"Unnie, unnie! Time to get up!"

Dalnim's eyes fluttered open, instantly met with the sunlight peeking through the curtain of her window. A low groan left her lips, realizing how tired she really was. She turned to her side and looked at the clock on the drawer top next to her bed. She let out a louder groan. "Ha Neul, it's only seven in the morning!"

Her sister pounded against her bedroom door, causing Dalnim to wnce at the sudden loud noise. "Yeah, but it's Christmas, the only exception! If you don't come down soon, we're going to be late with our brunch with the Parks!"

With the sound of footsteps retreating from outside, Dalnim finally sat up, groggy from the lack of sleep. She blinked a couple times to clear her vision, her mind slowly back to a functioning state. "The Parks..." She mumbled out, as she rubbed the sleep off her eyes. The name sunk in more and more as the seconds passed. A gasp left her lips.

Last night.

At midnight in the playground.

Her childhood friend, her first love, had just confessed to her.

Before she could cheer from this miraculous happenstance, a daunting thought crossed her mind. "Shit, that wasn't all a dream, was it?" She uttered. Dalnim ran her hands through her hair, tugging it in frustration on whether Chanyeol's confession was real or not. "Crap, crap, crap..." Her eyes strayed back onto the drawer top, since the sunlight was glinting off of something into her eyes.

Her heart skipped a beat.

By the clock, Chanyeol's Christmad present to her sat there. She reached over and slipped it onto her finger, fit perfectly. The simplicity of the ring really did suit her best. "It wasn't a dream," she giggled, clasping her ring-less hand to her mouth. "Oh thank god." She wanted to cry out of joy. It really did happen.

Park Chanyeol told her he loved her.

~ * ~ Last Night ~ * ~

"Yoon Dalnim, I've been completely in love with you."

Dalnim was astonished and frozen with shock, as she glanced back and forth from the man on the swing next to hers and the promise ring on her finger. Did he really just say that to her? So, her feelings weren't one-sided this whole time?

"Dalnim, I need you to answer me," Chanyeol murmured, the nervousness obvious in his tone.

"Pinch me."

Chanyeol's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. That wasn't quite the response he was expecting after something as big as this. "What?"

"I need you to pinch me," Dalnim repeated, looking him in the eye to urge him to do so. As weird as the request, he did so, pinching at her forearm. The athlete let out a small yelp at the stinging sensation, but she smiled from the pain. "I'm not dreaming. This is real, this is absolutely real."

Chanyeol cracked a smile. "Yeah, this is real. Dalnim, I love you and I've been wanting to tell you that for so long."

Dalnim felt like she had died and gone to heaven. She was absolutely radiating in happiness, on cloud nine! This was only what happened in dreams and dramas, to hear the boy she had been in love with for all these years return the feelings was unbelievable.

"I love you too, Chanyeol," she murmured, her voice cracking from fighting back tears.

The idol reached over to pull on the chain of Dalnim's swing for the chance to engulf her into his slender arms. The two stayed in that position, holding each other tight and enjoying the other's company. The day they both had been dreaming for had finally come, and that has to sink in. Yoon Dalnim and Park Chanyeol had finally confessed on the peaceful, early Christmas morning.

Once they pulled away, a mischievous grin tugged at the male's lips. "I'm not going to go easy on you with the swings though."

Dalnim laughed, her hands already gripped on the chains. "Oh please, I'd be offended if you did, Sunny. Let's go!"

The two young adults had their childish fun. Swinging high on the swings (in which Dalnim had won with the power of volleyball thighs), running around in the open areas, sliding down the slides, they did all that they could in their childhood playground. The day had barely started, but Dalnim could officially say that this was the best Christmas ever. Holidays with family and shared feelings with her first love, what more could she ask for?

With the clock ticking at 1:32, they decided it was best to return to their homes, the exhaustion finally catching up to them. Hand in hand, they strolled, taking their time to go back to lengthen their precious time together.

They stood on the small sliver of sidewalk between their homes, fingers still laced together, neither of them wanting to go inside just yet. But as much as they wanted to spend more time together, they knew they need to separate ways and eventually get some well-deserved sleep.

"You know, NimNim, would you be okay waiting a week for me?" Chanyeol suddenly asked her out of the blue.

"Hmm? A week?" The volleyball player chimed out of curiosity. It didn't even take her a minute for her to decide on the idea. She nodded, baring a warm smile that could melt any frozen heart. Chanyeol swore that he didn't feel the blistering cold of the outside right in that moment. "Only for you."

Chanyeol chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, his free hand clutching at his chest. "You just made my heart flutter." Dalnim let out a laugh as she wrapped her own arm around his torso. "So you're ok with waiting until New Years?"

She peeked up at him. "Well, what's supposed to happen in the new year?"

"2016 makes it EXO's fourth year since we debuted and... We'll be able to date freely by then," he answered, his eyes meeting hers. "Dalnim-ah, listen, I want to give you a heads up. Dating an idol... It can be messy."

"Sunny, you know me," Dalnim beamed at him. "I'm quite the strong-willed person."

"Of course." Chanyeol held up his pinky towards her. With a reassuring expression, he murmured to her. "With the power of our rings and this pinky promise, I swear that we'll make it no matter what."

Dalnim enclosed her pinky around his. "I swear by it too."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Dalnim recalled that they had parted into their own houses after that small chat. Inside, she woke up to let Yoora, Mr., and Mrs. Park know that they should head back to their own house and sleep there. Once she convinced them to return, she had quickly changed out of her clothes into her pajamas and went straight to bed, the sleep taking over her the moment her head hit the pillow.

She squealed into her pillow.

She loves Chanyeol, and he loves her back.

It felt like nothing in the world can tear her down now.

Dalnim hopped out of bed with a new rush of adrenaline, too excited to see Chanyeol again. She did her morning routine of washing up, changing into more appropriate clothes (the new sweater she bought at the mall the other day should suffice), fixing up her hair, and adding a dash of makeup. The athlete rushed down the stairs into the living room. There by the Christmas tree, the rest of her family already sat by.

"Took you long enough, unnie!" Ha Neul pouted at her. On her lap was the present from Dalnim herself, a casual cute dress she spotted the other day. "I want to open gifts!"

Her parents, however, weren't as enthusiastic. Dalnim let out a laugh as she went over to sit on the carpeted ground in front of them. "Bit of a hangover, hmm?" She asked them with a smug smile.

"Well, I just have a slight headache right now," her mother replied with a reassuring grin. She rubbed her husband's back in calming circles. "Your father, however, isn't as lucky, but he can tolerate it. You know how he is with his alcohol."

Dalnim sighed in disappointment. "Appa, did you have drinking contest with Mr. Park again?"

"I may have..." Her father shamefully admitted.

"Appa!"

"Sweetie, not so loud, please... Go ahead and start opening gifts while I... take a short nap."

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Merry Christmas!" The Yoons greeted the Parks the moment their front door swung open. After an hour or so of opening present, they deemed that it was about time to visit their lovely neighbors for their traditional brunch get-together. And, with each of the Yoons' donning new articles of clothing, given from one another, they walked over to the next house over.

Mrs. Park beamed at her longtime friends as well as their children, and ushered them inside the Park home. Warm welcomes all around while the two families reunited for the day for the extravagant brunch.

Dalnim beamed at the sight of Chanyeol as the parents all gathered in the kitchen to set up for the feast. She was about to leap into his open arms, but someone else had beaten her to them. "Chanyeol-oppa! Thank you so much for getting me an autographed poster with of SHINee, TVXQ, and EXO!" Ha Neul chirped as she squeezed the living day lights out of the idol.

It'd be a little too rude if she flung her sister out of his arms, right?

"It's no problem, Ha Neul-ah. I'm glad you liked that and the albums," Chanyeol replied as he affectionately patted the younger girl's head.

Ha Neul held onto Chanyeol a little too long for Dalnim's likes. So she stepped in with a forced smile on her face at the two. "My precious dongsaeng, why don't you go greet Yoora-unnie?" She suggested to her sister, her hands on her shoulders.

"I'm not done hugging oppa yet."

Just why did she have to develop a crush on Chanyeol, Dalnim thought hopelessly.

"Aww, Ha Neul-ah, I'm hurt. And just to think that we're closer than that," the oldest of the children piped up, suddenly at the scene. Yoora wrapped an arm around the youngest's shoulder and successfully pried her off her brother. "C'mon Ha Neul-ah, if you sit by me, then I'll give you more insightful tips on being a reporter."

"Really, unnie?" Ha Neul gasped in delight, her eyes glimmering in excitement. She glanced over at Chanyeol, giving him her best aegyo, something Dalnim hates to admit that her sister's great at. "Oppa, sit in front of me, then?"

"Sit in front of you?" Chanyeol muttered.

"So I can always see your handsome face, oppa!" She replied with a wink.

Ok, it'd be wrong to wring my sister's neck, right, Dalnim thought again, fuming at the flirtatious girl.

"Sure, Ha Neul-ah," Chanyeol chuckled, ruffling her hair again. With that, Yoora and Ha Neul disappeared into the dining room. Now that they were alone by the door, Chanyeol was quick to scoop Dalnim into his arms. She could feel his chest vibrate with his laughter. "Was someone jealous of their own sister?"

"Yah!" Dalnim shot back with a frown on her face. "I was not!"

"I saw the look of your face fall when she stole your hug," he muffled into her brunette locks. "Maybe you should try more aegyo in the future for me?"

Dalnim pulled away from him. "Do you want to die?"

With his hands nestled on her face, he quickly placed a chaste kiss on top of her head. Her face flared beet red at the simple contact. Embarrassed beyond belief, she buried her face into his chest. "See, you can do cute very easily!" Chanyeol snickered above her.

"I will seriously kill you for that," she muttered.

"Wow, even as your boyfriend, you still threaten me?"

"... You're not my boyfriend yet."

"Just call it a premature instinct."

"Oh my god." She tore herself away from the idol, her pout more prominent than before. She then noticed the watch she had bought him on his wrist. With a sigh, she knew she couldn't stay mad at the boy for too long, not even mock anger.

Once Dalnim had calmed her poor heart from the kiss to the forehead, the two of them entered the dining room. They sat right next to each other at one side of the table, directly across from their sisters. With the parents coming in with the pots and dishes full of food, they all began to feast. Dalnim has got to admit, she really did miss Mr. and Mrs. Park's cooking. She should visit their Italian restaurant more when she has the time. Maybe after the volleyball competition in next month?

The table was filled with joy and laughter, as everyone shared noteworthy stories to one another. Unsurprisingly, Dalnim and Chanyeol ended up sharing the most, seeing that they were both very well-known people in their country. It's only inevitable that they would have the most interesting experiences out of everyone.

Eventually, their stories begin to mesh together, recollecting recent memories of when they have reunited at last.

"It just so happened that Chanyeol had to be one of the members that came in late," Dalnim enlightened the ADIDAS photoshoot to their families. She talked animatedly about the day, as it was when a new light was shed about her childhood friend. Taking small pauses to continue eating the delicious homemade meal, she babbled on and on about how fun that photoshoot ended up being and how she had tagged along with EXO to their company building afterwards.

What she didn't realize was the piece of rice at the corner of her lip.

"Oh, sweetie, hold on. You have--" Dalnim's mother wasn't able to finish her sentence.

The whole table silenced as they watched Chanyeol pick off the rice himself from her lip with his thumb. That wasn't the weird part about the interaction. It was the way the idol did so, the way he held onto her cheek in an unnecessarily delicate way. And Dalnim had looked at him to where their eyes met and they exchanged disgustingly sweet smiles at each other. Shy, warm, and gentle.

This wasn't how Chanyeol and Dalnim always acted with each other, and everyone on that table pinpointed that change instantaneously. Yoora was first to interrupt their moment.

"Whoa there!" She burst out, pointing her chopsticks accusingly at her younger brother and friend. "What is this? You two are acting cuter together than usual... Are you two dating?" Everyone at the table stared intensely at the two, waiting for the response they're anticipating for years. The lack of response and the awkward glances were enough as an answer for them. Yoora let out a groan, not of disgust but of utter relief. "It's about time."

"What do you mean, it's about time?" Dalnim huffed out.

"You know what I mean!" Yoora shot back, waving her chopsticks into the athlete's face. "You know how damn long I had to watch you two act so obviously in love with each other and not admit it? It was excruciating!"

Chanyeol's cheeks flushed. "Noona..."

"I'm with your sister on this one."

"Eomma/ Mrs. Park!" The two uttered simultaneously. The couple was then bombarded with questions, asking of when their relationship finally started and about what they have done as an item thus far. Both Chanyeol and Dalnim had to wait until the hype had calmed from their parents and sisters, neither of them having the chance to butt in to answer.

Exchanging yet another glance to one another, they knew this was only the beginning of what their relationship is to come. As much as their families voiced how much they knew this relationship was bound to happen, not everyone will be as accepting and happy about it. At least, they'll have their families to back them up, because now that Dalnim knew about the returned feelings, she won't back down. No way, no how. She loves Chanyeol too much.

For the rest of brunch, Dalnim and Chanyeol's fingers were intertwined under the table as to give each other the reassurance and peace they needed for whatever will come their way.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A/n: Quite short and not as exciting, but I thought this was a good place to cut off before the next part! Still got some twists and turns for this story before I end it!

Before I leave yall off, I have a new book that I will be using for updates, rants, ideas, and anything along those lines! It'd be helpful on my part if you guys have that in your library or keep tabs on it! It's also my way to connect with y'all. Let's all be friends aight? 

And for those GOT7 fans, check out @-kyuchan for my collab au story with my friend :3

P.S. Just found out that Girl X Friend was the PERFECT song for my story. I mean, LOOK AT CHANYEOL'S PART AT THE BEGINNING. TOTALLY CHANNIM.