An irksome sound heralds the end of peacefulness. 

It was the uproar of the alarm clock that awakens Kris along with the superfluous addition of the early whir of engines outside.

After moments of continuously hitting the snooze button, he finally submits, causing him to get up with reluctance & sit on the edge of his king-sized bed, covered in unruly, pure white sheets with a jet black, plain wooden headboard. He gently rubs his eyes with the tip of his palms & let them idle on his smooth & pearly forehead until he finally decides to get up & head to his all white bathroom. It’s compact, but big enough to fit his necessities.

The first thing he grabs is his plain white toothbrush, with bristles soft enough to gently brush on his delicate gums, & adds a sufficient amount of his favorite toothpaste. He then wipes his mouth with a towel & proceeds to the shower box.

Kris takes his time in cleansing his body & after that, he grabs a towel & wraps it around his waistline & continues his daily routine by walking to his walk-in closet that is filled with a variety of exorbitant clothing, shoes, bags, belts & ties as costly as furnitures.

Because of his clerical profession, he puts on a black suit & to compliment his attire for this ‘special’ day, he decides to put on that special pin for the first time. The pin is shaped like the number 6. To some people, it might look like an ordinary pin, but to Kris, it’s something that makes him sentimental.

✺ ✺ ✺ 

“Hey Kris remember when you were trying to impress that girl in our school by doing the moonwalk but you ended up slipping instead?!” Tao asked Kris, trying to hold his laughter as best as he can.

“Can we not bring that ba—“

“Oh & that time when you wanted to show how tough & manly you are to that group of gangsters in our school, but instead, you showed them your childish side?!”

“HEY SHUT UP I was trying to protect you at that time!” Kris tried his best to look as if he’s livid although Tao has already burst into tears of laughter after recalling what he just said.

Staying mad at Tao has always been one of the hardest things to do for Kris. Other than the fact that they’ve been best buddies for 9 years, Kris also thought that Tao emits a peculiar aura which can change up his mood in a matter of seconds which is why his bad moods immediately disappear in Tao’s presence.. in which Kris has had mixed feelings about.

It’s been 9 years since the first time they met. They both remembered that day, 9 years ago, as if it was just yesterday.

Like many other best friends, they’ve also had their major quarrels back in their childhood. Though they’ve never physically fought, their worst quarrel involved not talking to each other for 5 days.

“Let’s hurry up & cut the ice cream cake before it melts” Tao commanded while stomping his feet & lightly shaking Kris with both hands.

“Okay, okay I’m gonna cut it now” Kris quickly grabbed the cake knife which was placed beside the ice cream cake they had bought together a couple of hours earlier in a nearby bakeshop.

“Happy 9 years of friendship to us & happy birthday to you, Kris hyung!” Kris’ lips curved into a smile at Tao’s greeting while staring at the circular cake covered in white & dark brown icing.

The day their eyes met for the very first time, was the day Kris turned 11 & Tao was 8 years old.

Since the time they moved to Korea together to further their education, they had been celebrating like this ever since— just the two of them, with a cake to denote their celebration. Where they celebrate would depend on where they feel like going but one thing is always certain during their mini celebration; after eating every piece & crumb of the cake, they would either just sit down or lie, side by side, & spend hours reminiscing the childhood that they shared together. 

Kris claimed that he is the type of person who dislikes listening to the same stories over & over again which is why he always plans what to do after finishing the cake such as, watch a movie or two, play board games or go drink with their other friends.

Nevertheless, his plans always gets neglected & he, too, is always caught in the act of missing his childhood.

Though the same old stories are often being recalled, each word still seems unheard of to them which is probably why their reactions to their own mischiefs have never deteriorate over the years.

Tao would always give Kris a gift he has put a lot of thought despite Kris always hesitating to accept.

To Kris, he didn't need gifts for his birthdays. Tao’s mere presence & kind smile were enough to remind him that it’s a special day.