"Have you ever met a stranger you recognized?"
One in ten thousand- that's how many people have someone predetermined for them. It's even rarer for them to actually find each other, but thanks to a special birthday wish, fate might just be on their...
Yebin winced, not just because of her current back pain, but because all eyes had turned to her. Taehyun counted to three before everyone broke out into song— a very loud and out-of-tune rendition of happy birthday echoing through the gym.
When they finished, Yebin smiled sheepishly and thanked them with a bow before using all her strength to shrug Huening Kai off. He fell to the floor with a dramatic sigh, muttering something about her being an 'ungrateful brat.'
Yebin noticed Taehyun's lingering look, and she nodded in defeat. He clapped happily, thanking and greeting her one last time before he and Kai left her to work on the banner.
She probably should have declined the task and walked off to her geometry review class, but apparently, anyone involved in festival preparations was excused during mornings. It was the last month of the school year, and all that was left to do was study for finals, so she began working on the banner to the best of her ability.
Yebin decided to take a break after writing 'welcome.'
To cut her some slack, the banner was massive and literally stretched across the stage. She dropped the paintbrush on the newspaper beside her project and gave her numb arm a shake before reaching for her phone inside her backpack.
Someone lightly tapped her shoulder, and she quickly shoved the phone away, pretending to get back to her task. She looked up, expecting to see a disappointed Taehyun with his hands on his hips, but it wasn't.
"Sunoo?"
"Yebin!" An adorable smile was on his face, and it was utterly contagious. Being from different high schools, she hadn't seen him in over a year. Honestly, she didn't know how they even met in the first place. Then again, the boy was friends with everyone.
"Hey, when'd you get here?" Yebin stood up, laughing.
"During the last verse of your birthday song." Sunoo giggled. "Happy birthday!"
"Oh, god." Yebin flushed in embarrassment. "You saw that?"
"It was cute!" Sunoo insisted, before the person next to him cleared his throat. "Ah, I forgot you haven't met. Yebin, this is our student council president. Heeseung, this is Yebin."
"Hi, Yebin!" she said, before her eyes went wide. "I mean- hi, I'm Yebin."
Heeseung chuckled as he shook her nervously outstretched hand. "Hi, Yebin. I'm Heeseung."
Yebin nodded, trying to shake the shame currently eating her alive as she attempted to change the conversation. "Student council president, yeah? So, you must know ours then."
"Happy birthday to my favorite sophomore!" Choi Beomgyu skipped towards them right on cue, ruffling Yebin's hair.
"You say that to everyone," Yebin grumbled, trying to fix her hair back in place.
"I do not!" Beomgyu denied, before turning to the two Sanheoli students. "Hey, welcome to Haean, guys! Thanks for volunteering to help out with the festival."
Heeseung sighed. "We're actually supposed to have one more volunteer today, but he didn't make the bus."
"No problem. He can come tomorrow. I'll have my vice president and secretary assign you your tasks." Beomgyu clapped twice, and Taehyun and Huening Kai came running.
Yebin took it as her cue to leave, wondering if those three leading the student council this year was a good thing or a bad thing.
Nevertheless, Sunoo and Heeseung got to work. They helped around for nearly two hours before it was time for the bus to bring them back to their high school. They arrived in Sanheoli during lunch break, where the rest of their friends were seated at one of the courtyard tables.
Yang Jungwon was the first to see them, a guilty expression on his face. "I'm so sorry. I kind of got held up this morning."
"Yeah, eating tteokbokki." Jay laughed. "Your mom sent my mom a picture."
Jungwon elbowed him in the ribs, before turning back to Sunoo and Heeseung. "I'll be there tomorrow."
"It's okay. Happy birthday, man." Heeseung patted him on the back as he took a seat beside the boy.
"Happy birthday!" Sunoo greeted Jungwon, before glancing at Heeseung in realization. "Hey, he has the same birthday as Yebin."
"Who's Yebin?" Jungwon asked.
"She's from Haean. You don't know her," Heeseung explained. "So, what are you doing for your birthday?"
Jungwon shrugged. "Just having a family dinner at some restaurant. Nothing much."
a/n. helloo to clarify in this fic '01 liners are seniors, '02 liners are juniors, '03-'04 liners are sophomores, and '05 liners are freshmen ok yuh
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