His doorbell rang.
 
Monday, the eighteenth of December, it was a day Yongguk always looked forward to. It officially marks Christmas for him. It was always a week long celebration. 
 
He was used to it when he still lived with his family and even as he lived alone he still follows the tradition: Christmas tree, Christmas lights, stockings hung by the chimney, sumptuous meals that Natasha used to blame for the extra five pounds she gained, sending of gifts and cards to relatives he only gets to see when someone gets Christened, married or died. Yongguk never missed sending for each one of them.
 
Yongguk got up excitedly and checked the stove for the ramen that he was cooking.
 
But it wasn’t only in Yongguk's house that Christmas danced merrily with its red sparkly shoes. A blanket of white snow covered the ground and draped over the trees. Everyone smiled more brightly and nodded greeting one another. Christmas carols can be heard throughout the neighborhood. Every house (Christian home owners or not) had Christmas decorations that were to be judged and awarded by their town mayor (Yongguk's own mom who is Christmas crazed just like his son. And yes, they do still live in the same neighborhood).
 
Yongguk rushed to the door expectantly but only saw Jieun, the landlady's daughter. She was carrying a box of cookies with a card on it. Yongguk just gave a bashful smile, muttered thanks to her and let her leave with a wave. Ever since he moved in, she never failed to bring him cookies, sweets, anything for holidays like Christmas, new year or chuseok. Himchan keeps telling him that Jieun was' totally begging for his d' but Yongguk, being the nice Christian boy that he is, would say that she was just being nice and that this too was a sign of Christmas ("That is an anti-dibs. Don't lunge at me if I get to bang her one of these days. I would like to taste some of them cookies too, Gukkie-cookie." Yongguk would just shrug).
 
The most obvious sign of the Yuletide season however was a letter from Saint Bede's House for Angels that he had received two days ago. 
 
Saint Bede's was an orphanage in Jeollado where Yongguk's father came from. His dad was orphaned at the age of seven but was adopted just two years after by his foster family. When Mr Bang settled down and was lucky enough to make himself financially stable, he did all he could to help out the old orphanage. He sent money and visited whenever he had the time. Additionally, during the Christmas season, he would take in a child or two for a week. They would be foster home to an angel who would probably be adopted in a year or two because Sister Jovana always sent the best looking and best behaving ones. If you behaved well and look cute enough, chances are high that you get adopted soon. 
 
The family was used to having their special guests yearly and treated them like they would their own child or sibling. Mrs Bang would cook the best meals and Natasha would help her around the kitchen. Yongnam and Yongguk were in charge of not making a mess and keeping themselves out of trouble. 
 
It was always busy, Christmas week. But Yongguk had always liked it because for a week, he gets to be an older brother. He was always the maknae all year long and it felt really nice when someone called him hyung or oppa. He also liked it because he gets to show someone his scrapbook of current events (that Yongnam likes to make fun of. "Who has time for that?") to someone who was remotely interested. The foster kids were always more attentive to people who paid attention to them.
 
Yongguk turned off the stove and prepared two bowls, two pairs of chopsticks and two spoons. He set it carefully on the mat on the floor as there was no proper table in his apartment aside from the one that he used when writing lyrics. He likes it that way. Also, tables were a hazard to children who tend to bump into anything and knock over everything as they go.
 
When Yongguk turned eighteen, he started working as a lyricist and songwriter for a struggling musician, Kim Himchan. They became good friends and had a good working relationship. With his musical skills and Himchan's charisma, they raked in thousands of bucks in no time. He moved out of the house and lived on his own like he wanted to. But his apartment was only five blocks away from their old house (due to his mother insisting that it would be more convenient and that the landlady will give a discount because she was a friend). He would come home during Christmas week and still enjoy his mom's home-cooked meals (not that he didn’t go home for dinner when he was too lazy to cook; he was only five blocks away anyway).
 
By the time that Yongguk was twenty, Himchan was already a nationally recognized star and him a lyricist and songwriter hiding behind the name Jepp Blackman. It was then that he decided to be a foster father for a child from Saint Bede's.
 
They usually don't let young people to be foster parents, especially unmarried ones, but the Bangs were very much revered benefactors to the orphanage. Yongguk sent a good portion of his earnings to them, royalties and all. So it wasn’t that hard to persuade them to let him give a child a foster home. 
 
He was really a good foster father. His first foster child was an eight year old girl named Tam. He could still remember that the first ever meal he cooked for her was ramen like the one he cooked just now. He even made a scrapbook about her. He took lots of pictures and even wrote songs about her ("I am not old enough to sing songs about fatherhood, Yongguk! Are re you trying to ruin my idol image?" Himchan would bellow). 
 
One thing he was not good at, however, was letting go of his foster children. He slumped into a month long depression when Tam got adopted. So the next year, he decided to keep it to a week's maximum. He only invites a child over during Christmas week like what they did in his father's house. But even then, he would still get a little too attached. Pictures of the chubby cheeked Tammy, scrawny little Jongup and handsome little Jungkook , all lined up in frames atop his piano, the biggest object in his apartment.
 
He sat on the floor, looking at the pot of ramen. Would his son-for-a-week like his ramen like Tammy did? What could Tammy be doing at this moment? Do her adoptive parents treat her right? Did she miss Yongguk-appa like he missed her? Did Jongup and Jungkook get adopted like Tam? Maybe he should give Sister Jovana a call and ask if he could make an adoption. All these things were running through his mind and he slightly blames Natasha for getting married too early and Yongnam for moving to the states two years ago. Now their parents fly to New York for Christmas week to see him and Yongguk is left alone in Seoul waiting for his foster child with a bowl of ramen quickly cooling down.
 
It was nearly nine o'clock when his doorbell chimed and he quickly got up open it.
 
"I'm Junhong from Saint Bede's. I… This address… " 
 
Standing behind his door was this tall and lanky teenage boy. Tall was an understatement. He was towering over Yongguk, a fully grown adult. His hair was dyed the color of tomato with a dark undergrowth. Needless to say, Yongguk was more than a little surprised because he wasn’t informed in the letter that Junhong was one goliath of a teenager. He was expecting a boy that stood up to his waist and would need to be tucked in bed after he read a story. Nonetheless, he smiled at the boy and opened the door wider.
 
"Come in." 
 
Junhong entered shyly and roamed his eyes around the apartment before setting them on Yongguk. 
 
Yongguk motioned to the small feast that he has prepared himself and the boy sat down quietly as Yongguk ran to his kitchen (five steps away from his dining area) to get kimchi and water. 
 

 
He had a young face, round eyes and pale skin, bitten pink by the cold winter air. 
 
Yongguk's apartment was definitely warmer than the wintry weather outside but he still thought that the boy's clothes were too chilly so he lent him some warm clothes that the boy wordlessly accepted and slipped over his own.
 
The grey sweater looked cheery on Junhong even if it barely covered his wrists. 
 
The day went on quietly as Junhong was a really shy boy who answered Yongguk's attempts at small talk with polite conversation enders. By lunch time, Yongguk already ran out of things to say as he didn’t want to prod Junhong with questions. He learnt from years of being a foster brother that you don't ask orphans about their parents. You don't ask them if they were abandoned or their family were dead. They will give you their answers when and if they are ready.
 
You don't ask them when and if they are going to be adopted as none of them are ever sure that a family will be kind enough to take them as a responsibility forever. If they are going to be adopted, they would be adopted in a year or two. Three at most. Or never at all. 
 
If they don't get adopted, they must find work quickly and leave when they turn eighteen. Almost no one above twelve was adopted because adoptive parents wanted children and not teenagers. So if you turn thirteen in Saint Bede's, you better learn something that you can make a living out of once you are sent off. 
 
According to Junhong he was seventeen. 
 
And so, Yongguk didn't ask any other questions.
 

 
Since Yongguk was expecting a younger child that could snuggle in bed with him, he wasn’t able to prepare a proper bed for Junhong. And so, that night he had to phone Himchan to lend him a mattress for a week. 
 
Himchan arrived in his white Porche. Looking not too pleased but nevertheless complying to his friend's small favor. ("I looked ridiculous! Kim Himchan driving around a mattress at the backseat of his top-down. Them hounds will have my pictures all over tabloids tomorrow. You better not write me a cheesy song about being a father of a teenage kid.")
 
After Himchan left, Junhong helped him to take the mattress to the bedroom. It was going well until they couldn't fit the two beds in the room because Himchan's mattress was king sized. Yongguk ended up folding his own futon and hauled it away to make room for the bigger bed.
 
"We'd both fit in here anyway. You okay with sharing a bed?"
 
Junhong nodded and put his bag at the corner of the room. 
 

 
"Where is your family?"
 
Both Junhong and Yongguk weren't sleeping. They both laid on Himchan's mattress, a pillow between them, staring at the perforated ceiling and playing an unofficial quiet game wherein Junhong just lost as he asked Yongguk a question.
 
"My parents are in New York with my twin for the holidays. And my sister lives in Busan with her husband." Yongguk answered thoughtfully. This was the first time Junhong said anything aside from one word answers to his own questions. 
 
"Don't you ever get lonely? Being alone… I mean."
 
Yongguk thought for a while. Does he ever get lonely?
 
"Not really. My parents would return on New Year. I get to visit them often because they live just a few blocks away. And on Christmas, you'd be here with me, right? There's no need to be lonely." For some reason that Yongguk didn’t know, his words came out awkwardly. But Junhong didn’t seem to notice.
 
"I guess you're right." Junhong closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
 

 
The next day, they went to Lotte World. Yongguk already got the tickets before Junhong arrived and the boy said that he was okay with going to the amusement park but Yongguk knew that he probably just felt guilty because that would be wasted money. 
 
But unlike what Yongguk expected, Junhong looked like he was truly enjoying their first bonding day. Although he was seventeen and more than six feet tall, Junhong was still and acted like a kid. Yongguk was glad that he could buy the boy hot bars and an ice cream cone (despite the cold weather). 
 
They rode the tallest roller coaster and most of the rides (Junhong letting out screams, having the time of his life, while Yongguk just smiled and chuckled). The only ride that Junhong refused to go near to was the pirate ship that swung in a crazy angle, the  Viking. Yongguk didn’t push the kid though since he also had enough of stomach turning rides. At the end of the day, Junhong was already comfortable with calling Yongguk 'hyung' and the latter ruffling the younger's hair that he fondly calls strawberry flavored. 
 

 
"Who are the kids on the piano, beside your family picture?"
 
Yongguk smiled and handed Junhong hot milk before he sat on the piano chair. 
 
"They were my foster children. That one is Tam. She lived with me for four months. She's a very smart girl and very good at  drawing too. That one in the left frame is Jongup. He was one energetic little kid. Kept bumping his head on the table and other furniture so I got them all moved out. He stayed two Christmases ago. And that one is Jungkook. He was here last Christmas. He has a very nice voice… I suppose you’d have met him since it was just last year he was here…. " Yongguk trailed off as he looked back up at Junhong who was standing beside him.
 
"It seems like you really loved them… I never thought someone would actually display foster kids' pictures on frames... I haven't met any of them. Must've been adopted before I arrived. I've only been in Saint Bede's for two months. " Junhong said as he ran a finger on the white keys.
 
"Of course, I love them. I still do." For a moment, there was a look in Yongguk's face that Junhong thought can be only be described bittersweet. 
 
"Will you put my picture on the piano after I'm gone?"
 
"Most likely."
 
That night, the pillow between them was just nestled between Junhong's long legs and they talked more freely. The boy was more animated than he was the night before and Yongguk was smiling more genuinely. They talked about sports, computer games and music all night. They were all smiles and laughter until the clock struck twelve and they were too tired. 
 
Silence was leading Yongguk to dreamland when his newfound friend spoke.
 
"My parents died in a sinking ship." Junhong's tone was low and somber. "My dad… he gave me his life vest. Told me to go alone in the rubber boat since there was only room for one."
 
Yongguk didn’t know how to answer. All his life, he had a whole family. Yes, a relative would pass away once in a few years but those relatives were ones he never really got to know. The closest he ever got to losing a loved one was when his foster kids had to leave, which he knew would come anyway. He never asked how these kids lost their parents. He never talked to them about anything remotely sad. How was he supposed to know how to comfort a boy who just lost both parents in a tragedy a few months ago?
 
"The government sent me to Saint Bede's after they sold my parents' property. They said I'd be able to get the money when I turn eighteen." The boy exhaled.
 
"They should've left the house alone. I wouldn’t know what to do with the money anyhow. I don’t have any relatives or friends. I have no idea how to start a business like they advise me to. If I were ten, do you think I'd be adopted?" Junhong's eyes were bereft and moist and Yongguk had no words to soothe them.
 
"Everything will be okay."
 
Of course Yongguk didn’t know that things will be okay for sure. But he had nothing else to say. He made up for it by pulling the boy into his embrace, humming a song that he was writing since yesterday. 
 
That night, Yongguk's shirt was wet with Junhong's tears. But the spot was dried up by the heat of the stove next morning as he cooked pancakes for the both of them.