It was the first time he had ever seen so many presents in one place. Large and small boxes surrounded the tree in layers, and the tree itself was so enormous that only the star at the very top peeked out from behind the gifts.
“…What is all this?”
Yu-jin finally broke the silence after a long pause. Still dazed, unable to tear his eyes away, he heard Winston casually respond.
“Maybe Santa stopped by last night?”
At those words, Yu-jin immediately looked up at Winston. He almost blurted out something incredulous but barely managed to swallow it back. However, the child’s reaction was completely different from his.
“I saw him! I saw Santa!”
Angela, brimming with excitement, bounced wildly in Winston’s arms. Seeing how antsy she was, Winston gently set her down on the floor. The moment her feet touched the ground, she dashed over and grabbed one of the gift boxes. Turning quickly, she called out to Yu-jin.
“Look, Daddy! My name’s on it!”
Sure enough, written on the large card tucked between the ribbons was Angela’s name. Her cheeks were flushed a rosy pink, and her breathing had grown quick and shallow with excitement. Seeing her like that, Yu-jin smiled back with some effort and said,
“I see. Go ahead and open it.”
It was obvious who had prepared all of this, but right now, pleasing his daughter was more important. With her father’s permission, Angela hurriedly untied the ribbon and opened the biggest box.
“Woooow!”
Inside was a dress styled after the 18th century. Made of sapphire-blue satin, adorned with a multitude of ribbons, and trimmed with delicate handwoven lace along the sleeves and hem, it was so extravagant it dazzled the eyes just to look at it. Angela, unable to contain her joy, let out an ecstatic squeal.
“Daddy, look! It’s the dress Princess Marie wore! Is this mine? It’s really my dress?”
Hearing her name a princess from one of her favorite dramas and watching her overflow with emotion, Yu-jin finally managed to reply, a bit haltingly.
“Ah, yeah. That’s right.”
“Because Santa brought it just for you.”
Winston jumped in at just the right moment. The dress was far more luxurious than the one shown in the drama. For a little girl who had always dreamed of beautiful outfits, it was more than enough to steal her heart in an instant.
And that wasn’t the end of it. The next box contained shoes that perfectly matched the dress. The one after that, a diamond bracelet. And in the one after that, an exquisite fan. Before long, Angela had transformed into a princess even more perfect than the one from her beloved show.
“Oh my gosh, Daddy, Daddy, look at me!”
Angela twirled on her toes in her dress, squealing with delight. On her voluminous curls sat a tiara Yu-jin had once gifted her.
“You look absolutely adorable, Angie.”
Overwhelmed, Yu-jin couldn’t stop taking photos with his phone. Angela, thrilled, kept posing—lifting her skirt, placing her hands on her cheeks—before shouting excitedly again.
“Can I open more?”
“Of course, Angie.”
The moment Yu-jin gave his permission, Angela immediately dove into the next present with breathless excitement. She pulled out a doll, the kind that princesses from the same era might have played with, holding it up proudly. Yu-jin froze.
The doll looked… old. Worn, even.
Could it be…?
He couldn’t bring himself to finish the question aloud, trailing off instead. Winston glanced down at him and let out a quiet chuckle. Yu-jin gulped audibly, swallowing hard. Just whose doll from what era was that supposed to be?
It had to be insanely expensive.
He didn’t want to imagine any further and shut the thought down right there. Just a rich man’s hobby, he told himself. It felt a bit excessive for a four-year-old, but it wasn’t his place to say anything. Besides, Angela was thrilled—and that was all that really mattered.
Still, there was one thing he had to ask.
“Was Santa… Kane last night?”
He leaned in slightly and lowered his voice. Winston, catching his tone, tilted his head toward him and replied quietly.
“If it were him, she would’ve figured it out in an instant. Yu-jin, our little girl is way smarter than you give her credit for.”
Our little girl.
Yu-jin stared at Winston, unable to ignore those words. But Winston remained focused on Angela, showing no signs that he was aware of what he’d just said—or that it meant anything more.
Of course not. What was he even expecting from a man who already knew exactly what Yu-jin meant to him?
Before the bitterness could fully rise, Yu-jin reined in his emotions. He turned back to his daughter just in time to catch her beaming at him, eyes wide and sparkling.
“Daddy! I’m so happy!”
That look alone made Yu-jin smile as well. Yes, that was enough. As long as Angela was happy, nothing else mattered. He was certain she’d never had a Christmas this magical before. The thought filled his chest with emotion, and his nose began to sting with the threat of tears.
Just then, Angela found an envelope clutched in the paw of a giant cat plushie dressed in a Santa outfit.
“Daddy! There’s another card!”
“Is that so? Let’s open it together.”
Yu-jin naturally moved away from Winston and walked over to his daughter. Angela, thrilled, pulled the card from the envelope and read the message aloud.
“Dear sweet Angela, you’ve spent years giving up your gifts for other children. This year, it’s your turn. Your wish has been granted, so I hope you have the happiest Christmas. Merry Christmas! —From Santa.”
After finishing the message, Angela tilted her head in confusion. Surprised by her unexpected reaction, Yu-jin asked gently,
“What’s wrong, Angie? Is something the matter?”
Sensing a strange tension, he watched her closely. Angela hesitated, then looked up at him, her voice small and unsure.
“I don’t know if my wish came true.”
“Why? What did you wish for?”
Yu-jin, flustered, waited anxiously as Angela hesitated again before finally whispering her answer.
“I wished for Daddy to be happy.”
At that moment, Yu-jin found himself completely speechless. Angela stared up at him with wide, uncertain eyes, then continued hesitantly.
“Daddy, you’ve been sick a lot… and you’ve been having such a hard time, all because of me. So I wished for you to be happy…”
She let out a small sigh and glanced at him nervously.
“But I’m the only one who got all these presents. I even wrote Santa a letter… but maybe Santa doesn’t understand English.”
Seeing her tiny shoulders droop with such a serious expression, Yu-jin could no longer hold back the wave of emotion rising in his chest. His breath hitched as he inhaled sharply.
“No, Angie. Your wish did come true.”
Angela blinked up at him, puzzled. Her eyes asked the question she couldn’t put into words. Yu-jin took a few steadying breaths and forced himself to speak calmly.
“Daddy’s really happy right now. I mean it.”
His cheeks began to burn as a smile spread across his face.
“Because your happiness is my happiness.”
Angela’s expression slowly crumpled. Tears filled her big round eyes, and she sniffled as she asked,
“Really? Daddy, did you make the same wish I did?”
“Of course I did, Angie.”
Yu-jin pulled her into a tight hug, gently stroking her back.
“I’m the happiest man in the world right now. Thank you, Angie… for making me happy.”
“Heeeng…”
Angela wrapped her arms around Yu-jin’s neck, sniffing quietly. Yu-jin hugged her small body tightly against him, barely managing to hold back his own tears. How could any child be this precious?
“I’m so thankful that you’re my daughter, Angie.”
“I’m thankful too! That you’re my daddy!”
Angela giggled as she echoed his words. Yu-jin laughed along with her, hugging her once more. In that moment, they felt as if they were the only two people in the entire world, bound by a connection so deep, nothing else seemed to matter.
***
The joyful day flew by in the blink of an eye. After dinner, once Angela had been tucked into bed, Yu-jin and Winston returned to their room together.
Phew…
Even inside the bedroom, Yu-jin’s heart still felt light and fluttery. He let out a short breath to calm himself and turned to look at Winston. The man’s elaborate surprise for Angela had completely melted away every last bit of Yu-jin’s lingering hostility.
“Thank you… for today.”
Yu-jin spoke first. For once, his words carried no sarcasm—only sincerity. Winston, in the middle of taking off his sweater, glanced back at him. For a moment, something tense stirred in the air between them. Then Winston replied in a flat, unreadable tone.
“Thanks for finally noticing I exist.”
Yu-jin’s face flushed instantly. Looking back, he realized he had practically ignored Winston all day. Of course, it hadn’t been intentional, but from Winston’s perspective, it must have been incredibly rude.
“I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to do that…”
But as soon as the words left his mouth, he realized he’d basically admitted to it, making the whole situation even more awkward. As Yu-jin fumbled for what to say next, Winston let out a quiet chuckle. Huh? Yu-jin blinked, startled by the unexpected reaction. Winston looked at him and replied with casual indifference.
“I already know you two couldn’t care less about me.”
