When Shadows Fall | BTS Kim Namjoon

Chapter 1: Oh My.

I was finally home for Christmas. Parking my beat-up secondhand car in the driveway, I grabbed my suitcase and walked up to my house.

I knocked, then knocked again, wondering if my parents were out. I hadn't thought to bring a housekey with me.

"Chunhwa!" my mother shouted, opening the door. "You're home!"

I hugged her tight, closing my eyes against the sudden rush of emotions. I never realized how much I missed my family until I came home.

"Chunhwa!" My father rushed towards me and enveloped both of us in his arms.

I laughed. "Hi, father."

"Well, let's not let the cold in," my father said after a moment. All three of us laughed, and I pulled my suitcase over the threshold and closed the door.

"Where's Seulgi?" I asked, looking for my brother.

My mother pulled my coat off and hung it up. "He's out with Kim Areum, and he'll be back soon. Are you hungry?"

I still thought it really strange that my older brother was dating my childhood friend. After all, would I ever  want to date my friend's older brother? No. Just no. But Seulgi and Areum were happy.

"I'll take your suitcase to your room," my father said, pulling it from my grasp.

I grinned. "Thank you dad. And thanks, but I'm not hungry yet, mom. I'll wait for lunch."

"Good, because I need your help. The Kim family is coming over tonight and I need help cleaning. And they might be coming for dinner if Namjoon gets home in time, so you have to help with the food too."

I blinked. "What?"

"Their son was finally able to get more than a couple of days off for Christmas, and he'll be home. And depending on when he arrives, they might come for dinner."

"Wait, he's coming?"

My mother frowned at me. "Yes, Namjoon is coming. It will be good to see him after all this time."

I developed a frown of my own. I hadn't seen Namjoon in what, eight years? Because the Kim family lived next door, and I was friends with the Kim's daughter Areum, the four of us kids had practically grown up together. And Namjoon and I had fought like... well, like brother and sister. We'd fought a lot.

Oh well. With any luck, he'd leave me alone.

I heard the front door opening and hurried to greet my brother.

He was waving across the yard to Areum, at her own door. He smiled and closed the door, then saw me. "Chunhwa!"

"Seulgi!" I hugged him, feeling the cold still bunched up in the folds of his coat.

"I think you've gotten taller! You almost reach my elbow!" he teased. Laughing, I backed up to let him take his coat off.

"I'm glad to see you," I said, hanging up his coat.

He grinned, taking his shoes off. "It's good to see you too, sis."

"Enough chitchatting for now! We can talk at lunch. Chunhwa, I need you to dust and vacuum the house," Mother called from the kitchen.

Seulgi laughed at me. "Have fun with that."

"And you, Seulgi, I need you to clean the bathroom."