I Conveniently Interrupt Your Regularly Scheduled Reading to Bring You This Very Important Public Service Christmas Fluff

"Seol-ah, be careful," Hajin cautions, glancing up from the Christmas balls she'd been unwrapping to watch her 4-year-old turn a coil of Christmas lights around the tall tree. She's so small that she's only managed to light up the lower third. Hajin suppresses a laugh.

"This?" Seol asks, holding the excess lights up.

Hajin walks over to inspect her work. "Baby, this should be down here because we'll be plugging it into the socket," she explains patiently, holding up the plug. "Do it again."

With a dramatic sigh, Seol begins to stomp around, back the way she came, until the lights are completely off. This is her first time decorating the Christmas tree, and she's more than a little excited.

"Okay, up we go," Hajin mutters, lifting her little girl up. "Oh, you're heavy. What did Aunty Deok feed you?"

"Beef, beef, beef!" Seol chants happily, waving the lights in the air.

Hajin sighs. "Of course. The usual."

Deok and Eun had volunteered to fetch the little one from day care this morning and had brought her to the restaurant for lunch to appease Grandma Park before bringing her home.

"Did you eat any sweets?" Hajin asks sternly. "You still have a runny nose."

Seol shakes her head a little too frantically to be considered honest, but Hajin decides to let it go. After all, it's not every day those two get to see her. For the nth time, she considers giving them a pair of baby socks to encourage them to get a move on.

The doorbell suddenly rings and Hajin puts Seol down, cautioning her once again to be careful before going to the front door to greet whoever was there.

"Noona!" Jung beams happily, dropping his bags.

"Jung-ah!" Hajin exclaims in shock, rushing out to hug him. "Yah, you look so dashing in your uniform!"

He grins. "Thanks. I was worried you might not be home. I'm on my way to mother's and just had to drop something off. Is Seol awake?"

Hajin nods and ushers him in.

Shutting the door behind him, Jung calls out, "Seolie!"

Seol's ears perk up at once. She knows that voice. Dropping the lights in her hand, she rushes to the door to find her uncle Jung with her mother. He sees her immediately and beams.

"There she is!" he says happily, extending his arms to catch her. "Wah, you're so big now!" he remarks, lifting her up and giving her a big hug. "What have you been eating?"

"Beef," Hajin replies with a wry smile, going to the kitchen to get Jung a glass of water.

"Meat is very good for you," he nods approvingly, turning back to Seol with an impish smile. "I have something for you."

Her eyes light up immediately. "A present? For me?"

"You bet!" He sets her back down and rummages through his bag for the present he had bought her. She watches him carefully, her face lightning up further when he extracts a big box wrapped in colorful Santa wrappings.

"Here you go!" he says fondly handing it over. "Merry Christmas, Seolie!"

"Can I open it?" she asks excitedly, clutching the gift to her chest. She turns to her mother as soon as she reenters, carrying a glass of water for her uncle. "Umma, can I open the gift?"

Hajin had wanted for Seol to open all her gifts on Christmas morning, but seeing her excited face, she can't find it in her to refuse such a request, especially since she wasn't sure if Jung could stay until Christmas in the midst of his military duties.

"Okay, but just that one," she concedes, giving Jung the glass.

Excited, Seol gets down on the floor before Jung and begins to carefully scratch at the tape to peel it off.

Jung scoffs, choking on his water. "Yah, you're just like your father. Why don't you just tear it up? Be more like Uncle Jung!"

Seol shakes her head stubbornly and manages to rip one piece of tape off. She beams proudly and proceeds to unwrap the rest of the gift until she sees the biggest doll she's ever seen in her life. She squeals with excitement.

"Do you like it?" Jung asks anxiously before looking up at Hajin. "I'm told this is the best seller for little girls. I originally got the biggest one but on my way here, I thought she might be scared of it because it was about her size, so I replaced it with a smaller one."

Hajin chuckles and addresses Seol. "Seol, you should say thank you to uncle Jung."

With bright eyes, she gets up and jumps into his arms, startling him. "Thank you, uncle Jung!"

He looks relieved as he pats her back. "You're welcome, Seolie. Do you like it?"

She nods. "She'll sleep on my bed tonight!"

"Ah, that's good," Jung chuckles, getting up. "But I have to go. I promised to visit grandma."

She turns to her mother at once. "I go?"

"No, you haven't showered yet! And what happened to helping me with the tree?" Hajin reminds with raised eyebrows.

Seol deflates, looking torn as she fiddles with her new doll.

"Don't be sad, Seolie, I'll be back tomorrow, okay?" Jung assures, patting her head. "I'll bring all your uncles and aunts and cousins with me, too!"

"And your girlfriend?" Hajin prods impishly. "Jung-ah, you've been dating for 2 years. When do we get to meet her? We've all been so curious."

"We'll see," he grins mysteriously. "She's very anxious about meeting you all so I don't want to overwhelm her."

"Do it little by little," Hajin suggests with hopeful lilt. "You can start with us."

Jung chuckles. "Nice try, noona, but my older brothers are the most intimidating of the group. I'll save them for last, I think."

She sighs dejectedly. It's true. Yo and So have eyes that seem to see right to your very soul. It doesn't help that they're always so serious around people and impeccably dressed to perfection.

"Don't worry, maybe I'll bring her around for lunch sometime, when hyung's not here," he winks, hitching his bag onto his shoulder and bending down to lift Seol back up so he can kiss her. "I've missed you most!"

"Tomorrow?" she asks hopefully.

He nods firmly. "Tomorrow. I promise."

Preview of the next chapter:

"Seol-ah!" Hajin exclaims in disbelief, making her little girl jump in surprise. "Did you draw on the table again?"

Seol stares at her mother in shock, a feeling of dread slowly creeping in. She thought she'd covered it earlier with a piece of tape... she knew she should have put two more just to be sure.