Dahyun was never the kind of person to wait for calls on her birthday.It did not hold much sentimental value,apparently.

But would he call?

Or text?

Just a voice message,maybe?

​​​​​​She was mad at herself for feeling this way.It made no sense at all.But she had been feeling this sort of way since a long time,hadn't she?

Maybe it started when she auditioned at YG,when in the middle of a breakdown,a pair of dark eyes gave her silent reassurance,it was going to be fine.

Perhaps it was when she stumbled into his arms at MAMA 2016 backstage.He was fumbling around and she was stumbling around.He was red and she was pink.It was meant to happen.

But the time Kim Dahyun knew Kim Hanbin had a set place in her heart when was when he wrote a song for her.

He did not sing,of course, but he did hum the tunes when they sat next to each other in the plane in July.She didn't want to,of course,she only sat  next because he was alone.That was the only reason.

She kept telling herself that,until he confessed he liked her.

What comes to my mind is Dahyun.

Her heart automatically thudded.Why did he have to say it like that?Just why?

Momo had spent an entire month mimicking him and Dahyun was never immune to the blush that rose to her tofu cheeks.Momo and Donghyuk were childhood friends,so she tried grilling every single bit of information she could from him,but it seemed like as Dahyun made her swear to never speak a word about them,so did Hanbin make Donghyuk swear.

All these memories made her feel emotions that were quite foreign.

After the plane trip,they definately became closer.They did not talk much,but the familiarity of their gazes to each other was comfortable.

The rest of her members relentlessly,and her tofu cheeks would give her away each time.

Her heart was light and happy in the moment,her ONCEs had trended #happydahyunday,she had lunch with her family,her girls made a cake themselves( she saved a piece for somebody) and she had a lot of love today.

15 minutes till the next day starts.Everyone else was asleep.

He will come.That was a pinky promise.

14 minutes to go.

He  had said she had the most boopable nose ever.

13 minutes to go.

Sana just let out a squeal of wicked delight.Looks like her guest has come.There is a lot of chattering outside the door and Dahyun almost wants to rescue the poor boy.

9 minutes to go.

Knock,knock.

Time froze.

This is it.Tucking her hair behind her ear,she gets up to open the door.And there he is,smiling so goofily yet,she sees his fidgety hands tapping away on jeans.All the girls are behind him.Jihyo gives her a big thumbs up.Sana elbows him into the room and Nayeon shouts something along the lines to 'behave'.

Suddenly,it is just the two of them.And somehow she breathes easy,as if she was in middle of a ricefield.He looked dashingly handsome.His eyes really did  sparkle and she is fascinated.

*******

Kim Hanbin was very grateful for his 3% alcohol peach drink.There was truly nothing like it.

He felt powerful and his shyness faded away.

It was her birthday.

And he had a gift.And he had to give it to her.He absolutely had to.

But here he was standing in front of her,stilled into stone.He saw the twinkle in her eyes.She knew how difficult it was for him to open his heart.They were similar in that way.He could hear the TWICE members giggling behind them,the doors weren't soundproof.

Dahyun hesitantly reached for his hand and to his own surprise,he reached out too.

She was so beautiful.So angelic.So weird.Such an ajhusshi.So perfect.Just everything about her made him freezebin.

"Were they very mean to you?"she asked,her laughter barely hidden.

"Not as much as I am to you for being dreadfully late" Hanbin said,guilt creeping in.The CEO had found out about him being friends with her.And he would do anything to keep her safe.Block her number,not see her for months,anything to ensure her safety.He snuck out with the help of Mino and Bobby and Jackson and Mina helped him inside the JYP building.

"You have 6 minutes to go before you are unforgivingly late.There might be a punishment.",she said.

uh.

Whoa.

speak b.i.say something.you can't malfunction now.what would she think?

Oh.uhm.I.think..

Dahyun let out a giggle.A motherfather giggle.His cheeks burned as he looked down.He was not good at this at all.But Dahyun put her hands on her cheeks,bringing his face up till they were eye to eye.Her stare was so confident,so cheeky yet so elegant,he would look silly if he tried that.

"Say it.Go on.Still 5 minutes to go",her lips curving  in a sly smirk,inches away from his own.She tugged him closer and he could smell her shampoo.Her breath felt warm.

"Say it",she whispered.

God help him.

The peach drink he had earlier decided to be god.

And then he said it.His arm went around her waist,noses booping,foreheads touching and hearts beating equally as loud.

he couldn't even talk to her without stuttering.wtf hanbin.freezebin no more.

Now he didn't want to shut up.

"You are the most amazing woman I've ever met and I can't stop thinking about you.The butter flies they talk about in movies,they have made a permanent residence in me.You make me so happy and i want to make you very happy and i know there are others who deserve you more than i do but nobody would be happier than me to see you happy.Am i even making sense right now?I am very scared that it won't work out.I will be okay if we are just friends.I can take it.I don't  want to burden you.I can't stand in your way.Twice will be even more successful.I don't want you to be in a scandal.I don't know if this is what love is but i care about you so much.i understand if you don't feel the same way.Still beautiful was for you only.i hope you know that.you are gorgeous .Do you know that?I sometimes forget to breath when i see you and you work so hard,you are always see the good whereas  i can't get over the negatives.i don't even deserve to stand here.when you kissed me on the cheek on christmas i wasn't  able to sleep at all.you don't know what you do to me.i am frazzled and anxious but also so deliriously happy when you are near me.We have know each other properly for less than a year and i feel like it's forever and i am upside down in love with you and..."

He suddenly felt something soft on his lips.Warm,sweet and heavenly.It lasted a second but to Hanbin it felt like an eternity.

She was hugging him tight,her soft body molded so perfectly into his lean one.Hanbin shut up.

She sang his song,so softly,he thought he almost imagined it."Just for ten seconds,let me hug you..."

"I meant every single word.And I am not drunk,I promise."

"You drank your peach punch,didn't you?"

She knew him so well.

1 minute to go before her birthday ends.

"I don't know about me but you are feeling 22.."

"That was lame,Hanbin sshi."

But she was smiling so wide.

"Happy birthday,Dubu sshi!"

"Waeng,Waeng,Waeng", she giggled.

"Dahyunnie,wae?"

Then he giggled too.And they both giggled till the clock stuck 12.

Cinderella had to go home now.But this Prince DubuCharming didn't need a glass slipper.

Maybe if their fairytale was real,it wouldn't have a happy ending.But for know,she was just a birthday girl and he was a boy drunk on his peach punch,blissful and awkward and all things young,wild and free.

She did not want her birthday to end.