On the evening of the fourth, Hongbin announced he wanted to take pictures of the Christmas lights at the square just a few streets from their apartment and Taekwoon immediately perked up. He was disappointed to see Wonshik didn't look so enthusiastic.

"I'll stay home. I see them everyday at work," he groaned, face down on the sofa.

"I'll come. I haven't seen them yet," Taekwoon said softly.

Hakyeon was already going across the hall to fetch his coat and Taekwoon hurried to follow. He was extremely pleased to find Wonshik wrapped up alongside Hongbin when they met outside in the hallway a few minutes later.

"I changed my mind," Wonshik muttered in answer to Hakyeon's raised eyebrow.

When they arrived, the square was jam-packed with people and Taekwoon drew his coat tighter, trying to make himself as small as possible in defence against the pressing crowd.

A huge fir tree graced the centre of the square, the luxurious decorations of red and gold putting their own meagre trees to shame, and strings of white lights stretched across the avenues, shaped into bells and holly and stars. On the ground, he could catch only glimpses between the throng of reindeer sculptures woven out of wire and lights. They seemed to be the attraction that most people were flocking towards and Hongbin didn't hesitate to squeeze through the crowd, Hakyeon in tow.

Taekwoon turned round to look for Wonshik but couldn't see him, irrationally worried. It wasn't as if the man could get lost.

The crowd soon became too much, so he moved to the edge of the square and stood beneath a streetlamp with lights in the shape of a shooting star curving out the side of the post. He continued to keep an eye out for the others, wondering if he should just go home considering he'd already gotten his fill of the Christmas lights, when someone nudged his elbow.

It was Wonshik holding two cups of steaming hot chocolate. He held one out for Taekwoon to take.

"Made it myself," he declared proudly and gestured to the coffee shop on a nearby street corner, heaving with customers, in response to Taekwoon's confusion. "I work just over there," he explained.

Taekwoon accepted it gratefully and they stood in silence, sipping their drinks and stamping their feet as they gazed at the sights around them. Taekwoon couldn't keep from glancing at Wonshik whenever the younger man wasn't looking, feeling his face grow hot when he decided that Wonshik shone more brightly than any silly lights ever could.

Just as they finished their drinks and dropped the cups in a nearby bin, Hakyeon and Hongbin emerged from the crowds. Hakyeon was sulking, reaching for Hongbin's camera and whining at him to delete a photo as the younger fought him off with his elbow and sniggered at the screen.

The stroll home felt extremely quiet as the buzz of people faded and it was made quieter still when he and Wonshik began to trail behind the other two. They had their hands in their pockets as they scuffed their feet on the pavement and their elbows kept knocking together, but neither apologised or made to move away.

In the dim lighting of the street lamps, he could just make out Hakyeon turning his head to look back at them and Taekwoon was sure he was grinning.