The time had struck 12 AM already. The girls were back in the waiting room getting changed and preparing to go home after performing for the year-end festival held by one of the local TV channels.

While Jimin was busy rummaging through her bag finding her phone, her  Chinese girl approached her while holding her own phone.

"Unniee.." the youngest called.

"Yes, Ningning?" Jimin halted whatever she was doing only to focus her attention on the youngest who was fidgeting. Jimin looked concerned.

"Mm.. my parents called me and asked if I can stay with them or not as they're here in Korea since 2 days ago… planning to spend New Year here." Ningning looking at her Jimin unnie with hopeful eyes.

Hearing what the youngest said made Jimin chuckled. "Hey that's okay, I just got informed by manager oppa too that we will be free starting tomorrow, but still not sure yet if it's gonna be until New Year or not." Jimin smiled which the latter returned with a squeal. "Ah really?!"

"Yes and–" before Jimin could inform the latter that their manager will be dropping them off tomorrow, Ningning already rushed out to make a phone call again with her parents. "I gotta tell my parents to pick me up." Jimin shook her head with amusement.

xx

Still busy finding her phone, suddenly Winter came to her view from afar. She called for the blonde girl. "Minjeong-ah!"

Winter approached her with a what's up? look. "What is it unnie?"

"Can you please help to dial my phone? I forgot where to put it." Jimin said as her eyes couldn't stop roaming around the messy waiting room.

"Ah, your phone is in my bag unnie. You gave it to me while we went to the toilet, remember?" Jimin looked and faced Winter this time. "Ah, you're right... I almost forgot about it–" 

"You already did unnie. Hahaha," Jimin rolled her eyes playfully.

After the smaller girl handed her her phone, Jimin was suddenly reminded of what their manager informed her while her fingers were busy typing to inform her parents that she's going back home tomorrow. "Where's Aeri? I forgot to inform you guys that tomorrow we will be free." Hearing the word "free", Giselle appeared from out of nowhere, surprising the two, "seriously?!"

"Yah Aeri, you surprised me, where were you?" Jimin slapped the other girl's shoulder jokingly.

"Hahaha well I was from the toilet and met Ningning on the way here when she's on the phone mentioning about her parents picking her up, so here I am to confirm if it's true or not that we will be free tomorrow." Giselle shrugged.

"Yes, it's true, since we didn't spend Christmas with family today." Jimin showed the two her ultimate crying emoji.

"Okay okay stop that. Then I'm gonna call my parents–" Giselle was about to go out to call her parents too before Jimin called her.

"Wait! So you're gonna ask your parents to pick you up tomorrow too?" Jimin asked which earned a confused nod from the same-line girl. Winter looked at them in confusion as well.

"Alright, if you guys are just going to be picked up by your parents then I'm telling manager oppa not to drop us off tomorrow."

The other two girls nodded.

xx

Winter had tried to call her parents' numbers several times but none of them answered. Not sure if they're asleep already or not. Winter sighed.

Probably I'm just gonna stay back at the dorm for now.

She was busy checking her phone not realizing that their manager oppa was already there to drop them off at their dorm– without Ningning as her parents had already picked her up earlier.

"Minjeong! What are you waiting for?" Jimin approached the smaller girl.

"Oh yeah sorry unnie. Let's go" Jimin held her hand and pulled her to their minivan.

xx

It didn't go unnoticed by the leader to know that the smaller girl was having something bothering her mind as she kept on checking her phone every few seconds.

"Hey, what's the matter?" Jimin dropped her hand on Minjeong's phone that was resting on her thigh, looking at the latter with concerned eyes.

"Nothing unnie." Minjeong beamed to comfort the older girl letting the latter know that she's fine.

"Fine. You should get some sleep now. I'll wake you up when we arrive." Not long after, they could hear Giselle's light snore as her head dropped onto Minjeong's small figure. They giggled with the action.

xx

As Winter's bed was just across Ningning's bed which was above Jimin's, the oldest was still able to see brightness coming from Winter's phone as the latter was still busy with her phone.

"Minjeong…" Jimin called softly.

Winter on the other hand immediately dropped her phone on her stomach to block the brightness from illuminating the room. "Yes, unnie?" Winter answered without looking back at the latter which she assumed she's looking at her with those worried eyes again.

"You're not sleeping yet?" Winter only hummed in response. She shifted to face the wall instead, hiding her face from being seen by the taller girl.

This action just made Jimin get up and approached the smaller girl to her bunk bed. She sat just exactly near the ladder. She tapped on her leg. "Minjeong…"

Here it was again, the soft calming voice from the older girl. It never fails to calm the members whenever they're feeling nervous or worried about something.

"Unnie…" Winter took a glance at the latter before letting out a sigh. She knew she couldn't run away from the older girl when it comes to hiding something. Being with the older girl for almost 5 years now is not for nothing.

Jimin rubbed her hand on Winter's leg only to notice she's not wearing her socks. She touched her foot and it was dead frozen. "You're not wearing socks?" She knew the younger usually wears socks to sleep, especially during the cold season.

"Ah yeah I forgot." Winter decided to get up as well and hid her feet under the blanket.

"Let me get them for you." Then Jimin climbed down the ladder to grab a pair of thick socks from her drawer.

It took a while for Jimin to get a pair as she didn't turn on the light.

"Unnie, why don't you turn on the lamp?" Winter giggled silently as she watched the older girl was literally rummaging through her drawer, messing it up even worse.

"Shh, don't you see how Aeri is sleeping now?" With the mentioned girl, Winter peeked to see the occupant of the bed below hers.

Aeri was sleeping with her head hanging in the air, with slightly opened and her blanket scattered not covering her whole body.

Winter giggled silently. Indeed the second oldest girl looked like a mess while sleeping.

"But I think she still won't budge even you shoot a flashlight above her." that caused Jimin to giggle as well.

After grabbing a random pair of socks, she placed it on Winter's bunk bed. She went to Aeri's head and placed it gently on the pillow and re-covered the dead sleeping girl with the blanket. Then she climbed back to Winter's bed.

"Unniee you got different patterns here…" Winter was trying her best to stifle her laugh while showing the older girl the two unmatched pattern socks with her phone's flashlight.

"It's too dark," Jimin chuckled and grabbed one to start putting it on one of Winter's cold feet. Winter worked on her other foot.

"They look cute." Winter smiled as they both were done putting the socks on.

Jimin on the other hand rolled her eyes playfully. She grabbed Winter's hand that was holding the phone to check the time – 02.05 AM.

"Come on, let's get you to sleep," Jimin said only to earn a pouty Winter. She smiled as she ruffled her hair.

"I'll be here until you fall asleep." Then Jimin laid down herself before pulling the younger girl as well.

Winter shifted closer to the older girl before a sigh escaped from her lips. Jimin who was reminded of why she was there in the first place prompted her head and looked down on the younger – her other hand brushed some strands of hair from the younger girl's face. "Wanna tell me something?"

"It's nothing important really," Winter muttered as her hands were busy playing with Jimin's hair. She avoided the latter's gaze, putting all her attention to the blue-black hair she's playing with.

Jimin knew she couldn't get the latter to speak up about her problem immediately knowing sometimes she's still shy or reluctant to share her worries with the others but using the push-and-pull method usually works for her. Especially when the latter couldn't just sleep immediately if she still had something wedging on her mind.

Jimin responded with a nod. "Come on you should sleep, it's getting late." She moved her hand to brush Winter's hair this time to help her feel sleepy.

"Unnie.." Winter called and glanced at the older girl whose eyes were still fixed on her. Jimin hummed in response. "I'm just gonna stay in the dorm tomorrow." 

"Why? Your parents cannot pick you up?" Jimin asked as her hand never stopped brushing her hair.

"I don't know... I've tried to call them earlier but neither one of them picked up." Winter played with Jimin's hair again. "I'll try to call them again tomorrow morning, if they can't pick me up then I'll stay here."

"Alright, let's try to call them again tomorrow. Perhaps they're already asleep when you called." Winter nodded.

"Okay, now sleep." 

"Don't go anywhere unnie." Jimin smiled as the younger girl draped her arm around her waist, hugging her like a koala. She pulled the blanket to cover them both and placed her hand around the younger girl as well, before placing a soft peck on the crown of her head.

"Sure. Sleep tight, Minjeongie." 

xx

The next day the three of them were already awake, especially Giselle who had woken up earlier since her parents were going to pick her up before lunch.

After taking a shower, Winter decided to call her parents while Jimin took her turn to shower. She just didn't want Jimin to know the result yet. As she knew her too well, if she just let the older girl know that her parents were unable to pick her up, which resulting her to stay in the dorm, Jimin would stay with her as well to accompany her. And she didn't want that.

But not long after her mother beat her to it, her phone rang with the caller ID showing Umma~

"Minjeong baby, sorry umma was busy taking care of your grandma last night as she was brought back to the hospital…"

"Ah, I see…"

"Her condition is worsening again after being discharged last week."

Winter went out from her dorm to get more privacy. She motioned to Giselle who was laying down on the couch in the living room that she would just be outside for a while which she earned a nod from the latter.

"So you're in the hospital now, umma?" Winter asked as she crossed her other hand, supporting her other hand which was holding the phone to her ear.

"Yes, umma and appa are here in the hospital. Why did you call honey?"

"Oh mmm… it's just that, I just wanted to inform you that I'm free today and can go back home until probably before New Year, but I guess I'll just stay here umma."

"Ah really? Then I can ask your appa to pick you–"

"No no, no umma, that's okay. You will probably need appa there. I'll just ask my manager if I'll be free for New Year or not."

"Aw honey, I really miss you Minjeong baby.."

Winter chuckled as she imagined her mother was feeling guilty for not being able to meet her.

"Me too, umma. But that's fine there's still next time."

"Alright, take care there okay honey? Just call us if you need anything. Umma is sorry. Merry Christmas again Minjeong baby… umma loves you"

Winter chuckled once again but now with a sad smile plastered on her face. "Yes umma, don't worry, you too with everyone there. Merry Christmas again to umma, love you too."

Then she hung up.

She went back inside with a sigh escaping from her lips. Jimin was already dressed up.

In the silent atmosphere, Giselle got a call from her parents informing her that they're already downstairs. "Guys, my parents are downstairs already. I gotta go now, happy holiday guys! See you again soon!" Then she crash-hugged the left members and planted a friendly kiss on their cheek before grabbing her suitcase and went out of the dorm.

"Happy holiday too Aeri!"

"Happy holiday too unnie!"

Jimin, who saw the only member that hadn't been picked up by their parents was slouching off on the couch while turning on the TV, approached her.

"How is it?" Jimin asked as she plopped herself down beside the younger girl.

Winter on the other hand didn't even take a glance at the older girl, only focused her attention on the TV as her hand was busy changing the channel to find the interesting one.

But giving up that she couldn't find one, Winter pouted and dropped the remote on the table after turning off the TV.

She laid her body on the space of the couch beside her–legs still dangling to the carpeted floor.

"They won't be able to pick me up. Even though I can go home there myself, my parents are at the hospital again taking care of my grandma." Winter closed her eyes. "But then I'll have the dorm to myself again." Winter smiled still with her eyes closed.

Jimin chuckled. But there's no way she would let the younger girl spend her holiday alone.

I guess I'll be staying here too. 

Then she grabbed her phone and was about to message her parents that she's just gonna stay in the dorm until Jimin's mother called her.

"Jimin-ah, we're here already."

Jimin took a glance at Winter who's now having her eyes open while listening to her conversation with her mother, shooting her a comforting smile.

"Oh okay, mom. I'll be downstairs. But is it fine if I bring Minjeong with me to join us and stay until New Year?" When hearing that, Winter sat up from her sleeping position immediately. She mouthed to the older girl 'what are you doing?!'

"Of course, honey. Bring the other members too if you want." Jimin chuckled at her mother's motherly side. She glanced at the frozen girl and giggled.

"Okay. I'll hang up now. See you downstairs mom." Then Jimin hung up the call.

"Come on, you're coming with me kid." Then she walked closer to her before pulling her out from the couch.

"But I can stay–"

"I get it you're not scared of the dark nor being alone in the dorm by yourself, Minjeong... but there's no way I'm leaving a member behind, alone," Jimin said as she went to their shared bedroom to retrieve their bags which currently sitting on Jimin's bed.

Winter on the other hand got the hidden message from the older girl which swelled her heart in happiness. A bright smile was plastered on her face.

She ran to the older girl who's bringing both of their bags and crashed her with a hug. "Thank you unnie! You're the best!"

Jimin on the other hand dropped the bags that she's holding and returned the hug with the same equal energy – a wide grin on her face.

"Come on.." 

Then both of them left the dorm with a happy smile plastered on their faces.