hey guys so... I don't have the next chapter ready yet, and I know it's been a while so I decided to do this very little bonus chapter - christmas edition ! (still late smh)
hope you enjoy it and sorryyy for taking so long with the regular chapter 🙁.. college istg.
——— 2010, winter break
"Have fun, people!" Mrs. Jeon said, not too enthusiastically but clearly happy that she's off teaching for a few days.
Bada threw her head back against her chair and sighed, dramatically showing relief. "Thank fuck."
"We'll be back as soon as the year starts, that sucks." Hyera said, packing her bag while Bada kept laying uncomfortably on her chair.
"Hey? Let me have this, damn."
"You're lucky you're from here, first thing tomorrow I'm heading to Busan."
"You're right, yeah-yeah." She glanced at Aeri's seat, she was already getting up. Bada finally starting to pack her things. "Let's go, then."
"I'll go meet the guys, you go with Aeri."
Bada agreed and grabbed her backpack to walk towards the brunette's seat. She was met with her usual shy smile as she approached her.
"So, since you don't know where Goeun's house is, you wanna walk with me?"
"Yeah, sure. Thanks." Aeri gathered her things and followed behind as they exited the building.
Out of the group, Bada would say Aeri had warmed up the most to her. She was the one who came up to her first and invited her to join at lunch, after all. Since the girl transferred, she has had a hard time adjusting, hence why Bada was so keen on making her feel welcome.
"Hyera and the rest will meet us there." Bada announced, Aeri nodded along as she swung the gift bag in her hand back and forth.
The girls usually brought up random topics to talk about, hypothetical 'would you rather' questions or talks about which was their favorite Girl's Generation member. They had found out their lives were fairly similar, one sibling - divorced parents. In all honestly, Bada had grown close to her faster than some of her long time friends.
If it wasn't for Aeri holding back sometimes, Bada was sure they would've gotten even closer in those five months of knowing each other.
"Who'd you get?" The taller asked, they were in front of the house waiting.
"I'm not gonna tell you! Kills the whole vibe." Aeri defended, holding the bag away from Bada.
"Oh, did you get me?" Bada wiggled her eyebrows and poked her stomach.
"Just wait like, an hour, maybe?" Aeri chuckled. Bada liked to tease her a lot, it wasn't like anything she was used to with her other friends, but she was more than glad that she was that way. She never got along with people shyer than her.
In between their giggles, the remaining four arrived. Aeri sat right next to her only friend in the living room, she truly admired Bada's ability to be so outspoken - she was liked by everyone there. Obviously, since they were her friends but still.
"Alright, enough chitchat. Where's my gift?" Goeun clapped her hands after fanning her reddened face.
The gift-giving circle went through, describing each secret santa to then give them the present when the group could decipher who it was. How Aeri described Juyeon was comical, basically eyes, nose and maybe height was all she knew about him.
It was Bada's turn, reaching the end.
"Sweet person, not very talkative but really nice if you get to know them. Very cute." She smiled, turning the box on its sides. She didn't even wait for her friends to guess before she walked straight towards Aeri's direction. The group laughed and clapped, meanwhile the two girls hugged - for more than a few seconds.
"What are the chances, huh?" Aeri whispered to the girl, while she just shrugged.
When everyone was finished, they all opened the gifts individually, standing up to thank whoever it was from.
Bada opened her gift coming from Hyera, a pair of shoes and roll on perfume. Appreciative sure, but she was more nervous of Aeri opening hers. She watched her reaction attentively.
"You like?"
Aeri gazed at her present, with a huge grin as she pulled out each item from the box, a watercolor painting of her favorite album 'Heathen Chemistry' by Oasis. Along with a set of brushes and a bag of candy.
"You're kidding. Have I even said I like them?"
"Yeah! You mentioned it one time."
"And you remembered?"
"Of course! Merry christmas, girl." Bada nudged her shoulder, before Aeri hugged her - tighter than most times.
———
Happy holidays everyone!!!
