13

It's September the 13th, and it's Chuseok day or the Thanksgiving day version of Korea... and it's also my birthday.

My boss gave us holiday offs to enjoy the special day with families... and I got no one to celebrate it too. I'd rather work than spend nothing today...

I opened my laptop to see my students whom I tutored have messaged me that they couldn't do sessions today since they are either out of town to celebrating with family.

Of course, it's fine.

So, after showering, I set out for a drive along the streets of Seoul. I feel like I haven't done this for the longest while, and since I had nothing to do, I'll just stroll around until I get tired.

I stopped by a flower shop first and got some beautiful white dahlia's; my mom's favorite flowers, and went to her. I talked to her for a little while, telling her that I got no plans for today and feel a little sad because no one is there to greet me... after giving her prayers and flowers, my phone buzzed.

It was Yoon-gi.

"Happy Chuseok day!" He greeted me as soon as I answered his call. "We're celebrating in the dorms, are you busy today? Can you come?"

I looked at my mom, I just told her how sad I was that I got no plans, and now this guy is calling me to celebrate with him. It's like she heard me and is winking at me right now.

"No, I don't. I'm just going on a stroll in the city for a bit."

"Normally I'd ask if I can come but my schedule is packed today. But you'll come later right? Should I pick you up?"

"No, it's fine. I'll come later. Call me when you get home so I know what time I'll be going."

"Okay, I'll see you later shorty."

"Yeah sure. See you." He hung up after, and I continued my strolling. I stopped by a bingsu shop and relaxed there for the whole afternoon.

The day went by just like that, and when it was around seven I got a message from Yoon-gi that I can come to their dorm anytime and celebrate Chuseok day with them.

So when I got there and parked my bike on the corner, I told him I'm already here and waiting. I thought it was Yoon-gi who came out at first, but it was Jimin.

"Noona! I'm going to buy more drinks, would you like to come with me?" He asked as he looked down looking timid.

"Sure, do you want to go on my bike or are we going to walk?"

"We're going to the nearest convenience store so we can walk."

"Okay." I nodded and gestured for him to lead the way. We walked in silence at first, however, I noticed him walking a little slow and his expression a little down. "Are you okay? Jimin?"

He turned to look at me and smiled. "Was I too obvious?"

"A little," I told him and paced slowly to walk to his side. "Are you sick? Is there anything I can do?"

"You're the first person to notice that I'm not okay... How did you know?"

"Well, you're usually cheerful... and expressive of your emotions. Were you pretending to be okay with the others?"

"You caught me, I can't understand Lila anymore... she wanted to have time with me but would always bring her friends. She said she wanted to spend this holiday with me, but when I asked her to come with me and buy drinks she. didn't want to. She spent the whole day on her phone, talking to her friends. I feel neglected."

"with schedules suddenly piling up... it's hard keeping up with her demands and all she wants to do is go clubbing. I'm good with those, but I want to spend quality time also." He continued. "Like what you and Yoon-gi Hyung have."

I coughed, I suddenly felt like my throat got stuck with something. "First of all, Suga and I don't have a thing. Second, I don't filter my words and say what I want to say, but your girlfriend sucks. I noticed that when her friend bitched about me taking JK out the table because he sent me this look--" I opened my eyes wide to Jimin, to which he laughed, replicating the exact expression Jungkook made that day. "--and her friends kept shoving alcohol to the poor kid who couldn't say no while your girlfriend watched. I'm sorry, Jimin. But your girlfriend didn't give me a good first impression." I put my hand up in surrender, putting all my thoughts out to Jimin.

Jimin shook his head, he has this expression on his face that I couldn't figure out and I started panicking. "Please don't tell me you're angry at me because I talked shit to your girlfriend?"

He laughed at me then, "no, you're right. I remembered the time she said she wanted you to leave because you started a fight with her friend. The first time I saw you in the dorms, you broke a plate and you flinched, but it wasn't because of the plate, you flinched and put your hand up in reflex."

I smiled bitterly, "you caught that huh..."

"Yoon-gi Hyung and I saw it and never really talked about it after. Maybe that was why he got the sense to protect you in some way... I noticed him being overprotective of you when Lila suddenly shades you. I wanted to ask... are you okay?"

"I'm okay, thank you for asking. That happened a long time ago and sometimes what he did to me gave me scars too deep for me to forget... Call me an idiot, but I couldn't let go of the man whom I thought was my reality. In the end, the love I felt made me tremble in fear that one day I finally realized that walking away from him felt better than walking towards him. I knew then that I made the right choice."

I saw Jimin turned to look at me and his eyes deep in thought. By the look on his face, I've already known what he is thinking... or planning to do.

"Is she at the dorm?" I asked, suddenly worried about his expression.

"Yes, I've planned on breaking things up with her before, and now I feel like I don't even know her anymore... bare with her for just a tonight." He asked me as if his life depended on it. His exuding charm is killing me.

I broke eye contact and knocked his forehead with my knuckle, "my heart is weak for cute things." I clicked my tongue. "You're gonna be the death of me."

Jimin laughed, picking more wine bottles as we spoke.

"You know, Jimin... you have the vibe of 'I'll show you pretty things you haven't seen and tell you pretty stories' type of guy. You're romantic and sweet. You deserve someone who gives you the same type of vibe. The one who can vibe with your silliness and listen to your drunken stories and marvel pretty lights. Walk towards that direction, Jimin."

'I'm sorry but I don't see Lila in that same frame with you.' was what I wanted to continue to say, but I refrained and didn't want to hurt him more.

Jimin smiled then and felt like I have eased something inside of him a little.

"How did Yoon-gi Hyung and you meet?" He asked.

"Ah, I'm working at the cafe where my boss is an Aunt of Jin. He and Suga came there often, and I guess that's where our friendship hit off."

Jimin scoffed, "it doesn't look like friendship to me though."

"Why?'' I squinted my eyes.

"Yoon-gi hyung's an introvert. He loves sleeping more than himself." With this sentence, I burst out laughing, "I've seen him converse with other people and the opposite sex but never really that close unless it's you. he's a completely different person when he's with you."

"Ah, maybe because we figured we had a lot of things in common. When I saw him work one time we went to his studio. It was peaceful and stress-free that I was surprised I got a lot of work done."

Jimin gasped, "have you gone to his studio?"

I nodded, "Yes. It was refreshing to see him work so passionately about something he loves, and the way he handled those instruments and even asked me of my perspective. After that, we ended up going home by sunrise though and had breakfast."

I put all the liquors down on the counter while Jimin eyed me in a teasing way.

"We're not dating if that's what you're thinking," I told him, taking out my card and paying all the liquors.

"Ah! wait! Let me pay."

"It's fine, just don't let me drink another bottle of tequila." we had a never-ending talk about him and Yoon-gi's unending bickering. Both of us talked nonstop and laughed at his stories. I can't believe he got me laughing my guts out, and with that, I felt the awkwardness between us completely faded and we ended up having a competition to who will finish a bottle of soju 'till we arrive in their dorms.

Of course, I won the little game easily. As per punishment, he won't let me drink tequila the whole night.

"Wanna make a bet that Lila would talk something unnecessary about me again?"

"No, I'm there she won't do that in front of me."

"I'm betting on it. 100,00 won."

"And If you lose?" Jimin teased.

"I will make Suga stop telling you off for... a month?"

He laughed heartily. "Deal!"

When we entered their dorms, it was loud and a little chaotic. Some were singing and some are eating and drinking. I was looking around and found Yoon-gi at the corner of the room cooking.

But, where's Selena?

I looked at Jin and saw him busy playing with Jung Kook and Taehyung. I haven't met Taehyung formally, but they say that he's the other visual of the and my god-- He is.

"Hye-Ri," Yoon-gi called and started to walk towards me. He took everything that I was holding and set them aside on the kitchen counter.

"Ya, I'm also carrying a lot of drinks with me and he doesn't help me." Jimin started.

Yoon-gi was about to retort when I grabbed his arm and pulled him back to the kitchen. I turned to look at Jimin with a smirk on my face.

He pointed at me with his finger. I stuck my tongue out and turned back to Yoon-gi who was looking at me in a daze and then realized I have held much longer than I thought and released his hand.

I cleared my throat, "what are you cooking?" I asked innocently.

"Can you check the fridge and check the little box in there? Take it out." He asked as he stirred his cooking.

I did what I was told and found the little box on the fridge. I took it out and gave it to him.

"Open it."

I put the box down first, then lifted the lid. There was a little cake in it with the words piped in "Happy Birthday Shorty"

"How did you know?" I whispered, of course, I was in shock. I didn't tell anyone about my birthday. How did he know?

"Happy Birthday, Hye-Ri." He picked up the cake and stuck a little candle then lit it.

I looked at him wide-eyed.

He laughed at first then blew the cake for me because the tears that I've been holding back suddenly streamed down my face like a waterfall.

I told my mom this morning that somehow, I want someone to give me a cake to blow into, just so I could celebrate my birthday a little different this year.

He handed me a tissue to wipe my tears and it took me a minute to calm myself down. "Sorry, it's just that I haven't blown a cake for five years now. This is a first for me again."

"Sorry I blew it, you couldn't stop crying earlier." Yoon-gi put the cake down and scratched his head, embarrassed of what he did.

"No, it's fine. Thank you. Thank you for knowing and celebrating my birthday."