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“You weren’t lying about Kkami”.
It’s around that weird time in December where it’s no longer Christmas but not quite New Years Day. When he was younger, Seungmin would have looked forward to the break as his family ventured on annual vacations, but ever since he started taking his academics very seriously, he’s been fine staying in for the holidays. Usually at home with his parents and sister, Seungmin gives his mind some rest, sleeping in and thinking nothing of his upcoming class schedules or even the rent on his and Felix’s apartment near campus. This year is slightly different since his university life is heavily influenced by his involvement in the A Cappella Club and his fellow group members.
Directly after writing their psychology exam, Hyunjin and Seungmin went out for a short-lived celebratory lunch when both of them felt confident in the short essays that they composed in the two hours allotted. There they had a light conversation about each of their families and their holiday plans. A turn into where each of their families resided, eventually Hyunjin jokingly proposed that Seungmin come over sometime during the break to meet Kkami. Seungmin nevertheless looked into how he would even get to Hyunjin via public transport and both were surprised at how easily it could be done. Then Hyunjin actually did invite Seungmin over, and they spent the rest of lunch trying to convince Jeongin, who had even less of a journey, to tag along as well. The three at some point reached an agreement that they would have gifts at the ready after Hyunjin disclosed his plans to get gifts for the rest of their friend group.
The day of, Seungmin arrived earlier than Jeongin as expected, armed with a box of chocolates intended for Hyunjin’s parents and two gift bags for his friends. Kkami greeted him at the door, barking several times before Hyunjin finally let him in. Seungmin had dealt with dogs in the past, even strays, but for whatever reason Kkami wasn’t taking a liking to Seungmin that easily. The chihuahua took time to sniff him up as most dogs do but decided that he wasn’t apparently worthy, continuing to bark in his presence. He thought that barking back at Kkami would be a good idea but it only made Kkami growl at him instead.
“Which part?”
“He only likes you if you have food,” Seungmin responds, phone in hand, “or if you’re Jeongin.”
Jeongin showed up almost half an hour late and he wasn’t even taking public transit like Seungmin did, he got dropped off. Despite not having visited before, Kkami was somehow much friendlier and calmer in Jeongin’s presence. The youngest was equally endeared and disgusted at Kkami’s attempts to lick at his face.
“You’re just jealous,” Jeongin taunts casually from his spot, cross-legged on the carpet opposite Seungmin in the same position. Kkami looks relaxed as can be with the youngest scratching him behind the ears while posing for selfies.
“I’m not,” Seungmin lies, too bitter to take pictures of Jeongin himself. He watches Hyunjin place his wrapped gifts on the coffee table, laying out the three small packages wrapped in silver and tied with a red ribbon next to Seungmin’s two gift bags and Jeongin’s attempt at wrapping presents in tissue paper and tape.
“It’s okay Seungminnie,” Hyunjin walks over behind him to position his hands on Seungmin’s head, “I’ll pet you if Jeongin won’t”.
Hyunjin then proceeds to do as suggested and Seungmin doesn’t have it in him to get annoyed at Hyunjin for twisting his words. Seungmin takes the thorough pet then watches Kkami make direct eye contact with him. In a matter of seconds, Kkami’s ears perk up and the chihuahua frees itself from Jeongin’s hold and trots in his direction. Seungmin is once again led into a false sense of hope because he doesn’t go towards Seungmin but instead starts climbing up Hyunjin’s leg.
“Look, you made him jealous,” Jeongin scolds, lowering his phone in disappointment. Hyunjin has since stopped petting Seungmin and has picked up Kkami in response to his pleas for attention. Hyunjin carries his pet over to the sofa to take a seat and brings him in for a kiss but before he can even lean back into the cushions, Kkami squirms his way out of Hyunjin’s arms and onto the seat. Hyunjin pouts in defeat as Kkami paws reach the floor and he proceeds to leave the room. Jeongin laughs at Hyunjin, then stands up from his spot, “time for presents then”.
Seungmin is close enough to the rounded coffee table that he just pivots his posture to face it without getting up. He sits on his knees while Jeongin sits on the floor across from him. Hyunjin scoots one cushion over to center himself between them, “wait, are we opening them now?”
“I mean it’s after Christmas so it’s not like we have to wait”
“All at once?”
“Let’s go by age,” Jeongin suggests, “I’ll open mine first because y’all are old”.
“We were born 5 months apart”
“Okay boomer,” he replies, bringing himself to his knees to get a better look at the spread of gifts, “which one’s are mine?”
Instead of just pushing Jeongin’s spoils towards him, they end up shuffling all of the presents so that they’re in front of their respective recipients. Hyunjin slides two of his wrapped boxes towards Seungmin causing the latter to tilt in head questionably.
“The smaller one is for Felix,” Hyunjin explains, “I figured you’d see him before I do, so when he gets back from Australia you can give him that and also a hug for me”. Seungmin nods, contemplating if this means he has to give Felix two hugs when they both move back into their apartment.
Meanwhile Jeongin’s been digging around the gift bag from Seungmin, taking out his present. “Wow,” Jeongin’s smile fades from his face, “a book... thank you Seungmin....” He’s polite enough to examine the cover page but doesn't read the back for a description of the novel.
“I was gonna get it for your birthday but I thought I’d give it to you now,” he replies, “by then I expect a report, I’ve read it a few times so I know you’re gonna like it”.
“Right…” Jeongin says with gritted teeth. He then returns the book to it’s bag and goes for Hyunjin’s gift. Stripping off the layer of wrapping paper, he reveals a tiny box, small enough to fit maybe one Changbin, maybe two. Hyunjin grins when Jeongin flips back the lid to reveal a pair of two silver rings.
“Is this a proposal?”
“Do you want it to be?”
“No, but thank you,” says Jeongin, pinching onto one of them to examine it more closely.
“Congratulations on the engagement,” Seungmin says dryly.
“I know you’ve had a thing for rings so I hope these measure up,” Hyunjin tells the younger before turning to his right and tapping on the table, “Seungminnie you’re up”.
Seungmin pats down the tissue paper package that Jeongin has given him. The tissue paper is identical to that of Hyunjin’s but his bundle has no particular shape whereas Hyunjin’s looks like it comes in a box. Feeling it now he’s predicting socks.
He’s right.
“My mom says they’re really warm and high quality”
“Thank your mom for me then,” Seungmin does appreciate that they’re neither holiday themed nor coloured monotonously colored gray or white. They’re instead deep jewel tones, the aubergine looking one leaving the strongest impression.
“You’re welcome”.
Seungmin mumbles another thank you before lending his attention to the larger package that Hyunjin has given him. It’s wrapped very precisely, and Hyunjin even managed to get the bow on it to look admirably pretty. Seungmin almost feels bad when he has to pull it apart. Inside is another small box, in the same color as Jeongin’s but more cube-like. Pulling back the top, inside is presumably a necklace with a simple chain and two strips of silver dangling in the middle of it.
“I know you don’t really wear accessories so I got you something simple,” Hyunjin says in reaction to Seungmin’s expression, “I kept the gift receipt if you don’t think it suits you”
“No, no I’ll keep it I just wasn’t expecting that it would be-”
“Ugly,” Jeongin finishes his sentence . Hyunjin slaps him on the arm, but not hard enough for the younger to recoil.
“No, it’s pretty, Hyunjin, thank you, I really like it, yes,” Seungmin says sincerely, closing the box and holding it to his chest.
“Hyunjin’s turn,” Jeongin announces, pushing the gift bag closer in front of the older, “open Seungmin’s first in case it’s another book”.
“I’m an English major, I won’t mind books,” Hyunjin grins, lifting up the smaller bag from it’s spot on the table, “it’s not heavy so maybe it’s a light novel”.
Jeongin rolls his eyes at Hyunjin’s sense of humour. Seungmin smiles nervously.
Hyunjin carefully parts the tissue paper and reaches into the bag to retrieve another box of what Seungmin knows is also jewelry. It’s from a different store but roughly the same size as the box as what Seungmin’s currently holding onto. Hyunjin sets the bag down before examining the present, in search of its clasp. Seungmin holds his breath when Hyunjin opens it up and gets a look at the necklace that Seungmin had picked out for him. Jeongin motions towards Hyunjin to peek at it as well.
“You got him that but got me a book?!”
They both ignore him.
“It’s a daisy...”