"And there we go."

Linna sent a 'happy birthday' message to Sunghoon at the of midnight.

"Okay, now I can g-"

Her phone immediately started ringing, indicating a video call.

"Why is he up?"

However, she let it ring, not wanting to answer. Yet, Sunghoon called a second time immediately afterwards.

"He's totally gonna sulk if I don't answer him, but he should be fine. Right?"

She chuckled as she let it ring once more, not answering. However, soon afterwards, her boyfriend called a third time.

"Wow, so persistent. I guess."

Linna answered Sunghoon's third video call.

"Why are you still up?" She asked as Sunghoon frowned.

"Why is that the first thing you say to me on my birthday?"

She chuckled.

"Because I thought you would be asleep by now."

"I'm not, but did you intentionally ignored my first two calls to you?"

"Maybe."

His frowned deepened as she giggled.

"Oh, don't be like that, Sunghoon. I really thought you were asleep and I was just gonna go to sleep after sending you a happy birthday text."

"Well, I'm not."

"I can see that. By the way, did you just stay up to midnight to see if I would be the first one to wish you a happy birthday?"

"No." Sunghoon denied as she gave him a look.

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Okay, Sunghoon. Well, I'm go-"

"Wait."

"Hmm?"

"We're still on for our date later today, right?"

"Yes. Why? Do you want to just celebrate with our friends instead for the party they're holding for you?"

"No, no. Just double-checking."

Linna chuckled.

"You're cute, Sunghoon."

"I know, Jiyeon."

His smile brightening up his face.

"Good to know. Could you do aegyo for me?" Linna asked, wanting to boyfriend.

He instantly frowned.

"No. I'm not doing that."

She laughed as he recalled something.

"Wait a minute. It's my birthday. You should do aegyo for me instead."

Linna stopped laughing, shaking her head.

"No way."

"C'mon. I don't think I've ever seen you do it before."

"Yeah, and I probably won't ever do so."

"Let me be the only exception."

"Nah."

"Please, Jiyeon?"

"I'll think about it."

Sunghoon pouted as she giggled. Linna wouldn't have mind doing the aegyo for her boyfriend, but she just preferred teasing Sunghoon more nowadays ever since they established their relationship. However, she acted quickly to throw him off.

"Love you, my ice prince. Have the best happy birthday today! Mwah."

Linna spoke in a cuter tone while making a kissing sound and giving Sunghoon a finger heart. Before Sunghoon could process the whole thing, Linna waved goodbye.

"Sweet dreams and see you later today for our date. Bye."

"Wa-"

She hung up with a giggle and ignored Sunghoon's call thereafter.

"Sorry, Sunghoon, but I need to sleep."

She giggled, happily falling asleep some time later. However, Sunghoon couldn't sleep as all he could think about was how cute and unexpected his girlfriend was.

"So, Lotte World is where you wanna celebrate your birthday date with me?" Linna questioned as she and Sunghoon arrived at the amusement park.

"Yes, because I get to share my love of ice skating with the person I love together."

He cast her with a sweet look.

"You're so cheesy."

Despite saying that, a warm feeling settled within her.

"Now, c'mon. Let's see how much you've improved within a year."

Sunghoon tugged Linna along as she just recalled that just almost a year ago, Sunghoon had assisted her in her ice skating out of the blue. Now that she thought about it, maybe he used that chance to interact with her to get closer to her. Linna couldn't believe that so much had happened since then and the two were here now as an actual couple.

"Jiyeon?"

"Hmm?"

Sunghoon called out to Linna, breaking her away from her thoughts as he momentarily stopped walking.

"What's up?"

"Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah. Just thinking."

"About what?"

"Us and how we ended up being right now compared to almost a year ago."

A soft look graced his face as he smiled upon that thought as well.

"A lot has happened, huh?"

"Mmhmm."

She squeezed his hand in comfort.

"I'm glad I didn't go home that time."

Sunghoon squeezed Linna's hand back with a smile.

"Me, too."

"Anyway," Linna re-directed them back on track.

"Show me what you got, Ice Prince."

Sunghoon chuckled.

"Just be prepared with the stuffed animals, okay?"

"I'll think about it."

She cast him with a playful smile as he shook his head in good-nature while tugging her inside the recreation complex.

"This should be fine." Linna muttered as she bought two small plushies of Lotty and Lorry, two of the Lotte World's mascots.

"Two is enough. Right? Maybe I should've bought him a headband, too, since it's his birthday."

Linna lied to Sunghoon that she needed to use the toilet, leaving him alone on the ice rink once they entered. However, she just wanted to buy the stuffed animals to throw for him since she knew he would appreciate something like this. Luckily, Sunghoon was distracted, skating around the rink as Linna neared. She watched as he got closer to where she stood before surprising him by throwing the two plush dolls in front of him. However, this almost made him crash, but luckily he reacted in time.

"Oops."

She giggled, resting her arms onto the ledge of the ice rink as Sunghoon made his way towards her after picking up the raccoon stuffed animals.

"You could've at least warned me." Sunghoon remarked, stopping in front of his girlfriend.

"These could be quite dangerous if I had tripped upon skating over them."

"I could, and I'm sorry, but then you wouldn't have been surprised." She responded, smiling a bit mischievously.

He eyed her.

"I would've gotten hurt though."

"True, but you didn't." She reasoned, but noticed the slight pout upon her boyfriend's face.

"Aww, does my ice prince want a kiss to make up for it?"

However she was just teasing, not processing the words and how Sunghoon would react to them. He flashed her a grin.

"Yes, I do."

"Oh."

She knew that she should stop saying things like these. Linna blamed her sister and older cousin for such a behavior although at times she really didn't mind.

"I was just joking about doing that though."

She tried to back away, but he reacted faster as his free hand grabbed a hold of her bag's strap and pulling her closer despite the ledge keeping them slightly a part.

"Too bad. Because I think someone owes me a birthday kiss."

Sunghoon smirked while leaning closer to Linna as she watched him, slightly amused.

"But do you deserve one though?"

"Yes, I do."

"Okay, but if you claim this birthday kiss now, Sunghoon, then you won't get another one later. So are you sure?"

"I'm pretty sure I get twenty-one birthday kisses, Jiyeon."

He cast her with a serious look.

"And if I recall, our school won the friendship games, too, and so you can't deny me your kisses."

Linna chuckled at her boyfriend's seriousness about kisses.

"You're so c-"

But Sunghoon interrupted her, claiming one of the twenty-one birthday kisses. He pulled away first, satisfied as she eyed him with a small smile.

"You're lucky you're cute, Park Sunghoon."

"I think you're much cuter, Jung Jiyeon."

He then removed his hand from her strap to hold her hand instead while leading the two of them to the entrance and exit of the ice rink. Her walking and him skating.

"Now, it's time for you to join me on the ice."

"Actually, I quite like the solid ground though."

Linna was reluctant to join her boyfriend on the ice, but Sunghoon smiled, giving his girlfriend a reassuring look.

"Don't worry, Jiyeon, I'll take care of you."

The couple enjoyed their ice skating date for Sunghoon's birthday as the male made sure to claim his twenty-one kisses throughout the date and then some. The pair ended their date a couple of hours later so that they could hang out with the rest of their friends at Boys' One for Sunghoon's party which would eventually lead into a continued party of sorts for Ni-Ki's birthday as the two's birthdays were only a day apart.

"Whoo! Happy birthday, Ni-Ki!" The group of friends cheered once midnight rolled around.

Everyone took yesterday and today as a mean to have some fun after constantly studying this past week for final exams next week. Ni-Ki happily accepted the love and appreciation he received from his friends while blowing out the candles on the cake that Serena and Kierra had made for him. It was two designs in one of a puma and duck and made of vanilla. While everyone was having cake or just chilling, Ni-Ki made his way over to the cousins in their own little corner after having a moment to themselves without a particular someone hanging around them.

"Now that I'm a year older, then I can play beer pong, yeah?" Ni-Ki asked.

"Yeah, but you're still not drinking." Melanie stated as he frowned.

"Why not?"

"Because you still have one more year left." Linna answered as Kierra grinned.

"But, I'll still be your tank until then."

Ni-Ki made a face.

"Y'all aren't fun."

"Okay, you say that now, but do you wanna play or not?" Serena inquired, enjoying a slice of cake.

"We can still play as we'll be taking one of the Owl Buses instead since it's too late to take the last subway train home." 

"You're actually pretty good at this." Serena remarked as she and Ni-Ki teamed up with Kierra becoming his tank.

So far, the team of three have won several games against their friends with Ni-Ki hardly missing a shot and was on a shooting streak. They've just won their latest game and yet, the younger male grew bored without having to drink anything since Kierra or Serena drank instead.

"Yeah, but it's boring as I don't get to drink."

"Oh, you're fine." Kierra dismissed with a wave of her hand.

"You get to down coke at least."

"That's not the same." Ni-Ki whined as the other two chuckled.

"Just hang in there." Kierra assured him as Serena glanced at him.

"Anyway, this was the last game. We need to head on home now."

"Oh, c'mon. Just one more?" Ni-Ki pleaded as Serena shook her head.

"No way. You said that four games ago."

"Please? Just one more games."

"Nah, play with Jiyeon and Youngseo. I'm pretty sure you wanted to play with them."

"Yeah, but then they left somewhere awhile ago and I haven't seen them since."

"Now that you mention it, where are those two?" Kierra muttered, looking around at the other tables, but not spotting either of them.

"Anyway, we're gonna go look for them." Serena suggested, shooting Ni-Ki a smile.

"But next time, we can play again and I'll let you drink."

"For real?" He asked, piqued.

"Yeah, for real."

"Okay, but you better not forget."

"I won't."

"We got you, Ni-Ki." Kierra reassured him with a laugh.

"Later."

"Later."

The friends bid one another goodbye as the cousins went to look for their sisters while Ni-Ki went to look for another partner to play with.

"Why is his charger so slow?" Melanie complained while being in Jake's room and using his iPhone charger.

"Gosh, even my old iPhone charger is faster than this."

She was sitting at his computer desk, charging her phone, as the battery ran out a while ago when she was with Jake earlier. He took her to his room where she could charge her phone and have some quiet time as well. It's been only a few minutes, but it seemed her phone barely even got to two percent. Melanie groaned, knowing she should've charged her phone earlier before coming to Boys' One's place. Melanie just didn't think her phone would've died so fast, but recalled the video call back home to her mom when they got here as she wanted help with something and stayed on longer than intended.

"This is gonna take forever."

Melanie gazed about Jake's room, debating if she wanted to return to the party or not. Jake did tell her to make herself comfortable and if she got tired that she could sleep in his bed. She glanced around to check for the time, but didn't see any clock of sorts. She had to assumed that it was close to at least three in the morning by now as the last time she saw was around two something in the morning at least half an hour ago. Melanie glanced at her phone before her eyes shift to Jake's bed.

"I guess I could take a nap in my boyfriend's bed."

She chuckled as she rose from the desk chair and manuevered on over to Jake's bed. Yes, that's correct. Jake's her boyfriend now. The two made it official a few days ago and Jake told Melanie that his birthday wished finally came true even though it took longer than he expected especially since they started dating for real, too.

"Shoot, I forgot to turn off the light."

Melanie stared at the light switch despite being settled in and all comfortable. She sighed and groaned, getting out of bed, walked over the to switch, clicked it off, returned to bed in the dark, and making herself comfortable once more.

"Jake won't mind if I sleep in his bed, right?"

She giggled, closing her eyes, and quickly fell asleep. Maybe