Serena opened the door of her home to reveal a smiling and waving Heeseung on the other side in simple casual wear.

"H-"

She ended up shutting the door on him in mid greeting towards, not expecting him to be here at all. Out of the four, Serena and Heeseung actually haven't gone on any dates or hung out outside of school since the night of Kierra's birthday. Of course, they've seen one another at school and in-between classes, but other than that, Serena always had an excuse to not hang out and so far, she's been limited with her interactions with Heeseung. She felt slightly guilty about it, but put reasoned that she wasn't really doing anything wrong as they weren't actually official either despite Heeseung saying that they should date. However, she never agreed to it and just left it at that that day. Still, that eased her guilty conscience at times, but not so much nowadays. Anyway, Serena called her sister and Melanie answered right away.

"Yo, why is it Heeseung and not you? I thought you needed help with the stuff you bought with Jake."

"I lied. Jake and I are still on our date."

"Okay, so why is Heeseung here?"

"Heeseung wanted to hang out with you for the rest of your birthday since you never told him that it was today."

"Obviously. No one here knows it's my birthday besides you and the cousins. Besides, I already celebrated with you three earlier."

"Yeah, but I let it slipped when talking to Jake earlier. He then called Heeseung about it and then Heeseung talked to me about it and now he's there."

"You could've lied."

Melanie laughed before answering.

"Yeah, I know, but since you're being you, I'm helping you with your love life."

"Stop."

Serena groaned, slightly annoyed.

"No. This is payback and besides, Heeseung likes you back and so stop being mean to him."

"Ugh. Fine. Whatever. Not cool though."

"Actually, the other two thought this would be great for you as payback, too."

"Of course, but alright. I'll entertain Heeseung."

"Just don't do anything crazy. We don't wanna see that when we come back later tonight. If you do, then do that in your own room."

Serena clicked her tongue, slightly flustered.

"What? No. Stop. We're not even that deep into our relationship or whatever we are."

Melanie laughed on the other line, enjoying teasing her sister.

"Be nice to your boyfriend. He's sad that you don't want to hang out with him in general and that you didn't even let him know about it being your birthday today."

"He's not my boyfriend and I don't really care about my birthday. Y'all know that. Even Kierra does."

"Yeah, we know, but he's not your boyfriend yet and you better start caring about your birthday now that Heeseung's gonna be a part of it. Bye."

Melanie ended the call first with a final laugh as Serena scowled at her mobile device until she saw Heeseung's name popped up a few seconds later. She answered the call despite him being on the other side of the door.

"Hello?"

"I've been trying to call you and even sent you messages, but you didn't answer."

"Sorry, I was talking to my sister."

"Anyway, are you going to let me in or not?"

She could hear the pout in his tone.

"Ugh, but I don't look presentable, Heeseung."

"I don't mind."

"I kinda mind. So, give me a moment."

"You look fine, Minseo. Really."

"You barely saw me for more than a second."

Heeseung chuckled.

"And you still looked fine, Minseo."

She tsked and he laughed in response.

"Bu-"

"You don't have to worry about you appearance. We're not going out for your birthday or anything." Heeseung reasoned, voice firm before a chuckle escape.

"Did I mentioned that you're cute when you're stubborn, too?"

"I'm not opening the door now."

Heeseung laughed.

"Minseo, please open the door. I don't care about how you look."

Serena looked down at her lazy and comfy clothing with characters on them with a sigh.

"Fine."

She hung up, opened the door, and greeted the male with a nonchalant demeanor.

"Hi, Heeseung."

"Hi, Minseo."

Serena motioned for him to enter as Heeseung chuckled at her behavior while Serena closed the door.

"Do you not want me here, Minseo?"

"I don't mind."

"Are you sure? Do you not like me anymore?"

Yeah, she liked Heeseung, but all this liking with feelings was being slightly a little difficult at the moment. Because Serena just didn't know how to actually act around him now that they crossed the line passed basic friendship. Heeseung was different than Yonghee and the other guys she's dated in the past. Heeseung was even different than all the other males figures in her life in general and so, Serena just didn't understand why she was behaving this way despite knowing she like like him and should just be natural with him.

"Minseo?"

"Hmm?"

Heeseung's face was close to hers, concern etched into his face. She didn't realized she had zoned out just now.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah."

He regarded her for a few seconds with a frown.

"Does my being here bother you that much?"

Serena detected a sad tone within his foice as she shook her head.

"No, no, Heeseung. It doesn't bother me."

This was true, she was just flustered by the unexpectedness of it all.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, it's just..." She trailed off.

"Just what?"

Heeseung's face moved closers to hers and she pushed his face away from hers while admitting the truth.

"You just make me feel some type of way and I don't know how to handle it."

Heeseung chuckled despite having his face pushed away, but returned his head back to its previous position with a mischievous look gracing his features.

"Oh? Is that so?"

Serena could hear the teasing tone in his voice and avoided eye-contact. Heeseung continued his teasement.

"I thought you were used to me now though?"

She continued to ignore him, not looking at him at all, causing him to laugh again.

"You're cute, Park Minseo."

"I'm not..."

She faced him, but backed off upon seeing how close his face was to hers now. She took a step back and avoided eye-contact again.

"... cute."

Heeseung softly chuckled as he softly patted her head.

"Happy birthday, my love."

He gently pecked her on the cheek and she shifted her attention onto the now sweet-looking Heeseung, but his face fell when Serena unconsciously wiped away the kiss he had just given her. She did all that due to the cringeyness of the term of endearment and act of affection, still not used to it. This was way more than what she was used to in general and unconsciously did what she did without taking in account of Heeseung's reaction and feelings. She was still adjusting to the whole thought of having a significant other and so wasn't fully aware of what she had just done.

"Did you just wiped away my kiss?"

She laughed sheepishly and played it off, processing what she had just done a few seconds ago.

"Did I? I thought it was something else. My bad. Anyw-"

Heeseung interrupted Serena as he went in for an actual kiss then pulling away a moment later with a playful look.

"If you do it again, then I'll keep replacing them."

Serena slightly shied away with a flustered look, giving in easily than what she would've normally done.

"Okay. Got it. Anyway, what do you want to do?"

Heeseung stood upright while looking around her home before returning his eyes onto her.

"We can watch a movie and cuddle."

Serena scoffed, laughing.

"Yeah, highly doubtful, Heeseung. I only cuddle with my plushies since they don't give off any body heat."

Heeseung gave her a firm look with a smirk.

"We shall see, Minseo."

"So, is your sister upset that Heeseung showed up?" Jake asked once Melanie ended the call with Serena.

"No, just flustered."

Melanie laughed, sipping her smoothie and placing her phone off to the side. She and Jake were at a cafe, taking a break from window shopping.

"Anyway, she needs it since it's her birthday and Heeseung didn't know."

Jake chuckled before gazing at Melanie.

"Will you do the same?"

"Do what?"

"Keep your birthday a secret from me?"

Melanie tilted her head.

"No, but I thought you knew it already?"

"No. When is it?"

"You really don't know?"

"No."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

Melanie smiled in disbelief.

"I can't believe you don't know and you say that you liked me."

"I do like you, but I have never once celebrated your birthday with you and the others, Youngseo."

Melanie realized that was actually true. She's only ever celebrated with her sister and cousins on the actual day through a mini celebration, but because of everyone's differeing schedules which never aligned right for all of them to do it on the actual day, Melanie always chose to do it on a different date near her birthday.

"Oop. That's true."

"Alright. So, tell me."

"No."

She flashed him a smile as Jake scoffed.

"Seriously? You're not gonna tell me."

"Mmhmm."

"Wow. How am I supposed to celebrate your birthday if you won't tell me?"

"I guess you'll just have to find out when it happens."

Melanie continued drinking her smoothie as Jake pouted.

"That's not fair."

"What's not fair is that you're trying to buy me things without me knowing."

Jake laughed, having been caught.

"Oh, so you noticed?"

"Yes, and each time I had to tell the salesperson that it's not wanted afterwards."

Jake shrugged, nonchalantly.

"Am I wrong though?"

"Not really, but it's appreciative. However, I do not need you to spoil me, Jake. We've just started dating."

"Then, be my girlfriend, Youngseo, so that I can spoil you."

Melanie just stared at him as Jake looked on, serious about what he said.

"I'll think about it."

Came her playful response as Jake scoffed with a disbelief laugh. Melanie laughed at his reaction, sipping her smoothie.

"Hmm, Minseo would have definitely wrote a scenario like this." Linna commented as she watched Sunghoon taking photos of a stray orange tabby cat.

"But I'm totally not gonna tell just in case she wrote one of me and him as the leads."

She chuckled as she continued to admire Sunghoon. The two were on a sight-seeing date as the pair had stopped by a camera store earlier that sold various types of cameras. Sunghoon purchased himself two film cameras, wanting to take photos as they went about the city. Linna admired this side of Sunghoon, taking in the sight of him as he captured whatever on his camera, but lost in her admiration, she hadn't noticed that Sunghoon had done the same thing and took a photo of her.

"You're so cute."

"Hmm?"

Linna looked up with Sunghoon pointing the camera at her and took another photo of her. She made a face.

"I thought you wanted to take photos of the scenery and animals, Sunghoon, no?"

"You happen to be a part of the scenery." Sunghoon responded with a smile, bringing down the camera.

Linna smiled upon hearing that, but shook her head, bringing herself back to her senses.

"Aren't you charming?"

"I know."

It was meant to be sarcastic, but he proved her otherwise. She rolled her eyes and he caught that.

"Did you just roll your eyes at me?"

"Nope."

Linna giggled, her heels, and began walking in the opposite direction. Sunghoon scoffed, but caught up in seconds, matched her pace, and took one of her hands in his while letting the camera hang on his shoulder.

"So, where do you wanna go to next?" He asked a second later.

"Um, we can snack before dinner? Or we can play before dinner? What do you wanna do?"

She briefly looked over at him before facing forward and gazing at their surroundings.

"Because, we're close by to a lot of things and can do anything."

"What do you want to eat for a late lunch, Jiyeon?"

"I know what I want to eat, but what do you want to eat?"

Sunghoon chuckled.

"I'm fine with whatever."

"So am I."

"One of us has to decide."

Linna eyed him.

"That's why I asked you. I picked the last spot on our last date."

"Did you?"

"Yes."

He sheepishly giggled.

"Then, how about you just choose again?"

"Fine. Then let's go to Pink Pool Cafe or Zapangi. You can probably take pictures there. Or, maybe Fritz Coffee Company. The place has a nice setting."

Sunghoon chuckled before casting her with a sweet look.

"Do you want me to chose out of the three then?"

"Yeah."

"I don't know which one."

Linna rolled her eyes again and Sunghoon caught her once more.

"You need to stop doing that."

"Bad habit."

She giggled with Sunghoon shaking his head in good nature before Linna recalled something, excitedly.

"Oh, let's go to the Ryan cafe!"

Sunghoon chuckled.

"You just wanna hang out with Ryan, huh?"

"Of course. I can even take a picture with him."

Linna beamed as Sunghoon eyed her.

"You have me."

"Yeah, but you're, just you. Ryan is Ryan."

She cast him with a mischievous look.

"Actually, Sunghoon, I'm gonna hang out with Ryan. However, you can finish taking pictures around here though."

She let go of his hand while dashing off to the metro station, laughing.

"Yah! Jung Jiyeon!" Sunghoon yelled, running after her while protecting his camera.

He soon caught up to her, reaching for her hand with his free one and gently pulling Linna back towards him as they were now chest to chest. Linna giggled at her antics while looking up at him as Sunghoon smiled down at her before leaning down with Linna leaning up to meet him halfway and the two shared a kiss.

"Does my son treat you well?" Jay's mother, Kim Hyemi, asked Kierra.

Kierra joined Jay and his mother for dinner at his parents' home as his mother really wanted to meet her when Hyemi had called Jay earlier to see what her son was up to and he let slipped he was with Kierra. Hyemi persuaded the pair to come over for dinner as her husband had flew overseas for work, leaivng her alone which got Jay to agree to the dinner. As Jay prepared dinner, Kierra interacted with his mother.

"He does." Kierra answered honestly with a slight laugh after.

"Although I didn't treat him all that well when before then."

"Hmm, that's odd."

Hyemi chuckled lightly, taking a sip of her tea.

"I heard differently."

"How so?"

"He always talked so highly about you, every chance he got."

"Really?"

"Yes, dear."

Kierra couldn't believe her ears. Did Jay talked about her often enough to his mother and why she wanted to meet her in the first place.

"Well, he never mentioned a name, but I know the girl he talked about is you, dear."

"I'm sorry if i don't give the impression of what he's said about me." Kierra apologized with a sheepish laugh as Hyemi smile.

"Don't be sorry, dear. You're better than I imagine. Anyway, I'm just happy to know that he's surrounded by loving people."

Kierra nodded.

"He sure is."

"Oh, by the way, do you think I could have the individual copies of these photos."

Kierra was confused until his mother brought out the photobook she had made for Jay's birthday.

"The photobook is absolutely stunning, but I would like to have these pictures in my own collection without the design and words."

Hyemi cast Kierra with a pleading look.

"What do you say?"

"Of course. I can give you the original prints."

"Have you seen any photos of Jay when he was younger?"

Kierra shook her head, piqued about seeing much younger pictures of Jay as Hyemi's face lit up. She went to grab a photo album and