CHAPTER 58: Confetti, Cakes, and a Secret Graduation Plan

As Nian and Xuanye reached the dorm around 7 p.m., they noticed the lights were off.

"I think the boys are still practicing," Nian whispered.

Xuanye nodded. "Go on, open the door."

But the moment they stepped inside—

POP!

The lights flicked on, balloons burst above them, and confetti rained down like glittering snow. Nian and Xuanye gasped, stunned—and immediately broke into smiles.

"Congratulations!" the boys cheered in unison.

The members rushed forward, hugging the girls and patting their backs. Nian and Xuanye were moved to tears.

That's when DK and Minghao stepped forward, holding out their hands.

"Come with us," they said with bright smiles.

Still surprised, the girls took their hands, and the boys gently led them to the hall. There, the members stood in two neat lines on either side of a beautifully decorated table.

DK and Minghao stepped back behind the girls. At Scoups' whistle, the members parted dramatically.

The girls gasped—their eyes welled up.

In the center of the table were two cakes, surrounded by candles and flowers. The room was decked out in streamers and lights. As DK and Minghao popped more balloons, white flower petals floated down from above.

Nian and Xuanye turned toward them, completely overwhelmed.

The members stepped forward, and in a loud, heartfelt unison, declared:

> "When you first entered our dorm, we thought strangers were going to disturb our peace.

But as days passed, you two became family.

You brought us comfort, support, and joy when we were exhausted.

You never left—even during our toughest days.

Thank you for being our light. We won't ever forget this."

Nian and Xuanye laughed through their tears. "Even now, you managed to surprise us… We're so lucky to have met all of you."

Xuanye wiped her eyes. "You guys are being so emotional! We can't handle this—stop crying already!" she joked.

"Besides, you've brought us cake. Let's celebrate!" she added cheerfully.

Everyone laughed as the girls stood in front of the cakes.

"Okay," Nian said, turning to the members. "Split into two groups and stand beside us."

Confused but smiling, the boys did as told. Nian and Xuanye then held out the knives.

"Everyone," they said, "put your hands on ours."

The members chuckled and joined in, each group huddled around a cake.

"Let's go through thick and thin together," the girls said.

"And may SEVENTEEN always stay this happy."

Together, they cut the cakes. The room erupted with cheers.

As they fed the members, the boys took turns feeding them back. Laughter filled the air as everyone finally sat down, full of cake and emotions.

"So," Scoups asked, "how was the interview?"

"It went great!" Nian beamed. "The judges were really impressed."

"Nice~" Scoups nodded with a proud smile.

Then Hoshi leaned forward dramatically. "Xuanye, explain something. You posted a photo earlier in the group… Who's that guy?"

DK shot him a what-the-heck look.

Nian laughed. "Hoshi, that's Yichen! He came for the same interview. After we were done, we just grabbed some dessert with him."

Minghao looked at Xuanye with wide, pouty eyes.

She patted his head, chuckling. "Why are you making that face? Don't be silly."

Minghao grinned and nodded, reassured.

Nian added, "Oh—and one more thing. We're graduating tomorrow!"

The boys blinked in surprise.

"So soon?" Joshua asked.

Xuanye nodded. "It's early, yeah."

Mingyu sighed dramatically. "When we were in school, we had to wait a year to get our graduation certificates. Now everything's instant!"

The girls laughed.

Jeonghan cleared his throat. "Girls… I'm sorry, but we won't be able to come tomorrow. The concert is close, and we still have a lot of practice."

The members turned to him, eyes wide in disbelief.

What?! Jeonghan?? Lying???

But the girls smiled knowingly.

"We understand," Nian said. "It'll be tough if anyone recognizes you. So don't worry—we don't expect you to come."

Jeonghan held back a smirk. "Yeah… you're right."

As the girls headed to the kitchen to cook dinner, the boys surrounded Jeonghan.

"Yoon Jeonghan," Wonwoo whispered, "why did you lie?! We've finished practice. We're only rehearsing on concert day!"

Jeonghan smirked. "That's why we're going to surprise them."

Mingyu raised a brow. "How?"

Jeonghan leaned in and whispered, "Tomorrow, we wear masks, caps, and colored shirts. We'll stand in pairs near the graduation stage. When they take photos—we photobomb them."

Scoups' jaw dropped. "You're gonna make it public?! The company will kill us!"

Jeonghan waved him off. "Relax. Zheng hyung is with us. He'll handle everything."

The members blinked in silence.

Woozi muttered, "Poor Manager Zheng... dragged into another one of your genius plots."

The others sighed—but couldn't hide their growing smiles.

Because tomorrow… was going to be unforgettable.