In a Split Second || BTS

Chapter 23

An hour later, we stand in front of a Christmas shop with darkened windows. A sign with ornamental script drawn across it in alternating red and green markers hangs on the front door.

"'Closed for the afternoon'," Jungkook reads.

"Afternoon?" Yoongi frowns at the time displayed on his phone screen. "It is barely 3:00; afternoon, my a–"

"Cherisse-ah, can you see anyone inside?" Hoseok asks.

I approach the small shop and peer into the window. I can vaguely make out the outlines of Christmas decorations, but the dark shadows conceal all other objects. "I can't tell – it is too dark to see anything."

"Should we try that Christmas shop?" Taehyung offers, pointing across the street to another Christmas shop. I raise an eyebrow and walk to the end of the sidewalk to further examine it.

"Damn," Yoongi laughs. "How did we miss this earlier?"

It's a startling question – the Christmas shop is completely lit up with flashing lights, and lilting music dances through the air, turning the heads of every passerby in the vicinity. It practically radiates the Christmas spirit with its numerous decorations.

The second we walk into the Christmas shop, the familiar scent of peppermint and freshly-baked cookies graces my senses. The shop is warm and cozy – a welcome contrast to the freezing exterior.

"They have tinsel!" Hoseok squeaks, lunging for the rolls of tinsel in the back corner of the shop. "Cherisse-ah! Look at how many different colors they have." Hoseok piles rolls upon rolls of bright tinsel into his arms, holding up each one as he adds it to the stack. "They have red, green, sparkly red, white, sparkly green, purple, gold, sparkly white, and sparkly pur–"

"You do know that this is all somewhat meaningless if we don't get a tree?" Namjoon reminds him.

"Not exactly – we can hang it over our windows and on top of our shelves, too." His eyes widen in realization. "Speaking of shelves, ma'am, do you sell holly and mistletoe?"

Yoongi grimaces and turns away from the display of sarcastic Christmas cards he was admiring. "Mistletoe? What exactly do you have planned for our holiday?"

"I'm just trying to get in the spirit, hyung."

Yoongi glances at me once, a flustered, blushing mess. He shakes his head in distaste and turns back to read more Christmas cards.

All of a sudden, my phone starts ringing loudly to the tune of We Are the Champions, and I immediately pick up.

"Bonjour?"

"Have yourself a merry little Christmas / Let your heart be light," Tammy sings into the phone. Her vocals are incredibly off-pitch, but her voice makes my heart beat with excitement – it has been a while since we last spoke.

"Merry Christmas to you, too, Tammy."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Look, ma chérie, I just got off the phone with Madame Beaumont, and a little birdie happened to mention that her favorite big sister was not coming to Lyon this Christmas."

I wince. "Cherisa?"

"No – Madame Beaumont," she mocks me dryly. "Seriously, though, what's going on?"

"Madame Beaumont didn't feel as though it would be a good idea for me to visit her in Lyon after what happened last year."

"That is true, but I can fight off any haters. I am enrolled in a kickboxing class at the gym, and I already feel like I should become a wrestler in the American WWE."