As the boys returned to their dorm at 6 PM, they were exhausted and collapsed on the sofa. While resting, Scoups picked up his phone and noticed a message from the girls in their group chat. His face lit up with curiosity. He opened it—and burst out laughing.
The other members, who had been resting with their eyes closed, stirred and slowly opened their eyes. Jun asked, "Scoups, why are you laughing?"
Still laughing, Scoups said, "Guys, take your phones and check the group chat!" He continued laughing as he wiped his eyes.
The members exchanged confused glances, grabbed their phones, and opened the chat. What they saw made them blink in disbelief—thirteen snowmen, each messier than the last.
Scoups said through his laughter, "Guys, look at these snowmen! It's so chaotic!"
Wonwoo giggled and pointed, "Scoups, look carefully—that's supposed to be us. Our snow characters!"
Scoups was shocked. "Seriously?!"
Wonwoo nodded with a grin.
Vernon zoomed in and pointed. "I can only find Boo and Hoshi. I swear, if anyone can guess all of us correctly, I'll buy them dinner!"
The members perked up like they had just won a lottery. They quickly focused on decoding the snow chaos. Everyone found Boo and Hoshi's snowmen first—and broke into uncontrollable laughter.
Only Boo and Hoshi looked genuinely offended.
Boo, completely flabbergasted, coughed and said, "What… what have they done to my beautiful face?"
Woozi and Jeonghan zoomed in and said in unison, "They really captured you, Boo! You look just like Thomas!"
Boo stared at them, speechless, while those two quickly stood up with their hands in the air, laughing nervously.
Hoshi, meanwhile, compared his face to the snowman and groaned, "Why do I look like this?!"
Mingyu, hiding behind DK, burst into laughter. "The girls made you look like a rat. Not even a hamster or tiger—just a rat!"
Hoshi sulked. "But… how could they…"
Meanwhile, DK spotted his snowman and proudly pointed it out. "Guys, look at mine! Nian really made it look like me!"
The boys leaned in, and Jun confirmed, "Yeah, right beside Hoshi. The smile and the nose are exactly you!"
DK beamed and immediately took a screenshot, setting it as his profile picture.
One by one, the members started identifying their chaotic snow selves.
Joshua groaned, "These girls really made us look like a mess."
Boo, still sulking, said dramatically, "Even if yours are messy, mine hurts my pride!"
Dino laughed. "Just accept it, Boo. You and Hoshi are actually lucky—they look somewhat like you. Mine? I can't even tell what it is."
The others roared with laughter.
Minghao called out, "Guys, mine's next to Wonwoo's. Look—it even has a heart drawn in the middle, and it says Flutter Hao!"
He blushed and immediately sent the photo to Xuanye with the message:
> FlutterHao loves you, Ye. Advance Happy New Year~
The members pretended to rub their arms, joking that they got goosebumps.
Woozi then found his snowman and burst into laughter. "Guys… they made me into a rice bowl!"
Wonwoo leaned in. "Woozi, I think they didn't know how to shape your face, but at least it's cuter than some of ours."
Woozi nodded while laughing, staring at the round rice bowl.
---
The next day was New Year's Day. The city buzzed with celebration, and the snowfall made everything more magical.
At the girls' house, Nian and Xuanye were busy decorating. Their mother was cooking in the kitchen, while their father helped the girls hang up decorations.
Once everything was done, Xuanye sighed. "Nian, we're finally finished. Can we rest now?"
Nian stretched and yawned. "Yes, please! I'm so sleepy…"
Their mother placed the dishes on the table and called them to eat. Their father was already walking to the table.
But the girls stopped them both.
Their parents turned around. "What now?" their mother asked.
The girls crossed their arms and demanded, "Where's our New Year money?"
Their father chuckled, but then said seriously, "Oh, we didn't prepare any this year."
The girls glared at him, annoyed, and turned to their mother. She shook her head. "I already gave all the New Year money to the boys. You two will have to wait a few days."
She tried to hold back her laughter as Nian and Xuanye dramatically stretched out their hands like little kids asking for candy.
Finally, their mother gave in, pulled out two envelopes, and handed them over.
"Happy New Year, girls. We wish you success and prosperity," their parents said in unison.
The girls hugged them tightly, laughing.
"Thank you, Mother and Father! We wish you both a happy new year too—and a long life!"
Their parents chuckled and patted their backs.
Just then, the doorbell rang. Nian and Xuanye leaned back and looked toward the door.
"Girls, can you get that?" their mother said.
They nodded and went to answer. Xuanye opened the door—and gasped. A delivery man stood there, completely covered in bouquets. He peeked out from behind the flowers and asked, "Are you Nian and Xuanye?"
The girls nodded.
He handed over the bouquets and a small bag, then left.
Their parents came over, helping them carry everything in.
"Who sent this?" their father asked.
The girls were still buried under flowers when Nian spotted a note that read:
"From Seventeen."
She smiled. "Ma, this is from the boys!"
Their parents beamed.
"The boys are really taking care of you," her father said warmly. "You girls are lucky… I'm even a little jealous."
Xuanye giggled. "But Father, you're lucky too! DK and Minghao are going to be your sons-in-law. You can talk to them whenever you want."
Nian's eyes widened in shock.
Their father laughed, but their mother raised an eyebrow. "Are you girls planning to get married already?"
The girls gulped.
Xuanye replied quickly, "Ma, I was just joking! Don't take it seriously. We'll only marry once we're fully independent and financially stable."
Nian nodded rapidly.
Their parents smiled. "As long as you know that, we're not worried."
The girls smiled sheepishly, and Nian elbowed Xuanye under the table.
They sat down and opened the small bag. Inside was New Year money and a box of dumplings—sent for their whole family.
"Look at this, Ma! The boys gave us dumplings and money!" Nian exclaimed.
Her mother was impressed. "Don't forget to thank them—but first, come eat before your food gets cold."
The girls happily joined the table.
---
While eating, the TV played various New Year programs. Suddenly, their father shouted, "Girls, look at the TV!"
The girls looked up—and froze.
Seventeen appeared on screen, dressed brightly in Santa suits, surrounded by snow.
Their mother smiled. "Look at those boys—they're so full of life. They give off such positive vibes."
On TV, the boys began speaking:
> Scoups: "Carats, we're going to make this year unforgettable, like always!"
Mingyu: "Are you guys ready to join this journey with us?"
DK: "Your presence made us happy and filled our hearts."
Minghao: "Yeah, if we have time, we'll meet you soon with new content."
Then, they all showed a heart gesture toward the camera.
Nian and Xuanye spit out their food.
Their eyes widened in disbelief.
Their parents turned to look at them—and smirked knowingly.