At the End of Summer || Mark Lee (NCT)

Chapter 15|5. Sweet Pea

  『 Birthday Special: Jeno 』 

- April 23, 2018 -

Monday

"Happy birthday to you!"

We finished singing the song, clapping and cheering altogether.

"Thanks, guys!" Jeno said happily with a wide smile.

We were at Jeno's house, celebrating his birthday.

Just like last time on Renjun's birthday, it was a weekday. And it was even Monday today, so I wasn't exactly allowed to stay out too long.

But I was allowed to stay just long enough to have fun.

Jeno cut the chocolate cake that I bought for him, together with the others.

We decided to buy him a cake as a gift because he once mentioned to me that he doesn't really get cakes on his birthday. He says he's too old for that, especially now that he was seventeen.

But being old isn't an excuse to not get cakes on your birthday, so I told him.

His parents and Taeyong seonsaeng-nim thanked me for being sweet and thoughtful, as they said, and I just nodded shyly at them.

As usual, they told me how Jeno has been telling them about me, just like Donghyuck and Renjun. And possibly Jaemin.

So I was slowly getting used to it.

"Will you buy me a cake on my birthday? Please, Areumi, pleeeease?" Donghyuck asked me, acting cutely as he ate the cake that Jeno distributed to us.

"Don't your parents always give you a cake on your birthday?" I asked back, eating my cake too.

"But I want it to come from you!" He replied, smiling at me, his teeth showing.

I chuckled at him. "I'll think about it."

"Why do you have to think about it? I'm your best friend, you don't have to think about it." He pouted.

"If you keep doing that, I probably won't give you a gift." I said teasingly, giving him a funny smile.

"Stop pestering her, Hyuck. She came here for Jeno, not you." Mark said as he finished up his cake.

Wow, he's quick.

The other two agreed, defending me, and I just laughed at them.

It's been some months since I became friends with these guys, and I must say, I was getting used to their company. I was getting more and more comfortable with them.

Sometimes though, they'd tease me about how they (still) have a crush on me. But most times, they secretly tease me to Mark.

Like I said before, they found out about my crush on him, even though I didn't tell them. Not exactly.

We just finished eating dinner, which Taeyong seonsaeng-nim cooked for us. He was surprisingly good at cooking.

"Where'd you buy this cake, by the way?" Taeyong seonsaeng-nim asked me from across their big table.