Birthday Boy
I Thought of You
“A real boy is going to love you for what you are, not for your outside.”
Eunhyuk was already yawning. Slamming the open textbook before him shut, he leaned back in his chair stretching his arms. He’d been studying the past 2 hours and he was sure that more than half his brain cells had died from the extreme reading.
Getting up from his desk he walked toward the window and stuck both hands into his pockets. He and Victoria had resorted to a university in town and not a thing had changed after the day he’d handed her ointment to patch up her cuts and the ugly bruise on her small face.
He’d realized she’d done it for his own good, but the next day he’d gone back to do those guys in for hurting her. And it’d relentlessly become a cycle before the two of them were sent to the principal’s office.
The ringing of his phone caught his attention and minutes later he was hurrying out to meet Victoria. She was sitting inside the small café waiting for him. He sneered at her tube top before tossing his sweater at her.
“I thought I told you to dress warmer these days,” he scorned sitting down in front of her.
She made a face before pulling his sweater on, “You’re such a fuss.”
He returned the face.
“Eunhyuk,” she clapped her hands together and leaned forward, “could you get me something to eat?”
“What? Again?”
“Please,” she begged.
“Why? Didn’t you eat out with Ji Ho?”
Oh Ji Ho, Victoria’s boyfriend. That tall muscular man that went to their university. He’d picked Victoria up from a football game and the only thing Eunhyuk disliked about him was that he was always being intimate around the cheerleaders.
“I paid for our movie tickets and ran out of money,” she replied. “Plus he says I’m gaining weight and told me to cut down on eating. But I’m so, so, so, so, so, very hungry right now. I’m going to die of hunger, Eunhyuk.”
“Oh…geez…” Eunhyuk mumbled.
“Am I fat? Do you think I look fat?”
“You’re fine the way you are,” he replied.
“What do you mean by fine? You mean fat, don’t you?” she asked.
He sighed annoyed, “What do you want? Sandwich? I’ll get you a club sandwich with a soda and some fries.”
“And some chili,” Victoria added brightly.
“Aren’t you ashamed of asking me to buy you food all the time?” he questioned.
“No,” she bluntly replied.
He snorted before walking toward the counter. Minutes later he returned with a tray and watched Victoria gulp down the food hungrily. He wondered how long she’d been starving herself for.
Taking a fry off the tray he stuffed it into his mouth, “Have you been studying for finals?”
She shrugged, “I’ve been trying to, but every time I go over to his dorm…”
“What!” Eunhyuk shouted. “Yah! You what?!”
Victoria’s face almost flushed red before she reached over to tap his head, “Not like that. Let me finish. Every time I go over to his dorm we always end up arguing or he’s always answering his phone and asks me to leave. I’ve been angry this whole week.”
“Tsh…” he muttered sitting back in his chair.
“Do you think I’m too conservative? Or am I not good enough? Or am I not fulfilling my role as a girlfriend?”
“You’re doing just fine,” Eunhyuk couldn’t help but assure, “he’s asking for too much. You’re already giving it all to him anyway.”
“What do you mean by that?” Victoria wondered.
“Never mind,” Eunhyuk replied. “But Victoria, are you serious about him?”
She stared at him for a long time.
“Of course, do you think I’m joking around?”
Eunhyuk pressed his lips together, “Don’t put too much hope in him. There are a million other guys out there…”
She frowned at him.
“What are you saying? Ji Ho can’t be compared to anyone else out there!”
“I just want you to be with a good guy, I’m not comparing him with anyone,” Eunhyuk pointed out.
She half glared.
“You could have just dated Donghae when he asked you out at the beginning of the year,” Eunhyuk went on.
“Donghae?” Victoria’s mouth fell open as if in disgust. “You only planned that out!”
“No, I didn’t!”
She exhaled loudly, “You’re too close to him for me to like him. I want to date someone…you don’t know.”
Eunhyuk snorted, “Ok, have it your way. Whatever.”
“Don’t whatever me.”
“I just did!”
“Eeeeeeehhh!!” she leaned over screwing her hand into his head before getting up to head out.
Eunhyuk ran out after her and ruffled her hair into a mess before running away.
“Yah!!” she screamed chasing after him.
Quickly running on ahead he paused when he realized she wasn’t screaming anymore. Turning around he spotted her taking off her heels and walked toward her.
“What’s this? You wore heels?” he questioned. “I thought you preferred tennis shoes.”
“I wanted to look nice today.”
“For a movie date?”
She looked up at him, “It’s not important to you but it is to me.”
“I can’t understand you,” he shook his head, “always wanting to look the best for a guy.”
“Don’t you want to look your best for your girlfriend? Oh yea, that’s right. You’ve never dressed up for your girlfriend before,” Victoria told off before apologizing, “sorry.”
“Aish…” he groaned grabbing her heels.
“What the heck! You want me to walk barefoot?” she loudly asked.
He sighed and got down before her offering his back.
“Get on.”
She snorted, “Aren’t we too old for this, Lee Hyukjae?”
“That’s why you should learn to be ashamed,” Eunhyuk stated. “I’m charging you 30 dollars for this unforgivable service.”
“Kyuhyun’s pet monkey has grown so big,” Victoria patted his hair before jumping onto his back.
“Ah!” he shouted before toppling over.
Victoria landed on her back beside him and laughed. He turned to look at her and laughed as well.
That night he piggy backed her home and slept with a smile.
~.~.~.~.~
“Why did you ask me to come along?” Ji Ho complained from behind.
Victoria paused by some shoes and glanced through them. Picking one up she turned to her boyfriend.
“Do you think Eunhyuk would like this one?” asked Victoria.
Ji Ho rolled his eyes as he looked away. Grabbing the shoe he placed it back onto the stand.
“Why am I helping you pick out a present for him?”
“What do you mean ‘him’?”
“Why do you always have to mention him?”
Victoria stared up at him.
“I told you, I don’t like him, and for you to stop hanging out with him.”
“Why?”
“Because I don’t like it when you’re with other men. And he is one of them.”
Victoria bit her bottom lip, “He, him, that guy has a name and it’s Eunhyuk. I was just thinking it’d be thoughtful if you helped me pick out something for him.”
“Why?”
“Because his birthday’s coming up.”
“Birthday? Aren’t we too old to be buying a friend birthday gifts?”
“Old? Buying a friend a gift for a birthday present isn’t old. It’s showing them you cherish them and you want to give them something special.”
“Are you implying that he’s special?”
Victoria quieted.
“Yes.”
“Oh my god, Victoria!” Ji Ho threw his hands up into the air. “How can a friend be more special than the man you’re seeing? How?!”
“Friendship and relationships are different! I can get all pissed off as I want at a friend and they’d still be there for me. In a relationship…”
“In a relationship, what?” he challenged.
Victoria bit her lip wondering why her feelings weren’t transforming into words.
“You can’t say it,” Ji Ho accused, “because he’s the only one who’s important to you, not me. So find something for him yourself.”
Victoria watched as he walked off.
~.~.~.~.~
Eunhyuk woke some time past midnight and discovered that it was the cause of his phone which was ringing deliriously. Sitting up he reached for it and answered in a half awaken state. The sobbing from the other side of the line alarmed him and he reached for the lamp beside him. Once it brightened the room he could only think of one person, Victoria.
“What’s wrong?” he asked concerned.
He could hear Victoria clearing her nose on the other side of the line and tried to speak before breaking apart again. It felt awful listening to her helplessly.
“Where are you?”
A few seconds later he darted out of the house in jeans, shirt, and a jacket. Running along the streets he discovered Victoria sitting by the river shedding tears, her shoulders shaking. The sight was so pitiful.
Slowly walking over he sat down beside her. Digging some tissues out of his pocket he handed them to her. She took them but only held onto them. Taking them from her he gently dabbed at her tear stained cheeks.
“Ji…Ji Ho…broke up with me,” she bawled.
He wondered how Victoria could cry so depressingly. Placing a hand at the back of her head he smiled.
“Silly, I told you there are still plenty out there,” Eunhyuk comforted.
Victoria nodded still sobbing as hard as when she’d first called him.
“You should have just Donghae like I told you to,” he joked.
Victoria laughed a little before throwing her arms around him. Eunhyuk found himself trapped to her shoulder and laughed before patting her back.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized. “I couldn’t get you anything for your birthday.”
“I don’t need anything,” Eunhyuk told. “You as a friend is good enough.”
He could feel her tighten her arms around him.
“By fine, I mean you’re pretty,” he started, “you’re beautiful the way you are, Song Qian.”
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