As the day went on, I'd recieved lots of "Happy Birthday!"s from classmates and friends that passed by me in the halls.

For some reason, Jae wasn't at school that day. A part of me felt a pang of guilt, but I quickly brushed it away. He was probably just sick.

By the time the final bell rung, I had been hugged and sung happy birthday to so many times that my body ached and my ears rung. Jung Hyo, Ji Wan, Sung Mi, Ri Young, and Wan Dong had joined SeungHyun and I at my locker after school.

"Eh? What's up?" I questioned as all of them came walking towards us, their faces grinning. 

"Sung Hyun, why don't we all hang out tonight? We could celebrate your birthday with a dinner!" suggested Jung Hyo, beaming.

"Well," I thought for a moment. "I have homework..."

"Ah, who cares? It's your birthday, just relax for a bit!" exclaimed Ji Wan, patting me on the shoulder.

With everyone eagerly waiting for my reaction, I nodded, sending them into cheers.

"YAY! Okay, meet us at the restaurant at 6:30, got it?" Jung Hyo said.

"Okay." I smiled at them all.

~

6:00 came by in a flash.

Jung Hyo had told me to dress nicely that evening. My mom let me search through her closet and I managed to find a nice, white summer dress that ended just above my knees. I inspected myself in the mirror after I tried it on, twirling around. I rarely wore dresses or 'girly' clothes, and in the morning I would usually just pull on a t-shirt and jeans. But as I stood there in my mother's dress, I smiled. I didn't look half bad. The dress hung off of my small frame nicely, flowing around knees.

Then came the shoes. I stared at my mother's collection of high heels, wondering if I should try them on. After 5 minutes, I managed to find a pair my size. But, after carefully slipping them on and standIng up, I immediately stumbled. Realizing that heels weren't for me, I decided to just wear a pair of nice flats.

About 20 minutes later, I arrived at the restuarant, which was a nice little place located at the edge of town, just a few blocks from the beach. Entering the place, I spotted the gang seated at a table near one of the windows, waving at me.

I was greeted by "Hey!"s and "Sung-ie!"s as I approached them.

"Ohmygosh, you look so pretty!" exclaimed Jung Hyo as I took a seat between her and SeungHyun. "Your dress is so nice. Don't you think so, SeungHyun?"

We all glanced at SeungHyun, and he gave me a soft smile. "Of course."

I flushed, looking down at my lap.

"Okay, can we order now? I'm hungry," whined Ji Wan, making Jung Hyo slap him on the arm. We all laughed, picking up our menus.

An hour later, we were all finished our dishes when a waiter brought us an ice cream cake with 'Happy Birthday Sung Hyun! ^^' written in chocolate icing on the top. My table erupted into an off-key chorus of 'Happy Birthday', causing other tables to look over. I covered my mouth, taking in the moment. I loved that warm feeling. My friends here with me. The soft glow from the candles on the tables and my cake illuminating our environment. 

I beamed at them all. Thanking them a million times, we dove into the cake.

With our stomachs full and our hearts content, we finally left the restaurant, walking on the sidewalk to nowhere in particular.

I stretched my arms, feeling a bit tired, but still happy. Even though it was fall, the air was a bit warmer than usual and the sun was going to set soon.

"Hey, I have an idea...why don't we head to the beach? Let's watch the sunset together!" suggested Ri Young.

"Okay!" We all agreed and walked the few blocks towards the beach.

Just as we stepped out of the shadow of a building, the beach was before us. I gasped as the sun was just about to set, painting the sky different hues of red and orange with hints of purple dotting the few clouds.

We took off our shoes and stepped onto the beach, the others running and fooling around while I walked closer to the water. It'd been quite awhile since I'd been to the beach. The last time I had been to one was when I was 12, and the beach had been a bit crowded with people. But tonight, it was empty except for me and my friends, possibly because it was a weekday and it was around dinner time.

I stood there, near the edge of where the highest tide had come in. Transfixed, I breathed in the fresh air, letting the wind gently caress my skin. I was so mesmerized that I didn't hear SeungHyun come up from behind me.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" He stood beside me, staring out at the sea. 

"Very," I softly responded.

We stood there for a few moments, faintly hearing our friends' laughs from behind us, but still standing there, nonetheless.

"I know I've already said this a million times today, but," SeungHyun turned to me. "Happy birthday." He gave me a dazzling smile. I turned to face him too, and we were standing there, listening to the gentle waves rolling across the shore and the wind softly whistling in our ears. The way the sunset hit the side of his face made him even more handsome, and I felt warm inside.

"Thank you," I gave him my biggest smile, and we hugged. I could've stayed like that forever. His strong, yet gentle hold on me made me feel safe, and I closed my eyes, resting my head on his shoulder. Just when I was comfortable, SeungHyun suddenly let me go.

I stared at him, a tiny bit puzzled by his sudden release.

"Sung Hyun, I have a surprise for you," he suddenly said, his voice hinted with an edge of determination.

"Eh?" I said, definitely surprised. "What is it?"

"Close your eyes." And I did.

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Writer's Note:

Ehehehehehe, leaving you with a cliffhanger ;D