She snuggles in her sheets, feeling anxious and slightly excited. Last year was a bitter celebration for her; despite her mother tried her best preparing a birthday party for her. A lousy grandmother she blamed for. Premenstrual syndrome might want to be blamed too, she was totally out from her mood. Sitting silently on the couch, suppressing remorseful tears from falling. It was the worst day ever. She thought.

Staring a far, was a mother who actually trying her best to rekindle the lost love that had gone for more than a decade.

Now, she has grown and finally felt sorry for being ungrateful. She knows that last year wasn't the sole let down birthday that she had. Growing older equivalent to distinguised old friendship, worn-out relationship due to distance factors. Growing older might as well giving another meaning to her. It seems like making her felt being apart from old companions and passions that she had to let go for the sake of the present and her future.

Anyways, she would like to try to at least make it up for her mother. Their relationship had been unchanged and so do her attitudes. 

Thereby this year won't be another meaningless birthday for Park Sooyoung.

But a meaningful, perhaps to someone else.

Clock strikes 12 am, and she felt the uneasiness creeping in her heart. Last last year, neither her friends remembered her birthday. It was her fault tho, disabled the birthday notifications in her social medias. Too many expectation that she had. She rolled her eyes thinking how paranoid she was. She heard her smartphone buzzed for the first time on her birthday, a text from her recent close friend. She smiled reading the warm wishes. Few seconds later, few other messages come in.

Definitely, that how's social media work.

She wraps herself in blanket, feeling geedy and fell asleep from overwhelming over the moon feelings.

Her parents casually wishing her happy birthday before going to work; despite the 21 years old Park Sooyoung is half asleep on her bed. She scratches her head as she finally woke up from her bed, checking her smartphone was the normal thing young people always do. Definitely, numbers of messages coming in her social medias wishing her for a happy birthday. She smiles lightly seeing them, before switching it off again and then sleeps again in pure happiness.

It's 3pm and she waits outside of her house for her Uber driver to come. She's 21 years old today, yet still having no driving license. She's bornt a scaredy-cat and fear that she might be prone to any vehicle accident. She chose the safer side, perhaps for now. She had been calculating on what to do on her birthday. A normal birthday celebration; but this year shall be totally on her. Thanks to previous internship allowance collection, she did save some money for this small celebration. It starts drizzling before the Uber arrived. She prays to God to let her small plan went well as planned.

As she had done with the groceries and the cake, she quickly searches for an Uber driver to take her home. Looking outside from the building, the downpour was really bad that trees can be seen swinging a bit. She looks at her Uber app to see the driver's plate number before her attention is divert to read another sets of birthday wishes coming in. Then she looks ahead to see her Uber had left from her location after dropping a passenger. She guessed probably her request wasn't listed yet to the driver's pickup list, so she just continue reading birthday wishes.  

In a minute she saw the Uber driver car indication on the map is making a u-turn to her location. She sneers a bit to see that carelessness. Then she take a look at her trolley. A cake, and a packed IKEA bag that she filled with her groceries. She palmed her face to think on how she was going to drag them all without asking people for help. Shortly, the Uber driver arrived and she quickly takes out the cake from the trolley and walking to the backseat. She was in rushed and she mouthed sorry to the driver that she cursed as she opens the car door. She almost slipped from walking quickly on the puddles. Stupid moves. She didn't dare to look at the driver and quickly went back to take another heavy load into the car. Again, she cursed struggling to put it inside the car. 

"You're okay, Miss?" worried the driver looking at Sooyoung whose hair are slightly disheveled.

Sooyoung takes a glimpse to the driver, and she was stunned that she quickly divert her attention.

"I am okay. All set," she confirms, not making any eye contact.

Fixing his rear mirror to see the disheveled girl, trying her best not to look uncomfortable.

Perhaps a cue for him not to initiate any conversation along the ride.

The driver was actually having trouble to find the best route due to many route that confused him, making Sooyoung had to show him direction. Still Sooyoung didn't bother his eye contact despite Sooyoung managed to sneak peek to his working ID hanging on his rear mirror. His picture and yet his name is covered with folded 10000 Won note, only his position and ID code can be seen.

Legal Services Manager, 23422131-1, Hewlett-Packard Seoul Headquarter

She wonders how much free time he had to involved in doing Uber as his favorite past time.

"Miss?"he called her for the last time before she finally aware that she had been staring to his ID for so long.

"We have arrived, it's 8,000 Won,"

She quickly takes out the amount of money and hands over to him. Without any haste, she takes out the first load from the backseat. It was heavy that half of her soul seemingly to out from her body. Then she saw the driver trying to help her with the cake, that she quickly put her load in front of her door before she quickly walks over to take the cake from him. It is still raining by the way, and both of them are drained from heavy rain. 

She mouth thank you before taking the cake away from him. 

As she takes a few steps away him, another unfortunate fate that made her gritted her teeth and her eyes shuts forcely. The package slips from her hand and met to the cold and wet ground. The driver was shocked seeing the incident in front of him, that he unintentionally laugh for a quiet one second. Embarassed and upset, she didn't look up at all, but down picking up the cake with heavy shoulder. 

She enters the house with dark clouds surrounds her body, locking the door behind her. She placed the grocery beside her and the cake packaging on her arms, before she defeatedly seated on the floor. Looking down, tears started to form and the raining starts to pour in the living room.

She was sobbing hugging the packaging before heavily went to the kitchen. She placed the cake on table, opening the packaging for the first time seeing the disastrous birthday cake. She cried more seeing it before she heard repeated knocking from the front door. Caring less on how she looks right now, she wipes her tears; forgetting the smeared mascara on her eyes.

Today had been a disaster, what else are waiting for her.

Opening the door, was a man sent from heaven; holding a neat packaging of cake from the store that she bought. shakes and her tears started to form back seeing the unknown stranger named the Uber Driver is intending to give her a new cake.

"It's for you," he tried to smile eventhough he was slightly shock to see the amount of additional disheveled version of her passenger he has saw today..

"T-Thank you, b-but I don't deserve thi-"

"It's sincere from me, just take it," he tried to assure her that he brings no harm with his intention giving the cake.

"But-,"

"Happy Birthday, Miss Sooyoung," 

She stops sobbing and slowly take the packaging from him.

"Th-Thank you. I wonder how can I repay-"

"No problem, Miss. In exchange, rate me with five stars okay?" he affirms giving his warm smile that slightly warms her soul. She nods a little.

The Uber driver waves goodbye, his smile had neither left his face throughout the farewell session.

The night was a decent birthday celebration. She didn't let down her parents birthday and yet it was a warm birthday celebration. She felt thankful for that, and yet for the kindness of the Uber driver.

She didn't received any birthday gift that day, but she thinks that his smile had been the best gift that she has had seen.

A warm smile from a stranger.

She cleans up the dishes at midnight before she folds the birthday packaging. Then she noticed a note clipped at the end of the packaging,.

If you would like for any help, just give me a call. 

- Sehun [his phone number]

The end.

Sorry tho the ending is a bit flat, but you can guess what happen after that. 

Thank you for reading:)

and Happy Birthday for me:))