Wonwoo, in fact, doesn't reach the mall 'in a few'. He takes a while to get Jieun ready, and wash up himself, and by the time he's out the house, it's been more than two hours since he texted Mingyu. Wonwoo shouts a quick goodbye to his parents, and Bohyuk - if the boy was even awake - and leaves the house.
He runs into a problem the moment he's buckled up in the car - Jieun. How the fuck is he supposed to go with her?
And so he gets out of the car, runs back to the house, and aggressively rings the doorbell multiple times. Urgent footsteps approach the door, and Mr. Jeon's silhouette is seen opening the door from outside. "Wonwoo! What's wrong?"
"Can you please drop me to the mall I mentioned? The car, obviously, doesn't have a kiddie seat." He pants, winded from the not-so-intense sprint from the car. Wonwoo hasn't ever given two shits to sports throughout his school years.
"Gods, Wonwoo, you scared me." Mr. Jeon clutches his chest, and signals the younger boy to follow him to the garage. Mr. Jeon grabs his own car keys, and once Wonwoo and Jieun are properly seated, he begins driving.
Wonwoo's phone has been blowing up with texts from Mingyu since an hour, but the older boy doesn't dare check them, without having a plausible reply to type back. He knows Mingyu won't be mad for being late, just disappointed. And that heart-stopping pout Wonwoo's sure Mingyu would do, which makes him melt every time he sees it.
He reaches the mall around fifteen minutes later, as Wonwoo hurriedly gets off, thanks his dad, and re-checks whether Jieun is properly holding onto his hand. Wonwoo thinks it's best if she starts walking in different areas a bit more often now.
He finally opens the flood of Mingyu's texts, each asking and pestering him to mention when he's reaching.
Mingyu:
wonu where r u
Mingyu:
r u sure u arent tricking me or sth
Mingyu:
WONWOO WHERE TF R U
Mingyu:
...
Yeah you get the idea of what Wonwoo scrolls through, each text precisely fifteen minutes apart. He quickly types in a text, asking Mingyu where he is. He gets a reply instantly.
Mingyu:
near the christmas tree
Wonwoo:
im coming
im here where r u
Mingyu:
im wearing red and white
Wonwoo:
i see a guy wearing that
Mingyu's blood freezes. He hopes Wonwoo notices it's definitely not him. Surely, Wonwoo isn't that unobservant.
Wonwoo:
but thats not u
hes rly short
Mingyu:
thank the gods uk im tall ;)
Wonwoo:
NOWS NOT THE TIME I LITERALLY FREAKED OUT BC I WAS LATE
WHERE R U
Mingyu:
i told u where i am
Wonwoo:
ur being very fucking vague rn gyu
other than the shorty
i see only the pretend santa wearing red and white
wait a damn minute
kim mingyu u fucking bastard
dont tell me UR the fucking santa
Mingyu:
;)
Wonwoo:
WHATS WRONG W U TF
Mingyu:
im sure ji would love to see santa this wonderful christmas eve
Wonwoo:
MINGYU NO
Wonwoo frustratedly shoves his phone in the back pocket of his pants, and briskly makes his way to Mingyu, who he now sees pocketing his own phone too.
He's about to say something, until Jieun screams loudly and panics, tightly clutching her dad's leg.
"Ji, baby, it's alright. It's just Gyu..." Wonwoo's stumped. How the fuck is he supposed to address Mingyu for Jieun?
"NO IT'S NOT. GYUGYU ISN'T SCARY!" She screams back, gripping Wonwoo's leg even tighter. He lifts her up on his arm, and pats her back, whispering quiet reassurances in her ear. GyuGyu, that's what she calls Mingyu.
Quite a gathering of people surround the commotion, while Wonwoo politely tells them to fuck off and mind their own business, just he puts it in nice words.
"It's nothing, I'm fine, thank you." He practically shoos them away. Gods, Wonwoo never knew people could be so nosy. He wouldn't go up to a stranger dealing with a screaming child.
Once there's barely anyone left around him, Wonwoo turns to Mingyu - who has an amused glint in his eyes, as he poorly tries to muffle his giggles.
"Happy Christmas Eve, Baby." Mingyu shoots him a wink, as Wonwoo turns pink at the nickname. Are they officially dating or what? Is Mingyu allowed to send shivers to his heart this way?
"You scare me sometimes, Gyu. Jieun, here, clearly didn't have the reaction you expected." Wonwoo tries to make Jieun believe that it's actually Mingyu, not fucking Santa. Then again, she's never really had a proper idea of what Santa looks like, since she was too small to comprehend and remember how a specific old man with a fluffy white beard and red and white shirt and pants looks like.
"No!" Jieun shrieks again, making Wonwoo raise an eyebrow at Mingyu, who is currently observing the father-daughter interaction with great interest, and probably fondness.
"Gyu, get your fucking ass home. Right now."
"Wait for like," Mingyu glances at his phone, "an hour more. I should be done by then."
"Okay."
And so, Wonwoo sets about roaming around in the mall, looking for good presents for his parents, Mingyu and Jieun. He was going to come here in the evening, but he isn't bothered to make another trip.
He ends up selecting a golf club for his dad, a ton of specific types of flavourings for his mum, a new video game for his moody brother, and an adorable onesie for Jieun (without her finding out, of course). Now here's where he runs into a problem. What should he get Mingyu? He's never had trouble getting the younger anything for Christmas, but he feels like he should be putting in more effort this year.
Lost in his thoughts, Wonwoo stumbles across a souvenir store. He peers in through the glass display, in hopes he could find something nice for the younger boy. Suddenly, Wonwoo recalls a memory of Mingyu telling him he likes low maintenance plants and unique snow globes.
Wonwoo happens to spot the latter in the store, and he decides to get it immediately. It's quite cheesy, Wonwoo decides, with a miniature couple kissing in a silent, snow covered park. Well, it's ordinary enough, but the one thing that stands out, is that it's two boys kissing, unlike any other snow globes Wonwoo has seen.
Jieun tugging at his hand shifts Wonwoo's attention from the globe to her. She points at the globe in his other palm, and says something that leaves Wonwoo shocked, yet somehow it gets him feeling warm and snug inside.
"Why does that remind me of GyuGyu and you?"
And Wonwoo and Mingyu haven't even let anyone know, let alone kiss anywhere except the confines of the guest bedroom at the Jeons'.
---
WHAT THE FREAKING FUCK IS THIS CHAPTER😭😭