It was another typical day when she woke up from Kyungsoo’s knock on her door. After thirty minutes of dressing up, she went down only to be surprised by the crowd on the kitchen. There goes her Unnie’s seven employees, the eleven boys since her husband always had a thing on leaving before she wakes up, and her female cousin Jinri.

“Taehyung, Suga, Namjoon, Jungkook, J-Hope, Jin, Jimin and Jinri, what are you doing here?” she asked as she took her usual seat on the table.

Everyone exchanged looks. It was V who stepped forward to speak, “Well, noona, you see, we are here to do some preparations for,” he paused and looked at the others, “some private lessons in making coffee.”

The relief on their faces made V grin.

“Coffee? Private lessons? So who will teach who?” she asked as she takes her breakfast.

“We have Jimin, Jin, and Jungkook in here to give lectures,” V presented.

“Apprentice here,” Xiumin rised his hand.

She eyed them as she finishes her meal since her van is already pulling up on the front porch.

“Just don’t burn the kitchen or destroy anything or else I will never permit you in stepping inside this house,” then she wiped off the water on her lips after brushing her teeth again at the sink, complete with mouthwash. After one last wave, she left the crowd.

“That was close,” Kyungsoo sighed, “So where are we?” he looked at the crowd in front of him again.

“We are already done on grouping the people for specific tasks. Since we can’t gather her friends, how about collecting video greetings from them then compile it? I can have my kids send one since she likes them and Meilin too,” Luhan suggested which everyone agreed upon.

“How do we surprise her? I mean who will lead her inside?” Chanyeol asked.

“I can do it!” V volunteered.

“Yeah, I can help him too,” Jinri seconded. Just as Baekhyun was about to finalize it, Sehun argued.

“V and I can do it instead,” he looked at Chanyeol.

“Oh, then might as well, let Sehun and Jinri do it,” Kyungsoo stated into which V agreed on, avoiding Baekhyun’s sly smile.

“Let’s get this surprise party started since we have more things to do,” Suho prompted as everyone moves about to start their assigned works.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Sooyoung was busy checking out some e-mails while they are getting inside their building when she was caught off guard by the sudden loud greetings from the other employees.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHOI SOOYOUNG!” they exclaimed and then followed by singing a happy birthday song. It warmed her heart as tears fell down her eyes.

Right after the greetings, almost everyone in their small company gave their greetings and a few messages before her manager led her to their office where there awaits some ordered cakes for her from all her sponsors and other co-models. Gifts showered too, for her.

But then even though it is her big day, her schedule remains as it is. She has some radio shows and pre-recording for her talk show with a co-host for their first episode, which took most of her time. By afternoon, she had another offer from a company which asks her to advertise their new model of bags since they specialize in those aside from the automobiles they manufacture. The deal went on smoothly and she was expected to work on it sooner.

By around 5:30, they are already packing up so she can get home.

“Sooyoung, should we bring these cakes to your place?” her manager asked as she picks up her bag pack.

“Aniyo, you can divide it among yourself,” she smiled at her manager, “I always get to have one every weekends since my husband’s brother loves to bake cakes,” she added as she starts to leave ahead of them, bringing along all her presents in two large bags.

When they arrived at their front porch, Sehun and Jinri are already waiting for her. Her driver and stylist helped her bring out her gifts as they greeted her one last time before they left. She turned to look at the two who had already slipped the boxes inside the house.

“So what are you two doing out in here?” she asked eyeing the two.

Jinri smiled and went behind her to blindfold her, “It’s a surprise,” she replied.

The two of them guided her inside.

Once inside and the door are closed, they left her standing almost near the door. She panicked as she tries to reach for them, “Sehun? Jinri? I hate this kind of jokes,” she threatened. But when no one answered her, she removed the blindfold only to be surprised by their jolly and loud greetings.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY NOONA!” then they popped up confetti and cheered as Jinri pushes the cart with a three layered cake.

“Make a wish then blow the candles,” Jinri smiled at her.

She closed her eyes and made a wish before blowing the candles. Her cousin made her wear a party hat as she led them to the living room where a projector awaits.

“Noona, there are some people who wants to greet you too,” Jungkook smiled then lets the video play.

The first part of the video compilation is her bestfriend Seohyun.

“Anyeong Sooyoung! Happy birthday! You are getting older now, huh? I am sorry I cannot come in there and greet you personally since my exams and all are tying me up in this school. Nevertheless, the boys are very resourceful that they even had to call me so I can send you a video, so here it is. Happy birthday again. Take care and I love you,”

The second one was from the newlywed, Jessica and Heechul.

“Hey there Shikshin! Happy birthday! Sorry we cannot join you since we are still on our honeymoon. You know how married couples are. Thank you for everything and I hope you stay as beautiful as you are now and don’t even think of trading us or your husband for food. Arasseo?” then Heechul speaks up, “Tell your husband to take the dare of who gets a son first,” into which Jessica punched him in the arm. “Happy birthday again,”

The third was from the rest of her eight friends, all squeezed in grabbing the camera to get a self shot which made her laugh and cry at the same time. She even got a video message from her parents and sister, which all the more made her cry.

The second to the last was from Meilin into which she squealed, “Omo! Meilin! My Chinese baby!”

“Hello Unnie! Happy birthday! Luhan gege called me this morning to send you a video message so I asked mommy to help me. I want to go there for your party but Mommy said it is bad for my flu. She said I will just send you my gift which might arrive tomorrow. Please don’t make Kris gege sad or worried, I love you unnie, happy birthday.”

The last one was from Luhan’s kids, “Wah~ Andy and Janine! I miss these two,” she pouted over the smiling Luhan.

“Anyeong Noona” Andy greeted first. “Hello Unnie,” Janine seconded.

“Noona, happy birthday! Appa called us this morning and said it is your birthday and he asked us to give you a message so we asked Mommy to help us make a video for our message.”

Janine spoke after her brother, “We asked Mommy to let us go home there but she said we will not be able to attend the party so she helped us send you our gifts. Daddy said you like chocolates so we bought some and had it delivered. I hope you like it!”

Then the two made a heart with their arms above their heads, “We love you Noona/Unnie, happy birthday!”

The video then ended as she wipes the tears on her face.

She pouted at the people around her who gave her group hug. After much of the hugs and all gesture of affections, they started the party. Everyone had their share of the food before they let the celebrant to slice the cake first. While they are on the cake, they decided to give her their gifts. The first was from the seven boys. It was Namjoon who stepped forward to give it. With a smile, she removed the wrap and gasped when she saw what’s inside it.

It’s a hanbok for a baby boy and a baby girl which comes in pairs. She marveled at the piece of cloth as she runs her hand on it. “Noona, we had our name embroidered at the inside collar so you won’t forget us. About the number, we are not sure if we would buy only a pair, but Jungkook had already ordered two of each kind, so there it is. We hope you like it,” he explained.

“Who says I don’t like it? I totally love it!” then carefully closed the box. Sehun did the honor of giving their gift.

“We all had our fair share in buying that gift, but Suho had to pay for the extra amount,” he smiled as she reaches for the velvet box. Jinri was even awed by the content of the box. It was a diamond jewelry set; a necklace, pair of earrings and a single ring to go with it.

“I don’t know what came to their mind, but we hope to see you wear that on an occasion which you think would fit it,” Sehun added as she looked at them.

“This is too much, you can just have a watch or a simpler one,” she closed the box as she places it atop the first gift.

“We would waste anything for you,” Suho smiled. Then they all looked at Jinri.

With an awkward smile, she handed her a paper bag. With all curiosity, Sooyoung smiled when she pulled out a pair of bedroom slippers with bunny heads. The larger one is colored gray while the smaller is pink.

“Minki and I are grounded for now because we had stepped down our school rank, so that’s it. I’m sorry I can’t think of anything,” she smiled.

“I am not complaining. Don’t worry, I understand and I do not expect anything big anyways. The thought is what counts for me,” then pulled her cousin for a hug.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

By around eleven everyone had already left as the boys retired to their quarters. They all helped her tidy up the place before the seven left and Jinri get picked up by Minki. She stayed by the living room, waiting for her husband to get home. Just as she was about to doze off from getting tired, she heard a car pull up. With all the sleepiness leaving her system, she waited for her husband to get inside.

“Oppa, you’re home,” she stood up as she starts to walk up to meet him. “How was work?” she asked, smiling expectantly at him, but he just walked past her.

“I’m tired Soo, not now,” he sighed and walked upstairs leaving her gaping at his back as tears starts to well on her eyes. Then she starts to hiccup as her sobs echoes on to the living room.

The boys who all came out of Kai’s room, saw her standing right at the foot of the stairs, her hands on her face as she cries and mumbles, “A simple happy birthday will do.”

“Noona, is everything alright? Has hyung arrived already?” Kyungsoo stepped forward and hushed her into a hug.

“He didn’t even greet me,” she sobbed into Kyungsoo’s shoulder.

“That jerk!” Luhan hissed and went upstairs. They heard the slamming of the door. After a while, Luhan went down looking defeated, “I’m sorry. I think the dragon in him resurfaced when he saw me,” he smiled apologetically at the woman. It all the more made Sooyoung cry.

After a few minutes of hiccups and loud sobs, her request made everyone drop their jaw.

“Chanyeol, sleep with me tonight,” she sniffed, wiping the tear stains off her face.

It was after a while before the boys were able to reply, in chorus.

“WHAT?”

“But Noona, that’s … “ Chen blinked his eyes at her.

“Wae? He will just sleep with me,” she pouted.

“Noona, having your revenge that way will do us no good. It will only make the matters worse,” Baekhyun shifted from his place, looking anxious already.

Sooyoung eyed each of them, “Are you guys thinking of something?”

When they did not give a reply, she laughed.

“Chanyeol will be sleeping in my room but not on my bed. He will be bringing his sleeping bag with him. I am not that crazy to hit on him,” then laughed again.

Everyone sighed, but Chanyeol protested again.

“Noona, I may love you with all my heart as a sister but then I would not want to wake by the dragon’s fire breath. I still have plans in life you know,” he begged.

“Don’t worry, I will make sure he will not touch a single hair from you, besides we can talk about Ha Ni if we can’t get  to sleep,’ she grinned.

Chanyeol’s eyes twinkled as a smile appears on his lips, “On the other hand, I think it’s not bad to spend a night on my sleeping bag. I’ll go and freshen up and get my sleeping bag. I’ll just knock on your door,’ then turned his back on them.

“What’s with him?” Chen asked again.

“Who’s that Ha Ni?” Kai asked too.

Sooyoung just smiled as she starts to go upstairs to her room.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Chanyeol shifted properly into his sleeping bag which he placed on the right side of Sooyoung’s bed.

“So Noona, why are you crying earlier?” he asked as Sooyoung rolls over the right of her bed.

“Because he just walked past me. I mean, I am his wife so he should at least know my birthday right? I remember his so he should remember mine too,” she replied.

“Ah, the issue about dates,” Chanyeol mused. There was silence.

“Noona,” he called her again.

“Ne?”

“You should understand hyung. I know he would not do that on purpose. It might just slip off his mind since he had been so busy about the company. I heard that some shareholders are threatening him to pull of their share of the company; as far as what I hear from the boys,” he relayed.

She did not reply to it.

“Hyung was never the affectionate among us. He never knows how to show his feelings to people. When he does, sometimes he overdoes it that it became irritating already. He may act sweet and all to you, but trust me, he asks us beforehand as what to do. Besides, you are the first girl who took him seriously,” he added.

Sooyoung sighed, but then she caught something from what he said.

“What do you mean I am the first to take him seriously?” she looked down at Chanyeol.

“I can’t spill anything regarding that, maybe you need to let hyung open up to you regarding that matter,” he nervously smiled.

“Come on Chanyeol, it’s not that bad to give hints,” she pouted.

“Noona, hyung will surely kill me if I tell you the whole story,” he his side, but she poked him on the side.

“Please, just a hint. Come on Channie,” she begged. But when the guy did not respond to it, she dropped her last option.

“Then I will tell Dr. Ha Ni about your certain liking to Baekhyun and infect her mind that you are gay. So let’s see whom she will believe the most,” then turned her back only to hear Chanyeol’s shuffling.

“Noona!” he whined, sitting up.

Sooyoung turned around, grinning, “So spill.”

Chanyeol sighed, “I will be surely dead once hyung learns this.” He laid down on his sleeping bag first before he started narrating.

“Hyung fell in love once, on his first fiancée. A Chinese female heir of his grandmother’s business partner and close family friend. According to him, he thought she was the right girl since she is just what his ideal type is. Modest, well mannered, beautiful, smart and all sorts of perfections. He got so in love on that girl, which he even thought of rushing the wedding but his Mother, Mrs. Wu delays his request,” he paused to look at her.

“Don’t put some suspense or I will really call Dr. Ha Ni,” she threatened.

He rolled his eyes, “But then, faith seems to be so cruel for hyung at that time. He really thought the girl loves him too, just as how he loves her. Turns out, she was just like that when they are together or when he is in front of her. Because like those rich brats, she has multiple guys all swarming over her and the gross part is that she entertains them all. There was even a rumor that she had gone to bed with all those guys.”

He paused to take a breath.

“One night, when he was looking for her because her grandmother asks him to fetch her he found her on one of those prestigious clubs in China with men surrounding her into which she entertains too. He made a scene there but what made him stop was when the girl said she was just fooling around and agreed to the marriage just for the money and the family inheritance she will get once they get married.”

Sooyoung was silent all the while he is narrating. Finding it hard to believe what this giant is telling her. When Chanyeol stopped, she looked at him, “How come you know the details?”

“Well, we all have our ways on knowing things,” he replied.

“So you mean, he was betrayed?” she asked again.

Chanyeol gave a nod, “That’s when he closed his world to the word love. He just focused on the company and his mother too. After that event, he decided to transfer here in Korea to forget about that horrible past. This is where he met us and probably you know the rest.”

She was tongue tied at what she learns. Chanyeol soon drifted off to sleep as she ponders over what she had just learned from him.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Kris was startled to see a sprawled Chanyeol at the side of Sooyoung’s bed while his wife is asleep, her comforter all tangled in her body. “What a messy girl,” he sighed and moved to cover her properly before bending down to wake up the snoring guy. He shook him, “Wake up Chanyeol,” he whispered, careful not to wake up his wife.

Chanyeol groaned, shifting, “Kyungsoo, five more minutes, I promise I will wake up after that,” then rolled on the other side.

“Then don’t blame me if I roll you down the stairs after five minutes,” he threatened which made the addressed one pen his eyes.

“What are you doing here?” Kris asked standing up as Chanyeol pulls up himself.

“Noona was scared last night from a nightmare so she asked me to spend the night in here with my sleeping bag. No need to get mad or such,” he wiped off the sleepiness from his face.

“I am not a five year old kid to get deceived by that reason, explain,” he hissed.

“She was hurt because you did not greet her last night so she asked me to spend the night with her,” he immediately replied.

He was about to reply when Sooyoung stirred from her sleep, groaning, “Shut up will you? I am tired in here! I need some sleep,” then rolled on her sides, turning her back on the two.

Kris eyed Chanyeol as the latter sighed before standing up to grab his sleeping bag, dragging himself out the room. It was still four in the morning. After closing the door, Kris moved to sleep beside her, pulling her into a hug after turning her.

“I’m sorry,” he started, “I was just tired from work. I know you might get tired from the same reason but that’s the real reason.”

“Oppa, it’s so early. A simple happy birthday will do,” she replied, her eyes still closed.

“I should have at least got home earlier since I know it’s your birthday, I’m sorry Sooyoung,” he kissed her forehead.

“I know, now shut up so I can sleep in here,” she whispered, snuggling into his arms.

He reached for his pocket and pulled out a heart shaped ruby necklace. He cautiously moved to put it around her neck. After securing the lock, he leaned down to kiss her on the lips before whispering, “Belated happy birthday Mrs. Wu Sooyoung,” then closed his eyes.

She grabbed the cold stone and peeked to check it. A smile made its way on her lips as she pulls him closer, drifting to dreamland again.