aurora: in full bloom | hongjoong - ateez [hiatus]

⇢ ch. 15

With autumn comes Hongjoong's birthday. It's the first time you'll be spending his birthday with him, so you wonder how you're going to celebrate with him.

"What do you want to do for your birthday?" You ask him one day.

"Oh I don't know...anything with you," he gives you a warm smile.

"How romantic. But really, do you have anything specific that you want to do?"

"Honestly, not really. Anything with you sounds good really. We can figure it out the day of."

"That's no fun. We have to plan, even if it's the day before."

You start formulating a plan inside your head as you talk with him.

"To tell you the truth, I haven't really celebrated my birthday in a few years. I haven't had anyone close to celebrate with," Hongjoong confesses.

It makes your heart sink that he hasn't had a proper celebration in a long time. Poor guy, no one to celebrate with. Must be lonely every year.

You want to make this year really special and memorable, especially since Hongjoong has given you so much.

Without him, you wouldn't have a job, or rather this good job. Hell, you wouldn't even have him if it wasn't for...him.

He's given you love, patience, empathy, and compassion. He's been there for you during some of your most difficult days. You honestly would be lonely without him.

You would be nowhere without the one and only Kim Hongjoong.

"Okay, well, if that's what you want," you shrug your shoulders.

Hongjoong becomes guilty, as you seem enthusiastic about his birthday.

"Hey, we can figure someone out, okay?"

He grabs your hands and squeezes them, kissing your knuckles. You smile, happy to have him in your life.

He's not perfect, but in the end, he's your kind of perfect.

↞-↠

You get the company together, but without Hongjoong's knowledge. He's pretty gullible, so it hasn't been a hassle to get word out about celebrating Hongjoong's birthday.

He's a workaholic as well, so he spends a lot of time in his office or the studio.

Through it all, you had to face Seonghwa.

It proved to be difficult, but not as difficult as you anticipated.

"I'll give you as much help as you need. Just let me know, and I'll be there," he gives you one of his warm smiles.

It makes you a little soft inside. You can't just toss away a perfectly good friendship, which is what you initially had with Seonghwa.

It also puts you at ease that you're on good terms with him. You're happy that you're able to reconnect with him after what feels like a long time.

↞-↠

You plan a simple get together with the company as well a separate trip for the two of you.

The get tougher is just a dinner, which doesn't seem like much, but you know for Hongjoong it would mean so much.

The day of his birthday, you tell him to not do anything at night as you have a surprise for him.