Chapter 13 : Hayeon

Four Months Later

"Hey, Hayeon," one of the guys greeted as I passed by. I waved, clutching my books, and continued walking. By now, I was used to my routine, though I'd added a few things to it. I'd gained a healthy weight thanks to the meals Shavon prepared for me. On top of that, Revien kept sneaking me chocolates—which had quickly become my favorite treat.

Revien was the best. We still kept up with our Friday sleepovers, something I looked forward to every week.

"Wake up," Revien teased one morning, shaking me lightly.

"No... no," I mumbled, turning over. The blanket slipped off, and a chill made me shiver. I sat up like a vampire rising from its coffin, glaring at him.

"You're gonna be late," he sang, clearly enjoying himself.

Panic hit me, and I bolted for the bathroom. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?" I yelled over the sound of running water.

"I tried waking you up six times!" he argued from the other side of the door.

"This is your fault! You kept me up playing cards!" I grumbled, strapping on my boots once I was done.

"Well, you had fun, didn't you?" he asked, his tone smug.

I paused, glaring at him, but he just shrugged in response.

I rushed out of my bedroom, sprinting to the training room. I slipped inside and turned around, only to find Shavon waiting.

"Shavon," I greeted nervously with a laugh.

"Don't 'Shavon' me," he snapped. "You were almost a minute late."

"But I wasn't late," I pointed out, raising a finger in protest.

His eyes narrowed. "You want to argue technicalities?"

I straightened immediately, shaking my head, but it was already too late.

"Strength training," he barked.

I sighed, pouting as I followed him to the weight room. The space was alive with activity—men benching weights, women running on treadmills. Shavon led me to the back, where I pulled out a mat.

"Two hundred burpees, one hundred pushups, three hundred curl-ups, fifty bench squats. And when you're done, three hours of cardio on the treadmill," he ordered, sitting down in the corner with his arms crossed.

My jaw dropped. That was twice my usual routine. "Get started," he commanded.

I groaned but began. By the time I finished the first part, I was drenched in sweat and utterly exhausted.

"I'm sorry," I croaked, looking over at him pleadingly.

Shavon leaned forward, clasping his hands together. "You need to learn discipline, and this will teach you to stop being a smartass."

I groaned again, dragging myself to the treadmill. My legs already felt like jelly, and I knew this run would push me past my limit.

For the next three hours, I drifted in and out of focus, the buzz of the timer snapping me out of my daze when it finally went off. I stumbled off the treadmill, and Shavon handed me a towel.

As I wiped my face, I gazed up at him. "Today's Christmas?"

"Yeah," he replied simply.

I nodded and left the gym, heading straight to my room.

When my mom was alive, she'd always been fascinated by American Christmas traditions. She'd watch commercials about it and decide we'd celebrate just like them. Every year, she'd take me to the park, where we'd buy expired junk food—it was cheaper but always tasted good.

Her Christmas gifts to me were always handmade origami animals. A tiger one year, a butterfly another. I loved them all.

But now, everything was different. No junk food, no origami. Just... silence.

I threw myself onto my bed, screaming into my pillow. Then I lay there in the dark, trying to adjust to this new reality.

The door burst open suddenly.

"Azail, you need to knock," Shavon sighed.

Standing behind him was Revien, grinning. "Come on," Revien urged.

"I'm not in the mood," I muttered, sitting up.

"Trust me," he said, his grin widening.

He dragged me out into the hall, with Shavon following behind. They led me down a corridor I'd never been to before. Revien opened a door, and my breath caught.

The room was filled with dancing lights. A green tree stood in the center, wrapped in colorful rainbow lights with a bright star perched on top. Gifts were stacked at its base, and the smell of kimchi wafted through the air.

I turned to them, stunned. "Did you both do this?"

Shavon crossed his arms. "Guess you've been working so hard you didn't even realize what day it was. Kids need to have a childhood, and you're still a kid." His voice was gruff but warm.

When I glanced at Revien, he looked away awkwardly. "It was nothing," he muttered.

I hugged him tightly, and he yelped in surprise. Laughing, I let go and hugged Shavon, who stiffened immediately.

"Thank you," I said, looking between them.

"Go on, open your gifts," Revien urged, his excitement evident.

I sat down by the tree and began unwrapping presents. By the wrapping alone, I could tell which ones were from Revien: new combat boots, a pocket knife with my name etched into the handle, and a fresh jar of that special monk ointment.

Shavon cleared his throat, catching my attention. I turned to him with a grin.

"So, you got me a present?" I teased.

"Nothing special," he replied, almost shyly.

I nodded, taking the box from him and ripping the wrapping off. Inside was a blue stuffed bear in a tiny tuxedo, enclosed in a clear box. It didn't look new—there was a faint brown stain on one of its ears.

"You can throw it away if you don't like it," Shavon said quickly, reaching out to take it back. "I know it's not fancy—"

I hugged the bear tightly to my chest, shaking my head. "I love it. This is the best gift ever."

"Better than mine?" Revien asked, feigning hurt.

"I love both of your gifts," I assured them, smiling warmly.

This was the best Christmas I'd ever had. And for the first time in years, I hoped for many more to come—with both of them by my side.