STRAY // JJK x HYBRID (bunny)✔️ Re-Writing

CHAPTER 54

BO-YOUNG

I knock on the door. Footsteps approach, but the door stays closed. I wait for a moment before trying again.

"For god's sake, open the damned door," I whine loudly.

The door opens to reveal Jungkook, whose hands are grasping the last of the Christmas decorations.

"Great, now we need to start again," he says with a sigh. "Go back out and wait patiently, I'm not done yet."

"How am I supposed to know when to knock?" I ask him as I lean against the doorframe lazily. Jungkook says nothing, making me look at him with an eyebrow raised.

"Just wait for five minutes and then knock," he concludes. I chuckle.

"You're ridiculous, Kook."

He gently closes the door. I lean against the wall next to our apartment before sliding down and taking out my phone and setting on a five-minute timer. Behind the door, I can faintly hear Jungkook rushing around, presumably adding more decorations.

The timer ticks down from one minute. I patiently wait for it to reach zero.

Things go silent on the other side of the door when the last ten seconds tick down.

5, 4, 3, 2, 1. The timer rings.

I stand up in front of the door again and knock. I don't hear a single step from the other side before the door gently swings open. Jungkook stands there, trying to look casual as he rests against the vestibule wall. He tries to catch his breath without making it obvious. He gives me a goofy grin as he steps aside to let me in.

When I walk in, I see a sight like no other.

Numerous white fairy lights hang above us from the vestibule's ceiling. They hang right above where Jungkook's head would hit them. The inside of the apartment is dark. The only lights left on are the ones of the fairy lights, both the ones Taehyung brought and the ones Jungkook has added, and the ones on the fairly small Christmas tree, that is covered in different bobbles, garlands, and what seem to be sugarcanes.

As I walk further in, Jungkook's effort becomes clear. Beautiful snowflake-shaped fairy lights dangle in front of all of the windows. Candles have been meticulously placed around the apartment, lighting whatever area the glow from Jungkook's fairy lights can't reach. Wreaths and garlands with vibrant red flowers are set around the apartment, too.

Jungkook also has taped crudely drawn reindeer antlers onto the mural he painted on his wall.

"Jungkook, it's wonderful," I mutter as I walk in, spinning around slowly to take in all of the decorating he did. "Those 30 minutes you made me spend in the hallway were worth it."

"Do you know what the best part is?" Jungkook asks as he follows in behind me.

"No, what?"

He grabs the TV remote and presses the "on" button.

"Boom," he says as a video of a fireplace begins to play on the big screen. The soft crackling of the fire begins to sound too.

A grin spreads on my face as I watch him look around at his work.

"I disagree, though," I begin, "My favorite part isn't the faux fireplace."

"Huh? What is it then?" he asks curiously.

I take out a fairly small box wrapped up in Christmas-themed wrapping paper.

"This bad boy here is what I'm really excited about," I tell him as I saunter to the Christmas tree, making sure his attention is fully on the gift.

"A gift?"

I nod. "To you, from me. Merry early Christmas."

He slowly approaches me, blushing madly for whatever reason.

"You didn't have to get me anything," he says as he looks at me with both happiness and worry.

"Don't worry, it wasn't expensive. Well, it wasn't impossibly expensive. I think you'll like it."

I gently place the gift under the tree. Despite there only being a folded piece of paper inside, I handle it like it were the most precious thing in the world.

"You want to give me your gift now and not during the actual Christmas party?" he asks unsurely.

"Yes, I'm sure about it. Taehyung told me I should give it to you when we're alone, and I don't think there's a better place for it than under the tree," I explain.

Jungkook's eyebrows furrow as he looks at me, his eyes squinted in suspicion. "Taehyung had something to do with it?"

"Maybe."

"Now I'm scared," he says half-jokingly. I chuckle.

"You can open it later, though. Right now I need- I demand hot chocolate, and you are the only one who can make it," I tell him as I pat him on the shoulder. I make my way past him and to the kitchen.

I look around, still in awe at the sheer amount of effort that he put into decorating. Jungkook appears at the other side of the bar separating the open kitchen and living room.

"You don't pay rent, you drink my hot chocolate, you eat my masterfully cooked food..." he trails off, listing things that I do. "What do I get in return?"

I snort as I walk up to him, tugging him by his sleeve. "C'mon chocolate boy, do your magic. I crave hot chocolate."

To this, Jungkook simply laughs.

"I'll make you hot chocolate, and then we can exchange gifts," he tells me as he takes out the necessary supplies. He pauses before looking back at me for confirmation of the deal. I stay quiet.

"Fine," I sigh, faking my disinterest and turning around with a small huff. I peek at him to see his eyes still on me. I crack. "You got me something?"

"I knew you'd be excited," he says with a smile as he turns back towards his task.

"Chop chop, chocolate boy. Talk less, work more." 

(AN: I'm back with an average slice-of-life chapter! There's a bit of a time skip between the last chapter and this one. Sorry. I couldn't find a way to continue it from where I left off, since my train of thought was already long gone. It's a bit weird writing a Christmas scene in the end of January.)

(I hope you enjoyed this chapter. A new one will be out soon.)