Before they knew it, it was already 2022. There were quite a lot of milestones in Jongkook’s career. After winning the Daesang, the offers had rained down on him, and he added more shows to his roster, all while maintaining his strong presence in Runningman and My Ugly Duckling. He had also successfully established his own Youtube channel garnering millions of followers in only the first week of its creation. He even had Jihyo as the first guest on his show.

For her part, Jihyo spent the year thoroughly busy. Her new show had been a hit, and the interesting storyline drew viewers far and wide. She also had some movies lined up, and the commercials kept coming in. While Kwangsoo’s departure was quite hard on her, her skill in variety still shone through, garnering her more trending on screen moments. All in all, her hard work paid off, landing her in the rankings for both variety and acting. 

Perhaps, the most interesting development in Jihyo’s year, however, was how much she felt more at ease with both her and Jongkook’s families and friends. She was always a workaholic, but this year, she unwittingly found herself visiting her family in Pohang more often, meeting up with Liwon once in a while (the young girl was just as insistent as her uncle, after all), sneaking around with Jongkook on dates, and, even, babysitting for Donghoon when he and Byeol needed the extra hands. It was probably a function of age, but she started to enjoy the company of other people even more. 

When Jongkook’s birthday rolled around, he decided to simply stay at home and relax with Jihyo. To make sure that none of his friends would attempt to surprise him, he went ahead and asked Gapjin to clear out the evening with explicit instructions to fend off any potential distractions. Unfortunately, Jongkook still had a schedule on the day of his birthday, so Jihyo decided she would go ahead and wait for him at his house.

She had the whole day free, and so she was lounging around her own home, trying to pass the time. She was excited for this day, and she couldn’t wait to surprise Jongkook. When afternoon rolled around, she took her tote bag, making sure everything she needed was in it.

Two hours before Jongkook was to be expected home, Jihyo punched in the passcode to Jongkook’s apartment, her hands full carrying the groceries. She put down her bag in his bedroom, and proceeded to cook the entire menu she had planned for his birthday. She set down all the food she had prepared, then went on to take a shower and change into a dress she had packed. She dried her hair, letting it down compared to her usual ponytail, and she checked on her accessories. She took one final check in the mirror, and smiled, excited for Jongkook to come home.

She took her tote bag, and brought out a paper bag - her gift for Jongkook on his birthday. It was a framed photo of their entire family. During the last holidays, Jongkook and Jihyo had decided to hold a dinner for both their families. Gwija and Hyoseon had already met each other a few times, but that was prior to their children getting together. It wa