Chapter 52: See You Later 2

“Happy birthday!!!” Everybody said as Jongup brought New Sun to the backyard.

    “My birthday's in June” she said, confused. There were balloons around the pool, Bird and Woong Rae held a big poster with huge red letters that read Happy Birthday and Minjae ran to her and gave her the biggest hug ever.

    “You said you wanted a surprise party” Jongup said.

    “Surprise!!!” everybody screamed.

    “I love you guys” she said.

    “Let's take a lot of pics” Bird dropped the poster and grabbed his camera.

    “Someone’s ringing the bell” Woong Rae said.

    “It's must be the pizza” Jongup rushed to the door and his smile dropped as soon as he saw Youngjae instead of the pizza guy.

    “Daehyun invited me to the party” Youngjae came into the house like he owned it “Where's everybody? Don't tell me, I’ll follow the music” he ignored speechless Jongup and went to the backyard where it played loudly Twice’s Where Is Love?

New Sun was taking pics when Youngjae showed up at the backyard, she turned to him and took a pic “Who's this good looking man?”

    “I'm Youngjae, Daehyun's friend. He invited me to his friend's birthday”

    “That's me, I'm his friend”

    “Happy birthday”

    “It's not my birth... Forget it” she sighed “My name is Choi Yoon sun, but my friends call me New Sun”

    “Nice to meet you”

    “Daehyun's friends are my friends”

    “Thanks for coming, you can leave now” Jongup said.

    “Don’t be rude, he hasn’t even seen Dae” she grabbed Youngjae’s arm and took him to the barbecue grill where Daehyun was placing steaks on carefully “Hey, look up, your friend’s here”

    Confused, the blond obeyed and startled as he saw Youngjae “What are you doing here?”

    “You invited me”

    “Cut the cake, I want something sweet” Bird approached them and frowned as he saw the stranger between New Sun and Daehyun.

    “He's Youngjae, Dae’s friend” the short-haired girl said.

    “Hi, I'm Bird” he raised one eyebrow “You have a bump on your forehead like Daehyun”

    “That’s true!” New Sun gasped “Although Daehyun’s bump’s on the right and Youngjae’s on the left”

    “It’s like you two bumped into each other while kissing passionately”

    “I fell off the treadmill” Daehyun didn’t like Youngjae anymore, but that didn’t mean that the comment didn’t make him blush.

    “Daehyun hit me with his cellphone” Youngjae blushed too.

    “Come on, idol couples wear matching clothes, you both got matching bumps” Bird said “It must’ve been the wildest kiss ever”

    “Don’t be absurd” Jongup said.  

    “Their faces are burning” Bird pointed out as Daehyun and Youngjae’s cheeks were red as a tomato.

    “You’re drunk” Jongup shoved him away and scowled at Youngjae “You already saw Daehyun, you can leave now”

    “Not before the cake” New Sun said “If you go to a birthday party you have to have cake”

    “What are you waiting for?” Jongup took a knife and gave it to her “Cut the cake” he pushed her to the table with the cake and other sweets “Come on, hurry, cut it”

    “Shouldn't we sing first?” Minjae said.

    “HappybirthdaytoyouHappybirthdaytoyouHappybirthdayDearNewSunCutthecake!!!”

    “Wait, we forgot the candles”

    “It doesn't matter, just shut your eyes and make a wish and cut the cake. Cut it”

    “You're really desperate for cake” New Sun cut the cake. The birthday girl was supposed to have the first slice, but Jongup snatched it from her and gave it to Youngjae.

    “You can eat it on your way home” he said and pushed him to the exit.

    “There's ice cream” New Sun lifted the pint of ice cream like a trophy.

    “I like ice cream” Youngjae said.

    “He’s so pretty” Minjae snatched the pint of ice cream from her friend and walked up to the editor “I hope you like vanilla”

    “I like vanilla”

    “So do I” she said “What’s your name again?”

    “Youngjae”

    “I’m Minjae!!! Youngjae and Minjae, that rhymes!!!”

    “I also want ice cream” Bird said.

    “I’ll be right back, don’t go anywhere”  

    “I won’t” Youngjae said as he looked at Daehyun who was still struggling with the steak.

    “Is there anymore ice cream?” Minjae shouted at Jongup as she served Bird and Woong Rae and there was nothing left.

    “No, I just got a pint” he gave Youngjae the stink eye “I didn't know we were having guests”

    “Go and get more”

    Jongup didn’t want to be in the same place with Youngjae, so he was more than happy to go for ice cream.

7-Eleven was close, but Jongup took his time, he didn’t go back until an hour later.

    “What took you so long?” Daehyun asked “Everybody finished eating, Minjae ate four steaks in a row”

    “Why did you invite him?” Jongup hoped that Youngjae was gone once he returned with the ice cream, but the editor was still there, talking and laughing with his friends.

    “You’re back!” New Sun said “Youngjae’s so funny!”

    “He told a very fun joke” Minjae said “What did the traffic light say to the car?”

    “Don't look! I'm about to change!” the birthday girl said and both cracked up.

    “It's not funny” Jongup said.

    “Daehyun laughed so much he spat out the soda he was drinking on Woong Rae” Bird said.

    “You laughed at that stupid joke?” Jongup gave Daehyun a judging look and tossed the ice cream on the table.

The party ended early, everybody had work tomorrow. Woong Rae and Bird left while New Sun and Minjae stayed to help clean up. Youngjae stayed too, not to clean up though, he wanted to be with Daehyun, but it was mission impossible as Jongup kept getting in the way.

    “You invited him because you still have a crush on him” the younger photographer said while Daehyun cleaned the grill grates.

    “I invited him because we’re friends, I didn’t know he was coming for real”

    “Can you help us out with this?” New Sun pointed at the beer bottles with her lips as she and Minjae held a garbage bag “I’m the birthday girl, I shouldn’t be cleaning up”

    “Nobody asked you to do that” Jongup said.

    “Tonight you’re really rude”

    “She’s right” Daehyun gave him the grates and went to pick up the bottles.

    “Daehyun” Minjae said as the blond put the bottles in the bag “What time are you fulfilling your promise? You said you'd show me Seoul”

    “Sorry, I've been busy”

    “Daehyun's very busy” Jongup interrupted “But his friend isn't” he glance at Youngjae “You're free, right? How about taking Minjae to see the city?”

    “It'll be a pleasure” he smiled to Minjae and she blushed and giggled.

    “I'll take out the trash” Daehyun tied the trash bag and walked in the house.

    “Are you jealous? Your boyfriend's going on a date with another girl” Jongup said, chasing him.

    “I'm not jealous”

    “So why did you leave?”

    “To take out the trash” the elder headed to the gate and went out on the street. By the time he returned, Youngjae was already gone and the girls were putting their jackets on, ready to go as well.

    “Me and Youngjae agreed to meet tomorrow at Sejongno after work” Minjae said to Daehyun “I don't know how to get there and New Sun’s busy, can you take me there?”

    “Of course” he said and turned to Jongup “See? I’m not jealous, I’ll take Minjae to her date with Youngjae. In fact, they can get married and have kids for all I care, so stop being jealous”

    “I’m not jealous!!! You are!!! You’re obsessed with him!!!”

    “You’re the one obsessed with him!!! You haven’t stopped looking at him or talking about him!!!” Daehyun sighed, tired “I just wanted to have fun with you like always, but you’re too blinded by pointless jealousy to see it”

youngjae should be jealous, but jongup’s the one jealous, is his “perfect boyfriend material” actually an act? is he possessive? why is youngjae fine all of sudden? did he magically get over dasom? what is he up to?