“But today’s really unique!”

“No, nope, no, nope, no, nope!”

“You’re going to really regret this.” The tone was threatening now, and grumbling, Jonghyun opened an eye.

“Get the off, Jungshin.”

“Why?”

“I want to sleep! Oh my God, today is a public holiday, and I don“No, nope, don’t even think about it.”

Jonghyun mumbled, pushing whatever was on his body away blindly as he covered his own face with a pillow.

’t want to leave this bed. Are you clear?”

“Nope,” Jungshin grinned cheekily, his fingers getting tangled in Jonghyun’s hair before pulling the sleepy boy up into a sitting position. “Merry Christmas!”

Jonghyun cursed some more under his breath before plastering a huge fake smile on his face. “Merry Christmas.”

“Great! Now look what present I got you! It’s under the Christma tree!”

“This is not your house, Jungshin,” Jonghyun spat, glaring at his best friend. “Why do you come and go as you like?”

“Because we’re best friends.”

“I do not feel that way, prick.”

“Do you really want me to leave?”

Jonghyun threw his hands up happily, his eyes rolling back before collapsing back on the bed. “You finally got it! Good bye, I won’t see you out.”

“Fine,” Jungshin picked at his nails as he crawled off the big bed, heading for the door. “I’ll tell Jinsun to leave too…”

Jonghyun bolted out of bed instantly, blocking Jungshin’s way.

“She’s here?”

“Yep.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s Christmas, and I invited her,” A small face lights up Jungshin’s face as he tried to fix Jonghyun’s messy bed hair. “Is there a problem?”

“You didn’t ask for my permission although this is my house!”

“I just thought that you’d be happy, but since you aren’t, I’ll bring her away – “

“NO!” Jonghyun frowned, slapping Jungshin’s arm hard. “I’ll be right down after I brush my teeth, you can um… let her tour around the house.”

“Got it.” Jungshin winked before shutting the door after him.

Interesting.

Jinsun nearly jumped out of her skin as Jungshin trotted down the stairs, looking very smug.

“He’ll be right down.”

“His house is really big,” Jinsun commented, eyes darting from the indoor swimming pool to the stairs that lead all the way to the third level.

“He’s very rich!” Jungshin chuckled, making himself comfortable on the couch as he stretched his legs and gulped down the orange juice he had grabbed from the fridge. He had known Jonghyun for a long time now, and they were best friends. He had the keys to Jonghyun’s house, and Jonghyun’s father was rather fond of him as well since Jungshin was a talented composer and often helped the company.

“I can tell that from his character.” Jinsun scowled, her gaze landing on the big green Christmas tree. There were many parcels under the tree, each wrapped up nicely with a huge ribbon. “But I’ve never really celebrated Christmas.”

“This is your first, then.”

“It was unexpected of hippo to celebrate Christmas.”

“He’s a human too.”

“Did he decorate this?” Jinsun asked, pointing at the flashy Christmas tree.

Jungshin snorted. “Him? No way. I decorated it.”

Jinsun shrugged, tapping the table. “I’m not surprised. Anyway, I have to go soon. I um, have an appointment.”

Noticing her flushed face, Jungshin smirked, planning to become a spy for his best friend. “With your boyfriend?”

There was a loud bang from above, and the both of them looked up in unison, until Jonghyun appeared while waving his arms. “It’s okay, I just knocked my leg against the door!”

Jungshin rolled his eyes, muttering ‘idiot’ under his breath before turning back to Jinsun. “So?”

“I don’t have a boyfriend!” Jinsun argued back defensively, her cheeks reddening again before Jonghyun hopped down the stairs, looking like he was in pain.

Jungshin wanted to strangle him for coming down at such an important moment.

“Hey, Merry Christmas!” Jonghyun raised a brow, trying to act nonchalant.

“Merry Christmas to you too, hippo.”

“Merry Christmas to you, bestie!” Jungshin joined in, earning a secret glare before chuckling quietly to himself.

“Um, make yourself at home.” Jonghyun continued, running his fingers through his hair (while trying to make it look absent-minded). “Oooh, presents!”

“Yes, you er, I did all this for you!” Jungshin hissed, pointing his middle finger at Jonghyun who looked amused before sheepish and then delighted.

“Thank you.”

“Yonghwa is coming over later, he can only come over after 3PM.”

“That’s like a long long time later.”

“Actually, guys, I have to go now,” Jinsun got up first, grabbing her bag. “I’m meeting Minhyuk oppa…”

Jonghyun made a rude noise that sounded like a snort and groan mixed together.

“Why don’t you invite him here?” Jungshin suggested, that wide grin never leaving his face.

“Are you sure?” Jinsun eyed Jonghyun, who was busy rolling his eyes at Jungshin. “I mean, since this is hippo’s house…”

“Do not let that – “ Jonghyun was just getting started but Jungshin grabbed his collar and pulled him to the corner of the room, whispering harshly.

“Are you stupid? I’m pretty sure you know she’s smitten with Minhyuk, and if you allow her to leave like this, what if they get together?”

“So what if they get together? Do I look like I care?”

“I can tell, Jonghyun, you don’t have to be so stubborn. I promise I won’t laugh.”

Jonghyun crossed his arms, turning his head away to avoid Jungshin’s eyes.

“If we get that Minhyuk guy to come over here, we can make sure they don’t get much alone time.”

“… Fine.”

“He said okay, Jinsun!” Jungshin hollered, and Jonghyun rolled his eyes again, feeling as though they were going to roll back soon and stay there because he had been rolling his eyes too much recently.

“Um,” Jinsun stammered, “I’m not very sure…”

“Try calling him, I’m sure he wouldn’t mind making friends, right?” Jungshin beamed, jabbing jonghyun’s hips before Jonghyun muttered a faint ‘yeah’.

“I’ll try…”  Biting her lip, Jinsun brought the phone to her ear, waiting for Minhyuk to pick up. “Oppa… I’m actually at my friend’s house right now, and he asked you to come over as well so we can all celebrate together…  Ah, yes I’ll text you the address! See you later!”

Minhyuk fidget for the millionth time that day as he checked his reflection before knocking on the door. Damn, the house was gorgeous.

It was opened by a tall man with a rather sharp chin and a friendly smile.

“Hello, welcome! You’re Minhyuk, right?”

Minhyuk ruffled his hair, smiling back. “Yup, and you?”

“I’m Jungshin!” Jungshin shook Minhyuk’s hand before pulling him in and pointing at Jonghyun who was sitting on the couch, looking pissed. “That’s Jonghyun, and don’t mind his face, he always looks like that.”

“Hey!”

“That’s Jinsun, you know her.”

Minhyuk grinned at Jinsun before he could stop himself and stepped forward, a small red box on his palm. “Merry Christmas.”

Jinsun grinned back, showing her teeth before digging her bag and taking out a bigger black box. “Merry Christmas, Minhyuk!”

Jonghyun cleared his throat, his brows furrowed. “Did you prepare a present for her, from me?”

Jungshin sighed in frustration, but nodded anyway. “You owe me big time.”

“I know!” Jonghyun snapped, uncomfortable at the cheesy scene he was witnessing. “Can you kick that tofu face out of the house, please?”

“Then she goes as well.”

“Fine!”

“Um, Jinsun-ah!” Jungshin interrupted, grinning awkwardly. “Jonghyun got you a present as well.”

“You did?” Jinsun’s eyes widened, and she looked genuinely surprised before embarrassed. “But I didn’t prepare any for you, because Jungshin called me this morning and I didn’t have time to prepare…”

Jonghyun snorted again before shaking his head. “It’s okay, I don’t really care about presents.”

“I’m so sorry, I’ll get you yours tomorrow!”

“I said, no need.”

“But I – “

“N-O N-E-E-D.”

“… fine.”

Awkward silence enveloped the 4, but anyone could feel the growing tension between Jonghyun and Jinsun. Then clearing his throat again, Jungshin broke the silence.

“How about we watch a movie?”

“Okay!” Minhyuk joined in with his cheerful voice. “What do you have?”

“Sorry for ruining your Christmas plans with Jinsun, by the way,” Jungshin added smoothly before bending down to open the drawer full of DVDs.

“Ah, it’s okay, we didn’t really have a plan too. Just lunch and maybe a movie.”

“Oh,” was all that left Jungshin’s mouth before he picked Emma Watson’s newest movie; Perks of being a Wallflower.

Soon enough, the only sounds that were heard were coming from the movie.

10.14PM.

Nearly the end of Christmas.

Jinsun was still squeezing her way through the crowded shopping mall, just because she was trying to get a gift for a certain hippo before Christmas ended. She had bought a watch for Minhyuk, and Minhyuk had given her a lovely bracelet with many little hearts dangling that made a joyful noise whenever they collided. Jonghyun had given her a pretty glittered pink hairband, and Jungshin had prepared dinner for her as his ‘present’. Yonghwa was unable to make it there in the end, so she didn’t get a chance to really get to know the ‘crazy ’ of the group.

Yet, she had only gotten a gift for Minhyuk, and Jinsun was certain that she would not be able to sleep if she couldn’t get rid of the guilty feeling that kept surfacing.

Puffing her cheeks, she rubbed her eye, exhausted. It was really annoying and frustrating to squeeze through the crowd and try to buy something, and also every shop was crowded.

Besides, what could she get for a rich man like Jonghyun?

Surely he wouldn’t appreciate cheap things such as key-chains.

Sighing, she scanned through the items on display before one item caught her eye, and her scowl slowly turned into a smile.

---

“Hey, what’s up?” Jungshin was still at Jonghyun’s house, and Jinsun pointed at the shopping bag in her hand.

“Christmas present for the hippo.”

“Oh!” Jungshin’s face lighted up with enlightenment before he pulled her in. “He’s in his room, sulking.”

“Sulking about what? Is he mad at me?”

“Ah, don’t worry about it. He sulks everyday over little things.”

“Ah~”

“I’ll bring you up!” Jungshin seemed a little too excited as he practically skipped up, until he was just right in front of Jonghyun’s door. “He’s in here, I’ll leave you two, then.”

Gulping nervously, Jinsun knocked on the door before entering. Jonghyun was standing before the window, hands in his pockets and back to her as he stared outside. He didn’t turn back.

“What, Jungshin? I said I was in a bad mood.”

“I’m sorry!”

Jonghyun’s usually small eyes were wide as he turned back. “Jinsun? What are you doing here?”

“I was sorry that I didn’t get you any Christmas present, so I went to get you one too…”

The corner of Jonghyun’s lips curved up just a little as he nodded, waiting for her to pass him his gift.

“You’re really rich, and I couldn’t really afford expensive things, so I hope you’ll like this.. I immediately thought of you the moment I saw this!” Jinsun rambled on and on, her voice eventually getting smaller and smaller as Jonghyun opened the box.

A bright red scarf, accompanied with a pair of matching gloves.

To be honest, that cost a bomb too, because the material was really warm and nice.

“I got a present for you too,” Jonghyun grinned, and it was Jinsun’s turn to frown.

“Didn’t you already give me your present earlier on?”

“Uh,” Jonghyun’s face went scarlet again. “It was prepared by Jungshin, actually. I had no idea you’d be coming.”

“Oh, I guess that makes us quits, then.”

“Yeap, but I’m going to give you something too.” Jonghyun said slowly, walking over to his bed before lifting the blanket. There was a small and long rectangular black box, and it looked rather elegant. Shyly, Jonghyun passed her the gift. “I didn’t go out to buy the present, but this pen meant a lot to me. My mother gave me this before she died.”

“I can’t accept this,” Jinsun pushed the box back into Jonghyun’s hand, her eyes wide. “It’s too precious.”

“No, take it.” Jonghyun pushed it back into hers. “I want you to have it.”

“I’ll take it then, but don’t feel burdened or shy to ask for it back if you want to.” Jinsun was smiling again, and Jonghyun could have sworn he felt something flutter in his stomach. Fighting back tears that suddenly threatened to leak, he swallowed the lump in his throat.

“Merry Christmas to you, Jinsun.”

Then they both glanced at the digital clock on the wall.

11 : 59 : 58

Grinning, Jinsun threw her arms around Jonghyun’s broad shoulders.

“Merry Christmas to you too, hippo.”

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE! ♥ ^^ i hope you had fun today! ♥
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