Contemplating (Completed)

Chapter 24 - Sunrise

Chaeyoung's POV

Season's greeting! I am always excited for Christmas. It's my favorite holiday aside from Chuseok. When I lived far from my family, no matter how busy I am, I always took days off to visit my family in Seoul. Yes, I am so close to my family. We're a small family, we're not that close to the big family even though we always meet up on Christmas day. My family is the biggest rocks for me, especially when everything fell apart, especially when Maddie went missing. I remember that my brother flew to the States and stay with me for a month, leaving his teaching job for a while.

This is the first time again I would spend my Christmas with someone special. I am so happy. Mina has all the traits that I am looking for. She's smart, she's pretty, she's close to her family, she's so mature, she's lovable. We also share all the good value in life and in our faith. I've always wanted my family to know about her in person. I always told my brother about her. He always worried that I'll get hurt again, but I always assure him, she won't break my heart. On the other hand, I am the one who's afraid to break hers. As I think about it, she's more fragile than me.

My family lives in Seongbuk-gu. It becomes our tradition that I will visit them in the morning, then we go to church together, we will have a late family lunch after, then we will come to the big family Christmas celebration, in which this year held in my house. I bring my present for all of them. I have a nephew and a niece. And I really love them. I already picked up the presents for them. My brother and his wife already stayed at my parent's since last night. I arrive at my parent's. Seems no one wakes yet. I then put all the gifts around the Christmas tree. Then I go to Jimin and Jieun's room to wake them up. It's my old bedroom, both claimed that it's theirs now.

"Jimin-ah, Jieunie. Wake up, take to open your presents!"

I wake up this to kids by whispering to them. The 7 years old then wake up, and without even a blink she turns downstairs. While the 5 years old Jimin still rubbing his eyes.

I then lift Jimin downstair. My parents are already awake, turns out. As well as my brother and his wife, they still in pajamas.

"Hi, my family!" I greet them. I put Jimin down, and come to my parents.

"Merry Christmas, Mom, Dad" I hug both.

"Merry Christmas, darling," Says my mother.

"Oppa, Unnie, Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas too, Chaengie" My brother says it.

"Auntie, can we open the presents now?" Jieun who's more excited than her brother, shouts at me.

"Jieunie, don't you wanna say Merry Christmas first to Auntie? Jimin too" Hayoung Unnie tells her kids.

Both kids come to me and hug me. I down on my knee and hug her back. Kiss them in the head.

"Go open it!" I order.

The kids then open the presents. I got them toys, a big one. For Jieun, it's the new collection of Babie dolls, and for Jimin it's the new set of Avengers. My heart is heavy to give him the full set of Avengers because I know in a month he will tear it apart. But, I will do everything for my nephew.

My parents then ask me to join for breakfast.

"Are you that busy, Chaengie? You can't visit your one and only brother the past 2 months?" My brother protest to me.

"Are you that busy, son? You can't visit your one and only parents the past 2 months as well?" My parents then protest to my brother.

"YA! Mom, Dad, I was about to scold my little sister, and you always take her side. The joy of being maknae" He looks at me sulky.

"YA! Grown up, Son Dongwoon!" Hayoung Unnie then hit him.

"I am sorry Mom and Dad, we were both busy the past months" Hayoung Unnie explain to my parents.

"I am sorry Oppa, with the new school and the new position, I am still adjusting my life. I am sorry, okay? I'll visit you often, I promise" I do aegyo to my brother.

"Ah, you're being busy with the new girl. Admit it"

Even though we're both are old, we still sometimes act like elementary schooler.

"Well, well. I always heard about this girl from Dongwoon, but you haven't told me yourself about this new girl, Chaengie" Dad says it to me.

"So, where did you meet her again, Chaengie?" My mother then asks me.

"Okay, her name is Myoui Mina. You can call her Mina. She's a Japanese descent, but her family moved to South Korea since she was in middle school. She's an associate professor in my campus at the Dance Department, she's the alumni of my campus then she took her post-graduate studies in London and Surrey" I check on their expression, they smile at me, "She's single, never get married before. It doesn't mean she's not attractive, she is. It's just her choice not to be married. She's an amazing woman, and she's so smart"

"She's a dancer then?" Hayoung Unnie ask me.

"Back then yes. A ballerina dancer. Now she's more focus on teaching now"

"Do you like her, Chaeng?" Dad asks again.

"So much Dad. She's someone I've been looking for"

"You said that as well 6 years ago," My brother says it, Hayoung Unnie immediately slaps him on his arm.

"She's special, Dad. She's close to her family, she's independent. Everywhere she goes, people wanted to get close to her. We connected just fine" I smile to myself when I talk about her.

"I am sure you like Mina a lot, Chaeng. You even blush just talking about her"

I laugh and place my hand o my cheek, "I do, Unnie" I say it shyly.

"How about her family" My sister then ask me.

"Her mother died when she was 20 years old. She's so close to her Dad. He also has a brother who's now a citizen of Singapore. He's an engineer"

They all silence and look at each other.

"Anything you want to ask again?"

"Are you serious with this women?" Mom asks me.

I smile and look at her direction. "After I left Nayeon, you knew that so many my friends tried to set me up. Even my own brother. I met them one by one. But, there's no one like her, Mom. No one close. If you ask me about my intention, well I am deadly serious. I know she's the right answer already. But I would like to take things slowly this time"

"Take all the time you need, my daughter," Mom says.

"Have any plan to introduce her to us?"

"I am glad you ask Dad. Tonight, I would like to invite Mina to my house to celebrate Christmas with our family, if that okay with you guys"

"Of course, it's okay" Dad is excited now.

"Oppa, you haven't said a thing" I look at him in a deep thinking.

"For me, as long as you're happy, I am also happy, Chaeng. But, I don't want you to get hurt again, I don't want to see it again. You can't take the broken-hearted well, Chaengie. We all know that"

I then move beside him

"Oppa, I won't get broken hearted. I know she won't hurt me"

Finally, the trial is over. That morning we took the morning service together, then we ate lunch at a restaurant near the church. Then we head to my house. The catering guys set the place up. There will be up to 30 people come to my house.