Minseok lays on his bed, scrolling through his phone’s camera roll and laughing at the numerous selfies that sehun had taken during their photoshoot earlier in the day. He scrolled to the very top of his camera roll and nearly dropped his phone when he saw the first picture.

“minseok! pass the ball!! Pass the ball! Baozi! Baozi!!” luhan was near the goal and he was so sure he would be able to kick the ball pass baekhyun, who was goalie for exo-k’s team, and get the exo-m team their first point of the day. minseok came down the field and when he felt like he was close and it was safe enough, he kicked the ball to luhan who almost immediately kicked it into the goal. one of their managers happened to snap a photo of the exact moment luhan and minseok embraced after excitedly running towards each other.

thinking back to this, minseok chuckled a bit. they were only playing for fun with their members, why were they so excited about a goal?

maybe they just wanted an excuse to hug each other.

minseok stares at the photo for a long time before sliding to the next photo. minseok closes his eyes and sighs. of course, it’s another picture with luhan he thinks to himself.

luhan was watching tv in the dorm’s living room by himself waiting for the other members to come home. everyone had a different schedules that day, and he just happened to finish first. luhan opened the exo group chat to see if anyone was coming home because being alone in the dorm was so boring, luhan felt like he was going to die. unfortunately, no one had said anything to imply they were almost done with their activities for the day. He turned off the tv and laid on the sofa and searched for a new game in his phone’s App Store to kill time before someone came back. while scrolling through through the free apps section, he heard the front door open. he sat up excitedly and when he saw that it was minseok that had come home first he couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear. “lu-ge~,” minseok smiled back, “you missed your baozi huh?” luhan thought about denying it but what was the point? minseok could read him like a book. he got up and gave his best friend a hug and before he could let go and fall back on the couch, minseok suggested they take a selfie to show the others who were still working. they took and deleted over 20 selfies before finally settling on one where they are both clenching their teeth and making an “angry face” in an attempt to tease their members by saying ‘ha ha we are both home already! have fun working!’

minseok felt tears coming out of his eyes. does he dare slide to the next picture and risk seeing luhan again or does he stop now and tries to sleep. it was already 11:38 pm and he had a schedule early in the morning and he wanted to shower before the oth- and oh my god how could minseok forget! It was his birthday! The tears stopped for a bit with the realization of his birthday but then started again after he realized this would be the second birthday he has to spend alone, well without luhan. Of course he had s but luhan, luhan was different. luhan was special. luhan was his.

But luhan hasn’t contacted him since a few months after he left. at first they were texting everyday to make sure each other was doing okay but they both got busier with their own lives and the messages became less frequent and ultimately stopped. minseok considered messaging a few times but never followed through because of the classic “if he wanted to talk to me he would text me” excuse.

minseok looked at the time again and found that it was 11:53. time flies when you’re thinking about the one you love.

minseok decides to slide over to the next picture which he immediately regrets doing after seeing what it was.

“hey luhan! be careful!!” minseok was worried. luhan was reckless and could easily fall into the pond he was walking near. luhan laughed, “don’t worry my baozi~ I’m fine! And the pond is only 3 ft deep. I’m not gonna drown!” minseok and luhan had the day off and decided to visit an old garden they heard about from minseok’s parents. they spent their whole day walking around the garden, looking at all the different flowers and fish in the water. there weren’t a lot of people there so it was nice. the area was quiet and calm, just like how minseok liked it. luhan prefers louder and more exciting environments but since minseok liked it, he didn’t complain. As the sun was setting and they were making their way out of the garden, luhan spotted a red bridge. “Oh minseok look!” Luhan walked over first and stood in the middle of the bridge, looking over the edge to see more fish swimming. Minseok followed after and took his phone out. “luhan, smile.” luhan turned to look at minseok and smiled. minseok thinks it’s the loveliest thing he’s ever seen. luhan was so beautiful. so perfect. so ethereal. so luhan. minseok looked at the picture and maked it his wallpaper before going to where luhan was on the bridge. they stood side by side and commented on the fish and flowers around them. luhan got too excited when he saw a frog and grabbed minseok’s hand. minseok froze for a second and tried to pretend he wasn’t phased by luhan’s hand touching his but he couldn’t hide it. luhan, thinking he messed up, pulled back but minseok stopped him. this time, minseok grabbed luhan’s hand and intertwined their fingers together. He looked luhan in the eyes and slowly closed them as he leaned forward until his lips were on luhan’s.

minseok didn’t try to stop the flood of tears that were forming in his eyes. he had never realize how much he missed luhan until now. all he wants is luhan back in his arms but that will never happen.he just wants to hear luhan’s voice calling his name again. he just wants to feel luhan’s hand in his. their hands fit so well together. luhan was the only thing minseok wanted and needed. luhan was his cure. luhan was his happiness. luhan was his everything.

he looked at his phone, it was 11:58. he had to stop crying, knowing s, they would barge in here with a cake and no warning. minseok entertained the idea that luhan would text him happy birthday but remembered that he didn’t the previous year so he probably forgot. minseok gets under his covers and waits for s to come in but they never do. he checks his phone, 12:02. He wishes himself a happy birthday and sees that his phone is blowing up with all sorts of notifications. he goes to the exo group chat and jokingly complains “you guys~ I was waiting for a cake but I guess you guys forgot about me” along with multiple crying emoji to emphasize how sad he is about his lack of cake. “Ahh Minseok, it’s your birthday? I forgot…sorry..happy birthday!” Kyungsoo was the first person to reply. minseok was honestly upset this time. Normally he wouldn’t care but, he was already upset in the first place because he was thinking about luhan so this was just adding fuel to the fire. he turned off his phone and tried to go to sleep. He was disturbed less than 5 minutes later by chanyeol’s booming voice, “MINSEOK HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Oh and Kyungsoo was just joking! Don’t be upset!!” Minseok opened his eyes and was surprised to only see chanyeol in the room. chanyeol noticed his confusion and told him the party was in the living room. they had been waiting for minseok to grab his nightly cup of water but it must of slipped his mind because he spent most of the night thinking about luhan. they both walked into the living room and minseok couldn’t help but smile as s were sitting around a cake singing happy birthday to him. minseok cut the cake for everyone, and they all talked before heading back to their rooms to fall back asleep. chanyeol was helping minseok clean up when they heard a knock on the door. chanyeol smiled at minseok and not so innocently asked minseok to get the door. Minseok looked at chanyeol with fear and almost hesitated to get the door. When he was walking to get the door he noticed that everyone was either poking their heads out of their rooms or actually sitting in the living room as if they were waiting for something. oh my god they got me a stripper for my birthday minseok couldnt help but think. he stood at the door and turned around and said as quietly as he could just in case the hypothetical stripper outside the door would hear, “if you guys got me a stripper i am murdering you all.” jongin laughs “don’t worry minseok, we wouldn’t do that. sehun and I live here too you know. We’re too young, too innocent.” minseok laughs at jongin’s statement, but it does put him at ease.

minseok opens the door and feels his heart drop to the floor.

Minseok drowns out the excited screams of “happy birthday” and laughter behind him, but he clearly hears the voice he’s been longing to hear in front of him. The only voice he wants to hear.

“Happy birthday, my baozi.”

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

thank you for reading!!!