a big thank you to jongdaeorange  for helping me editing this chapter <3

ABOUT KIM JONGDAE-BIRTHDAY'S SPECIAL

BAEKHYUN

The first time I met Kim Jongdae?

It was around the time I got accepted at SMent. I was so happy, you know! And excited too, but I knew I had to work hard, very hard. They told me I was going to be squeezed into some large group of trainees and despite my attitude -- because Byun Baekhyun always has attitude -- I was kind of scared. So I was heading to the practice room for my vocal lesson, humming some tune to myself, impatient to meet my vocal teacher, and there I saw him. Outside the practice room, apparently waiting for his turn too, was a young, skinny boy, probably around the same age as me, singing along quietly to the song he was listening to on his I-pod. He had a ridiculous hair cut and an equally ridiculous grin plastered on his face and he was so idiotically in his own world that I couldn't help but smile. It was decided: I just had to bond with him. Yes, I admit, I have a thing for weirdoes! I poked him on his side and he jumped slightly, his eyes wide but he was still smiling nonetheless.

“Hey! Sorry, I was listening to music!” he said in a slightly embarrassed and high pitched voice.

“Ah don't worry about it. Are you here waiting for the vocal lesson too?”

“Yes! Are you a trainee too?” he asked me, excited.

I nodded. “A new one. They just accepted me yesterday.”

“Wow, I thought I was the only one. Thank god! They accepted me a week ago and I was scared of being the only new trainee. Nice to meet you, I'm Kim Jongdae!” he said still smiling, his cat lips curling in an adorable smile. He seemed a bit like an idiot but a nice idiot nonetheless. I was falling in love with him already!

“I'm Byun Baekhyun.”

“Since we‘re new trainees let's get along Byun Baekhyun. You can call me hyung!”

“Hyung? Pardon me, but aren't you a 92-liner?”

“Yes? I was born in September 1992.”

I chuckled. “Then you feel free to call me hyung, since technically I'm older than you by almost 4 months!”

“No way! You look a middle-schooler! Gosh, I’m sorry, hyung!”

I laughed hard “Yes, I get that a lot. But please, I just was kidding. We’re both new so let's be chingus. After all we were both born in the same year!”

He smiled even wider if that was possible. Then the door opened and a couple of guys -- probably trainees -- exited the practice room and we entered.

“Baekyun-sshi and Jongdae-sshi, am I correct?” the teacher asked us.

We bowed and said yes in unison.

“Well let's hear what you've got for now and then we'll work to improve your abilities. Who wants to go first? You can sing whatever you want.”

I was a bit hesitant and was just about to sing, but Jongdae volunteered first. I let him go. I was curious to know what kind of singing voice he had since he had such a high talking voice. You know, I’ve always been proud of my voice and I'm not ashamed to admit that, but I have to confess that hearing Kim Jongdae sing put me in my place. It was the first time I ever really envied someone's voice, because that funny guy, with a funny smile and the personality of a cute bunny had the most beautiful and delicate voice I had ever heard.

Kim Jongdae taught me a lesson that day: the meaning of modesty. The old Baekhyun before SM would have hated someone like Kim Jongdae.

But I just can't. I think it's impossible to hate him when he smiles at you like that.

Gosh. I like that skinny idiot too much.

CHANYEOL

The day I met Baekhyun was actually the same day I met ChenChen.

They were so rumoured -- two weeks were enough to make them the new topic of gossip -- they were saying that they were noisy but very talented. I heard them once while I was passing by their practice room. Baekhyun's voice filled me up like a balsam, while Jongdae's voice caressed me like silk. You could definitely say I was very eager to meet them, but at SM we are so busy that it isn't as easy as it seems. I finally got my chance one afternoon, when our trainer said that those new kids were going to be in our group of 10 people, which was strange because we were the one with the most experience (and with the biggest chance of debuting). My curiosity had reached the point of no return. Junmyeon scolded me for being overexcited and noisy but whatever, gramps is gramps, and he just doesn't understand how I feel! Anyway, they were in a corner of the practice room and everybody thought they would have been nervous, but what we saw instead were two boys laughing their asses off!

It was love at first sight! In that moment I knew I had found my soul mates No. 1 and No. 2 (hey, a person can have more than one soul mate). They were both shorties (well, except for Wufan and Zitao they’re all shorties here) and were still laughing when I approached them. You know you can say anything you want about me, except that I am a shy person. But in front of those two, for a moment, I was lost. One had a mischievous smile (Baekhyun-ah) and the other one had an idiotic smile (Chenchen). In the end, their smiles matched their personalities. Jongdae really is too kind for his own good. With Jongdae I can be myself no matter what, he forgives all my faults: my silliness, my idiocy and my poor tact too. He's dangerously becoming my soul mate number one. Kind Chenchen, who tries to defend me from gramps (even though most of the time I'm the one in the wrong): he's the best.

(But I dance better.)

SEHUN

Funky-funky hyung is really funny to watch. He's all smiles, bones and kind gestures. Jongin and I try not to mess with him too much (because it's not really funny to mess with someone who doesn't even get angry), we reserve (well, I reserve because Jongin is a chicken) our messing around for our leader, it's just too funny to see him trying to catch us (me) only to forgive me because of my aegyo!

Anyway, I'm grateful towards hyung in different ways. He really takes good care of us and when he is here, Junmyeon-hyung is less stressed, more at ease and the general mood is better. I like hyung a lot because he is cute to the point I feel like I’m a hyung to him sometimes. He thinks he bosses Jongin and I around but his requests are asked so kindly that it's not really a request at all. I'm not good with words and explanations; I simply like him a lot. The introvert and evil me can't help but be touched by a simple and pure soul like his, who stays till late at night to try and catch up with us, who does his best at dance practice even though he's more entertaining than skilled.

Don't worry hyung, that’s why we love you.

JONGIN

He once admitted he was a little intimidated by my appearance and in general by my skills. He also thought I was older than him. I was taken a little aback, not because it was the first time someone had told me something like that (I tend to hear that a lot), but because no matter how scary I could seem, he never -- not even in the beginning -- treated me any less kind than the others. One of the most confusing things about me is the difference between my personality and my appearance. I have an appearance that gives off a certain aura that one can find disturbing. People say I seem rude and often misunderstand my shyness for coldness. I'm definitely not the warmest person, because I really am a person who likes to think a lot and I’m certainly not a party animal. But I can be affectionate too. I only at demonstrating that. But with Jongdae I don't have this problem. Maybe it's his personal talent (he's not only gifted with an angelical voice), I don't know. I just know that in his presence I don't feel like an awkward mess.

Sometimes I would like to ask him how is he doing, if being in China is hard or lonely, but I'm his dongsaeng and I can't ask him directly without sounding rude. So I show my concern in my own way. I ; I remember to send him updates of our lives because I know the two beagles tend to be a little forgetful. Jongdae-hyung is special. He's naïve, silly and no matter how much he tries to be a troll, he's too kind to fit the character and ends up being cute instead. I admire him a lot and I’d like to tell him that his dance isn’t that bad and he's actually kind of good. But, well, if I told him that, he would stop doing his funky dance so I’ll just shut up (See Sehun? Who’s the evil one now?).

KYUNGSOO

He's really an idiot.

In a totally good way I mean. Hey, I'm not a douche! But yes, he is an idiot. He was one during our trainee days and he is still one now, but he's not an evil idiot (that title goes to Baekhyun: aka the torment of my life) no, he’s a really kind idiot. And he's also really professional when it comes to singing, something I really appreciate and admire. I have to say I learned a lot from him even though he joined Exo later than I did. I'm a practical and concrete person, but my high-and-mighty attitude about my abilities -- after hearing him sing -- disappeared kind of fast. Actually Jongdae's arrival meant the end of my stress: I stopped trying to force myself down a path that didn't fit me and I started to focus more on my own tone and how to make my sound more rich. I'm thankful towards him in ways I will never be able to show. Like Jonginnie I'm not good at expressing my emotions but unlike him I think it's ok like that. Everyone has their own world and if the others want to know me, then they have to at least do some work. I'm not being pretentious; call it a way to see who I can trust and who I cannot. Despite this I am on good terms with all the members and I'm close with them in different ways. Jongdae is a hard case though. He came to me with his idiotic smile and natural act, and despite him being a bit too much I just couldn't get pissed. It's something I love and hate about him. I love it, because being the paranoid human being I am, it's rare finding someone with as much innocence as Jongdae has (he's really a good person), and I hate it because I can't release my stress on him, because them I’d feel like a monster (but it's ok with Baekhyun, ha!). Seeing him like that...it's really hard to accept the fact he's my hyung, because he's so silly and casual that the hyung part doesn't seem right. I have to give him credit that he’s never got offended and he actually lets me treat him like a chingu. He's really nice and cares for us a lot, everybody can tell. He also cares a lot for Junmyeon hyung and he even went out of his way to ask me to look after him (‘since you are the only sane here’, he said). I found it so cute that it was unbearable for a grumpy person like me. I would have thrown someone who acts as cheesy as that out the window. He's really something.

LUHAN

Unfortunately we didn't start out on the right foot. The first time I saw him he stared at my face for a long time without saying a word. Being the self conscious person I am, that gave me a really bad first impression,. I thought he wanted to bully me for my face or because I was Chinese. So when he awkwardly introduced himself I was polite, but not kind. Later, I found out it was really a misunderstanding. Since he had already mistook Baekhyun's age, he didn't know how to address me since I looked so young. He even admitted shyly and all embarrassed that he was also impressed by my appearance. I couldn't help but laugh at that and from that point on we did our best to have a good relationship. I found out it's really easy to get along with him. We both have a bubbly side and both enjoy laughing. Because he’s a dongsaeng to me, I can totally understand why Minseok feels this urge to protect him like he’s his precious little brother. Jongdae is kind, but sometimes he can be naïve. When you hear him singing though, you really couldn’t imagine what a kind and childish person is hidden behind that outstanding voice. Speaking of his voice, being lead vocal with him can be a bit daunting sometimes. As a singer I can't help but be envious of his high notes. However, he never brags about it and always works hard to pronounce the Chinese lyrics to his best, asking numerous times for my help. Jongdae says I'm too kind with the maknaes, I say he's too kind in general.

Jongdae-ah: I hope to sing with you for as long as possible.

MINSEOK

He's my little brother. Sometimes I even think of him as a little sister, because he really makes me worry a lot. He's so nice to the point where he could be mistaken as a fool. That's why I have to keep an eye on him; I can't bear the thought of someone taking advantage of him. God, now I seem more like a father taking care of his precious daughter! However if you ever have the chance to get to know him you would certainly agree with me and you'd do your best to guide him and support him. Because once you know Jongdae, you end up wanting the best for him, you want for him to succeed. It was like that for me. Since I have a problem of my shyness that can be a burden when it comes to being a singer, his stage presence really impressed me. He was this skinny boy with an idiot grin but then he grabbed a microphone and he sang like a pro. I absolutely love his voice. He says he loves mine, but I love his more than he’d ever know. Yes, I’m probably his biggest fan (so embarrassing coming from his hyung, that's why it's better if he doesn't find out...ever), so I decided to help him in every way I was able. I wasn't the only one who felt this because I know that Junmyeon shares similar feelings: he asked me to take care of him in China. I would like for Jongdae to be less overexcited and less of a beagle but it's ok even if he’s like that, he wouldn't be Jongdae if he wasn't a bit of an idiot.

Gosh, I really am raising a son here.

Well Jongdae. Hyung loves you.

ZITAO

I didn't know what to think the first time I met him. Loud people like him scare me, and I'm not particularly fond of noise. I feel more at ease with the quiet and I open up with people only after some time. I know I'm a bit eccentric, a little crazy even, so that's why maybe I'm scared people would judge me or treat me like a freak. Duizhang and Baekhyun were the first ones who made me realize it was ok to be myself, no matter how crazy I am. Slowly I opened up even with the others, though I have my favourites. I am one of those people who believe that giving privileges is a form of trust; it's a way to show how special certain people are to you. Lately, Jongdae hyung is becoming one of those people, something unpredictable at the beginning. It's not like I thought he was a bad person, because he isn't, I just didn't know how to connect with him. We really are complete opposites. I found out how wrong I was to have these biased misconceptions. Because Yi Fan-ge always said how good a person Jongdae-hyung is and Minseok-hyung always spoke of him like a proud father, I got curious. Jongdae is just as kind and simple as he seems. They say his talent is his voice and it's true, but for me his talent is to be completely and deeply without prejudice. He has the gift to make people feel unburdened, no matter their flaws or their mistakes. I'm happy he’s part of Exo-M.

YIFAN

I'm really thankful for Jongdae. Lately I’ve started to think that Exo-M couldn't exist without him. I know he chose Exo-M, and I never had the chance to talk with him about it. Maybe it's not really necessary but still, I feel thankful and flattered. His voice is one of the things I love the most, along with basketball, sleep and Zitao's wushu. He's a good roommate and despite what everybody says he isn't that naïve; he’s very mature in some ways. I'm not a person of many words, I'm the silent type but sometimes when we talk about important matters Jongdae can say really deep things that only a person who reflects a lot and is concerned about others could say. During those times he's more of an equal and less of a dongsaeng to me. But well, Jongdae is Jongdae and he isn't Yeol's best friend for nothing. (They’re both good kids that love to laugh). Jongdae, thank you for choosing Exo-M.

YIXING

When I think about singing I can't help but think of Zhong-da. We have many good singers in Exo that are all impressive in their own way (I really admire all of them), but Zhong-da's voice stirs something inside me the others can't. However, even more so than his talent I love his hardworking personality. I believe in hard work and I honestly think that when you give your all, results will come. Well Zhong-da is a really hardworking person. He puts a lot of effort in his dancing and even more effort into his Chinese lessons and never complains about the amount of work he has. He never gets full of himself no matter how many praises he receives; instead he always finds the time to praise others.

“I want to dance like you ge"

 "Xing-ge is the best”

How can someone not find him sweet?

I told him once, even though he probably thought I was trolling him (I troll only duizhang it's like my second hobby). I hope we could talk more, there's always this aura of shyness when we’re together. Ge apologizes Zhong-da, if he makes you feel uncomfortable.

Sometimes I wonder how it would be to hear him sing one of my songs, and I hope there will come a time when this wish of mine comes true.

JUNMYEON

We clicked. Just like that. Jongdae is this incredibly funny person who became my best friend and even I don't know how it happened. At first I was determined to keep an eye on him, since he was new and I didn't want him to feel lost. I was a trainee for 7 years and I know how hard is for the newbies. After hearing him sing, I knew why SM had accepted him despite his age and why they put him with us even though we were the closest to debuting due to our long training.

His voice is gorgeous.

I even thought that SM was going to make him debut as a solo artist. Luckily for Exo he was put in with us. I'm his ultimate fan and he knows it. Despite me being the hyung, we pretty much treat each other like chingus, and I know most of the times he’s the one taking care of me, putting up with my messy behaviour and stopping Chanbaek when they are a bit too much.

Being a trainee can be a lonely path but I'm happy to have found the Exo members, I'm happy to have found Kim Jongdae.

Sometimes I can't help become a bit sad knowing that he chose Exo-M, but I can understand his thinking. Exo-M was more of a challenge, more of an opportunity for him, and Jongdae, despite him being silly at times, is really a brave person; I respect him a lot. “Our friendship is more than a border between two countries” he said. It was cheesy and so like Jongdae, the Jongdae I know at least, the one who whines and is full of aegyo.

“Hyung is really kind”, he often said to me during our trainee days.

“You’re sweet too Jongdae” I always replied back. And he really is. He's funny, kind-hearted, brave, hardworking, silly and childish.

He's my best friend.

Happy birthday Kim Jongdae! Because there aren't enough words to describe how much you mean to me how much I love you...I wrote this story for you.

Happy birthday! <3

Huilen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKr9GU9emfg

"hoping you'll see what your love means to me" OPEN ARMS

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