Taemin paces around his room, he has the eye bags that coordi noona would usually shrieked at and they would scolded him for it. He hadn’t slept the night before. He couldn’t, to be honest.

 

The reason is, he’s been calling Jongin for hours (4 hours to be exact) to no avail. Minho too, and Jonghyun and Kibum, and he texted Jinki (the manager precisely told them to not talking too much with Jinki) for hundred times but still, no answer.

 

He even called every single managers that in charge for every members, but no one picked up. except manager Minho who told him to get ready for his schedule.

 

Yep, he has schedule on his birthday.

 

“Hyung, why didn’t you tell me before?” He demands for an answer as soon as he hopped on the van.

 

Manager Minho studies the dancer by the rear mirror “good morning to you too birthday boy” he greets a little sarcastically “I did, but you were too busy with nagging the others about your birthday. Don’t you remember?”

 

Taemin couldn’t recall anything from the last time he met his hyung, he couldn’t even remember what he ate for breakfast earlier. “Really?”

 

The manager nods in response and Taemin can only sits back and fiddling with his phone. He checks his phone for every minute but still no one responded to his message.

 

“Hyung, where are the hyungs?” Taemin asks “they don’t even reply to any of messages and they don’t return my calls. This isn’t a prank right?”

 

The manager sighs, “Kibum is practicing for his musical. Minho and Jonghyun, they are going to Japan for some appearances. Jinki, as usual, he’s resting”

 

“but..”

 

Manager Minho sees how the ever so bright Taemin goes crestfallen at hearing the news“I’m sorry, Taemin ah. They said you don’t need to worry right? Well, you don’t have to. they already prepared something for you.”

 

Taemin fakes a smile. It would be a lie to say he is okay with what happened. “This isn’t a prank right hyung?” Taemin asks once again. his eyes lit with hope, the manager sighs and shake his head.

 

He puts his phone aside, he doesn’t need to wait for them anymore. Closing his eyes, he could feel the sunray creeps through the window as he chants calm down Taemin ah, calm down, today is going to be great. He tries his best not to cry.

 

“Taemin ah, we’re here. Wake up” Manager Minho pats his hands and Taemin jolts awake. he can’t remember when he got drift to sleep.

 

Taemin lets out a soft yawn, his eyes flutters “where are we?”

 

“the company. You didn’t listen to me at all did you?” Taemin could only grins when the manager scolded him.

 

When he alights off the van, there are fans waiting for him. yelling “Taemin ah! Happy birthday!” some of them even gave him his birthday presents that he gladly take and said thank you afterwards.

 

“Taemin ssi, those are package for you.” one of the employed says, pointing at the stacks of things in the corner of the reception room. “oh and Happy birthday!”

 

After saying thank you, Taemin turns his heels and went to see the packages. Birthday presents, he thinks. The presents are from his fans. He took a mental note to update on their website to say thank you from each and every present he received. Taemin asks the manager to send everything to his home before he goes to the practice room.

 

Even though he feels kind of sad, wait scratch that, he is sad. But, it doesn’t mean he’s going to let it affecting his work. He is determined to be the best at what he does and that is it.  

 

The dance practice lasted for 2 hours and he takes a break, sprawling on the practice room. Taemin wants to think it’s because he didn’t able to get some sleep the night before that he is now sweating, laying on his back in the middle of the practice room, and not because he’s getting old that day. Nope, he refused the idea.

 

“ya Lee Taemin, you just turning 22 and you already that tired?” a voice startles him.

 

Taemin instantly stands up, facing the voice “Kibum hyung? I thought you are practicing for your musical”

 

“yes, I did. Well, I bailed off though. I’m not going to miss your birthday of course” kibum announces. He spreads his arm and Taemin lets himself be hugged by the older boy “oh Taeminnie, happy birthday!”

 

“Thank you hyung”

 

It is Kibum who lets go first, “Taemin you stinks! Showers please, and meet me at the cafeteria down stairs okay?”

 

It usually takes 20 minutes for Taemin to get freshen up after dance practice, but since his birthday is more important that shower, he already dressed up in 10 minutes.

 

Kibum doesn’t surprise though, he knows Taemin could get a little hyper about something. He usually would nag at the maknae about how important to keep the hygiene, but for now he lets it slide. They sit in silence for quiet sometimes, enjoying their own Americano; Kibum ordered it for Taemin before. Both parties don’t know how to start the conversation, really. It isn’t because they are awkward with each other, no of course, it is just hard to say something when both of them are hiding something.

 

Taemin cleared his throat before starts “so, Minho hyung said you guys have something for me?”

 

“Yes yes we are” Kibum retorts. Sipping another bitter liquid down his throat and continue “that’s why we’re here”

 

“we?” Taemin asks.

 

The last thing Taemin saw is Kibum’s grin before his eyes are closed by something, he doesn’t sure what it is. “Yes, we” a voice; not Kibum’s says.

 

Taemin doesn’t know whether he should scream or should cry, so he does both of them in the same time. He wanted to take the lid from his eyes off, but he couldn’t move his hand. His hands have been cuffed. He screams for Kibum’s name to no avail. “This is so not funny!” he says, still no respond. There is a low chuckle though, and Taemin knows the person behind the chuckle very well.

 

Taemin could feel his body being dragged, and he tried to stay still but the person, wait, the people who drag him are strong. Or maybe Taemin is too exhausted from the dance practice.

 

“Taemin, taemin stay still okay? you’ll be okay” another voice commands him.

 

Taemin knows the voice in the back of his head. “J-jonghyun hyung?”

 

“ hyung stop talking!” other voice says

 

“M-minho hyung?”

 

“YA! Now he knows who you guys are. idiots” Kibum snaps.

 

The next thing, the same chuckle like the one before could be heard, “Jinki hyung?”

 

“okay okay you got us. So stop moving.” Taemin acknowledge the voice as Minho’s.

 

Instead of staying still, Taemin becomes more aggressive “No no no let me go! You’re going to kill me because I’m annoying right? Right?”

 

“Kibum ah you should’ve put sleeping pills on his coffee!” Jonghyun yells

 

“hyung are you stupid or something? Coffee and sleeping pills? what kind of irony is that?” Kibum retorts

 

“Hyung! Open the door!” minho commands with heavy breathing. “step in Taemin ah”

 

Half-heartedly, Taemin step in to the car. It isn’t a van like they usually use. It is smaller. “Hyung you drive!” Minho says

 

“what? Him? driving? I don’t want to die young!”

 

“Ya! I am the one who teach you how to drive!”

 

Taemin’s eyes grow larger behind the lid, “what no! not Jonghyun hyung! That guy hasn’t slept yet I know it. no I don’t want to die on my birthday”

 

“then you want Jinki hyung to drive?” Minho asks Taemin.

 

“hey what is that supposed to mean?” a raspy voice says. Jinki’s.

 

“it means I’m driving” Jonghyun states.

 

Jonghyun starts the engine, and the next thing they know they are on the road. The street isn’t that crowded.

 

Few minutes later, they could hear a soft snore, Taemin is fast asleep on Kibum’s shoulder. Totally wasted from the chaos in the morning of his birthday.

~~

 

When he wakes up, the lid is still on his eyes. the last thing he remember was Jonghyun singing along to a song from the radio. “hyung?” he called, but no one answer. So, he decides to open the eyelid. His eyes flutter, adjusting the amount of light his eyes could take. He was right, there is no one in the car.

 

Once he alights from the car, he stretches his body. Sleeping in the car is not comfortable at all.

 

When he realized he’s in front of a house; that he acknowledge a countryside style, he pinches his cheek. A smile grown on his face, a little too bright than he intended to.

 

So yes, Taemin did wish to have his birthday on the ranch or anything that isn’t city-ish. he checks on his pocket for his phone, but it wasn’t there. but there is a paper with “come inside the house”

 

His feet brought him to the house faster than he thought. It should be scary though, entering some old house that possibly has ghost and every mystical creature in it. but Taemin is Taemin, he doesn’t have anything to be scared off, well, except his mom’s nagging.

 

Inside of the house, there isn’t anything except a chair and a projector. Taemin pressed the play on the remote and the video starts playing.

 

The video shows his pictures and videos from his childhood, his first audition, his debut time up until the picture from their recent concerts. Then a video message from his colleagues on the company, his childhood friends, his hyung. Yes, his shy hyung who doesn’t really like to be in spotlight. From his parents, his mother said how much he makes her proud. His dad said something about work harder and don’t let anyone down. Taemin in other hand, couldn’t hold back his tears.

 

Once the video finished, someone, once again, closed his eyes. this time, Taemin doesn’t resist it.

 

The next thing Taemin knows, he could feel the grass beneath his feet. The sunray drops on his face, but he couldn’t complain. Five minutes later, they stopped walking.

 

“open your lid when I said so okay?” someone tells him; it is Minho. Taemin nods.

 

Taemin can’t hide his excitement. And it is showing on his face. He couldn’t feel his cheekbones anymore from too much smiling.

 

“1 2 3 open your eyes Taemin ah!” Minho says.

 

“SURPRISE!” everyone screams in the same time once the lid has been taken off.

 

The first thing Taemin notices is the big sign of “Happy Birthday Taeminnie!” hanging from one pole to another, makes it look like a gate to a festival.

 

“woaahh” Taemin jaw drops at the sight.

 

The party looks almost exactly like what he requested to Minho. He asked for a festival themed party, with cotton candy makers everywhere and circus attraction that Jonghyun; with the help of Jongin prepared. There is also a big screen placed in one corner playing a slide show of Taemin’s pictures and videos. There are cupcakes everywhere, screw diet he thought when he asked for it. the cupcakes are courtesy by Kibum. which also the one who prepares the life-sized Taemin’s birthday cake in the middle.

 

His family is there, his friends, even Adam and Eve is running around the place. And Taemin is amazed by the whole thing but he noticed something off with the whole thing. His face turns saddened.

 

“you hate it?” Kibum asks

 

“no no of course not” Taemin quickly responds “Jongin…”

 

Minho cues at someone near the projector that connected to the screen. And all of a sudden, Jongin’s face showed up.

 

“Taemin ah! Happy birthday! I’m sorry I couldn’t be there to celebrate the most awesome birthday of yours. I should tell you earlier but I don’t want you to be upset. Hmm I never good with words though, what should I say huh? Well, thank you for being my friend, my best friend. Thank you for always be there when I need someone to talk. Happy birthday Taemin ah, I love you! and have fun, see? The hyungs really worked hard for making the party happened. Enjoy it okay! Love you! Oh wait wait you owed me a fancy meal once I got back to Korea okay! bye!” and the video message ended.

~~

 

The party goes smoothly. Everyone is having fun. And taemin couldn’t get any happier.

 

“So you like it?” Jinki asks Taemin. Taemin nods excitedly.

 

“I love it”

 

“good, but I have something else” Jinki announces.

 

Taemin eyes went wider when he see Amanda Seyfried’s face showed up on the screen. he runs closer to the screen, and once he close enough he jumped around excitedly. “Amanda seyfried Amanda seyfried!!!!!!!!!” he practically yells. Kibum rolls his eyes because it’s not the right way to pronounce the actress’ name.

 

Minho, Jonghyun and Kibum came closer to Jinki with unsatisfied faces. Jinki looks up questioningly “why?”

 

“you didn’t put any subtitle in it?” Minho asks but it sounds more like complaining.

 

“am I supposed to do that?”

 

The three replied in unison “YES!”

 

Taemin goes back to his hyungs when the video finished. The smile is still there so Jinki felt kind of relieve

 

“Hyung, I didn’t get a single thing she said beside “happy birthday Taemin” but I loooooveee it!!!!!” Taemin squeals, he sounds exactly like their fangirls. even worse, maybe.

 

Then Kibum translates the messages to Taemin, Taemin nods along the way. he finally gets it.

 

“so, do you like everything?” Jonghyun makes sure.

 

Instead of an answer, Taemin gives them hugs. a tight hugs. a crushing bones hugs, Jinki describes. They don’t need a word to know that they did a great job on the maknae’s birthday.

 

“group hug!!!!!!” Jonghyun announces and then they hugged. As well as chanting their group chants.

 

Taemin knew he would get the most awesome birthday ever from the first place. And he really got it. he couldn’t ask for more, really. everything is just perfect.

 

“this is the last time okay. no more birthday project. I’m tired” Minho warns, and everyone fell into awkward silence. “oh crap” Minho muttered under his breath.

 

The laughter afterwards didn’t die down for a good 5 minutes.

 

“the most awesome party. Ever” Taemin announces.

 

---

---

 

First, thank you for reading, for subscribing, for upvoting, for commenting. thank you! Second, thank you for bearing with my lack in everything. i dont have time to proof read anything so i know there are grammatical errors everywhere. third, the winners will be announced on the next chapters. 

anyway...

 

IT'S TAEMIN'S BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!! *throws confetti* *lits up the fireworks* 

my taebaby is 22!!!!! Taeminnie, happy birthday!!!! I hope you having fun, wherever you are now. Just don't grow up. I love you!<3