De Novo

Chapter 4

Tomorrow came and Hyejin was now wearing a birthday hat, complete with a 'Happy Birthday' banner behind her and balloons scattered on the floor that were all prepared by one and only wheein.

She just woke up-- exactly at 1 in the afternoon because last night she was binge-watching alone-- and as she entered the kitchen, there are foods served on the table as her friends yelled 'surprise.' It was all fun and games until luna screamed, "Mom forgot mommy's birthday!" and ran upstairs to hide.

Hyejin raised her eyebrow at yongsun who was now frozen like an iceberg, a spoonful of rice was about to be shoved inside her mouth.

"You forgot my birthday?"

Wheein fake laughed and whistled, took a step back before she went out of the kitchen leaving hyejin and yongsun alone.

"Uhh.. no?" Yongsun tried to lie but she knew it was not worth the risk, "Well, alright. Almost?" She confesses.

She could sense the betrayal in Hyejin's face as the woman stood up and was about to go, but before she could walk out, yongsun already tugged her shirt to get her back.

Hyejin held a surprise party last year for yongsun's birthday and now she knew that the woman had forgotten hers, it hurt like she's been dumped by her boyfriend.

"Come on, spare me this time. I'm getting old and it's normal to forget things. I swear I didn't mean to forget it. It just slipped out of my mind. I'm so sorryyyy."

Yongsun was practically kneeling as she hugged Hyejin's leg, obviously exaggerating her actions to achieve hyejin's forgiveness. She can't blame hyejin for reacting like this. They have never forgotten each other's birthdays for the past many years.

"But hey, I bought you a gift? See?"

Yongsun instantly grabs the box she's been hiding behind her chair and gives it to hyejin without separating herself from her friend's leg, afraid that hyejin would flee. She looks like a koala hanging from a tree branch, but she doesn't even care.

Hyejin sighed in defeat as she accepted the box and leisurely untied the ribbon. There was a huge smile present on youngun's face while watching her friend open the box, and as hyejin finally saw what was inside, another sigh escaped from her lips.

It was the ring hyejin fell in love with at first sight. The one she couldn't stop complimenting to yongsun last month. Yongsun then lifted her finger in front of hyejin and showed off that she was wearing the same ring.

"I bought two, for me and you."

Yongsun stood up, pulled the ring out of the box, and put it on Hyejin's finger. The ring sparkled every time she moves her hand, and the bitter feeling she has for her friend disappeared in an instant. How could she be angry with this beautiful gift yongsun prepared? She'd be a heartless person if she didn't consider Yongsun's efforts in finding the perfect gift.

"Tss, fine. Apology accepted." Hyejin surrenders.

"You're lucky I like your gift. If not I would probably lash you out of my life."

"Aaaw don't be too harsh. I spent my entire afternoon finding the perfect gift for my perfect friend."

"You did not, mom. You spent your afternoon trying to find me, not the gift!"

Luna shouts from upstairs and they find both wheein and luna sitting pretty on the steps of the stairs, watching how yongsun tames the dragon. 

"Luna Kim, shut your trap or I'll tell hyejin you're the one who broke her vase!"