Winter Tangerines (IU x SUGA)

Six

It's Christmas day and the weather is not getting any better. Jieun, however, did not mind at all. The cold weather seemed to fade with her warm and bright mood.

For years, Jieun, Yijeong and Sooyoung would celebrate their Christmas together. The girls would prepare the food while Yijeong would sing and even dance to entertain them. They have been each other's family since they started living on their own, far from their hometowns.

Jieun had been anticipating their yearly dinner, only this time, Sooyoung was not celebrating with them. Refusing Yijeong's suggestion to just buy take out food, Jieun was left to cook their dinner on her own.

"I miss Sooyoung." Jieun pouted. She was still not over the fact that the couple had broken up after almost twelve years of being together. Jieun wished to turn back the hands of time, back to those happy days they shared. Jieun wished she could have done something to make Sooyoung stay.

—

"Are you sure about this, Yijeong?" Yoongi couldn't help but get nervous. The two were on their way to Jieun's place for the Christmas dinner.

"Relax, bro. Jieun won't kill you." Yijeong jokingly answered. It took him days to convince his friend to go with him. After the blind date which happened two weeks ago, Yoongi never dared to reach out to Jieun. He knew he was not prepared to speak to her again.

"You know she's ready to kill me at any minute. I can sense it. She hates me so much."

"That's why I invited you."

"To get killed?" Yoongi sounded serious.

"Shut up." Yijeong was laughing hard until they reached the place. He stopped for a while before knocking at the door. "I need to fix you two. You need to make up. And maybe kiss too."

Yoongi softly punched Yijeong's arms. His friend's humor was never funny at all.

—

Jieun was singing and dancing while setting up the table. It still felt weird to see only two sets of plate, so she kept up with their tradition by adding another. Maybe Sooyoung will miss them too. Maybe she'll decide to come home and spend Christmas with them.

"I am manifesting a three-person Christmas dinner tonight!" Jieun smiled to herself. She was trying her best to feel excited and optimistic.

Just in time for the dinner, there was a knock on the door. Jieun gave her final touch by lighting the candles before heading to the door to welcome her guest.

"Merry Christmas Jieunie!" A happy Yijeong greeted her with a warm hug. "Here's your gift!"

Jieun was too busy checking the present that she did not notice the smaller man behind her best friend.

"Merry Christmas, Jieun ssi."

The familiar deep voice caught Jieun's attention. Her smile instantly dropped when she saw Yoongi smiling shyly at her.

"For you." He offered her a wrapped box while keeping his distance to the lady. Yoongi held his breath, scared to see her reaction.

"Thank you." Jieun softly answered after taking the gift.

There was a weird silence before Yijeong started speaking. "Jieun, we're hungry. Aren't you letting us in?" Before Jieun could say anything, he rushed inside the apartment and headed straight to the dining table.

The two were left by the door. Yoongi seemed to be waiting for Jieun's go signal, the latter slightly unaware because she was bothered by her best friend's decision to bring the man along. After everything that happened on her date with Yoongi, Jieun gave Yijeong a cold treatment. It was only two days before Christmas that she started talking to him again.

"What are you guys waiting for? New Year?" Yijeong was too impatient for this world.

Jieun finally came to her senses and noticed Yoongi looking at her. She then realized he was still outside the door, freezing.

"Come in." Jieun seemed to lose the loud cheerful voice she had earlier. She hoped that the man's presence won't ruin her holidays.

They gathered by the table and began eating their dinner. Yijeong felt a bit of emptiness seeing that Jieun prepared three sets of plate. He missed Sooyoung, but he knows that Jieun misses her more.

The awkward silence started to become too annoying for Yijeong. Like the usual, he began breaking the ice. "Yoongi bro, how was the food? Do you know that Jieun prepared all of these? Imagine if I didn't bring you with me. We'd be on food comma again."

"I actually prepared more in case she comes back." Jieun mumbled before Yoongi could even answer. She suddenly felt sad. She wished Sooyoung was with them instead of Yoongi.

"We have to move on, Jieun." Yijeong sounded cold.

Again, there was an akward silence.

Jieun felt a pang of guilt when she saw how Yijeong turned serious and quiet. "Time for the gifts!". She tried to cheer him up by giving him the gift she prepared, another tradition they got used to. She took the other gift and paused. Jieun realized that she bought Sooyoung a lingerie as present, something she couldn't give to Yoongi, of course. She mentally cursed Yijeong for not telling her about his plan of bringing the man with him. She could have atleast brought a small token for Yoongi despite of her not liking him.

Not knowing what to do, Jieun headed fast to the kitchen to think.

—

"Bro. I think Jieun doesn't want me around. I better go now." Yoongi was close to whispering, afraid that Jieun might hear him.

"How will you go home? The snow is heavy outside. We only brought a single car. Just chill. Everything's fine."

"But this feels so awkward. She's been looking at me like she wants to punch me. Maybe she's planning on my murder now."

"Coward."

Yoongi almost choked. Unfortunately, Jieun heard him loud and clear.

"Relax, Yoongi-ssi. If I'm gonna kill you, I won't do it on a Christmas day." Jieun smirked.

Yijeong's suddenly forgot how sad he was ealier. The scene in front of him seemed to be getting interesting. He was enjoying the little show.

Jieun approached Yoongi who was holding his breath, scared for his life. The former then placed the basket she's been holding on top of the table, in front of Yoongi.

"Here's my gift." Jieun was shy, but she acted like she doesn't care at all.

Yoongi's small kitty eyes became bigger with the sight of the 'gift'.

"Tangerines?"