Points in today's chapter:
- Minjeong and Karina r much closer 👀
- Minjeong drags Karina to a party 👀
- Dog tag necklace (as seen on cover) 👀
- MISTLETOE 👁👁

ENJOY !!  HAPPY HOLIDAYS !! <3

Minjeong turns over in her sleep and frowns when she can’t feel Karina beside her. She hadn’t startled awake this time, although she feels saddened by the empty spot beside her. She rubs the sleep out of her eyes before slipping out of her covers. The Christmas pyjamas she had put on last night had been a bit large for her, as when she stands up, the sleeves reach past her hands and the pants legs drag against the floor under her socked feet.

She looks at her desk and sees the stack of presents she received last night and how many of them also sit beside her desk chair and on her desk chair. She walks to her desk when she sees something she didn’t see last night, which is the other set of pyjamas she gave Karina, which is now neatly folded on top of one of the gift boxes she received.

She snorts.

Even Karina's folding is disciplined, as she sees how neatly and perfectly the pyjamas are folded into thirds.

She readies for the day and as she’s changing out of her clothes, her phone buzzes once and soon a flurry of texts come in and then she has to check her phone. She unlocks her phone to see their university group chat of close friends blowing up. Something about the annual Christmas party and when she notices who it’s held by, she just has to go.

She puts on a red Polo Ralph Lauren cardigan and pairs it with a long skirt with warm leggings underneath before skipping out her door to find Karina standing outside.

“Good morning, princess.” Karina smiles.

“Morning!” Minjeong chirps.

“Did you have a good sleep?” Karina asks and follows Minjeong as the girl walks downstairs. Karina forgets about the hanging mistletoe and she curses in her mind when it scratches against her forehead. 

“Yep! I had a wonderful sleep but I was sad when I didn’t wake up with my buddy in matching pjs.” Minjeong pouts.

“I apologise, princess.” Karina chuckles. “I like having an early start to my days.”

“I know.” Minjeong grumbles. “You didn’t even leave a note.”

“I was only outside," Karina says.

“Still.” Minjeong’s pout deepens.

“I’ll remember next time.” Karina relents.

The breakfast prepared for them is large and filled with Christmas staples. Karina, Mark and Johnny had gone into the kitchen earlier to eat a smaller portion of what would be given to the royal family before it’d be set on the table.

They speak over breakfast and Minjeong’s glad that nothing about another betrothal has been mentioned and she can have a meal in peace.

When they’re done eating, Minjeong proposes to Karina that they should take a walk around the garden and Karina agrees. Karina hadn’t seen this part of the mansion in person yet, usually only from the windows indoors and Mark or Johnny usually do outdoor surveillance. 

“These are my favourites.” Minjeong points to a flower garden where a prominent kind of flower stands out the most.

“Forget-me-nots.” Karina says and Minjeong nods.

“Aren’t they pretty?” Minjeong asks, leaning down to pluck a flower out. 

"They're my favourites too.” Karina says.

“Really?” Minjeong turns to her.

“I just like the colour blue.” Karina shrugs.

“Then I was smart for making your scarf blue. I think you’d look nice in blue.” Minjeong chuckles. “Well, I like forget-me-nots because of their meaning. I like the bittersweet nature of them.”

“Always so sentimental, princess?” Karina teases.

“Shut up.”

Minjeong rolls her eyes. Karina laughs before taking the flower out from between Minjeong’s fingers. She looks at the flower and twirls in between her index finger and thumb before looking up at the princess. She holds the stem and steps closer to the princess before threading the stem carefully between the space between Minjeong’s ear and her red hair.

“I think you look nice in blue too, your highness.” Karina smiles.

Woah. Minjeong blinks and a blush rises to her cheeks.

They’re lounging in Minjeong’s room when Karina notices the same pair of insistent eyes on her since she entered the room.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Karina blinks when she finds Minjeong staring at her.

“Like what?” Minjeong blinks, leaning towards Karina, who backs away. "Well, there's meant to be a party tonight—”

“No.”

“I didn’t even ask yet!” Minjeong pouts.

“No way, you were kidnapped just a couple of days ago; I’m not risking your safety for a college party.” Karina shakes her head.

“But I won’t be alone!” Minjeong clings onto Karina’s arm. “I’ll be with Ning and Aeri and my other friends. It’s a Christmas tradition and it’ll be my first time going!”

“A Christmas tradition on Boxing Day?” Karina raises a brow.

“Yes!”

Karina sighs at Minjeong’s puppy-dog expression.

“Don’t you have to ask your parents?” Karina asks.

“I’m in college! Why would I need to ask?” Minjeong huffs.

“Because you’re the crown princess, don’t forget.” Karina says.

“I haven’t forgotten..." Minjeong grumbles.

“You want to go to this party that bad?” Karina asks.

“Yes. I’ll be back before night, I swear.” Minjeong tells her.

“Okay. What time will we get there?” Karina asks.

“You’re agreeing?” Minjeong blinks as she stops shaking Karina’s arm in her hold.

“I’d rather not make you unhappy, princess.” Karina rolls her eyes.

“Yes!” Minjeong beams, leaning over to hug Karina. “Thank you!” 

Karina blinks when Minjeong pulls away.

───※  ♕  ※───

“Woah, you got a new car?” Minjeong asks when she sees a different car, still a Mercedes, in the parking lot.
“I had to.” Karina sighs. “Your kidnapper shot out my tyres, and I crashed off-road. I also rammed the car into his, so…”
“You what?! He what?!” Minjeong’s eyes widen.

She hadn’t really debriefed what the hell happened when she was kidnapped because it was traumatic and she didn’t want to discuss it. She knows what happened to her, but it completely flew over her head to ask Karina what happened on her end.

“It’s fine, I’m safe, you’re safe, and this car got delivered in time on boxing day.” Karina chuckles.

She walks over to the passenger door and opens it for Minjeong.

“After you, princess.” Karina smiles and Minjeong blinks, still feeling insane at the fact the other car was ruined during her kidnapping chase.

Karina drives them to the mall after Minjeong has been chatting her ear off about ideas for costumes.

“I think I should dress up as a y snowman.” Minjeong says this as Karina drives into the underground parking lot.

“Uh-huh.” Karina chuckles. “I’ve never seen a y snowman before.”

"Well, you’re going to!” Minjeong beams.

“Sure…”

“Why’d you say it like that?” Minjeong sneers.

“Like what?”

“Like you don’t think I could pull it off.” Minjeong says.
“Well—”

“I could totally be a y snowman!” Minjeong huffs.

“Princess, I—”

“I can be y!”

The car comes to an abrupt stop as Karina parks the car, and her ears tint red as Minjeong keeps repeating the word ‘y’.

“Okay, I get it!” Karina blushes and Minjeong notices.

“Oh-ho-ho, are you getting shy on me, Karina-ssi?” Minjeong teases.

“Your highness, I’d advise you to quit your teasing before I take us home instead.” Karina huffs.

“Don’t be a grinch.” Minjeong pouts and somehow that word sounds suspiciously like something else. 

“Please shop quickly.” 

Karina finds herself being dragged from place to place and subjected to trying on costumes as well. While Minjeong was actually looking for clothing pieces to create a costume, she was forcing Karina to try on actual costumes from the cheap stores. She had doubled in laughter when she managed to convince Karina to get into a Santa costume that made her look incredibly round.

“Really?” Karina deadpans.

“Please, one picture; you look so cute!” Minjeong cackles and Karina sighs, her ears burning red.

Karina pulls off the costume and Minjeong howls with laughter.

“Wait—keep it on!”

───※  ♕  ※───

Minjeong manages to make Karina settle for just a Santa hat instead of the whole get-up because Karina did not want to dress up at all, but she made sure to wear the scarf Minjeong made for her.

Karina waits outside of Minjeong’s room, itching at the Santa hat sitting on her head as the fuzzy part keeps grazing against her forehead and is annoying her. Just as she’s about to pull off the hat, Minjeong’s door opens and Karina is momentarily stunned.  

“ Wow.”

Minjeong had bought a white mini backless tube dress and stuck three black buttons down her abdomen, paired with brown boots. She had put on light makeup, a snowflake design in white liner near her eyes and a hint of orange at the tip of her nose.

"See, I told you I could do y snowman.” Minjeong grins cheekily and Karina shakes out of her reverie.

“Sure, your highness.” Karina chuckles, despite how insanely pretty Minjeong made her heartbeat speed up. “I think you look beautiful.”

“Oh. Thank you.” Minjeong blushes. “Um, I a-also, I have a question. Red scarf, ribbon, or nothing?”

Minjeong pulls Karina into her room and points to the thin red scarf and the pink ribbon sitting on her bed.

“How about you wear this?” Karina unwinds the scarf around her neck and steps closer to Minjeong.

“But I made it for you.” Minjeong says but doesn’t protest the way Karina gently loops the scarf around her neck once.
“I did say you looked nice in blue, Minjeong.” Karina smiles and Minjeong shies away.

She turns to her mirror and sees that the scarf really did tie her look together.

“It’s perfect.” Karina says.

“Thank you.” Minjeong agrees.

Karina drives them to the party, as per Minjeong’s directions, which turned out to be a bit lousy when they missed a couple of turns and turned into the wrong streets, but they still made it and Minjeong was excited as ever.

“Aeri and Ning said they’re outside waiting for us; come on!” Minjeong loops an arm in Karina’s and drags her along, but Karina halts her.

“Wait.” Karina pulls Minjeong back.

“What is it?” Minjeong blinks.

Karina s the top of her jacket and reaches into her shirt from under her collar, where a dog tag necklace lies. She holds the necklace in both hands before carefully placing it on top of Minjeong's head and pulling it down, avoiding her neat hair, and it settles on top of the blue scarf.

“Is this a late Christmas gift?” Minjeong teases.

“You could say so.” Karina answers. 

Minjeong looks at the dog tag necklace and holds it in between her pointer finger and her thumb, inspecting the silver jewellery. The tag is shiny yet scratched up on the surface and Minjeong sees a date, Karina’s name, and a code. 

“The eleventh of April, two thousand?” Minjeong voices out. 

“My birthday," Karina says. “And also when I joined the organisation since I was technicall