The club is packed with people winding out and letting the night just pass. Baekhyun was thankful that his friend decided to just celebrate his birthday on one of the VIP room in the said club. He was late for running an errand from his mother.

“I’m so sorry I am late! Where’s the birthday boy?” he immediately barges inside the VIP room.

“For being late, you need to dance,” Kyungsoo raises his glass towards him.

“WHAT?” he closes the door behind him to muffle the loud music from the outside.

“Come on Baekhyun! It’s just a dance,” Xiumin grins playfully.

“Why would I dance? Are you two the celebrant?” he raises a brow, “So where is the celebrant?” he asks again.

“He is still outside, taking a call from his mother,” Luhan replies, lounging on the couch as he plays on his rubics cube.

“Here I am thinking I would find him blowing candles already,” he sighs and joins Luhan on the couch.

--------------

“Happy birthday baby! We are so sorry we are not there with you. You know how important this trip is for our company right? And this is also for your future,” his mother said from the other line.

“I understand Mother, just be safe in there,” he replies, letting out a sigh.

This is not the first time anyway that they are not around for his birthday. To celebrate with his friends is enough already. His Nana had called earlier and sent him homemade cookies as a present.

“Would you want anything?” his mother asks.

”Mom,” he called her for the first time, “Would you grant me one wish one of these days? That would be your gift for me,” he replies.

“You don’t want me to buy you anything?” she asks, confused of her son’s reply.

“No need; just grant me that wish when the time comes,” he replies.

“Okay honey. You have my word. Here we are now; I’ll call you later. Happy birthday once again and enjoy the night.”

And just like that, the call was ended.

--------------

The loud voices of Baekhyun and Luhan singing greeted him the moment he opens the door.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY YIFANNIE!” they all greeted in chorus.

He chuckles and mumbles a small thank you which soon leads to a group hug.

“I really can’t believe you are old now,” Luhan hands him a small box.

The others follow as their order comes up.

Most of his gifts were just accessories like the usual things he receives; the only thing that caught their attention which soon became the topic of their tease is the stolen picture of Kris and Sooyoung weeks before during the basketball game they had.  It was a candid shot but it somehow looks so beautifully captured. From the angle, it was captured on the side.

Sooyoung had her head bowed down with a lovely smile and a cute blush as Kris wipes off the sweat from her forehead like a protective boyfriend.

“Did you edit this?” he asks as he holds the 5R picture in a frame.

“It’s a stolen shot so how would I edit it? You must thank the camera of my phone,” Baekhyun smirks knowingly.

A handsome grin appears on his lips as each of them teases him once again.

And to liven the atmosphere and to make him fall even deeper on the picture, Fei let the song of Ellie Goulding ‘Love Me Like You Do’ play inside the room as Baekhyun, Luhan, and Fei sings to the song. To annoy him all the more, they had it in repeat mode.

The night soon got deeper till they finally decided to leave. Fei is already sleepy and tired and to adhere on the celebrant’s wish, they had no alcohol. When they were out, the rain is somehow heavy and looks like it will rain the whole night, or probably a storm will come.

“Your birthday had to be rainy eh?” Tao teases before he runs to his car.

When all his friend’s cars had left, he checked his watch; it reads 11:23. He jogs to his car. When he is finally inside, he turns on the heater and turns on the ignition so he can get home before he got stuck on a probable flood.

He rolls his eyes when he saw the ‘FULL’ sign to the basement parking lot. He had to park outside. When he found a spot, he turns off the heater, grabs his jacket before moving out, quickly locking his car. When he arrives under the shade of the main entrance, he shakes off the rain from his jacket. He stood there for a while, watching the rain; remembering that afternoon with her on the school.

“Excuse me; can I borrow your phone?”

That familiar voice made him turn his head.

Sooyoung is there, standing behind him, holding a phone and a broken umbrella.

“Sooyoung, what are you doing here?” he asks.

“I was walking down the highway since our service car can’t pick me up when the rain starts to fall. I broke my umbrella from the gushing wind so I sought shelter here, but looks like I will be stuck. Can I borrow your phone? I would call my mother,” she smiles awkwardly.

“Sure,” he replies handing her the phone.

She mumbles a thank you and moves s few feet away to make a call.

After a moment, she returns with a sad smile, “I can’t reach them,” she replies handing him the phone.

“Would you want me to send you home?” he offers, fishing for his car keys.

She is about to reply when the lobby of the condominium dims with the emergency lights simultaneous with the flash of lightning and the peal of thunder.

Although it is dim, he saw how she flinches from the sound.

“Are you okay?” he reaches for her but stops from the loud peal of thunder. He sees her flinches visibly again.

When the third flash of lightning and peal of thunder reverberates, she threw herself into his arms; not minding the distance it leaves between them.

He was startled from the sudden gesture but her trembling body pressed into him made him wrap his arms protectively around her. She grips his shirt tightly as another peal of thunder reverberates. She trembles with every flash and peal. The sound of the rain falling hard made it hard to hear her sniffs. He was only able to know that she is crying when he felt his chest get wet where she had buried her face.

Despite the weather, a warm smile spreads on his lips. He slowly parts to cover her ears and wipe those tears.

“Sooyoung