CHAPTER 04

QIAN

“I told you we should have just ordered take outs tonight” it’s Chun’s birthday today and I insisted that I will cook dinner instead of dinning out and besides I have a little surprise in store for him tonight. “Are we expecting guest tonight, you cooked so much for three people.”

‘Look just give me an hour to finish up here, I’m just waiting for the chicken and roast pork in the oven and then we’re all set, by the way did you two bought the things I asked you to pick up at the market?”

“No, that’s why the two of us are heading to the grocery now before you slit our throats out” my brother said and gave me a hug before running out the door.

“Thanks you so much” Chun said looking all so serious while standing on the doorway. “I really appreciate you doing all this.”

“Hey, we’re family I wouldn’t even mind if you ask me to cook for a hundred guests to celebrate your birthday” I mean what I said, ever since Chun and my brother became best friends he’s been a permanent fixture in my life, he’s like a second brother to me and I would do anything for this guy just to make him happy.

“Nevertheless thank you” he said stepping out of the room.

After cleaning and making sure that everything is all set I received a call from my brother.

“Hi we’re at the parking lot and we’ll be there in a few minutes just want to give you a heads up we invited some friends over for dinner and they’re on their way there now it’s a last minute thing I’ll see you later love you bye!” he said in one breathe and hang up on me. I was dumbfounded, speechless then the doorbell rang I know I’d dead.

“Someone ordered some beer?” standing right in front of me is Taecyeon and Nichkhun.  I want to crawl back to my apartment and lock myself inside my room because standing behind them is my birthday surprise for Chun. I couldn’t afford everything go to waste so I ushered all of them inside the apartment to prep them for the surprise.

“We don’t have much time left the two are on their way up now” I said getting the party hats I hid inside the drawer, good thing I bought extras.

“Jie jie can you please hold up a minute and breathe just try to relax and don’t worry, Gege will love this” Kris said putting his arms around me. “Here we brought party poppers too” I grab two and hand one to Nichkhun and Taec.

Kris or Yi Fan is Chun’s younger and only brother, he went to Seoul a few years ago to pursue a career in the entertainment industry so now he’s a part of famous idol group promoting worldwide called EXO.

 “We’re sorry for intruding, your brother…” Nichkhun said.

“Yes he told me uhhm can you please stand up by the door and pop these when they come in” I said avoiding his eyes. “Han can you please get the cake inside the fridge, I don’t trust Kris to get it without doodling with the icing” then Kris puts his hand on his chest faking a hurt look. He looks at Taec and Nichkhun for a while then grins at me.

“Hi my name is Wu Yi Fan but you can call me Kris, Charles’ younger brother and these are my friends Tao, Lay and the one with the cake is Lu Han” he said shaking Taec’s hand. “It’s great finally meeting Victoria’s boyfriend” he added when he was shaking Nichkhun’s hand.

‘Wu Yi Fan!” I exclaimed, comments like this to make our situation more awkward.

“Sorry I just though…”

“I’m really sorry Nichkhun, Kris can be very annoying sometimes” then we heard someone punching in the passcode.  “Quick they’re here, Yi Fan hold the cake and hide behind them” Taec and Nichkhun look at me bewildered then I realize I just talk to Kris in Chinese; without any time to react Chun and my brother is standing in front of us.

“Happy Birthday!” we said in unison then Kris came out behind the Kris and started singing the Chinese version of happy birthday.

“Thank you so much everyone” Chun said after blowing the cake. “When did you guys arrive? I thought you’re still in China?”

“This morning” Tao said. “Jie jie called us last week and help us smuggle in and out of the airport, it’s so cool!” then they started telling me what happened and how they pass the fans in the airport.

“Okay you guys should stop talking like that or I’ll throw you outside” through the years Kris friend’s and I developed a habit to talk to each other in Chinese whenever we’re together, I guess old habits die hard.

NICHKHUN

 “I didn’t know you know how to speak Chinese” I blurt out and a lame question, what are the odds she does? Chun probably taught them.

“The food is getting cold come on let’s eat, I cooked your favorites” she said without answering me, there are a lot of foods on the kitchen counter, all of them tastes delicious. At first I couldn’t believe Victoria cooked all of this from scratch but when they all attest that she indeed cooked all of this I was left with no choice but to me mesmerize by her.

It turns out Chun’s brother is a member of a famous 12 member idol group called EXO, I was forgiven for my total ignorance because apparently I was really left out with the K-Pop mania.

“So Nichkhun how did you and Victoria jie jie met each other?” Lu Han asks me.

“The three of us are classmates at the university” I try to answer simply then Kris groan after reading a text message.

“What’s wrong?” Chun asks his brother.

“Our manager drop us off at the basement parking then went back to the office while waiting for us, he said he couldn’t drive back here because of the sudden thunderstorm that hit the city tonight” I look outside and it’s raining hard all over the city.

“It’s better if you guys stay here for the night, there are rooms available that you can use; I don’t want any of you to get into any accident on my birthday” Chun suggested, I look at Taec and he nodded, he’s right, it’s not safe to drive around the city in this kind of weather.

All of us stopped when the door bell rang.

“Are you expecting more guests?” Donghae asks Chun.

“No” he said and asks Victoria is she has another surprise for him and she said no.

“You boys stay inside the kitchen while we sort this out, we’ll call you when you can come out” Chun said walking towards the door; when the four idols were safety hidden in the kitchen Chun opens the door and…

‘HAPPY BIRTHDAY WU GOH CHUN!’ a girls voice shouted at the doorway, we all stood up to check on the visitor and Victoria screamed beside me all of a sudden and run towards the girl at the doorway jumping and hugging each other, the four boys run out of the kitchen and run pass through us and hug the girl too.

Kris called her Tiffany; she’s probably one of Victoria’s friends from LA because they were greeting each other in English.

“Hwang Mi Young” Taec whispered beside me looking stiff and as a tree trunk, the girl saw us and went pale as a ghost.

“Ok Taecyeon” she said.

“You know Taec hyung jie jie?” Lay asks her, she just nodded, I look at Taec waiting for an answer, the two were just stare like they were measuring each other up. Victoria’s knees weakened and I needed to hold on the wall for support with what Taec said.

“Tiffany, Hwang Mi Young is… my fiancée.”