Work Text:
“Where is he?”
The sound of Yoo Sangah preparing dinner at the kitchen counter filled the room. Fridays were the days everyone gathered for dinner to celebrate the end of the workweek and yet, a quiet expectance was almost tangible in the air, mainly because of a worried Yoo Joonghyuk. He was checking the clock every minute, and his phone even more often. When he was catching himself doing this routine too frequently, he switched to staring at the cup of black tea in front of him like it could offer answers if pressed enough. It wasn’t even that late, but he was getting worried nonetheless.
It was almost time to start setting the table for dinner, and yet there was no news of Kim Dokja’s whereabouts.
「It’s been two hours. 」Yoo Joonghyuk quickly calculated.
“You need to get to torturing them soon, neither the table nor the cup are gonna talk otherwise.” Han Sooyoung suggested from the other side of the table, raising her eyes from the laptop in front of her.
Yoo Joonghyuk’s icy stare, aimed at the writer, spelled out the numerous torture methods the man was capable of and the actual target he might have in mind. Han Sooyoung, despite feeling a cold shiver run down her spine, took a sip of her coffee and returned to typing.
“Just a suggestion.”
“Don’t fight,” Yoo Sangah said, trying to lighten the atmosphere. “At least wait until after dinner.”
Yoo Joonghyuk checked his phone one more time. Kim Dokja, Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung were smiling at him from the picture he set as his wallpaper. Unknowingly, the corners of his lips slowly curled into a light smile.
All of a sudden, a notification popped up on the screen, along with a sound alert. The smile on the man’s face faded away.
[Can’t make it on time tonight, work keeps piling up.]
Then another one.
[Take care and have fun. See you later.]
Yoo Joonghyuk read the messages again.
“Was that Dokja-ssi?” Yoo Sangah asked without raising her eyes from the salad she was preparing.
“He can’t make it.” Yoo Joonghyuk announced, visibly dejected. “Probably not even going to be on time for the kid’s bedtime story.”
“Work this, work that, there’s always ‘work’ for Dokja.”
Han Sooyoung saw this type of scene happen too many times before.
“This bastard, not showing up for Friday dinner. And if he’s not even coming until we leave, I have to wash the dishes. Damn this asshole.”
The woman’s rant would have continued for most of the next hour, if not for the words of a disheartened voice. While trying to seem strong and unaffected, Yoo Joonghyuk gave off the aura of a puppy who has been left alone for too long.
“If he could, he would have come.”
Yoo Sangah raised her eyes and looked at them over the kitchen counter, catching Han Sooyoung’s half-exasperated look and deep sigh. Yoo Joonghyuk’s entire being was too diabetes-inducing at times for the younger girl to stand.
The words he was not saying were hanging in the air.
「I love him. 」
With a swift move, Yoo Sangah made her way to the two people at the table, behind Han Sooyoung. She lowered herself and pressed her chin on the top of her lover’s head, to distract her enough to remove the “too sweet to handle” expression on her face.
With all eyes now focused on her, Yoo Sangah asked:
“Joonghyuk-ssi, why don’t you propose?”
Her words earned her a sharp look from the man, to which she just responded with a smile.
After a few seconds, Yoo Joonghyuk returned to staring at the cup of black tea on the table.
It wasn’t like he hadn’t considered this before, but a thousand thoughts would plague his mind. Was it too soon? Were they right for each other?
Would Kim Dokja even say yes?
“I think ahjussi would say yes!”
Yoo Joonghyuk looked at his little daughter that made her way up to him without him even noticing. Thinking about Kim Dokja would have this kind of influence on him, making the man unable to properly observe the things going on around him.
Shin Yoosung was now slightly clinging to the man’s legs.
“I want ahjussi as my father too!”
He picked the little girl up and held her in his arms.
“Maybe one day.”
All time is not equal. There are longer days, and shorter days. There are seconds that pass in a flash, like the kisses they share before one of them leaves for work or the slight touching of hands when one needs the other’s attention.
And there are lingering times, days that seem not to pass, when they are doing mundane everyday activities, chores around the house or taking care of the children. Sometimes, even the time they spend engulfed in their own world, when they are watching a movie or driving across town, seems to last forever.
As days passed, Yoo Joonghyuk realized.
「I am intoxicated by him.」
Yoo Joonghyuk realized he wanted to spend every kind of day with Kim Dokja.
「I want to marry him. 」
“Are you free on the 23rd?” Yoo Joonghyuk asked while the two of them were folding laundry, one lazy Saturday afternoon.
Kim Dokja thought for a bit, following his schedule in his mind.
“I don’t think so. There are a few problems at the company that we need to wrap up before Christmas…”
He didn’t need to look at his lover to feel him staring daggers at him. He realized that was not a question, but simply Yoo Joonghyuk letting him know about their plans on that day.
“…but I guess I could take off the evening, at least,“ he gave in with a sigh. “What do you have in mind?”
Yoo Joonghyuk was meticulously folding one of Lee Gilyoung’s shirts. A warm smile formed on Dokja’s lips.
「 He is so attentive to everything regarding Lee Gilyoung.」
”There’s a Christmas fair in town,” he answered without looking at Kim Dokja. “We should check it out.”
Kim Dokja blinked twice.
“Never would have guessed you’re the type to go to a Christmas fair.”
His partner continued folding, neither confirming nor denying the statement.
“Well, I guess if you want to, we can check it out,” the man concluded, putting the little dress he was folding on the nearby tower of clothes. “We need to find someone to babysit Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung then.”
Lee Jihye pointed to herself, full of enthusiasm and self-confidence.
“Leave them to me, ahjussi! I’ll be damned if they’re not in bed by 10!”
“Remember not to curse like this in front of the kids…” Kim Dokja sighed, mentally facepalming himself. He decided to try his hardest not to start doubting his decision.
After leaving the apartment and locking the door, Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyebrows furrowed, if only a little.
“Are you sure this will work out well?”
“We’ll only be gone for a few hours, nothing that bad can happen during this time,” Kim Dokja replied, waving his hand dismissively. “Besides, Heewon-ssi couldn’t come babysit them. Lee Jihye was the only one available.”
“I see.”
While slowly walking beside each other, Yoo Joonghyuk took Kim Dokja’s hand into his own.
’’Kim Dokja, let’s make the most of this date.”
“R-right!”
A faint blush colored Kim Dokja’s cheeks. He wondered whether he would ever get used to holding Yoo Joonghyuk’s hand in public, for everyone to see that the wonderful man was his and only his.
The Christmas fair that year was held on the other side of town, beside a frozen lake.
“I hear they turned the lake into an ice-skating rink.”
Kim Dokja’s colleagues seemed much more accustomed to the world outside of the company than the hard-working man was. Spending two thirds of his time working in said building, he would inevitably come to listen to all sorts of stories.
“Did they? That’s impressive.” Yoo Joonghyuk never thought very highly of the city council, but this time they may have done something right. “Do you know how to ice-skate?”
“I went skating several times, I’ll be fine.” Kim Dokja answered confidently.
Night was approaching, slowly covering the sky in a blanket of stars. Though they had no specific reason to, both men felt slight resentment while looking at the sparkling celestial bodies. After a while, the lampposts lit up, bathing the streets in bright white light, hiding the sky.
“I’m surprised no one came to this park today.” Yoo Joonghyuk broke the silence, slightly pointing to the playground they usually take Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung to.
“It’s like a snow kingdom,” Kim Dokja admired the view. It had been snowing for the past two days and it suddenly came to a halt an hour before they left. Snow was now covering the area, lying untouched.
Then, an idea popped into his mind.
“Joonghyuk-ah, do you want to build a snowman?”
The man glanced questioningly at his lover.
“We’re not five anymore.”
“Oh, come on, this is not about age, it’s about having fun, releasing stress, relaxing,” Kim Dokja argued. “Let’s build a snowman.”
Yoo Joonghyuk sighed in defeat.
“If you want to.”
Hand in hand, they found a relatively straight segment of the park and each of them proceeded to form a snowball for the body. From time to time, they were either giving each other advice or just making conversation:
“We should have brought carrots.”
“Make the torso a little smaller.”
“Try not to take so much earth; it will ruin the snowman.”
“Yoo Joonghyuk, it’s a snow ball , it should be rounder, like a circle .”
“I know what a snowball is, you fool.”
In the end, they put the two snowballs together, and started to roll another one for the head. Kim Dokja was laughing at his seemingly inexperienced companion.
“This is funnier than I remembered.”
His laugh came to an abrupt stop when Yoo Joonghyuk casually took his hand.
“Hey, we’re not going to get anything done like this,” Kim Dokja complained in a low voice.
“We’ll manage.”
It was indeed much harder to roll a snowball while holding hands, but Yoo Joonghyuk somehow managed to get better at it, much to Kim Dokja’s surprise. The taller man was smiling to himself.
“You’re right, this is fun.”
“Aaaand it’s done! This is a fine snowman.”
A grand snowman, formed out of three snowballs (with the head a little bit awry, as Kim Dokja would always point out when telling this story) was now standing in front of them. Two kind women that happened to pass by, one blonde like an angel and the other one with hair as dark as the darkest night, offered them buttons for the eyes and a red string for the mouth, leaving almost immediately afterwards. The angel-like woman couldn’t stop giggling, much to the men’s wonder. Two branches they managed to find were used as arms.
“It’s passable.”
“Joonghyuk-ah, this is not a contest,” Kim Dokja scoffed. He picked some snow off the ground and formed another snowball. “Relax a bit.”
He then threw it at his partner. Being so close to each other, the man couldn’t dodge, and snow was hanging on his coat.
“Oh, you’re challenging me?”
Kim Dokja waved his hands to show that that was not his intention, and yet it seemed to be too late. Yoo Joonghyuk unbuttoned his coat to allow better movement, fixed his gloves, analyzed the surrounding area as if in preparation for an all-out war, and proceeded to gather snow.
As his lover’s actions didn’t leave much room for conversation, the man who threw the first snowball armed himself. Soon, many little mountains of snowballs surrounded the men.
“Kim Dokja, I will not go easy on you.”
“So this is how it ends.”
The speed at which the two men were firing the ammo made the fight impossible to follow. Snowballs were flying here, there and everywhere.
“Missed again!”
Many snowballs failed to hit their targets.
“Ouch!”
While some of them reached the opponent, marking their clothes in white spots.
Soon, they were standing a meter apart, each of them down to their last snowball. Kim Dokja threw his own to his lover's right, clearly knowing he would dodge. Yoo Joonghyuk looked at the ball in his hand, and then at the man in front of him, who now stood with his arms stretched, ready to receive the final blow.
“Come at me with everything you’re got, Yoo Joonghyuk.”
Adopting his fighting stance, the man threw the snowball with great power and speed. It collided with its target, hitting Kim Dokja’s chest, in his heart. As if on cue, the lampposts illuminating the playground turned off, leaving the moon and little stars as the only source of light.
The force of the impact made the man, who was unknowingly sitting on a layer of ice, stumble and fall into a patch of snow.
Yoo Joonghyuk closed the distance between him and his fallen lover.
“You can be so dramatic.”
He took out his gloves and extended his hand.
“But you’re the only person I know that wouldn’t die even if killed.”
Kim Dokja gazed at Yoo Joonghyuk’s slightly bended figure. The moon was outlining his form, giving him a mysterious, yet comforting aura. It made him feel like the man would protect him from any harm in the world and love him until the end of time. He extended his own hand as if spellbound.
Upon the touching of their hands, warmth spread to his frozen fingertips.
「Am I imagining this? 」
“Waaah”
Yoo Joonghyuk pulled his lover out of the snow, and proceeded to lift him into his arms, taking steps towards the exit of the park.
“This feels nice,” Yoo Joonghyuk muttered, loud enough for his lover to hear. “I can carry you like this to the fair.”
The sheer conviction in the man’s voice made Kim Dokja start squirming, feeling embarrassed at the mere thought.
“No, no thank you! It’s fine, I’m fine walking.”
After five minutes of not-seemingly-close-to-end struggling, Yoo Joonghyuk put Kim Dokja down and let him walk on his own to the Christmas fair.
Upon entering the fair, the couple was met with a colorful and bustling view.
The circular area of the Christmas fair was illuminated by thousand little Christmas lights, placed on the rustic stalls filling the fair as well as above the participants, creating a glistening ceiling. Various types of Christmas decorations could be seen: from the fountain-like ornaments hanging from every pole to the majestic reindeers that seemed almost alive, even if carved out of wood.
But the main attraction was the breathtaking Christmas tree in the center of the fair. Nearly 15 meters tall, the dense tree was ruling over everything as a fair king, full of ornaments in colors covering the full spectrum. The white tinsels further enhanced the magical glow and, at the very top, the Christmas star seemed to touch the sky. Several little children stopped at the entrance of the fair and pointed to the tree, wondering in awe at the mesmerizing sight.
“The city council did an admirable job this year,” Yoo Joonghyuk concluded.
“We should have brought the kids with us…”
They shared a knowing glance and nodded to each other, silently vowing to bring Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung there the following day.
At the buzzing fair, the vendors were trying their best to attract customers to their respective stalls, while keeping the atmosphere light and welcoming.
One by one, they checked the various items displayed, stopping to buy a small stuffed dragon for Shin Yoosung and a toy ant for Lee Gilyoung (“Why are they even selling these?”), as well as numerous different types of Christmas decorations to place around their home.
“Look, that one stand is selling themed hats,” Kim Dokja said, pointing to a particular stand.
“I am starting to question your age more and more.” Yoo Joonghyuk’s voice had an uncharacteristic amusement to it.
“Maybe we can find something for the kids. ”
Reaching the stall, Kim Dokja took the Christmas-themed hats and headbands one by one, inspecting some of them, trying on the others. Finally, he turned to his lover with reindeer antlers on his head.
“Maybe we could have you dress up as Santa this year for the gift opening.”
“I’m not wearing the full costume. They don’t believe in Santa anymore.”
“Yes, I remember Shin Yoosung telling Lee Gilyoung how Santa’s not real, after someone told her that at five years old,” Kim Dokja recalled, eyeing his lover. “At least wear the hat, to match the Christmas spirit.”
Yoo Joonghyuk reluctantly took the Santa Claus hat and put it on.
“How do I look?”
Kim Dokja reached to fix Yoo Joonghyuk’s stocking cap. He then rested his arms on his lover’s shoulders, clasping his hands behind the other man’s neck.
“Most believable Santa Claus in town.”
Yoo Joonghyuk grinned.
“We should dress you up as Misses Claus, then.”
“Hah, we’d have to be married for that,” Kim Dokja laughed heartily, slightly tiptoeing. He gazed into Yoo Joonghyuk’s eyes with a hopeful smile. “Maybe one day.”
“Maybe that day is closer than you think,” Yoo Joonghyuk gently moved a strand of hair off of Kim Dokja’s forehead. The latter raised a questioning eyebrow.
“What, are you going to propose tonight?”
Yoo Joonghyuk didn’t answer, but slightly bowed, closing the distance between them. Their lips found each other, like it was the most natural movement in the entire world. Yoo Joonghyuk took Kim Dokja into his arms, resting his lover’s head on his hand.
“Ahem.”
The magical moment was brought to an abrupt stop by the vendor.
“You are a very cute couple, but you should check out the other stalls as well! Thank you for stopping by!”
A few awkward coughs, laughs and apologizes later, the two of them bought the Santa Claus hat, as well as an ant headband (“Why in the wide world are they even selling such a thing at a Christmas fair??”) and quickly left the stall.
After an hour of checking out everything the Christmas fair had to offer in terms of shopping, the pair decided to take a well-deserved break. Kim Dokja found an empty bench while Yoo Joonghyuk bought two cups of warm bishop.
“Where do they get so much energy from…?” Kim Dokja wondered at the chaotic crowd of people.
Yoo Joonghyuk took a sip of wine.
“Maybe they took some days off beforehand.”
“I guess.”
An uncomfortable silence fell between the two. Because he was always caught up in work, Kim Dokja felt like there was little time for him to relax, much less spend time with his family. Even then, at the fair, he felt his muscles tense from time to time, and his mind would somehow always find its way back to his company’s schedule. He looked at the ground in front of him, feeling disheartened.
“Isn’t that Jung Heewon?” Yoo Joonghyuk broke the silence, pointing to a person standing beside the central Christmas tree.
“She’s with Hyunsung-ssi,” Kim Dokja added, after squinting for a bit. “That explains why she couldn’t babysit tonight.”
On a date of her own, Jung Heewon stared wide-eyed at the Christmas tree. She was holding what appeared to be a statue of an angel, bought from one of the stalls. Lee Hyunsung on the other hand, seemed to be paying more attention to her than the tree.
He took off his jacket and gently put it on her shoulders. She smiled at her lover, and he put his hand around her back.
“I was thinking about calling out to them…” Kim Dokja thought out loud.
They were in their own little world, away from their own problems and other people.
“Better not.”
“Yeah…”
Noticing an empty table further away, the two men gathered their stuff and moved, buying cookies and two more cups of bishop on their way.
“So on the 25th Sooyung-ssi and Sangah-ssi are coming over, on the 26th we’re visiting my mom…” Kim Dokja went over their schedule for the next couple of days.
“Do we have something planned for the 27th?”
“Nothing at the moment, but maybe we can get Han Sooyoung to come over and help with preparations for the new year’s celebration, since Sangah-ssi is busy these days adjusting to her new job.”
Somewhere in a mall across town, a small woman sneezed, and once again a few seconds later.
“Han Sooyoung-ssi, are you cold?” Yoo Sangah put her hand over Han Sooyoung’s, watching her lover with a half concerned, half amused expression. “I have an extra flannel in my bag.”
“No, I’m not cold, but I do think someone keeps mentioning my name.”
The taller woman laughed. As they were passing by a jewelry shop, she caught a glimpse of a beautiful golden ring.
“I think he’s going to propose tonight.”
“Eh? Do you get this feeling too?” Han Sooyoung asked, blinking twice at the exact same words that passed through her mind a second before.
“At least I hope so,” Yoo Sangah took Han Sooyoung’s hand into her own, brought it to her lips and kissed it softly. “We could then have a double wedding,”
The woman’s words brought a furious blush to Han Sooyoung’s cheeks.
“Eh? EH??? No, no, it’s too early. Too early.” She was frantically moving her free arm in a ‘no’ expression. “Maybe in like, more time.”
Yoo Sangah smiled to herself.
「We’ve been together longer than them, though 」
And gently brought Han Sooyoung into a hug.
“It’s okay, we’ll have one when we’re ready.”
Sighing in mild relief, the petite woman let herself relax into her lover’s warm hug.
“It’s even more impressive from up close,” Kim Dokja muttered upon reaching the base of the Christmas tree.
He turned to his lover.
“Let’s take a picture.”
Yoo Joonghyuk reluctantly took out his phone and held it in front of them. The first photo showed a broadly smiling Kim Dokja and an unimpressed Yoo Joonghyuk.
“Joonghyuk-ah, smile a bit!” Kim Dokja suggested, as he stood on his tiptoes and kissed the taller man on the cheek.
The second picture of them showed an amused Kim Dokja and a surprised Yoo Joonghyuk.
“You…”
The third picture they took was of a couple slowly kissing by the Christmas tree, bathing in the light and the falling snow.
Children were running around, holding their parent’s hands, laughing happily. Couples were exchanging presents, holding hands, telling each other stories. Making memories.
Kim Dokja had certain doubts before, but watching the freedom of the people around him, as well as feeling the love coming from the man beside him, strengthened his resolve. After a deep sigh, he started sharing his plans.
“I’m going to change jobs.”
Yoo Joonghyuk gawked at his lover, surprised at the sudden announcement.
“Why? Where do you plan on working then?”
“I spoke to Yoo Sangah and there’s a free spot at the company she’s working at now. As for why, there are more important things in my life now to take care of and enjoy.” The smile on his face conveyed the satisfaction of finally making a decision for him and his family. “And they’ve been here for a while; I was just too caught up in everything to properly notice them.”
A warm feeling filled up Yoo Joonghyuk’s heart. He has never felt something as strongly before and, in his whole life, he never wanted to protect and cherish anyone more.
The whole atmosphere around them was imbued with their love that could warm up even the coldest of nights. And while Christmas carols were still singing in the background and everything around them was neatly decorated, he could only look at Kim Dokja’s smile and his eyes. Those beautiful eyes that made everything clear. Yoo Joonghyuk knew.
「It is time. 」
Removing his hand from that of Kim Dokja, Yoo Joonghyuk kneeled.
“Joonghyuk-ah, are you hurt? Did you eat something bad?” Kim Dokja tried to help him up, offering support.
However, the man did not respond. He put his hand in his pocket and took out a finely crafted wooden box. He opened it in front of his bewildered lover, a little diamond ring sparkling from the inside.
“Kim Dokja, conquer this world with me.”
A few surprised squeals came from the people around them. Some girls took pictures, while others suggested, quite loudly, that the man should accept.
“Kim Dokja, be my companion!”
The man looked at Yoo Joonghyuk half overjoyed, half wondering why.
「Why can’t he propose like a normal person? 」
But as he gazed at his lover, who was kneeling in front of him, offering his entire being to him and only him, he knew that that was the charm of the man he fell in love with.
And he wouldn’t change him for the world.
“Yes, Yoo Joonghyuk. Let’s conquer this world together.”
People clapped loudly, cheering for the soon-to-be-officially-married pair.
Yoo Joonghyuk tightly hugged his fiancé.
“I love you.”
He picked Kim Dokja up into his arms, brought him closer and gently kissed him in front of the cheering crowd.
“Dokja-ssi! Yoo Joonghyuk-ssi!”
A familiar voice called out to them.
“Congratulations!”
A very happy and excited Jung Heewon hugged Kim Dokja, while an awkward Lee Hyunsung shook Yoo Joonghyuk’s hand.
“Thank you, thank you!”
Lee Hyunsung was now standing in front of Kim Dokja, seemingly wondering if he could hug him as well.
“Oh, come here!”
A sigh of relief escaped the army lieutenant as he tightly hugged his friend.
“Congratulations, my friends!” Lee Hyunsung, who was nearly tearing up before as he was watching the proposal, was now almost crying. “We wish you lots of love and happiness.”
He then took out a handkerchief and stepped away.
“I think I need a moment.”
Jung Heewon smiled at the sight of her highly emotional boyfriend, then took out a statue from her bag.
"Here's a little something to start your life together."
Her hands held a little statue of an angel holding a sword. The blonde hair and finely crafted physiognomy of the statue made the angel seem strangely similar to one of the two women who offered them buttons for the snowman earlier.
“This archangel will protect you and your relationship, I am sure of it.”
“Thank you, Heewon-ssi.”
“Do you want to go check out the ice rink with us?” Lee Hyunsung asked upon returning.
“I think it’s time for us to go home,” Yoo Joonghyuk answered, looking at Kim Dokja. The man’s intense gaze left little room for discussion, but a lot of room for interpretation.
Lee Hyunsung and Jung Heewon shared a knowing glance.
After the two pairs exchanged farewells and waved, Lee Hyunsung asked a timid question:
“Perhaps, um, do you also want to go home?”
Jung Heewon considered it for a second, and then answered.
“Surely we can, but don’t you want to get some extra cookies before?”
“Yessir!”
“It’s 11pm, the kids are asleep, and you know what that means…”
Kim Dokja winked at Yoo Joonghyuk as he unlocked the apartment door. A mischievous smile formed on Yoo Joonghyuk’s lips.
* thud *
Upon opening the door, the two men were met with the deafening sound of a large object falling. They hurried in the direction of the noise and were taken aback by the unexpected scene in the living room.
“…It means that we have time to clean.” Yoo Joonghyuk finished his fiancé’s sentence.
There were few things that were in their proper place. Clothes and toys were strewn all over the floor, on the shelves, on the sofa. One stuffed rabbit’s leg was peeking from under the sofa, suggesting that the piece of furniture was moved from its respective spot. They could only guess that, at some point, the kids took whatever they could and threw it at each other. The small coffee table that used to be in the middle of the room was now lying in a corner, upside down. Here and there, the remnants of what seemed to have been popcorn flakes could be seen. Small nerf gun bullets were scattered between the clothes and Kim Dokja congratulated himself on not buying bigger nerf guns last Christmas.
But they did find out the origin of the alarming sound they heard.
“It was probably the Christmas tree falling…” Kim Dokja muttered to himself.
The Christmas tree, which they spent hours choosing and decorating, was seemingly the only one willing to admit defeat and lay down its weapons. Or, in this specific case, its ornaments and garlands.
In the middle of that mess, there stood Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung, still in a fighting stance. And also…
“Lee Jihye.” Yoo Joonghyuk’s voice boomed.
The fight came to an abrupt end when the three of them turned to see the two men disapprovingly scrutinize the living room.
Lee Gilyoung quickly pointed towards his sister.
“She started it!”
“Damn you!”
Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk exchanged surprised glances before exclaiming at the same time:
“That’s not how a lady should speak!”
“Shin Yoosung watch your language!”
But they soon realized that the main problem was not the child speaking in such a manner, but the person they have heard that word from. Yoo Joonghyuk headed for the balcony.
“Lee Jihye…”
The girl that was at that time trying to raise the Christmas tree but clearly failing turned to Kim Dokja. The tree once again collided with the floor.
“Ah, ahjussi, you came back early…”
She tried to change the subject of the conversation, slightly fidgeting, slightly expecting a grand reprimand.
“It’s time to clean this mess,” Yoo Joonghyuk concluded. A broom coming from the balcony was offered to Lee Jihye as a sign of peace. “We’ll talk after this.”
Several picked up ornaments and way more refolded clothes later, Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung were finally sleeping and the couple heard the story of how their living room turned into a living battlefield.
Everything started when the kids flipped a coin to decide who gets a bedtime story from Lee Jihye and Shin Yoosung emerged victorious. Seeing that Lee Gilyoung was more than upset and ready to fight for his story, Lee Jihye suggested watching a movie instead. They prepared popcorn as a snack for the movie.
“But that didn’t turn out quite well, you see.”
Lee Gilyoung started throwing popcorn flakes at his sister, and Shin Yoosung, after a while, started to do so too. It then turned into an actual popcorn fight and Lee Jihye tried to stop them (“I swear, ahjussi, I really tried to stop them.”) but they both threw popcorn at her and she had no choice but to join the fight.
“And after they finished the popcorn, they opened every drawer to search for the damn nerf guns. That’s how it got like that.”
“So that’s the story…”
Both men nodded.
“Anyway, I’m leaving now to buy presents and I need my money.”
Yoo Joonghyuk brought his wallet and took out a 100 coins bill.
“Eh? Wasn’t it 500 coins?”
“After tonight, I’d just say ‘thank you ahjussi’ and be grateful~”
Kim Dokja’s lips were curled into a grin, but his eyes were not smiling.
“Thank you ahjussi,” Lee Jihye rolled her eyes so hard that she basically saw the interior of her mind, but took the money nonetheless.
After gathering her belongings, she headed to the door.
“Thank you for coming, Lee Jihye.”
“No problem, I told you you can count on me!”
“And yet…” Kim Dokja laughed.
“It wasn’t that bad!” Lee Jihye argued while looking away.
“We’re waiting for you on the 25th for the Christmas dinner,” the man added while patting her head. “Don’t be late.”
“I won’t be late, ahjussi.”
On Christmas Eve, their entirely-restored living room welcomed more guests than initially expected.
Yoo Sangah helped Yoo Joonghyuk with the finishing touches for the Christmas dinner. They seasoned the barbecued beef, the fragrance of which made everyone’s stomach growl, and the sweet potato noodles and kimchi they prepared could satisfy even the pickiest eater. Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung decorated the Christmas cake with fruit and little sweets with the help of Yoo Joonghyuk (“Good work, this turned out good”).
Jung Heewon and Lee Hyunsung came around to bring Christmas gifts for the children and congratulate the soon-to-be-wed pair.
“This barbecued beef looks so nice.”
Jung Heewon couldn’t help but marvel at the tempting food, all the while Lee Hyunsung was teaching Lee Gilyoung how to properly hold and shoot a gun using the nerf model (“I thought you hid that.” “I did.”). Kim Dokja ended up inviting them to stay for dinner.
While most people were either preparing the food or setting the table, Lee Jihye and Kim Dokja stealthily brought the gifts and put them under the tree.
Han Sooyoung closely supervised everyone while trying to draw inspiration for her latest novel.
The comfortable yet quiet atmosphere at the dinner table further proved the heavenly flavors of the food. Lee Jihye was the sole person on edge, glancing at the two children from time to time, remembering their food fight from a few days ago. She was ready to jump in at the first sight of Lee Gilyoung and Shin Yoosung bickering, but she relaxed as well after taking a few bites of kimchi (“This is fantastic!”) and stealthily sipping from Kim Dokja’s glass of wine.
After the meal, Jung Heewon approached Yoo Joonghyuk.
“The barbecued beef was delicious! What recipe did you use?”
“First,” the man started, “you need to slow cook the chuck roast with ketchup for 10 hours. Then…”
Yoo Joonghyuk recited the recipe at a pace that made it next to impossible to remember, and while Jung Heewon tried her best to follow all the steps, she sighed in relief when she felt Lee Hyunsung coming next to her. He took out his phone and typed everything he could pick up.
“…and then you season it.”
Jung Heewon eyed Lee Hyunsung, quietly asking if he managed to get everything down, to which he responded with a shrug. Yoo Joonghyuk continued as if he was oblivious to the exchange.
“You can find the recipe online. I’ll text you the site.”
“How did he manage to trick me into doing the dishes again ?”
A grumpy Han Sooyoung was furiously scrubbing a plate, pouring all her wrath directed at Kim Dokja into wiping every stain.
“I swear it wasn’t even my turn, goddammit.”
She raised the plate at her level and nodded at her reflection.
“At least they’ve never been cleaner!”
As she was drying her hands on a towel, a smiling Yoo Sangah made her way up to the sink. In her hands rested a small dessert plate with a slice of cake.
“Is that,” Han Sooyoung asked while blinking twice, “another plate to wash?”
Sensing that a part of Han Sooyoung’s soul was about to leave her body, Yoo Sangah jumped to the rescue:
“No, no, I’m going to wash it myself.”
The smaller woman could not contain a sigh of relief.
“But have you tried the cake? It’s really good.”
As she was asking the question, Yoo Sangah spooned a bit of the cake from her plate and presented it to her girlfriend, inviting her to taste it. Han Sooyoung watched the spoon, and then Yoo Sangah in disbelief.
“I’m not doing that.”
“Doesn’t your novel contain at least one couple?” Yoo Sangah raised a knowing eyebrow at the rolling eyes of Han Sooyoung. “As a writer, you need to experience…”
“As much as you possibly can, yes, I know, it’s your favorite argument.”
Yoo Sangah laughed at her lover’s impersonation.
“So?”
Han Sooyoung eyed the spoon once more before taking a bite out of the cake offered to her.
“It’s passable, but aren’t Shin Yoosung and Lee Gilyoung gonna open presents soon enough? Let’s go.” Han Sooyoung offered, extending her hand.
As she knew that that was the only (questionable) compliment she was going to get out of her, Yoo Sangah left the plate on the cupboard next to the sink and took her blushing lover’s hand.
In the living room, the kids were opening presents while Kim Dokja and Yoo Joonghyuk watched them with satisfied smiles. Everybody was surprised to see Yoo Joonghyuk wearing a Santa Claus hat, and while it was not very clear how Kim Dokja convinced his fiancé to do it (not even to Kim Dokja himself), they did not ask any further questions.
Lee Gilyoung was wearing the ant headband when he opened what his parents thought to be the best gift out of them all. The little boy’s eyes lit up when he discovered a jar with an ant farm inside the gift box.
“This is awesome! Thanks!”
He observed the hard-working ants diligently building their tunnels, boasting at times to Shin Yoosung about his amazing gift.
Shin Yoosung, who was at the time inspecting the dragon toy the two men bought at the Christmas fair, felt a slight tug at her heart, a tiny hint of jealousy at the perfectly fitted gift her brother received. Gloom was slowly creeping on the girl’s face.
It was at that moment that Kim Dokja called.
“Jung Heewon-ssi, would you bring it in?”
The woman came into the room holding an unwilling, restlessly moving thing.
“Ta-daa!”
Shin Yoosung instantly beamed.
“A cat!”
She slowly came closer to Jung Heewon and stretched her arm to pat the cat. Upon touch, the little being calmed down and pushed its head into the child’s palm. A few seconds later, Shin Yoosung took it into her arms; the cat relaxing in the warm embrace of her master and starting to purr.
“She is beautiful.”
“I hope she won’t bother my ants!” Lee Gilyoung remarked, holding the jar to his chest, to which the cat responded with a faint hiss.
Shin Yoosung closed the distance between her and her brother and lightly nudged him.
“Wanna go play in our room?”
The boy, despite his voiced disapproval regarding his sister’s suggestion, followed her to their room, carrying most of their gifts.
A pleased smile appeared on Kim Dokja’s face.
“I’m glad they get along so well.”
Yoo Joonghyuk nodded while taking a gift from under the tree.
“Kim Dokja, isn’t it time to open your present?”
Kim Dokja took said gift into his hands, trying to determine what it could be. The medium-sized box was very light, making no sounds upon shaking.
“It doesn’t seem to contain anything dangerous.”
“Just open it.” Yoo Joonghyuk replied with a grin.
Curiosity took over and Kim Dokja carefully unwrapped his present. He then realized why his fiancé was so eager to wear his Santa Claus hat. The man’s eyes sparkled as he picked up a Misses Claus hat from the box.
“This is the perfect gift,” Kim Dokja uttered as he put on his new hat, smiling broadly at his husband.
Yoo Joonghyuk put his loving hands on Kim Dokja’s cheeks and gazed into his eyes.
“You are the perfect gift,” he whispered, finding his fiancé’s lips, melting into the married life they were starting to build together.