FLASHBACK

December 24, 2017

"I DON'T THINK THEY LOOK RIGHT." Ji-an said as she analyzed the tray of gingerbread man cookies. "I think they need more time. What do you think?"

Seo-jun frowned, leaning over the girl's shoulder to take a look at the cookies laying on the kitchen counter. "Are you sure? They look fine to me. If you put them in the oven again they'll burn."

The cookies had a golden color on the surface, but they were still soft to the touch, making Ji-an wonder if they were ready or not. She had never done ginger cookies before, the last time she had attempted to bake something, things didn't go exactly as planned.

"But they're soft," the girl whined, "aren't ginger cookies meant to be firmer? We need to put them back in the oven." Picking up the tray she moved over to the oven before being stopped by Seo-jun, who stood in her way with his hands placed on the pocket of his gray sweatpants.

"Sweetheart, last year you almost burned the kitchen down trying to bake a cake. I don't trust your judgment." He said, watching the girl's expression turn into an offended look.

"You were the one that wanted to bake a cake, when I clearly told you I was not good at it. But it doesn't even matter because if I recall correctly you loved it. You even tear up a little which is kinda weird now that I think of it.."

Ji-an narrowed her eyes.

She knew her words were true. One of the best things the girl had was her memory. But judging by the boy's look she knew he was hiding something.

"You liked the cake, right?" The Kim girl asked, her voice lowering in a warning tone. A tone that Seo-jun knew all too well. It was her unspoken way of telling him not to lie.

"I- I liked it." He stuttered, his voice going higher in pitch.

"Tell me the truth, Seo-jun."

"I'm not lying, I swear!"

"Han Seo-jun."

Seo-jun groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. "Okay, fine I lied. Happy? That cake tasted horrible. The worst cake I've ever tried in my life. It was hard and too sweet. If I tear up it is because of how bad it tasted." He nervously ranted, waiting for the girl's reaction. His eyes significantly widening as he watched the girl place the tray back on the counter with a smile on her face.

A smile.

Why was she smiling?

This was not the reaction he was expecting. He knew how much the girl hated being lied to. Which meant, her smiling was in fact not a good sign.

She's going to kill me, he thought.

Ji-an grinned, enjoying how anxious the boy looked. That's exactly what she wanted. Slowly, she walked towards the boy, stopping just a foot away from him. Looking down she let out a chuckle, but right as it left her mouth her expression dropped. "You little bitch!" The Kim girl jumped forward, taking a hold of the boy's ear, pulling on it as hard as she could, forcing him to bend down, matching her height.

"Ow ow, stop it!" Seo-jun complained, trying to take her hand off of his ear but failing miserably at it. For the girl only being around 5'4, she sure was strong.

"How many times do I have to tell you to not lie to me!" She hissed, gripping the boy's ear even harder. "You made me think I was good at baking!"

Go-woon, who had been watching everything from the living room, laughed, amused at the sight of her brother getting manhandled. "Mom! The girls are fighting again!"

Seo-jun shot his sister a glare before gasping, "I'm so- ow! Stop pulling! I'm sorry okay?! Just please let go of my ear!"

Hearing the commotion, Mi-hyang quickly got out of the bathroom, her eyes widened at the sight. "What's going on, here?"

"Seo-jun lied to Ji-an." Go-woon simply stated, still laughing at the scene.

Her explanation was enough to make the woman chuckle, already used to this type of situation coming from the two. Calmly she walked over to them, stopping a few feet away. Seo-jun looked through his lashes, sending a pleading look to his mother. "Mom! Help me. Tell her to let go of me!"

"Should I?" She teased.

"Mom!"

The woman sighed a warm smile gracing her lips, she turned her attention to the Kim girl. "Ji-an, honey, you can let go of him, now."

Squeezing the boy's ear one last time, Ji-an let out a huff, finally letting go. Seo-jun sighed in relief, grasping his now red ear a hiss of pain leaving his lips as he did so. He shot Ji-an an annoyed look which the girl returned, sticking her tongue out at him before turning to the tray of cookies. Touching them she noticed they weren't soft anymore. "They are firmer now."

"That's because they cooled down. I told you they were done." Seo-jun said, standing beside the girl.

Ji-an shot him a look. "Shut up."

Mi-hyang grabbed some plates from the cabinet, and put them on the living room table alongside the icing bags and candies that had been already placed there by Go-woon. "Let's start decorating the cookies."

The four of them sat on the floor. Ji-an and Seo-jun sitting on one side and Mi-hyang and Go-woon across from them. Each took a few cookies to start decorating. Ji-an grabbed an icing bag before pausing an idea coming to her mind. "We should make a competition to see who makes the best looking ginger man." The Kim girl suggested, the other three agreeing.

Go-woon frowned, "You have more advantages than us, you're good at drawing, we aren't."

"What are you talking about? My cookies would be the prettiest." Seo-jun smugly said, passing his sister and his mother an icing bag before grabbing one for himself.

"Oh you're so on." Ji-an exclaimed, sending a mischievous grin to the boy.

They all concentrated on decorating their cookies, especially Ji-an. The girl's eyebrows were furrowed, a small pout on her lips as she carefully traced the clothes of the ginger man with the black icing. Seo-jun couldn't help but stare no— admire.

How couldn't he?

The girl was indeed beautiful.

Perfect in his opinion.

The way her hair framed her face, falling to her sides like an endless waterfall. Soft as silk and dark as obsidian with a sweet fruity smell that Seo-jun never got tired of.

Her smile.

The way her doe-eyes would turn into small crescent moons as she smiled. Adorable dimples forming on her cheeks making her look even more unreal. A smile that would instantly brighten the room. Just like the sun did on a rainy day. It was impossible not to smile back at the sight. Because although sometimes his days could be rainy, she would be the sun creating the rainbow on his life.

He was in love, deeply in love.

The way how just a small action like hugging or touching hands could instantly make his heart jump out of his chest. Things that meant everything to him, but nothing to Ji-an.

Why wouldn't she?

She only considered him a friend. Someone she could rely on and trust, but never love. Because that's what he was, a friend. But the fact was not enough to stop him from falling in love with her. He never planned for it to happen, it just simply happened. It was unexpected.

But she was taken.

She was Su-ho's girlfriend. Something Seo-jun always knew and still decided to ignore when he allowed the girl to take a hold of his heart. Which made him feel guilty.

He was such a horrible friend.

How could he have fallen in love with his best friend's girlfriend?

What type of friend does that?

Seo-jun couldn't keep acting as if a knot of emotions weren't in his heart. He had to let everything out, even if it was indirectly. Because after doing that he knew he'll have to let her go. To push her away even if it killed him on the inside, even if every fiber of his body told him not to.

——🎄——

Sneaking inside her boyfriend's house, Ji-an cautiously placed a bowl of cookies on the kitchen island before walking over to the oblivious boy who was focused on doing hot cocoa. The girl wrapped her arms around his waist making the boy slightly jump as she rested her face against his back. "Happy Christmas Eve!"

"Hey." Su-ho said, turning to face the girl with a beaming smile, wrinkling the corner of his eyes almost making them disappear. God, she loved his smile. Ji-an wouldn't mind getting to look at it everyday. It was one of the prettiest smiles she had ever seen. The way it completely brightened his face, giving him a warm, and comforting aura by just one simple action.

It was one of the things that made her fall in love with him. Since she first laid eyes on him at the start of middle school, she was attracted to him but thought he was too serious and reserved for her liking. But once Seo-jun introduced them to each other, a spark was created. It was practically love at first sight. The moment the boy flashed her a smile, a new warm sensation bubbled in her chest. At the time she was clueless as to what it meant but later on she understood.

And for the boy it had been the same.

He had seen her hanging out with Seo-jun and couldn't help but think she was the prettiest girl he had ever seen, but he was too shy to approach her. It was until they were introduced that he finally got to talk to her, and right when their eyes met, he felt his heart stop. It was as if they were the only people in the room.

Ji-an removed her arms from his waist, instead wrapping them around his neck as the boy held her by the waist. Giggling, she got in her tiptoes meeting the boy halfway as the two leaned for a kiss. Su-ho's lips were soft against hers, like a fluffy pillow. The kiss was sweet and slow, as if they were following a silent melody they created. The two taking their time to enjoy the warm sensation of their lips touching.

Slowly pulling away Ji-an smiled, fixing a piece of hair that had fallen out of place on Su-ho's forehead. "I brought you gingerbread cookies." The Kim girl said, detaching herself from the boy and taking a seat on one of the bar stools.

"Thank you." Su-ho turned back to the stove. "Did you guys make them?"

"Duh, we also decorated them. Obviously mine were the prettiest." Ji-an said proudly. "Seo-jun never stood a chance." The boy chuckled, grabbing two mugs from the cabinet one bigger than the other as the girl watched him. "So, what movie are we watching?"

"Whatever you want." Su-ho said, his words causing a groan to leave the girl's mouth as he started to pour the hot cocoa in the mugs.

"Why? You know I'm too indecisive." She whined. "It's better if you choose it."

"Fine," The Lee boy sighed, smiling as he placed the bigger mug in front of the girl. "Here you go."

The girl pecked the boy's lips, "Thank you!"

The couple spend the rest of the night watching Christmas movies while cuddling on the couch, eating cookies and drinking hot cocoa. It was their own little Christmas tradition.

——🎄——

FIVE DAYS LATER

"Good, you're here." Seo-jun said, as he watched Ji-an lean against the door frame of his room. The girl's natural straight hair was curled in beautiful waves that nicely framed her face. Her plump lips were tinted red, and she was wearing a light brown eyeshadow that made her dark eyes pop. Seo-jun thought she looked gorgeous.

"You sounded rushed so I came as fast as I could. But, I don't have much time. I have an audition for a photo shoot." The girl walked over to the boy's bed, throwing herself on it as she stared at the ceiling. "Did something happen?"

The Han boy shook his head. "No, I just need your help with something. Well, more like your opinion." He explained, the seriousness of his voice made the girl frown as she turned on her stomach, holding up her head with the palm of her hand as she looked at him.

He was currently sitting on the small bench in front of his piano. The Han boy was wearing a black sweater, the hoodie hiding away his probably messy hair. "There's a song I've been working on for a while now. It's for someone special."

Now this caught the girl's attention. "Ohhh, Han Seo-jun finally likes somebody!" This was the first time he's ever hinted about liking someone, so she couldn't help but feel excited. She had tried to set him up on a few dates but the boy always declined saying he wasn't ready to date someone yet. So after a while the girl just gave up on trying to play matchmaker.

Ji-an smirked, narrowing her eyes at the boy teasingly. "Who is it?"

You, he thought.

But as much as he wished he could say it, he wouldn't. She couldn't know. It wasn't the right thing to do. The right thing to do was to push her and his feelings away. For the sake of his best friend.

Seo-jun cleared his throat. "I'm not going to tell you. I just want your opinion on the song."

She pouted, but decided not to push the boy's boundaries. "Okay, fine."

Nodding, the boy turned to the piano, his back facing the girl as he stared at the keys, his hands hovering over them as he hesitated to touch them.

It was now or never.

With a heavy sigh he started playing the piano making Ji-an smile as she listened to the beautiful melody. She always had a weakness for songs that started with the melody of a piano. Not only was it pleasant to the ear but also made the song feel ten times more emotional and beautiful. And as she closed her eyes letting the music engulf her, Seo-jun started singing.

( A/N: If you guys want to listen to the song, is the one at the start of the chapter)

No words in this world could possibly describe.
My heart toward you is flowering more and more.
I can't estimate with worldly counting.
My endless love grows deeper and deeper.

Even though Seo-jun's voice was deep, it had a breathiness and softness to it, almost in an angelic way. Ji-an always loved hearing him sing. His voice was simply breathtaking. It was the type of voice that you could listen to for hours and never get tired of.

Nobody has made me laugh or cry as you have done.
This really isn't like me.
I want to see and hear only you.
I wanna let you live within me.
Look at me, come to my arms.
You're my every, my everything.
You're my everything, love for you.

Ji-an started swaying her head side to side, following the rhythm of the song. It was as if she was in a trance, blocking out everything around her and just focusing on the heavenly sound of Seo-jun's voice mixed with the melody of the piano.

You're the only one who owns my heart.
You're the first and last one to me.
I call out your name whenever I breathe.
You're my every, my everything
You're my everything, love for you.
I love you, you're my everything.

As the song came to an end, Ji-an fluttered her eyes open, turning her eyes to Seo-jun to see him already looking at her. "So, what do you think?"

"Honestly, I don't even know what to say."

"Is it bad?" He asked nervously, scared the girl didn't like it. This was the first song he had ever done without the help of Se-yeon and Su-ho.

"Bad?! Are you kidding me?" The girl almost yelled. "It was amazing Seo-jun! Seriously, the song is really beautiful. I loved it. Are you planning to play it for that special person?"

I just did.

"Maybe one day."

Ji-an nodded, before looking at the time on her phone, "Shit, I have to go." She got out of the bed, "I'll see you later."

Quickly she moved to the door before Seo-jun's voice stopped her. "Ji-an." Standing up from the piano, he walked towards her, earning a confused look from the girl. The boy paused, just staring at her, taking in her features, her pale skin and beautiful eyes, her lips, and her long dark hair.

In a swift motion, he pushed her towards him, engulfing her in a hug. One hand holding the back of her head while the other laid on the small of her back. Seo-jun closed his eyes, inhaling the smell of her soft hair.

At first she was confused, not understanding the boy's weird behavior. She wanted to ask him if he was okay but decided not to, knowing the boy would probably lie and say he's fine. Nonetheless she brought her arms up, wrapping them around the boy's waist as she returned the hug, resting her cheek against the boy's shoulder.

"Goodbye, Sweetheart."

——————— ↶*ೃ✧˚. ❃ ↷ ˊ——————

——-Joy speaks

Happy Christmas everybody!!

Here's my Christmas present for you guys!

I just gotta say this chapter ended up being more important than it was meant to be. 😭

But ngl it was kinda fun to write. Specially the Su-ho and Ji-an scene. I was gonna make it longer but I got lazy and didn't have enough time so I ended it there.

I hate when authors make half of the chapter lyrics of a song so for my own sake I didn't write the whole lyrics of the song. So if you guys want to see the whole translation. The song is at the start of the chapter.