“Happy birthday!” The flash went off and you groaned, knowing for sure you must have blinked. The person next to you clapped and cheered but you placed a hand on his arm to stop him.

            “Can we redo? I swear I closed my eyes!”

            Junhong looked down at you from his immense height and grinned wickedly. “Not a chance! It’s your turn to blink anyway!”

            You silently mourned the ritual that had begun four years ago. But the loving look that he later gave you as he granted your wish for another photo retake made you smile. As much as the two of you teased one another, you knew that it was completely out of affection.

You first met at auditions for an acapella group. You wanted to be the lead singer and he was trying for beatboxing. You had a sore throat so were in the corner, trying to practice and warm up before the competition started. Auditions were always fierce, and being a freshman, there would be a lot more of you wanting to join.

            “Here, this might be better.” You looked to the side and saw the tall boy holding a cup of warm tea. “I put honey in it too.”

            “Thanks,” you smiled at him.

            “I’m Junhong. I saw you at orientation last week. It would be nice if we could both join.”

            He was being a little too talkative and all you really wanted to do was drink your tea in peace and continue practicing. To be polite, you smiled once more, this time a little thinly, “Yep. Good luck to you too.”

            This time he seemed to get the hint because he stopped talking and sat there instead. A little part of you wanted to kick yourself. Here was a very attractive boy who was kind enough to get you tea for your sore throat and what do you do? You coldly refuse his efforts to get close. You also knew your roommate was going to kick you out of the dorm if she found out you had turned down a hottie. But this audition mattered more.

            The results were announced the next week. You lingered around the board, anxiously waiting to see if the paper had gone up. The first time you checked there was nothing, the second time, the mob was too crazy and you weren’t in the mood. When you went back late at night, your stomach was clenched with nerves.

            Finally, it was just you and the announcement paper. You stepped up to it and scanned the list of singers anxiously for your name.

            “Congratulations.” You spun around and saw with a skip of your heart Junhong behind you. His arms were clasped behind him and he bent slightly over you to peer at the paper. “Good job.”

            “Thank you,” you stammered. Maybe this was your second choice.

            “Welcome to the team,” he smiled. He held out a cupcake. “Here you go. Want to take a walk around or something?” He didn’t know (then at least) but it was your birthday and it couldn’t be a better present.

            “We should take a picture in front of the paper, to commemorate.”

            You were still in euphoria so agreed to whatever he wanted. He held his phone in front of the two you. “Kimchi!” The flash went off accidently and he groaned when he saw the picture. “Ugh, I totally blinked.”

            You laughed. “We’re keeping it.”

            He asked you out two weeks later.

            The next day on your birthday, Junhong turned to you. “You never told me we had our first date on your birthday.”

            “It didn’t count as a date. We barely spoke.”

            “It does,” he argued. “I gave you a cupcake and I asked you to walk around campus.”

            You two were busy preparing for finals and you shook your pencil at him. “Well, a year later and what are we doing now?”

            He slid his chair closer to you. “Want to go for a walk later? After we study of course,” he added hastily. He knew how important grades were to you.

            “Junhong! It’s freezing outside.”

            “It was the same weather last year.”

            “Last year I was too excited at the news, I could care less.”

            He huffed and slid down in his chair, closing his book, clearly losing all motivation to study. After a few seconds, he sat up. “If we walk out now, and it started snowing, how romantic would that be?”

            By now the words were blurring and a walk suddenly sounded like a good idea. “I’d like that,” you admitted.

            “I can even hold onto you to keep you warm,” he smiled. You had to admit, Junhong was adorable and very persuasive when he wanted to be. You put on your coat and walked into his outstretched arms.

            “Take me.”

            It did start snowing. The moon was out and the two of you breathed quietly, watching your breath come out in bursts of mist. “Picture?”

            Again, there was a flash and this time you knew you had blinked. “Ah! You really need to turn off flash on your phone.”

            “Sorry, sorry,” he mumbled. “Flash just works better at night.

            On your third birthday together, the two of you were giving each other the silent treatment. You had fought previously because he messed up your holiday plans. After a grueling two weeks of finals, all you had to look forward to was a relaxing vacation with your boyfriend but he forgot to buy tickets.

            The stress had gotten to you and you had said some things you didn’t mean, and he had retaliated in kind. It was painful being in your room, and not in the library with him next to you. Your fingers dragged across the keyboard as you tried to finish the essay without giving him too much thought.

            It was past midnight and you checked your phone. Nothing from Junhong. This cold shoulder has been going on way too long. You decided that once you finished this page, you were going to go find him.

            There was suddenly a knock on the door. You walked to it and saw your boyfriend standing there, holding a cake with a candle lit up. “Happy birthday, I’m sorry. I love you.”

            You wanted to hug him but the cake was in the way. It would be rude to just put it down so you closed your eyes, made a wish and blew the candle out. “Hi, I miss you. I love you too.”

            You pulled him into the room and put the cake on the table. Once his hands were free, Junhong hugged you to him. “I got the tickets. I’m sorry I was so dumb.”

            “Shh,” you glued yourself to his chest, inhaling his familiar scent. “This is happiness.”

            Two slices of cake and a lot of kisses later, you laid your head on him. “You know, I still have to write that essay.”

            “Oops,” he grinned. “Should I let you go to do it?”

            You glanced at the now dark screen of your laptop. “Maybe tomorrow. Today, we need to take a picture to commemorate.”

            He laughed and held out his phone. “One, two three.” And true to tradition, the flash on his camera went off and you heard his groan. “It’s me. I’m sorry.”

            This was your last birthday together before you two graduated. He was determined to make it a larger event, inviting your friends. Afterwards, you printed out the picture with your eyes closed and hung it next to the other three photos. “You, me, you and now me again,” you chuckled. “I wonder where you’ll be closing your eyes next year.”

            Junhong shrugged and hugged you. “Doesn’t matter. I just know I will be with you when I do.”

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHAPPHIRE ♥

Thank you for always supporting me, and I know this is late but I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless!