Chapter Text
You’d want to say that all it took was one message, but then you’d be lying. It took many messages before Jihoon started to appreciate the daily messages he recieved. It had not been his own idea, it had actually been Seungcheol who had made Jihoon join that stupid Secret Santa shit on tumblr.
‘Maybe this’ll make you a little less grumpy’ he had said with a smirk when Jihoon realised what his friend had done while he had been to get coffee from the cafeteria of their university. Jihoon had then rolled his chair over to Seungcheol and punched his arm hard enough to leave a bruise.
Jihoon still didn’t want to admit it but he liked the sweet and thoughtful messages he started recieving from the 1st of December. They were a big contrast to his own personality and blog. Jihoon’s own blog was mostly pictures in black and white and quotes that Seungcheol and Junhui called ‘depressing’. At least Jihoon had Wonwoo on his side in this argument.
Anonymous said to you:
I hope your day is the best and that your weekend is even better!
Jihoon couldn’t help but shake his head while a small smile rested on his face. “How can something get better than the best?” he mumbled to himself as he clicked himself back to his dashboard. He felt like he should answer the message but for now he just posted it, not really knowing how to answer the message he just recieved without sounding like a complete a-hole.
Soon enough, the closer it got to Christmas, the more Jihoon started appreciating the messages and he even managed to get himself to answer some of the messages when his anon asked him a question. It was a few days before Christmas and Jihoon finally admitted to himself that he wished that he could keep talking to his little anon. There was something freeing about talking to someone you don’t know. He had started taking a liking to the daily messages back and forth and he was even looking forward to them.
The day before Christmas Jihoon was sitting at his own designated recording room at his school, he was in the middle of trying to finish up his assignments so that he could rest over Christmas and just relax. Preferably by hot baths, a lot of sleep and alcohol.
Jihoon pushed his hand through his raven black hair and let out a groan before resting his forehead against the table. He couldn’t get the beats to match the way he wanted and eveyrthing just felt and sounded horrible. He clicked save, a few extra times just because, before deciding to take a break and he leaned back in his chair. Clicking himself into tumblr he noticed the small number one by his inbox and clicked it.
Anonymous said to you:
It’s close to Christmas and it’s time to relax soon! I know you can get yourself through these last few days, just think about the things you can do once you’re free!
Jihoon smiled and then he nodded to himself. He convinced himself that it would be worth the struggle before opening his editing program again and continuing the war against his work.
Christmas eve Jihoon spent wearing a God damned ugly Christmas sweater that his mom had bought him. It was slightly too big and had the worst picture of reindeers pulling Santa’s sled and there were even tiny LED lamps that were blinking obnoxiously. He wasn’t actually going to spend time with his parents until later in the evening, so at the moment he was sitting at a café in central Busan with Wonwoo.
Wonwoo was sat in the armchair across from him, he wore a burugundy colored sweater instead of his usual black. “It’s Christmas” was all he had said when he had seen Jihoon’s raised brow when he removed his jacket. He still wore his ripped black jeans and white sneakers despite the cold winter weather and on his nose his round, silverframed glasses rested and he was looking at something on his phone.
Jihoon was sat in his own armchair, his legs were swung over the armrest while his back rested against the other. Leaning against his thigh was his notebook and in on ear his headphone was plugged in while he listened to the music he had made a few days ago and tried to come up with lyrics.
“You look fucking ridiculous in that sweater. You look like a gremlin” Wonwoo said and Jihoon’s only response was to raise his hand towards his friend to show off his favourite finger, the middle one, to him. Wonwoo couldn’t help but laugh at the reaction before it was quiet between them again.
“Would you mind helping me out with this song? I need a rap part and I’d want it to be you” Jihoon asked Wonwoo after a while. Wonwoo looked up from his phone where he was finishing up his new post on instagram.
“Seungcheol raps too. Why don’t you ask him?” Wonwoo asked while he pressed the post button on his app.
“Because your voice and feel fits this song better” Jihoon said and continued writing into his notebook. He glanced over at Wonwoo who was again staring down at his phone.
“Alright, I can try” Wonwoo agreed and Jihoon turned back to his music. A few minutes later they put their things back and pulled on their coats before going out.
“Come over on Thursday and we can record your part” Jihoon said and Wonwoo nodded from under the bundle that was a scarf. They bid each other goodbye before parting at the corner. Jihoon fished his phone out of his pocket and furrowed his brows at the new Instagram notification.
wnwoo has tagged you in a photo
Jihoon opened his Instagram and stopped in his tracks. Wonwoo had taken a snapshot of him with his middlefinger up towards the camera.
wnwoo The Gremlin. More like a Grinch
Jihoon spun around and his friend was still within the next block. “You bitch!” Jihoon yelled after him but was only met by laughter once again. A little smirk made its way onto Jihoon’s face before he turned back to head to his parents house.
~
That evening Jihoon recieved the last messages that would be from his Secret Santa. On Christmas Day his anon would reveal themselves and then it’d be up to them if they wanted to continue talking.
Jihoon was laying in his old bed in his room at his parents house when he was scrolling through tumblr on his phone a few more times before he was going to sleep when he went back to his inbox.
Anon asked you:
I hope you had a nice Christmas Eve and that you got to spend it with the people you love. Tomorrow I will reveal myself to you and I am actually looking forward to it a bit!
Jihoon smiled gently before closing the screen lock on his phone and putting it on his bedside table. He turned a few times in his bed, effectively rolling himself more snugly into his duvet at the same time, before settling on his right side and he quickly fell asleep.
~
It wasn’t until when Jihoon was back at his studio apartment the following evening when he checked his tumblr and noticed that he had recieved the message he was waiting for, not that he would admit it.
From ssoon1010 said to you:
Merry Christmas! I hope you celebrated Christmas well and that you got to eat a lot of good food. I am your secret santa and I’ve really enjoyed writing to you. I hope we can continue chatting! :)
Jihoon squinted at the profile picture, trying to figure out if the profile picture could actually be the person who owned the blog or if it was some random picture. His curiosity got the best of his clicked onto the blog.
ssoon1010 was the polar opposite of Jihoon. His blog was filled with colorful pictures and videos and Jihoon recognised the people who were reappearing throughout his scrolling as the famous pop group SHINee. It was quite obvious that this person was running a fandom blog.
Jihoon kept scrolling through the blog and soon enough he was way too far back. He clicked the small ‘follow’ button on the top of the blog before going back to his messages. He decided to answer the message.
Merry Christmas to you too. I spent Chsitmas with my parnets so good food was a garuantee. Thank you for writing to me even if I barely answered any of your messages. I would like to continue chatting with you.
And that was the start of his online friendship with ssoon1010.