The fact that Junhoe’s birthday fell on a Thursday meant that Summer missed out on the actual day, however when she went to work on Friday night she had the boy’s present tucked away in her pocket.  As she pulled out her work trolley and headed to iKON’s practice room she wasn’t sure whether she would rather he was there to hand it over in person, or not.  Drawing closer she thought maybe not, because if he was in there, there was the chance that the other boys would be as well.  And how would she explain the fact that she had bought Junhoe a present when four other birthdays had already passed?

It was with mixed feelings that she pushed open the door and found the room empty, immediately pushing the trolley to the side.  While the boys had mostly cleaned after themselves as usual, there was still evidence of celebrations with several balloons tied to a chair at the side, and a string of birthday flags hanging over the mirror.  In the very centre was a note and Summer immediately moved to read it.

You missed the party.  And cake.  We left the decorations for you to enjoy.  There’s no cake though.

She waited another minute or two to see if anyone would show, and then she dug into her pocket and placed the present neatly on the bench.  Then she quickly ducked from the room to collect a stepladder and returned, having every intention to dismantle the decorations.  She found herself putting it off though, sweeping the floors and dusting down the edges before she decided it couldn’t be put off any longer.  And so, she dragged the ladder up against the mirror, clambering up onto it.

When she unstuck the first corner and let it drop she half expected the rest to come tumbling down with the way it tugged at the supports.  Only one other gave way though, leaving half the banner up and so she shuffled along.  Summer had just climbed back up when the door opened and Junhoe strode in, his brows raising when his gaze settled on her.

“You really are short.”

“And here I was about to wish you a happy belated birthday,” she chided and he laughed, posing with his hands on his waist as he looked at her.

“Are you going to sing me happy birthday?”

“Fat chance.  There’s a present for you on the bench though,” Summer informed and he seemed momentarily taken aback.  Walking over to the side where she had indicated, he picked up the small package, holding it up to his ear and shaking it, before glancing over his shoulder.

“You know, I was really only joking when I said I expected a present,” he said and she folded her arms across her chest.  She couldn’t work out whether what he was saying now was the truth, or perhaps a half truth.  Perhaps he hadn’t been serious when he had brought up the subject of presents, and yet she had a funny feeling he had wanted this.

“Just open it Junhoe,” she urged and he did as she asked, peeling back the paper with little care.  From the distance she stood Summer couldn’t see what lay within clearly, but of course she knew exactly what it was.  A round hand mirror with a smooth black backing and specially inscribed in silver ink, his name.  He had turned around now and was looking at her out of wide eyes.  “I thought what better to feed your narcissism than a mirror you can take everywhere?”

Junhoe laughed at her comment, moving towards her until he stood a short way from the ladder and was looking up at her.  He was grinning wide enough to turn his smile gummy and Summer thought for a moment her insides were rearranging themselves.  “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.  Though you’re not welcome for leaving me to clean up your party decorations,” she replied, and moved to continue pulling them down.  It became evident to her that the ladder was not balanced correctly in the same second that it shuddered enough for her less than graceful self to tip.  She wasn’t sure why she thought grabbing hold of the banner would save her, but it did nothing more than bring it down with her.

The solid mass of Junhoe met her and it wasn’t like the movies where the man catches the woman neatly in his arms.  It was a fleeting struggle as the force sent him stumbling backwards and even as his arms tried to support her it was all she could do to grab hold and not send them both tumbling to the ground.  When they finally came to a standstill there was a moment of shocked silence where their eyes met and they stood frozen.  And all Summer could think of as she clung with fistfuls of his shirt and his arms placed around her was that four months ago she had had a very similar daydream about someone else.

Only this wasn’t a daydream, nor a movie; it was real life and it was Junhoe that was standing close enough that she could feel the heat radiate from him, and see just how deep the brown of his eyes were.  Eyes that were still boring into hers as the shock turned into a different kind of silence.  Even as the gap closed slowly Summer knew what was coming and so was not taken off guard when his lips pressed against hers, soft and testing.  Instead it seemed almost a confirmation for herself and everything she has been grappling with since the day she saw Junhoe with his sister.

She kissed him back and her hands released his shirt to travel up and cup his face as she did so.  When they broke apart her fingers lingered momentarily and Junhoe stood looking like he had just been hit over the head with a baseball bat.  He went to open his mouth to speak, paused and then tried again.  “Wow, I uh… I honestly thought maybe you still actually disliked me.”

“Apparently not,” Summer breathed, her eyes tracing his face and wondering why all of a sudden his features looked so different.  Somehow altered and yet still the same.  Maybe it was because she had never looked into his eyes to consider the colour of them, or wondered how his plump lips would taste against hers, or how his jaw would feel beneath her fingertips.  And suddenly she knew and she wanted more of it, to learn all about it.

“You know, I liked you from the moment I saw you,” he confessed and it stopped her reverence as she knitted her brows at him.

“You left me lying in a puddle of gross mop water.”

“Okay, so maybe it wasn’t from the very first moment.  But after I walked out I kinda realised you were endearing sitting there all wet and flustered and angry.  So I always tried to make it happen again,” he explained and she punched him lightly on the shoulder, before a thought hit her and she almost choked trying to hold back her laughter.

“All three of those things?”  Junhoe had the decency to blush and splutter this time and Summer let her laughter out, grabbing his hand.  “Come on, as punishment you can help me get rid of the banner.”

He conceded effortlessly, allowing her to drag him to the messy pile of string and plastic lying on the floor and bundle it into his arms.  She wasn’t going to let him escape to dinner so easily tonight.