After clearing away the dishes, Kyungsoo, Jongin and Youngjae had decided to ditch their shoes and ran over to dip their feet into the cool waves. At first Kyungsoo had been worried about jellyfishes, but when his feet started to feel numb, he too, abandoned his designer sneakers on the mat and ran over to join the other two who were blatantly enjoying themselves.

 

"Now that I think of it, who knows when we'll be able to hang out like this again," Youngjae smiled to himself, but there was reluctance in his voice. Jongin and Kyungsoo turned to look at him, and realized that...

 

He was tearing up.

 

"Hey," Kyungsoo said, wrapping his arm around Youngjae's shoulder, "we'll still get together at Inkigayo and Music Bank."

 

"But that's different."

 

There was a deep silence as the three artistes were deep in thought. Then, Jongin snapped his fingers.

 

"I almost forgot about Confession Hour!"

 

"Oh, yeah!" Kyungsoo joined in, and for the second time, both members scampered enthusiatically over to the magic crate and fished out something from the depths as Youngjae stared on in interest. They fished out a stack of cards and went over back to Youngjae, smiling broadly.

 

"These are birthday wishes we collected from the other SM artistes," Kyungsoo smiled and peeled out a few red ones labeled EXO.

 

"This one is from Junmyeon AKA Suho," Kyungsoo said and cleared his throat.

 

"Dear Youngjae, Happy Birthday! A year has passed since your debut, I can't believe it! Seems like yesterday when both of our groups were keeping our hearts trained for the The Best Rookie Award. We both know that both EXO and B.A.P worked super hard and in my book, we're both champions, no matter who's got what award in which den. B.A.P has been one of the most hardworking groups I've ever heard of in my lifetime. Seriously? Six comebacks in one year? That's really admirable. I really hope that the EXO band members under my lead will work as hard as your team and...this is rubbish!" Kyungsoo hollered and tossed down the card, "it's full of old man's crap, ignore everything I just read out."

 

"B.A.P did work hard though," Jongin commented unhelpfully as Kyungsoo tossed out a few more cards, which Youngjae collected and scanned through them with quick eyes. He grinned to himself.

 

"Everyone knows that, Junmyeon's just repeating what netizens have been spamming on Mnet's website. Don't get me wrong," Kyungsoo patted Youngjae, who was fighting the urge to burst out laughing at Kris' note, "B.A.P's awesome."

 

"I know," Youngjae choked out through peals of laughter, "read Kris'."

 

"Okay," Kyungsoo cleared his throat again.

 

" 'Dear, Youngjae. Happy Belated Birthday. I dunno Korean a lot so I'm gonna cut the crap. B.A.P did super good this year and we're proud to have been your friendly rivals. Okay, time to cut all the crap. Can I have Hyosung's number? I know you have it, dude, lots of manly love, Kris'," Kyungsoo's eyes fell into a perfect slit, "since when can he write Korean this well?"

 

"I'll read Tao's," Jongin leapt up and slipped out a pink card.

 

"Dear Youngjae, I know the other members will have probably mentioned, but B.A.P rocks. Really, I liked Warrior as much as I liked Mama. Sometimes I practice Wushu whilst listening to it, but recently, I've cut out that routine, since I nearly ripped my pants whilst doing an overly dramatic pose during Yongguk's rap entrance.' I remember that," Jongin smirked, "I'm going to use that on Strong Heart one day."

 

"Keep reading," Youngjae said, interested.

 

"I think Yongguk's voice is really brusque, he'd do well anywhere as a rapper. Well, all of B.A.P would. I hope we have collaborations, like how you guys did with B2ST and Heritage Choir. 加油! Hwaiting!' "

 

“Wow, that would be nice,” Youngjae agreed.

 

“This one is from Luhan,” Jongin said, pulling out another card and squinting, “man, in this dim light his handwriting looks worse than it already is... 'Youngjae ssi, I am Luhan. I am 23 years old this year but I look younger than Kris and Jongin. I like playing with the Rubrix cube and soccer. Maybe we can play together someday, since B.A.P likes soccer. I am Chinese, therefore I at writing Korean. Happy Birthday. Love, Cute Little Prince – Luhan, xixi!' Why that shameless little...” Jongin growled as Youngjae stared at him, poker-faced.

 

“That's nice,” he said automatically, like a robot.

 

“The heck,” Kyungsoo said and tossed the rest of the cards aside, “enough from the members, this one,” his voice suddenly changed 180 degrees and took on a dreamy quality, “is from f(x) altogether.”

 

That brought Youngjae back to Earth. He scrambled to a proper seating position and perked up his ears.

 

“Here goes, 'Happy Birthday, Young...' ” Kyungsoo squinted, “...jai? I'm willing to bet a hundred thousand won that Amber write this.”

 

“Whatever, just read on.”

 

“Oh, okay, 'Happy Birthday, Youngjai.' Uh... 'We all really had fun watching you all perform Crash on stage for the first time, it was cute! EXO and B.A.P are all really cute maknaes of the KPOP industry, hwaiting!' signed by Sulli, Amber, Krystal, Luna and Victoria,” Kyungsoo sighed dreamily again.

 

“Wow...” Youngjae mused, lost in wonder.

 

“My turn! This one is from Sungmin, from Super Junior! 'Happy Birthday, Youngjae-ssi! I hope that SM and TS will collaborate someday so that we can officially meet! I really, really enjoyed Warrior. Let's do well together!' Smiley face and signed by Sungmin.”

 

“Wow...” Youngjae repeated, once more lost in awe.

 

“This one is from SHINee's Taemin when I told him about your birthday,” Jongin pulled out a pink card, obviously enjoying himself, “Happy Birthday, Youngjae. Congratulations on MAMA for winning PD's Choice! B.A.P did really well, fighting!'.”

 

By the time Jongin and Kyungsoo had finished reading aloud all thirty-two cards from SM Artistes, Youngjae was tearing up again. He had never imagined that he would someday spend his birthday receiving wishes and encouragement from idols he had once imagined to be so distant from him. He smiled to himself as he held the cards to his chest and felt his own chambers pump. However, his tears were mistaken as fatigue and Kyungsoo insisted that they sent him home.

 

“I'm fine!” Youngjae laughed him off, “I'm just thinking of what I should tell you guys before we part, that's all.”

 

“Aww,” Jongin sighed and hugged the blonde member, “why don't we let the oldest do a demo?”

 

Kyungsoo stared at Jongin in awkwardness, who stared back expectantly.

 

“Go on, speak your heart before the night ends.”

 

“Why me?”

 

“You're our role model.

 

“The heck I am.”

 

“Just go stand on the rock over there and start talking.”

 

Kyungsoo sighed and did as he was told as the younger members stared after him with interest. He climbed onto the rock, almost slipped, steadied himself on the rock and heaved a breath of air.

 

“Do I start now?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

He stood there for a full thirty seconds in silence, his fingers twitching before he finally whipped out his Pororo notebook and flipped through it. Then, he cleared his throat.

 

“Forget about the past, you can't change it.

Forget about the future, you can't predict it.”

 

He stared around impressively and Jongin mentally slapped his own forehead.

 

“...forget about the present, I didn't get you one.”

 

Silence.

 

“What does that even mean?” Youngjae finally inquired shyly, as Jongin kept a poker face next to him. Kyungsoo froze, then he perkily replied, “It means you shouldn't worry at all!”

 

“Oh,” Youngjae smiled politely, “that's nice.”

 

Silence.

 

“Try again,” Jongin said through gritted teeth, “without the stupid notebook.”

 

Kyungsoo snapped the notebook shut and breathed in heavily again.

 

“I'm really nervous right now,” he smiled, “but I'll say it. I hope that unlike what our fans expect, EXO and B.A.P will shine together as two of the best rookie groups in K-Pop history. I realize that there are a lot of fan wars between our fans, and it makes me frustrated since our members get along well. So...”

 

“I hope they'll understand.”

 

The breeze brushed against his cheek and his complexion glowed. He looked so tall, standing there on his 'stage', his figure glowing as though he was on silver fire. At that moment, that very image was imprinted into the other members' minds, and they knew then, that even the brightest spotlights could never make him glow like that.

 

It came from within him.

 

The purity.

 

The faith.

 

The innocence.

 

Youngjae wondered if he would ever see him shine like that ever again.

 

Then...

 

“Jongin's turn.”

 

When Kai had leapt onto the rock, it was clear that his confidence in expressing himself was only slightly better than Kyungsoo. His cheeky grin faded into an awkward smile and that stayed on his face most of the seventeen minutes he stood there, racking his brains for something to say between short inaudible mumbling, before Kyungsoo yelled at him to hurry up. Then, he blurted out his lines which Kyungsoo knew that he had been practicing since the night before, but was unsure whether to issue to Youngjae's ears.

 

“Youngjae-ya,” he blushed, “you really have a nice voice, and even though the fans will have favoritism amongst both our groups...” he gulped awkwardly as both members stared unblinkingly at him.

 

“Continue,” Youngjae encouraged him.

 

“I hope that the fan wars will never rip us apart, no matter what happens,” the perky grin returned to his face...

 

“Forever.”

 

*

 

Daehyun rubbed his eyes and stretched lazily like a cat as he saw the pinch of light sprinkle into B.A.P's dormitory. Then, his eyes snapped open fully.

 

Youngjae was not in his bed.

 

He squinted slightly as he recalled the last time he had seen his best friend. Youngjae had gone for his recording and said he would be back by about two in the morning, but it was now, he glanced at the clock hanging on the wall, six in the morning.

 

“Hyung,” he rapped onto the wood above him where Yongguk slept on the second level of their double-decker bed, “hyung, where's Youngjae?”

 

Yongguk grunted.

 

*

 

Youngjae winced as the first ray of morning light burst through his lids the minute he blinked and turned to another side, where his nose was greeted by Jongin's faded cologne. Rubbing his eyes, at first he wondered where he was as he registered the coarseness of the material below him and the sand in his hair. Then, he remembered.

 

They were on the island, where Jongin and Kyungsoo had thrown a party for him. He grinned to himself as he glanced, half-awake at the other sleeping members next to him on the mat, breathing steadily as though they were in a five-star-hotel. Kyungsoo looked like a child, whilst Jongin, having lost his cheeky quality when he slept, looked angelic for a change.

 

Youngjae shook his head to himself as they snored on peacefully.

 

“I wonder if I should tell them,” Youngjae smiled and then shook his own head quickly, “nah, I won't tell them...”

 

After all they've done for me, I'll let them sleep first.

 

Then, we'll start a new day.

 

He rubbed both members' hair fondly as though he was their mother.

 

New friends are made every day.

 

They can be found at concerts, at malls, in school and through business deals, filling your life with company, happiness, and success.

 

But the ones that you can keep are not found anywhere.

 

Like love, true friendship shies away from daily lives, and humans are sometimes blind it to it even when they decide to show themselves for a change. But there are some people who have the fortune to see them, and grab them by the tail before they run away again.

 

True friendship is worth more than company, happiness and success. They fill the empty spaces of our lives; like hazelnuts in bitter chocolates, like finishing touches to soul-less paintings, to light in dull spaces.

 

True friendship can also be found at concerts, at malls, in school and through business deals; but they, on the other hand, fill our lives with comfort, contentment and triumph.

 

If you let them run away, they might never return.

 

But if you keep them, the longer you cherish them, the more you'll understand yourself.

 

Like tea and wine, it gets better every day.

 

“I'm glad,” Youngjae smiled to himself, “I'm glad.

 

I'm glad I found it.

 

*

 

“Hyung,” Daehyun rapped harder on the wood and Yongguk grunted again, louder this time.

 

“What?”

 

“Have you seen Youngjae?”

 

“He's out.”

 

“This early?” Daehyun scowled in confusion; it wasn't like Youngjae to just wander off without telling the others, “where to?”

 

“I don't know,” came the grumpy reply, “Jongin called a week ago saying that he were taking him somewhere to celebrate his birthday.”

 

Daehyun's brow furrowed even more.

 

“I don't get it,” he scrunched up his face as though deep in thought, “I just don't get it.”

 

“What?”

 

“Youngjae's birthday isn't until tomorrow.”