At Aera's place — late at night
Once they were back, Nari told everything.
Everything.
From A to Z.
She couldn't bring herself to look Aera in the eyes.
The shame.
The pain.
The fear.
Everything blended together.
Aera, on the other hand, remained silent.
Her face showed neither judgment nor surprise.
Just deep listening.
Real attention.
A solid presence.
From time to time, she murmured:
— I'm here.
— Go on, I'm listening.
— You're not alone.
— This doesn't make you a weak person.
When Nari finished, exhausted to the point of trembling, Aera stepped closer and placed her hands on her warm, wet cheeks.
— You know… sometimes, there are things we can't control.
Especially love.
Especially fear.
You don't have to blame yourself.
Your life belongs to you, Nari.
Your choices too.
Even if sometimes they hurt others…
She let out a small nervous laugh.
— And between us?
I probably would've cracked too.
Way faster than you! Ha ha!
She grabbed Nari's arm.
— Now, it's time…
time for you to build your own life.
Yours.
With what you want.
Not what holds you back.
Not what scares you.
Not what breaks you.
She squeezed her hand.
— You're not moving forward for someone else anymore.
You're moving forward for yourself.
And that night, for the first time in a long while…
Nari felt surrounded.
Christmas morning didn't start with calm.
Nor with softness.
It started with Aera.
At 7:48 a.m., exactly.
The bedroom door burst open, letting in a rush of cold air mixed with the smell of brioche and sweet perfume, then:
🎶 "Last Christmas, I gave you my heart…" 🎶
Aera had blasted the music at full volume.
The bass vibrated through the walls.
The bells rang as if a herd of reindeer were charging down the hallway.
— MERRY CHRIIIIIIIIISTMAS NARIIIIII!! she screamed, already hopping around.
Under the blanket, a small strangled cry:
— Mhmmmmm… Aera… stop… this feels like a nightmare…
But Nari was laughing.
That muffled laugh you can't hold back.
The laugh that escapes despite exhaustion, despite pain, despite everything.
— Nari, get up! It's Christmas! Up! Up! Up! shouted Aera as she grabbed a pillow and started beating the blanket in rhythm.
Then, without warning, she took a running start…
and jumped with all her weight onto Nari, like an overexcited cat.
— AERA!! yelled Nari, her voice distorted by the feathers crushing her.
— It's for your own good! shouted Aera, laughing, wriggling on top of her like a child.
— Get uuuuuup! Look at the Christmas spiiiiirit! Open your eeeeyes!
Nari slipped one hand out from under the blanket, like a survivor on a deserted island.
— I… have… no more… oxygen…
Aera burst out laughing, rolled to the side, then stretched her arms like a musical comedy star.
— Come on! We're making hot chocolate, opening the curtains, putting on ugly socks, and celebrating CHRIIIISTMAS!
She jumped to her feet.
Looked at Nari.
Stopped.
Her smile suddenly turned serious.
Then:
— Tonight… we become atomic bombs.
She put her hands on her hips.
— And we're going clubbing.
Nari blinked.
— … Clubbing? On Christmas Day?
— Exactly.
Us.
Two queens.
Two goddesses.
Two beauty rockets.
She made a theatrical gesture, as if drawing the horizon.
— We're going to blow up the city.
Nari laughed softly.
Then her thoughts drifted to family.
— But… don't you celebrate Christmas with your parents?
Aera's face changed.
Very slightly.
Like a shadow passing over a lake.
— You know… in my family, we don't really celebrate Christmas.
And… my parents are in Los Angeles, on a business trip.
She lowered her head for a few seconds.
A thin, fragile silence.
Then she looked back at Nari.
With a smile just a little too wide… a little too bright.
— So? Please… say yes?
She fluttered her eyelashes.
Stepped closer.
Made an adorable, irresistible pout.
Her puppy-face.
Her charming smile.
Her hands clasped together.
— Come on Nari… I'm using my best seduction skills here…
Say yes… say yes… say yeeeees…
Nari burst out laughing.
— Okay.
Aera screamed.
— YEEEEEEEEEEES!!
She spun around on herself, her unicorn pajama tail bouncing behind her.
— We're partying all night!
Get ready, world! You're about to see two drop-dead gorgeous beauties crash in like meteors!!
Then she shouted toward the kitchen:
— AND RYO IS COMING WITH US!! I'M TELLING HIM RIGHT NOW!!
She leapt into the living room, almost slipping on the wooden floor.
— Today… we're spending the ENTIRE day finding OUR OUTFITS.
Do you hear me? EN-TI-RE.
We're going to be gorgeous.
We're going to shock lives.
We're going to make angels cry.
We're going to—
Nari threw a pillow.
Aera caught it mid-air like a unicorn-pajama ninja and screamed:
— TONIGHT, MY SISTER… WE ARE REBORN.
And Nari, for the first time in days…
smiled for real.
They left in the late morning.
The sky was pale, almost white, with those round clouds that announce an imminent Christmas.
The city was alive.
The streets were decorated with golden lights, shop windows filled with garlands, passersby wrapped in thick scarves.
A scent of cinnamon, warm waffles, and melted chocolate blended into the cold air.
Aera walked ahead, almost bouncing.
Nari followed, hands in her pockets, her breathing light, calmer than usual.
She felt carried by Aera's energy, like being caught in a warm current.
— Today, we become queens. Goddesses. Myths,
declared Aera as she pushed open the door of the first store.
The inside was a Christmas temple: red carpet, huge tree, soft music, smiling saleswomen.
Aera didn't wait a second.
— HEEEEELLOOOOOOO!! she shouted at everyone like she was hosting a show.
The saleswomen jumped.
Some laughed.
Others didn't know how to react.
Nari let out a discreet laugh, surprising even herself.
— Aera… calm down…
— Never! It's Christmas! I AM THE FROSTED FASHION FAIRY!
Then Aera grabbed Nari by the hand and rushed between the clothing racks.
She grabbed everything.
Of everything.
Sequin dresses, satin dresses, long dresses, ultra-short ones, black, red, gold, silver.
— You're going to shine like you came straight from the Milky Way.
— Aera…
— Shut up and take it.
She piled a mountain of dresses into Nari's arms.
Then she did the same for herself.
— Aera, you're never going to wear all these dresses.
— OF COURSE I WILL. Well… I'll try them on. Then we'll see which version of me is the most dangerous.
They spent two hours trying on dozens of outfits.
Aera came out of the fitting room striking ridiculous poses, doing disastrous runway walks, caffeine-addicted-model faces.
Nari laughed.
Really laughed.
Out loud.
The saleswomen joined in.
Customers applauded when Aera strutted on an improvised podium in a gold dress.
— I think I'm THE Korean Beyoncé of this store! shouted Aera while attempting a failed moonwalk.
— You're going to fall, murmured Nari.
— No, look, I've got this.
She fell.
Straight into a rack.
Nari burst out laughing, clutching her stomach.
Aera too.
Finally, THE dress revealed itself.
For Nari:
✨ A short black dress, covered in fine sequins, tracing her silhouette like a constellation.
The fabric hugged her waist, highlighted her hips.
It shimmered with every movement.
She was stunning.
Nari looked at herself in the mirror.
Her black hair fell in natural waves, her brown eyes shone, her skin looked luminous under the lights.
She stood still.
As if frozen.
— … is that me?
she asked in a breath.