Chapter Text
gyuvin bops his head along to the music playing through his bluetooth speakers as he ties off another balloon. yujin is sat on the floor in front of him, scribbling something into the handmade birthday card he is very proud of. hanbin and jiwoong are in the kitchen, stressing over the cake. matthew is stood on top a chair, trying to figure out the best way to arrange the giant letters spelling 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAOHAO' on the wall.
it's zhanghao's birthday and they're currently preparing a surprise party for him at gyuvin's house. he hears an occasional scream and a few weird machine noises from the kitchen, but he thinks hanbin and jiwoong should have everything under control. ricky and ollie are in charge of making sure zhanghao stays out the house until it's time.
"gyuvin!" there's a shout from the kitchen that sounds like hanbin. they're lucky his parents are working right now.
hanbin steps into the living room. gyuvin bursts out into laughter, followed by yujin when he looks up. hanbin's previously clean apron is covered in icing. his hair is white with flour and there's food colouring on his cheeks and neck.
"did you kill jiwoong hyung?" gyuvin manages to say through his laughter. "holy shit, where's my phone? i need a picture."
matthew is already clicking away on his phone. "don't post anything! what if hao sees?" hanbin cries out.
"relax, hyung," matthew laughs. "i'll post these after the party."
hanbin tears the apron off and runs to the bathroom. gyuvin hears the sink turn on and hanbin emerges after a good minute. there are water droplets dripping from his hair. "we need emergency supplies. come with me to the store," he instructs.
"wait, why me?" the untied balloon in gyuvin's hand flies around the room when he lets it go. "shouldn't you go with jiwoong hyung?"
hanbin shakes his head vigorously. "he needs to do some cleaning up."
gyuvin doesn't get to have another say in the matter before being pushed out his own front door. "what if we run into hao hyung?"
"fuck," hanbin curses under his breath. "text them."
operation happy hao day
gyuvin: @ricky @ollie
gyuvin: where are u
ricky: dog park
ollie: haoandpuppies.jpg
hanbin: OH MY GODDD
hanbin: my little haobao 🤏🏻
hanbin: im gonna eat him up nom nom
yujin: 😰
matthew: behave urself
jiwoong: kitchen.jpg
jiwoong: 🤒
ricky: my fucking god
jiwoong: 😭😭😭
ricky: who did u guys kill bruh
yujin: jamie oliver
gyuvin: ok i have to go to the store w hanbin
gyuvin: we gotta be careful not to run into each other
ricky: making everyones job harder 👎🏻
jiwoong: it was hanbin
hanbin: STOP LYING
gyuvin checks the time before pocketing his phone. they have two hours left. that is not enough time for a whole new cake. "hyung, we're getting really offtrack."
hanbin is still smiling at the picture of zhanghao with a puppy pile in his lap. "it's fine. the cake is okay. we just need more icing and colouring."
they power walk to the store. gyuvin might have longer legs than hanbin, but the older has a determination to get this party perfect that gyuvin cannot compensate for. they are equally out of breath when they finally reach their destination. their faces drop when they read the 'closed' sign.
"we have to go to the one outside the neighborhood," gyuvin pants.
hanbin groans into his hands. "that's like two stops away from the dog park."
"then, we just have to be stealthy," gyuvin reasons. "channel your inner ninja turtle."
"only you watch that dumbass show."
"do not insult donatello like that!"
hanbin stares at him blankly. "just tell ricky and ollie about this."
operation happy hao day
gyuvin: bad news
gyuvin: usual shop is closed
gyuvin: we're gonna have to do this the hard way
ricky: damn everything going wrong 😨
jiwoong: hanbin's fault
hanbin: STOP???
hanbin: ure the one who made it explode 😒
gyuvin: MADE WHAG EXPLODE???????
jiwoong: well
hanbin: the bag of icing
ricky: how...
hanbin: he (very harshly) put the stand mixer on top of it
jiwoong: im a strong man
yujin: lets get u back to bed grandpa
gyuvin: not before my kitchen is cleaned 😠😠
hanbin: @ricky be extra careful
hanbin: the store we're going to is rly close to the park
ricky: damn girl ok
gyuvin and hanbin are jogging now. he did not sign up for this when the idea of a surprise party popped up in his head. he just wanted to do something nice for zhanghao, but he didn't think it would include running around the streets. hanbin was immediately onboard if it meant getting to see zhanghao happy. they are about to turn their last corner to enter the street where the store is located when gyuvin sees a tall blonde guy. oh, hell no.
he grabs the back of hanbin's collar and pulls him to the ground. hanbin opens his mouth to scold him but gyuvin quickly slaps his hand over it and points at the familiar trio. hanbin looks like he's about to pass out when he recognises them.
operation happy hao day
gyuvin: DAMN BITCH WHYD U EXIT THE PARK
ollie: hao hyung wanted ice cream 😶🌫️
ricky: its hard to say no to a bday boy
gyuvin: well now hanbin and i are kneeling on the ground like crazy ppl
hanbin: we're getting looks
gyuvin: RICKY STOP LOOKING AROUND URE SO OBVIOUS OMFG
jiwoong: wow this reminds me of totally spies
gyuvin: GO BACK TO CLEANING MY KITCHEN
hanbin: theres an ice cream parlour on the other end of the street
hanbin: go there
ollie: yes sir 🫡
gyuvin and hanbin are peeking from behind a bush. their shoulders sag in relief when ollie puts his hands on both sides of zhanghao's arms and pushes him away. gyuvin almost trips on his own feet when he springs up from his hiding spot a bit too fast.
"let's just get the stuff and make a run for it," hanbin says through the jingle of the bell on the door of the small grocery store.
gyuvin agrees. "good idea."
hanbin makes a beeline to the baking section while gyuvin gets distracted by a shelf of snacks. the temptations win him over. he begins picking out his favourites. hanbin wouldn't mind.
he gets an exasperated look from hanbin when he returns from his trip to the baking aisle. "should have brought yujin instead," he mutters under his breath.
"hey, i heard that!" gyuvin whines.
they walk up to the cashier. he looks unreasonably familiar. the cashier narrows his eyes at them too. it clicks when gyuvin reads the nametag. gunwook.
"class one's president?!" gyuvin exclaims.
gunwook gives him a gummy smile. "kim gyuvin?" he tries, as if he's guessing.
"yeah," gyuvin confirms.
gunwook points at hanbin. "student council president sung hanbin," he states surely.
hanbin huffs out a laugh.
"i'm working here part-time for the summer," gunwook explains. "my grandma owns this place."
gyuvin and hanbin's phones start blowing up then.
operation happy hao day
ricky: EMERGENCY
ricky: 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨
ricky: @hanbin @gyuvin
ricky: WEE WOO WEE WOO
ricky: 👮🏻🚓🚔🚑
gyuvin: WHAT
ricky: ZHANGHAO IS GOING TO THE STORE RN
hanbin: URE KIDDING
ricky: NO
jiwoong: 💀💀💀
gyuvin snaps his head to look out the store's window and sure enough, zhanghao is on his jolly way with an ice cream cone in his hand. gyuvin blurts out an apology to gunwook before dragging hanbin with him behind the counter. gunwook looks like a deer caught in headlights as he watches them squeeze themselves into the tiny space.
gyuvin clasps his fingers together. "really sorry, but we kind of have to hide from some people."
his pulse rate picks up and his entire body stiffens when he hears the bell jingle. the familiar voices are speaking in chinese. gunwook must recognise them—the entire school knows about the transfer students. he gives gyuvin a questioning look. gyuvin presses his lips into a tight line and nods.
operation happy hao day
hanbin: wtf are u guys doing 😭😭😭
hanbin: u had one job
ricky: he wanted candy 🧎🏻
ricky: did u guys leave already
gyuvin: WE ARE HIDING BEHIND THE CASHIER.
ricky: LMFAO
jiwoong: HELP???
yujin: why would they even allow that
matthew: the kitchen is clean 😁
gyuvin: the cashier is park gunwook
yujin: omg
ricky: wait
ricky: i think hao knows him quite well
ricky: he called him his nephew
gyuvin: WTF WHAT ABT ME
ricky: calm down hao calls u his son
gyuvin: oh
gyuvin: my hao hyung 🫶🏻
hanbin: what does he call me
ricky: im not fueling ur ego
hanbin: HEY
ricky: 🤷🏻
gyuvin: how does hao hyung even know gunwook
ricky: music club
yujin: oh yeah forgot abt that
"oh, gunwookie!" zhanghao's voice has gyuvin going rigid. "you work here?"
"only for the summer, hyung," gunwook smiles and moves to scan his items.
hanbin has a hand over his own mouth as he leans against the counter. gyuvin can hear his own heart beat in his ears. never in his life has he ever been in a more stress inducing situation.
gunwook and zhanghao chat for a little more. gyuvin is going to melt into the ground. his long limbs are having a hard time in the cramped space between the counter and the wall. he lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding in when the door chime jingles again.
"coast is clear," gunwook tells them.
hanbin dusts off his pants when he stands up. he pulls gyuvin up by his arm. "sorry about that."
"it's all good," gunwook dismisses. "can i know the reason though?"
"it's hao hyung's birthday," gyuvin says. "we're planning a surprise story."
"gotcha," gunwook nods while bagging up their items. he walks out and grabs a few bags of candy before putting them in the plastic bags too. "these are on me—as a present to hao hyung."
hanbin smiles softly. "thank you. i'll be sure to tell him."
gunwook waves at them when they exit the store carefully. hanbin scans the premises to make sure they're clear before they bolt home.
the decorations are all set up when they walk through the front door, thanks to yujin and matthew. hanbin locks the kitchen door on jiwoong and bans him from touching the cake. gyuvin starts heating up the food they had ordered earlier in the day. yujin and matthew plate the snacks on the coffee table.
hanbin finishes the cake with fifteen minutes to spare. it's animal crossing themed and hanbin pipes the words 'jjanguri day!' in bright pink icing on top. hanbin actually did a pretty decent job, it's quite cute. he runs home and changes into a fresh set of clothes, clean from any baking ingredients. gyuvin carries out all the presents they were hiding in his room. he has to make a second trip because hanbin and ricky bought way too much stuff.
operation happy hao day
ricky: t minus 1 min
yujin: we're reagdghwmzb
ricky: ?? 😭
jiwoong: he tripped over a balloon
ricky: lets just eat out next time
matthew: but this is so fun 😞
gyuvin runs through the entire house to turn off all the lights. the only thing illuminating the house now is the candle on the birthday cake. hanbin hides in one of the rooms while carefully craddling it in his arms. gyuvin positions himself next to the light switch. yujin has a plastic tiara ready in his hands. jiwoong and matthew steady their grips on the party poppers.
the sound of the lock turning resonates through the house which is oddly silent considering that there are five teenage boys inside. zhanghao shouldn't be able to see anything in the pitch black of the darkness. he makes a questioning noise.
"i thought gyuvinie would be home..." he mumbles. his tone is a tad bit sad. gyuvin feels his heart wrench. he loves his hao hyung so much. "i got his favourite sweets."
he can't take it anymore. he flicks the light switch and yells, "surprise, hyung! happy birthday!"
a million different things happen at once. the party poppers pop out of sync, a tiara is put on zhanghao's head crookedly, hanbin walks out the room with his cake, they all start singing happy birthday.
zhanghao's eyes are wide in the same way they are when he's watching a murder mystery with gyuvin and they just revealed the killer. he breaks into a huge smile when he realises what is going on. the corner of his eyes crinkle and his cheekbones are full. ah, gyuvin hopes zhanghao smiles like this forever.
his eyes are watery when the song ends and he has to blow out the candle. ricky pats his back playfully. "why are you crying?"
zhanghao sobs and holds his arms out. they all rush in for a group hug. gyuvin can hear hanbin grumbling about having to put the cake down first before joining them. the giant huddle of eight people they're in is nice. gyuvin feels his chest swell up.
hanbin walks up to zhanghao when they break apart. he fixes the tiara on his head and cups his face. "happy birthday, my haohao."
"hanbinie..." he cries as hanbin wipes the tears from his cheeks.
zhanghao's eyes shift around the room before landing on gyuvin. he holds a hand out to him. "gyuvin," he says softly.
gyuvin gets pulled into a warm hug. he can feel zhanghao's tears staining his shirt, but he doesn't care. "hyung," he returns, holding on to him tightly.
gyuvin never thought it was possible to love someone he only met a few months ago this much. zhanghao has been there for him like a steady rock ever since he came to korea. it was so comforting to him, since his parents were busy with work most of the time. it doesn't even matter that they're not related by blood—zhanghao takes care of gyuvin like he's his own son. gyuvin understands hanbin. how could anyone not love zhanghao?
laughter erupts when the tears stop. they're scattered around the living room with plates of food in their hands. gyuvin is feeling extra clingy tonight. maybe it's because it's a special day for his hao hyung. he instinctively wraps himself around the older, chin tucked onto his shoulder. zhanghao pats his head. hanbin smiles at them fondly.
the house is filled with screams and cheers when it's time for games. they're cursing at each other during uno. matthew laughs maniacally when he slaps down another plus four card for jiwoong who already has his head in his hands. ricky is trying to swindle everyone left and right during monopoly. yujin falls for it every time. twister just has them ending up in a huge pile of bodies on the floor. hanbin and zhanghao are giggling disgustingly when they land on the ground together.
they clean up a bit before zhanghao starts opening up his gifts. "read the letter when you're alone," ricky orders. he looks embarrassed. zhanghao nods with a knowing smile.
"mine too," hanbin adds.
gyuvin recalls all the sappy and cheesy stuff he wrote. "same, please."
"i'll just read all the letters later, okay?" zhanghao suggests.
a lot of the gifts are raccoon and music themed. ricky gets zhanghao a nintendo switch and at least a dozen games for it. he even has a bunch of tom nook accessories to go with the switch. now that gyuvin looks closely, zhanghao kind of resembles tom nook.
it's nearly midnight when the rest of their friends decide to leave. gyuvin can't get the smile off his face. seeing zhanghao so happy makes him feel lighter. he is about to lie face down on his bed and just crash but there's a knock on his door.
zhanghao comes inside his room with a familiar blue and pink card in his left hand—it's gyuvin's birthday message to him. his eyes are glassy again. "oh, gyuvinie..." he trails.
he climbs onto the bed and pulls gyuvin into a tight hug. "hyung loves you so much." gyuvin chokes back a sob himself.
hao hyung!!!
happy birthday ^^ i know we only met a few months ago but you're already one of the most important people in my life. it feels like i've known you since forever.
it used to get really lonely since my parents work a lot of shifts. ever since you came to me, i've been feeling so much happier. you take care of me so well and i'm not sure how to return the favour. i'll work hard to become your favourite!!!! (if i already am, pls tell me)
i really really really love LOVE you, hao hyung. i hope you can continue to be the happy jjanguri you are ♡♡♡
love, your gyuvinie