A/N: Today is Sulli’s birthday and people like to act as if she wasn’t a member of fx or worse like she didn’t exist (well she did and does) and she was/is my bias from that group so of course she will get a fic for her birthday. Happy birthday to the very beautiful and sweet Choi Jinri.

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The alarm clock blared loudly beside the bed of a sleeping woman as she turned over to try and shut it off. The dark-haired woman reached out her hand to touch the alarm by her bedside. It takes her a few moments but she is finally able to shut off the alarm clock that’s ringing loudly. She lets out a yawn before sitting up slowly in bed. The light from the sun peaking through the curtains enters the bedroom and touches upon her skin. It’s a beautiful Friday morning for one Choi Jinri as she greets the day. Today is also Choi Jinri’s birthday as she gets a notification as such from the left open social media site that she may or may have not forgotten to close down last night. There are lots of messages from people who follow her. Many messages from well meaning strangers.

“Happy birthday, Jinri!”

“Happy birthday, beautiful!”

“Wishing you a happy birthday today!”

“Happy Happy Birthday to you!”

Those and many more fill up her page and it’s nice. She sees no messages from a certain someone but again she’s not actually expecting any. It’s been years since she has spoken words with the person and so why should she expect for her birthday to be remembered. Jinri supposes a part of her was still thinking maybe her friend would be a friend and remember her birthday. After all, last October she called and left a message for her on her birthday. Jinri may have not spoken words to her but it was the thought that counted. Jinri takes a few moments to reply to some of the birthday wishes before getting out of bed. Before today her family asked her if she had any plans at all. It was clear they wanted to see her.

“No, I don’t have any plans for my birthday mom, dad.” She remembers telling them both.

“Are you sure? You can come over, sweetie. We can at least have dinner and cake. It doesn’t have to be anything over the top.”

“We just want to see you.” Had been the unspoken words. Jinri knew her parents were worried about her. She didn’t blame them for being concerned and she promised that over the upcoming weekend she would make the trip to see them. It was a good compromise and she was promised a late celebration of cake and all of her favorite foods. Her stomach grumbles then at that moment and she shakes her head.

“Maybe I should have taken them up on coming home, at least there would have been food.”

It wasn’t that Jinri hadn’t wanted to be around her family and loved ones. She loves and adores her family and of course it would have been great to spend her birthday with them. But she just wanted to be by herself today and when she explained fully to her family why that was they understood. They’ll have the whole weekend after this to properly catch up and spend time together. For now Jinri really has to get something to eat because she is starving. The dark-haired haired woman gets out of bed and just before she heads to her kitchen to make herself something her phone rings and it’s her mom.

“Mom, hi.” She answers right away.

“Hi, sweetie. Happy birthday.”

“Thank you, mom.”

“Happy birthday, Jinri.” She hears her father on the phone next.

“Hi, dad. Thank you.” She smiles into the phone.

“How are you, honey?”

“I’m well, mom, dad.”

Her parents don’t keep her for very long. They just want to wish her happy birthday today and express to her how much they love her. Jinri promises to them both she will see them tomorrow and spend the entire weekend with her family. Jinri really is looking forward to seeing her loved ones. After the phone call she is on the way to making her breakfast finally, or she will be after she answers another phone call that is from a longtime friend. She smiles when she sees the image of her friend’s warm and smiling face.

“Hello?”

“Happy birthday to you.” She hears the soft singing voice of what’s her friend Jieun singing to her happy birthday. It makes her smile and cheers her up to hear someone singing to her this early on her special day. Jinri knows how busy Jieun is in her own personal life and she appreciates that Jieun is doing this.

“Thank you,” Jinri laughs after her friend ends the song. “You’re very sweet.”

“Well, it is your birthday and you’re the sweetest person I know. What are your plans for today?”

“I have no plans.”

“No plans?” Jieun sounds surprised at that. “Well, that’s not good. If I were in Seoul right now I would at least take you to lunch or something, Jinri. Maybe we can meet up for a late celebration when I get back, does that sound good?”

It sounds great. Jinri tells her she looks forward to spending some much needed time with her friend. She doesn’t care where they go as long as they are spending that much needed friend time together.

“Have you heard anything from her?” Jieun asks.

“No, but I’m not really expecting to hear anything from her either.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, don’t be. Now, I know you’re busy, so I’ll talk to you soon, alright?”

“Alright, we’ll talk soon. Happy birthday again, Jinri. Bye-Bye.”

“Bye, Jieun.”

Jinri says her goodbyes and ends the call. She isn’t surprised that Jieun asked about her. As someone who is very close to her Jieun knows about a lot of the personal situations she has gone through. She knows about her past and present moments that are going on and she most certainly knows about one Jung Soojung. Jung Soojung whom was at one time her very best friend. Someone she cared so very deeply for and still cares for now. Jinri knows she will always care about her no matter the current distance between them. They have not spoken in years and Jinri doesn’t really expect for that to change. She has tried on several occasions to reach out and see how Soojung has been but not once has she gotten any response. There are times you reach a point where you have to know when to back away. But that’s easier said than done when you never really properly had closure.

“No,” Jinri shakes her head. “Today is my birthday and I’m not going to think about thoughts like that.”

It’s time for breakfast. She is beyond starving and all the wonderful birthday wishes aside she must have some breakfast. Jinri leaves her bedroom and phone behind now while she has the chance or she will never eat. She gets to her kitchen and looks through the refrigerator before settling on a simple breakfast of rice, rolled eggs, and a bowl of soup. Jinri did promise her parents she would have something sweet at the least and she will treat herself to cake because it is her birthday. But now that Jieun had mentioned Soojung she can’t help to think of her some. They have spent many of their birthdays in the past together. Soojung was her best friend at first before things took a more complicated turn between them over the years. The two of them always seemed to hover along the lines of friends or something more for the last few years before the distance grew more strongly to the point of what it is now. Before that however there were good times.

They were same-aged best friends who never forgot each other’s birthdays. Jinri can remember lots of birthdays of cake and ice cream. She remembers singing to one other the loudest or finding Soojung’s eyes in a crowded room. Sometimes leaving Soojung’s gift for her where she would find it or making sure it would arrive to her on the times she wasn’t able to attend the party, and vice versa. Jinri remembers writing each and every single birthday card to her and all the ones she received in return from Soojung. Now there’s none of that and she hasn’t spoken to the woman in a long time. But her mind still remembers.

“Happy birthday, Jinri.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t make it to your party, but I sent your gift so it would arrive on time, Jinri. Happy birthday.”

“I’ll be taller than you one day, happy birthday, Jinri!”

“I love you, Jinri!”

There are tears now when the dark-haired woman hadn’t even realized she had been crying. This is what happens when you allow your mind to wander and reminiscence when it’s probably the last thing you need. Jinri wipes at her stray tears and tells herself that this is really not what she should be doing.

“No, it’s your birthday, Jinri.” She tells herself. “You won’t do this to yourself.”

Her phone is ringing from her bedroom and she goes to answer it. Jinri hopes she doesn’t sound like she’s been crying in an obvious manner. She’s only shed a few tears luckily and not a whole flood of them where it would be very obvious to whoever’s on the other end.

“Hello?”

“Hey, happy birthday, Jinri!” The excited voice on the other end says and she can’t help but to laugh.

“Hi, Tiffany and thank you.”

Tiffany is one of her oldest and closest friends as well. Someone who she always looked up to in some ways as the older woman always looked out for her and treated her like a sister. Tiffany also happens to be married to Soojung’s sister Jessica which sometimes makes things awkward in ways but not always. For the most part Jinri’s relationships with both Tiffany and Jessica remain unchanged and she is grateful for that.

“What’s on the agenda for today, hm? Wild party, fancy dinner date with that hot girlfriend of yours, hm, or spa retreat?”

Jinri laughs again and tells her that she is doing none of those things. “I’m home for now. But the hot date will be cake later.”

“Oh, come on.” Tiffany sighs. “You’re so lucky I’m not in Seoul right now. I can’t believe you’re not doing anything today, Jinri. Was this by choice or…”

“It was.” She promises. “I have some after birthday plans with my family and friends so I’m not technically doing nothing.”

“Well that’s good, Jinri. What about your hot girlfriend I hope she’s doing something for you?”

“She’s…” Jinri pauses. Now, it’s not like Jinri isn’t involved with someone else. She’s seeing someone and has been for a while. She’s happy and isn’t looking to rekindle whatever it was with Soojung. But she can’t pretend that she is happy that things are left so complicated and unresolved. Most of all Jinri misses a person who really was her best friend.

“She’s not in Seoul right now.”

“That’s no excuse. Jessi and I have been apart plenty of times for birthdays and we still made sure to do things for each other. Make sure she at least calls your or she’ll be hearing from me.”

Jinri nods with a small laugh and thanks Tiffany. She knows that the older woman is just looking out for her which she does appreciate. They don’t stay on the phone much longer after that. Jinri is mostly relieved that Tiffany hasn’t asked her if she has heard anything from Soojung. But then Tiffany hasn’t kept asking for some time especially when she started seeing her current girlfriend out of respect. Jinri knows that sometimes Tiffany is curious because she was there through it all. She watched the two of them at their best times of ultimate friendship and lows of not speaking and weird distances. Wherever Soojung is and whatever she’s up to Jinri does hope she’s alright and wishes her the best.

“I should clean up my leftover dishes.” She remembers that she had left her dishes on the kitchen island when she went to answer her phone. The dark-haired woman heads to do just that and as she’s doing that she hears knocking at her front door signaling a mail delivery and to her surprise it’s a gift all the way fr