The Red of the Rose | Taeyong

26 | Declaration

Walking with the four of them, Miah felt like royalty. Nobody dared to block their way, only stopping briefly to wish Yuta a happy birthday to which Yuta replied with a curt nod. Taeyong still kept Miah close as they walked through the glass partitions on the first floor, stopping at the top of the staircase. The whole crowd erupted at the sight of Yuta, several champagne bottles whizzing open somewhere in the background.

Miah hesitated for a moment and looked up at Taeyong as they descended the stairs. 'You are with me,' he assured her and held her hand more firmly.

Taking this as their cue, the staff members rolled a trolley to the centre of the room upon which stood a magnificent cake, lit by several candles on the top.

The crowd silenced itself as Yuta picked up the knife but soon, everybody started murmuring when he made no further movement. With his hands clasped behind his back, he stood in front of the tall cake staring at it.

'What is the hold up?' Jaehyun whispered loudly in Yuta's ear.

But Yuta didn't reply. He simply rocked on his heels humming leisurely.

'Ugh, fine!' Came a voice from somewhere in the corner and everyone turned their heads in the direction to find the source. From the crowd, emerged a very irritated Doyoung. He sighed, stopping beside Yuta, with his arms folded across his chest and joined Taeyong, Miah, Johnny and Jaehyun.

Yuta smiled like a little child who was granted his wish and whispered, 'Perfect,' before finally blowing the candles out, cueing everyone to sing the birthday song.

The party carried on, on its own after that. Every spot of the Nakamoto Mansion had someone having a good time. Taeyong and Miah were having fun too, drinking and dancing together and chatting with the guys. Doyoung stayed with them as well.

Serin had arrived only a little later after the cake was cut. She met the guys on the first floor, sitting between two partitions which mimicked the effect of the steps in their college.

'Where is Taeyong?' She had asked them.

Johnny pointed towards the dance floor where Taeyong and Miah were swaying closely together.

Whatever Serin felt seeing this, she didn't voice it. Instead, she turned to Yuta to wish him a happy birthday and left to spend the majority of her night at the bar.

As the night progressed, the music got louder, and people got drunker. Somewhere between two songs, Taeyong left Miah in a corner to get them more drinks at the crowded bar. He was a little reluctant in leaving her alone since he had noticed the eyes of the boys on her at the party. But he couldn't find any of the guys (Yuta was somewhere up on the first floor with a girl, Jaehyun too, he presumed and Johnny and Doyoung were probably drinking somewhere), so he pecked her lips and told her to stay put.

It did not even take a whole minute for a guy to approach Miah. He introduced himself as one of Taeyong's old friend and boldly snaked his arm around Miah's waist.

'I have never met you,' Miah said, pushing his hand away from her and taking a step backward.

'I know, that's why I came to introduce myself,' he whispered loudly, leaning too close to her ear.

Miah ducked, bending backwards but felt herself touching the wall.

'Taeyong is over at the bar, if you want to meet him,' she said.

But the guy smiled and placed his hand on the wall beside Miah's head then bent forward to whisper, 'I want to meet you. I have been eyeing you the whole night. The way you have been moving in that short dress.' His eyes ran over her body as he said that last bit.