“So today, we’re going to be writing letters to Santa!” Yesung said cheerily to all the children, “I want you all to write to him what you want for Christmas and if you’ve been naughty or nice this year, okay?”

    All the kids agreed and started writing on the papers in front of them with their different colored crayons. Yesung looked over at his partner and noticed something was off about him.

    “We’ll be right back children! You all be good!” Yesung led Sungmin into the playroom and looked at him confused, “Are you alright? You seem a bit upset today.”

    Sungmin sighed, “Yesung, how did you meet Ryeowook?”
    Yesung was taken aback by the sudden question, but answered anyway, “Well, he was working at Absalom, the four star restaurant downtown and I was on a date with this girl for Valentine's day. He was working alone, busing thirty tables on his own, so he was constantly running around but after he arrived at my table, I knew he was the person I wanted to be on a date with and not the girl I was with. I told her I was going to the bathroom, when I actually went to see him. I waited against the door of the kitchen and when he came out with plates lined up his arms, I tried to stop him but he didn’t see me. Instead he ran into me, dropping food all over the place. We both landed on the floor. I had spaghetti on my head while he was covered in soda. I looked up at him and smiled, telling him my name. We both kinda just laughed it all off and I invited him for a drink at my place and… Well, now we’ve been together for four years.” Yesung said happily, then realized he was talking to Sungmin, “Why do you ask?”

    Sungmin smiled at the story, “That’s really sweet.”

    “Did something happen, Sungmin?”

    Sungmin looked at the ground and kicked the ground lightly with his foot, “I had a date with Naomi last night.”

    “That girl you’ve been chasing?” Yesung questioned, “How did it go?”

    Sungmin shrugged, “I dunno. It was good I guess but… Well…”

    “What is it?”

    He sighed and looked back up at Yesung, “She’s Kyuhyun’s ex and she told me I should stay away from him. Last night I was standing outside in the snow and I could’ve sworn I heard Kyuhyun say my name, but no one was there. So I headed back upstairs and I swear I saw him standing outside but when I blinked again, he was gone.”

    “Oh boy, sounds like someone’s got a crush.”

    Sungmin rolled his eyes, “We already knew that.”

    “No, not on Naomi, on Kyuhyun.”

    “What!?” Sungmin laughed, “Are you crazy?”

    Yesung shrugged, “Maybe but think about it, Sungmin, it’s not as crazy as it seems.”

    Yesung walked past Sungmin, leaving him with his jaw dropped. ‘There’s no way in hell I could like that bastard!’ Sungmin thought to himself, ‘Gross’.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

    Sungmin sat in the auditorium seats alone after practice for the musical. He should be at the bar by now but he didn’t care too much. He stared at the stage in front of him and noticed the piano sitting a top the stage. Sungmin stood and walked up the steps of the stage. Sitting down on the bench, he pulled the cover off of the instrument and opened the lid. Staring down at the piano keys, he pressed one of them and blushed, hearing the noise echo through the whole auditorium. He looked around at the empty building, just to be sure no one was around.

    He sighed and smiled at the piano below him. He was flooded with memories of his mother. Before her alzheimer’s disease, she used to teach him piano and sing to him all the time. She taught him how to play the piano and that was one thing Sungmin always cherished. When she passed, there was one song that he always sang around Christmas time. It was a song that he wrote for his mother. Sungmin sniffled to prevent himself from crying. He hadn’t played the song for a few years because it hurt him to sing but seeing the piano sitting there with no one around, he decided he needed to sing it again this year, for her, for his mom. He pressed a couple of keys and the notes flooded over him in a wave as if he was remembering the song all at once. (I Don't Wanna Spend One More Christmas Without You)

This is the time of year, that we learn to give

And the greatest gift is in learning to forgive

I will have the best time that I ever knew

If you forgive me and I forgive you

I don't want to light a fire

Unless it will warm your heart

I'm playin no holiday songs

I need you to sing your part

And momma if I could have just one wish come true

I don't wanna spend one more Christmas without you

Sungmin’s voice was shaky and tears were falling but he continued anyway.

It's so hard to believe

I’m staring at the end

When all I think about is getting up again

Whatever I lost, when we were apart

I'll find it all alone in the dark

I don't wanna light a fire

Unless it will warm your heart

I'm playin no holiday songs

I need you to sing your part

And momma if I could have just one wish come true

I don't wanna spend one more Christmas without you

There's nothing more that I want this year

Then to be here together

And stay here forever with you

There's no one I ever knew

That I wanted to spend Christmas with, more than you…

Sungmin was bawling, but still sang the song for his mother with all his might.

I don't want to light a fire

Unless it will warm your heart

I'm playin no holiday songs

I need you to sing your part

If I could have just one wish come true

I don't wanna spend one more Christmas without you

I don't want to light a fire

Unless it will warm your heart

I'm playin no holiday songs

I need you to sing your part

And momma if I could have just one wish come true

Sungmin took a deep breath before calmly playing the ending.

I don't wanna spend one more Christmas

I don't wanna spend one more Christmas

I don't wanna spend one more Christmas

“Without you.”

Sungmin jumped and unexpectedly hit some wrong keys before turning around at the voice behind him. Kyuhyun was standing there with his hands shoved in the pockets of his coat. He had a red scarf wrapped around his neck and some snow in his hair. He was wearing long black skinny jeans and tilted his head with a small smile.

Sungmin was lost for words as to why Kyuhyun was here and how long he had been standing there. Kyuhyun rocked on his feet and looked at the ground nervously.

“W-What are you doing here?”

“You have a nice voice.” Kyuhyun ignored the question. “Did you write that?”

Sungmin turned his back to the taller male and wiped his tears, “Leave me alone.”

“D-Did you get my card?”

“Just go away, Kyuhyun.”

Kyuhyun knew something was wrong with Sungmin and disobeyed his request. Instead, he sat on the stage, pulling his knees close to him. “I waited for you last night.” Sungmin didn’t reply so he continued talking, “You said you’d help me cook, so I didn’t eat anything either. I thought you were just out getting ingredients but then by nine-thirty, I figured you weren’t coming home.” Kyuhyun sniffled, “It was nice of you to offer to teach me to cook, I just wish you would’ve kept your promise.”

“I didn’t promise you anything.” Sungmin replied coldly.

Kyuhyun nodded slightly even though he knew Sungmin wasn’t looking, “You really weren’t paying attention, were you?”

Sungmin softened up a bit and looked back at Kyuhyun who was sitting on the floor, “What did I say?”

Kyuhyun ignored Sungmin’s question again, “How was your date last night?”

“How did you know about that?” Sungmin questioned, confused.

Kyuhyun smiled softly, “I saw the way you looked at her and how happy you were yesterday, I just assumed you finally went for it.”

    “He was really mean to me, Sungmin. He would throw things at me and be super rude. I didn’t ever think he would do that to me.”

“What’s it matter to you?” Sungmin asked.

Kyuhyun shrugged, “I don’t know. Just thought I’d ask.”

“Well stop snooping around in my life.”

Kyuhyun bit his lip to prevent himself from replying in any way. He took a deep breath and stood up. Bowing to the older boy he said, “Good night, Sungmin.”

Kyuhyun his heel and left Sungmin alone in the auditorium. He turned back to the piano in front of him and closed the lid to the keys. He rested his arms on the lid and laid his head down.

“I’m so stupid.” He said to himself.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

    “I don’t know Donghae,” Sungmin said over the phone, “He always tells me I’m so nice to him even when we both know I’m not.”

    “Well it sounds like he just needs someone and ever since you came into his life, he only wants you.” Donghae replied.

    Sungmin stopped pacing and headed toward his kitchen. He grabbed a cup from the cupboard and filled it with water from the tap. “I just don’t know what to do, Hae.”

    “Well, you can either listen to Naomi, a girl you’ve never spoken to until after you met Kyuhyun, or you can listen to your heart. Who knows, maybe one of them is lying to you.”

    Sungmin sat down in one of the chairs at his dining room table and sighed, “Maybe… But what if my decision is wrong?”

    “That’s something you’re gonna have to figure out, Sungmin.” Donghae replied, “Anyway, I gotta go. I’ve gotta finish helping my dad put up the tree. I’ll see you on Monday when I fly home.”

    “Have a safe trip.” Sungmin said before saying goodbye and hanging up.

    Sungmin sighed and set his phone down on the dining room table. He looked down at the table and noticed the unopened card sitting there. He set down his drink and hesitated before reaching for the envelope.

    He picked up the card and rubbed his finger over the words on the envelope.

    To: Sungmin, my new friend

    From: Kyuhyun, I hope I’m yours too

    He took a deep breath before turning it over to the back and carefully opening the flap that was on. He pulled out a card with a cupcake with strawberries on top. He silently smiled at the front of the card, then opened it and read the words written by none other than Kyuhyun himself.

    Do you like the card? It reminded me of you, you know, with the cupcake and how sweet you are.

    Kekekeke

    Sungmin laughed sweetly and felt himself getting teary. He continued reading.

    Anyway, I didn’t know how to tell you this in words but ever since you came into my life, you’ve made everything so wonderful. You make me feel special with everything you do and all that you say. You remind me a lot of my parents, you know, before they passed. They were the only ones to teach me about life and you wanting to teach me how to cook made me feel pretty special. You made me forget about all the bad things that have happened to me and make me look forward to the future.

    Sungmin saw one of his tears fall onto the card and he wiped his face with his sleeve.

    I hope your date with her is all that you wished for. You’ll have to tell me how it went, of course, over a glass of wine(;

    Thank you Sungmin. Thank you for saving me.

- Cho Kyuhyun

    Sungmin set the card down and rested his forehead against his hand on the table. He felt terrible for treating him the way he did today, especially after reading that. ‘If only I had read it yesterday…’ Sungmin thought to himself, ‘Maybe I would’ve acted differently around him.’

    “I’m sorry, Kyuhyun...” Sungmin whispered to the empty apartment of his. “I’m sorry...”