A short scenario written for Admin Byul's birthday just a few days ago. You might already know this from the page (and the next one...)!

            A knock on my door. Who could it be at this hour…? Eyelids heavy from not having slept enough, I mechanically throw aside the blanket and set my feet out of the bed, onto the floor, one… and then the other. I hear another set of knocks. “What…?” I hear my sleep-deprived self growl. “Can I come in?” a deep familiar voice resounds. What does he want here?! I swallow and look down at myself, suddenly very aware of just how messy I look. My pajama pants are stuck above my knees, my shirt is tugged in on one side, and hanging out on the other, I find a wet spot around the collar – DO I DROOL IN MY SLEEP?! – and to be honest I don’t even want to know what my hair looks like right now, but brushing my hand through it once and getting stuck tells me I should’ve probably brushed it a little better after washing it. But at least I smell good – coming from a freshly made bed with freshly washed clothes. I fix everything I can while hearing the knocking a third time. A look at my alarm clock tells me I should kick him for that, but regardless I tell him to come in. The door opens and a ray of dim light falls onto the floor. The tall man enters and then shuts the door again, approaching me with his usual gentle smile. “I have to ask you something” he announces as a sudden serious expression grows on his face. My eyes open wide. “What is it, Yongguk?” I dare to ask. “Let’s just sit down first – if I may?” he says and with me giving a nod, we sit down on the soft bed, side by side.

            “Why do we celebrate birthdays?” he asks. I don’t know what to make of this late-night philosophical question. “Why not?” I counter. He looks at me, quite obviously unsatisfied with my statement. “It’s like being happy you’re getting older…” he says and I have to grin. “Ahhh, because you’re an idol you can’t bear getting old…” I chuckle at the slightly shocked expression he gives me. “That was not fair, Byul…” he says in defeat. “But I mean it. Why do we celebrate birthdays as we celebrate them? Why do we give out presents?” – “Because we want to thank the person for being born?” I ponder out loud. Yongguk shakes his head. “We’d have to thank the parents for that…” – “Then maybe for still being alive?” – “If you get in danger, then it’s usually doctors who save you, …” he throws in. “You’re right” I have to admit. “Maybe for just putting a smile on the person’s face?” He thinks about it. “But then…” he answers after letting the thought wander through its head at his usual speed, “we could celebrate every day. If you only get to smile once a year, that would be sad, wouldn’t it?” I laugh. “And you’re smiling now, even though I didn’t give you a present” he remarks. “Yeah!” I say. “That’s because having this conversation – especially at this hour – is ridiculous! We should both get some sleep.” Yongguk looks at me confused. “But I have to know…” I let out a sigh. “Why now?” – “Because… my members want to know.” – “Then why aren’t they asking me?” – “They’re too shy…” he says at which I let out a loud laugh. “Jongup and Junhong maybe – but the rest? They are not shy!” I state, knowing full well that I am right. Still, Yongguk somehow manages to talk his way around that. “But in front of you anyone would get flustered! Have you looked at yourself?” – “I have. I look like a toothbrush that was used to clean a toilet in a McDonalds at Times Square…” Now he has to chuckle. “But then you’re still a very pretty toothbrush…” he whispers and throws me a radiant gummy smile. I have to pinch myself in the leg not to scream and throw a pillow at his face. “So” he then says. “Why do you celebrate your friends’ birthdays?” I think seriously. To be honest, I just want to throw him out of the room, roll myself into a blanket-burrito and scream, but I figure the fastest way to do that is giving him a satisfactory answer. My look wanders over the alarm clock. Almost midnight…

            “I guess because I just like them a lot? And I want to show them how thankful I am that they’re in my life. Also seeing the smiles on their faces when I get them something they really wanted is… a beautiful thing.” Yongguk, who was listening intently, now nods slowly and I add, “Now that I think about it, it’s a little stupid we don’t do that more often. I’m thankful to my friends every day, so why only shower them in extra amounts of love on their birthdays?” I laugh at that realization. “So…” Yongguk gets ready to speak. “The feelings you should put behind giving someone a birthday present are love and thankfulness?” I nod strongly. “Yes.” – “Anything else?” he asks and I start searching my heart again. What would I want to give others along with their birthday presents? “Maybe… try to convey how important and valuable to me they are? And how I just couldn’t live without them.” A corner of Yongguk’s mouth shoots up, forming that adorable half-smile, with his eyes sparkling. The clock behind him jumps to midnight. Right then, he snaps his fingers and the door and my wardrobe open, someone jumps out from under the bed and behind the bookshelf and the lights are switched on. The remaining five members are suddenly all standing in my room and I really don’t know what to do or say, so I just sit there, staring at them like an idiot and my mouth gaping. Himchan holds a cake with candles and my name written with sugar on it, while Daehyun and Youngjae break out in the most enthusiastic “Happy Birthday” I have ever heard. Junhong and Jongup chime in with their bodies and give me an awkwardly funny dance show with which they probably wouldn’t even get into a company as trainees. A warm hand is put on my shoulder and I turn my head to the owner, who in turn smiles at me and says silently, but with all emotions he can put behind the words, “Happy Birthday, Byul.” He hugs me and I can’t but gasp at the sudden tingles arising in my body when he touches me. Whispering into my ear, he adds, “You were right, though. It really is stupid that we only do this once a year…”