My Christmas Miracle (Chapter 2)
Title: My Christmas Miracle
By: changline
Rating:G
Pairing: Changmin and OC
Genre: angst, romance
Summary: Seiren's lost three boyfriends, all dead, and she blames herself for their death's. She doesn't want to go into a new relationship, afraid that the next guy might die like the others. Will Changmin be able to convince her she's not to blame, or will he end up like the others?
Two days later…
Everyone in C’est Magnifique was busy. It was Christmas time again and the restaurant had a lot of catering to do, not to mention parties to throw in the restaurant itself. They were used to this kind of thing right now, and their workload isn’t that heavy anymore since their owner had opened two new branches, added to the three that were already opened. But since this year was the 50th year anniversary of the restaurant, they were extra busy since the owner wanted an especially extravagant party to celebrate the 50 years of the restaurant.
Seiren was in her office checking over the details for every event they were going to handle. A knock on her door made her look up from her work. Her assistant came in with a tray of food and set it down on her table.
“What’s this?” Seiren asked.
“Lunch, or rather a late lunch.” Honoka, her assistant, replied. “You need to eat, now.”
She looked at her assistant. Everyone in her staff had taken turns to remind her to eat since the accident. They had seen the change in her after it, and were concerned for her health. She was a good manager and leader, although she sometimes tends to go overboard and forget about eating. She made them feel important. They loved her, and it tore their hearts that first year after the accident when she wouldn’t even smile. She had refrained from serving customers because she didn’t want the customer’s mood to be affected by hers, but otherwise she did her job efficiently as always.
“Thanks. I’ll eat later. I’m not hungry yet.” Was all Seiren said before going back to her work.
Honoka sighed. “Okay, don’t forget to eat okay?”
“Uhuh.”
When Honoka stepped outside, her coworkers flocked around her.
“Well?” They asked.
“She’s not eating it yet.”
They all sighed out. They hadn’t been successful it making their manager eat lunch for two days now. They would usually find the food they gave her untouched until dinnertime, when she would eat it. They were starting to worry again.
“What are you all doing, huddled together like that?” Aidou asked from behind them.
“Aidou-sama! Konnichiwa.” They all greeted the owner.
“So? What were you all doing?” He asked again.
“Um, Seiren-sama isn’t eating properly again.” Honoka told him.
He frowned. “How long has this been going on?”
“Two days Sir.”
He sighed as he looked at his employees. “Don’t worry. I’ll go talk to her.” He said before he knocked and entered Seiren’s office.
When Seiren looked up and saw who entered her office she stood up to greet him properly.
“Konnichiwa Aidou-sama.” She greeted him, bowing. “What brings you here?” She asked when she straightened up.
“Just checking if things are going smoothly here too.” He replied.
She nodded. “Things are going as planned Sir.”
“Your subordinates tell me, you haven’t been well again. Is that true?”
“Um…”
He sighed. “Eat now. That’s an order. I don’t want you fainting or looking pale again during events, okay.”
“Yes sir.” She replied as she sat down and began to eat what her assistant had left for her.
“Did something happen?” He asked her as she ate, sitting on the chair opposite from her.
Seiren remembered the guy she had an argument with and their argument reminded her of Donghae and making her melancholy.
“Nothing sir.”
“Is it because it’s Christmas time again?”
She didn’t respond, she didn’t know how to. So she just continued eating. She knew he would understand, he treated her like a sister- since he was only a few years older than her.
She heard him sigh again. “Just take care of yourself okay? Stop blaming yourself over something you have no control of.”
“Hai.” She answered in a whisper.
4 days later: Christmas party of C’est Magnifique…
“Ah, Hanabishi.” Changmin called his friend, Aidou Hanabishi.
“Changmin. So good of you to make it.” Aidou said.
“I wouldn’t miss this party for the world, especially when I’ve heard how good the food is here.”
“Hai hai. Our food is great here. I hope you enjoy your time here. Uh, before you go wandering around, I want to introduce you to someone.”
“Okay.”
Aidou led Changmin toward one of the refreshment tables where a woman was busy giving instructions to some people.
“Seiren.”
The woman Aidou called turned. “Hai, Aidou-sama?”
“I want to introduce you to a good friend of mine.” Aidou gestured to Changmin. “ This is Shim Changmin, he’s a musician.”
“Yoroshiku onegai-shimasu Shim-sama.” Seiren greeted respectfully.
“Yoroshiku.” Changmin responded. She looks familiar. He thought.
“Seiren is my best employee. She’s very efficient at what she does.” Aidou stopped talking when he noticed she had grown uneasy, then frowned. “Sometimes she’s too efficient that she forgets to eat, which reminds me, have you eaten yet Seiren?”
She looked at him guiltily, “Um…”
Aidou sighed. “Changmin?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I ask for a favor?”
“Sure.”
“Can you accompany my ever efficient employee to the buffet table and make sure she eats something? After she’s had her fill, you can leave her alone to do her job.”
“No problem.”
“B-b-b-b-bbut Aidou-sama.”
“No buts Seiren. Thanks Changmin.” He said, giving Changmin a pat on the shoulder before leaving them.
Seiren watched her boss’s retreating back helplessly. She had work to do, she didn’t have time to eat at luxury.
Changmin watched the play of emotions on her face as he tried to remember where he’s seen her before. He was still trying to remember when she walked away from him toward one of the waiters that motioned for her. Since he did promise Aidou to make her eat, he followed her.
“Seiren-sama, will it really be alright for me to go on first? This is a big event.” Aya, a female staff asked.
“Of course it is. Your mother came home after being away for four years right?” Seiren asked. The girl nodded. “Then go. Don’t worry, we can handle it hear.”
The girl’s eyes twinkled. “Hontou arigatou-gozaimashta. I’ll make up for it tomorrow.”
“Hai hai. Now go.”
Seiren was watching Aya head out when she felt someone standing behind her. When she turned she found Changmin watching her with a tender expression on his face.
“What?” She asked.
“Nothing. Come on.” He replied.
“Where to?”
“The buffet table. To eat.” He reminded her.
“Gomen Shim-san, but I still have work to do. Go ahead and enjoy.”
“Iie. Hanabishi left you in my care, he’ll chew my ass off if I don’t do as he asked, or practically ordered me to do. Now come.” He took her by the elbow and guided her to the buffet. There he took two plates, gave her one and proceeded to fill both with food.
“I can’t eat all of this.” Seiren said in distress, as she looked at her plate. It would be such a waste to throw out what I can’t finish.
“Don’t worry, I’ll eat whatever’s left.” Changmin assured her calmly then started eating.
Seiren was watching him as he ate when she remembered him. It had been bothering her why he seemed familiar to her when Aidou had introduced them earlier.
“Um, Shim-san?”
“Hmm?”
“Were you, by any chance, at Centrio six days ago.” Centrio was the name of the department store where they first met.
“Uhuh, I was buying presents, and arguing with a girl over a gift wrapper. AH! YOU! You were that girl.” Changmin exclaimed. “I was trying so hard to remember where I’d met you before since you were so familiar.”
Seiren chuckled.
“Anyway, what happened to you that day? I was just starting to enjoy our argument when you suddenly had a mood swing and just gave up the wrapper.”
“You were enjoying our argument?”
“Yup. No female, except my sisters and other family members have ever fought me for anything. They just hand me everything, so it was a bit refreshing to have an argument with you no matter how silly it seemed.”
“Oh.”
“So what happened?” He was sincerely curious, she seemed so bereft. When he noticed the pain that flashed in her eyes, he reassured her, “You know, if you don’t want to tell me it’s cool. It’s none of my business anyway.
Seiren just stayed quiet and continued eating. She was trying to control the flood of emotion that was threatening to overwhelm her. She excused herself and went outside when she couldn’t control it anymore.
Changmin gazed at her in concern. He stood up, picked up both of their unfinished plates, and followed her. He found her standing in the garden area of the restaurant, looking up at the sky. He walked toward her, and just stood there once he was beside her. She didn’t seem to notice him. She has this pained-unfocused look on, like she wasn’t really where she was. When he couldn’t take the silence and the emotion he was reading from her, he nudged her gently with his elbow.
She blinked and her eyes became focused again as she looked at him. “Hm? What are you doing out her? And carrying the plates with you?”
“I was worried about you. And it would be a waste to leave these at the table when we aren’t finished eating yet.”
“I’m not hungry anymore.” She said, before turning away from him and heading for the bench nearby. She sat down and stared out into space again. He got more concerned now. What is wrong with her?
He walked to her and sat down beside her. He then imitated her and stared out into space without blinking. When his eyes began to sting from not blinking, he blinked, turned toward her and ran his hand from her forehead to her chin, making her close her eyes.
“What do you think you’re doing?” She asked.
“Don’t you’re eyes sting?”
“From what?”
“From staring out for so long without even blinking?”
“No. Was that what I was doing?”
Changmin sighed, picked up her plate and suddenly fed her a slice of chicken. She was so surprised by the act that she just automatically opened her mouth. Changmin then fed himself a slice. When he saw she had already swallowed her food, he fed her some lettuce, egg, and tomato.
“What are you doing?” She asked when she swallowed.
“Isn’t it obvious that I’m feeding you? Aidou will skin my hide if I don’t make you eat properly.”
Seiren scoffed and just shook her head in amusement and continued eating everything he was feeding her.
From the bushes in the garden, most of her staff were peeking and eavesdropping on her and Changmin.
“She’s eating.” One of them whispered. The others agreed.
“She’s never eaten that much after Donghae’s death before.” Another commented.
“Maybe he’s the one she needs to feel alive again. It’s been what? Almost two years?”
“I’m sure you guys are right but no one’s inside serving the guests anymore you know.”
They all stiffened hearing Aidou’s voice from behind. They all turned guiltily toward him, all having impish expressions on their faces.
“Gomen-nasai Hanabishi-sama.” They all whispered in unison, “We’ll be going back in now.”
When all of them went back in, Aidou took their place hidden in the bushes watching Changmin and Seiren.
I hope he’s the answer to her happiness. I want my old cheerful manager back. Sigh. I want her back so I can poke fun at her again; she’s the only one who banters with me. It’s so boring now that she doesn’t interact much with anyone.
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A/N: Posted another chapter of this after quite some time...please don't forget to comment...^^
Previous:
Prologue
Chapter 1 - First encounter
By: changline
Rating:G
Pairing: Changmin and OC
Genre: angst, romance
Summary: Seiren's lost three boyfriends, all dead, and she blames herself for their death's. She doesn't want to go into a new relationship, afraid that the next guy might die like the others. Will Changmin be able to convince her she's not to blame, or will he end up like the others?
Two days later…
Everyone in C’est Magnifique was busy. It was Christmas time again and the restaurant had a lot of catering to do, not to mention parties to throw in the restaurant itself. They were used to this kind of thing right now, and their workload isn’t that heavy anymore since their owner had opened two new branches, added to the three that were already opened. But since this year was the 50th year anniversary of the restaurant, they were extra busy since the owner wanted an especially extravagant party to celebrate the 50 years of the restaurant.
Seiren was in her office checking over the details for every event they were going to handle. A knock on her door made her look up from her work. Her assistant came in with a tray of food and set it down on her table.
“What’s this?” Seiren asked.
“Lunch, or rather a late lunch.” Honoka, her assistant, replied. “You need to eat, now.”
She looked at her assistant. Everyone in her staff had taken turns to remind her to eat since the accident. They had seen the change in her after it, and were concerned for her health. She was a good manager and leader, although she sometimes tends to go overboard and forget about eating. She made them feel important. They loved her, and it tore their hearts that first year after the accident when she wouldn’t even smile. She had refrained from serving customers because she didn’t want the customer’s mood to be affected by hers, but otherwise she did her job efficiently as always.
“Thanks. I’ll eat later. I’m not hungry yet.” Was all Seiren said before going back to her work.
Honoka sighed. “Okay, don’t forget to eat okay?”
“Uhuh.”
When Honoka stepped outside, her coworkers flocked around her.
“Well?” They asked.
“She’s not eating it yet.”
They all sighed out. They hadn’t been successful it making their manager eat lunch for two days now. They would usually find the food they gave her untouched until dinnertime, when she would eat it. They were starting to worry again.
“What are you all doing, huddled together like that?” Aidou asked from behind them.
“Aidou-sama! Konnichiwa.” They all greeted the owner.
“So? What were you all doing?” He asked again.
“Um, Seiren-sama isn’t eating properly again.” Honoka told him.
He frowned. “How long has this been going on?”
“Two days Sir.”
He sighed as he looked at his employees. “Don’t worry. I’ll go talk to her.” He said before he knocked and entered Seiren’s office.
When Seiren looked up and saw who entered her office she stood up to greet him properly.
“Konnichiwa Aidou-sama.” She greeted him, bowing. “What brings you here?” She asked when she straightened up.
“Just checking if things are going smoothly here too.” He replied.
She nodded. “Things are going as planned Sir.”
“Your subordinates tell me, you haven’t been well again. Is that true?”
“Um…”
He sighed. “Eat now. That’s an order. I don’t want you fainting or looking pale again during events, okay.”
“Yes sir.” She replied as she sat down and began to eat what her assistant had left for her.
“Did something happen?” He asked her as she ate, sitting on the chair opposite from her.
Seiren remembered the guy she had an argument with and their argument reminded her of Donghae and making her melancholy.
“Nothing sir.”
“Is it because it’s Christmas time again?”
She didn’t respond, she didn’t know how to. So she just continued eating. She knew he would understand, he treated her like a sister- since he was only a few years older than her.
She heard him sigh again. “Just take care of yourself okay? Stop blaming yourself over something you have no control of.”
“Hai.” She answered in a whisper.
4 days later: Christmas party of C’est Magnifique…
“Ah, Hanabishi.” Changmin called his friend, Aidou Hanabishi.
“Changmin. So good of you to make it.” Aidou said.
“I wouldn’t miss this party for the world, especially when I’ve heard how good the food is here.”
“Hai hai. Our food is great here. I hope you enjoy your time here. Uh, before you go wandering around, I want to introduce you to someone.”
“Okay.”
Aidou led Changmin toward one of the refreshment tables where a woman was busy giving instructions to some people.
“Seiren.”
The woman Aidou called turned. “Hai, Aidou-sama?”
“I want to introduce you to a good friend of mine.” Aidou gestured to Changmin. “ This is Shim Changmin, he’s a musician.”
“Yoroshiku onegai-shimasu Shim-sama.” Seiren greeted respectfully.
“Yoroshiku.” Changmin responded. She looks familiar. He thought.
“Seiren is my best employee. She’s very efficient at what she does.” Aidou stopped talking when he noticed she had grown uneasy, then frowned. “Sometimes she’s too efficient that she forgets to eat, which reminds me, have you eaten yet Seiren?”
She looked at him guiltily, “Um…”
Aidou sighed. “Changmin?”
“Yeah?”
“Can I ask for a favor?”
“Sure.”
“Can you accompany my ever efficient employee to the buffet table and make sure she eats something? After she’s had her fill, you can leave her alone to do her job.”
“No problem.”
“B-b-b-b-bbut Aidou-sama.”
“No buts Seiren. Thanks Changmin.” He said, giving Changmin a pat on the shoulder before leaving them.
Seiren watched her boss’s retreating back helplessly. She had work to do, she didn’t have time to eat at luxury.
Changmin watched the play of emotions on her face as he tried to remember where he’s seen her before. He was still trying to remember when she walked away from him toward one of the waiters that motioned for her. Since he did promise Aidou to make her eat, he followed her.
“Seiren-sama, will it really be alright for me to go on first? This is a big event.” Aya, a female staff asked.
“Of course it is. Your mother came home after being away for four years right?” Seiren asked. The girl nodded. “Then go. Don’t worry, we can handle it hear.”
The girl’s eyes twinkled. “Hontou arigatou-gozaimashta. I’ll make up for it tomorrow.”
“Hai hai. Now go.”
Seiren was watching Aya head out when she felt someone standing behind her. When she turned she found Changmin watching her with a tender expression on his face.
“What?” She asked.
“Nothing. Come on.” He replied.
“Where to?”
“The buffet table. To eat.” He reminded her.
“Gomen Shim-san, but I still have work to do. Go ahead and enjoy.”
“Iie. Hanabishi left you in my care, he’ll chew my ass off if I don’t do as he asked, or practically ordered me to do. Now come.” He took her by the elbow and guided her to the buffet. There he took two plates, gave her one and proceeded to fill both with food.
“I can’t eat all of this.” Seiren said in distress, as she looked at her plate. It would be such a waste to throw out what I can’t finish.
“Don’t worry, I’ll eat whatever’s left.” Changmin assured her calmly then started eating.
Seiren was watching him as he ate when she remembered him. It had been bothering her why he seemed familiar to her when Aidou had introduced them earlier.
“Um, Shim-san?”
“Hmm?”
“Were you, by any chance, at Centrio six days ago.” Centrio was the name of the department store where they first met.
“Uhuh, I was buying presents, and arguing with a girl over a gift wrapper. AH! YOU! You were that girl.” Changmin exclaimed. “I was trying so hard to remember where I’d met you before since you were so familiar.”
Seiren chuckled.
“Anyway, what happened to you that day? I was just starting to enjoy our argument when you suddenly had a mood swing and just gave up the wrapper.”
“You were enjoying our argument?”
“Yup. No female, except my sisters and other family members have ever fought me for anything. They just hand me everything, so it was a bit refreshing to have an argument with you no matter how silly it seemed.”
“Oh.”
“So what happened?” He was sincerely curious, she seemed so bereft. When he noticed the pain that flashed in her eyes, he reassured her, “You know, if you don’t want to tell me it’s cool. It’s none of my business anyway.
Seiren just stayed quiet and continued eating. She was trying to control the flood of emotion that was threatening to overwhelm her. She excused herself and went outside when she couldn’t control it anymore.
Changmin gazed at her in concern. He stood up, picked up both of their unfinished plates, and followed her. He found her standing in the garden area of the restaurant, looking up at the sky. He walked toward her, and just stood there once he was beside her. She didn’t seem to notice him. She has this pained-unfocused look on, like she wasn’t really where she was. When he couldn’t take the silence and the emotion he was reading from her, he nudged her gently with his elbow.
She blinked and her eyes became focused again as she looked at him. “Hm? What are you doing out her? And carrying the plates with you?”
“I was worried about you. And it would be a waste to leave these at the table when we aren’t finished eating yet.”
“I’m not hungry anymore.” She said, before turning away from him and heading for the bench nearby. She sat down and stared out into space again. He got more concerned now. What is wrong with her?
He walked to her and sat down beside her. He then imitated her and stared out into space without blinking. When his eyes began to sting from not blinking, he blinked, turned toward her and ran his hand from her forehead to her chin, making her close her eyes.
“What do you think you’re doing?” She asked.
“Don’t you’re eyes sting?”
“From what?”
“From staring out for so long without even blinking?”
“No. Was that what I was doing?”
Changmin sighed, picked up her plate and suddenly fed her a slice of chicken. She was so surprised by the act that she just automatically opened her mouth. Changmin then fed himself a slice. When he saw she had already swallowed her food, he fed her some lettuce, egg, and tomato.
“What are you doing?” She asked when she swallowed.
“Isn’t it obvious that I’m feeding you? Aidou will skin my hide if I don’t make you eat properly.”
Seiren scoffed and just shook her head in amusement and continued eating everything he was feeding her.
From the bushes in the garden, most of her staff were peeking and eavesdropping on her and Changmin.
“She’s eating.” One of them whispered. The others agreed.
“She’s never eaten that much after Donghae’s death before.” Another commented.
“Maybe he’s the one she needs to feel alive again. It’s been what? Almost two years?”
“I’m sure you guys are right but no one’s inside serving the guests anymore you know.”
They all stiffened hearing Aidou’s voice from behind. They all turned guiltily toward him, all having impish expressions on their faces.
“Gomen-nasai Hanabishi-sama.” They all whispered in unison, “We’ll be going back in now.”
When all of them went back in, Aidou took their place hidden in the bushes watching Changmin and Seiren.
I hope he’s the answer to her happiness. I want my old cheerful manager back. Sigh. I want her back so I can poke fun at her again; she’s the only one who banters with me. It’s so boring now that she doesn’t interact much with anyone.
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A/N: Posted another chapter of this after quite some time...please don't forget to comment...^^
Previous:
Prologue
Chapter 1 - First encounter