Nayoung has never been much of a party goer, so when she wakes up to the shaking of her shoulders with nine pairs of hands on her body, urging her to get up from her bed to get to the living room, decorated with a disco ball light placed in the middle of the room, surprise would be an understatement in describing Nayoung's reaction.

She watches as the nine other girls start to mess up the room with party poopers and randomly scattered pillows, before it hits her that she has turned a year older. She takes a full minute to realise that it's midnight, and whatever she's currently experiencing is supposed to be a birthday party. Nayoung doesn't make any attempt to hide the grin on her face.

"Thank you, all of you," she says when a cake is presented to her, accompanied with nine smiling faces. She takes the cake into her hands, but her reflexes hadn't been quick enough to dodge Siyeon's incoming hand, and she feels cream on the tip of her nose when the other girls burst into a chorus of laughter. She chuckles along with them.

"Happy birthday, Nayoung!" 

Minkyung is the first to run towards her, wrapping her arms around Nayoung's neck. Subsequently, each of them starts following suit, until Nayoung finds herself in the core of a large group hug. She blinks back tears threatening to spill from the corner of her eyes, but her heart feels warm and when she breaks into another smile, it reaches her eyes.

Time really flies when you have a whale of a time, Nayoung realises when the clock strikes an hour past midnight. Ignoring the protests and reluctant movements of the other members, Nayoung manages to usher them back to their respective beds, before she tucks herself into her own. She pulls her duvet cover over her shoulder, before she feels someone slip into her bedsheets behind her.

"What are you doing?" Nayoung asks as she tries to turn around, away from the wall, but is stopped by a pair of arms firmly circling around her waist.

"Going to bed," Jieqiong deadpans, but is unable to contain the affectionate giggle that eventually spills out of .

"Not funny Jieqiong, go sleep in your own bed."

Nayoung doesn't have to turn around to know that the other girl is shaking her head objectively.

"Just today, please?"

Nayoung sighs after a moment of hesitation, wrapping the blanket around the both of them. The bed is now cramped and the blanket can barely cover the both of them, but Nayoung has never felt warmer.

"Do you think i'm growing old?" Nayoung blurts out randomly.

She listens to the steady breathing and feels the slow rise and fall of Jieqiong's chest against her back, and for a moment, she thinks the younger girl might have fallen asleep, but the whisper she hears a few seconds after proves her otherwise.

"It doesn't really matter, Nayoung, i'll still love you."

Nayoung breaks into a proud grin, and although she knows Jieqiong isn't able to see it in the dark, she knows that the other girl knows when she feels the younger girl burying her face into the crook of her neck.

"I love you too."

With Jieqiong's arms around her, she feels the safest she's ever been, and Nayoung thinks that maybe, growing one year older isn't all that bad if she gets to spend her birthday every year like this.