paths of fate and future - a jidal endgame fanfic

bonus chapter: Christmas lights shine bright when I'm with you

author's note:

hey guys! gawd, i miss writing for yall so much it hurts my poor heart, seriously. i had a blast writing pofaf and im going thru an abstinence crisis now soooooo: HERE IS A LITTLE CHRISTMAS SPECIAL FOR ALL MY MOOTS AND DEAR READERS

i hope you guys enjoy it, im missing han jipyeong too much lmao

(see the end of the chapter for more notes)

xx

Han Ji-pyeong was this close to killing their Christmas dinner.

Holding the knife up high and staring the Korean beef dead in the eye, he looked like a serial killer from the movies. Who would've thought that making Japchae and Galbijjim would be this hard?

This was too important for him to mess up. It would be his first Christmas with Dal-mi since they married.

Last year, she had cooked and prepared everything on their first Holiday together, during the period they were still dating. Now, Jipyeong felt this urge to retribute and give her a perfect December 25th.

At the beginning of the month, Ji-pyeong had surprised his now-wife buying a roof-size Christmas tree, one who occupied his living room like a shiny obelisk now. Decorating the tree with everything red and gold was more challenging than running a company. Still, the result transformed their new and spacious house into a warming space.

Dal-mi and Ji-pyeong spent the weekend developing homemade decorations in multiple colors to spread around the house, turning their cozy residence into something worthy of a DIY competition. Ji-pyeong could still find glitter in his skin and clothes sometimes, having contaminated the entire house with the tricky little grains.

Outside their kitchen, the enormous backyard was covered in snow. Everything looked like a puffy white blanket as if the clouds had fallen down.

Ji-pyeong stopped to watch their fool rescued dogs, Dooly and Mongsil, trying to catch snowflakes in the air. Gildong, the ginger orphan cat Dal-mi brought home after work, stared at them like scientists studying their subjects. With his tail moving side to side slowly, he seemed to be having the time of his life seeing inferior mortals in their habitat.

Sometimes, Ji-pyeong would understand why Dal-mi kept saying that he and the cat were one and the same.

As if conjured by his thoughts, the electric door on their house biped, announcing that Dal-mi was entering home. Dropping the knives on the counter, Ji-pyeong walked to the entrance to greet his wife.

Even after eight hours of merciless work on Christmas Eve, Dal-mi looked stunning. Dressed in a dark blue suit, hair fashioned in the signature ponytail and a body posture betraying tiredness, Ji-pyeong's wife was a balm to his soul and heart.

"Hi, love." He greeted, winning the distance between them in large steps and kissing her forehead while she dropped the bag over the grey sofa.

"Hi, you." She answered back, holding the hand he positioned on her face in a sign of affection. "Please tell me we're not eating take out on Christmas." Dal-mi pleaded, eyes traveling rapidly to the tragedy in her kitchen.

"Well, now that you're here to save us all..." Ji-pyeong began to say, a mischievous smile on his face.

"God, noooo." Dal-mi cried out, resting her forehead on Ji-pyeong's cozy shoulder while the man freed her hair from the tight ponytail.

Coming home to him felt like Christmas morning every damn day. When his fingers combed through Dal-mi's messy hair, relaxing her entire being after hours of heavy work, and his arms encircled her waist lovingly, Dal-mi thought she was in heaven.