IMPORTANT: I've updated a lot in the past day, so make sure you've read the previous chapters! :) 

Mirae becomes aware of the volume of chatter increasing. People are pointing to something in the distance. She turns around.

    Her eyes nearly pop out of their sockets.

    Kim Jongin is wheeling a gigantic cart to the arboretum gazebo. Sitting atop the cart is an enormous, 5-foot-long, six-tiered cake, covered with smooth blue fondant and stenciled with satiny white icing that gives the cake the impression of being covered with plaid fabric. A huge blue bow sits on the very top layer; further inspection reveals that the bow, too, is actually made of cream. But the most spectacular part of the cake is that every intricate curl, every sophisticated swirl, has been duplicated on the other side of the cake. It is perfectly symmetrical.

    Mirae stares.

    Jongin scans the crowd, searching for Mirae. His eyes land on her, and his heart skips a beat as he stares at her slim figure, clad in an elegant white dress, a hostile expression in her eyes. She really is beautiful, he thinks.

“Happy birthday, Mirae,” Jongin says. His voice is ragged and tired, yet he is grinning from ear to ear. Mirae notices that he is only wearing a pair of jeans and a rumpled t-shirt. “Thank you for being such a great person. I never told you how much you did for me, and I’m sorry for being such an idiot. I made you this cake, because you like cake. Each tier is a different flavor. There’s chocolate, strawberry, coffee, red velvet, carrot, and lemon.”

“What the hell?” Sehun mutters. “Jongin hasn’t baked in his life. I don’t even think he knows what an oven is.”

“Did he learn to bake just for her?” Suyeon whistles. “That’s pretty impressive.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen Jongin in non-designer clothes,” Sehun chortles. “I think that’s the most impressive part.”

Jaesun comes up behind Mirae. “See, I told you I had the cake taken care of! What do you think?”

Mirae does not respond. Instead, she steps out from the crowd and slowly makes her way to Jongin. He swallows hard and looks at her in hope.

“Why did you go so over-the-top?” Mirae asks in an aloof tone.

Jongin stretches his mouth into an exhausted grin. “Because you deserve it. And I’m seriously sorry.”

Mirae is silent. She can feel everyone’s eyes on her and Jongin. Finally, she tells him in a hushed voice, “I told Suyeon.”

His eyes widen. “Really? How did it go?”

    “It went well,” she nods. “I... I realized I should’ve told her earlier. But I feel a lot better now.”

    “You know, my dad and I are on good terms now,” Jongin murmurs. “The night we had our fight, he picked me up, and we just talked. About a lot. And... you were completely right about everything. I was running away from him, completely unwilling to give him a chance. I’m grateful that you were totally honest with me, and even how you scheduled that tutoring session with me so you could try to talk everything out, even when I was a douche, and how you didn’t back down from Sunset Tutoring and how upbeat and cute you were all the- I- I mean, sorry, I’m rambling,” he stammers. “I’ve had about 10 hours of sleep in the past 2 weeks. Cake baking is hard work.”

“You actually pulled all nighters so you could make this?” Mirae asks, half-concerned, half-amused.

Jongin nods rapidly. “Yeah. And I didn’t shower for days. Oh, don’t worrry!” he blurts when Mirae backs away. “My mom made me take a shower before I came.”

She chortles. “Charming.”

“So, uh, I’m really sorry again. And thank you, again. And, uh, uh-,”

Mirae cuts him off by tentatively wrapping her arms around him in a hug. “You’re forgiven,” she declares.

A huge grin spreads across Jongin’s face, and he grabs Mirae and squeezes her tightly. “Whoopee!” he yells joyfully.

“Awww!” the crowd cooes.

“This is the most undignified I’ve ever seen Kim Jongin act,” Suyeon notes, arching her eyebrows.

“He hasn’t said ‘Whoopee’ a single day of his life,” Sehun whistles.

“Hey, let go of me!” Mirae shouts, wriggling around in Jongin’s arms. “You’re choking me! Jesus!”

“Try the cake! Try the cake!” He grabs a spoon from the nearest table and hands it to her. “Wait! No! Put the candle! On the top! Sing happy birthday first!”

“You need some sleep,” Mirae says, staring at him with wide eyes.

“Sleep deprivation truly is a scary thing,” Jaesun laughs, strolling up to the two. “I’m taking this kid straight home after we finish eating cake. So, do you like your present, Mirae?”

She giggles. “I love it. Thanks, Jaesun. You’re awesome.”

“How come she compliments you more than she compliments me?” Jongin grouses. “That’s not fair. I’m the one that made the cake.”

Jaesun gives Mirae a look. “Is this really my son?” he jokes, shaking his head.

Mrs. Hwang hurries over and sticks a large blue candle that reads “17” into the top layer of the cake. “You’re going to have to explain who this one is when we get home,” she informs her daughter matter-of-factly, tipping her head in Jongin’s direction.

“It’s going to be a pretty long story, Mom,” Mirae sighs affectionately.

“Well, here we go!” Mrs. Hwang lights the candle, and the entire crowd begins singing “Happy Birthday”. Mirae stands in front of the cake, smiling from ear to ear. The audience is full of people who love and care about her: Suyeon, her mother, Dr. Yoon, Jaesun, and- most surprisingly- Kim Jongin.

Mirae closes her eyes.

    It is like a vision. A large, bumbling black figure looms up in front of her, a cruel expression on its face. “Lookie here, Hwang Mirae,” it snarls, and Mirae knows that this is her OCD. “I have no plans of leaving you any time soon.”

    “I know,” Mirae responds calmly. “But don’t think I’m just going to give up without a fight. I’ve spent years working to overcome you, and it’s going to happen soon. Look at all these people I have by my side.”

    “Hmph!” her OCD sniffs, and it backs away into the distance.

Yeah, I have problems, Mirae thinks, but then again, I have these kickass people in my life to help me solve them. She has learned so much in the past year about friendship, family, and herself. Mirae is entering this new year of her life as a much more mature person.

“17 year old Mirae is ready to kick , as usual,” she mutters under her breath, and grins.

The cake is surprisingly spectacular.

“You know, you should really consider a career in the food industry,” Mirae remarks, turning to Jongin- but finds him fast asleep, his face buried in his plate of cake.

Sehun sniggers behind him. “Picture time,” he whispers, taking out his iPhone 6.

“Jesus, Jongin,” Mirae groans. “Wake up!”

“Whazzama,” he mumbles unintelligibly. When he raises his face, Suyeon, Sehun, and Mirae can’t help but burst into laughter. His cheeks are covered with white frosting and blue fondant.

“You look like a complete mess,” Suyeon snorts. “All hail #49 on the Daegu Peacocks, the son of a multimillionaire, the notorious womanizing playboy: the famous Kim Jongin!”

“Goodness gracious,” Mirae sighs, grabbing her napkin. She starts to wipe the food off of Jongin’s face. “What am I, your mother?”

Sehun snickers. “Even Mrs. Kim would be too embarrassed to admit he’s her son right now.”

“Mom?” Jongin stutters. "Is that you?" Suyeon and Sehun erupt into raucous howls.

“Oh, ! He really did just mom-zone you, Mirae!” Suyeon screams, slapping her knee.

“Shut the hell up!” Mirae barks. “Why don’t you try helping him instead of mocking him? You two had about 10 slices of his cake.”

“But he looks like such a loser,” Sehun sneers. “What a contrast to his Saturday night personas. Have you seen him? He’s suave and seductive. But now, he looks like some random guy who goes to public school and has a part-time job. Ha! Oh, not saying that public school- or part-time jobs- are bad or anything,” he hastily adds after Suyeon and Mirae give him death glares.

“I remember the first time I saw you, I thought you looked like a total tool,” Suyeon muses. “I was absolutely right.”

“Suyeon, that was mean,” Sehun pouts. “Take that back.”

She shrugs. “I just say it like it is.”

Mirae’s stomach hurts from laughing so hard. She thinks this is the best day of her life.

A/N: wow i've felt so bittersweet writing this chapter and the last chapter. yeah the next chap will be the final chap

ALSO KUDOS TO bubblegumfish FOR BEING SMART AS AND FIGURING OUT WHAT JONGIN WAS GONNA DO FOR MIRAE