I just arrived home from the cram school. It was already 8 at night when I saw my parents were on their way out of the house. They just got a call from a friend who was admitted to hospital. They asked me to watch the house for them. Hyung wasn’t around too. He told me earlier that he went to practice with his band. I heard a loud noise from Sooyoung-noona’s house as I slammed my bag on my bed. I slide the window curtain to see what’s going on. Her house.. how could I say this? It seems like there are so many people in there.. The brightness of their house.. If people show me her house and told me now its Christmas or Thanksgiving, I would believe it 100%.

I’m bored. Yet, I don’t feel like opening my book or studying. I don’t feel sleepy at all. I guess playing hyung’s game would be fine. I went to hyung’s room, but my bad luck, his room is fully locked. He obviously took his key room with him because I couldn’t find the key on the staircase. We usually left all keys on the staircase, in case of emergency. That’s what my mom said.

I’m double bored. I took another peek while I opening the door. Noona’s house looks so much fun. Should I go? Thinking that it might be her family’s reunion or girl’s party.. I started imagining how awkward it must be to be in her family dinner while I’m just sitting there, watching others talking something I’m not familiar with, or hearing her humiliating family secrets.. But what if she’s actually having a girl’s party? Must be more awkward if I’m the only guy there. I mean, they must be college girls around noona’s age. Thinking that I might get nosebleed, my rational mind was telling me not to go.

I remembered the Japanese short story book which noona gave me a week ago. I decided to read it. It took me more than fifteen minutes to get through one whole page. Chinese characters are too hard to memorize. I need to have a Kanji dictionary beside me the whole time reading it.

As I was about to flip on the last page, my house suddenly went blackout. I checked on noona’s house and there was no light at her house either. I tried to reach my phone out of the darkness to use it for light. The moment I knew I grabbed my phone, noona’s scream shocked me.

Using my phone as a torch, I quickly ran downstairs, opened the door, and stepped outside the house towards my neighbor’s house. Wondering what had happen to her, I tried to knock on the door but there was no reply. Is she alright? My thoughts were full of undesired things happened to noona. I have no choice. I tried to let myself in. Luckily, the door was unlocked. I barged myself in, trying to locate where could noona would possibly be in the house.

“SOO -“ Before I could even called her, I heard someone turn on the light switch.

“SURPRISE!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY~ BAEKHYUN!!!!”

Everyone was there. My family and noona’s family along with my best eleven friends: Chanyeol, Tao, Junmyeon, Kris, Jongdae, Kyungsoo, Minseok, Kai, Lay, Luhan and Sehun. Everything was already set up. The noise I heard earlier was probably for my birthday party. I couldn’t control my feelings as tears started to fell down my checks.

“I’m not sad, I’m actually very happy.. I don’t know why these tears.. I just can’t..” I tried to explain. I know how sissy I might look at the moment with tears all over my face. Not to mention I’m already in the final year of high school.. I wonder where my manliness went.

“You’re so cute Baekkie!! It’s okay! We understand!” She patted my head again. I could see dozens of smirks coming from my friends and hyung.

“Here, blow up these first!” She dragged me to the table. There were seventeen velvet cupcakes with candles and the rest cupcakes holds each letters from the word ‘Happy Birthday Baekhyun.’

I remembered Sooyoung-noona promised me to make velvet cupcakes for me. I turned to her and saw her grinning. “I made them myself,” she said, proudly.

“Yeah, hoping it would not taste as bad as the poison apple given by Snow White’s step mother.” Hyung got elbowed by my mom for a terrible remark on noona’s hard work.

“It’s okay Mrs Cho. I already get used to it. Trust me.” She sounded like she doesn’t even care but her hand moved in a high-speed, grabbing one of the cupcakes and filled them into hyung’s mouth.

“Enjoy the food and stop talking.” She gave him a cold glare. But in split of seconds, she turned her face back at me while smiling sweetly, “Blow the candles, Baekkie. Remember to make a wish.”

I heard slight chuckles from my friends. I gave them a death glare, hoping they would stay out from teasing Sooyoung-noona being so childish. But then, I did make a wish. Hoping peace would come between hyung and noona. I blow the candles and everyone clapped their hand.

“LET THE FUN BEGINS~!!!!!” Chanyeol suddenly yell. Before I could ask them what was that all about, I felt an arm wrapped around my neck and I was dragged outside the house.

Kris went in front of me while holding my shoulder, “Baekhyun, brace yourself, this is how we celebrate birthdays for a 17 years old boy like you.” When Kris gave you an evil smirk, you know everything will turn out really bad. He forced my body to turn 180 degree and that moment, I saw all of my friends were holding water gun. They were start shooting water at me and I just can’t help it but to run away from them. Tao came straight at me, grabbing my arm, making me ‘shieldless’ from the attack. Just later when everyone’s guns were already out of water, they came to me, push me to the ground and start to stack themselves on me while shouting “Burger Time”. Can you even imagine? Eleven guys on top of me? I screamed, begging them to get off.

When they finally satisfied, they let go off me. It took me a few minutes to finally get back on my feet. I close my eyes, laughing at the what-so-called-17-years-old-boy-way-of-celebrating-birthday while at the same time, scolding my friends for their childish act.

As I opened my eyes, Sooyoung-noona’s beautiful face was like 10 inches away from me. She gave her usual smile but suddenly turned into a devilish laugh as she splashed my face with a bucket of water. Everyone was clapping out of joy, watching my speechless face.

“Kyuhyun oppa taught me that.” She smiled again, and pulled me inside the house.

A towel flied towards me and I grabbed it before it landed on the floor. “Dry yourself before you eat.” Hyung smiled at me while handing the other towels to my friends.

I sat on a chair at the living room, still trying to wipe my wet shirt. Just then, a huge chill suddenly spreading through my body and I could even feel it inside my bone. Is it cold in here? Weird. I choose to ignore the sudden chill.

“Hey, she’s same age as mine right? She’s cute.” Luhan was whispering to me while wrapping his shoulder with the towel my brother gave him.

“She’s indeed cute. But I don’t think she’s a match for you.” Minseok suddenly elbowed Luhan out of the blue.

“Haha.. True, but the more I look at her, she’s a match for people like Kris, right?” Kai came, hugging Luhan and Minseok from behind.

“Naahhh… That won’t do. Kris act cool all the time. She is going to piss off easily with him.” Lay speak up.

“Hahaha~ That’s not nice Lay!” Junmyeon gave Lay a smack on the head.

“Really? Sooyoung-noona and Kris gege? So Sooyoung-noona is single? I thought she’s your brother’s girlfriend.” Sehun words made us surprised.

“What makes you said that?” Jongdae asked the same question that was running in my head.

“I don’t know. It’s just a hunch.” Sehun final answer made all of us laughed and sighed at the same time. The cute sides of Sehun who always assuming things, always made us cheer up.

“Wait, why the heck are all of you suddenly jamming on this chair? There’s more chairs right there! And there! Gosh!” I pushed all of my friends away, trying to find some space. I felt really squeezed just now.

I took a glance at hyung and noona. They were quarreling at simple things again. Sigh.. what is it all about now?

“That’s not how you make cocktails. You should add ice first then the rest, then add more ice if the ice melts before you shake. That liquid chocolate is hot, right?” Hyung complained.

“It would taste the same! Trust me! The most important thing is not which one you add first, but the way you made it!” Noona replied.

“It’s different!”

“It’s NOT!”

There they are. Arguing more than solving the problem. “Actually, I think you need to cool off the liquid chocolate in the fridge first for an hour then shake it with vanilla cream. It’s here on the recipe note.” I showed them the notes I saw pasted on the fridge on how to make the chocolate cocktail. I guess Mrs Choi wrote it for her daughter.

“aaa.. No wonder the taste is kind of not right.” Sooyoung-noona said while hyung nodded.

The more I look at them, I still don’t believe on what Sehun said. I find them never-ending foe to each other.

Eating the cupcakes, opening the presents, and chatting with friends were the only things I remembered doing before feeling really sleepy. Unconsciously when Kyungsoo was teaching Sooyoung-noona how to make the Kimchi Spaghetti, I close my eyes due to the heavy feeling of the sleepiness.

I heard a conversation, “You guys are leaving? Thanks for coming. The birthday boy is already asleep. Haha~” That would be hyung’s voice. I heard footsteps of my friends leaving noona’s house.

“Should we let him sleep here?” That’s noona’s sweet voice.

“I won’t let him sleep here. Too dangerous. There’s only one daughter in your house. No son. ”

“No big deal, Baekkie is young and cute.”

“He’s still a boy. A grown up 17 years old boy. And don’t call him Baekkie. It annoys me so much.”

“He’s too cute, I can’t stop calling him that name. So, would you mind piggy back Baekkie back to your house? I lift his upper body to your back and you grabbed his legs.”

I couldn’t hear any of the words from them as I believe I fallen deep into sleep. Hyung’s back is surely nice and warm. Thank you, hyung.

Author's note: Sorry for the late update and a lame chapter~ hoho~