Hayoung's POV, At a park near her apartment...a few hours before her 21st (Korean age) birthday.

“Eonni, where are you? I’m already here at the park…” I asked Naeun eonni over the phone. I just got to the park near my apartment building where eonni asked me to meet her. It seemed weird to me that she would suddenly ask me to meet her at this time of night but she sounded so sad, and I got worried…so I did.

“Ah…Hayoung-ah, do you see that small gazebo just straight from the park’s gate?” she asked and I looked straight ahead. There, a few feet from where I was standing was what seemed like the gazebo she was talking about. “Ah, yes eonni, I see it… are you there?” I asked and she answered yes.

I walked straight ahead feeling a little nervous. I don’t know why but it feels like something weird is going to happen. I still had eonni on the phone so that if anything happened she would hear.

“Hayoung – ah, stop walking…” Naeun eonni said when I was just a few steps away from the gazebo. Suddenly, eonni appeared at the side wearing a white jacket together with Taemin sunbaenim who was also wearing a white jacket.

“Eonni, what’s going on?” I asked and both eonni and Taemin sunbae just smiled and asked me to follow them towards the other side of the gazebo. We stopped at a certain area facing the gazebo and eonni asked me to stand still for a bit.

One by one, a candle would light up and I would see a shadow of someone moving somewhere away from the candle. It was an alternation of pink, white, and green candles. When they were almost finished with lighting the candles, I realized that it was forming a big heart shape. Right in the middle of the heart, I also could see a word written…it took me a while to realize that the words written was my complete name.

“Eonni?” I asked feeling more and more anxious but she just continued to smile. She then pointed her finger towards the gazebo and told me to look. I did and I saw it suddenly have a spotlight with a standing mic at the center. Behind the microphone stand, a shadow of someone was slowly walking. When I focused on the man standing, I saw Sehun oppa looking nervous and at the same time, lonely. I suddenly felt my heart breaking into tiny little pieces.

It has been exactly one week since I last saw Sehun oppa. He would constantly send me messages like “good morning” or “I heard you had a lot of schedule today…take a good rest, good night”. At times, I’d find it hard to stop myself from replying. But I would also think…no!

“Hayoung – ah…” oppa said. I noticed the slight cracking of oppa’s voice, and I wonder what happened. “I know I said I would wait until you forgive me…and I still am. It’s just that…I really can’t bare it anymore that I have not seen you or heard from you…it’s killing me, Hayoung – ah.”

It’s killing me too, oppa. I tell myself.

“I also don’t want to let your birthday pass without me being able to at least greet you. Please, just hear me out…even for tonight.” Oppa stopped talking and suddenly, Chanyeol oppa was walking towards the gazebo, a guitar on his left hand, a standing microphone on his right hand. He then stood a few steps behind Sehun oppa and positioned the microphone and the guitar.

One by one, his fingers gently played on his guitar and Sehun oppa sang to Ra.D’s song, “I’m in love”. It was of my absolute favorites and right now I just can’t believe that Sehun oppa is singin it to me.

“You gotta believe me…make you never gonna leave me.

I won’t make you promises…I will just show it to you.

I’m in love…with you baby

I fall in love…there’s no way around it”

By the time the song ended, Sehun oppa was already standing in front of me, leaving the microphone at the gazebo. I then saw Chanyeol oppa get down from the make shift stage. He mouthed a silent “happy birthday” to me first before finally leaving. Naeun eonni and Taemin sunbaenim also walked away from both me and Sehun oppa.

I finally realized I was crying when oppa suddenly lifted his finger to wipe away my tears.

“I made you cry again, Hayoung – ah…I’m sorry.” By this time, both of Sehun oppa’s hands were already cupping my cheeks and I can hear myself crying more…until I finally couldn’t take it anymore.

I wrapped my hands on oppa’s body and buried my face into his chest, sobbing endlessly. I felt him wrap his arms around me as well. He also kissed me on my head before finally saying, “Happy Birthday…I’ve missed you so much.” And we stayed like that, just feeling each other’s surrender.

It was a very chilly night…but somehow, I feel warm and comfortable because Sehun oppa was with me again.