It was Chanyeol's birthday and he didn't want a surprise party like last year, nor did he want to go out and drink with coworkers.

No.

This year, he wanted to spend the morning with his family, the afternoon with his brothers. After that, he wanted to spend the evening with only one person. Byun Baekhyun. But it was a Monday, and on Monday's, Tao went to get his hair done while Baekhyun was busy setting up his schedule. It was the day when he'd be absolutely unfree, in fact the day everybody was busy.

Chanyeol sighed, letting his head fall onto his desk with a loud thud. He had been surfing through the Internet as usual, checking the articles that his team wrote as well as others. Then he'd take into account, the comments as well. It was always the most important to know how netizens would react to something. The editing department had one huge room, tables connected end to end into one much larger one. Employees had their own computers bordering the table. There were a few smaller rooms, but those were only for interns.

"Chanyeol-ssi, I was called down to get these flowers. They were dropped off in the lobby from an unknown woman."

He turned to see a vase of red poinsettias. They were a vibrant color, the smell soothing his oncoming headache. He thanked the messenger before he left. A card was stuck in between the leaves. He pulled it out and carefully took out the envelope.

He was all too used to ransom notes demanding for a certain article he wrote to be taken down. Those usually ended up in the recycling in less than point five seconds, which he considered to be every mail he's received. However, since it was his birthday and so far the only person who's wished him a happy one was his mother. He had fleeting thoughts of going over to Sehun's house that day. He knew Min Jung would at least have drawn him a picture and now that she could write better, make him a birthday card, spelling his name right this time. He opened the blank cover

Happy Birthday Chanyeol-ssi!

A year older and a year stronger.

Best of luck to you and the editing department!

Ps. I hope you and your friends happiness. Good luck!

He snorted, remembering clearly everything that had happened the year prior on the exact day. It was a Friday and there was a secret party thrown for him. He shook his head to avoid remembering the rest of the details of that day. It would ruin his happy virus mood when he thought of people no longer with him.

"Captain, I'm clocking out now. Make sure you get home before it's too late. I heard that there are possibilities of a thunderstorm tonight."

He nodded, thanking him. Was no one really going to remember his birthday? He wondered to himself as he worried his chapped lips into a line.

He clicked on foreign articles, though he couldn't read so much English, he could make out a couple of words in each sentence. The article's photo was in the middle of loading when the wifi server turned off. His screen changed to the default, a dinosaur standing there awkwardly.

His hand froze then. First no one remembered his birthday and everyone was too busy to care. A thunderstorm was heading his way and now his wifi was dead. He groaned, coming back to life. He leaned back in his chair, rolling a ways back. He caught a glance of the time. It was half past four. It looked yellow outside, darkening with a premonition for thunder and lightning. He decided to call it a day, but the Internet came back on, the bars lighting up. Rolling his eyes, he refreshed the page. He nearly cursed, being redirected to a different page. He swore he was close to cutting his computer in half with the Trafalgar Law sword he had specially custom made. It hung in his closet, one of most prized possessions.

"Hmm?"

He looked. It was a picture of a village. The young kids smiling widely for the camera and others paying the photographers no mind as they continued jumping rope in the back. He clicked on the article.

"Where is the Liu Corporation now?"

He read aloud. He waited for the article to load, becoming extremely impatient with how slow the Internet was going. He was about to call someone to take care of it but then the lights turned off and he sat in the emptiness of the large office room, the only light sources coming from the computers. Their screen was still on. He gulped, scared to death. He took out his phone from his back pocket and clicked on Baekhyun's contact. He waited and waited, but he didn't pick up. He tried Sehun's number, even though he knew that he'd most likely be at home with Min Jung. Right before he clicked on Jongin's contact, his phone began to ring, Baekhyun calling him back.

"Yes Giant?"

"Baek...the lights in my office are off and yes, I'm too scared to move so can you please spare me the ridicule for later and come save me from the darkness? Please and thank you."

Baekhyun laughed on the other line for what seemed to be hours on end. Chanyeol groaned. "Are you coming yet? Or are you still laughing?"

It was silent, making him wonder if he had hung up. Only for a few seconds later, he heard the laughter again. He assumed Baekhyun was laughing so hard, he didn't make a noise.

"I'll come down. Don't worry, princess!"

He ended the call without hearing Chanyeol protest against the name. He preferred 'Giant'.

He jumped when the computer screen at the far right turned red. Then, in chain reaction to that, each computer that all his damn employees left on, turned red. The only one still emitting a white light was his. The room glowed a dark red, causing his skin to prickle up in goosebumps. He prayed for Baekhyun to stop taking it as a joke and to hurry up. At this rate, he couldn't give two s about being called a princess. He just wanted another human being beside him because whoever was playing games with him was being cruel. Realizing that he had thought someone was playing games with him made him even more afraid. Who knew what it could be.

He tried calling Baekhyun again, this time, it went automatically to his voicemail. He had turned off his phone. He tried calling Sehun but he didn't answer. He left almost twelve voice messages for Junmyeon, about six to Tao and started on his fifth one for Jongin before the red screens emitted a loud piercing scream from their speakers along with the face of the grudge. He nearly fell over, suddenly realizing the darkness behind him. The screams continued, this time he was screaming as well. His normal deep voice a thing of the past as he screamed high pitched.

"Oh dear god! Please watch over me! Oh my god! Luhan if you're watching, protect me from the evil! Aww!"

He felt tears forming at the corners of his eyes as the screaming stopped. The screens died to a bright pitch black.

"Oh mother of man! What now?!"

The screens turned back on. This time a short animation of a party hat, a cake and confetti falling from the top of the screen. The lights all and he turned around, seeing how everyone was standing there as well as everywhere. His eyes were wide open, tears free falling. He had cussed and even brought in Luhan. Baekhyun held a cake and he watched and listened as the people in his department began to sing the birthday song.  Once they were done, Baekhyun brought the cake towards him. He was still shocked as he blew the candles out. He watched as they all brought out soda, chips and even potluck food. No wonder he's been smelling food everywhere.

"Happy birthday Chanyeol!" said Baekhyun slapping his back.

Sehun who was standing on the other side nodded. "Happy birthday Hyung. You're a year closer to being bald."

He nodded. Surprisingly still shocked.

"That was so freaking scary I swear I almost peed myself." He turned around almost violently for his friends to see. "Look at the tears falling from my eyes!I'm crying and I've spoken words I never would've! You guys are evil!"

Tao laughed, leaning on Kyungsoo who was having a laugh from Chanyeol's fear.

"But his scream though! That was too much, I can't even deal right now," snorted Tao. He could barely keep his balance as he laughed hysterically.

"Hun Hun! Min Jung is back with Uncle Junnie! We brought some migraine medicine."

Min Jung walked over, holding onto Junmyeon’s hands. "Darn, we were too late huh?"

Sehun laughed at that. "It's okay. You still have next year!"

Chanyeol whipped his head around, glaring at him. "What do you mean you still have next year? Can you guys just please do things normally for once and stop scaring the life out of me? I swear one of the upcoming years, my hearts about to stop right in the middle of beating."

He earned a tap on the head from Baekhyun. "Stupid, don't say that."

"O-oh, sorry, " he replied, immediately submissive.

"Uncle Channie, uncle Baekkie told me he has something important to tell-" Sehun covered and carried her off.

"Well, we're going to eat," he said laughing his way out. The rest followed awkwardly after except for Baekhyun.

"Hey Giant, give me a second outside, will you?"

He felt his cheeks flush with heat, nodding. He followed the shorter male outside, ignorant to the eyes on him.

"I prayed last night that he wouldn't be too dense to mess this up," said Junmyeon shamelessly.

"Wow. What a coincidence, because I did the same," said Kyungsoo in a robot tone, indicating that yes it was a coincidence but not surprising.

"To be honest, Min Jung and Hun Hun prayed together too." Min Jung said, shaking her head slightly. Sehun held her hand as they returned to take over Chanyeol's seat.

"So, what'd you need to say?" asked Chanyeol. He was becoming nervous, though he usually never was.

Baekhyun cleared his throat. He did it again causing Chanyeol to look at him confusedly. "Do you need some cough syrup or what?"

He slapped the taller on the shoulder. They were now standing side by side, shoulders touching and facing the other side of the hallway.

"I was clearing my throat because you weren't looking at me, but I like it like this. We don't have to look at each other in the eyes to know."

Chanyeol tilted his head sideways. "To know what?"

He let out an annoyed breath. "You're so dense I sometimes forget that you graduated at number one during our year."

Chanyeol was about to protest when Baekhyun’s lips came into contact with his cheek.

"Happy birthday. I love you, Giant."

He stared up at him and Chanyeol nearly fainted from those eyes. Those eyes that could do anything it wished.

His arms moved on its own, wrapping the smaller into his embrace. He let his head droop down as he sighed.

"Damn, that was scary. I even brought out Luhan's name."

Baekhyun laughed into his shoulder, voice tickling Chanyeol.

"We all heard. I could see how tense Sehun became when you did. Then he had to stifle in his laughter because it was just too funny."

Chanyeol laughed, swaying a bit.

"Let's love each other like that. Where we'd tense up at the mention of each other's name because one of us passed away, then laugh a second later because even in death, we'd still have promised ourselves only to each other."

Baekhyun laughed again. "But Sehun's is a bit different."

Chanyeol nodded, this time much more serious. "I know. But still, love each other that we'd be on the brink of dying from the sorrow ourselves."

Baekhyun nodded. "Is...is this a confession?"

Chanyeol let go of the hug, though he would stay in Baekhyun's arms all day if he could.

"It'd be a lovely gift, if you were to accept my proposal to be my very own significant other."

He earned an airy laugh from the other. His heart pounding fast. Their hands intertwined in between.

"I've always been."

Sehun looked at the article title. As Min Jung busied herself eating, he tried to make out the english, but it had always been his worst subject. He could only make out the word 'I'. Junmyeon walked over, a slice of pizza in his hands. A rare combination because pizza and Junmyeon never went well together.

"What're you doing?"

"Nothing just looking at what Chanyeol was reading before we pranked him."

"Oh really? I wanna see," he said, leaning down. Sehun got up, walking back to the food area and catching conversation with one of the interns. Junmyeon nearly dropped his pizza on the new suit he was wearing. English was always one of his best subjects from childhood and he could speak and read like any native. He sent the link to his own email and clicked out of the window.

"Oh boy," he sighed. "Oh boy."