I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING!! SOMEON ACTUALLY BROKE INTO MY APARTMENT!! WHAT IF THERE ARE STILL SOME OF XIAOYU’S MEN GOING AROUND?? WHAT IF THEY ARE STILL AFTER ME??

The initial panic I feel is quickly replaced with adrenaline, a feeling so strong running through my veins that makes my body move on its own and my mind replay everything that I have learned in the past year and a half from the guys. 

In a blink of an eye I have already grabbed a broom that was tossed aside on the hallway and detached it from the bottom part, only leaving the wooden stick to use as a weapon. I take a deep breath and with silent steps I reach my door. I push it slightly with the wooden stick and notice the lights are off, I can also hear two fast and distant breathings inside of my apartment.

Ok, so there are two of them and it looks like they are on the hallway at the end of the living room. Luckily that hallway only fits one person at a time so I won’t need the broom after all. If I run fast enough I can neutralize the one that is in front and push the one behind, making him destabilized which would give me enough time to take care of him too.

I take another breathe and remember Hyunseong’s words. “The first instinct is usually the best, if you have to act fast just do a simple plan, don’t over think. Also, don’t take too much time to do it or the enemy might notice you ” so this is it, the faster I am done with this the better.

I kick my front door and step inside the dark apartment, I start running towards the hallway and I notice another six sharp breathings on my way. Damn!! This is going to be harder than I thought of, I should have kept the broom…

“SURPRISE!!!” I hear louds screams as the lights in my apartment turn on and I open my eyes wide in surprise. I immediately stop running and look at the two persons standing in the hallway.

“MOM?! DAD?! WHAT?? HOW??” What is this?? Why are my parents here?? I blink a few times in disbelief and just when I am about to go hug my parents the sight of five other people surrounding me makes me stop on my tracks. THIS CAN’T BE RIGTH!!

Jeongmin and Hyunseong are standing behind the couch to my right and Youngmin Kwangmin and Minwoo are next to the kitchen counter at my left.

WHAT THE HELL IS GOIN ON?? THIS CAN´T BE REAL!! THEY CAN’T BE ALL HERE!! THERE IS NO WAY!! DID I… I hold my head with both hands because I feel that it might explode any second!! But then, it hit me…

 “OH GOD!! IT FINALLY HAPPENED!! I WENT CRAZY!!” I start looking back and forth to the seven of them blinking from time to time to see if they disappear when I open my eyes again.

“Alex, what are you saying?? Come here so I can hug you!!” my mom talking wakes me up from my thoughts but my legs doesn’t respond. I really can`t move right now. IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING?? OR AM I HAVING SOME SORT OF HALLUCINATION??

“Honey, I think she is in shock to see us. Maybe you should go hug her first” my dad says and in a few seconds I can feel my mom hugging me tightly. The warmth of his embrace makes me feel so safe and happy. “Mom!! Dad!! I missed you so much” tears leave my eyes and I smile at them.

“Happy Birthday my girl” my dad says while hugging me and my mom and I look at the table close to the right side of the hallway, there is a cake and few presents on the table.

I HAVE TOTALLY FORGOTTEN MY BIRTHDAY!! I CAN’T BELIEVE IT!! HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE?? HOW DO YOU FORGET YOUR OWN BIRTHDAY??

“Happy Birthday Alex” my mom greets me before I let go of her and hug my dad properly for a few seconds.

“Dad! Mom! How did you even got here?? Did you take the bus??” I asked confused and my mom smiles “Your boyfriend was kind enough to pick us up and bring us here” she says and I see my dad sulking next to her.

WHAT!!?? BOYFRIEND!!?? WHAT ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT?? WHO BROUGHT THEM HERE??

“Boyfriend?? Who are you …” I try to ask who are they talking about but my words are interrupted.

 “Omma!!” Minwoo’s wary voice reaches me at the same time I feel a couple of slim arms hugging me tightly by my side. I turn around to hug him too and I can`t help but feel my heart melting at his cuteness. “Minwoo, have you been well??” He nods in response and smiles at me before letting me go. “I am happy to see you. Happy birthday!” he adds and I wipe my happy tears away.

“What are you doing here?? Does the government allow you to..” once again my words are cut off by a sudden hug I receive from Youngmin and Kwangmin. They are pretty much crushing my bones but I don’t care I am just happy to see them and the tears running down my cheeks are a strong proof of that.

“We too, Alex. We are really happy to see you” Youngmin says while caressing my shoulder in a comforting manner but Kwangmin doesn’t say anything, he just hugs me tighter. When I finally let go of them I realized why Kwangmin hasn’t said a word yet, he is also crying.

When we finally see each other’s crying faces and he lets out a “Happy birthday, Alex noona” in hopes of make the mood lighter we both start laughing awkwardly like crazy people but it is so familiar it feels really comfortable.

“Hey! I also want to say happy birthday!!” I hear Jeongmin’s comment that is filled with his trademark sassiness and I smile even more. When I turn around I am met with one of Jeongmin’s arms hugging me and pulling me closer to him. I notice he is using crutches, that is why he can only use one arm to hug me but I don’t mind it. I wouldn’t care if he hugged me with both arms or with a single finger.

“Jeongmin!” I hug him back “I know you missed me” he adds and I can´t help but laugh from the bottom of my heart “Yes, I did” I answer before letting go of him and turn my attention to my bestfriend who is now standing next to him.

“Hi Alex, happy birthday!” he says smiling as if we just saw each other hours ago and I pretty much run to his arms “Hyunseong, I missed you!” I add before wiping the now dry tears out of my face. “Me too, I am glad destiny brought us together again” he says smiling.

For a second I turn my attention to my parents, my dad is engaged in a serious talk with Youngmin about how to manage stress in not so conventional ways, my dad must think Youngmin is a little bit odd because of the look he is giving him but he knows the younger means well.

I am sure Youngmin has felt all a stress filled mood coming from my dad and he is absolutely right, all of those years working so hard and gathering stress hasn’t been healthy for him and Youngmin it is trying to do something to help him which I really appreciate.

Meanwhile Kwangmin nods occasionally to what they are saying but he is more focused on eating the pastries next to the cake on the table. 

My mom, on the other hand is interrogating Minwoo about why he called me omma a while back. I can see Minwoo is nervous and shy when he answers my mom’s too forward questions but his honest words seems to soften my mom’s previous though attitude.

Not in a thousand years I would have imagine a situation like this, all of the people I care about and love together in the same room. Well, all except for one. Except for that certain person that holds the most special spot in my heart.

“Hyunseong, did you bring my parents here??” I ask him while trying desperately to push my thoughts away. What I really want to ask is where is the same person that has said he loved me before and why he isn´t here with the rest of them but I am too scared to hear that answer.

“No, I didn’t” Hyunseong answers and I bring back my attention to him. “They didn’t say who did??” he asks and I remember my mom’s weird words. My Boyfriend?? Since when do I have a Boyfriend??

“My mom said it was my boyfriend but she must have been confused, I don’t have one”

Suddenly a loud laugh sounds around the room, my legs feeling shaky all of the sudden and my sight becoming a blur because of the tears that had abruptly invaded my eyes. My heart isn’t cooperating either with its rapid heartbeats that make my chest hurt.

That laugh, I know it too well. I have missed it too much. I am sure who it belongs to, if I turned around would I see him standing there??

“Are you sure about that??” a husky voice coming from behind me says in a playful tone and those five words confirms my initial thought, it is him. I can beat my life on that. It has to be him.