I grinned at the 24 students that stood in front of me.

On the last day of my placement, it happened to be my birthday as well. My mentor, Mrs. Kim, the homeroom teacher of the students I taught for my placement planned a surprise birthday party for me with the students. I stood in front of the classroom, a huge grin on my face. The students prepared a talent show as part of my birthday present. Some students sang, others played instruments, a handful of them danced and before the talent show ended, the students and Mrs. Kim sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me. Mrs. Kim brought out a cake with lighted candles. After making a wish and blowing out the candles, a student handed me a bouquet of flowers and one by one, each student handed me a birthday and farewell card they made for me. I sincerely thanked the students and Mrs. Kim.

Mrs. Kim packed the whole cake for me to bring home as she did not want the students to eat the cake (out of respect as she did not get permission from the students’ parents). When the bell rang for dismissal, all the students gave me a hug before rushing out of the classroom. After waving to the last student, Mrs. Kim brought out a small gift she brought for me. I was so thankful and touched I almost started crying. I gave Mrs. Kim a hug to thank her for her patience with me during my placement and for organising the surprise birthday party.

The night before, the girls told me that instead of going out to a restaurant, to celebrate the end of my placement and birthday to our heart’s content, we would just be hanging out at Jaekyung’s house. Stepping out of the classroom, I spotted one of my best friends and happily skipped to her. She followed me to sign out of the school for the last time and we walked to her car side by side. I carefully placed the bouquet of flowers and cake in the back seat before I got into the passenger seat. On the drive to Jaekyung’s house, I simultaneously answered birthday messages from my family and friends and sang along to cheesy songs with Gaeun. 

I brought the cake and bouquet of flowers I received with me into the house. Gaeun rang the doorbell and Jaekyung opened the door to welcome us in. I toed off my shoes and tried my best to arrange them neatly by the door with my socked feet. I followed Jaekyung into the living room and almost dropped the items in my hands from surprise. Jaekyung, Gaeun, Mina, Chanyeol, Baekhyun, Jongin and Sehun shouted a loud ‘Happy Birthday’ once I came into their view. They blew party horns and threw confetti into the air. I let out a chortle, a big smile on my face. I opened my mouth to thank them but before I could, I was being led into the kitchen. On the kitchen island there was a diamond shaped cake, coloured to depict the milky way. Jaekyung was lighting up the candles and once she was done, she took me by my shoulders to stand in front of the cake with my friends surrounding me. Just like the students and Mrs. Kim, my friends sang ‘Happy Birthday’ to me. I made another wish and blew the candles out. I thanked my friends sincerely, almost on the verge of tears.

Jaekyung produced a knife for me to cut the first piece (the bouquet of flowers was left in the living room while the other cake was taken out of the packaging, placed next to the diamond shaped cake). Both cakes were chocolate flavoured (my favourite) and all eight of us had a cake party. While we were chatting and eating cake, Jaekyung’s parents came home from work and joined the cake party. Jaekyung’s parents wished me a happy birthday and presented me with a gift. As I lived away from my parents, Jaekyung’s parents were like my parents and they treated me (along with Gaeun and Mina) like their d