From the kitchen I could hear the sound of the two of them talking in the living room as I stirred the tea. This whole situation really set my teeth on edge. Eying the murky looking liquid that I had created, I doubted it was even edible – although I didn’t know how wrong you could really go with tea. With any luck, they would both pass out from the taste and this horrific evening would over.

Carrying the two mugs through (I threw my own away after seeing the colour), I placed them down on their coasters and tried to pick up what they were talking about. I took a seat on the edge of the armrest so that I was between the two of them, but not to the extent that I had to worry about them staring at me when talking to the other.

“Well, yes. My grades are like that,” Sehun was saying with a little smile. I sort wished I knew what they were talking about – it was hard to understand without proper context.

My father hummed in agreement. “Good. Working hard at school is very important. It really can make or break your future,” he raised his eyebrows and looked down at Sehun, “remember that.”

“Yes. I will.”

I had never heard Sehun speaking so politely before; it was weird. I watched as both my father and Sehun picked up their tea. My father looked at the colour of it, wrinkled his nose and put it down again, muttering to himself without tasting it. Sehun seemed to notice the colour as well, but he gingerly took a sip which resulted in him almost spitting it out but he swallowed it with a grimace before setting the cup down far away from himself. Perhaps it tasted worse than I had thought.

“What were the two of you talking about?” I asked, trying not to sound too curious.

“This and that,” my father elusively answered. I internally rolled my eyes. “So, Sehun,” my father’s attention shot back to Sehun. “What does your family do?”

I felt myself stiffen a little. Of course my father and I knew what Sehun’s family did, but this was not the same position as what Sehun had told me before. I believe he had told me that his father worked for a company’s executive. I know that he had tried to tell me the truth about his father the other evening, after I had had the unpleasant experience of meeting his father. From the way Sehun glanced at me almost nervously, I could tell that he wanted to tell my father the truth but didn’t at the same time because this would be a horrible time for me to find out he had lied. On the other hand, what if Sehun returned the question and asked about my father’s line of work. My father didn’t know that I had passed his career of as working for a finance company.

This was my time to intercept. “Sehun’s father works for an executive. I think it’s probably quite similar to your father’s work at that finance company. I just wish it didn’t keep you out of the country so much.” I hoped that my quick answer would explain the situation to my father. One brief second of eye contact later and I knew that my father had caught on.

“Oh, I see. This is a busy time of year for us all. I’m barely still for a moment, so this is only a flying visit.” He nodded in my direction when he said the last part.

Sehun agreed, “Yes, Mira was telling me how busy you are.” Did I? I certainly didn’t recall telling him that. But in my web of lies, who even knew what had been said anymore?

My father looked pointedly at me, “Have you told Sehun about how I won’t be here at Christmas and you’ll be all alone?”

I felt my eyebrow pucker in confusion at his words before I could control my reaction. It had been my understanding that I would be spending Christmas at my usual house, alone as always. So, no, it was not particularly noteworthy. If anything, it would probably make Sehun suspicious if I told him that I wasn’t spending Christmas with my family.

“No, she didn’t,” Sehun replied, looking to me with concern as if my father had just told him I had some sort of incurable disease. Supressing the urge to roll my eyes at his melodramatic expression, I almost scoffed instead and told him that I was pretty used to it now.

“What are you planning for Christmas, Sehun? Just home with the family?” my father pressed, clearly an alternative goal in his mind. I, too, was curious about what Sehun had planned for Christmas. It wasn’t like he was on good terms with his father so I doubted he wanted to go there for an occasion like this.

Sehun shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable by the situation my father had placed him in. I saw his Adams apple bob as he swallowed. “Um . . . well, the thing is . . .” I held my breath, nervous about what he was about to say. “I don’t really get on very well with my father,” Sehun paused to glance nervously at my father before continuing. “So I’ll probably just stay at home or maybe go to one of my friend’s houses.” I could see it now: Sehun turning up at Baekhyun’s house on Chris