BGM: 2AM's Changmin & Jinwoon - Can't I Love You?

"Luhan! Don't tell me you don't have Jaemi's number yet?!?"

Unbeknownst to you and Yixing, while the two of you were watching Hello Stranger in the cinema, the rest of the boys were in the Happy Bubble Tea Shop: busying themselves by pumping air into the balloons and hanging decorations onto the walls. After a series of negotiations and a bit of aegyo from Zitao, they have successfully convinced Ahjummeonie to close down the bubble tea shop for the afternoon so they can use the place for a surprise party.

"Why? Do any of you already have her number?" Luhan asked back, and by the looks on the other boys' faces, it seemed like after almost four months of being friends, no one has managed to successfully ask for your mobile phone number.

"I have Jihye's number, though," Moonkyu announced.

Although there were still a lot of balloons waiting to be inflated, Minseok immediately took a break from pumping air into them when he heard someone mention your best friend's name. "You have Jihye's number?!?" he blurted out, a bit envious of the idea that Moonkyu probably has a text message from Jihye in his inbox.

"Of course, Hyung! We're commuting buddies, remember?" Moonkyu confirmed, holding on to the left corner of the 'Happy Birthday' banner he was trying to hang with the help of Jongin.

"If that's the case, then Jongin must have Jaemi's number," Kevin assumed, noticing that the 'Happy Birthday' that was now covering the Happy Bubble menu that Chanyeol was too accustomed with was slightly crooked. "Moonkyu-ah, your side is too high. Lower it a bit," he mentioned, pointing to the left side of the banner.

"Actually, I don't have Jaemi Chingu's number," Jongin admitted, his hand still on the right corner of the banner while waiting for Moonkyu to fix his side. "We chat a lot on the computer, though," he revealed, catching Luhan's attention this time.

After checking whether the banner was still crooked or not, Kevin gave the pseudo-twins a thumbs-up to let them know that it was now hung perfectly. "Moonkyu-ah, why don't you give Jihye a call now?" he suggested, opening another pack of deflated balloons. "Oh and don't forget to ask her to relay the message to Jaemi,"

As soon as he got down from the stool he was standing on while he was hanging the banner, Moonkyu took out his phone to give your best friend a call. "Hello, Jihye!" he greeted, immediately after Jihye picked up his call. 

"Oh, Moonkyu-ah! What's up?" Jihye answered.

"Listen, where are you right now?" Moonkyu asked.

Jihye just got out of the bathroom when she heard her handyphone ringing. Still in her bathrobe, your best friend sat on her bed and cradled her phone between her right cheek and her right shoulder as she dried her hair with a towel while conversing with Moonkyu. "I'm at home, why?" she replied.

"I need you to come to the bubble tea shop right now," Moonkyu responded, sitting down on one of the black stools on the other side of the counter. "We're throwing a surprise party for Yixing hyung's 20th birthday and we need you and Jaemi here," he added.

"TODAY IS HIS BIRTHDAY?!?" Jihye exclaimed, suddenly getting up from her bed to pick out clothes from her wardrobe. "WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME EARLIER?!? OH, KIM MOONKYU, I'M SERIOUSLY GOING TO KILL YOU!!!"

On the other end of the line, Moonkyu briefly put his handyphone away after getting an earful from your best friend. "We couldn't tell you earlier because the two of you would be too excited to keep it a secret," he reasoned, earning a glare from Kyungsoo when he tried to steal a ball of tapioca from the container. "Especially you," he added.

"Whatever, I'll call Jaemi. I know she's not in her house, so I still have to figure out where she went. We'll probably be there in an hour," Jihye said, still balancing her phone as she fastens the buttons of her sapphire blue dress.

"Or two. I still have to buy Yixing a present,"

"Where's Jaemi?"

When Jihye arrived at the Happy Bubble Tea Shop, Luhan immediately noticed that you weren't with her. At first he thought you were only hidden by your best friend's tall frame, but when Jihye decided to sit on the chair beside Chanyeol, he realized that you really didn't come with her.

"I've been trying to call her, but it seems like she turned off her phone," Jihye answered, still texting a message just in case you decide to turn your phone on again. "It's either that or she forgot to charge it before she went out,"

"Who gave you the roses?" Minseok asked, referring to the bouquet of red roses Jihye was holding when she arrived. The fact that your best friend has a little crush on Kevin was already an obstacle for him, but the thought that someone else was interested enough to give Jihye roses made Minseok not only a bit uneasy, but also quite jealous.

Jihye furrowed her eyebrows. "Don't be silly! I was the one who bought them," Jihye revealed, making Minseok feel a little relieved. "I didn't have much time to look for a present and since you said it was his 20th birthday, I figured I'll get Yixing some roses instead,"

"Roses why?" Zitao asked.

"Ah, here in South Korea, it is customary for a person turning 20 to receive roses on his birthday. Roses, perfume, and a kiss," Kyungsoo explained, pouring some precisely-measured milk (with 8g of fat, of course!) into the blender. "That's why I got him a bottle of perfume," he revealed.

Kevin blew some air into a green deflated balloon before commenting. "But technically, Yixing's only nineteen," he pointed out, tying the end of the now-inflated balloon to lock in the air. "He's only 20 in terms of Korean age,"

"I can't wait to turn twenty," Sehun declared.

"And why is that, Sehun-ah?" Chanyeol asked, organizing the colorful party hats they bought earlier. "So you can properly drive a car? Legally drink soju? Finally join the lottery? Already get married? Freely watch ?!?"

"He obviously wants to be gifted with a kiss," Jongin and Moonkyu chorused.

The rest of the boys erupted into laughter, causing Sehun to just scowl in response. "Why, Sehun? Don't have a first kiss yet?" Youngho teased, pumping air into a yellow-colored deflated balloon. "Look who'th talking! It'th not like you've already kiththed thomebody, either!" Sehun retorted.

"Oh, I have," Youngho admitted, quite confidently. "It was with a pretty Caucasian girl with blond hair and blue eyes. Just this summer when I was in the States. We kissed the day before I left for Seoul. Oh, and she initiated it!" he revealed, smiling as he pictured that scenario in his head.

"I hate it when people kiss and tell," Jihye commented.

Joonmyun took a break from collecting rubbish to ask your best friend a serious question. "Why? Wouldn't you want to know the details when Jaemi gets her first kiss?" he asked, arching his left eyebrow. "Let's say, you have your first kiss, aren't you going to tell her about it?"

What Joonmyun said hit Jihye in the chest and suddenly she felt guilty for keeping her first kiss a secret from you. It's not that she doesn't trust you with something that intimate, but she just figured that once she tells you about it, she can no longer deny the fact that her first kiss was, indeed, shared with Kyungsoo.

Your best friend was about to respond to Joonmyun's questions when Sehun suddenly spoke up. "I'm just curiouth. Have you had your first kithth yet, Jung Jihye?" he questioned, a knowing smile forming on his lips, causing both Jihye and Kyungsoo to panic.

"It's none of your business," Jihye quickly declared, shifting her attention back to her phone, checking whether you have replied to any of her messages yet.

"I do know someone who had his first kiss earlier this year," Chanyeol announced, smiling creepily at Joonmyun, who hit his dongsaeng's head for having a big mouth. Unfortunately for Joonmyun, the teasing didn't stop with Chanyeol. "Yeah, Joonmyun hyung! Are you dating already?" Kyungsoo asked, quite relieved that the conversation has finally left the topic of Jihye's first kiss.

Joonmyun put the now-empty plastic packages of deflated balloons into the black garbage bag he was holding. "No, we're not dating," he replied, collecting the crumpled pieces of paper scattered on one of the tables. "I don't think her fans would like it if we did,"

"You're dating a celebrity?!?" Jihye immediately asked, her ears perking up at the mere mention of potential gossip. "Let me guess. She's from SM Entertainment too, right?" she assumed.

Moonkyu shook his head. "Didn't you hear what he just said? They're not dating yet," he pointed out. "Yeah, and we'll never reveal her identity to you," Jongin added, laughing as your best friend grunted in disappointment.

"Enough about me," Joonmyun requested, handing the black garbage bag to Chanyeol. "Cover for me first. We still have to go and pick up the cake," he said, heading towards the kitchen sink to wash his hands.

For some reason, your feet didn't drag you back to your house.

After exiting the mall, you just kept on walking, not really caring where your feet would take you. As fate would have it, about twenty minutes later, you found yourself standing in front of the Happy Bubble Tea Shop... and it was closed.

"CLOSED?!? SINCE WHEN DID WE START CLOSING THE SHOP ON SATURDAYS?!?" you shouted to no one in particular. You bowed your head and took a deep breath. "All I wanted is a cup of cold wintermelon milk tea with lots and lots of pearls and crystals. IS THAT REALLY TOO MUCH TO ASK?!?"

At that moment, a black SUV pulled over near the bubble tea shop, and one-by-one, the boys started alighting it. Luhan, who was in the passenger seat on the drive back, was the first one to come out. "Oh, there you are! We've been trying to contact you!" he revealed, walking towards you.

"Really?" you asked, taking out the handyphone from your bag. "Oh! I forgot to turn it on," you  said, pressing the 'POWER' button when you noticed that your handyphone was still turned off. "Why is the shop closed? Did anything happen?" you asked.

"We're using it for Yixing hyung's surprise party," Moonkyu responded, pointing to the birthday cake Jongin was currently holding. "Can we please get in now because this is actually heavier than it looks," Jongin requested, so Joonmyun hurried off to push the door open for him.

It took you a while to process everything in your head. "Wait, what did they say?" you asked, holding on to Luhan's arm to stop him from entering the bubble tea shop. "Whose birthday is it again?"

Suddenly flustered by your gentle grip on his arm, Luhan cleared his throat before answering your question. "Uhm, Yixing's," he replied, looking straight into your eyes. "It's Yixing's birthday,"

"TODAY