The morning was quiet, the kind of calm before everything would change. November 15th. Jake's 22nd birthday. It should have been just another day, another day of hiding, of running, of surviving. But I wasn't going to let it be that way-not for him.
I woke early, long before anyone else. The rest of the group was still asleep, the cold of the autumn morning seeping through the cracks of the old building we were staying in. But I had a plan.
I slipped out of our little corner where Jake was still peacefully asleep, his breaths slow and steady. The others would wake up soon enough, but I wanted this moment to be just for him-for us. I made my way out into the woods, the early morning fog swirling around me as I searched for something I could give him. Something real. And there they were, wild roses, hidden beneath the autumn leaves, their petals soft and damp from the morning dew.
I couldn't believe my luck. I gathered them quickly, carefully, making sure not to crush the delicate blooms. Jake deserved this, especially after everything. He deserved something beautiful. Something he could hold onto, even if just for today.
I came back, the flowers in hand, and made my way to the small room where we'd been sleeping. The others were still quiet, and I placed the roses carefully on the table beside the bracelet I'd picked up for him a few weeks ago. It was simple-yellow, a little cute one , but perfect for him. Something he could wear, even if we had to keep moving.
I sat down beside the flowers, my heart thudding in my chest. I'd never been good with gifts, but I hoped he'd understand. It wasn't about the object-it was about the thought, the feeling behind it. And I wanted him to know just how much he meant to me. How much he always would.
When I heard him stir in the other room, I quickly grabbed the bouquet and the bracelet, taking a deep breath. Today wasn't just about celebrating his birthday-it was about making sure he knew that, no matter what happened next, we'd be okay. Together.
As he walked in, groggy-eyed and ruffled from sleep, I couldn't help but smile.
"Happy birthday Jakey" I said softly, holding out the bouquet of roses. His eyes widened, a small laugh escaping his lips. "You-did you find these?"
"Yeah," I said with a shrug, though I could feel the heat creeping up my neck. "Took a little searching, but I thought you might like them."
Jake's expression softened, and before I could say anything else, he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into a tight hug. "Thank you hoon" he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "This... this means everything to me."
I smiled into the hug, my chest swelling with warmth. "It's just a small thing," I replied, trying to play it cool even though my heart was racing. "But it's not about the gift, Sunghoon. It's about the person who gave it."
His arms tightened around me, and I felt the comfort of his embrace, the weight of everything that had happened over the last few months. It didn't matter how much we'd lost; in this moment, we had each other. That was enough.
Just as we pulled apart, Jungwon and Niki came in, both of them looking eager to wish Jake a happy birthday. Niki was practically bouncing on his feet, a mischievous grin on his face.
"Happy birthday, Jake hyungieee!" Jungwon said first, giving him a quick hug. "I'm the first one, right?"
"Wait, no," Niki piped up, stepping forward with a dramatic flourish. "I was first!"
Jake laughed, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he glanced between the two of them. "You both wished me first, and that's all that matters, right?"
Niki wasn't done, though. "Well, I did it first, so technically I'm the winner."
Jungwon rolled his eyes. "Not this again."
I couldn't help but laugh along with them, feeling the weight of the world feel a little lighter in this moment. It wasn't about the arguments, the jokes, or the timing. It was about the people. About them still being here with me.
"Anyways, it doesn't matter," Niki said with a smirk. "It's my wish that counts. Anyways again happiest birthday to my Jake hyung!"
"Oh please," Jungwon muttered. "You're such a child."
Before I could stop myself, I chimed in, "Before any of you, I was the one who wished him."
They all stopped, looking at me. And then, as if on cue, we all burst out laughing. It wasn't a grand celebration-there wasn't cake, no party, no candles to blow out-but in that moment, surrounded by my friends, by the people who mattered most, it felt like the world was a little bit kinder.
As the laughter died down, the rest of the group slowly gathered around. Heeseung hyung and Sunoo walked in, exchanging quiet greetings. Jay gave Jake a quick hug and a pat on the back, and even Eunhee smiled warmly, wishing him well.
The day stretched out ahead of us-uncertain, as always. But today, today we celebrated what we had. Not what we had lost, but what we still held onto: each other.
"Alright," Jake said, finally wiping a tear from his eye, the smile still lingering on his face. "Thank you, all of you. This... this is the best birthday I could've asked for."
"You deserve it," I said, my voice barely a whisper, but full of truth.
"We'll get through this," Jake added, squeezing my hand. "Together. No matter what."
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Imagine that sunghoon gave something like this to jake 😁
