Mom

[Happy Birthday son]

Noona

[HBD]

Choi Miho

[Happy Birthday]

Me

[Yeah]

Noona

[Call Mom if you don’t want to be the world’s most ungrateful son of a bit*h]

Mom

[That’s kind of weird]

[If he’s an ungrateful son of a bith, doesn’t that make me a bith]

Choi Miho

[Whoa......]

After this, noona said nothing more. He’d known her for 20 years, but she really was a strange person.

It came every year anyway. He’d already been born for 20 years; what was the point of making a big deal out of it every single time?

Mom said she was sorry for not celebrating his first birthday properly. He didn’t quite understand why that was something to be sorry about. Still, Choi Jeho dutifully called to say thank you for giving birth to him.

There was one more unchecked message.

Kang Giyeon

[Happy Birthday.]

It was a congratulatory message from a trainee dongsaeng. It was out of the blue, considering the last contact was a MeTube link to a choreography video he’d sent 3 weeks ago.

Didn’t he congratulate him last year, too? His memory was fuzzy. He was too lazy to scroll up and check, but he felt like he’d received congratulations a few times before.

Maybe it was because lately there had been a culture of celebrating each other’s birthdays. Not long ago, they celebrated Park Juu’s birthday together.

But when it was his turn to receive, he couldn’t help thinking, ‘Do we really have to?’

Although the new trainee was exceptionally diligent in taking care of colleagues’ birthdays, he didn’t seem like he would go that far for his birthday. Because that guy didn’t seem to like Choi Jeho very much.

There was no one in the living room. Park Juu opened his room door and came out a moment later.

“Did you get a good sleep....?”

“Yeah.”

It suddenly struck him that whether he spoke or typed, he only ever said ‘yeah’. He didn’t really have anything to add, so he didn’t open his mouth. People like his sister or Kim Iwol, who said something different every day, felt more amazing to him.

With useless thoughts, Choi Jeho headed to the kitchen. Seaweed soup and rice were set on the table. It was the same as Jeong Seongbin’s birthday. The number of side dishes was also more than usual.

A small note was attached to the empty seat next to the soup bowl.

Make sure you two eat before you go

— Iwol —

“Did you see him?”

“No. I think he went out first.......”

Park Juu said looking at the empty chair. Choi Jeho silently sat at the table.

Kim Iwol, whom he met in the practice room, was the same as usual. Fumbling over a simple move, or spouting something strange.

“When did you come out?”

“When kids went to school.”

And when there was no one else around, the atmosphere sank.

Bright and polite to company staff. Kind to dongsaengs.

Even while showing consistent attitudes, Kim Iwol became strangely subdued when left alone with Choi Jeho. He couldn’t tell if that was his original personality.

On the surface, he looked the same. It was just Choi Jeho who felt that way.

His sister often nagged Choi Jeho, saying if he lived like this, he would really just age without a single friend.

Choi Miho, whose social circle was even smaller than his, took his side, but he never felt it was helpful.

He’d never felt the need for friends anyway, so he always brushed it off. It wouldn’t be surprising if Kim Iwol treated him differently from others.

Choi Jeho understood that he didn’t want to get close.

‘Then isn’t it more easier not to celebrate birthdays at all?’

Kim Iwol’s actions were incomprehensible. No one asked him to—why go out of your way to do something you don’t want to do? It was just seaweed soup, who would cry just because they didn’t get to eat it?

Just then, Jeong Seongbin and Kang Giyeon returned from school. Choi Jeho spoke to Kang Giyeon, who was filling a plastic bottle at the water dispenser, his backpack still on.

“Thanks for the birthday wish.”

“Ah...... yes.”

Then neither said anything for a long time. Only the sound of dripping water was heard in the hallway.

“If you’re going to drink water, go ahead.”

“It’s not that.”

Kang Giyeon looked at him with strange eyes. Since this happened often, Choi Jeho asked without minding it.

“About Kim Iwol.”

“Iwol hyung?”

“Doesn’t he look upset?”

Kang Giyeon’s expression changed from ‘don’t know what’s going on’ to ‘looking at trash’. Even Choi Jeho, who got called tactless every year, knew this much.

“Are you badmouthing him...”

Only after hearing the following words did Choi Jeho understand what the exact problem was. He’d phrased it badly.

“No. I mean, doesn’t he look like he’s in a bad mood?”

Choi Jeho chose his words as best he could. A big improvement for him.

“Today?”

Kang Giyeon let out a small sigh and said.

“He seemed the same, as usual.”

An answer he couldn’t agree with.

Kang Giyeon stopped pouring water and asked.

“Hyung.”

“What is it.”

“You’re not acting like this because Iwol hyung didn’t prepare a cake, right?”

“Am I a kid?”

Kang Giyeon seemed to have a lot to say. But Kang Giyeon’s mouth didn’t open after this.

Returning to the practice room, Kim Iwol nagged Kang Giyeon like a storm. About walking around without putting down his bag, asking what he would do if his shoulders got pressed down. Kang Giyeon grumbled and took it off

‘He really seems to be in a bad mood.’

He was about to ask if having his own birthday was such an unpleasant thing, but he stopped himself, thinking it would make Kang Giyeon walk on eggshells like before.

As Choi Jeho thought, the birthday passed ordinarily. Except for receiving occasional congratulations from the people around, it was no different from usual.

“Hyung, am I really going in first?”

“Yeah. Go put on a mask pack and sleep.”

Jeong Seongbin hesitated with a face that said ‘Is this really okay?’, then said goodbye and left. Somehow, the only ones left in the practice room were Choi Jeho and Kim Iwol.

Choi Jeho sat on the floor drinking water and watched Kim Iwol.

Kim Iwol beyond the mirror looked alternately at the ceiling and floor, then sighed.

“Choi Jeho.”

“What.”

“Sorry.”

Kim Iwol apologized abruptly. His gaze, which had been directed somewhere in the air, came to him.

“For what?”

“Just.”

When it came to the other members, he explained every little thing without being asked. Choi Jeho didn’t feel like prying, so he let it be.

“If not for me, we could have put more effort into the choreography.”

Kim Iwol said again.

Choi Jeho didn’t really agree. Whether Kim Iwol could dance or not, Choi Jeho or Kang Giyeon wouldn’t have compromised. Kang Giyeon would have drilled Kim Iwol until he could follow.

“Do you think you’re the only trainee who can’t dance?”

Choi Jeho genuinely thought so when he said it.

Kim Iwol laughed awkwardly. He must have taken this as comfort.

Just by not taking his sharp words badly, Kim Iwol was a decent enough guy. Choi Jeho couldn’t understand why such a guy felt indebted to him.

Since there was nothing to be sorry about, there was no need to receive an apology either. So Choi Jeho didn’t add unnecessary comments to Kim Iwol’s apology.

Punching in the door lock code and entering, the kitchen light was on. Voices were heard too.

Was there someone not sleeping? Kim Iwol would say something.

However, no ominous aura was felt from Kim Iwol following behind. Rather, his expression was calm as if he already knew.

“Hyung! Welcome back!”

Lee Cheonghyeon greeted. Nearing midnight, other guys came out following Lee Cheonghyeon one by one.

“Hyung, this......”

In the hands of Park Juu, who came out last, was a small cake with lit candles.

“You’re not asleep?”

“Shouldn’t you say thank you to your dongsaengs first, Jeho?”

Kim Iwol chided from behind. It wasn’t a sharp voice.

“Before that, can we turn off the lights? Wax will drip on the cake.”

Kang Giyeon pointed out. Everyone hurriedly sang the happy birthday song at the entrance. They were all making a fuss when they could have just blown them out.

Gathering at the table, Jeong Seongbin cut the cake. It was small, so dividing it into six pieces didn’t leave much.

Wasn’t there a weigh-in coming up in a day or two? For the first time, he regretted having to step on the scale. He didn’t usually care about it.

As he was finishing his plate, a slice of untouched cake slid over from beside him. Kim Iwol was offering his plate to him.

“I don’t really like sweets.”

Before Choi Jeho could even ask why he wasn’t eating, Kim Iwol beat him to it. It did seem like him not to like sticky chocolate cake. Choi Jeho still remembered him saying you always had to watch your sugar intake.

“Should I have bought a different cake......?”

Jeong Seongbin, holding a bread knife, looked at Choi Jeho and Kim Iwol with a troubled face. Kim Iwol answered nonchalantly.

“You should buy what the birthday person likes. I was the one who suggested choosing chocolate.”

“I don’t really care either way.”

“I do. I can’t eat chocolate. You eat more.”

“Why can’t you eat chocolate?”

“Caffeine doesn’t agree with me.”

Lee Cheonghyeon on the opposite side chimed in, "Must be severe, if you can’t eat chocolate, not just coffee". Feeling the topic focusing on him, Kim Iwol changed the subject.

You should buy what the person receiving it likes.

That thought had never crossed his mind. In the first place, if you just don’t exchange gifts, no one has to be ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) tired; he couldn’t find a reason why both sides had to wear themselves out.

Watching Kim Iwol go out of his way to do something so bothersome made him feel like maybe he’d been living his life wrong.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Sensitive to others’ gazes, Kim Iwol noticed immediately and asked. Choi Jeho made an excuse saying it was nothing.

Kim Iwol, staring at Choi Jeho, ruffled his hair.

“Seriously, what am I even doing all this for.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Without answering, Kim Iwol went into his room. A moment later, Kim Iwol kicked open the door and came out holding an envelope in his hand.

“Here.”

“......?”

“Birthday present.”

Kim Iwol held out a crisp gift certificate envelope with a department store logo on it.

“Why are you giving me this?”

“I told you, it’s a birthday present.”

Kim Iwol shook the envelope urging him to take it quickly. The envelope he reluctantly received didn’t have a single crease.

“When is your birthday?”

“Already passed.”

Kim Iwol didn’t say more. He just gulped down cold water.

He couldn’t tell what Kim Iwol was trying to do, whether he wanted distance, or some level of peace between them. Because of Kim Iwol, he ended up pondering problems he never worried about in his life

“What you apologized for earlier.”

And Choi Jeho wasn’t considerate enough to fathom Kim Iwol’s seemingly complicated heart.

“Is it because you’re forced to celebrate my birthday?”

And he knew absolutely nothing about speaking indirectly.

Kim Iwol’s dark eyes turned to Choi Jeho. But it was only for a moment; the gaze soon drifted away.

“If I were going to celebrate it forcibly, I would have used another method. Since I’m an expert at birthday celebrations.”

“Then never mind.”

Choi Jeho turned the envelope back and forth.

“Thanks.”

Kim Iwol didn’t give a glance at Choi Jeho’s meaningless hand gesture until the end. If there were easy-to-understand people, there must be people like Kim Iwol, too.

Since they would be living together for a long time once they debuted anyway, Choi Jeho decided to maintain their current relationship. Since it was not a bad relationship.

Thinking that was enough, Choi Jeho went to bed.