Written by: "Gyuukie" 

Pairing: Woogyu 

Prompt: Woohyun is the Spirit of Christmas. The only thing about Christmas Sunggyu cares for is presents. Woohyun decides to show Sunggyu what Christmas is all about. 

A/N: Probably not exactly what you expected. A little less fluffy than originally planned! Have fun reading. 

The Spirit of Christmas 
(Words: 16,157) 

Children all over the world believed in Santa Claus. They were excited on every Christmas Eve, lying in their beds with closed eyes but open ears. They hoped to hear Santa when he arrived on their roof and climbed into the house – optionally he entered through a window when there was no chimney. It was every kids dream to catch Santa in the act and meet him. To tell him about all of their dreams, wishes and hopes. Santa Claus was something like a distant relative to most children. A kind, old uncle, who ate their cookies and drank their milk, before leaving them a present under the Christmas tree.

Though all children loved Santa and yearned to get the presents they wanted, the holiday was also a time for family and fun. Most parents would be home for the holidays to celebrate with their children. They would do things like bake together, play at home or outside in the snow. They would get to visit their friends too and make many, many happy memories. Christmas was the best time of the year for children. No school. No homework. Just a fun time with family and friends. A holiday full of laughter and joy.

It was different for Sunggyu. As soon as he was old enough to perceive and understand the world around him, he learned that only material things were important. His parents were both busy people who earned a lot of money every day. His father worked as a CEO of one of the biggest companies in South Korea and his mother was a famous fashion designer. At a young age, Sunggyu did not understand the meaning behind those job names, but his nanny told him that his parents couldn’t help being at home so rarely. They were important people. They made money to pay for the house, the food, his education and pretty much everything else in his life. Even the love of the nanny was bought with that money.

The nanny was originally from London but she had gotten the job because Sunggyu’s parents wanted him to learn English from an early age on. Hannah spoke Korean too but whenever his parents were around, she only used English. Sunggyu found it hard to follow her then but he knew it would get better someday. His nanny was always around him. He couldn’t remember a day that Hannah hadn’t watched over him. She helped him with baths, dressed him and played with him. Hannah even ate at the table with him when his parents weren’t there. Most of the time they weren’t, so Hannah usually ate with him. His parents would never approve of a servant sitting at their table but Sunggyu didn’t care. Hannah was like a mother to him. A real mother. One who cared for him and pampered him. Someone who asked how his day at school was or who stayed at his bedside when he was sick. She was the center of his big yet tiny world. The boy liked it when his nanny smiled at him. His parents rarely gave him a smile, just like most of the other people around him. Hannah was different. She made him believe that he was being loved.

He was 12 when he lost that trust and the last piece of love he had.
 

Sunggyu ripped the paper off the last present. It was the newest phone model but he didn’t quite care about it. He just knew it must’ve cost a lot. Not that he cared. He beamed and looked over his shoulder. “I’m done! Hannah, I’m done!”

The blonde woman gave him a warm smile and closed the book on her lap. “Is that so? Your parents bought you quite a lot again.”

He stood up and ran over to her, grabbing her hand and tugging on it impatiently. “Who cares about that? Let’s go out, Hannah! Where are we going this time?”

She grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand away. Her gaze was strict. “Sunggyu, I didn’t teach you to be a rude kid who does things like this.”

Sunggyu pouted and stepped away. He folded his hands in front of him. “I’m sorry, Hannah. I want to go outside with you, please.”

His nanny nodded and stood up as well. “Never forget your respect for your elders, Sunggyu. Come on. Let’s get dressed then. It’s cold outside and we don’t want to freeze.”

The boy smiled widely and ran ahead. “Sunggyu! No running!”, Hannah’s sharp voice called after him. He slowed down and walked the rest of the way to the front door. The older woman caught up with him and then started to dress him. First his boots, then a thick sweater, his green coat, a scarf and lastly, his black beanie. Sunggyu grinned at his nanny and Hannah smiled. “All wrapped up and ready. Let me get dressed too.”

“Where are we going this time, Hannah?”

“It’s a surprise, just like every year.” The blonde lady said and put on her own boots.

Sunggyu shifted impatiently in his spot. Every Christmas (that his parents weren’t there for), Hannah went out with him instead. They usually ate something in the city; dishes that his parents would usually never allow. Commoner food, as they called it, but Sunggyu loved it a lot. He didn’t understand why the cook in their mansion never made burgers with fries. Hannah sometimes took him to a museum or an aquarium, or they just played in the snow or went to the mall. It was a surprise event every year and for Sunggyu it was something to look forward to.

When Hannah was done dressing herself, she took Sunggyu’s hand and led him outside. They stomped through the snow towards the car that was already waiting for them. He got into the backseat first and Hannah closed the door behind him before walking around to the other side of the car and sitting down next to him. Sunggyu glanced to the front where Jongkook was sitting; his driver and bodyguard. The man always had a blank face on and never talked much. The boy was sure he could kick him between the legs and all Jongkook would say was ‘Your parents will be displeased, young master’. But he was too small to kick him anyways.

The drive took about 20 minutes and then Sunggyu saw the familiar outline of the Times Square mall. “We’re going shopping?”

She nodded shortly. “We can see a movie too. There’s plenty of time.”

As soon as Jongkook parked the car in the underground parking garage, Hannah got out of the car first and went around it to open the door for Sunggyu. The boy smiled at her and climbed out. She took his hand again and led him into the mall. Jongkook followed them quietly. The bodyguard stuck to Sunggyu like his shadow. There were a lot of people walking around but less than usual, probably because a lot of the families were busy celebrating at home. Sunggyu didn’t see a lot of other kids.

They went around from shop to shop for about an hour or so. At some point, the mall started to become really full and Sunggyu had to stick close to Hannah to not get lost in the crowd. Then suddenly his nanny pulled him along somewhere. She told him that she had something she wanted to show to Sunggyu. He followed her innocently, only looking over his shoulder from time to time to check if Jongkook was still there. But then moments later, he noticed the guard was gone.

“I think we lost Jongkook.”

Hannah didn’t look at him. “Is that so bad? You always complain how creepy it is to have him around. Besides, he’s a grown man, Sunggyu. He will find us again.”

“Where are we going, Hannah?” He asked curiously because they were getting in an elevator next with some other people.

She glanced at him and gave him a smile. Somehow it looked different from usual. “Be a good boy, Sunggyu. You know what Santa does with naughty boys.”

He pursed his lips but nodded. The elevator stopped two times but they only got off when it reached the lowest floor. The parking garage. “Are we going back already?”

Hannah didn’t reply and just pulled him along. They walked past Jongkook’s car and Sunggyu pointed it out but the nanny didn’t react again. “I don’t think there’s anything here, Hannah. I want to go back up again...”

They kept walking to the far back of the parking garage. There were barely people around anymore and Sunggyu felt honestly scared. Something was off about Hannah. Her grip around his hand wasn’t gentle anymore. It was hard and impatient. She was dragging him forward by now. They stopped at a black van Sunggyu didn’t recognize. Hannah pulled the door open and Sunggyu gave her a frightened look.

“Get inside. Don’t think about screaming, Sunggyu, or that man will have to hurt you.” She nodded at the inside of the car.

He followed her gaze and spotted a man sitting in one of the seats with a pistol in his hand. A pistol that was pointing straight at Sunggyu. He tried to walk backwards but Hannah grabbed his arm. “Into the van, Sunggyu.”

“I don’t understand.” He whimpered.

“I know, but your parents will.” She looked around for other people and gave him another push. Sunggyu didn’t know what else to do so he got into the van.

The man with the pistol pointed at a seat and Sunggyu sat down on it. Hannah got into the car as well and closed the door. She gave the man a nod and he hit the wall behind himself twice. Then the van started moving. Sunggyu’s voice shook as he asked: “Where are we going?”

Hannah looked at him and suddenly the boy felt so small. Where had his nice nanny gone? He didn’t know this woman at all. She looked at him coldly, like she hated him. “Do me a favor and shut up.”

“Why?” Sunggyu asked and he could see that she knew what he meant. He wanted to know why she was doing this. She didn’t seem to be a victim. Hannah was in on this with the pistol guy.

“Because I hate your family. They destroyed my father’s business years ago. You don’t know how hard I worked to get to this moment today. To earn your parents’ trust to care for you and then make them feel safe enough to drop their guard. Why do you think I put up with you? Because I liked you?” Hannah laughed out loud. “You are just a tool, Sunggyu. A tool to get me the money I deserve to have. That’s all you would have ever been for the people around you. A tool. A moneybag. We are doing you a favor.”

Suddenly, Sunggyu just knew he was going to die. His parents would pay the ransom Hannah demanded (or maybe they wouldn’t, Sunggyu wasn’t sure if he was worth enough for them to care) and then they would kill him. The boy wanted to break down and scream. To let go of all the sadness inside of him but somehow Sunggyu only felt empty from one moment to the next. Empty and hollow. Maybe Hannah was right and no one loved him after all. He was just a shadow of his parents’ money. A tool that people used.

Minutes later, there was a sudden screech of tires and then a strong jolt went through the van. Suddenly, the car fell to the side and rolled down somewhere. Sunggyu was thrown through the car because his seatbelt hadn’t been fastened. By the time the van stopped moving, Sunggyu wasn’t sure anymore where up and down were. His body hurt everywhere. Something warm was running down his face and he couldn’t find the strength to move. He opened his eyes slowly and spotted Hannah lying close to him. His breath got caught when he saw her staring at him. She wasn’t moving and her body was twisted in a weird position that made it clear that she would never move again. Her dead eyes though, were wide open and staring at him. Sunggyu wanted to look away but he couldn’t move his head. He shut his eyes again and silent tears ran down his face. Even with his eyes closed, he could still feel the dead eyes on him. Burning into him and telling him it was entirely his fault.

He didn’t know how much time passed until someone found the car wreck. He slipped in and out of consciousness while the fireman cut the van open. The voices of the men around him were blurry but eventually they pulled him out of the car. He was placed on a stretcher and Sunggyu could tell they were asking him questions, though he couldn’t understand a word. Even if he could, he had no strength to open his mouth. His consciousness slipped again as the doors of the ambulance fell shut. Ah, he thought, I’m not going to die after all.
 

Sunggyu was the only one that survived the crash. Nurses and doctors, as well as the newspapers, called it a miracle. The Christmas miracle. Sunggyu spent almost three months in his hospital room, isolated from all the other ‘normal’ patients, the commoners. His recovery was slow but the doctor said there would barely be any lasting damage. The only things that would remain were the big scar on his back and a limp. The surgeon had fixed his dislocated leg as best as possible but Sunggyu would probably limp for the rest of his life. ‘At least you are alive’ the nurses helping him always said. He never replied anything. Sunggyu felt like it would’ve been better if he had died that day. Whenever someone smiled at him, he didn’t see kindness anymore. He saw behind their ugly masks and fake smiles; the fact that they only cared for him because his treatment brought them a lot of money. His parents had donated a huge sum to the hospital for saving their only son.

Sunggyu didn’t care about the donation at all. His father never visited him even once and his mother was only there one time. It was just another reason that showed him that they didn’t love him. He was only another asset in their eyes. If they used him well, he would increase the wealth and fame of the Kim family. It was during that Christmas and the three following months that Sunggyu truly understood what mattered in this world – money. Love was just another thing that was measured in money. The boy discarded his emotions and he became cold and distant, just like his parents. He withdrew himself into his own world and trusted no one. He could only trust himself.



 

❅ Present – 24th December – 25 years old  ❅ 
 

“Who’s next, Jungyeop?”

“The Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Cha, I believe, sir.” The man said while looking at the clipboard in his arms.

Sunggyu folded his legs and watched as another grey-haired man entered his office. The man lowered his head as he approached his desk. “Sir, I wish you a Merry Christmas.”

Mr. Cha touched his elbow with one hand and held out an envelope with the other. Sunggyu took it with a blank face and opened it. “Two tickets for the musical ‘In The Heights’?”

The old man smiled – not happy or politely, no, it was a smile of fear. “Y-Yes. It just started recently and this is the only performance where the famous-“

“Mr. Cha.” He interrupted the man. The Chief Financial Office stiffened and looked at him like a sheep before slaughter. Sunggyu found it amusing but his face stayed blank. “Why are you giving me two tickets?”

“I- uh- I thought-“

“Yes, that is the problem. You thought. Apparently, you aren’t very strong in that department.”

“Sir, with all due respect, I’m your senior by 30 years and I’ve already worked for your fa-“

“Mr. Cha.” Sunggyu sighed deeply and threw the envelope on the desk. He folded his hands. “My father is dead and I’m your boss now. You could be 50 years my senior and you’d still need to do what I say. When I tell you to fetch, then you go fetch. When I tell you to wrap up a deal successfully, you don’t go and waste 50 Million Won. Do you think a musical will make me forget about your mistake last month? Especially since you slap my lonely lifestyle so openly in my face when you know I’m single and have no one to go with me. Perhaps you wanted to join me for the night?”

The older man seemed to be angry over his words but Sunggyu saw him doing his best to hold the anger down. It amused him greatly, especially since the man was fighting a lost battle. “Sir, it was not my intention to imply anything like that. I apologize for offending you with the two tickets but the failure of the Hong deal wasn’t my fault. My assis-“

Sunggyu slammed his palms on the desk and Mr. Cha flinched openly. Jungyeop didn’t even bat an eyelash next to him. He was used to the sound. “Do not take me for a fool, old man. I did my investigations and it was you that sent Mr. Hong that ridiculously overpriced quotation. I do not take kindly to people lying to me. Here’s your Christmas present, Mr. Cha. It brought me great joy to pick it for you.”

He gave Jungyeop a wave of his hand and the man stepped forward to hand Mr. Cha an envelope. The old man trembled as he looked at it and then at Sunggyu. “Mr. Kim, sir, please...my wife is sick.”

“You’re divorced as far as I know. Now get out of my office. By the way, about the young man you blamed and fired for your arrogance, Kim Myungsoo was his name I believe. He is going to take your position in the future. Good bye, Mr. Cha.” Sunggyu smiled coolly.

Jungyeop went over to the door to open it. Mr. Cha hesitated but then he crumpled up the letter in his hand. “You arrogant, snobby brat! You are going to ruin your father’s company! He would be ashamed if he knew what you were doing! Firing his trusted friends and then this stupid spectacle every year at Christmas time! Always making us come up here to kiss your and shove presents up it, so you can bathe in your bloated ego, you-“

“Jungyeop.” Sunggyu didn’t even look up but he heard his secretary shouting orders and then the guards pulled Mr. Cha out of the room.

The doors closed again and Jungyeop cleared his throat. “Maybe you could’ve wrapped it up more nicely. He ruined the deal but he is still an influential man in the industry. Was it necessary to fire him, sir?”

“I don’t like people lying to me. I have no need for dogs that bite.” Sunggyu huffed and threw the envelope in the trash bin. “Musical tickets, pff! A cheap present from a cheap man. Is there anyone else?”

“Yes, sir, seven more, actually.”

“I hope they have better presents than what I’ve gotten so far. They get worse with every new year. Do they not respect me after all I’ve done for them?”

Jungyeop stayed quiet. He knew when it was better not to say anything. Sunggyu folded his hands again and leaned back. “Next.”

The secretary nodded and called the next employee in. For him, it was just another Christmas like always.

“That was the last one, sir.”

“Great. A yacht was definitely a great present to finish the day with. I didn’t have to fire anyone else too.” He stood up and stretched his legs. Sunggyu cleanly folded his blazer over his arm. “Please organize that all the presents get to my house, Jungyeop. I’m going to retire for the night.”

The secretary bowed his head respectfully. “Good night, sir, and...Merry Christmas.”

He was almost out of the door when Jungyeop’s voice reached out to him once more. “Are you going to spend Christmas alone again?”

Sunggyu turned around and smiled shortly. “You know me. I don’t need any company. I’ll just hide in my hole until this awful holiday is over and then get back to work. Like always.”

“Maybe you could visit your mother.” Jungyeop proposed carefully.

The smile fell from his face. “We go over this topic every year. Aren’t you tired of it yet?”

“There is no harm in trying, sir. You hired me to think of your well-being.” The older man smiled.

“No, I hired you to do all the stuff that I don’t want to do, and because you have no family holding you back. Yes, that might have been the main reason.” Sunggyu inclined his head and wandered out of his office. He missed the sad and disappointed look Jungyeop gave him.

Sunggyu whistled as he made his way to the elevator. His office was on the highest floor of the building with the best view overlooking Seoul. He liked it a lot, especially since the whole floor was entirely his office. After he took over the company from his deceased father, the young man had sold the old company building to build a new one. It was bigger than his father’s. More beautiful and majestic; Sunggyu’s whole pride. He entered the elevator with a smile that immediately reflected in the mirrors that surrounded him from all sides. Everything around him was proof of his wealth and Sunggyu loved it. That was all he needed in his life. Money. Wealth. Respect.

Christmas was just another opportunity for him to make money. The sales were always spiking in November and December. It was proof of what Christmas really meant to everyone. It was all about presents, which in the end was just another form of money. A holiday of love and family? Bull. It was just the time of the year when you used money to buy the love of people around you. Presents were nothing else but a tool of blackmail. If you didn’t buy your friends or lovers a present, they would smite you and think you didn’t love them. Sunggyu hated Christmas for its fakeness, so he liked to avoid it completely. Which of course never stopped him from asking all of his higher employees to visit his office on the 24th. All of them had to come and give him a present. It was mandatory. In the end it was mainly an event for Sunggyu’s amusement, but it was also a good time to check on who of those bastards were loyal to him.

A sudden jolt went through the elevator and Sunggyu’s heart jumped in his chest. The lights above his head flickered and he noticed the elevator had stopped moving. He frowned and then cursed out loud. “Are you kidding me?! This is the worst!”

Sunggyu waited for a minute or two for the thing to move again before he pushed the emergency button. He pressed it. And kept pressing it. Still holding on. “Yah! Why is no one answering? Hello? Shingu?! Yoongi?”

No matter how long he pushed the button and called into the speaker, no reply came. Sunggyu ran a hand through his hair. “I’m going to fire all of them!”

He kicked against the doors for good measure but of course the result was rather disappointing. As expected. “Anyone? Let me out of here!”

Sunggyu crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. There was nothing he could do but wait. Maybe the security downstairs had already heard his call for help and was working on getting the elevator running again. He sincerely hoped it for their futures.

“The elevator won’t move before I say so!”

His eyes widened and his head snapped around. Sunggyu yelped and pressed his body into a corner of the elevator. He stared at the figure that he swore hadn’t been in the elevator with him just a second ago. As if that fact weren’t creepy enough, the guy was wearing a damn Santa Claus outfit (beard and all included). Yet his eyes seemed awfully young – and mischievous.

Sunggyu blinked. Maybe it was a hallucination? He didn’t have claustrophobia but maybe it had just never shown itself before. He had never gotten stuck in an elevator after all. Or maybe he was simply so tired that he had overlooked the guy in his glowing red Santa suit? No, impossible. He reached out to give the illusion a shove with his hand and the Santa yelped in shock as he collided with the elevator wall.

“Ouch! Hey!” The Santa rubbed his shoulder and fixed the position of his hat that had almost fallen off; as well as his hair, weirdly enough. A wig, yes, of course it was a costume. “Why can you touch me? Something must’ve gone wrong with the spell. Wait a second.”

Sunggyu furrowed his brows. Where had that man come from and what the hell was he talking about? Obviously he could touch the guy because he was real, though that didn’t explain how he got into the moving elevator. Which wasn’t moving at the moment but that was not the point!

The Santa weirdo started muttering something and in the middle of his – rather scary – chanting, the elevator suddenly moved again. Sunggyu was of course very happy about it, at least until he noticed that the Santa wasn’t moving along with the elevator. Instead, his head soon disappeared through the roof (“Hey! What?! This is not what was supposed to happen! Stop! Who is moving this? I demand you to stop!”) and with the descend of the elevator more of his body kept disappearing. Sunggyu’s eyes were wide in fear. (If it weren’t so scary, he might have laughed at how funny the scene looked with the pair of red boots shaking in the air.)

He shut his eyes and pressed his fingers against his eyelids. “This isn’t real. This isn’t real.”

Sunggyu opened his eyes again and the weird figure was gone completely. He sighed in relief. No weird wriggling boots, no Santa wig and red costume. Sunggyu straightened himself again and cleared his throat. Maybe there had been something in the scotch that Mr. Lee had given him as a present? Some poisons could create very real hallucinations. He shouldn’t have drunk in between the meetings today.

The elevator came to a stop on the ground floor and the doors slid open. Shingu looked at him with a wide smile. “Mr. Kim, I’m sorry for the delay. I don’t know why the elevator suddenly stopped. We couldn’t even reach you.”

He stepped out of it and put his blazer on. “This better not happen again.”

“Of course, boss. Have a safe drive home, and Merry Christmas.” Shingu said.

“Say, did you see anyone with a Santa Claus costume enter the building?”

“Uh...I don’t think so, Mr. Kim. Is there an intruder?”

“No...No, I don’t think so. Never mind. Good bye, Shingu.”

Sunggyu strode through the lobby towards the main entrance.  The big lobby was illuminated brightly but there was not a single soul to be seen except for Shingu, the main security guy and the two guards at the entrance. Sunggyu walked past them with a firm nod and walked towards his car that was already waiting for him.

The driver opened the door for him and he got into the backseat. “Sir.”

“Joseph, please take me home. I’m terribly tired and those idiots gave me a headache.”

The blond man nodded and closed the door quickly. Sunggyu brushed the snow from his blazer that had fallen down on him and then leaned against the window with a sigh. His mood was really ruined after the long day full of bad presents and getting stuck in the elevator. Not to mention the weird hallucination. He watched the busy streets as Joseph drove him home. There were a lot of people strolling through the city core; lots of happy couples and families. All of their smiles and domestic acts made Sunggyu sick. Fake. Fake. Fake.

“You know it’s not all fake.”

Sunggyu jumped in his seat and almost screamed out loud. He looked to his left and saw the Santa weirdo from before sitting next to him. “What are you doing here?! Joseph! Stop this instant!”

The car came to an abrupt halt and the driver looked at him through the rearview mirror. “Sir, what’s wrong?”

“What’s wrong? How can you ask that? Are you blind or is this a bad joke, Joseph? Did Jungyeop put you up to this?” Sunggyu exclaimed angrily.

The Santa guy snickered in his seat. Sunggyu glared at him. “What are you laughing at? Joseph! Throw him out – NOW!”

“Uh...Sir? Are you okay? I’m not sure what you mean...” The blond man gave him a worried look.

He wanted to scream in frustration. Was everyone trying to mess with him today? Did he have to do everything himself? Sunggyu reached out to grab the Santa guy again and shove him out of the car himself but his hand went right through his arm. “What-“

“He!” Santa gave him a triumphant look. “I did the spell right this time! You can’t touch me! And your friend cannot see me by the way.”

Sunggyu was sure that somewhere beneath the fake beard lay a smug grin. He was furious. “Stop messing with me, you weirdo! Get out of my car! There are no spells or anything! I don’t know who paid you and Joseph to play this prank on me but I’ve had enough! I guess Shingu was in on it too? Ha ha! Very funny! Now leave.”

His voice was cold but Santa didn’t seem intimidated at all. He just snickered again and pointed to the front of the car. Sunggyu followed his gaze and noticed Joseph looking at him weirdly. The guy in the costume laughed. “I told you: he cannot see me. Or hear, for that matter. He is thinking you are going crazy. Right now he’s calculating which hospital is the closest to drive to.”

“I don’t need a hospital!” Sunggyu shouted and his driver jumped.

“S-Sir, maybe you drank something bad. It could be alcohol poisoning.”

He considered the option. “You seriously cannot see the guy next to me?”

Santa raised his arms and jumped around while waving excitedly. “Here, here! I am here!”

Joseph looked at the spot before frowning and glancing back at his boss. “No...? Sir, there is no one but you and me in this car.”

The weirdo stuck out his tongue. “Told ya.”

Sunggyu was now really considering a hospital visit. “Joseph-“

A finger touched his temple and Sunggyu felt something like a cold spark. Suddenly, he couldn’t speak or move anymore. It was as if something had paralyzed him. He couldn’t feel his body anymore. And then his mouth moved by itself, spouting words that weren’t his. “I was just playing with you. Please take me home.”

Sunggyu wanted to protest, to scream and struggle but it was like his body didn’t belong to him anymore. He was definitely drunk. Maybe he had fallen asleep in the office. Sometimes it happened. Yeah, that seemed pretty damn logical. Definitely more logical than the reality in front of him. This feeling scared him – like he wasn’t anchored to the world anymore. Had he died?

He felt the cold change into something warm and fuzzy. It wrapped itself around his mind like a warm blanket and Sunggyu started to feel drowsy.

“Don’t be scared. I’m not going to hurt you.” A voice echoed in his thoughts. It was kind of soothing and reminded him of something. Something safe. “I’ll see you at home. Sleep, Sunggyu.”




A hand shook his shoulder and Sunggyu stirred awake. He sat up and massaged his temples. Somehow his head was hurting. “Joseph?”

“You fell asleep, sir. We have arrived.” The blond man helped him out of the car.

Sunggyu gave him a nod and walked over to the entrance of his house. He only lived together with his driver (and bodyguard) Joseph, his cook Yein and occasionally Jungyeop slept over as well. Otherwise the house was mostly empty. He knew that people expected him to live in some gigantic mansion with 100 butlers and maids (people had weird fantasies about rich CEOs) but Sunggyu didn’t want that. He only trusted a few selected people in his life. Having a big mansion with a lot of workers would mean trusting a lot of strangers. He knew he wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on all of them. It was safer to live this way. Sunggyu didn’t mind doing a bit of housework. He had been fed with a golden spoon since birth but he was an independent adult now. Sunggyu knew that the fastest way to get things done was doing them yourself. He had had someone who took care of his every need once and that person had betrayed him dearly, so now Sunggyu preferred doing things with his own hands.

He shuffled into the house and took his shoes off. Sunggyu loosened his tie and walked towards the kitchen. The light shining into the corridor showed that someone was in there. A pleasant scent reached his nose and Sunggyu smiled. “Yein.”

The brunette looked up from the pot she was stirring and gave him a smile. “Welcome home.”

“Shouldn’t you be at home? I gave you three days off work if I remember correctly.”

Yein shrugged. “I’m going home after I finished this. I didn’t want you to starve over the next few days. You can’t cook at all.”

“There are things called home delivery.” Sunggyu wandered over to the table and slumped down on a chair.

“Sunggyu, it’s Christmas. You shouldn’t eat fast food by yourself in front of the TV.”

“Not everyone needs a loud home with a big family, Yein. I’m content like this. I got my presents. Christmas is finished for me.”

Yein shook her head and turned of the stove. She untied her apron and slipped it over her head. “Presents aren’t all there is to Christmas.”

“You buy your children something every year, though. And they would hate you if you didn’t. Try asking your kids about all this business about love and so on. They only love you as long as you give them something worth some money.” He commented dryly.

She gave him a glare, something not even a lot of men dared to do to him. “Kim Sunggyu! You might be my boss but you should watch your tongue. I don’t know what makes you think like that but my children are not money-obsessed and snobby like other people in this room. You keep coming home with lots of presents every year but they are worth nothing.”

Yein left the kitchen with quick steps and Sunggyu huffed. He heard how she put on her coat and a moment later there was a shout of “Merry Christmas, you ” before the door was shut with more force than necessary. Sunggyu snorted. “Did she just call me an ? This girl...Just try not giving your children presents for once.”

“You know she’s right.”

Sunggyu jumped as his eyes found the red figure in the room. “Not again! You damn stalker! Get out of my house!”

“No~” The Santa sang and shuffled over to the pot to sniff it. “Mmhm...this smells simply wonderful. Good choice for the cook!”

And then suddenly that Santa guy had the audacity to grab a spoon and try to taste it. Sunggyu closed the distance between them and tried to take the spoon from him. This time his hand didn’t slip through the other man’s body again which caught him by surprise and made the spoon end up on the floor. “Hey! Why are you so rude?”

“You are the one who is rude! That’s my food and this is my house! Get out!”

He grabbed the weirdo’s arm and tried to drag him out. Sunggyu saw the Santa raising his other hand but he couldn’t dodge it in time. Instead of a punch, only a finger made contact with his face. It touched his forehead and Sunggyu felt another spark like he did in the car. He blinked as his body froze once again. The man slipped out of his grip and straightened his clothes.

“I really don’t enjoy doing this but you leave me no choice. I’ll break the spell once you have...uh...calmed down and listened to me. Let’s sit down and eat dinner. I’m starving and it’s Christmas. You shouldn’t eat alone.”

Sunggyu found himself sitting down against his will. He could only watch as the fake Santa moved around the kitchen as if he owned it. He knew where the bowls were as well as the silverware. The intruder filled two bowls with the stew that Yein had prepared. He placed one in front of Sunggyu and took a seat opposite of him with his own bowl. Sunggyu’s body moved on its own to scoop soup into his mouth. He struggled against the invisible binds holding him but it was useless. It scared him. What the hell was this guy? Some kind of psychic? Or were the hallucinations worse than he initially thought?

“Calm down, okay? You know what...I’m going to loosen the restraints if you promise not to lash out at me like a maniac again. Eating like that is probably not exactly comfortable.”

Sunggyu gave him a long look and the Santa weirdo nodded. He stood up again to touch his head and Sunggyu felt a warm prickling. He tested his own movements and noticed that he could move his hands again. Legs didn’t work, though. “What are you? And don’t tell me you’re Santa Claus. I know your beard and hair are fake!”

The other man sat down again. “Oh no, I’m not Santa. Well, maybe, sort of. It’s what humans call me and picture me as but it’s not really what or who I am.”

He casually took off his hat, the wig and the fake beard. Sunggyu finally got a clear look on the weirdo and noticed the other was much younger than he thought. His hair was somewhat purplish and his face was...handsome. His stalker was hot; at least something positive about the whole thing.

The guy neatly put his things on the table and sent him a smile. “You can call me the Spirit of Christmas. Or just Woohyun. Whatever rolls off your tongue easier.”

Woohyun started eating then and Sunggyu stared at him silently. The spirit of Christmas? Oh god, he was eating dinner with a total nutjob! But which psycho could make a human stop moving entirely? A psycho that only existed in his dreams, probably.

“You know, I’m very real. Stop making everything about yourself, will you? It’s not just you, you, you!” Not-Santa said with his mouth full of meat. “And I’m no psycho either. I told you I’m the Spirit of Christmas. Capital letter S and C but not the o, by the way. Don’t ask me why. It’s just written like that. Bureaucracy! Everything has a norm nowadays, I swear. Sometimes the job gets really annoying. You know last time Howon said - wait, Hoya - he doesn’t like when I tell other people his real name, anyways he said, he is a Christmas elf by the way, although he looks more like a dwarf-”

Woohyun kept ranting about his work, although he was throwing around so many words Sunggyu had never heard before that he didn’t understand any of it. He was still having a hard time wrapping his head around all of this. Why was Santa – or this Woohyun guy – sitting at his table and eating his dinner? Sunggyu didn’t even believe in the stupid Christmas legends! He was not a 5-year-old brat that still clung to the hope of meeting Santa face to face. What had he done to deserve this interruption of his perfectly fine life?

“Because you are such a hopeless case and you looked lonely, so I thought I’d teach you about the true meaning of Christmas and make your life better! How are you leading a happy life anyways? Please! Grumpy people like you make my job so hard. During Christmas, I feel and hear everything humans think. You know what an awesome feeling it is to bathe in their happiness? In the love? It’s wonderful! But then people like you come along and suddenly it’s like someone poured a package of salt into my hot chocolate.”

Sunggyu narrowed his eyes at the other man – spirit. “I am happy! I have everything I need. I don’t really care if I’m salt in your chocolate or anything. No one told you to sniff around in my thoughts and feelings. There are billions of people out there. Pick someone else. Leave me alone.”

Woohyun pursed his lips and if the man didn’t know it better, he would say the self-proclaimed ‘Spirit of Christmas’ was pouting. “You’re so stubborn! Just let me help you, okay?!”

“I don’t need your help!”

“Yes, you do!”

“No!”

“Yes!”

“No!”

“Yes!”

“No!”

“No!”

“Ye- Yah! Why do you have to annoy me of all people? I won’t buy your Christmas anyways. You are probably going to tell me how it’s all about sharing love by spending time with the people closest to you and so on. Bull. It’s all about profit.” Sunggyu glared at him.

The purple-haired man glared back but after a moment his facial expression softened again. Then he smiled. “I know why you think like that and I’m here to change it. You’ve lost faith not only in Christmas but also in people. You’re scared of letting anyone get close because they might hurt you, so you hide behind staples of presents and numbers on bank accounts. But there is so much more to life than just that. I’m annoying you of all people because you’re not a lost case. You were disappointed and you’re punishing yourself for it, but there is no need to do that.”

“If I wanted a psychologist, I would’ve hired one. I don’t know what makes you think you know me but you don’t.”

“I just...I want you to be happy again, Sunggyu. I want you to smile like you used to. I loved seeing that smile.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Stop talking like you know me.”

Woohyun smiled sadly. “I’ve been watching you for a long time.”

“Do you know how creepy that sounds?” He snorted.

The purple-haired man just laughed. “I think I do know you very well. You’re kind, gentle and caring. And deep down you don’t care about the presents at all. Not because they are bad but because you know there are no feelings behind them and you want someone to love you. There are people that love you, Sunggyu, you’re just too blind to see it.”

 “Pff...kind and gentle. Try having a talk with my employees.”

The spirit chuckled. “That’s just a front you put up in front of them to keep up the distance. I won’t fall for that, so stop trying to be all tough and scary. It’s not working.”

Sunggyu rolled his eyes. “I don’t need anyone to love me. Love is just some fickle emotion that people fake to get close to you. You let them in and then they betray you. I have no need for that.”

Woohyun stood up and for a moment Sunggyu thought he was going to put some weird spell on him again, but the spirit walked past him and to the kitchen counter. “It’s okay that you can’t see it yet. I’m here to help after all.”

He watched the young man as he picked up a folded piece of paper. Woohyun brought it over to him. “Look at it. Yein forgot to hand it to you because you made her angry earlier.”

Sunggyu hesitantly took the paper from him. He unfolded it slowly and then looked at it. It was a drawing – from a child without a doubt, judging by the quality of the artwork. There was a house and a garden, and a weird-looking stickman standing in it. The child had written ‘Merry Christmas, Mr. Kim’ all over the top with messing handwriting. “What’s this?”

Woohyun’s hand touched his shoulder and he flinched but there wasn’t a cold spark or anything this time. Just a warm palm. “That’s you, in front of your house. Cute, isn’t it? Yein’s children drew it for you. She wasn’t sure if she should give it to you or not. The previous two years she didn’t.”

Sunggyu stared at the drawing and then at the man next to him. “Why...”

“Why did they draw it for you or why did she not give them to you?”

He looked at the drawing again. Something about it made his heart ache. “Both.”

Woohyun wandered back to his seat. “Well, Yein always tells her sons about you. In her eyes, you are her savior, even if you often treat her coldly or distant. She often reminds her sons that their current happiness is all thanks to you. The children look up to you. They are thankful to you for helping their family. She just thought that you might not appreciate the drawings her children made for you. Seeing how you...prefer expensive things and not presents with a deep meaning.”

Sunggyu huffed. “Me? I didn’t do anything. I don’t even know the kids. Yein just cooks meals for me once or twice a day and that’s it.”

“But you are the one that helped her when she needed help the most. Don’t sell yourself short. Her ex-husband used to beat her with the threat of hurting her children if she said anything. When she finally had the courage to divorce him, he made her lose her job and home. She was a young mother with three sons and nowhere to go. It was hard for her to find a new job with three children. She was about to give up when you gave her this position in your household with more than reasonable pay. If not for you, she and her sons might not be alive today.”

He frowned. “Don’t make the story so drastic. A colleague recommended her and I gave her a chance out of pity. She would’ve found another job sooner or later.”

Woohyun rolled his eyes. “I guess I have to show you to make you believe.”

“Show me? What? No, wait, don’t touch-“ The fingertip poked against his temple again and then Sunggyu out.

 

When Sunggyu came to, he found himself in an apartment he didn’t recognize. He just knew it smelled and looked like . He grimaced and scrunched up his nose. “Ew. What’s that smell?”

“That’s mold. There is a water leak in the apartment above and it comes through the ceiling in the living room.” Woohyun said next to him. He was still running around in that ridiculous Santa suit of his, though his head was uncovered.

“Where are-“ He was interrupted when Yein entered the room through another door, probably the bathroom by the sound of the flushing toilet. She looked pale, thin and very sick. Sunggyu remembered that she had been quite skinny when they first met but he had never pried.

The woman kept coughing hard as she made her way over to the small kitchen. Her body shook with every cough and she kept swaying on her thin legs. “What’s wrong with her? Where are we anyways? The colors are so weird. Like some old movie...”

Woohyun grinned shortly. “Because we are pretty much watching an old movie. It’s Yein’s past. Shortly before you gave her that offer. She is barely scraping up enough money to pay for the rent and her children’s meals. Doesn’t really take care of her own though...sadly. She’s sick, Sunggyu, very much so but she has no money for medicine.”

Sunggyu watched with a heavy heart as she made herself a cup of tea. That seemed to be the only thing she dared to consume. It didn’t ease her coughing, though. They observed her how she sat on the couch and drank her tea, while the sickness violently shook her body. “Do I have to watch this? Why are you showing me this?”

“To make you understand.”

Sobs filled the room suddenly. Yein had put the empty cup on the couch. Now she had her face buried in her palms as she wept. Her cries felt like knives to him. Knives that carved open his chest. Woohyun went over to sit next to her and put a hand on her knee. “Right now she is contemplating on ending her life. She is thinking about how death might be better than what she has now. That her children might be better off in an orphanage. They’d have the chance of finding a better family. One with money.”

“She wanted to...” The words were stuck in his throat. Sunggyu had never known that Yein used to have thoughts like that. She had seemed nice and normal during the interview. A little thin but happy.

Woohyun smiled again. “She didn’t do it, though. Cue for the telephone to ring.”

And indeed, the telephone started ringing just then. She hastily wiped her tears and cleared her nose. Yein cleared once more and picked up the phone. “Hello. Who am I speaking to?”

The spirit crouched down next to the phone and moved his mouth. With Sunggyu’s voice. “This is Kim Sunggyu speaking. Jung Yein-ssi?”

He gave Woohyun a glare for mimicking him like that but he understood that this was his call right now. The one he made when he called Yein for an interview.

“Y-Yes?” Yein replied shakily.

“I heard from a...colleague that you lost your position in the Pierre Gagnaire Seoul. If you have already found a new job, I’m not going to bother you any longer. Otherwise I might have an interesting offer for you.”

Her eyes widened and she put a hand over in disbelief. She looked up for a second as if she wanted to send a silent prayer to heaven. Sunggyu saw tears welling up in her eyes. “I don’t- I mean, I’m very interested. What kind of job are you talking about?”

“I fired my old cook and need someone new to make me a few meals a weak. Mostly dinner. Lunch on the weekends. Sometimes breakfast, though I skip that most of the time. Before you reject it, the payment would be more than fair. If you want, we can talk over the details in my office. Let’s see...how about this Friday at 1 pm?”

Yein seemed to hesitate shortly but then she nodded to herself. “Yes, of course. I will be there.”

Woohyun didn’t say anything anymore but Sunggyu knew he – his younger self – was giving her the address right now. Yein hung up eventually and leaned back against the couch. She stared up at the ceiling. “Kim Sunggyu...where did I hear that name before?”

She suddenly jumped up and rummaged through something Sunggyu would call the ‘corner of chaos’. Yein pulled out a magazine and looked at the cover. Woohyun leaned over her shoulder. “That’s you. A really nice suit but you shouldn’t look so unfriendly, you know.”

Yein smiled as she stared at the cover. “No way...the Kim Sunggyu?”

Sunggyu snorted. “That’s the moment everyone realizes: Hey, when I get close to that person, I can make a lot of money. I’m going to milk him dry.”

Woohyun walked over to him and smacked his head hard; painfully hard. “That’s not what she is thinking at all! She is thinking about how badly she wants to tell her little kids who are currently in kindergarten. But she is scared of saying anything because you might decide differently after the interview. She doesn’t want to get their hopes up. All she wants is for her children to live a normal life. For them to be happy and healthy.”

Woohyun poked his head again and his vision started to blur. When it sharpened again, the scene had changed. They were in front of a building Sunggyu didn’t recognize but he could see a lot of children and parents who picked their kids up. The kindergarten.

“Do you have to keep poking my head for this?” Sunggyu complained.

Woohyun grinned and pointed somewhere. “There she is.”

His eyes followed Woohyun’s finger. Yein was entering the building. The spirit motioned him to follow and they headed after her. Inside the kindergarten, three children came running toward their mother. Two of them were the same height – twins – and the other one was a little smaller. They all smiled as they ran into Yein’s arms. “My little angels...were you good children today?”

They nodded eagerly. She looked at them with a wide smile, though tears rolled down her cheeks. One of her sons reached out to wipe them away. “Mommy, what’s wrong?”

“Don’t cry, mommy!” Another one cried.

She pulled them into her arms again. “I’m just so happy. I’ve found a new job, sweeties. We can find a new apartment. We can go to the zoo, the amusement park, wherever you want.”

“Can I get new clothes, mom? The other kids keep mocking me because I always wear the same outfit.”

“Mommy, can we eat cake today?”

Yein tightened her hold on them as she cried. Sunggyu didn’t know the job had meant so much to her. She never brought it up during the interview. She just said that she was divorced and had three sons. He watched silently as she helped her sons with putting their shoes and jackets on, before she grabbed their tiny hands and walked outside with them.

“Mommy will buy you all the cake you want, darlings. And when we eat the cake, we are going to thank Mr. Kim for it.”

“Who’s Mr. Kim, mom?”

She smiled and for a moment Sunggyu thought she was looking directly at him. “He’s our hero.”

 

He hadn’t even noticed Woohyun touching him but suddenly they were somewhere else again. A living room again but this time the colors were lively. The apartment looked much better too. There was a colorfully decorated table and Sunggyu saw three kids sitting at it. Yein entered the room with a cake in her hands. “Who’s ready to celebrate Christmas?”

The boys got loud as they cheered. “Me! Me! Mommy, I want to blow out the candles!”

“No, mom! Let me!”

“You did it last year!”

Sunggyu looked at Woohyun. “What’s this?”

“Today.” The spirit pointed at the calendar on the right wall. “While you are sitting at home, eating all alone, this is what Yein is doing.”

They watched as the three sons got to blow out the candles together. The family laughed together as they enjoyed the meal Yein had prepared. Sunggyu felt a tinge of jealousy but he immediately buried it deep down. His family had never sat down like that together.

After the meal, her youngest son asked if they could open their presents now. She sighed shortly before she smiled. “It’s a bit early but sure. I want to see you open them too.”

The children rejoiced and headed over to the Christmas tree. Yein stood behind them with a smile as they grabbed the boxes with their names on them. There was just one for each of them but that didn’t stop them from tearing the wrapping down in record time. Their eagerness made Sunggyu smile shortly. One of the presents was a book, the other brother got a toy plane and the third brother a dinosaur. In total the presents had probably cost no more than 75.000 Won. In his world that was more than cheap. The boys didn’t care, though. They just played with their presents.

At least until Yein called for them. “Come on, boys. Let’s watch a movie together.”

The toys and the book were immediately forgotten. They ran to their mother and sat down on the couch with her. They looked warm like that, all cuddled together with smiles on their faces. Woohyun sighed happily. “This is Christmas. Beautiful, isn’t it? This is much better than any present you buy with money.”

The spirit touched his head again and the world spun. The last thing he heard was one of the kids asking. “Next year, we should invite Mr. Kim to celebrate with us.”
 

Sunggyu stared at the drawing that was still in his hands. “I didn’t know...”

Woohyun huffed. “I figured. Otherwise you would’ve treated her better instead of pulling your whole cold act. She’s not Hannah, Sunggyu.”

Immediately his mood dropped at the mention of her name. He put the picture on the table and glared at the other man. “Don’t bring her up.”

“I can’t call the devil by its name?” Woohyun said jokingly.

Sunggyu stood up and grabbed his collar. The other man didn’t even flinch. “Are you going to punch me? Go ahead if it will make you feel better. You need to deal with this, Sunggyu. It’s been 13 years. You shouldn’t still be caught up in the past.”

He pushed Woohyun against a wall. This time the spirit did grimace shortly. “Shut up! Don’t waltz into my life and act like you know it all!”

“I told you, I’ve been watching you for a long time. I know what happened. I know how Hannah’s actions made you lose your faith. She was a bad woman, Sunggyu, but not everyone is bad.”

“She was like every other person out there. Faking love to get money. She showed me the truth back then. That no one loves me. I’m alone.”

Woohyun shook his head firmly. “That’s not true. Hannah’s love was fake, and she was a horrible person to do that to a small child, but you were never alone, Sunggyu. Your parents were bad at showing it but they cared about you.”

He scoffed. “They just cared about me taking over the business later and not embarrassing them.”

Woohyun raised his hands and cupped his cheeks. Sunggyu frowned. “Don’t-“

The world started to spin.

 

He immediately recognized their new location – the kitchen in his old home, the Kim family mansion. Sunggyu saw younger versions of his parents and Hannah. The sight of the woman filled him with both rage and sadness. He wanted to grab her, shout at her, maybe hurt her for all of her lies and the betrayal. Sunggyu clenched his fists. He flinched slightly when a warm hand touched his right fist. He knew it was Woohyun. The spirit didn’t say anything but somehow the touch was comforting nevertheless. Sunggyu couldn’t explain why it calmed him down. Maybe it was another spell.

“-told you I had to work today! You said you would stay home with him this time! He’s always alone!” His mother shouted.

“There was an emergency in the company!” His father shouted back with a red face. They had probably argued like this for a long time, judging by how enraged they looked. Sunggyu couldn’t remember this fight. He was probably sleeping upstairs.

“There is always an emergency!”

“Don’t blame me! Aren’t you working too? My business is more important. I told you years ago to stop working and raise our son properly!”

His mother huffed. “I have to give up my job because I’m the woman? It’s not just my responsibility to raise Sunggyu! You never bother to even talk to him when you’re home and if you do, you ask him about school and his grades. You don’t know anything about Sunggyu, at least I am trying to understand our son, so don’t tell me I’m a bad mother.”

“He needs to get his priorities straight. If he’s bad in school, he won’t make it into the business school I picked for him and I’m not handing over my company to an idiot!”

Sunggyu was surprised when his mother slapped him hard. “He’s six, for god’s sake! His priorities should be playing games or climbing trees! Treat him like a child for once and not like a business associate. Maybe he doesn’t even want to study business.”

His father looked ready to hit her but instead he grabbed his jacket and keys from the table. “We’ve had this talk before! He will take over my company and that’s it! He doesn’t need all of this stupid crap.”

Woohyun huffed. “Your father was a jerk.”

Sunggyu shrugged. “Nothing new about that...”

“It’s not crap! We are supposed to be a family!” She didn’t bother running after him. Sunggyu saw her shoulders slump.

“Ma’am, is there no way for you to stay home today? It’s Christmas.”

She shook her head. “I can’t. I want to, really, but i can’t. I’m a bad mother, I know. Sunggyu needs me but I’m never around.”

“I’m sure young master will understand.”

“He’s six, Hannah.” His mother sighed and looked at her expensive watch. “I have to go. I put Sunggyu’s presents beneath the tree. The letter is on the blue present. Don’t forget to read it to him. I know it’s not much...but it’s all I can give him right now.”

A letter? Sunggyu’s memories of his younger years were fuzzy but he couldn’t remember any letter.

His mother left and Woohyun leaned over to whisper to him. “She left you a letter every year; for every occasion that she couldn’t celebrate with you. Be it Christmas, Easter or your birthday. Nowadays she writes them again but she doesn’t have the courage to give them to you.”

“What are you talking about? I never received any letters!” He frowned.

Woohyun nodded. He looked away from him and Sunggyu followed his gaze. Hannah was leaving the kitchen.  “I’m sorry, Sunggyu, but you should know.”

He had a bad feeling but he followed Hannah with Woohyun by his side. The other man never let go of his hand but he didn’t bother with pointing it out. His old nanny stopped at the Christmas tree. Her calm expression morphed into a sneer. “A letter. Pathetic.”

She crouched down shortly to pick it up. Hannah opened it and Sunggyu felt angry that she invaded his privacy like that. Sure, she would have to read it to him anyways but he should be there when it was opened. Hannah unfolded the letter and started reading it, huffing and snorting from time to time.

Suddenly, she stopped moving and Woohyun tugged on his hand. “You should read it now before she destroys it.”

“Destroys it? What?” He asked in disbelief.

Woohyun smiled sadly. “She didn’t want you to receive them. Hannah didn’t want to see you happy, for you to bond with your mother. She wanted you to become distant with your parents. I’m sorry I told you this but it’s not why we are here. Read the letter, Sunggyu.”

He moved forward reluctantly. She was always taller than him in the past but now Sunggyu could easily look over Hannah’s shoulder.

‘Dear Sunggyu,

I’m sorry that I won’t be here for Christmas again. Mommy hates this as much as you do. My business is not doing as well as your father’s. Maybe I should quit but I love my work. I like designing clothes. But I’m not writing you this to bore you, Sunggyu-ya. Your father might think we should already talk about business with you but I don’t believe that is the right thing to do.

Merry Christmas, my beloved son. I’m not sure what you would like to have and I feel bad for not asking you earlier. I will try better next year. If you want anything at all, Sunggyu, please come to me and just tell me. You can shout if you want. Mommy will do her best to fulfill your wish.

Hannah will replace me for today. You can tell her any of your wishes, where you want to go or what you want to play, and she will do it with you. Have fun today. I want you to enjoy the holiday like a normal kid because that’s what you are. Don’t let your father tell you otherwise.

I love you, sweetheart. I know I don’t show it much but I do. I miss you terribly.

Love,
Mom

Sunggyu felt tears stinging his eyes but he willed them away. He shouldn’t be crying over this. It was just some lousy letter, a poor excuse for being a bad parent. But he could tell from the words that his mother knew she was a bad parent and she genuinely felt bad about it. The letter was handwritten which must have taken some time and he knew how busy she always was. The piece of paper actually meant a lot, although that was all what it was – a piece of paper. Sunggyu couldn’t remember the last time he wrote a letter.

But above all his heart ached because he never got to read it. Hannah never showed it to him.

“Show me.” He demanded quietly.

Woohyun seemed to know what he meant since time moved again. Hannah crumpled up the letter with a smile. “Treating me like a damn errand boy.”

She moved over to the fireplace and then she threw the letter into the flames. Sunggyu watched as the flames tore at the paper, devouring his mother’s feelings until there was nothing left.
 

Woohyun’s hand was on his shoulder. “Your mother meant all the things she wrote.”

“How many...” He swallowed. “How many letters did Hannah destroy?”

The spirit grimaced. “I don’t know but no one ever noticed.”

Sunggyu rubbed his temples. “I guess it doesn’t matter in the end. They were never there for me when I needed them. A letter is hardly enough to make up for all those times.”

“It matters.” Woohyun said. He squeezed Sunggyu’s shoulder and the man groaned as the world ce again.
 

Machines beeped as Sunggyu’s eyes focused on the new environment. It was a hospital room and judging by the colors, it was a memory from the past. There was only one bed in the room and a woman was in it. “Mom?”

Woohyun nodded and let him get closer. “When was this?”

“After the kidnapping. They found you in the car wreck and you just got out of the operation.”

He looked confused. “Why is she in a hospital bed then?”

“When the police told your parents about what happened, your mother was in too much shock. She had a mild car accident on the way to the hospital but she didn’t let it stop her from coming to see you. Your mother collapsed while she waited for you to come out of the operation room. She had a concussion from the accident and they had to treat her too.”

Sunggyu paled. “No one ever told me...”

“Your mother didn’t want you to worry. Your father...well, I guess we can agree he was a bad parent and a terrible workaholic. I’m not even going to argue about him but your mother really did always love you.”

“So she never visited me because she was in her own hospital room?”

Woohyun smiled suddenly. “She visited you.”

“Show me.” Sunggyu demanded for the second time and the spirit complied.

They were in his hospital room in the next moment. Sunggyu felt weird seeing his younger self like that. The room was dark but he could tell that he was sleeping. A slumped figure sat on the stool next to the bed. He heard quiet weeping and Sunggyu knew it had to be his mother.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart. I’m so sorry. We should’ve been there. Oh, Sunggyu, please wake up again. Mommy loves you.”

“She only visited when you were asleep.” Woohyun explained quietly.

“Why?” Sunggyu asked. Tears welled up in his eyes and his body shook. “Why?! I thought they didn’t care about me! I thought I was all alone! I needed someone to be with me! To tell me that Hannah was wrong and that I was loved! She should’ve been there when I woke up!”

The spirit wrapped his arms around him and Sunggyu let the hug happen. Woohyun’s touch was so warm and calming for some really odd reason. Maybe it really had to do with him being a spirit and all. “Your mother didn’t want you to worry about her. She planned to see you more once she didn’t look injured anymore but then-“

Sunggyu pulled back. “Then?”

“Don’t you remember what happened when she visited you once during the daytime?”

He frowned. “I’m not sure...It’s been 13 years.”

Their surroundings flickered shortly before they focused again. Sunggyu’s younger self was still lying in his hospital bed but he looked a little better now. The door to his room opened and his mother entered. She walked over to his bed. “Sunggyu-yah...”

His younger self didn’t reply and just turned his head away from her. “Sunggyu...How are you? Does it still hurt?”

The boy stayed quiet. “I brought you some snacks that you like. The doctor said it’s okay for you to eat them again.”

She pulled the snacks out of her bag but Sunggyu’s younger self didn’t react. When she placed a bag of potato chips on his lap, the boy suddenly lashed out and they fell to the ground. He turned his head to glare at his mother. “Stop acting like you care! I don’t want your snacks! You can’t buy my forgiveness that cheaply!”

The woman flinched and crouched down to pick the bag up. “Sunggyu...I’m not acting. I worry for you. I’m sorry I didn’t-“

“Shut up! I’m sick of hearing everyone’s lies!”

“Sunggyu please-“

“Leave me alone! Don’t come here again! I want to throw up when I see your face! I hate you and I hate father!” The boy shouted and turned away from her again.

Sunggyu saw how hurt his mother looked. His younger self didn’t, though. He was too stubborn and didn’t look at her again. Now he remembered...his mother had visited him but he had turned her away in blind anger. Sunggyu had been too hurt by Hannah’s words. He had believed that they were true; that no one truly loved him. Everyone just cared about money, even his parents.

But right in this moment, he could see his mother’s heart break. She was struggling with the tears welling up in her eyes. He watched as she squeezed her eyes shut to fight the tears. She left the snacks on his bedside table and stood up. “I’m sorry, Sunggyu. I love you.”
 

Sunggyu blinked and they were back in the kitchen. A tear rolled down his cheek. “Mom...”

She hadn’t approached him again afterwards. Not because she didn’t love him but because he had pushed her away like that. Of course it didn’t undo all the times she hadn’t been there for him. Still, Sunggyu had been able to see the true sorrow in her eyes. She had meant those words (“I love you”).

“Sunggyu...”

He glanced at Woohyun shortly. “Can you leave me alone, please? No more...flashbacks. I need some time alone.”

The spirit looked at him with sad eyes. “I’m sorry. I’ll give you some space. If you need me...just send a prayer. I’ll hear it and come, no matter where I am.”

There was a short sound of rustling and then Sunggyu was alone again in the kitchen. According to the clock on the wall, only an hour had passed since he came home. It felt more like a whole day. He had felt content and even relatively happy when he entered the kitchen today, now he felt exhausted and empty. There was no more use in thinking he was hallucinating or something. Sunggyu knew Woohyun was real, just like these painful flashbacks. Some things he just wished he had never seen. Maybe a part of him had hoped that the spirit would show him a memory of Hannah that proved she loved him deep down. There had been nothing like that and he knew there would be none. The woman had hated him from the start. Just like his father.

But his mother...maybe he had judged her unfairly. Sunggyu still hated that she had never been there for him in the past but what was he doing now? He hadn’t visited her in years. He had concentrated on work, although his mother had tried to contact him multiple times. Jungyeop often did it for her, Sunggyu knew that much. The old man cared too much for his own good. Suddenly, he felt like seeing her. He wanted to ask her about the letters. Maybe they wouldn’t have drifted apart like that, had Hannah handed the letters over to his younger self. He would’ve had at least a bit of proof that his mother loved him.

Maybe his theory had been wrong after all.

Sunggyu pulled his phone out of his pocket. He stared at it for a while before he dialed the number. It rang a few times and Sunggyu thought it might be better to hang up because surely he was interrupting the important family celebrations Woohyun had shown him before.

“Hello?”

He sat up straight. “I- uh-“

“Sunggyu?” Yein asked carefully.

He ruffled his hair. “Yeah.”

“Is something wrong? Was the stew not okay?”

“No! It was perfect, like always.”

There was a moment of silence. He could hear Yein’s children chatting in the background. One of them was asking who their mother was talking to and he heard Yein answer ‘Mr. Kim’ in a low whisper. “Sunggyu, why are you calling? Do you need something?”

Why had he called? He wasn’t so sure anymore. His eyes fell on the picture on the table. Sunggyu took a deep breath. “The present- Thank you.”

He meant it. Sunggyu had received a lot of presents today. All of them had been worth much more and the picture was honestly a little crappy but still...looking at it made his chest feel weirdly warm.

“Present?” Yein asked in confusion. Her sons got loud in the background. “Sssh! Quiet down, guys! Mommy is on the phone!”

“The picture, I mean. Your sons drew it, right? You left it on the counter.”

“Oh! I forgot about it. You saw? I didn’t think you would call about it...or even thank us for it. I was hesitant to give it to you because you are so...so...”

“Focused on the price tag?” He smiled shortly.

“Yeah...kinda. You aren’t calling because you’re drunk and found it as a funny idea, I hope.”

“No!” Sunggyu quickly threw in. He rubbed his temples. “I’m sorry, Yein. I was an to you. Pretty often. I’m probably the worst employer of the year but I’m definitely not drunk now. The picture is great. Thank you.”

He could hear Yein conveying his words to her sons who started to cheer immediately. Next thing he knew, the phone was passed around from one kid to the next. Each of them said ‘Thank you, Mr. Kim!’ and then Yein was back on the phone. “Thanks for calling. It means a lot to them. You are sort of like a distant uncle to them. A really distant, sort of scary uncle.”

Sunggyu huffed but he smiled. “I didn’t even give you a present. Is there something you want? I could buy-“

“No, no, no! You don’t need to buy me anything, Sunggyu. Your gratitude is enough.”

“But-“

“No buts!” Yein replied firmly.

Her children piped up again in the background. “Mommy! Can Mr. Kim come over?”

“Invite ahjussi over, mom!”

Sunggyu’s lips twitched. Ahjussi? He wasn’t that old! Yein chuckled. “I’m sorry. I don’t know why they want to meet you so badly. Are you alone? Do you want to come over?”

“Sounds like some cheesy Christmas date.” He said jokingly.

She laughed. “You and I both know you swing the other way. God knows I tried to get you to look at me in the past.”

His eyes widened. “You did?!”

“You never noticed?” No, he didn’t. Sunggyu tried to remember any incidents that could’ve been signs that Yein liked him but his mind was blank. She laughed again. “I don’t know if I’m supposed to feel relieved or offended. Anyways, I’m over my affection for you. Wasn’t so hard since you treated me like that.”

Sunggyu sighed. “Sorry...”

“What’s with the sudden change in attitude? It’s almost creepy. Did you fall in love? You know what people say about falling in love. It changes you into a better person!”

Woohyun popped up in his mind. Sunggyu jumped off his chair and shook his head. No! Why was he thinking of that annoying spirit? “I’m not in love, Yein! I just...noticed something, I guess.”

“That I’m not a psychotic killer ninja princess out for your bank account and life?”

“Yah! I’m trying to be serious here. But yeah, to be honest I was afraid that you were lying to me. That you might laugh at me behind my back or that it’s just the money you want. I had a bad experience in the past.”

“Sunggyu, I don’t know what you went through but I’m not that person. You are paying me more than enough to send my three kids to school, feed them and care for them, while living in a big apartment. I have more than I could ever ask for. I was always honest to you and will continue to do so.”

He hummed. “Thanks, Yein, for everything. I’ll try to be...less of a jerk to you in the future.”

Her children got loud again in the background. “Mom!! The movie is starting!”

“I have to hang up, Sunggyu. Are you sure you’re okay alone?”

Sunggyu looked at the clock on the wall. “Yeah, I think so. See you in three days.”

As soon as Yein hung up, he dialed another number. It only rang twice. “Joseph, please get the car ready.”

“I understand, sir.” Sunggyu seriously doubted that the man understood but he let it go.

He put his phone away and walked to his room. Sunggyu changed his clothes quickly, exchanging the black suit for a more casual look of jeans and a red sweater. Though, as casual as the outfit looked, it had cost a fair amount of money.

Sunggyu put his black boots on again in the corridor and then grabbed his equally black coat. His hands slipped into the brown gloves and then he left the house. The car was already waiting for him. The sound from the running motor was the only thing Sunggyu could hear. Joseph opened the car door for him and he climbed inside.

“Where are we going, sir?”

“Home, Joseph. Take me home.”

The driver gave him a confused look but then his frown disappeared. “Of course, sir.”

 

It took them almost an hour to reach the Kim mansion. Snow had started to fall down hard on their way and it had made the travel increasingly more difficult. Joseph was an experienced driver though, so they didn’t get into any accidents on the way. As they entered through the big gate and drove down the path to the entrance of the mansion, Sunggyu’s eyes found the familiar silhouette of his childhood home. It still looked as pretentious and cold as always. Sunggyu knew that it wasn’t the snow that made the place seem so cold. The Kim manor had always given off that kind of aura, even on hot summer days.

The car came to a halt in front of the entrance. Joseph wanted to get out but Sunggyu stopped him. “Drive home to your family. You’re free for the rest of the evening.”

“But sir...your safety-“

“I’ll be safe here. My mother has enough guards on the premises. Merry Christmas, Joseph.” Sunggyu gave him a reluctant smile. He wasn’t exactly used to acting close to his employees.

The blond man seemed to be caught off guard. “M-Merry Christmas, sir?”

He nodded and got out of the car. His boots immediately sank a few centimeters into the snow but he didn’t care. Sunggyu stomped towards the entrance and someone immediately opened the door for him. The maid seemed shock to see him. Sunggyu didn’t know her but she was obviously aware who had just arrived at the doorstep by the way her eyes widened. “Y-Young master Sunggyu?”

“I’m here to see my mother. She’s here, right?”

The maid nodded and opened the door wider. “Of course. I will inform the mistress that you have arrived.”

Sunggyu walked into the wide lobby and looked around curiously. “It seems awfully empty. Where is everyone?”

“Madam Kim has dismissed most of the employees. There aren’t a lot of people living here anymore. She likes the quietness.” The maid said and took his coat to hang it up. She pointed at a door across the room. “Please wait in the parlor.”

Sunggyu was left alone and for a moment he just stood there and took everything in. The big mansion looked even lonelier than in the past, probably because all the employees from back then were missing. They used to have a lot of workers in the kitchen, people who cleaned the house, tended to the garden or simply guarded the premises. None of them had been particularly friendly with Sunggyu but at least there had been other people in the manor. A big house like this one could get quite scary without other people around. He wondered why his mother had dismissed so many of the employees. Of course she probably didn’t need that many since she lived alone here now but Sunggyu was still surprised. It used to be something like a sign of their social status in the high society. The more staff you had working at your home, the richer your family had to be. And the high society was all about looking perfect to outsiders.

His feet carried him over to the parlor. The sitting room still looked very much the same as when he last visited. Sunggyu had left the mansion around 5 years ago when he started to study in college. His father had died a year and a half ago, leaving him the entire company. Sunggyu had actually been quite surprised that he had inherited the company from his father. Their relationship had always been cold and rocky, though Sunggyu had studied business like his father wanted. But he had never accepted that Sunggyu wanted to move out of their home and that he didn’t choose the university his father had wanted.

He didn’t even go to his father’s funeral.

“Sunggyu!”

His head snapped around to face the origin of the noise. “Mother.”

Five years had left their traces on his mother’s face. She looked much older than he remembered. Sunggyu didn’t know five years could change a human so much but his mother was already 58 after all. She wouldn’t look young forever. His mother still stood in the door, staring at him in disbelief and probably making her own observations about her son’s changes. Sunggyu noticed how her tears started to glisten in the light.

He searched for the right words frantically. “You’ve dismissed most of the staff?”

Sunggyu mentally slapped himself for the cold question. His mother nodded. “Yes. There isn’t much to do anymore and the time for big soirees and parties is over. It’s nice like this. Quiet.”

Silence stood between them once more. His mother broke it after a few minutes by leaving her position. She rushed over to him and Sunggyu opened his arms for her. They embraced each other like mother and son, something they hadn’t even done once in over ten years. “Sunggyu-yah...you came. You finally came.”

When had her body become so small and weak? Sunggyu felt like he could crush her in his arms. She was not the same strong and independent woman he remembered. The one who could command men around and make them dance to her piping. Now she was small and trembled in his arms like a leaf that wanted to hold on to the branch even when the winter winds tugged hard on it. Sunggyu unconsciously tightened his hold. How good it felt to hug another person.

“I’m sorry, mother.”

She sniffled. “It’s okay. I’m just happy you are here.”

His mother pulled back and cupped his cheeks, looking at him from up close. “I’ve been waiting, son.”

He put his hands on hers. “I was too stubborn to come earlier. I should’ve come after father died. You had to deal with everything alone...”

“As it was right. Your father never did much for you. I understood that you didn’t want to come to his funeral. I know I didn’t much either-“

Sunggyu shook his head. He lowered her hands and smiled shortly. “I’m not going to say you were a good mother. I saw neither you nor dad very often but you...you tried. I didn’t see it back then. I was too caught up in the loneliness, the bitterness and the pain to notice your feelings. Back when you visited me at the hospital, I shouldn’t have said those words. I was lonely and hurt but I never once hated you. What made me want to throw up was not your face but the memory of Hannah’s. It’s probably too late to apologize but I’m sorry.”

His mother looked at him with glossy eyes. “I should be the one who is sorry. I only ever visited you at night back then. I didn’t think about how you would feel when no one was ever there when you were awake. I was never there when you needed me, son. You really have no reason to apologize. Any mistakes you made are the results of my failure as a mother.”

Sunggyu bit on his lower lip shortly. “I thought you didn’t love me but someone helped me open my eyes. I know you cared about me.”

Tears slid down her cheeks and he quickly wiped them away. “How could you think that? I love you, Sunggyu. I’m sorry I made you feel like that. I thought my letters might help you but obviously that was not all a young child needs.”

“About those letters, mother...” She gave him a curious look. “I never received them.”

Her eyes widened. “What? But I left one for you...every time I couldn’t stay with you, I gave it to Hannah- oh no...”

Sunggyu nodded. “She destroyed them. I just recently found out about them. It helped me understand you.”

His mother trembled in obvious shock and he guided her to sit down on the sofa. “I always wondered why you never said anything. I thought you might have not liked the letters. Why did she do that? And how did you find out?”

He could hardly say the Spirit of Christmas had told him the truth. “A former employee told me. She probably wanted us to drift apart further.”

“And she succeeded...”

“But Hannah is not around anymore. We have time to reestablish our bond.” Sunggyu took her hand in his.

His mother burst into tears again. “Sunggyu...do you really mean that?”

“If you want to try.”

“Of course! I’d love to, son.” She wrapped her arms around him once more and Sunggyu hugged her back. “I was scared you were gone forever. This is truly the best present I’ve ever received.”

“Maybe you have Santa to thank for that.” He said half-jokingly.

His mother laughed as the tears rolled down her cheeks. “Just for tonight I might believe he exists. I have to thank him for bringing my baby boy back to me.”

Sunggyu and his mother spent the whole night talking. They dined together and he told his mother all about Yein’s excellent cuisine. Maybe someday he would ask his mother to move in with him. Out of this big mansion and into a comfortable house with him. But not today.




He laid awake in bed and stared at the dark ceiling. It was around 4 am or so but Sunggyu couldn’t fall asleep. So much had happened in only one day but somehow he didn’t feel exhausted. He felt...fulfilled. And happy. Maybe a little nervous because he hadn’t slept in the Kim mansion for such a long time. It was a weird feeling to be home again. Although his mother had kept crying throughout their conversation, he knew that she was over the moon because he returned. Wasn’t that happiness proof enough that she felt sorry for the past and truly loved him? Sunggyu was sure that his father would’ve only scoffed today if he had been in his wife’s place.

What was Woohyun doing now, he wondered. Was he still running around the place and distributing presents? Was that even his job? Woohyun had said he wasn’t really what humans expected of Santa Claus. Somehow being with that annoying spirit had been fun. For some reason Woohyun’s touches had always felt nice. Sunggyu still wasn’t sure if it was because the man was attractive or because he had used some weird spell. Did it even matter? Why was he thinking about that stupid spirit?

Maybe because he had been the closest thing to a friend that Sunggyu ever had. Kind of sad that a stranger he had only been with for a short time was someone he would consider a friend. But it just felt like he could tell Woohyun everything. Maybe because the spirit already knew everything about him. Woohyun had seen every side of him and he had still cared about him. Sunggyu remembered his words. ‘I want you to smile like you used to. I loved seeing that smile.’ He smiled unconsciously and Sunggyu blushed when he noticed it.

“Ugh! Idiot! He didn’t mean it like that! Spirits probably love everyone!” He spoke to himself. What good was it even to think about a supernatural creature like that? Woohyun was probably ancient and Sunggyu was nothing but one of his stubborn children he watched over.

After a few minutes, he gave up on falling asleep. Sunggyu decided to drink a glass of milk. That usually helped him with falling asleep. He sneaked down the corridor and headed towards the kitchen downstairs. It was dark everywhere and the place seemed kind of eerie. Sunggyu shuddered but he pushed the fear away. He wasn’t a little kid anymore. There were no ghosts waiting for him around the corner! No monster was going to pop out of a shadow to eat him.

Sunggyu pushed the door to the kitchen open and walked to the fridge. He grabbed a bottle of milk and poured some into a glass. He ended up drinking two glasses before he left the kitchen again. Sunggyu yawned and rubbed his tummy as he headed back to his bedroom.

There was a sudden loud noise and he jumped. Sunggyu froze and his eyes widened. “What was that...”

It had come from the direction of the living room. The big one where his parents used to host soirees. A shudder ran down his spine. No...ghosts aren’t real. Impossible.

Against his will, he found himself walking towards the room. Sunggyu’s heart throbbed loudly inside of his chest as he headed down the corridor. He slowly pushed the door open and looked inside. It was pretty dark except for the lights on the Christmas tree. He was surprised his mother had even set one up. Sunggyu walked towards it, totally forgetting his initial fear. Something beneath the tree caught his attention. He crouched down to inspect it but suddenly arms wrapped around him from behind.

Sunggyu yelped in surprised and jerked around. He blindly started hitting whoever hugged him. They struggled with each other until Sunggyu lost his balance and crashed into the Christmas tree. The other man yelped as well when they fell to the floor with it. Sunggyu tried to get away but somehow he only managed to get entangled in the mess of the strings that connected all the lights.

“Stop moving, Sunggyu! Ouch!”

He frowned. That voice sounded awfully familiar. Sunggyu stopped his struggling and looked at the figure on top of him that was as entangled as he was. “W-Woohyun? What are you doing here?“

The other man smiled at him. “It’s Christmas Eve, dummy.”

“No, it’s not. It’s almost 5 am! You scared me, damn it! Get me out of this mess!”

Woohyun did his best to untangle them and after a few minutes they could finally face each other without fir needles poking them everywhere. The Spirit of Christmas wasn’t wearing his usual costume but casual clothes instead. “What the hell are you doing here, Woohyun?!”

The other man grinned widely. “I’m delivering your Christmas present!”

He cast him a doubting look. “Do I want to know what that is?”

Woohyun opened his arms wide. “I am your Christmas present.”

Sunggyu frowned. ”I don’t know what you-“

“I heard your wish.” Woohyun’s smile widened. “I wish Woohyun would stay with me forever.”

His cheeks grew hot. “I didn’t say that!”

“No, but you thought it. As the Spirit of Christmas, I can hear such things! Or rather, I could.”

“I didn’t think that either!! I just thought it might be nice to have you around more often!” He exclaimed with red cheeks.

Sunggyu frowned suddenly. He felt some invisible force clenching down on his heart. “Wait. Could? Woohyun, what did you do? Why are you here? You can’t be with me forever…you have children to take care of, love to spread and you know…whatever stupid, greasy Christmas spirit stuff you normally do.”

Woohyun grinned and stepped in front of him. “I quit.”

“Y-You…what?!” Why did he say it like he only quit some random part-time job?

“Don’t you notice the difference? I’m a normal human now, Sunggyu. That was my wish. I want to be with you forever.” Sunggyu was speechless.

Woohyun took him in his arms and he hesitantly replied to the embrace. It was really hard to say no to the other man. Sunggyu leaned his head on Woohyun’s shoulder. “Is that true?”

“Yes! Do you like your present? It’s not the Ferrari you wanted and I’ve even lost all my teleportation skills and stuff but I’m still cool, I swear. I can cook. That’s something, right? Though you have Yein, so maybe that doesn’t matter. But I can make myself useful, really!!“ The (former) spirit chattered and Sunggyu laughed against his shoulder. “You’re not mad that it’s me instead of the Ferrari, are you?”

He smiled wholeheartedly. “No.”

They stayed like that for a while, simply enjoying each other’s embrace. Woohyun had lost his special magic but somehow his touch still felt as warm and safe as before. Sunggyu didn’t want to move at all.

After a while, an important question popped up in his mind. “But what happens to Christmas now when the spirit behind it has disappeared?”

Woohyun smiled. “Someone else is the Spirit of Christmas now. Someone who has wanted the position for a very, very long time.”
 

❅ At the same time in the Christmas Realm ❅

“MWAHAHAHAHAHA!!! YEESSS! THE POWER IS MINE!” A voice shouted.

The man threw his arms in the air in joy and danced around the pile of presents. “MY PRESENTS! THEY ARE ALL MINE! FINALLY! NOW I CAN PLAY AS MUCH AS I WANT”

“Uh- sir, I mean, Your Holiness, oh great Spirit of Christmas, the presents are for the child-“ The elf was interrupted.

“I don’t care!”

“Great Spirit-!”

“No!” He grabbed a few toys and ran away with them.

The elf gasped and ran after him. “Come back, Your Holiness!!”
 

The night of Christmas, Lee Sungyeol got exactly the present he wanted.

He became the Spirit of Christmas -

sadly.

A/N: OH MY GOD THAT ENDING LOL I was caught so off-guard but I had a slight feeling about Sungyeol appearing. Sungyeol, have mercy on the elves please— Anyway, I really love how you portrayed Woohyun and Sunggyu’s relationship here—they were completely in character and Woohyun was such a quirky and fun character (which is all I ever wanted) ;w;  This fic is truly a Christmas themed one so I hope the person who receives this loves it to bits! Awesome job writing this! C:  

- KyashiiKun (Cathy)