A present.

How hard was it to find one present?

One simple, non-expensive, safe, and calm present?

What an...interesting birthday.

Inspiration ß My Own

...xXx...

She yawned, covering and lightly running her fingers through her hair.

The doorbell rang again and she sighed, her eyebrow twitching. 

She opened the door before the doorbell could be pressed (again) and she raised an eyebrow at the guest.

"Can I help you?" she snapped, sighing. She had just gotten home from work and the last thing she expected to see was the apartment's manager carrying a box easily twice her size in her arms calmly. She glanced at the clock. "It's nearly 1 in the morning."

"I know," her apartment manager, her long-time friend, stated, carrying the box inside calmly. 

"Oh why don't you come in?" she questioned sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she shut the door. She walked into her kitchen, pulling out two drinks and tossing one at her friend.

"So what you here for?" she asked, opening the soda and taking a refreshing swig. 

"Happy birthday Tsuki," her friend congratulated, giving a smile. Tsuki rolled her eyes again but smiled all the same.

"You couldn't wait another 6 hours until I woke up for work?" she joked in return, walking back into the living room where the box had been placed and taking a seat on the couch.

"You won't be going to work since Miyoung decided to cover for you," her friend - Sooyeon - announced, placing the drink calmly on the living room table. 

"She did?" Tsuki repeated, surprised. 

"She'll be back in time for your party. Don't worry," Sooyeon comforted, taking a seat on the couch beside her. 

"I'm having a party?" Tsuki asked, shocked again.

"It's all taken care of," Sooyeon placated, giving her a sly grin. "That's Minjung's present over there. Apparently it's fragile so be careful."

"I'll worry about that when I wake up," Tsuki answered, snorting as she took another drink. "I just wanted to sleep in for my birthday. Forget celebrating it."

"Too late for that," Sooyeon teased, getting up. "I'll come back in the morning with your present."

"Good morning," Tsuki joked, bidding her farewell. 

"Good night," Sooyeon answered, rolling her eyes as she left.

-oOo-

When she woke up the next morning, it was pure chaos. 

Contrary to what Sooyeon had told her the day before, Miyoung ended up not going to work for her and she arrived late, got scolded by her boss, and worked for hours on a project that turned out to not even be her assignment. 

She growled in frustration as rain soon began to pour on her way home as well and she quickly pulled over, trying in vain to pull up the convertible's hood only to find it stuck, letting the rain soak the inside of her car. She let out a curse, frustratedly slamming her fist on the wheel before driving again, almost speeding to escape the constant onslaught of water.

She pulled into the apartment's garage, slamming the door roughly and shaking her wet hair to try and dry it as she walked inside.

Immediately she caught the eye of the apartment manager.

"Shower," she ordered, pulling Tsuki into her own private first-floor bathroom and tossing her several dry towels and a dry outfit.

Tsuki bit her lip. 

"I'm fine. It's just been a bad day. Let me shower in my own room," she argued, stepping out.

"Shower," Sooyeon threw back, locking the door.

"I won't even fit your clothes," Tsuki argued. She was a good 20 cm taller than Sooyeon and they both knew it.

It was silent for a moment.

"It'll fit," Sooyeon insisted and Tsuki heard footsteps walk away from the door.

She sighed.

Might as well take the shower.

And so she did.

-oOo-

"Now can I go up to my room?" Tsuki asked with impatience. "We've done everything."

"We haven't done everything," Sooyeon threw back with a half-smile. Since Tsuki had finished her shower - an act she appreciated and felt much better after - Sooyeon had insisted on baking a cake with Tsuki for her birthday. After that came a movie, random board games, and even books.

"What else is there to do? I want to go sleep," Tsuki complained, in a much better mood but tired all the same.

"You haven't picked up your present," Sooyeon reminded with a mysterious grin. "I left it up in your room."

"Then let's go," Tsuki eagerly agreed. 

"Coming," Sooyeon teased, amused by Tsuki's eagerness.

-oOo-

The minute she opened the door, she nearly had a heart attack.

"SURPRISE!~" came a cacophony of sounds. Streamers popped in her face and a familiar friend - the one who hadn't filled in for her at work - shoved dozens of small present boxes into her arms. And she realized that the whole day had been a facade for this moment - her own birthday party - and she remembered Sooyeon's words from the day before - well hours before.

"Happy birthday!" the group cheered. She recognized her co-workers and fellow apartment-mates, the manager behind her, but she faintly recognized the male standing beside Minjung. She barely paid mind as the party up and started, presents being opened, multiple cakes being cut (How much time did Sooyeon have to bake so much?), and just laughing.

It was late at night, a little past midnight when the party died down and the half-drunk participants slowly began to leave. Sooyeon eventually took Miyoung - who was dead-drunk - to her own room while Minjung silently sipped wine in the corner, whispering and holymotherofpearl smiling with the male. 

"Oh yeah, so Minjung...who's this?" Tsuki questioned, walking over and taking a seat in front of the duo.

"He's...a companion," Minjung finally settled, shrugging as if to say 'What-is-he' to herself. The male wrapped an arm around Minjung's waist with a sly smile.

"I'm her boyfriend Kim Jaejoong," he introduced, leaning over and placing a chaste kiss on her lips. An unintelligible mutter - a curse Tsuki guessed - escaped her lips in Chinese and she punched her boyfriend in the shoulder. 

The door opened and closed.

"Don't hurt him too much Xiuxiu. He still needs to perform and promote," Sooyeone's chastising voice reminded Minjung.

"I don't understand Chinese," Tsuki complained, pouting.

"But Minjung doesn't understand Japanese," Sooyeon teased in Japanese, stepping inside with a box in hand.

"I don't understand Japanese," Minjung reminded, frowning.

"Anyways," Sooyeon cut in, tossing the wrapped box at Tsuki. "That's my present to you."

"I thought you meant the party and the cake was," Yume refuted, surprised. "You even gave me this outfit."

"Nope," Sooyeon disagreed, giving her an amused look. "It's late. Let's get some sleep. You too Minjung, Jaejoong." 

The couple stood to leave, Tsuki following for her farewells.

"Oh yeah. Open your present soon," Minjung reminded with a mischievous smirk. Jaejoong and Sooyeon hadn't noticed, but Tsuki recognized that look from back when she said she was going to kidnap that idol back in high school and many other misadventures. 

And it clicked.

That Kim Jaejoong was that idol she joked about kidnapping.

Holy mother of pearl what was the present?

She slammed the door closed, unknowingly making Minjung's smirk only grow outside, and ripped open the top of the box. 

It was empty except for a whole mess of pillows. 

She let out a sigh of relief. 

Pillows may not have been the most pleasant of presents, but much better than whatever trouble Minjung was planning. 

She left it alone, brushing her teeth and sliding into bed, not bothering to change.

She was so tired.

So so tired.

And only then did she see the face in front of her of the other person in bed.

She recognized him.

Lee Donghae.

The one and only Lee Donghae of Super Junior.

The only idol she had ever fangirled about.

He was right there.

And she realized what happened.

"ZHANG MINJUNG!" she screamed, falling out of bed.

What kind of surprising, shocking - good, blessed - horrendous, deadly - crazy, fangirl-worthy present was this?

From down the hall, she could only faintly hear Minjung's amused cackles as Lee Donghae opened his eyes and smiled.

What kind of a crazy birthday present surprise was this?