"N-hyung, it's late but happy birthday! @CHA_NNNNN" - @RedBeans93

The brat.

Hakyeon glared at his phone screen after reading the tweet that fired up his notification. He's fully aware of how weird Hongbin's humor is. The thing is, he becomes the target of his jokes sometimes.

Not that Hakyeon cares of how the younger members bully him. He knows they love him as much as he does to actually mean everything they say about him. They're just a bunch of weird bratty kids. They remind him of playful little puppies that craves attention, so they don't listen to what you say, and would keep on teasing you if you tell them to stop what they're doing.

He thought that maybe today, Hongbin's feeling extra-playful. Plus, he's a troll at times. He might not look like it though, but him greeting Hakyeon two days earlier from his real birthday, and saying it's belated is a super troll thing Hongbin would do.

He wished he could put a punch on the visual's perfectly handsome face though.

His eyes squinted harder when he saw that Wonsik (that other brat) replied to Hongbin's tweet. Seriously. These kids loves to play a lot, he thinks he's going to get wrinkles early.

He sighed exasperatedly and stood up to take a peek at the living room from his door, and saw two guys fooling around, and laughing out loud—Wonsik and Hongbin—and he facepalmed himself. Those two, when together, are troublesome. If he finds out their maknae Sanghyuk and main vocal Jaehwan has joined in, it'll be chaos. What if Taekwoon was with them? Oh the horror.

He never really cared about them bullying him, but sometimes, he can't help but stress more about the fact that he's living under one roof with a group full of idiots more than anything else.

-

One day before his birthday, he pretended he knew nothing and hadn't seen Hongbin's tweet for him. He acted the same annoying way they all know too much. He woke them up with his soothing loving 'mom' voice, helped Taekwoon occasionally with breakfast, and neck sliced them eventually when one of them made a snarky remark or a stupid joke.

It's not a subtlety he decided to target most of his infamous neck slices on Hongbin. (And half of them was shared by Wonsik, Jaehwan, and Sanghyuk too.) If anyone noticed it, they never mentioned it.

"Ya! Lee Hongbin!" he squealed when he felt the younger member poke him on his elbows. He's been doing it thrice and Hakyeon was trying too hard to look like he wasn't affected.

Hongbin wheezed while laughing, before saying something. "Sorry. You've been having that ugly frown since we started breakfast. Can you erase that? The food doesn't like being frowned on."

After saying that, he gave Hakyeon a look where he pouts his lips.

Hakyeon felt his annoyance melt for a moment, not until Hongbin gave him a mischievous grin.

If other people looked at it, they'd think Hongbin looked innocent. But Hakyeon knew better.

He facepalmed mentally.

-

A few hours before his birthday starts, he was feeling down.

He doesn't even know what he's expecting. He's been having a chat with Super Junior's Ryeowook since an hour ago, and his senior haven't given any sign that he remembers it's his birthday today, or anything. Nothing.

Not like there's anything he could expect from s either. If there's any, maybe it's Taekwoon. The silent main vocal has been really helpful to him the whole day. Acting sweeter than usual, even sending him "Take care!", "Text me when you're at the supermarket.", "Text me if you suddenly need help." texts when he went out to buy groceries for their dorm earlier after he said no when the man offered to give him company. No words came out from Taekwoon's mouth, but his actions were enough to satisfy Hakyeon.

 

Ryeowookie Hyung~ | 11:35 PM

hakyeonie, what do you like better? chocolate or strawberry?

Hakyeon Cha | 11:35 PM

I like them both. It's too hard for me to choose~

What are you asking that for, hyung?

Ryeowookie Hyung~ | 11:37 PM

donghae and hyukjae kept on asking me. they were having a debate on which one tastes good in cake, and both decided to ask me.

it's annoying tbh.

Hakyeon Cha | 11:38 PM

I would choose chocolate. Tell them!

 

Ryeowookie Hyung~ | 11:38 PM

hm okay. i'll tell them.

btw i gtg, hak! something came up. i have to go get something very important.

Hakyeon Cha | 11:40 PM

Okay, hyung. Bye.

 

He heaved a sigh. Now that he's done chatting with Ryeowook and not getting anything, he felt sadder. Has anyone even remembered his birthday right?

Well, the Starlights will remember it. He smiled as he thought about it. Their fans will be greeting him once they know that it's 12 in Korea. At least he can expect something from his babies. He loves them better than he loves s anyway. (He thought, oh really.)

He went out to get water from the kitchen. He was thirsty. He looked around and wondered why it's quiet. That's when he remembered the other boys told him they'd be out to the park near their dorm, and they left him all alone. He wanted to come, but he decided against it. He was feeling down and he doesn't think he has enough energy to play with s. He felt sad again.

He checked his phone to see what time it is. 11:49 PM.

"I hope they'd go home already. It's late," he mumbled to himself.

Just as he thought of texting them to come up, his phone beeped. He opened his messenger, and read the message. It was from Sanghyuk.

 

Evil Sanghyukkie | 11:50 PM

N-HYUNG! COME TO JELPI BUILDING IMMEDIATELY. WE'RE INSIDE OUR PRACTICE ROOM. SOMETHING CAME UP! HURRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

if u don't hurry we'll slice ur neck like you do with us

jk. jUST HURRY UP UP UP UP THIS IS EMERGENCY CODE Z!!!!!!

 

He gasped. He didn't have the time to ask why were they suddenly at the company instead of the park, because he did hurry up to get his jacket and his pair of running shoes. The company can be walked from where they live, so he decided to just run for it, for whatever emergency came up. If one of their members got injured or sick, it's his responsibility as a leader. He doesn't have time for hesitations, and it was a ing Code Z. That usually meant trouble.

After running for what seemed like an eternity to him, he arrived at the company. He went in, not even noticing people who he passed by greeting him for his birthday. He searched for their practice room. He turned a lot, and alas, he has arrived.

He opened the door with a bang and shouting, "What happened?!"

"Happy birthday, Hakyeon!"

He froze.

After he opened the door, he wasn't able to notice that the whole room was dark, but it registered to him now. Right at the center of the room were s, with Taekwoon holding a cake (which looks suspiciously like chocolate) at the center. Beside him are the others; Jaehwan, Wonsik, Hongbin, and Sanghyuk (the maknae is also holding his phone, recording everything that happened so he could maybe share it with their fans), singing him the birthday song. All of them were singing to him with smiling faces—and oh, Ryeowook hyung is also here.

He felt light-headed. Not only that. He felt something tightening inside his chest. It was that feeling he always gets when he thinks the members are doing something adorable, when they try to say thanks to him when he did something even remotely small—he was feeling genuinely happy, and very grateful of the idiots standing before him. He felt so happy, happier than when that time they had their very first win in a music show. (He's still very grateful for the fans for that time until now.)

So this was their Code Z. Idiots.

He felt tears threatening to flow from his eyes, and he didn't even make any attempt to stop them.

"Ah, hyung! Why'd you cry? Do you want everyone to see you like this? I'm posting this video on twitter!" He heard their maknae's voice complain at him, but he knew that he meant nothing bad.

"Aish, hyung. Don't cry. You look so ugly crying." He heard Jaehwan , and he felt his hug. He leaned his head on the self-proclaimed cute main vocal's chest, his hands covering his face. He didn't even mind getting ashamed for his ugly sobbing.

"Our hyung is such a cry baby!" That was Wonsik's voice, he was sure of it. He chuckled.

"He's older than us, but acts like a baby most of the time." He heard Hongbin complain, but his voice didn't hide his fondness so well. He's going to get hit later, Hakyeon thought.

He felt the space getting smaller around him, and that's when he knew that everyone gathered around him in a group hug. He cried harder.

"Now, now, everyone! We should continue singing the happy birthday song to our Hakyeon, and let him blow the cake. Shouldn't we?" Ryeowook called to everyone, and that's when everyone gathered to sing him the song again.

Hakyeon blew the candles on his cake. He doesn't normally make birthday wishes, but he might have made one.

I just wish these idiots and me will stay together, forever. And thank you, Ryeowook hyung. I owe you a lot. I love you, everyone.

-

"Ow, hyung! What was that for?" Hongbin hissed after Hakyeon's hand sliced on his neck. It didn't really hurt that much, but he was annoyed.

"That's for being a brat two days ago, and pretending to forget my birthday." Hakyeon hissed back.

Hongbin rubbed the back of his neck, looking ashamed, but it really was the opposite. He was just genuinely annoyed. He knew he was going to get scolded, but he didn't expect it to happen sooner. Good thing the others are out of hearing distance. They'd surely be making fun of him because their Mom got mad at him. He groaned.

"Why was I the only one you hit?" he asked with a pout.

"You were the one who started this. Weren't you?"

"Y-Yes, it was me. But I wouldn't have done it without the others. They all thought it was a good idea! You're being unfair, hyung."

"They'll be punished soon. But you have to be the first one to receive it, since this was all your idea, you heartbreaker."

"B-But you liked the surprise in the end, didn't you? I planned it!"

"Yes, Hongbinnie. I did. That's why we're sleeping together later. In your bed. Jaehwan can sleep with Taekwoon."

Hongbin blushed. Well, it's his doomsday. He should've known this was coming. Just by the thought of it, his heart started beating twice faster than it did normally. .

"Wh-What?! But you steal the sheets! You know I hate it when you sleep with me, because you keep doing that. Also, you're so clingy—"

"Geez, Hongbin. You sometimes have to be honest with what you really like, okay?"

He hates Hakyeon so much. Especially when he's using That tone.

"That's a very cruel punishment, hyung."

"I know you'd say that. Am I not brilliant?"

"Can't you just sleep on Ken hyung's bed?"

"Nope. You like it when I cuddle you when we sleep together."

"Shut up, hyung."

"Uh-uh. You know you do."

the birthday boy, Hongbin thought grumpily.

Hakyeon patted his left cheek gently, like what a parent would do to his/her child. "Seriously, Hongbin. Thank you. I appreciate this surprise you planned with everyone."

Un the birthday boy, he thought again. How could he even resist him when he looks so happy?

 

(Later that time, after the celebration is done and before everyone goes to bed, Hongbin made his bed and switched pillows with Jaehwan's because his pillows are far softer than what he had. He did it because Hakyeon likes to sleep with soft pillows. No, he's not being considerate. He just wanted to avoid having Hakyeon to use him again as a pillow because, "You're a far more comfortable pillow than your actual pillows are, Hongbinnie." But he does admit, that yes, it feels comfortable having Hakyeon use him as a pillow. He's never going to admit that though.

The next day, everyone else got their punishment. At least mine's done, Hongbin thought. And maybe way more better.)