{A/N: bro I'm sorry but that cake is so fucking hilarious and dark at the same time sos}
The week went by fast, perhaps too fast. His birthday was tomorrow and he had no idea what to do. He was the only one who knew, so he thought celebrating alone wouldn't be that bad, or simply taking it as a normal day. At the same time, he wanted to tell Jongho, Mingi, and Yunho and make a small party but he was hesitant, he knew them for a short time-Except for Jongho. Even when he was now a part of their friend group, he wasn't as close.
He was daydreaming, debating whether if he should tell them or not right now, at the dining hall. "You good?" Asked Mingi upon seeing Hongjoong looking at the walls. He just nodded and went back to eating.
"He's awfully quiet today." Mingi turned to Jongho and whispered to him. The younger covered his mouth and got near his friend's ear.
"It's his birthday tomorrow, I think he doesn't know I remember." The taller mouthed an 'O' acknowledging. "He's turning 20."
"What if we throw him a party on Saturday?" Mingi said as lowly as possible, trying hard for Hongjoong not to hear them.
"They are whispering, should we whisper too?" Yunho leaned to Hoongjooong, who just ignored him and kept eating.
Seonghwa then passed by with his tray of food, giving a warm, friendly smile to Hongjoong. He walked some tables away to eat with his friends.
Since Monday, the two sat together in anatomy and painting class, just how Seonghwa wanted.
A gleam crossed his mind like a shooting star, he recalled what the shorter said: My birthday is this weekend.
[It's Hongjoong's birthday this week.] He announced to his friends.
"And?" San raised an eyebrow.
[We could throw a party for him.] The older signed with a bright look o his eyes. Yeosang smiled seeing his friend this excited.
"We could buy a cake, or even bake it ourselves! But we don't know what he likes..." Wooyuoung talked and signed, inspired.
"I think we should ask his friends first, maybe they have something planned." Yeosang spoke some sense before going any further in the conversation.
"We are gonna waste our weekend with that kid?" San crossed his arms irritated.
[He's my age, so it's your hyung's birthday.] Seonghwa teased.
-
Lunchtime came to an end and both groups got up to leave, but just as Mingi stood up someone grabbed him from the sleeve and pulled him back. He turned to see a boy with long, blond hair and big, brown, round eyes signaling to stay quiet. He looked short of shy, he spoke vacillating, stuttering a little.
"Y-you are friends with Hongjoong, right?" The taller nodded confused.
"Why?" he frowned.
"Some friends and I are his classmates and were th-thinking of hum... throwing a small party. But we wanted t-to know if you already planned something with him..." The shy boy explained a little intimidated by the sharp glare of the tall man in front of him. Then he smiled and giggled, his scary facade vanished.
"Oh, you're his friends too! I thought you were a weirdo grabbing me out of nowhere. And yes we already thought of doing something, do you have classes now?" The blondie shook his head. "Perfect! So let's plan it together and..."
-
Saturday arrived, the plan was simple. Jongho and Yunho had to take Hongjoong out of his dorm at 5 pm.
"No seriously you need to teach me how to skate! I've wanted to since I was in high school." Yunho dragged him around to a nearby park.
"But Yunho, it's illegal to practice in public spaces." Hongjoong whined.
"Then we'll go to the skate park, it's perfect." Jongho turned on his heels pointing to an unknown destination.
"The skate park is the other way Jongho" The birthday-boy sighed.
At the same time, the decoration team -- a.k.a. Yeosang and Mingi, the brains of the operation,-- would sneak into his apartment to prepare the place for a party night.
"How did you get his keys Mingi?" Yeosang asked holding a bag full of stuff.
"I have my ways..."
While they did that, Seonghwa and Wooyoung made chocolate and strawberry cake, which Jongho told them was his favorite flavors as a kid.
[Be careful, don't over-mix it.] Seonghwa explained to Wooyoung, who was whipping the egg whites.
"Too late man..." The whites were already curdled, the older looked at his messy kitchen and fake-cried stressed.
The last thing to do was to buy the candles and his present. They weren't planning on giving him anything at first, but Seonghwa insisted, even if he had to place more money than the rest, he had the perfect present for Hongjoong.
"So suddenly we're all friends and making a surprise party for the rat-boy and, I, ME, have to buy his things?" San mumbled to himself with a box already in his hands.
At 7:30-ish almost everyone was at Hongjoong's apartment. Mingi messaged Yunho, who said they were almost there. Yeosang turned off the lights and went with Seonghwa, all of them hid.
"Yoh how are they gonna open if Mingi's got the key?" Wooyoung whisper yelled. Mingi quickly got up and unlocked the door.
He quickly came back to his hiding spot. Some laughs could be heard from the corridor, they were almost here. Then a Hongjoong went to openthe door.
"But I was abouf to do a flip and then Yun- Oh, it's open, did I leave it open?" He pushed the door to face his dorm covered in dark. "I didn't leave the window blinds closed..." Then Yunho whispered from the back, Yeosang tapping Seonghwa's arm as the other spoke.
"3... 2... 1..."
"SURPRISE!!!" Jongho turned on the lights as the rest jumped from their hiding places. Yeosang and Seonghwa were behind the couch, San on the bathroom, Mingi behind a bookshelf and Wooyoung in a closet.
Their voices were overwhelming, out of everything this was something he wasn't expecting. His heart raced at an uncontrollable speed, his mind felt foggy and his legs went weak. He fell to the ground on his knees.
Happiness. This is it, the knot on his back undid itself. He thought that maybe all of this was a dream. That he never met Seonghwa and met again with Jongho. He never fought San or talked to Yeosang and Wooyoung. Yunho and Mingi didn't exist. But it was all real.
<<Crying is for girls.>> His dad voice replayed on his head over and over, fortunately this time he let it pass, big tears run down his cheeks to his chin and fell to the floor. The other 7 grew worried, did they do something wrong? Only Seonghwa dared to approach him, squatting down to his level and caressing his back. The birthday boy still looked to the floor and sniffed quietly.
"Th-thank you... No one has e-ever made me a su-s-surprise party" Seonghwa couldn't hear, he just felt his back vibrating and raising as he inhaled messily.
"Oh then let's make this the best one!" Yunho said getting him up from the floor and cupping his whole face with his big hands. "You are Twenty now!"
Music was playing, some of them dancing to the beat and others eating snacks. Hongjoong noticed how Seonghwa was doing neither of those, so he went beside him. The older was sitting on a wooden chair right next to the speakers. He smiled to Hongjoong.
"What are you doing here?" The shorter asked.
[Listening to music] He signed, <<Oh shit, he still doesn't know that much. >> Seonghwa immediately thought and got out his phone.
"I'm listening to the music" He wrote.
"How?" His eyes eyes went big in curiosity.
"Vibrations, through my whole body."
"That's why you are by the speaker!" He said twinkling went he realized.
"Exactly!" The older smiled.
Then it was time for games. They played mafia, uno, cheat, pictionary and even a dirty version of the whisper challenge-and if you are asking this to yourself, yes, Seonghwa did play, he reads lips remember? Laughter filled the place from left to right. Even if the two set of boys didn't knew each other that much and their only connection was Hongjoong, the afternoon went by smoother than what they originally thought.
No longer after, the eight boys ate their pizzas and fried chicken. A little tired, they were now chatting and getting to know eachother better. Mingi, Yunho and Jongho didn't knew Seonghwa was deaf until this morning. San confessed how he didn't want to come in first place, but ended up laughing his ass off to Yunho's twerking. Jongho and Hongjoong explained how they knew each other when little and how Jongho had to move. Yeosang and Wooyoung told funny anecdotes of their experience having to share their dorm.
"I think its time" Said Mingi getting up from his chair and heading to the fridge. Seonghwa quickly turned off the lights.
"Hyung close your eyes." exclaimed Wooyoung excited. "Wait no, lend us your lighter..."
The older giggled and took it out of his pocket, throwing it to Wooyoung who was besides Mingi now lightning up the candles that said
"Twenty".