People Watching ★ 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐒𝐮𝐧

Christmas: Chaos in the Snow (and Sweater Crimes)

Snow fell gently as Sunoo stood on Sunghoon's porch, glaring at the text on his phone:

"Hurry up, princess. You're late."

Sunoo muttered under his breath. "Princess? He's lucky it's Christmas."

The door swung open before he could knock. Sunghoon stood there wearing the ugliest sweater ever created—a green nightmare featuring a glowing 3D reindeer head with a blinking red nose.

Sunoo froze. "What is that?"

"Festive," Sunghoon said proudly.

"Festive? It's a war crime."

Before Sunghoon could respond, a voice piped up behind Sunoo. "Wow, hyung, you two do look like a Christmas couple!"

Sunoo spun around to find Niki, smirking as he climbed out of Jungwon's car. Beside him, Jake stepped out, clutching his scarf nervously.

"We don't look like anything," Sunoo snapped, his face heating up.

"Sure," Niki replied, shrugging. "But I'm telling mom I caught you and Sunghoon on a Christmas date."

"I'm going to bury you in the snow," Sunoo hissed.

"Please don't," came Jungwon's exasperated voice as he closed the car door. "Can we get through one day without someone getting tackled into a snowbank?"

Jake adjusted his glasses nervously. "It's already happening, isn't it?"

Sunghoon grinned, crossing his arms. "You brought the whole circus today?"

"Blame him," Sunoo said, pointing at Niki.

"I live to create chaos," Niki replied, winking.

Ten minutes later, the snowball fight was in full swing. Sunghoon and Niki, of course, had teamed up. Sunoo, dragging Jungwon and Jake into the chaos, had tried to establish some sort of strategy.

"I thought you said you were good at this," Sunoo hissed at Jungwon, ducking behind a tree.

"I am good," Jungwon protested. "At staying out of trouble."

"That's not helpful!"

From across the yard, Niki's voice rang out gleefully. "Attack formation, Sunghoon-hyung!"

Sunghoon emerged, snowballs in both hands. "You're going down, princess!"

Sunoo barely dodged one of the snowballs before it exploded against the tree. "Stop calling me that!"

Meanwhile, Jake—huddled behind a tiny snow fort—flinched as Niki's snowball landed a few feet away.

"I think they're aiming at me," Jake said nervously.

"They're aiming at all of us!" Sunoo shouted back.

"Do something, Jake!" Jungwon added.

Jake sighed, gathering up some snow before lobbing a snowball weakly into the field. It hit Niki's shin.

Niki froze, looking up with an evil grin. "Who did that?"

Jake paled. "It wasn't me."

"Oh, you're done for!" Niki yelled, charging toward him.

"Niki, leave him alone!" Sunoo shouted, trying to intercept, but Niki was too fast.

Jungwon, ever the voice of reason, sighed and stepped in front of Jake. "Niki, stop. I will throw you in the snow if you don't behave."

Niki skidded to a stop, eyes wide. "You wouldn't."

"Try me."

Sunoo doubled over laughing as Niki grumbled and backed off. "Hyung, you're no fun."

Sunghoon, meanwhile, watched the chaos unfold with a grin. "This is the best Christmas ever."

The group sat inside Sunghoon's living room, wrapped in blankets and sipping hot cocoa. Jake sat on the floor, looking a little traumatized but otherwise intact. Jungwon sat on the couch beside Sunoo, who was still glaring at Niki, who looked far too pleased with himself.

"I'm telling mom about today," Niki said, breaking the silence.

"Tell her and you'll regret it," Sunoo shot back.

Niki grinned. "Relax, hyung. You and Sunghoon look cute together anyway."

Jake nearly choked on his cocoa. Jungwon's head snapped up. Sunghoon? He just smirked.

"You agree, don't you, Jake?" Niki pressed.

Jake turned bright red. "W-what? I mean... I'm not getting involved."

"Smart choice," Jungwon muttered, shaking his head. "I'm surrounded by idiots."

Sunoo sighed, burying his face in his hands. "I hate all of you."

"No, you don't," Sunghoon said casually, nudging Sunoo with his shoulder. "Admit it—you had fun."

Sunoo looked up, scowling. "I had zero fun."

"That's not what your face said earlier when you hit me with that snowball," Sunghoon teased.

Niki leaned closer, smirking. "See? You do like him, hyung."

Sunoo groaned. "I'm disowning you."

"Good luck with that," Niki said.

Jake, still trying to recover from the secondhand embarrassment, whispered to Jungwon, "Why do we hang out with them again?"

Jungwon sipped his cocoa calmly. "I ask myself that every day."

As the chaos died down, Sunoo sat beside Sunghoon by the fire, glaring at the blinking reindeer nose on his sweater.

"You're still wearing that thing?"

Sunghoon smirked. "It's festive."

"It's embarrassing."

Sunghoon turned to him, his voice softer. "You're just mad because I look better in it than you would."

Sunoo scoffed, cheeks heating up. "As if I'd wear something that ugly."

"You totally would if I asked."

"In your dreams, Sunghoon."

Sunghoon leaned back, arms crossed, his smile teasing but warm. "Merry Christmas, princess."

Sunoo sighed, unable to stop the small smile that crept onto his face. "Merry Christmas, idiot."

From across the room, Niki whispered to Jungwon and Jake, "They're in love. I'm calling it now."

Jake adjusted his glasses. "You're going to get hit with another snowball, aren't you?"

"Worth it," Niki replied with a grin.

Jungwon just shook his head, mumbling to himself. "This is the last time I let Sunoo drag me anywhere."