Today was my Birthday.

I was officially 18 years old.

I hadn’t told anyone about it because I didn’t want anyone to make a big deal. Which sounds totally abnormal, but birthday’s weren’t happy times for me. They reminded me of my Mum. Or rather the lack of my Mum in my life.

I woke up on my Birthday morning and got ready as usual. Ren walked me to class and we talked as normal.

“Have a nice day.” He smiled.

I threw myself in to dance class. We were learning a routine for the end of year exams and I was determined to pass with a high score.

“Good work Minjae.” The dance instructor praised me. I grinned.

At the end of the class, the dance instructor told us all to sit down.

“I have some news.” He began slowly. “It could be good or bad depends which way you look at it.”

The class shifted, wondering what was to come.

“The headmaster has decided to change the talent show date. Instead of one month away, it’s now rescheduled for four months time.”

There were murmurs around the room. I breathed a sigh of relief, it would give me a chance to improve my dancing.

“The headmaster has also decided.” The dance instructor raised his voice slightly for silence. “That the teachers are to choose your partners for the talent show.”

I gasped.

Several hands shot up.

“But what about our existing partners?” Someone asked. A question I was dying to know the answer to myself.

The instructor sighed.

“It’s happening all over the school. The existing partners will be broken up and new partners will be chosen depending what they major in.”

So that meant HyeSu would have a partner in her singing class.

And I’d have one in my dance class.

I looked around. Apart from Myungsoo and JR I didn’t really talk to anyone in here.

“I’ll read out the lists of partners now.” The instructor took out a sheet and began reading names.

As the list progressed, I saw that the instructor had tried to be fair. He’d placed us with people we hung around with and who we tended to stick to in class.

“Park Minjae,” I looked up at the sound of my name. “You will be partnered with Kim Jonghyun.”

JR looked up in surprise. I smiled at him, happy that I was partners with someone who was at least my friend. He grinned back.

 As I walked out of class JR called after me.

“We need to set up rehearsal times if we’re going to be partners.” He smiled.

“I can rehearse whenever’s good for you.” I shrugged.

We decided on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.

“We have to win Minnie!” JR vowed.

“Fighting!” I pumped my fist.

--------------------------------

After my stage presence class, I went to find the others at our usual spot. Although it was lunch time none of them were anywhere to be seen. I frowned and stood in the middle of the field, dithering on the spot.

The same thing happened after all my classes had finished. Normally we all met up in the canteen for an ice cream to talk about the day.

Where were they all. It was unlike HyeSu not to be here to eat ice cream with me.

Today I went to drown my sorrows in ice cream alone. My Mother hadn’t phoned today even though 18 years ago she’d given birth to me.  I wondered if she regretted it. Or if she even remembered she had a daughter.

I sniffed hard and dug the spoon into my ice cream while sighing. I wasn’t in a happy mood today. Could you tell?

After my 4^th ice cream I finally decided it was time to call it a day.

Feeling like I was going to burst, I dragged myself out of the canteen and down the corridors. I found it funny how no one knew it was my birthday, I’d almost expected HyeSu to have found out somehow. She knew everything about me it seemed.

Taking out my key card, I slotted it in and pushed open the door.

“SURPRISE!”

I screamed and leapt back out of shock. 6 people came rocketing out of the room and tumbled on top of me, hugging and laughing.

“Happy Birthday Minnie!” Ren said. He was wearing a party hat on top of his blonde hair and he gave me a hug.

“Yah! Pabo, how could you not tell me it was your birthday.” HyeSu complained, pinching me on the arm.

“I didn’t want a fuss.” I mumbled, still astonished.

“Well this is what happens when you don’t want a fuss.” Baekho said.

“I can’t believe we really surprised you!” Minhyun said happily.

“Do you like your surprise?” JR asked, smiling. I nodded and threw my arms around as many people as I could reach.

“Thank you thank you thank you!” I squealed. “I love you all!”

“We love you too!” Aron beamed. “Now come on, we got cake!”

They dragged me into Nu’ests rom. There were balloons everywhere and banners strew along the walls. In the centre of the room there was a cake with Happy 18^th Birthday Minnie written in turquoise writing.

“I made the cake!” HyeSu piped up proudly. I raised my eyebrows.

“All this time you could make cake and you never told me!” I grumbled.

“Because you would have had me making cake all the time!”

Minhyun carefully stuck candles on the cake and Aron and Ren ran around the room, turning off the lights and pulling the curtains closed. They began to sing happy birthday to me and I looked at the cake, the candle light flickering.

“Don’t forget to make a wish,” Ren whispered. I closed my eyes and thought quickly.

Please let us all be friends for the rest of our lives.

In one gust, I blew out all the candles. Everyone cheered and clapped and Aron passed me a knife to cut the cake. I made another quick wish as the knife broke into the sponge.

Please let my Mum and I have a better relationship.

I dished out the cake on to plates for everyone and then we sat in a circle and played party games. Minhyun had pain stalking wrapped up a prize in layers of newspaper for us to play pass the parcel.

By the 17^th round, we were getting tired.

“How many layers did you wrap the prize in Minhyun?” Baekho asked as he passed the prize onto HyeSu.

“This is the last layer...I think.”

The parcel stopped at me. I un wrapped the newspaper carefully to find that it was indeed the last round. Enclosed was a velvet headband with a red velvet attached. I gasped and held it up in front of me.

“This is beautiful Minhyun,” I breathed reaching over to hug him. He patted my back.

“I’m glad you like it.”

“I should have won,” Baekho protested. “That headband would have suited me better!”

I laughed and nudged him.

“I’ll share it with you then you baby.”

We carried on playing party games for a while longer. The games ended abruptly with Blindsman bluff. Aron had the blindfold over his eyes and was trying to catch us. He managed to walk right into the wall and knock himself to the ground.

HyeSu pulled the bandage off Aron, revealing his dazed eyes.

“I’m okay.” He tried to get up and stumbled to the ground again.

“I think that’s enough of the games.” I laughed, ruffling Aron’s hair.

We all settled down to watch a movie. The only movie Minhhyun had was a science fiction movie that made everyone fall asleep before it had even started.

I was dozing off myself when I felt a hand tugging mine.

“Come with me a second Minjae.” JR whispered. I got up and carefully stepped around the bodies asleep on the floor. JR tugged me into his room and shut the door.

His bedroom was actually tidy bright. He didn’t share it with anyone as there was only one bed. On the bedside counter there were photographs in silver frames. I figured that they were his family.

“I uh, have your present.” JR said, holding a box out towards me. My eyes widened and I looked up at him.

“You didn’t have to...”

“I know I didn’t but I did anyway.” JR interrupted, ing the box out. “Open it.”

Taking it in my shaking hands, I carefully opened the lid of the small black box.

Nestled on a white foam pad was a necklace. On the end of the delicate chain was a tiny silver crown. It was beautiful.

“I thought it’d be cute.” JR said. I could tell from the way his voice shook that he was apprehensive. “Because I’m meant to be Junior Royal and umm..well I thought that uh, you could be...”

He thought I could be his queen.

JR ducked his head, biting his lip as his cheeks flamed. I stepped towards him and gave him a hug.

“It’s stunning JR, the best gift I have ever received.” I said softly. JR responded by hugging me back.

“If you don’t like it then...”

“I love it, seriously.” I said earnestly. “Will you put it on for me?”

JR nodded and took the necklace out of the box. I turned around.

I felt his finger tips brush my hair to the side and then the cold chain of the necklace as it settled around my neck.

“Done it.” JR said.

I turned back around slowly. I was afraid to look into his face, the atmosphere felt tense and excited. He brought his fingers to my chin and gently tilted my head up. His eyes were so intense they were almost completely black. His gaze dropped to my lips and my breath caught. JR’s face leant down towards mine until we were inches apart. I didn’t know if I wanted this to happen or if I didn’t. I didn’t know what I was feeling. JR closed the gap between us to only millimetres. I closed my eyes and attempted to control my breathing.

“I’m so nervous Minnie.” JR breathed against my lips. He curved an arm around my waist and with the other arm he took my hand in his.

“I’ve been planning this all day.”

His face dropped away from me slightly.

“Wondering how I’d do it.”

I felt his lips brush against my cheek,

“Wondering what you’d do.”

I felt his cheek against me as he left small kisses below my ear.

“And now that it comes to it, I’ve forgotten what I planned.”

I felt the soft featheriness of his hair as his head dipped lower to the side of my neck.

“I guess I should just go with the moment right?”

He was speaking against my neck now. The vibrations made me sigh and my head fall on to his shoulder. JR stepped back. I didn’t open my eyes, I was still dazed. All at once, smooth hands slipped around me. He was standing behind me. My heart rate sped up again.  

“I should do whatever feels right.”

His nose drifted along the back of my neck, his breath leaving a trail of sensations against my skin, while he tightened his arms around me slightly. He delivered an open mouthed kiss to my shoulder before letting his mouth fall next to my ear. “I didn’t know I had this much self control.” He whispered right into my ear. His voice was husky and low. He kissed a path to my other ear.

“You know how much I love you right.”

His voice trailed off as he pressed himself closer.

"How much I want you."

I bit back the urge to make a sound. He rested his forehead against my shoulder and just held me. After a while, JR’s fingers reached up to touch the necklace he had given me.

“Happy Birthday my Queen.”

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Oh my gosh this chapter. JR feels everywhere! I hope you enjoy it xD