“This time, I’m going through with it!” Taeyoung exclaimed, as she pumped her fist into the air.
“Going through with what?” her brother, Hyunseung, asked.
Taeyoung forgot that her brother was in the living room with her, and so she quickly said the first thing that came to mind. “Uh, my big challenge of learning how to fart a bubble.”
Hyunseung looked at her weirdly and left the living room. Taeyoung closed her eyes at her stupidity and sank into the couch, but quickly jumped back up and raced into her bedroom. She grabbed her hand phone and dialed her best friend’s number.
“Yah, Yeseul, I’m going to go through with it this time!” Taeyoung shouted into the phone happily.
“Ow, my ear, and do what this time?” Yeseul asked.
“Um, you-know-who-but-his-name-can’t-be-said-when-my-brother-is-within-500-feet.” Taeyoung vaguely explained.
“500 feet of what?” Hyunseung asked, entering Taeyoung’s room and lay himself on her bed.
“Oppa, nothing for you to know, now get out now. This is girl talk not intended for you ears.” Taeyoung said as she tried to kick her brother off the bed and out of her room, but only failed and fell to the floor instead. Hyunseung laughed at her, got up, left her room and closed the door after him just as a pillow missed him and hit the closed door instead.
“Ugh, stupid Oppa, hate you. Hello, Yeseul, you still there?” Taeyoung asked, picking up her cell phone from her fall.
“Yup, I’m here. You fell again, didn’t you?” Yeseul laughed.
“That’s not the point; the point is that I’m going to confess my love for you-know-who.”
“Just say his name already Taeyoung, he’s not Lord Voldermort and it’s not like Hyunseung is there to bother you now either. Anyhow, what made up your mind?”
“Shut up and forget Hyunseung, but I’m not saying it, just yet and I don’t know, it just hit me, and Hyunseung almost knew, but I saved myself. Don’t ask how, but anyways, the year is about to end soon and I want to make a confession on Christmas, but Christmas is like in 3 to 4 weeks. I don’t have much time; I want to do it now before I change my mind. Yeseul, I need your help so badly.”
“I’m on my way, so you better prepare me my bed. Good thing it’s a Friday, it’s gonna be a long night.”
And the two girls hung up and Taeyoung waited for Yeseul to arrive, anticipating how it will turn out.

On Monday morning, Taeyoung faced the entrance of her high school, mentally preparing herself for what Yeseul had told her to do on how to get closer to her crush, Yoon Dujun, also known as “you-know-who-but-his-name-can’t-be-said-when-my-brother-is-within-500-feet”. Since Taeyoung’s birthday was next week on November, 27th, and her parent were okay with her having a small get together at their house and was allowed to invite some friends over to celebrate, Yeseul also informed her that this would be the best opportunity for her to get closer to Dujun. She already knew that Yeseul would definitely be there and that Hyunseung would have to be there of course, so it’ll be easier for her to have Dujun come over since he was her brother’s best friend, and that the fact that he would always come over everyday, although it was more to hangout with Hyunseung, but he was nice to her as well. Anyhow, she just needed to invite a couple of people to be there to not make it not look like just the four of them. Taeyoung then sought out for those people to fill up the much needed space.
By the end of the school day, Taeyoung was unable to invite anyone over. Either they were too busy, had other plans, she couldn’t find them, and others she didn’t want to have over either. She let out a long sigh as she leaned her head against her locker, thinking of what to do next.
“So, who did you invite?” Yeseul asked, as she came up to Taeyoung as Taeyoung just shook her head in response.
“What, no one? Come on Taeyoung, not even one person could attend?” Taeyoung shook her head again.
“This is gonna be difficult then I first thought. No point in sulking here, let’s go see your brother and his friends play soccer.” Yeseul dragged Taeyoung and they left the school building and went to the soccer field where Hyunseung, his friends, and a couple of underclassmen would be playing soccer for fun, although soccer season ended a while back. The girls seated themselves in the mid section of the stadium and watch the boys play.
“I wish I could drive, like right now. I could just go straight home and not wait for Hyunseung and go to bed and sulk there.” Taeyoung said, laying her head in her lap, her legs propped against the bench below and Yeseul just looked at her concerned and rubbed Taeyoung’s back. Soon afterwards, a notebook came and smacked Taeyoung in the head.
“Argh, what now?” Taeyoung groaned, searching for what hit her and found the notebook behind her. “You stupid notebook, you want to ruin it for me too.” And Taeyoung grabbed the notebook in both hands and shook it like she was throttling someone as Yeseul tried to stop her.
“Ah, excuse me, I’m sorry about that, but may I have my study notes back, please?” Someone said with a soft voice who spoke from behind them as the other two girls turned to see who the speaker was.
“Oh, Jyongri!” Taeyoung exclaimed, standing up, bowing down while handing the notebook in Jyongri’s direction. “I’m sorry, here you go.”
Jyongri took back the notebook, bowed her apologies, and turned to leave. Yeseul then signaled to Taeyoung and then nodded her head in Jyongri’s direction to invite her to the get together. A few seconds passed and then Taeyoung got the hint and ran up the steps to speak with Jyongri. Just as Jyongri sat back down to study her notes, Taeyoung finally reached her.
“Um, Jyongri, do you have a minute?” Taeyoung asked, sitting beside her.
“Sure.” Jyongri turned to faced Taeyoung with a small smile that Taeyoung returned.
“I was wondering, do you have any plans next Saturday evening at 6?”
“Saturday’s evening, no I do not have any plans, why do you ask?”
“Oh, then, um, would you, uh, would you, uh, would you like to come to a small get together at my house Saturday evening next week?” Jyongri smiled faded into a slight, unsure frown and looked at Taeyoung with a look of confusion. “Well, you don’t have to come over if you don’t want to. I’m sorry if I’d bothered you.” Taeyoung quickly stood up and began to return to her seat.
“Wait, Taeyoung, wait a minute please.” Jyongri called out. Taeyoung turned to face Jyongri and waited for her to tell her whatever she wanted to tell her. “I, I, I would love to attend your get together, if the offer still stands, that is?” Taeyoung smiled at her and nodded her head in response. They exchanged numbers for easier reach and Taeyoung waved goodbye and said her thanks, and Jyongri did the same and resumed her studying. Once Taeyoung returned to her seat, Yeseul asked about what had happen and Taeyoung told Yeseul and then they hugged, and happily watched the boys finish up their game, before going home.

After dropping Yeseul at her house, Taeyoung and Hyunseung made it home, with Dujun coming in tow. As they each got out of the car, Hyunseung asked Taeyoung a question regarding her get together. “So how many people are coming over next Saturday for your party?”
“Uh, so far it’s two other people beside you, me, mom and dad.” Taeyoung answered him.
“Taeyoung, you’re having a party next Saturday and you didn’t invite me, how rude.” Dujun said, pouting at her as he joined them at Hyunseung’s car.
Taeyoung froze in place and let the words settled in her mind, but quickly recovered. “Uh, yours an automatic invitation, and um, well, since you come over everyday, I didn’t think about it.” She came up with suddenly.
“Dude, forget this, let’s continued the game we played yesterday.” Hyunseung said, walking towards the house and letting himself in.
“Hmm, well, this time, I would like an open invitation offer to me, Taeyoung.” Dujun crossed his arms, looking at her.
Taeyoung’s eyes went wide, and she tried not to faint, wishing that Hyunseung didn’t walk away. –Is this for real, I hope it’s not a dream.- She thought.
“Well…” Dujun waited for the invitation.
“Oh, uh, Yoon Dujun-goon, would you like to come to my small get together next Saturday evening at 6?” Taeyoung asked him.
“Yes, Jang Taeyoung-yang, I would like to come.” He smiled at her and Taeyoung just smiled at him. He then patted her head and walked towards the house. Before he entered, he called out to her. “Yah, Taeyoung, Hyunseung already told me about it; I just wanted to give you a hard time.” He laughed letting himself inside the house.
Taeyoung in mid-dreaming stopped her dreaming as it dissipated and thought instead. –What? He already knew, ahh, how mean of him. And I thought I was getting some progress. Sheesh.-
“Yah, Youngtae!” Someone called out to her and she shook her thought away and turned to face the person, her next door neighbor, Lee Kikwang with his best friend, Yang Yoseob right beside him.
“What do you want, Kwangki?” She asked, walking towards the two boys and greeted Yoseob. “Hello, Yangyo!” And Yoseob replied back cheerily. “Jangtae, hello to you too!”
“What is this ‘get together’ you mentioned earlier?” Kikwang asked, quoting get together with this fingers.
“It’s for next Saturday evening for my birthday, why, you want to come?”
“Depends, how small is this ‘get together’?”
“Yeseul, you know her, my brother’s friend, Dujun, and I don’t know if you know of Cho Jyongri, but she’s coming also, my parents, Hyunseung, and I, so 7 people will be there.”
“Sounds boring, you need more people, I want to attend! Please, Jangtae!” Yoseob pleaded, grabbing her hand and shaking it up and down. “Kikwang, you plead too, so she’ll invite both of us to liven up her mini party.”
Taeyoung released Yoseob’s hold and told them, “I don’t need you two to liven up things-“ but stopped mid-sentence and remembered she needed people to fill in the spaces. “I change my mind, would you two like to come over next Saturday evening? It starts at 6.”
“We’ll be there!” Yoseob accepted the invitation for both him and Kikwang.
“All right, see you later, bye bye. Don’t invite anyone else either!” Taeyoung waved while walking away. –So, that makes a total of 9 people. I think that should be okay, hopefully all goes well.- Taeyoung thought as she entered her house. –She better not show up like all the previous years.- Another thought came, as the house door closed behind her.

Next Saturday evening came around quickly, and both Taeyoung and Yeseul hurriedly finished putting up the decorations and setting up the place. While her mother was in the kitchen putting the finishing touches on Taeyoung’s birthday cake, and her father, Hyunseung, and Dujun were watching a movie on the television set.
Once the females were finished, the other guests begin to arrive just before and a bit after 6pm. First to arrive was Jyongri, who handed Taeyoung her gift, and Taeyoung accepted and made her feel welcome and led her to the dining room, introducing her to everyone.
Finally Kikwang and Yoseob, the las