BIRTHDAY SURPRISE

A chuckle full of endearment sounded in a nearly empty van as a black haired male read through his fan mails. Another guffaw was let slip from his pretty pink lips, causing his dimples to showcase themselves, when a cute handmade card caught his eye. But it was only when a certain letter made its way in his hands that the beautiful idol’s face dropped the toothy smile to be replaced by something warm and emotion filled.

A small hint of smile lingered on his lips as he read the supporting and cheering words from his probably biggest fan in the whole wide World. It was not an exaggeration… since he remembered the first ever fan mail he received after debuting, a little less than 12 years ago. The idol couldn’t forget the first fan who wrote to him, now could he? At that time, the sweet letters were about how awesome the idol was, how hot he looked, how beautifully he sang or how his acting was the best… but due time the letters evolved… they reflected thoughts of a mature person… they became the idols strength. That is why Heechul loved his fans from the bottom of his heart, even if he was not very good at expressing it… but he hope his actions say it all… his plans for his fans can show his true inner feelings.

Kim Heechul, a name well known in the entertainment industry. An idol to survive quite long, shocking for some and a prideful event for others, but only the people who were close to him could see the reason of that phenomenon really easily… Heechul devoted his life to his fans as did his fans for him.

Abruptly, Heechul was awoken from his deep thoughts when the door of van was wrenched open.

“The photoshoot went well,” Heechul’s manager said as soon as he sat on the shotgun seat of the van, the driver too entered to occupy his seat. The van engine purred under them when it was brought to life. “Tomorrow is gonna be pack for that mountain gear CF shoot. We are heading to hotel now… a quick dinner in the restaurant of hotel and then you could call it a day.”

“Can’t I just order room service?” Heechul asked in confusion. “I am too beat to sit stiffly in a restaurant seat, at the moment.”

“Ahh…” The manager looked a little uncomfortable as he tried to avoid Heechul’s searching eyes in the rearview mirror. “No, you have to eat in the restaurant.”

“Why?” Heechul asked sharply. He quickly put his fan mail in a bag and leaned toward the front seats to see his manager’s face clearly.

“You have a fancy dinner scheduled for tonight,” The manager mumbled.

“What?” Heechul furrowed his brows in slight anger. “But, two days ago, you gave me a copy of my schedule in Jeju Island for next ten days… I read it thoroughly. We were supposed to land in Jeju in morning and then meet with the event manager that would be handling my birthday bash- which would be our last schedule in Jeju, as I recall- with fans and later on we had this photoshoot for Vogue Magazine.” Heechul counted them off on his long fingers before looking up at his manager. “I am damn sure that was the last schedule for 1st July.”

“You don’t need to show off your memory skills to me, do that on variety shows,” The manager snapped. “This schedule was added at the last moment so quit whining and put on your charming smile for the honorable host.”

The van came to a halt right in front of the Hotel’s main entrance. Heechul and his manager got off before the driver took off the van to parking lot.

“Who is he or she or maybe, they?” Heechul asked inquisitively.

“It’s a he,” The manager explained while motioning Heechul to enter the foyer of hotel. “And He is the CEO of Park Industries, Park Jungsu.”

Heechul stop short in his stride, making the manager to pause as well. The manager tried to match Heechul’s glare but gave up after a few moments.

“Look Heechul-”

“I am going to my room so kindly give me the key-card,” Heechul tried saying as calmly as possible but the fact that his pearly white were gritting together failed him miserably in that task.

“Heechul-”

 “Park Jungsu?! Seriously?? Park Jungsu?” Heechul demanded with incredulousness splashed across his fair features.

“Heechul, you don’t have a choice, okay?” The manager mumbled dejectedly. “You don’t know this but Mr. Park recently bought a fair amount of shares in our company, which means he is practically your boss now.”

“Well then he can kick me out of the company, for all I care, but I am not gonna go and have dinner with him,” Heechul declared while folding his arms across his chest.

“Be nice,” The manager scolded. “It’s Mr. Park’s birthday today and he specially requested for you to accompany him on dinner.”

“Why is he even in Jeju, anyways?” Heechul suddenly realized how odd it was for the CEO to be all the way here when he lived in Seoul.

“He owns a villa here,” The manager explained. “He is giving himself a treat on his birthday by relaxing and by chance you were coming here so he-”

“Yes of course… what a coincidence,” Heechul muttered sarcastically. “And why does he want to celebrate his B-day with me? What does he expect? That I follow him to his villa after dinner?”

“Okay I admit I have noticed the way he looks at you,” The manager mumbled in embarrassment making Heechul to elevate a single brow of his in scoff. “Everyone can see he has hots for you but Mr. Park is a gentleman. You know he would never touch you against your wish.”

“That doesn’t change the fact-” Heechul started angrily but a subtle cough from behind him made him pause and swirl around quickly, only to come face to face with the person they were just discussing.

“Hello Mr. Kim,” Park Jungsu started softly, taking measured steps to come and stand near the idol. “I hope the evening finds you well.”

“Not exactly,” Heechul started at once, disregarding the panic look his manager threw him. “Had a hell of a hectic day and I can’t wait-”

“To celebrate your birthday with you,” The manager quickly jumped in to save the situation before Heechul could let out his honest opinion. “Heechul had been looking forward to this dinner all day long.”

“Really?” Jungsu asked with a clear hint of suspicion and amusement. “Then how about we step in the restaurant and get over with this dinner. I am sure you, Heechul, would want to rest after a long day.”

“Yes that’s the plan,” The manager chuckled awkwardly before taking Heechul’s handbag from him and pushing the rigid idol toward Jungsu. Then after a forced cheerful “Enjoy your date!” The manager had run away quickly. Heechul vowed to kill him when he gets his hands on him.

“Shall we?” Jungsu gestured toward the restaurant area in a gentleman-ish manner.

Heechul sighed under his breath but agreed with other’s wish, quite reluctantly if he say so himself. The dinner was rather silent, considering how Jungsu had chosen a spot in a secluded corner that provided with perfect night view from the wall length window beside them. The burning candles gave a dull glow to their corner, illuminating the steak- they were having- perfectly with the red wine looking darker than it really was.

Jungsu’s polite inquiry after Heechul’s health and work was answered with equal politeness.

“I am curious…” Heechul spoke voluntarily for the first time since the start of the dinner as the waiter came to place a small black forest cake decorated with strawberries, in the middle of the table after they were done with their delicious dinner. “How come you are not celebrating your birthday with your family rather than…?”

“You?” Jungsu completed Heechul’s sentence helpfully before grinning a small smile at other. “Because I don’t have any family… I lost my family a few years back.”

“Oh…” Heechul seemed stunned for a moment. He really was not good at expressing himself and forlorn situations like these always made Heechul wanna run away from the World. “Umm… I am… sorry…?”

“It’s okay,” Jungsu assured with his angel like smile, eyes twinkling in innocent happiness at the attention Heechul was finally bestowing at him.

“And… happy birthday, Jungsu,” Heechul mumbled, as in to find a different topic to talk about.

“Thanks Heechul,” Jungsu’s tone had gotten even softer… a whole lot warmer, if possible.

“Sorry I couldn’t buy you any gift,” Heechul laughed awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. “I came to know about your birthday at quite a short notice.”

“That’s okay… you being here is gift enough.”

Heechul glared at other when the effect of other’s words started to make his cheeks color against his better judgement. They ate the cake in less silence than the dinner because now Heechul himself tried making small talk as much as Jungsu… until Jungsu pointed out how it was getting late and Heechul has a bundle of schedules to tackle the next day and other days to come until his birthday. The company had planned several small projects that Heechul needed to cover in this short time before he returned to Seoul for his next drama, whose shoot was starting soon.

“I shall walk you to your room,” Jungsu stated as he paid for dinner and got up to help Heechul out of his chair.

“I think I can find my own way there,” Heechul replied while rolling his eyes slightly. “All I have to do is call my manager-”

Heechul stop abruptly as he quickly tap at the pocket of his coat before plugging his hands in his pants pockets with his eyes bulging out.

“My manager took my handbag and my mobile was in it,” Heechul bemoaned under his breath making Jungsu to laugh.

“Good thing I know which room you booked,” Jungsu assured. “All your things must be there.”

“You could have just told me the room number and get over with it,” Heechul muttered to himself as he followed Jungsu while glaring at his broad back. “Jerk!”

Thankfully the elevator ride was quick and short since Heechul’s room was on second floor.

“Here we are,” Jungsu said cheerfully after coming to a stop in front a wooden door, whose golden plate read B09, and dug out a key-card from his pocket.

“You had it with you all along,” Heechul accused with narrow eyes but the other only shrugged shamelessly. Heechul snatched the key-card and proceeded to unlock the door but before he could open the door and enter he felt the warm presence behind him. Surprisingly Jungsu was still standing there looking at Heechul with dazed expressions.

Heechul slowly turned around to face him, eyebrow raised in mock question. Jungsu took an uncertain step in other’s direction and Heechul being the quick wit he was, understood what former man’s intentions were.

“There are cameras in the hallway,” Heechul said sharply, making Jungsu’s hooded eyes to snap open in alarm.

“I know,” The other mumbled as he took a small step back but didn’t proceed to leave as Heechul would have predicted.

“And I am not gonna invite you inside for a drink or anything,” Heechul deadpanned as he crossed his arms in a bossy manner.

“I am aware of that too,” Jungsu admitted with a small chuckle, which stopped as quickly as it has started and then out of nowhere Jungsu leaned in and planted a hurried peck on Heechul’s cheekbone. “Thanks for tonight. Good night Heechul.”

In a flash, the CEO was seen running out of a stunned Heechul’s sight.

Heechul exhaled shakily at he touched the warm place on his cheek.

O-o-o-o-O

“Should have been more careful!” The manager bellowed while he paced around the nicely decorated hotel room with his hand phone constantly plastered to his ear.

“Do you think I did it on purpose?” Heechul shouted from the bed, on which he was laying at with his heavily bandaged leg perched on several pillows. “I slipped!! We were on mountain, it could have happened.”

“Out of 50 people who were involved in the shoot, directly or indirectly, you were the only one who slipped!” The manager retorted in anger. “The main character of the CF?!”

“The shooting for CF was done already,” Heechul reminded his manager. “No harm done for them… I am the one suffering from a sprained ankle. Moreover, it’s not even that big of an injury… I had had worse.”

“The doctor said it would take at least a week to heal the sprain and only if taken really good care of it, which you know as well as I do, you are not very decent at,” The manager pointed out bitterly. “I would have to babysit you 24/7 and we have to cancel rest of Jeju Island schedules. I am gonna book us the first flight back to Seoul, now.”

“Wait,” Heechul cried. “What about the birthday bash event? I would be healed by then. Fans must have arranged special surprise event for me, just like they do every year… I can’t disappoint them.”

“The whole media has spread the news of your injury,” The manager replied. “Your fans would understand.”

“But I can recover before that,” Heechul argued. “All I have to do is sing and chat with fans on the birthday bash event… I won’t dance, but let me at least attend it.”

“So you want us to go back to Seoul and come back here after a week?” The manager asked incredulously. “Heechul that’s insane.”

“Or I could just stay here and recover until then,” Heechul suggested. “It’s either resting in Seoul or here in Jeju… I could stay here and be a good boy while you can go back and settle other things for me.”

“You do realize that company is only paying for your stay because of the money the schedules, you had to cover, were gonna bring in, right?” The manager said testily. “Company won’t allow you to stay in the hotel, Heechul.”

“Then he can stay with me,” A deep voice said out of blue, startling the pair of idol and manager. Jungsu came out of the entrance hallway of Heechul’s hotel room. He directly strides toward Heechul and politely inquired after his well-being.

Heechul just opted to openly glower at slightly elder man because if truth be told it was all Jungsu’s fault that Heechul had been distracted enough to fall on rocky path and sprain his ankle. I