Haha, okay so I did get sick so I didn't get to update sooner...also I been pretty busy lately, BUT to make up for that...here's a long chapter!

Funny story: This was actually the chapter I wanted for Sinb's birthday but you know....school finals...chapter deadlines...needless to say they didn't match up.

This is also one of my favorite chapters! So enjoy ^^

~~

Yewon was sitting in her office, drinking coffee and typing away at her keyboard. Her eyes were starting to feel itchy from her staying up too late, but she was insistent that she would get through the rest of the pile before she went to bed. She jumped slightly as her phone rang and she frowned down at Eunbi’s name appearing on the screen, she should already be working by now.

“Happy birthday!”

Yewon blinked as Eunbi’s words registered in her mind. Looking at the time in the upper corner of her laptop, she realized it was exactly midnight.

“Thank you,” Yewon laughed. “I didn’t expect to hear from you until later today.”

“Well, I couldn’t wait that long to talk to you. I can’t stay long though or I might get in trouble, but I wanted to tell you anyway.”

“Hwang Eunbi, are you breaking the rules right now?” Yewon gasped.

“For you, it’s worth getting caught,” Eunbi told her with a quiet laugh. “I’m trying to be sneaky though.”

“Yeah, I can hear everyone in the background, you better keep an eye out or they’ll tie you to the front of a tank or whatever they do to you over there.”

“I just wanted to wish you a happy birthday, and to tell you there’s been a slight problem with your gift and it won’t get there until later on. Hopefully, you get it before I speak to you later though, otherwise, I’m going to have to wait until tomorrow to see if you like it.”

“If it’s from you then I already love it,” Yewon told her.

“I hope so,” Eunbi said softly. “Anyway, you should go to bed soon. What time are you leaving tomorrow?”

“Not until lunchtime, which gives me time to check-in at the office before we go,” Yewon told her.

“The office? On your birthday? Why am I not surprised,” Eunbi sighed.

“It’s just my birthday, Eunbi. The whole world doesn’t revolve around me, sadly,” Yewon said with a small laugh. “Your sister has already conned me into breakfast though, so I’ll only be at the office for a few hours.”

“Good, I hate the thought of you being alone,” Eunbi said grimly. “Okay, someone’s walking past, I have to go. Sorry, I love you. Have a good morning and I’ll speak to you later, bye.”

“I love you too,” Yewon said quickly before Eunbi hung up. She smiled to herself as she looked back at her laptop, and there was a warm feeling inside at the fact that Eunbi had waited until it was midnight here just so she could wish Yewon a happy birthday straight away.

Finishing off her work, Yewon shut down her laptop and tidied up her desk before heading to bed.

~

~

The bell above the door dinged as Yewon walked into the cafe. She spotted Eunha and Sojung in the back corner and made a beeline straight for the table.

“Oh, there you are,” Eunbi said, looking up as Yewon neared the table. “Happy birthday!”

“Happy birthday,” Sojung said, pulling a chair out slightly for Yewon.

“Thanks,” Yewon said, giving them both a smile as she sat down.

“We do have gifts for you, but we figured it would be easier if we gave them to you later so you don’t have to take them to work,” Eunha told her.

“Oh, thank you. That’s very nice of you,” Yewon said, slightly surprised at the fact that they had bought her gifts.

“But!”Sojung said, quickly scrambling through her bag before pulling something out of it. “This is one for now. Just in case.” Yewon burst out laughing as she looked at the little pocket knife that Sojung held out to her.

“If someone tries to stab you, stab the back,” Sojung told her with a grin.

“Thanks, I love it,” Yewon said, still laughing as she put the knife in her bag.

“No problem. Come on, let’s order,” Eunha said, waving away Yewon’s thanks. Picking up a menu, Yewon looked down at the options and smiled. Pancakes. Today she had forgotten what she called a ‘proper breakfast’ and got pancakes. She knew Eunbi would approve if she was here.

“So, what time did you want us to leave to get to the station?” Yewon asked once they had all placed their orders.

“Right, well, I thought it would be easier if we met at the station. Otherwise, you’ll have to go home to get your stuff, and then come and get us and then go to the station; that’s a lot of stops and we all know someone will hold us up.” Eunha gave Sojung a quick look as she said the last part and Sojung laughed.

“Our tickets are for half-past twelve so as long as you’re there by then it’ll be fine.”

“Sounds good,” Yewon agreed. She mumbled her thanks as the waitress brought their coffee over, and poured some sugar into her cappuccino. Staying up late last night had been a mistake, and Yewon would need all the energy she could get today.

“You’re going to be bouncing off the wall with the amount of sugar you’re having for breakfast,” Eunha said, looking at Yewon with amusement.

“I used to tell your sister the same thing,” Yewon laughed, stirring her cup before she took a sip. She moved the cup to the side as the waitress came back over with their food a few minutes later, and Yewon smiled at the stack of pancakes in front of her. Picking up the maple syrup, Yewon drizzled it over her food before cutting into it.

“So, what are you two going to do this morning?” Yewon asked.

“Who knows. Maybe I’ll take a nap, maybe I’ll come to the office with you and sing happy birthday in front of the entire building,” Sojung said as she grinned at Yewon.

“Maybe you should pack your bags,” Eunha said, poking Sojung in the arm.

“Definitely pack your bags,” Yewon agreed. “Somehow we’re always waiting for you. Honestly, you would think a police officer would keep a better track of time.”

“Really? Do you think police officers are punctual people? If you called us to tell us you were being murdered, you would probably be dead by the time we got there. Like honestly, you would get a pizza delivered faster,” Sojung snorted.

“And that is why the FBI is better,” Eunha smiled as she stole a strawberry from Yewon’s plate.

“As if. You wouldn’t know a real crime scene if you saw one,” Sojung scoffed.

“Enough with the competition,” Yewon said, rolling her eyes as Eunha and Sojing laughed. Their playful rivalry was ongoing, and Yewon had heard the pros and cons of both their jobs a hundred times already.

“Okay Richie Rich,” Sojung said, smirking at Yewon.

“Who?” Yewon asked, giving Sojung a puzzled look.

“Oh come on, you’ve never seen it? He’s the richest kid in the world, probably right up your alley,” Eunha explained.

Sojung sighed, shaking her head as she looked at Yewon. “You know, my insults don’t have the same effect when you don’t know what I’m talking about. You need to have a pop culture education.”

“I know about a lot of popular things,” Yewon protested. “I just don’t watch a lot of movies.”

“Oh please. The only pop culture thing you know is Gfriend and only Gfriend, and that’s probably because you had a childhood obsession with the lore they had in the music videos or whatever weird you were into,” Sojung said.

“It wasn’t weird,” Yewon mumbled defensively.

“Sure. Anyway, I don’t know what happened along the way, but the fact that you know more about Bach’s music than Disney films has me a bit concerned,” Sojung told her.

“Whatever,” Yewon mumbled defensively.

“See!” Sojung exclaimed, turning to look at Eunha while she pointed a finger at Yewon. “That right there is what worries me. You just said Disney is !”

“Relax, I mean if I don’t like one of them we’re turning it off,” Yewon said. “ing hell, if I knew you felt so strongly about Disney, I would’ve bought you tickets to that ice skating thing.”

“Disney on ice?” Eunha asked, laughing as she picked up her coffee.

“I don’t know what it’s called, but yeah sure. My assistant, Solar, took her niece to it when it was in town. I’ll make sure to get you tickets next time,” Yewon said, smiling sweetly at Sojung.

“You know, I said I was going to be nice to you today, but you’re really testing me here, Kim,” Sojung said with a sigh.

“You live for this ,” Yewon said with a laugh, and Sojung shrugged slightly.

“Fair point. You definitely make things interesting,” Sojung admitted.

“You’re full of compliments today,” Yewon said with a smirk.

Sojung laughed and gave Yewon a warning look. “It’s only because it’s your birthday, and because I get a little holiday out of it, so I'm in a good mood. Don’t get used to it.”
 

They finished their breakfast and sat there talking as they drank the rest of their coffee before Yewon had to go to work. Yewon couldn’t remember the last time she had ever felt happy on her birthday, and she was grateful that even something as small as breakfast brightened up her day.

~

~

Yewon walked into her office and Solar followed behind her, rattling off a list of things she had taken care of. She had said a quick happy birthday to Yewon as she had taken her coat and bag when she walked in, but she didn’t make a fuss as she jumped straight into business with Yewon. As Yewon walked over to her desk, she saw the annual book and cupcake that graced her desk and smiled. Trust Solar to always follow through.

“Thank you, Solar,” Yewon told her, gratefully. She even gave her a smile, which took Solar slightly by surprise as she returned it.

“No problem, Miss Kim,” Solar said, waving away the thanks. Yewon felt slightly guilty at the fact that she couldn’t remember if she had ever acknowledged the gifts from Solar before, usually, Solar would sneak in and leave them in her office when Yewon took a break. They had always had a tentative relationship, mainly focusing on work, and while Yewon appreciated Solar’s hard work and dedication to her, she wasn’t sure if she had ever fully expressed just how grateful she was to her.

“Um...would you like half?” Yewon hesitantly asked, holding up the cupcake.

“Oh,” Solar said, blinking in surprise. “If you’re sure.”

Yewon pulled the pocket knife out of her bag and flicked it open, causing Solar to jump back slightly in alarm.”A birthday gift,” Yewon said, shrugging as she cut the cupcake in half.”It’s for stabbing s apparently, but I guess it’s handy.”

“Right,” Solar said, her eyes wide as she nervously eyed the blade. With a thank you, she accepted her hand and took her leave. Yewon called out another thank you before she slipped out the door, and Solar gave her a small nod and a smile before leaving her in peace.

Yewon’s phone rang while she was eating half of the cake, and she quickly wiped her fingers on the napkin before picking it up. It was her mom.

“Hi,” Yewon said,

“Happy birthday,” Sunmi said.

“Right, yeah. Thank you,” Yewon said with a small smile.

“God, I can’t believe you’re 25 already,” Sunmi sighed.

“I mean, you missed like two-thirds of my birthdays, so I’m sure it feels quick to you,” Yewon said with a small laugh. There was a pause for a second before Sunmi replied.

“Ah...right, straight into it then,” Sunmi muttered.

“Wha- no...mom, that was a joke,” Yewon said exasperatedly as she rolled her eyes.

“It’s true though. I wish I had been around for more of them, or that I hadn’t sent you away to boarding school,” Sunmi said.

“Well, I do recall one birthday party, when I was younger. You threw me a massive tea party in London - at The Ritz, wasn’t it? They had the best jam tarts I had tasted,” Yewon said.

“Mm, that was for your ninth birthday. You wouldn’t talk to any of the other kids because you said they were all stupid,” Sunmi laughed.

“I’m sure I was right,” Yewon said.

“Well, they were never as smart as you,” Sunmi agreed. “Although, it used to worry me when you didn’t make friends. You were always stubborn.”

“Nothing’s changed, of course,” Yewon said. “Well, I guess I have two friends now.”

“And you’re still spending today with them, right?” Sunmi double-checked.

“Yeah, we’ll be leaving at lunchtime,” Yewon told her.

“Right. Well, your gift is being sent to Jessica’s place for you,” Sunmi told her. “If you don’t like it you can pick something else, but I think you will.”

“Thank you,” Yewon replied.

“Well, I better let you get on with your day,” SUnmi told her. “Enjoy the rest of your birthday. I’ll speak to you soon.”

“Thanks mom,” Yewon said. “Bye.”

Hanging up, Yewon sat for a second with a thoughtful look on her face. It was one of those days where she truly realized how different her life was. Yet, here she was, still at the office like any other day, and still missing Eunbi, as per usual.

With a sigh, Yewon turned her attention back to her work. Hopefully, she could check everything quickly and leave early so she could get to the station early. She wanted to make sure she had everything ready so she didn’t miss Eunbi’s call later on.

~

~

The door to Yewon’s office opened and Solar poked her head in. Yewon didn’t even look up from her screen as she carried on reading the report.

“Um...Miss Kim, there’s a delivery for you, shall I send them in?” Solar asked.

“Ah...yes, please,” Yewon said with a smile. This must be Eunbi’s present, and Yewon was equal parts curious and excited to see what it was. Solar opened the door for the person to walk in, and Yewon looked up from her laptop long enough to watch as a massive bouquet of flowers made its way through the door.

She laughed quietly at the sight; Eunbi must have ordered the biggest bunch of flowers in National City. The poor florist could barely carry them as she blindly walked into the office.

“Um...just set them down over here,” Yewon told her, clearing a space on her desk for the woman to put them. Realizing the woman couldn’t see where she was going, Yewon quickly corrected herself. “Oh right. Just..um...straight ahead. A few more steps.”

“Just leave them here?”

Yewon shot up out of her chair, sending it shooting backward. That voice was as familiar to her as her own. As soon as the flowers were set down on the desk, Eunbi stepped out from behind them, smiling widely through her tears as she held her camera and snapped a photo of Yewon’s shocked face.

“Happy birthday.”

With a strangled sob, Yewon laughed herself around the desk and straight into Eunbi’s arms. She slammed right into her and held on tightly as she sobbed with relief and happiness. Beneath her touch, Yewon could feel Eunbi shaking with silent sobs too, and they stood like that for ages, just breathing in the familiar smell of each other and the touch of their embrace.

Eunbi drew back first, and her hands came up to cup Yewon’s tear-stained face as she looked down at her with wonder, as if she was seeing her for the first time. Gently, Eunbi wiped away Yewon’s tears, laughing quietly as Yewon stared up at her in shock.

With shaking hands, Yewon reached up and cupped Eunbi’s face between her hands, letting out a choked-up laugh that was more of a sob. opened and closed a few times as she tried to think of something to say. Instead, Yewon leaned up and pressed her lips to Eunbi’s in a rough kiss, full of longing and desperation.

“Y-You’re here,” Yewon choked out after she pulled back.

“I’m here,” Eunbi laughed quietly, Yewon’s cheek. Quickly she leaned in and pressed a hard kiss against Yewon’s lips.

“H-How?” Yewon asked, her eyes roaming over every inch of Eunbi’s face. She was here, safe but tired looking, Yewon attributed that to the hours she must’ve just spent on a plane.

“Did you really think I would miss your birthday?” Eunbi asked, laughing quietly. Yewon let out another sob and threw her arms around Eunbi again. She felt Eunbi’s arm encircle her waist, holding her tightly, and the quick press of a pair of lips at Yewon’s temple.

“I’ve missed you,” Yewon mumbled into the crook of Eunbi’s neck.

“I’ve missed you too,” Eunbi whispered, Yewon’s hair as she smiled.

Pulling back again, Yewon took Eunbi by the hand and led her over to the couch. They sat there facing each other, smiling tearfully as they ran their eyes over every inch of each other, and their hands wandered as they explored each other's bodies. Yewon picked up Eunbi’s hand and pressed a kiss to the back of it before clutching it tightly to her chest.

“I can’t believe you’re actually here,” Yewon said, laughing incredulously as new tears slid down her cheeks. Eunbi threw her arm around Yewon’s shoulder and pulled her into her lap, cradling her against her chest.

“It feels so long since I last saw you, but it also feels like I never left. Oh god, I’ve missed you so much,” Eunbi said, rubbing soothing circles on Yewon’s back as she quietly cried.

“Four months!” Yewon exclaimed, her voice hitching as she said it. She sat up in Eunbi’s lap, turning slightly so he could see her face as she gently her cheek. “I’ve spent every day wishing for this moment. Some days it was so unbearable I didn’t think I could bear it any longer. I had half a mind to fly there and drag you back myself.”

Eunbi laughed, resting her forehead against Yewon’s. “I don’t think I could have lasted a minute longe