hair apologized to him repeatedly. His father took the confession much seriously. He demanded that Taemin give him the names of the bullies. He promised he would not personally hurt them as they had to his son, but he refused to allow 'mere hooligans' to torture a noble any longer.

"Noble?" Naeun questioned confusingly. It was then she remembered the cafeteria incident. When Taemin had saved her, L didn't fight back. Sure, he was dragged away by his friends, but he had plenty of time to have given Taemin a quick knockout before they had intervened.

"You're not just a typical rich boy, are you?"

Taemin's lips curved up a little, "My father's name is Lee Sung-Ho". Naeun's eyes widened tenfold, "CEO and owner of Lee Dynasty".

Not a single Korean wouldn't recognize that name, much less the company Taemin had mentioned. The Lee Dynasty, also known as Korea's oldest and most prestigious developer. They owned multiple businesses worldwide and was crowned as the most successful and influential company ever made in the history of their country. Taemin was practically royalty!

Naeun knew Taemin's family was rich. His clothes and cars were proof of that, but not once did the consideration of his father being the Lee Sung-Ho come to mind.

"Guess the rumors of me being crazy rich are true, huh" he joked.

"W-what happened afterward?" she asked, trying to get her focus back into the unfinished story.

"My father interrogated the whole staff members of my school, including the principal. He made the bullies apologize to all three of us in front of their own family. They were expelled after that and were forbidden to graduate with the rest of our peers the next day. Things got better after graduation but I still couldn't find the heart to forgive my parents and those bullies. That was when I remembered Jong-Hyun's words: Everybody deserves a second chance," a smile appeared on Taemin's face again.

"I forgave them for what they did but ceased contact with them and the rest of my peers. As for my parents, we got closer than ever before. They still had their hectic schedules but as I said before if ever they find the slightest window to spend time with me, they'd take it. Things got better after I met Kai and Key too. They helped me get back up on my own two feet and I started playing the piano again".

Taemin stared down at the floor and mumbled his last sentence, "Even after death, Jong-Hyun was there for me. He always will be".

Suddenly, he felt something heavy on his back. (Cue King: Eternal Monarch OST - Please Don't Cry).

It was Naeun, embracing him from behind.

She buried her face on his right shoulder, "Thank you for telling me this," she muffled. Tears dampened Taemin's shirt. He turned to face her and gently placed his hands on her wet cheeks.

"Uljima (don't cry)," he whispered, then pulled her into a hug.

Tears continued to stream down her face as she melted into his embrace but she felt safe in his arms.

He's so warm...

Naeun didn't know how much time had passed when they broke apart but she didn't care. She didn't care if it was close to dawn, or if her mother was spying on them (she wasn't). She just wanted to be with the boy standing in front of her.

Not a boy, she corrected herself, a young man.

Admit it, her heart spoke, you like him.

I do, but...

Something eerie that Naeun couldn't explain or describe was unwilling to let her go for it - to open her heart for Taemin. Was it fear? Doubt? She wasn't sure but she refused to let the unknown feeling ruin the moment they were having.

Taemin finally spoke up, "You should probably get to bed. We're going to have to leave early if we don't want to miss Secret Santa".

Oh, right! Eunji and Krystal didn't know that she'd be spending the night in Seoul.

It was like Taemin had read her mind as he assured her that he had told the boys about their whereabouts and relayed the info. to the girls. Naeun sighed in relief before making her way to the door.

"Good night Taemin," Naeun said softly.

"Good night Kitty," Taemin replied. She was about to open her door when he called out to her, "Naeun-ah".

"Hmm?"

He smiled at her, "Merry Christmas".

Naeun chuckled before returning his warm smile.

"Merry Christmas...Taemin Oppa".

(A/N: Do you think the OSTs I chose to fit the scenes? Hehehe...It took a while to decide)