Today was a fairytale
All that I can say
Is now it’s getting so much clearer
Nothing made sense until the time I saw your face
Today was a fairytale

Time slows down
Whenever you’re around

– Today Was a Fairytale (Taylor Swift)

***

“I win!”

The clock on my night dresser it’s barely 5.40 in the morning, twenty minutes early from the time I set last night. Smile’s hanging on my face when I jumped off the bed and rushed to the shower. Stripping my clothes quickly, shiver trailed down my spine when the cold water running down from my head. Quickly I change to the hot water before continued humming an impromptu song. No matter what would happen, today should be perfect.

***

Grumpy voice’s roaring across the line.

“I don’t want to hear any excuse! If I don’t see your face in the restaurant at 12, I would hunt you down until the end of the world ready to burn your CD collections right away!”

“But I came home at three last night!”

“I don’t care!”

I tossed the phone inside my bag and pushed the glass door before me with one hand. Who told him to mingle and get drunk on week days anyway? The owner lady gave me a motherly smile when I scoop some chrysanthemum and inhale the scent.

“Can I help you, dear?”

“I need a fresh white rose, is there any?”

She walks to the right side of the shop and opened her small green house to pick a small bucket from it, “You must be very lucky. This past month, we didn’t have enough rose bloomed. It’s probably the last ones before we closed next week.”

“Really?!!?”

“The other couple few days ago failed to get what they want and back home fruitless,” her old hands work magic on them and voila, less than five minutes my bouquet is ready and flawlessly wrapped, “Here you go.”

“Thank you so much! He would be happy!”

“He would! What’s not happy with such a pretty and nice girlfriend like you?”

I don’t have much time to be flattered because my phone rang wildly. After paid for the flower and hugged the warm hearted lady, I jumped to the front door and pick up the phone call who turned out to be Kibum.

“If you’re telling me that you would not be able to be there this noon, you’ll ended up like Kim Jonghyun.”

A threat is enough to ease Kibum with one laugh, “What happened with him.”

“Let’s talk about him later. Why are you calling me by the way?”

My hand flails back and forth to stop any taxi passed by.

“Well, which one do you want to listen first? Bad news or good news?”

“Dammit, Kibum!! Why now?!”

Why at this very time when I’m close to the part when I can’t wait to see the astonished face of my boy?

“Which one?!”

“Of course the bad one first!”

Nerves got me right on the time since no taxi willingly to stop and Kibum is terrified me with his mind trick on such important day.

“Remember the fruitcake he loved that we ordered a week ago?”

That cake? Absolutely. I do remember dragged Kibum out of his clinic to the farthest cake shop in town just because Minho once mentioned he loves their fruit cake better than the one near my apartment.

“It delivered to my house perfectly last night. But I wasn’t home yet.”

“Please, don’t.”

“No, it’s not Comme De and Garcon that we’re talking about. But please do forgive my starving fiancée,” at last, a taxi slowed down in front of me and I already opened the door before it properly stopped yet and jumped in before Kibum finished his word, “Jinki came home and I was checking a cat at the clinic and nothing inside the fridge. And yeah, he slays the cake he thought I bought him for.”

“WHAT?!–– wait –– Just drive –– where are we? Oh yeah. Why didn’t he order those ing chicken as usual?!!”

“He’s over limit. I only allowed him to eat chicken twice a week.”

The driver’s judging me so hard through the rearview mirror, “Then what’s the good news?”

“I called Taemin last night when I got home and found Jinki’s watching movie while munching mouthful cake. His shop has cupcakes for today so I asked him not to sell them yet and arrange some into three tier cupcakes tart. You gotta be there as soon as possible to choose the flavor he likes.”

I rolled my eyes and massage my temple for such hectic morning and then yelled to the man behind the wheel, “Turn left at the intersection. We’re going to Heaven’s Bite!”

***

When I arrived at Minho’s apartment building, I rushed straight away to the elevator. I feel sorry to the security who greeted me gleefully because I just gave him quick smile before and dashed away. A middle age woman’s inside the elevator annoyed by my anxiety that kept me tapping my shoes impatiently to the floor and checking my watch every five second.

The ding sound when I reached Minho’s floor is like Sanctus in my ear. Carefully, I opened his door, afraid to wake him up which is actually is no use because the said boyfriend wouldn’t get off his bed this early in winter. So I take my time arranging the flower, put it inside the vase and finally place it near the window at the kitchen after relocated it two times.

“Wakey, wakey, you sleepy head! Rise and shine, baby boy! Not eve––“

The bed shouldn’t me made yet. The blanket shouldn’t be folded nicely yet. The comforter shouldn’t be tidy yet.

“Where the hell is he?!”

I went to check the bathroom but no one is there. Swishing to the living room, still I can’t find Minho who should be easily recognized by his tall building.

“Honey, what are you doing?”

I almost got a heart attack.

“Damn it, Minho! You scared me to death!” he looked at me clueless, glass of milk inside his hand, he gulped it down and walked my direction, “How long have you been there?! Where were you just now?”

“I just came back home and get thirsty.”

“Do you know I’m here?”

“I saw your coat’s hanging there. Don’t be silly, _______!”

This is not that I expected last night when I called everyone to make sure they emptied their schedule for today’s lunch.

“Why are you already up? It’s barely nine!”

“It’s Tuesday! My work out day! Of course I woke up early!”

I feel sudden weigh dropped onto my shoulder and forced me to space out immediately.

“Why are you standing still like that? Are you not gonna give me a birthday kiss or at least some words to congratulate me?”

At this rate, it’s already a failure for me. But seeing Minho in front of me, hoodie and sweatpants wrapped him as if they were expensive suit, face glowing and beaming unstoppably, I forgive myself and just run to hug him and drown my face onto his chest.

“Happy birthday, baby,” I pulled away just to reach his lips and danced my own on it. And it’s as sweet as always, ticklish but warm at the same time, “It’s not supposed to work like this. You ruin my surprise, idiot!”

“You should remember that tiny detail! How long have you been with me?!” he drawn me closer by placing his arms around my waist, “How it supposed to be anyway?”

I sigh before caressed his wide chest and rest my hands on his shoulder, “Well, I expect to find my boyfriend bundled inside thick blanket and unwillingly showed his bed head to the rest of the world so I would came to the rescue.”

“How about reenact that scene?” smirks are all over his face and my cheeks are hot boiled with red shade.

“No, you need to get dressed quickly we can’t miss the party I’ve prepared for you!”

He closed the distance between us by resting his forehead on mine and nuzzled our nose together, “_______, we still got a lot of time. The party is started at lunch anyway.”

Nonchalantly, I giggle and just give up on my plan, I gave him a quick peck on the lips before asking him further question, “How did you know that?”

Minho’s strong arms lift me from the floor and I just yelped and utterly follow his lead, “Lee Jinki slipped out while drunk when we went out last week. Come on, your master plan is waiting.”

Oh, dear. Remind me to cut Jinki’s throat for messing with my surprise. Twice.

***