"This is your house?" Seulgi asked, jaw dropped as Jongin swerved the car around the tall, marble fountain in the center of a blue pool beneath it upon entering the rod iron gate at the front of a huge house that seemed to have at least four stories. The roof was peaked, slanting down at an angle. The cream coating of the paint shined as the sun beat down on it, snow falling against all corners. Bushes cleanly trimmed littered the parts of the lawns on either sides of the house, a stretch of trees aligned next to it as well.    Jongin chuckled to himself watching Seulgi's expression as he pulled the car to a slow stop. He clicked off his seatbelt and rushed to open the door for Seulgi.    "THIS IS YOUR HOUSE?" Seulgi repeated, carefully standing up, jaw still in its position earlier, cringing as the sun directly hit her eyes when she tilted her head upwards observing the height of the house. "Like where you lived and stuff??"   Jongin closed the door behind her, locking the car with his keys and still mumbling a small laugh as Seulgi fully stepped out of the car.    Seulgi still looked like she was in complete awe. "Like you grew up here and like-- actually ate, slept, lived and stuff??"   "Yes, Seul. I ate, slept, lived and stuff here." Jongin heaved a short sigh, putting his hands on her shoulders pushing her towards the steps in front of the entrance. She gave in under the strength of Jongin's push, their breath rising in visible puffs as they breathed under the winter and once they walked up the last step, the tall wooden doors were instantly opened for them.    Mr. Wu, Jongin's father's secretary, was the one who did. "Mr. Kim." He greeted them with a bow, stepping aside, and allowing them to enter. A couple of maids were behind the door already prepared to get their coats for them and accomodate to their needs.   The black and white linoleum floor of the large room glowed, obviously never failed to be polished and cleaned every single day. White furniture surrounded the room, chandeliers hung from the ceiling glistening under the luminescent light, giving the space a modern feel. A ten foot Christmas tree stood in the corner behind the array of couches. Numerous doorways were everywhere around the room, staircases on either sides climbing toward the ceiling. The walls were painted a shade of dark blue with silver brush swipes across it, creating a shimmering effect, a row of family portraits hung on one of the longest ones. Once Jongin entered, all the maids immediately bowed 90 degrees downwards as if on cue, startling an oblivious Seulgi who bowed in return.   "Annyeonghaseyo." Seulgi greeted them all softly.   Jongin waved a hand, signalling them to rise shrugging off his coat covered in white flakes and handed it off to one of them, mumbling a soft thank you as he did. Seulgi followed and the maid immediately rushed away upon grabbing it.   "Thank you for letting us in." Jongin turned his attention to Mr. Wu next to him, patting down the sleeves of his turtleneck sweater. "I expect that the boxes for packing have already been prepared?"   He nodded in response. "Yes, they're all upstairs infront of your father's study." He explained. "The maids will do the actual packing, but since you're the only one allowed in your father's room, it would be best if you, yourself, took his needed things out."   "Alright." Jongin replied. "I'll have it done before the evening."   "They'll be delivered to California as soon as you are." He assured him. "Just call if there's anything else you'll need, Mr. Kim. I'll be heading out now, and we're expecting you at the company tomorrow?"    "Yes, thank you for coming on such short notice, Mr. Wu." Jongin nodded. "Go ahead, spend the day with your family." He insisted, kindly grinning at him. "Merry Christmas, I'll see you tomorrow."   Mr. Wu nodded in acknowledgement and gratitude before he closed the large doors behind him upon exiting.   Jongin whirled around finding Seulgi still frozen in her stance, eyes wandering all over the entire parameter of the house. He walked towards in front of her face, placing his hands on both her arms. "Hey." He lightly shook her.   "Sorry." Seulgi snapped out of her daze. "I'm still, uh-- still..."    "It's alright, I know it's a lot to take in-- Baby!" Jongin shrieked.   "Haven't we already established how pet names are not my thing?" Seulgi snapped, turning around to face him.   She instantly saw Jongin down on his knees, a little brown toy poodle in his arms, deliberately his cheek as the grin on Jongin's face widened. "I missed you so much, my baby Monggu, I'm sorry I haven't been visiting often--" Jongin said, using baby talk. Seulgi stared in awe. "And wow, you've gone XXL, huh. Little baby needs to go on walks more often."   Seulgi laughed at this side of Jongin she's never seen before. "Who's this little guy?"   Jongin stood up, carrying the poodle with him up to Seulgi's height. "This is Monggu, he's an Airedale Terrier. He explained. "Say hi to Seulgi, baby. Say hiiii." He mumbled, raising the dog's paw for her to shake.   Seulgi snorted at the tone of voice he was still using, holding onto Monggu's paw and gently shaking it. "Hi, Monggu. It's nice to meet you." She smiled at the overjoyed puppy in Jongin's grasp.   "Why don't you go keep Seulgi company first?" Jongin suggested having Seulgi nod in excitement, passing the dog over to her carefully. "Take a seat, I'll just go find someone." Jongin announced, giving Monggu's head a light pat.   Seulgi adjusted Monggu in her arms, feeling her weight take over her and walked towards one of the couches as Jongin disappeared into one of the doorways on the opposite side.    ---   "Mrs. Choi?" Jongin called out upon entering the kitchen. "Mrs. Choi!!!!" He repeated, looking around until he was met by a slap on the back of his neck, seeming to have been done by a bunch of rolled newspapers. He turned around, "Mrs. Choi!" He greeted brightly, instantly embracing the woman with average height dressed in a white and maroon uniform, hair cleanly tied up in a bun, a wide grin spreading across his face.   The woman pushed him off, her expression remaining blank and with a tint of rage. "Don't Mrs. Choi, Mrs. Choi me!" She burst, repeatedly hitting his arm again with the newspapers in hand. "You suddenly leave and never visit home for three years, and you speak as if you've left messages every single day!"   "I missed you too, Mrs. Choi." Jongin smirked at her, neglecting her burst of infurity. Mrs. Choi was the head of the house help in their house. When Jongin was at his worst, he only had Mrs. Choi on his side. Mrs. Choi relieved the bits of loneliness crawling inside of him when he felt imprisoned in that house especially when his mom passed away. He looked at Mrs. Choi almost like a second mother, and if there was anything he regretted leaving in that house he saw as a hellhole, it was her.   "You brat, a few messages would have been enough!" She continued to scold him.    "Hey, I did! I passed on a few through Mr. Wu." Jongin said, defending himself, rubbing the part of his arm she hit with his palm.   She glared at him, rather terrifyingly. "And you thought that was enough???"    "You just said--" He backed away, avoiding the newspapers Mrs. Choi raised up again in his direction. "Can we please have a decent conversation before you rip my arm out, please?" He pouted, continually rubbing his throbbing arm.   "Fine." She scoffed. "What are you doing here?"   "Getting some of dad's stuff, per noona's orders." He responded softly, standing straight again. "And I wanted to introduce you to someone." He plastered on another smile, walking back towards the doorway he came from, Mrs. Choi following behind him.   "Who is it?" She asked, hand gripped onto the walking stick supporting her movements.    Jongin turned around and placed a hand on her back and on her arm, helping her walk as well but Mrs. Choi stopped once she caught sight of the girl petting Monggu on her lap, sitting on one of the couches in the center of the living room. She turned her head, hiding behind the wall separating the hallway they were in and the living room, hitting Jongin again with the newspapers in her other hand. "Kim Jongin, you come here after three years and you still bring home another tramp--"   "She's my girlfriend." Jongin cut her off.   Mrs. Choi's immediately eyes enlarged, utter surprise taking over her. "Did you just say girlfriend?"   Jongin chuckled and softly nodded.   She hit him another time. "You do not just bluntly say news like that, it is bad manners!" She groaned, her wrinkles appearing on her forehead as she cringed at Jongin.    "You have got to really have stop hitting me, the blood flow in my arm's about to permanently stop." He whined, cringing at her. "I might have to spend Christmas in the hospital."   "How long have you been seeing her?" She asked, ignoring him.   ---   What Jongin didn't know was Seulgi could hear their entire conversation in the hallway from where she was seated. And once she heard what Jongin called her, she was immediately put under a state of panic. She felt tighten up at the comment, gasping for air, her heartrate speeding up and without thinking, she gently placed Monggu back on the floor and stood up, entering one of the nearest doors she could find.    Girlfriend?? Her thoughts screamed. It hasn't even been a day and he's already calling me his girlfriend-- god, he knows how sensitive I am when it comes to these things-- and--   She leaned against the door she banged shut, placing a palm on her forehead, breathing heavily before she slowly opened her eyes and absorbed the room she just entered. Vinyl floor coating brushed against the soles of her boots and she instantly knew where she was when she tilted her head up seeing her reflecting bouncing off of the long mirror stretching along one of the walls directly infront of her. She looked around again, having her insides calm down. As if a higher being guided her here, her mind blankened from her earlier thoughts because there was no place she felt more at peace in than in a dance studio.    Her eyes started wandering again, turning towards the wall with a few shelves attached to it. Countless trophies were arranged on it, beside were numerous gold, silver and bronze medals hung and frames with photos of what looked like competitions and performances. She moved in closer, staring at a young child whom she immediately recognized as a younger Jongin in the photos. There was no mistaking that bronze skin, and that smile that not only reached his eyes but looked like they could reach the heavens. Seulgi read the letters engraved on the trophies, discovering how practically all of them distinctly said first place. Her breathing returned to a regular pace, when the door she entered through suddenly creaked back open.   "Hey," Jongin's head peeped through. "I was looking for you."   Seulgi turned her head towards him, carefully putting down the trophy she had in hand.   "At least text me if you're moving around, alright?" Jongin requested as he walked closer to her. "If you haven't noticed, it isn't exactly