The next day was Luhan’s birthday and there was going to be a big party in the afternoon, organised by his parents. I knew that I would be at the party, and I also knew that there was a very high probability that my father would also be there but I was rather determined not to let my own tiff with him ruin Luhan’s birthday since Luhan had done so much for me, and I was very grateful to him for everything so I really just wanted to let him have some fun for once. I'd even looked out a rather hat for the occasion.

When I woke up though, I was surprised to find Luhan’s half of the bed lying barren with the occupant having left a while ago from the looks of things.

I almost huffed to myself that these boys were really giving me a hard time about celebrating their birthdays. Nevertheless, I got up and washed up a little sloppily before heading next door to Sehun’s room, the door to which was open so I stepped in without another thought, only to freeze when I was about a metre from the wardrobe at the sound of a gentle snore.

Peeking towards the bed, I saw Sehun sprawled out under his blanket as he snoozed away under the morning sun that was streaming in from the open curtains. The sight of his slightly parted lips and gently closed eyes made him look peaceful and caused my lip to tuck up a little. On his chest sat his phone which looked like it had been abandoned there when sleep took over. Being as quiet as possible, I grabbed some clothes and left the room without disturbing him. I think he had more than deserved a good sleep.

I had hoped that Luhan would be in the kitchen when I headed through, but he wasn’t. And a quick scan around the rest of the house told me that he wasn’t there either. Instead of worrying about it, I just set up the living room table with my present for him: a rather fancy watch. He had mentioned on Sehun’s birthday that he wanted me to make a cake for him, and although I wasn’t sure if he was being serious or not, I decided that that was how I would spend my morning.

Whether I thought it would somehow become easier for me or not was a mystery to me as I once again found myself a little bamboozled by the recipe. In the end I relented and called a sleepy Baekhyun to get advice from his mother again. When she heard it was for Luhan, she was more than happy to help and that didn’t surprise me at all. Luhan was a pretty likable – if odd – boy.

As I sat on the kitchen table, watching the cake slowly rising in the oven, I drummed my fingers on the surface, knowing there was probably a million and one things I should be doing with this time instead – like finishing my packing. It seemed a little surreal that tomorrow I was leaving. It made me feel a little uneasy, but at the same time it felt like the right thing to do, even if there was a lot to be left behind.

Speaking of leaving things behind, at that moment the sounds of feet shuffling over carpet lazily could be heard and I looked over my shoulder to see a yawning Sehun approaching, still in his pyjamas. When he saw me on the table, he blinked several times before allowing his eyes to drift to the oven.

“What are you making?” he asked, moving over to the table and also hopping up onto it, seemingly without reason.

“Cake,” I replied, shifting over a little so half his didn’t have to balance on air.

“For Luhan?” he asked, yawning a little.

I hummed, hopping off the table to check it. “I want it to be nice for it, but it doesn’t look like it’s rising properly.”

“And I take it that’s the damage caused?” Sehun asked, nodding towards a rather cluttered sink area which was stacked high with spoons and bowls.

I didn’t think it was a good time to admit that I’d already done one load of washing up. “Yeah, that’s it all.”

Sehun sighed, sliding off the table and sauntered lazily to the sink. “Top tip: wash as you go.”

“I was too busy creating a masterpiece,” I reasoned, but realised that ‘masterpiece’ might not have been the best word for it.

Without calling me out on it, Sehun slipped on a pair of rubber gloves and began pouring water into the sink.

“Thanks,” he quietly said once the sink was full and his cleaning had begun.

I looked towards him curiously, knowing he wasn’t talking about leaving him a mountain of washing-up to do.

“For last night?” I speculated, watching him closely.

He nodded his head gently. “I called the doctor this morning. He’s going to visit tomorrow since today he’s away on Jeju and it’s not an emergency.”

“Well that’s good at least,” I mumbled, feeling oddly guilty that I wasn’t going to be there to help Sehun. But I was just a phone call away, and Skype was a great invention.

“Don’t you think that’s finished now?” he asked, nodding towards the oven door with a raised eyebrow.

I turned to the oven only to find myself staring at it blankly. “How can you tell?”

Sehun released a sigh that said I was hopeless before taking off his washing-up gloves and coming over, bending before the oven.

“Do you see that curve?” he asked, pointing to said curve as he said it. “And it’s general goldenness?”

I nodded along as he pulled down the oven door and slipped on the oven gloves. “Well that’s the first sign. Then you have to check if it’s springy,” he instructed as he did just that before smiling and lifting it from the oven.

“This feels like cooking one-oh-one,” I muttered as he placed it onto the cooling rack, looking very satisfied with it despite him not being the one who baked it. “I just made a guess before,” I explained with a careless shrug.

“Guessed?” He let out a little puff. “When did you make a ca-”

When I heard the words cutting off, I glanced to his face to see him looking like he had just cursed God in a church in front of a minister. I was sure that the last time I made a cake was still very much on his mind as it was on mine. There was a slightly awkward silence then, at least for me.

I looked down at the cake to see that it seemed to have turned out better than Sehun’s had, and since I didn’t burn myself this time I would count it as a success even if it ended up tasting like cardboard. “This one looks better than your one did,” I said to break the silence.

The ways Sehun’s eyes moved to my face didn’t escape my notice, and I felt them pour over my face so I gave a little smile.

“I guess I just like Luhan more,” I teased, trying to lighten the mood.

It worked when he finally scoffed quietly and went back to his dishes with the faint traces of a pout on his lips.

I moved over to grab a dishcloth to dry after him. “Did you get him a present?”

A look of sheer horror crossed Sehun’s face as he turned to face me, it was a look I could only snicker at.

“No,” he whined out. “I completely forgot about it.”

I hissed in a breath, trying to look worried.

“Can I just sign your card?” he pleaded but I raised an eyebrow and shook my head.

“No way, buddy.”

“Mira,” he whined again. “Please?”

“No, it’s weird.”

Sehun looked surprised by this. “How’s it weird? We did it before for Kyungsoo.”

“But that was different,” I reasoned, although even I myself couldn’t quite work out why.

“It’s not,” Sehun argued, frowning a little.

“We’re not sighing it together,” I said with an air of finality. “That’s what couples do.”  

Almost as soon as the words were out of my mouth, I knew I had phrased it rather callously, and the wounded expression Sehun wore was the proof of it. I grimace slightly, turning to face him.

“You know what I meant,” I mumbled in the way of an apology, to which he smiled slightly, surprising me a little.

“Yeah, I know. I’ll just go buy something for him once I get dressed.”

As he walked from the room, I had the urge to just call him back and tell him to sign the card but I meant what I said. Cards and presents and all that jazz that people signed together meant they were a couple, and we weren’t. At least not right now. 

Luhan loved the watch, and he also loved the fancy pen that Sehun bought him, much to his surprise. But I was sure that the bright smile given off by Luhan when he received the present made it more than worth Sehun’s time, even if he looked like the most awkward person in the world when he was giving it.

Baekhyun came round just after lunchtime on Luhan's invitation – according to Baekhyun, anyway.

“I brought party hats,” Baekhyun sung as he skipped around the living room, ignoring the three of us standing staring at him. “And streamers.”

Luhan shot me a look of horror at the idea of having to wear a hat and potentially mess around with streamers like Baekhyun was probably planning. I didn’t know whether to appease Baekhyun by letting him have his fun, or help out Luhan.

“I have something for you in the other room,” I said to Luhan who shot me a betrayed look as I disappeared into the other room to get his cake.

Quickly inserting the candles, I lit it with care before returning to the living room where Luhan had – most likely – been manhandled into wearing a party hat. When he saw the cake in my hands, his face went from touched to shocked in the space of a second.

“Woah, woah, not in the living room. There will be crumbies,” Luhan reasoned with a concerned frown, ushering us like children to the kitchen where he finally smiled broadly as he looked at the glowing cake in my hands.

I couldn’t help but chuckle at his lit up face, suddenly looking like he was about five years old.

“This is nice,” he smiled up at me. “I didn’t know if you’d actually make me one or not.”

I shrugged lightly. “With my culinary skill, how could I not?” The three of them laughed a little too hard at that and only stopped when I started singing Happy Birthday to Luhan, then they joined in with that too.

“Make a wish,” Baekhyun said to Luhan, nudging his side encouragingly.

Although looking perplexed by the suggestion, Luhan took Baekhyun up on the suggestion and thought for a moment about what his wish could be. I don’t know why, but the idea of Luhan wishing for something so flimsily was oddly amusing to me.

“I wish that-”

“Hey, hey!” Baekhyun interrupted, slapping his hand over Luhan’s mouth in a way that made Luhan’s face contort as if he was about to be kidnapped. “You’re not supposed to wish out loud, or else it won’t come true.”

Luhan gave a shaky nod, and I wanted to remind him that it was just Baekhyun. Seemingly happy with Luhan’s nod, Baekhyun released his hostage want waited for him to make his wish, which he dually did and blew out the candles.

I smiled and turned to put the cake on the counter, knowing Luhan and I wouldn’t get a chance to eat it now since we had to go out.

“So,” I heard Baekhyun begin, no doubt slinging an arm around Luhan. “What did you wish for?”

Sehun and I released identical groans.

Luhan’s birthday celebration this year was a garden party, and that meant lawn party dresses and casual, yet dashing, suits. And hats. Hundreds of hats. Normally I wouldn’t have had to greet people when they arrived at Luhan’s birthday, but since in the eyes of the world we were engaged, I stood beside him and smiled along, trying to put names to the abundant faces that strolled past us with gentle smiles.

It wasn’t until I saw Minseok and Jongdae sauntering into view that I felt a wide smile lift my lips.

“Just look at the birthday boy,” Jongdae beamed, pushing his hands deep into his pockets. “Still doesn’t look a day over twelve.”

Luhan offered an awkward laugh at this, but didn’t say anything despite how it was probably irking him.

“We hope you have a nice day,” Minseok said, smiling warmly at the two of us before glancing over his shoulder once quickly and then leaning in closer. “We need to have a talk at some point.”

Nodding once, I couldn’t help be feel curious about what exactly it was that they had to say. I glanced to Luhan who looked just as curious, but quickly diverted his attention back to the next guests.

I supposed that there was very little that I could do at that moment, so I copied Luhan. My eyes weren’t just looking for the next guest, though. I was also on the lookout for my father, who I had yet to see here despite the fact that he never missed Luhan’s birthday. And yet I hadn’t even caught a glimpse of him once.

“Great turnout,” Luhan’s father beamed, placing a gentle hand around each of our shoulders. “I thank the weather,” he joked, looking to the blue sky above us.

“Oh, Mira,” his mother chuckled, smiling at me like I was a lost puppy when she reached me. “Your hat isn’t on straight, dear.”

She stretched her hands out and began adjusting the wide, white brim of the hat. I just stood there, allowing her to twist and turn it, no doubt trying to perfect to the standard of her own – something that was no doubt impossible.

“Leave the girl be,” her husband scolded gently, reaching for his wife’s hand to lead her away. “That’s just how the kids are these days.”

As we watched the two of them walk away, Luhan let out a little sigh. “I sort of thought we would turn out like them.”

I looked to him curiously, surprised by what he had said. “What do you mean?”

Luhan seemed to think about that for a moment. “Married, I suppose,” he replied with a little shrug.

There was a sudden guilt within me at his words since long before I even knew the name Oh Sehun, I knew that there would be a strong chance that Luhan and I would end up married.

“We should work out a way to end our engagement without damaging either of our companies,” Luhan considered aloud. “I’ll speak to my father about it first, then we’ll move from there.”

I bit hard on my lip as I watched Luhan’s peaceful face. It almost seemed like he was happy about this too. We lived in such different times to previous generations, and whilst they might have been happy with that sort of arrangement, we weren’t. Call us selfish, but we were raised in different times.

“I’ll go along with whatever you say,” I told Luhan quietly as we moved towards where his father was gathering people to make a toast.

Luhan nodded. “Just make sure you’re happy.”

I grinned a little, nudging his side. “I will be if you are.”

When the rather touching speeches were over and Luhan had drifted off to mingle, I found myself sitting alone at a large table with nothing to do but play with my hat that seemed to be becoming increasingly shapeless by the minute.

“Am I interrupting?” a voice asked as I ironed out the brim rather roughly with my knuckles. I looked up to see Minseok with his fingers brushing the edge of the chair beside me as if scared that I shouldn’t be disturbed in such a state.

Quickly placing the hat back on to hide my hat hair, I smiled and motioned for him to sit.

“It’s hard to tear you and Luhan apart,” he said with a little chuckle, glancing towards Luhan who was now talking to a middle-aged woman and seemingly having a grand time doing so.

I was about to chuckle and agree with him, but when I looked towards him he had an eyebrow cocked so high to the sky that it could rival even Sehun’s.

“Or perhaps not as inseparable as you are with Sehun?” he asked, an edge of knowing in his voice.

My mouth bobbed rather unconvincingly for a moment before I finally squeaked out, “I have no idea what you mean.”

Minseok chuckled again, lifting his champagne to his lips. “I don’t know whether you’re really just obvious, or you don’t want to tell me the truth.”

I fixed my eyes onto an empty glass on the table, torn between just confessing everything or playing it aloof.

“Even in America, Jongdae and I saw the article about you are Sehun that was released,” Minseok went on. “That’s why we were so curious about the relationship between the three of you when we arrived, since we believed the cover-up story just like everyone else did. But then for you to ask for help for him was, well, uncharacteristic of you.”

Tipping the last of the champagne into his mouth with a satisfied exhale, Minseok carefully set the glass down on the table and sat back. “You don’t have to answer me, Mira,” he said quietly, surprising me a little. “It’s not my business nor anyone else’s who you may or may not be romantically interested in.”

I wasn’t sure whether this was some strange trick, so I just stared at him until he finally returned my gaze.

“And in any case,” he continued, “your silence is enough to answer my questions.”

Grimacing a little, I averted my eyes to my lap. “Please don’t say anything,” I murmured. “I don’t want Luhan to get in trouble.”

“Oh, I won’t. Don’t worry about that. But I would appreciate a little heads-up before you call it off so I can sort out my shares. Sound fair?”

I nodded glibly, knowing I wasn’t in a place to bargain – not that I wanted to, anyway.

“Good. Now let’s get back to the matter at hand: Oh Hotels. I’ve been in touch with my legal team and they’ve advised me to leave it alone for now.”

“Leave it alone?” I asked, eyes flashing to his with panic. “What do you mean?”

Minseok held up a hand as if to defend himself. “Before you jump to conclusions, let me explain that I will not be leaving it alone forever. But Oh Hotels might be about to face a large lawsuit, and let’s face it, I don’t want to have to deal with that.”

“What sort of lawsuit?”

Shrugging, Minseok straightened up his tie. “Who’s to say? Details aren’t out yet but I think it’s something to do with one of their new policies. They’re set to lose a lot, though.”

“And will be act after that?” I asked, sitting up a little.

Minseok nodded once happily, looking to where his younger brother was chatting with a you