Spitting Image | Jeong Jaehyun

87

"It's a little crooked. Can't I just put it up?" Jaehyun asked with a sigh, placing his hands on his hips as he watched Jungwoo fix the birthday banner on the wall of his living room

"No way! Last time you did it, it fucking ripped!" Jungwoo complained and Jaehyun frowned a little

"It was a cheap one anyway" he muttered in his defence, picking up another balloon for him to blow up instead since that's the only job the rest of them trusted him with.

It was meant to be a surprise birthday party for her—with Jaehyun being the surprise—but he couldn't help but tell her how much he missed her and couldn't wait to see her in their video call two nights ago, and from his perspective she seemed relieved. While he thought she may have missed his more this time around, she was just glad she could tell him the Hyesun situation in person.

The guilt was eating her up alive, she didn't know to tell him at all, she could feel a sense of impending doom the second he found out. She didn't know how he would react and it made it so much more nerve wracking for her.

"Is she at home? Kai has a few shot glasses we could use" Eunhye suggested and Jaehyun nodded

"Good idea. She texted me saying she's with Taehyun dropping Kelsey off at the airport" Jaehyun smiled, continuing to blow the yellow balloon even bigger.

"Yo dude, you really went all out" Mark said with a wide smile as he entered the living room with his arm around Jaemin's shoulders, eyes lighting up at the decorations.

"Yeah of course..." Jaehyun said sheepishly, throwing the balloon onto the floor with the fifty other ones

"Awww, look who's in love~" Johnny teased from the couch, adding more beers to the array of bottles and cans on the coffee table

"When will she get here?" Taeyong asked with a smile, and Jaehyun hummed

"They should be on their way back now" Jaehyun said with a nod

"Can we start drinking?" Krit asked and Jaehyun chuckled, joining him and Johnny on the couch with a bottle of wine they had bought together as they waited for Taehyun and Kira to come back.

And Kira was with Taehyun as promised, sitting on the concrete pavement at a gas station, a beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other as she recited what had happened over the last two days. Kelsey was on her flight home while Kai and Haerin were nowhere to be seen all day despite her panicked texts about the Hyesun situation. Not the best way to spend her birthday.

"Happy birthday to you" Taehyun sighed, lighting up her end of the stick and she smiled tiredly.

"Try to relax, it's still your birthday" Taehyun said with a soft smile

"Yeah...I'll tell him when he gets home, it's probably better to say it in person anyway" she said and Taehyun sighed, lighting up another stick for himself, contemplating whether he should tell her about the surprise birthday party beforehand or not, or at least that Jaehyun was already here in his apartment.

"Do you think he'll be angry?" She asked, unable to relax at all no matter how hard she tried

"I don't know him, he's your boyfriend" Taehyun chuckled, realising it was time to head back to the apartment with Kira for the party.

"Let's go, he might be home already" he said, standing up to his feet and extending a hand out towards her

"He didn't text me yet, plus...I'm not in the mood to be alone waiting for him in his apartment right now" she mumbled, and Taehyun sighed, grabbing her arm and pulling her up anyway.

"Come on, I'll keep you company" he said, aiding her into his car so they wouldn't be late. The drive over wasn't a long one, and Taehyun made sure to text into the group chat to let them know he was downstairs when they arrived.

"Are you coming in with me?" She asked with a raised eyebrow at Taehyun and he nodded

"Yeah, I'll keep you company until he's back" he lied, and she simply shrugged, too preoccupied with her thoughts as she punched in the keycode to his apartment.

And as soon as she pushed the handle down, the crowd finally cheered, catching her completely off guard and making her jump.

"Happy birthday Kira!" Eunhye and Krit said, immediately rushing over to embrace her in a hug and she turned her head to Taehyun who had his lips pressed into a thin line

"Thanks guys" She said, a nervous chuckle emitting from her lips, pulling away from them. Her eyes eventually landed on Jaehyun who approached her with a bouquet of pink lilies making her heart sink to the floor. Any other day she would be ecstatic, but the only feeling she felt now was guilt, knowing the truth would have to be told to him on a day where he looked so tired yet happy to be with her. She knew it was selfish, but she just wanted it to last a little longer.

"Happy birthday princess" Jaehyun smiled and she bit her lower lip, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly, pulling him into a tight hug.

"Thank Jae...listen I uh...need to talk to y—"

"Have you been smoking?" He whispered, pulling away slight surprise as he looked into her eyes with a bit of disappointment and her breath hitched in her throat at his already sad eyes.

"It's my bad, I offered and said she couldn't refuse" Taehyun said, quickly covering up for her and Jaehyun slowly nodded

"Okay well...let's go cut the cake yeah? It's ice cream cake so it'll melt" Jaehyun said, placing a smile back onto his lips, taking her hand and leading her into the living room. She looked back at Taehyun with a panicked expression before tugging on Jaehyun's hand

"Wait Jae...I really need to—"

"There's the birthday girl!" Jaemin cheered as soon as he saw her and Kira smiled, following Jaehyun with her eyes to see him diligently moving around the house to get her birthday party in order

"Where's Kai and Haerin?" She asked Eunhye anxiously, hoping the two people who actually knew how stressed she was to tell him might actually be here to talk her into finding a way to get Jaehyun on his own.

"I think they're at a dinner for Kai's birthday" Eunhye said with an apologetic smile making her sigh

"Oh." She let out, realising it was the first birthday she didn't spend with her twin brother, and unfortunately it was the birthday where she needed his support the most

"But hey look, you have us!" Krit said, trying to keep the energy up as he put a birthday hat on her head

"Thanks for coming guys" She smiled, turning her head to Jaehyun who was calling her over to quickly blow out the candles.

"Make a wish" Taeyong said with a bright smile

"Can you guys give me a personal performance of that song actually? Since its my birthday" she joked, trying to seem grateful for the whole celebration, knowing it probably took them so long as well especially after their flight.

"No that's reserved for our one year anniversary actually" Jaehyun joked, shaking his head and she smiled, blowing the candle out quickly

'I hope Jaehyun doesn't kill me when I finally tell him.'