Hello Everyone! Merry Christmas . .or was I a little too late? XD anyways, i decided to make a side story of my fic Paper Plane Boy.

I hope you like it. Happy Holidays ^^

The season has finally arrived, after months of waiting and waiting. Juniel had been already seeing the signs of its coming earlier. The colorful lights that twinkle on and off. The season’s carols playing on the radio. The stockings and socks hanging by the hearth. The season’s card greetings on display in every newsstands in stores. The special replica of a tree, that only appears in the season, adorned with the season’s ornaments. The thrill and excitement between people. And the first fall of snow. It all implies the Christmas season.

Juniel looked out on the bus’ window. She’s finally coming back to the countryside to celebrate Christmas. The city lights in Seoul are very appealing but Juniel prefers Christmas on the countryside. It’s more serene to celebrate it there. She feels very excited to be back, not to say celebrate Christmas with her mother and best friend. On contrary, the person sitting next to her shows no sign of excitement at all.

Jongin sat in silence, holding his dog Monggu close to him. Back in the School of Performing Arts, the two didn’t get along. They lived across from each other in this particular neighborhood. They’re not in good terms as a matter of fact. But they got acquainted when Juniel began tutoring Jongin. Still, they’re not pretty much in good terms. It was quite surprising when Jongin agreed to come with Juniel on the countryside to spend Christmas with her mother.

“We’re here.” Juniel told Jongin as the bus halted into a stop. The two got out from the bus and were released into the cold Christmas air. Juniel wrapped her scarf tightly around her neck to keep herself warm.

“Juniee!” called out a familiar deep voice. Juniel didn’t need to look whose voice it was because she knew very well the owner of that deep voice. Her only best friend, Park Chanyeol.

Chanyeol jogged up towards her the second he saw her got out of the bus. He was wearing this very thick coat and a furry hat that had flaps falling beside his ears. He opened up his arms and gave her a quick embrace.

Juniel was caught off guard when Chanyeol pulled her into a hug. Normally, they don’t engage in physical contact with each other, not because it was awkward, but because they’re not just the type. But she let him hugged her anyway.

“Merry Christmas.” Chanyeol grinned at the sight of his best friend. He missed her a lot ever since she went to Seoul.

“Merry Christmas, too, Yeol.”

Chanyeol eyed the person behind Juniel and his wide grin faded when he registered his face. He met Jongin once when he visited Juniel in Seoul and well, he didn’t like him that much.

“You remember Jongin?” Juniel asked.

“Uh, yeah.” Chanyeol replied but acted as if he didn’t care at all. “Uh, let’s go. It’s freezing out here and your mother’s waiting for you.

The three headed to Juniel’s home. It was small but to Juniel it was home. Juniel was welcomed with a warm embrace from her mother. Her mother looked very frail and weak when she left for Seoul but she finally had some color in her cheeks and she looked very healthy when she saw her mother again.

“I missed you, Omma.” Juniel’s voice was quite muffled as she spoke between her mother’s shoulders. She broke the embrace to take a good look of her mother. “You look very well.”

Her mother’s face lit up as the corners of turned up to a smile. “I miss you, too. Merry Christmas, Juniel.”

They enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate and a cake that Juniel’s mother prepared. It was such a simple gathering but it was a special one. The past Christmas only consisted of Juniel, her mother and Chanyeol but now there’s Jongin and later she’s going to see Taemin as well. That’s why Juniel wore a smile throughout the day.

- - -

After enjoying the food Juniel’s mother prepared, they decided to travel and visit Home of Little Dreams, the orphanage where Juniel’s mother worked as a cook before. When her mother started getting ill, Juniel asked her to quit the job and took her mother’s place.

The orphanage was filled with Christmas lights and snow-capped trees surrounded the grounds. A snowman, probably made by the children in the orphanage, stood by just outside the huge gate entrance of the orphanage and welcomed them. It was the first time Juniel’s mother visited back the place after she left the orphanage.

“Taemin!” Juniel exclaimed as soon as she saw the innocent boy wandering down the hallway inside. She ran up to him in excitement.

Taemin was the very first person she befriended when she got to her new school. Sure, there were a little few funny misunderstandings along the way on their newly-found friendship but they managed to get over with that. Taemin was different than anyone else Juniel had ever met. He was innocent as a newborn and naïve as a little kid, seeing as how he had grown up in an authoritarian family.

“Merry Christmas, Juniel!” Taemin happily greeted. He turned to the rest of Juniel’s company and gave them his usual bright smile. “Merry Christmas, everyone.”

Juniel’s mother gave him a smile. Chanyeol looked away, whistling as if he heard nothing. It seems as though he doesn’t want to get along with his best friend’s new friends. Jongin kept a straight face, patting Monggu’s head. When he found out that Taemin had actually eyes for his dog Monggu, he had gotten protective of his pet.

“Come on, they’re already starting upstairs.” Taemin told Juniel. It was a tradition for the children in the orphanage to sing carols and entertain everyone who came during Christmas season. In truth, Taemin’s grandfather owns the orphanage, something Juniel didn’t know. They ascended upstairs and got serenaded by sweet voices of little angels singing Christmas carols. By the time the children finished, Chanyeol, who was as childish as the little ones, played with them.

“Okay, let’s play house.” Chanyeol said to the children. “I’ll be the father and you’ll be all my children.” The little children laughed at the thought of Chanie the wolf, the nickname they gave him, being their father. Chanyeol then grabbed Juniel. “And Junie eonnie will be your mother.”

“I want to join!” Taemin chirped in, raising his hands frantically.

“Okay, then you’ll be our maid.” Chanyeol then spotted Jongin in the corner. “Jongin, you shall be our . . . uh, let’s see. Aha! You’ll be our dog!”

Jongin gave Chanyeol a deadly glare. “I didn’t ask to join.”

“Let me be the dog then! I can be Monggu’s brother!” Taemin butted in.

“Ahni.” Chanyeol disagreed. “Jongin suits the role better.”

Jongin protested but the children begged him so he had no choice but to give in. And so they played house with the rest of the children. Chanyeol being the sweet father to his kids, Juniel being the gentle mother, Taemin following Chanyeol’s orders while carrying his furry friend Monggu around and Jongin crouching on the floor while the kids take turns on riding on his back. Then they went out of the orphanage and played around in the snow, making snow angels and throwing balls of snow to each other.

“Here.” Juniel gave handed Chanyeol, Jongin and Taemin each a present. “It’s a hand-knitted scarf. I made it myself. It’ll keep you warm.”

“You made it? Wow.” Taemin uttered in disbelief as he immediately tore the wrapper open to check the scarf.

“It suits me perfectly, Juniel.” Chanyeol said, while wrapping the scarf around his neck. “Aww, you even had my name on it. Mine is really special.” He spoke the word with emphasis just so he could point out that he is more special compared to the two boys.

“I stitched all your names on each of your scarves.” Juniel corrected him.

Chanyeol fell silent. “OH.”

“Thanks.” Jongin muttered.

When the day was finally coming to its end, Juniel and the boys bid the kids and everyone in the orphanage goodbye. Before leaving the place, Juniel then noticed that something was in her backpack. She ped it and found a red box inside. Juniel opened the box, finding a pair of gloves and a paper plane on top. It had been a long time since she received paper planes from the person claiming as her paper plane boy. She unfolded the paper plane and saw the message.

My paper planes didn’t flew for quite awhile

So now I’m sending them back to make you smile

Snowflakes this season reminds me of you

Spending Christmas with you was a dream come true

“Juniel?” Chanyeol’s voice interrupted. Juniel realized she was smiling as she read the message and that the three boys all turned to look at her.

“Ah, let’s go.” Juniel chuckled nervously and ushered them out.

Her Christmas finally felt complete because she finally knew that she met her paper plane boy back in the orphanage again. The place where they first met.

She met him again because her paper plane boy was among those three boys with her who made this Christmas a beautiful and a worth-remembering one.