Just Seven Days ✓

❄ Day Seven

"Merry Christmas, honey." Mrs. Zhang chirped as her son trudged into the kitchen. "Holy cow, Yixing. Why do you have bags under your eyes?" She rushed over and examined his face. "Did you not sleep well last night?" The boy gently brushed her hands away and slumped into a chair. "Did you, perhaps, have too much fun over at Jihye's? What time did you get home? It must have been really late if you're this tired."

"Ma," Lay sat up. "I think I did something wrong."

"Excuse me?" She asked, befuddled. "What happened?"

"That's just it," he ruffled his hair. "I don't know. I mean yesterday, everything was going well between us but then I left to go decorate the hallway and when I came back, Jihye just said she was tired and left me. And I don't know if I'm over-thinking this or not but I feel like something happened while I wasn't there."

"That does sound a bit weird," Mrs. Zhang plunked down beside him. "When she answered your phone she sounded fine."

"Wait—what?" Lay's eyes rounded. "D-did you just say Jihye answered my phone?"

"Yeah, that's how she knew about me going over to Kris's house. She said you were somewhere around and that's why she answered."

"But she told me that you had called her phone." He said.

"How could I call her if I don't even know her number?" Mrs. Zhang remarked.

"So—oh my god!" Lay remembered how Jihye had stuttered after he returned and face-palmed himself for not realizing it sooner. "She must have seen her picture and now she thinks I'm some creep!" He began to pace up and down frantically before he shook his head. "I have to go tell her how I feel now before she misunderstands." Lay ran to the door and threw it open, not bothering to put a coat or shoes on as he bolted across the street and through the snow to Jihye's house.

"Yixing! Get back here! You're going to catch a cold!" Mrs. Zhang shouted from the door but he didn't listen.

"Jihye! Open up!" He rang the doorbell and banged his fist against the door nonstop. "Qi Jihye! I know you're awake!" He yelled as he continued to create a scene. "If you don't open up this instant, I'm going to stay out here and when I die of hypothermia, it will all be your—"

"It will be my what?" Jihye interrogated as she opened the door. When she was in view, Lay didn't even bother to complete his sentence. Instead he just lunged forward and claimed her lips with his own. His audacious act caused Jihye's legs to transform into goo and although she wanted to push him off (thinking about Fonghua), she couldn't. Because she needed this as much as he did. Her body behaved on its own and she began to respond to his kiss.

"I can explain," he promised as they broke apart. "So will you let me?" Jihye didn't dare look at him as she nodded, blush sleeping on her cheeks. "Good," he smiled as they entered her house. Meanwhile, across the way Mrs. Zhang's eyes were the size of saucers as she squealed giddily. Inside, Lay was holding Jihye's hands. They then took a seat on the couch. "I know it must have looked bad but I couldn't help it." He confessed. "I admit that I shouldn't have taken your photo without your permission but you were just so beautiful that night. I didn't intend for you to see the picture until after I told you how I felt, I swear. I was scared you would reject me but after that kiss, I know you feel the same way I do. And I'm sorry it took me this long to tell you."

"What?" Jihye blinked. "You mean that's what you needed to explain to me?" She pulled her hands back and got up. "I don't care if you took photos of me, Yixing. That isn't what made me upset."

Lay stood up as well. "It isn't? T-then what did?"

"Are you really going to play dumb?" She barked. "I saw her text message." Her volume dropped a couple of octaves as she murmured, "I didn't mean to but if I hadn't, I wouldn't have known that you were a player."

"Message? Whose message?" Lay scratched his head and then recalled that part as well. "You mean the text I got from Fonghua? Wait—were you jealous?" He grinned cheekily as he tried to get her to look at him.

"Me jealous? As if." Jihye lied as she shifted away from him. "See, I knew you weren't the faithful type." She grumbled.

"Jihye," Lay grabbed her chin and stared into her eyes. "Fonghua is my cousin from Hong Kong and she calls bǎobèi because that's her nickname for me."

"C-cousin?" Jihye stammered.

"Mhm," Lay confirmed. "So it wasn't my screensaver that scared you off. It was your jealousy."

"Hey," Jihye shook him off. "Are you making fun of me right now? How was I supposed to know that it was normal for your cousin to call you baby?"

"I would never do such a thing. You're right, it's my fault." He chimed cutely. "But since we've fixed everything, I have a surprise for you."

"What is it?" She asked.

"Check under your tree." He replied.

Hesitantly, Jihye made her way over to the tree and underneath it she found a small box hugged by some snowmen wrapping paper. She glanced back at Lay who was leaning against the doorframe, gesturing her to carry on. Gracefully, she bent down and picked up the present. She started to unwrap it and when the box popped open, Jihye felt like the wind had been knocked out of her stomach.

{---}

"So it's been seven days. Do you still hate me?" Lay asked as he sipped his hot chocolate, a new silver band adorning his finger. Jihye pretended to contemplate on the matter which made him frown. "Hey, this is the part where you tell me no."

She giggled and wrinkled her nose at him. "Is it?"

"Yes!" He exclaimed, slamming his cup onto the counter. He then stomped over to her and just as he was about to whine some more, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulled him down and sealed their lips. They shared a sweet kiss which lasted for a minute or two before they finally broke away.

"Seven days," Jihye murmured as Lay pressed his forehead against hers, both of their eyes fluttered shut. "Seven days is all it took for me to fall in love with you. Merry Christmas, Zhang Yixing. You're the best gift I could have ever asked for."

Lay caressed her cheek and gave her lips a quick peck. "I hope you know that every day with you feels like Christmas to me. Wo ai ni, Qi Jihye."