DOTH Volume 1 Chapter 3.5

Jung Heeyeon pressed his hand against the large glass window as he often did. The sensation against his bare skin was cold, likely because of the chilly air outside. Yet, he liked this time of day. He could freely observe the outside world, which still felt unfamiliar, lying beneath his feet.

Although it had become a daily routine ever since he left the confines of the walls and began staying at Director Yeon’s home, he showed no signs of growing tired of it. The clouds in the sky, the passage of time as the sun set, and the light reflecting off the river were different every time. It was a time too beautiful and novel to tire of. It was also a time he should have naturally experienced as a human but had been unable to enjoy for so long.

Moreover, today, it was snowing.

“So beautiful.”

Resting his chin on his knees as he hugged them close, Jung Heeyeon murmured to himself. White snowflakes tumbled from the sky, filling the air. The flakes that settled on the distant river vanished quickly, but the ground was gradually turning white. Completely absorbed by the sight of the snow, Jung Heeyeon lifted his hand from the glass. Something unfamiliar brushed against his fingertips as his hand fell to his side.

“Oh.”

His gaze moved from the frosted glass to the floor. A pile of presents from the alphas in Jiwoo lay stacked there. They had been given to him as Christmas gifts.

“The Director said it’s a day for children to receive presents…”

The more Jung Heeyeon thought about it, the stranger it seemed that he would be included in the category of children. He was a teenager, not a child. And in just a week, he would be an adult.

He picked up one of the gifts that had brushed against his hand. Wrapped in golden paper and tied with a silky ribbon, Jung Heeyeon ran his fingers over the smooth red ribbon, lost in thought. Was it alright for him to accept so many gifts? It was a surprisingly serious concern for him. The beautifully wrapped presents, each topped with a ribbon, sat untouched. 

Jung Heeyeon only stared at them, not attempting to unwrap them. The crinkling sound of the paper and the softness of the ribbons teased his fingertips.

“What should I do?”

He let out a deep sigh.

Since he had received so many gifts, Jung Heeyeon felt the need to return the favor. However, he didn’t have any money at the moment, which left him worried. Carefully, he placed the gift he had been holding back down. When he lifted his head slightly, he saw the clumsily made Christmas tree. It was a decoration that didn’t quite fit Director Yeon’s home.

Jung Heeyeon reached out and pressed the switch. The barely hanging lights on the tree flickered to life, glowing softly in yellow.

“So pretty.”

The tree was so shoddily put together that calling it a decoration felt like an overstatement, but Jung Heeyeon was satisfied in his own way. It was the first time he had celebrated Christmas or made a tree himself.

“…”

Still resting his cheek on his knees, Jung Heeyeon gazed at the tree for a long time. Memories of his struggle to keep the lights from slipping off the tree came back to him. Director Yeon had asked if he needed help, but he shook his head and refused. Since he had been the one to want to decorate the tree in the first place, he felt it was only right to make it himself.

The tree had taken him a full two hours to complete, and while it was a bit of a mess, the lights adorning it twinkled diligently.

After staring at the tree for a while, Jung Heeyeon checked the time. There were still two hours left before Director Yeon would return. Feeling inexplicably impatient, he wiggled his toes.

“Oh.”

As he adjusted his position, the fuzzy socks Kim Jiwon had given him came into view. ‘When your feet get cold, make sure you wear these, okay? You trust me, right?’ The doctor had said when giving them to him. Looking down at his feet absentmindedly, Jung Heeyeon suddenly recalled memories from around this time last year.

He couldn’t remember the exact date, but the biting cold air that had numbed his toes was still vivid. The metallic scent of rust had been all too familiar—a sensation that always accompanied the punishment of being locked in a cold, metal hutch.

He wiggled his toes again. There was no longer any trace of the chill of steel bars. Instead, his feet were wrapped in soft, warm socks. The pale yellow socks felt cozy against his skin.

He turned his gaze back to the snowy landscape outside.

The reflection on the glass showed the twinkling tree, the piles of wrapped presents, and his own small figure sitting alone.

–

Director Yeon chuckled softly. The moment he entered the living room, he saw the omega curled up and asleep. It baffled him why Jung Heeyeon would choose to sleep here instead of the perfectly fine bedroom. The soft sound of his breathing, like a baby’s, floated gently on his ears.

“Heeyeon.”

Director Yeon leaned down and gently poked Jung Heeyeon’s chubby cheek to wake him up.

“Mmh… Director?”

As if mumbling in his sleep, Jung Heeyeon furrowed his brow deeply. His long lashes fluttered, revealing light-colored eyes still hazy. His pale face was covered in the remnants of drowsiness.

“Are you a Christmas present?”

“A present…?”

Director Yeon smirked as he looked at the omega, who was under the tree, raising his body up.

“If you’re a present, you should at least have a ribbon on your head.”

“Pardon?”

As he straightened up, his head bumped lightly against the tree. Jung Heeyeon flinched slightly and shrank his shoulders. Sleepiness clung heavily to the tips of his fluttering eyelashes, swaying with every blink. To chase away the drowsiness that made him feel languid, Jung Heeyeon rubbed at his eyes.

Director Yeon didn’t bother explaining his remark. Instead, he leisurely took in the sight of the omega, still radiating the warmth from sleep. His eyes fell on the fuzzy socks Kim Jiwon had given him, and Director Yeon smirked again before leaning down to help Jung Heeyeon to his feet.

“Let’s go eat dinner.”

Jung Heeyeon’s body was just as warm as he had imagined.

“Director.”

“Yeah?”

“The gifts… What should I do?”

“The gifts?”

At Jung Heeyeon’s question, Director Yeon’s gaze shifted to the pile of presents under the tree. They were gifts for Jung Heeyeon brought by the alphas from Jiwoo, claiming it was for Christmas. Ever since Kim Jiwon had started the trend with his own gift, a flurry of gifts had followed from other Jiwoo personnels.

Most of them had no families of their own, so it seemed they wanted to shower Jung Heeyeon with affection in their stead.

“But I don’t have any money…”

“What?”

At the unexpected remark, Director Yeon let out a puff of air through his nose, his lips curling up in amusement. In contrast, Jung Heeyeon had a completely serious face.

“Since I received those gifts, I’m supposed to give back, right…?”

“Baby doesn’t need to worry about gifts.”

“But I’ll be an adult in a week….”

“You’re still a baby.”

Director Yeon’s firm tone left no room for argument. Jung Heeyeon’s lips had parted slightly, but then pressed together again, making his pale cheeks puff out. His face seemed as if he had resigned himself to Director Yeon’s constant insistence on calling him a baby. And then, director Yeon added shamelessly.

“Christmas is for babies to get presents.”

“But, still…”

“Heeyeon, what did I tell you? If you want to share something…”

Jung Heeyeon recalled what Director Yeon had told him a few days ago.

“Give it to you…?”

“Yeah.”

“Director, what would you like to receive?”

His voice sounded somewhat cautious. Jung Heeyeon glanced at Director Yeon, carefully gauging his reaction as he asked. To give the director a gift, he needed money, but he had none on hand. The worry caused his nose bridge to wrinkle first. Sharing the snacks he received was one thing, but splitting a gift in half wasn’t right.

“If I tell you what I want, will you give it to me?”

CEO Yeon curved his eyes into a smile, as if reading the thoughts running plainly through Jung Heeyeon’s mind.

“If it’s something I can give, I will.”

“For now, let’s start with dinner first.”

Unfortunately, the snow had stopped just as they stepped outside. There had been no sign of it falling even as they drove into the building. He had wanted to feel the snow directly, but it seemed he would have to be content with watching it pile up in the quiet garden.

 

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