Secrets - [TAEBIN FF]

Chapter 24

A/N: Pretend it's actually December 2018 and not the end of March of 2024 for this chapter 😭

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🎶: 'This Christmas' by Taeyeon

It's that wonderful time of the year, a day spent with much cheer and singing. Some will roast a turkey, others will spend the entire day in the kitchen preparing for a huge Christmas dinner, and some are watching Christmas movies with friends or family.

Yes, it was Christmas Eve.

At Yeonjun and Yeji's place, the two cousins were spending their evening with their friends. There was a lot of drinking, laughing, and all kinds of things that young adults like to do.

At Beomgyu's house, he was with his parents, his grandparents, his aunts and uncles, and his cousins. His entire family from South Korea was here, and he had helped his parents with the cooking, the cleaning, and preparing the dinner table. A traditional Christmas dinner, just like his family has always done it.

Taehyun was having a very wonderful evening with his sisters and mother. His mom had also prepared a nice Christmas dinner, going all out with the dishes as her paycheck covered it all. Taehyun had brought in the tree decorations, and was helping Yuna and Lia hang ornaments. Thankfully, he was strong enough to lift them, so Lia wouldn't have to support herself on her crutches, and Yuna was still a little too small to reach the Christmas tree top for the star.

It was joyful, warm, and loud in the Kangs' apartment.

But as for Soobin?

The house was completely silent.

It was only him at home.

"What did I expect?"

Soobin sighed and threw the note his parents had left behind into the paper trash.

"Of course they would choose to spend the evening with their coworkers and not me."

He threw himself on the couch, leaning his head against its back.

Is this what I get for waking up late.

Soobin could swear he had never felt as much as exhaustion as this before in his entire school life. He really slept 15 hours last night. Went to bed at around 10pm, woke up 1pm the next day.

Could you blame him though?

He was catching up on all the missing hours of sleep over the past few moments.

"Come on Soobin, tomorrow is still Christmas Day. Today is just the eve. Maybe they'll spend it with you tomorrow."

But who am I to hope? My parents have barely spent any time with me this year especially. I know this has been their most successful year so far but... who am I kidding. They never have time to do anything with their only child—

His train track of thoughts was interrupted by his phone ringing. Soobin fished it out of his pocket and saw who was calling.

"Hoseok?"

He pressed the button and the FaceTime video chat popped up.

["Merry Christmas Soobin!!"] Hoseok and Jungkook yelled.

The two were dressed in matching red Christmas sweaters, Hoseok was wearing a Santa hat, and Jungkook a pair of reindeer antlers as a headband. In the background Soobin could spot the Jung family's fireplace, a nice fire crackling in there, Mickey lazing on the couch, and a whole bunch of presents underneath the tree.