“Saengil chukahamnida! 

Saengil chukahamnida!

Saranghaneun Jongin-ah Kyungsoo-yah ge

Saengil chukahamnida!”

Kai grinned sheepishly at the group of boys clapping and hollering for him and Kyungsoo in the noraebang lounge.  It had been Kris and Suho’s idea to go to karaoke, and Kai never would have agreed to it if not for how excited Kyungsoo had been.  Of course, there was also the promise of cake. 

“Well, what are you waiting for?  Make a wish and blow them out,” Chanyeol prodded, placing the cake in question in front of them.

Kai turned to Kyungsoo at his side and they shared a joking glance before turning to blow out the candles.  As they straightened up and the other boys turned their attention to the cake, Kai felt Kyungsoo’s hand on his shoulder.  His owl eyes leaned toward him as he said softly, “Happy Birthday Jongin-ah!  I wish you health and happiness.”

“Thanks, hyung.  Happy Birthday,” he stuttered awkwardly.  For some reason, Kyungsoo’s soft words meant more to him than the boisterous singing, but he would never admit that. 

Chanyeol tugged at Kyungsoo’s arm excitedly, pulling his attention away.  “Would you like to see my gift?  I prepared a girl’s dance for you!”  He turned to Kai and winked, warning, “Don’t ruin it by joining in, or else you won’t get your gift!”

Chanyeol rushed over to the controls, selected the song, and stood facing them all with his arms around his waist.  He started shaking his hips exaggeratedly as Brown-Eyed Girl’s ‘Abracadabra’ began to play.  Kai started to laugh until he noticed Kyungsoo’s face with the widest grin he had ever seen there.  When Yixing and Sehun tried to join in rolling their heads idiotically and Chanyeol pushed them away with his hips, Kyungsoo erupted in laughter, clapping and jumping out of his chair.  He turned to Kai and clasped his hand, but Kai could only smile.  Compared to this, he’ll hate whatever I give him.  I can’t make him happy like that.

Chanyeol didn’t make it to the end of the song due to the general chaos.  Kai hoped they would start singing now and forget about exchanging gifts, but Kris soon brought them to order.  Suho passed out cake while one by one they presented their gifts.  Sehun had gotten them both bubble tea gift cards, which Kai flung jokingly back at his face.  Yixing had forgotten his gifts, but remembered his guitar so he played for them.  Suho gave him a game and Kyungsoo a book he seemed very excited about.  Kai couldn’t remember much else.  He was tired, and while he couldn’t care less about birthdays, the thought of ruining Kyungsoo’s gave him a headache and tied his stomach in knots.

Only after everyone else had gone did Kai stuff the bag with his gift into Kyungsoo’s hands.  He hadn’t bothered to wrap it.  Kyungsoo looked at him in disbelief.  “But I didn’t get you anything,” he protested weakly.

“You cooked for me.  This is nothing.”  He met Kyungsoo’s eyes for a second before looking away again.  Kyungsoo had actually brought him coffee, seaweed soup, pasta ‘in case the soup wasn’t good enough,’ and the cake they were currently enjoying.  The icing didn’t even say ‘Kyungsoo,’ only ‘Jongin.’  “I hope you like it.”

When Kyungsoo saw the CD, he immediately started singing, “I wanna be a billionaire, so freakin baad!”  He was smiling, but Kai was still unsure if he really liked it.

Finally he flashed a warm smile, saying, “This is great!  Thanks Kai.”  He even shot him a dorky thumbs up.  Kai smiled in relief.  Phew.

Chanyeol whispered in Kyungsoo’s ear and the two started laughing and gesturing about something.  Normally Kai would feel upset about being left out, but right now he couldn’t be bothered.  He hadn’t failed, so he was going to enjoy it.

“Ka – ai, I believe you get to sing first,” Luhan snickered, pushing the binder of songs into his hands.

“Ohh no.  No singing.  But I will dance if you sing for me.”

“Deal.  But you wear the birthday hat.  And the party glasses.”

Kai rolled his eyes.  Let the madness begin.  

In all, the singing lasted for several hours.  Kai danced to about 5 songs before giving up in embarrassment, although he danced a lot in his seat.  Chanyeol was by far the loudest, but Luhan and Sehun probably sang the most.  Xiumin scared everyone with a hardcore screamo song, but was otherwise cute as ever.  Kyungsoo sang several ballads, but mostly sat bobbing his head to the music, mouthing the words.  Jongin noticed that he seemed to know all the songs that came up, even the English parts.  But then, Kyungsoo always surprised him. 

After Kyungsoo sang a duet with Suho, Kai swung an arm over his shoulder, feeling sleepy and content.  Well after his back had gotten better, Kyungsoo was still his armrest.  His eyelids started to droop, and he thought he felt Kyungsoo’s head fall on his shoulder before dozing off to sleep.

“Yah!  Birthday boys!  Are we boring you?!”  Sehun’s fingers flicked his forehead as his eyes hazily opened.  He lifted his head from where it rested on Kyungsoo’s.  For just a moment, his heart knocked against his chest, feeling Kyungsoo’s body so close to his. He’s my pillow now, too.  Chanyeol and Luhan started sticking confetti tears on Kyungsoo’s cheeks, although it wouldn’t be too long before he woke up.  There was a song playing, but no one seemed to be singing anymore.

“How long were we sleeping?”

“Maybe 20 minutes,” Kris said coolly, although he looked amused.

Kyungsoo woke up with a jolt, pulling away from him immediately.  He rubbed his eyes and shed confetti everywhere before asking, “Is it over?”

Kai chuckled.  Sometimes his hyung was just like a little kid.  “I should probably head home,” he admitted.  Suho and Xiumin muttered in agreement.

The boys collected their jackets and Sehun pulled Kai toward the door, when he noticed Kyungsoo clearing the trash from the table.  The sight gave him the oddest pang in his chest.  “Umma, you don’t need to do that!  The staffs here will clean it.”

“Oh, it’s fine.  I don’t like to leave messes.”  He looked up at him and his heart made another knock.  “Go home safe, Kai-sshi.”

He saw Chanyeol turn to help Kyungsoo as Sehun ushered him out and down the stairs of the noraebang.  Maybe it was because he was tired, but he felt hollow and irritated.  A part of him wished he had stayed behind with Kyungsoo, wished he could be funny, wished he could be a better friend.

But most of all, he wished he was someone Kyungsoo could lean on, not only while he was sleeping.    

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IF YOU'RE READING THIS, I LOVE YOUUUUU!

Thank you for your patience.  I'm sorry I can only reward you with this crappy chapter, but I didn't want to keep you waiting.  

I should also stop watching k-dramas.  

@WeirdoTheGreat  SM needs to start learning there are more places in the world, like Texas. I WANT TO SEE MY BABIES TT^TT

@remello @Daeyah @NadieLee  Thank you so much!  I will update as quickly as I can xD

@panzym  Kai's a sweetheart deep down, and I love him for it ^^

@ShadyGirl  EXO + Disneyland = New OTP  I wish so much that I could be there 

@a_song_4_yoo_rin  YUP, that's Xiumin behind him, and Kai in front.  

Comments make me happy.  And I write when I'm happy. <3 kab