“Hi, gongju! Merry Christmas!”   Unlike the usual bounding energy that greeted him, Kwang Soo was met with a sad Mi Young who gave him a short hug and a forced smile. “Annyeonghaseyo, samchon…”   Kwang Soo had expected the kid to be super excited about the holiday, and now with her in front of him, she was well quite the opposite. He crouched down in front of Mi Young and gently held her shoulders. “What’s up, Mi Young-ah? I thought you’d be happy that it’s Christmas time already.”   Mi Young looked like she was going to respond but then she changed her mind anyway, closing shut and casting her gaze down to the floor as she wrung her hands together. Kwang Soo looked behind her and gave Ji Hyo and Jong Kook a questioning look.   “We don’t know, Kwang Soo-yah. She’s been down since she first woke up,” Ji Hyo said, setting her eyes worriedly on Mi Young.   Before Jong Kook could add in, Mi Young reached a hand out to Kwang Soo and tugged on his sleeve. “Samchon, I’m going up to my room.”   The adults watched as the 7-year-old, previously happy and energetic, left the room with a sad cloud looming over her.   “Hyung, did she tell you anything about why she’s like that?” Kwang Soo asked the parents, settling himself in the loveseat across from them on the couch.   “She refuses to tell us anything, Kwang Soo-yah.” Jong Kook shook his head. “Do you think you could help us out? Find out what’s been bugging her?”   “We thought for sure she’d be bouncing around this morning, but then she woke up like that. Just yesterday, she was slapping away Jong Kook oppa’s hand because he tried to snag a cookie for Santa harabeoji,” Ji Hyo said with a frown.   Kwang Soo took in a deep breath. “Alright, I’ll go find out what’s wrong.”   He excused himself from his noona and hyung and made his way up to Mi Young’s room. Walking up to the door, he gave it a gentle knock so as not to startle the kid inside. He breached the door wider and found Mi Young lying down on the bed in a fetal position, clutching Toadie — the stuffed tadpole that So Min got her last Christmas — tight against her chest.   “Oh, gongju…” Kwang Soo sighed sympathetically. He sat himself on the floor to her bed, in the direction that Mi Young was facing. Slowly reaching out a hand to her head, he her hair for comfort and patted her arm to let her know that he was there with her.   What happened next slightly startled him. Mi Young suddenly burst into a sob and rambled on about something he couldn’t quite make out.   “Mi Young-ie, take a deep breath, okay? Breathe first before you tell me about what’s wrong.” Kwang Soo guided her through a breathing exercise, rubbing her back to help calm her.   It took a few moments, but Kwang Soo was able to get her to calm down enough so that she could speak clearly.   “I don’t want appa and eomma to break up.”   Kwang Soo’s eyes bugged out at the claim. What the heck had happened in this house last night?   “Why’d you say that, gongju? Did your parents fight in front of you?” Kwang Soo was concerned. If they did fight in front of her, ages be damned he’s going to give them an earful for sure.   Mi Young sobbed some more, shaking her head. “A-aniya. I saw s-something bad, samchon…”   This piqued Kwang Soo’s curiosity more. If they weren’t fighting, then what was so bad that Mi Young thought her parents were going to divorce because of it?    “Oh? What did you see, Mi Young-ie? What happened?” He prodded gently, still rubbing his hand up and down her back comfortingly.     Mi Young beamed to herself proudly, having successfully sneaked out of her room unnoticed because she managed not to bang the door on her way out nor did she make any more sound as she made her way to the staircase. Situating herself a few steps down, she was able to hide behind the tinsels and Christmas decor on the railings while still having a bit of leeway to see into the living room.   She had gotten up this midnight in hopes of catching Santa harabeoji when he comes to drop off her presents. She made sure no one knew about her plan and waited for a long time in her bed to make sure her parents thought she was asleep.   Taking in the environment, Mi Young could safely say that a decor monster had come and thrown up in their living room. Almost everything was decked out in tinsel, glitter, decor bobbles and more — the fireplace below the TV even had a row of reed, green and white gift stockings.   As she looked over the room once more, her eyes widened excitedly when she spotted the mountain of presents under the Christmas tree in the corner. She also spotted the plate of cookies on the coffee table and mentally pats her mother in the back for remembering to put it there.   Just when Mi Young thought the coast was clear and she could go down to hide herself between the couch, her mother suddenly came through from the dining room. And behind her followed a big man in a red —   Santa harabeoji!   Mi Young almost squealed loudly before she remembered that she wasn’t supposed to be awake at this hour, lest Santa harabeoji would take away her presents and leave her with coal.   She watched as her mother shared a laugh with Santa harabeoji, twirling with a wide smile under his hand.   She was shocked! Why didn’t her Ji Hyo eomma tell her that she was close with Santa harabeoji?! All this time,