Twilight of Shadows

Chapter 29: Dino's Birthday Surprise

The day had finally arrived. Dino’s first birthday was a grand occasion, and the entire Kim household had been buzzing with excitement for weeks. Jeonghan had decorated the house with balloons and banners, while Mingyu had organized a small party with close family and friends. The house was alive with laughter, and Dino, in his tiny party hat, was the star of the show, his smile as bright as the candles on his cake.

As Dino crawled around the living room, trying to touch the decorations and knock over the carefully arranged presents, Jeonghan couldn’t help but laugh. "Our little troublemaker," he muttered, shaking his head fondly.

Mingyu, holding Dino’s baby sister in his arms—though not born yet, Jeonghan had found out through a little surprise from a few months ago—was grinning from ear to ear. "I can’t believe our little guy is already one."

Jeonghan walked over and placed a hand on Mingyu’s shoulder. "I know. It feels like just yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital."

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Dino's Unexpected Wish

As the guests mingled, and laughter filled the room, Dino—seemingly oblivious to the celebrations around him—crawled up to the cake table, causing a few guests to giggle. Jeonghan quickly scooped him up before he could get into any trouble.

"All right, little one," Jeonghan laughed, sitting him down on his lap. "Time for you to make your birthday wish."

Dino looked at the cake in front of him, his eyes wide with excitement. After a few seconds, he raised his little hands and exclaimed, "I want baby sister!"

The room went silent for a brief moment, everyone turning their attention to the birthday boy.

Jeonghan and Mingyu exchanged a look. "A baby sister?" Jeonghan asked, barely suppressing his surprise.

"Yes!" Dino responded, nodding enthusiastically. "Sister. I want to play with her!"

The guests chuckled at Dino’s innocent declaration, but Mingyu and Jeonghan were both a little taken aback. It was sweet, but also unexpected.

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The Awkward Revelation

As the party continued, Dino seemed to be in high spirits, enjoying the attention and the gifts. But then, in the middle of the laughter and chatter, Dino did something that left everyone frozen for a moment.

"Mama! Dada!" Dino yelled from the living room, making his way toward Jeonghan and Mingyu. He climbed onto the couch and looked up at them with wide eyes. "You play that game again?"

Jeonghan’s face went red, and Mingyu quickly looked away, feeling a wave of embarrassment. "What game, buddy?" Jeonghan managed to ask, his voice faltering.

"The game!" Dino said with excitement, pointing toward the couch. "You always do it at night, like that!" He demonstrated with his tiny hands, mimicking the motion of hands moving up and down in a way that was surprisingly accurate for a one-year-old.

Mingyu's jaw dropped, and Jeonghan's face went completely crimson. The guests exchanged awkward glances, trying to suppress their laughter, unsure whether this was a genuine misunderstanding or if Dino had somehow figured out more than they realized.

"Uh, Dino," Jeonghan stammered, trying to control his mortification, "What do you mean by that?"

Dino shrugged innocently. "You play that game. I watch sometimes. Mama says shh."

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The Aftermath of Dino’s Innocence

The room was filled with awkward silence for a few seconds before someone—likely a very brave cousin—burst into laughter. Soon, everyone else joined in, but not without glancing awkwardly at Jeonghan and Mingyu, who were both red in the face.

Mingyu cleared his throat, trying to play it cool. "Well, um... you know, buddy," he began, scratching the back of his neck. "We, uh, sometimes play games that grown-ups play, but those are not for little ones to understand. It’s a special time for Mama and Dada, okay?"

Jeonghan nodded, his face still flushed. "Yes, that's right, Dino. Grown-ups have some special... private time together. But it's not something you need to worry about, all right?"

Dino seemed satisfied with the explanation and nodded seriously. "Okay, no play game then." He turned back to his cake and added, "But I want baby sister, please!"

The tension in the room finally broke as everyone chuckled at the innocence of the situation. Jeonghan sighed in relief, looking at Mingyu, who gave him an apologetic smile.

"I guess we’ll have to figure out a better way to explain things when he’s older," Jeonghan whispered, still embarrassed.

Mingyu chuckled softly, his hand on Jeonghan’s shoulder. "We definitely need to have that talk soon, huh?"

Jeonghan nodded. "Maybe we can blame it on the sugar rush."

The rest of the party continued on with laughter and fun, and the cake was soon served. But no one could quite forget Dino’s innocent exposure of their private moments, and it would undoubtedly be a story they’d share with Dino when he was older, though he would probably never live this down.

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A Gift to Remember

Later, as the party wound down, Jeonghan and Mingyu snuck off to the nursery where Dino was asleep in his crib. They looked at their son, his small face peaceful in sleep, and exchanged a quiet moment of love.

Mingyu leaned in and whispered, "A baby sister, huh? I guess we’ve got to make that happen one of these days."

Jeonghan smiled softly. "We will. When the time is right."

They held each other for a moment, looking down at the little boy who had brought so much joy into their lives, and silently agreed: their family was perfect, and maybe, just maybe, Dino’s wish for a baby sister would come true.