Chapter Text
The calendar had circled itself in red. They hadn't needed it. No one had.
Because even if months had passed since he left, his birthday was something they all carried like a second heartbeat. They could not forget, not when every year had been an excuse to laugh louder, eat more cake than necessary, and listen to Mingyu make a hundred wishes out loud before blowing the candles.
But this year, the house was quiet when they woke. Too quiet. The kind of quiet that pressed into your chest.
Seungcheol was the first to move, pushing himself out of bed though his body felt like lead. He brewed coffee, not because he wanted it but because the ritual kept him steady. When the smell spread, one by one the others emerged from their rooms, hair messy, eyes still swollen from the sleep they barely caught.
No one spoke at first.
Until Seungkwan broke the silence, his voice cracking, "We should do something... for him."
And that was all it took.
They spent the morning doing the only thing that felt right, filling the dorm with Mingyu.
They cooked his favorite food: jjajangmyeon, fried chicken, and of course, the cake. Jeonghan insisted on baking it himself even though the younger ones offered help. "He used to always tease me about how mine never rose right," Jeonghan muttered, trying to keep his hands steady while mixing batter. "So if it flops again, maybe it'll make him laugh."
Jun pulled out the old polaroid camera Mingyu always carried on tour, setting it on the table like an honored guest. The sight of it alone made Vernon's throat tighten.
Joshua laid out the seventeen lightsticks around the living room, arranging them in a circle, flicking them on so the room glowed in soft Carat Bong white. "He left his letter beside one of these," Joshua said quietly, and the memory hung heavy.
By afternoon, the dorm felt like Mingyu had just stepped out for a moment and would return any second, loud music playing from his playlist, his favorite hoodie draped over the couch, food covering the table.
When the cake came out, twelve candles flickered in the dim light.
"Thirteen," Woozi whispered. His hands trembled as he lit the last one, because Mingyu wasn't here to do it himself.
They gathered around, no cameras, no fans, just them.
"Should we... sing?" Hoshi asked. His voice cracked at the end.
They tried. They really did. But halfway through "Happy Birthday," their voices broke apart into sobs. Some pressed their hands over their mouths. Others clutched each other's arms.
When the song ended, no one moved to blow the candles.
Until Seungcheol, after a long silence, leaned forward and whispered, "Happy birthday, Gyu," before exhaling softly, sending all thirteen flames into smoke.
For a heartbeat, it almost felt like Mingyu had done it himself.
After eating, after stories, after laughter that always ended in tears, they gathered what they had prepared and left the dorm together.
The drive was quiet. Each boy lost in his own thoughts, holding onto memories that both comforted and hurt. The road stretched endlessly, until finally, they reached the grave.
The air was cool, touched by early evening. The grave was simple, clean, with flowers fans had left still fresh around the stone. Carats hadn't forgotten. They never would.
They stood in silence at first, the wind brushing through. Then Seokmin knelt down and placed the cake in front. "We saved you a piece, Gyu. Don't tease me for eating yours later," he tried to smile, but his voice wavered.
Minghao set down a sketchbook, the one he had filled with doodles of Mingyu since the day he passed. "You always said my art made you look cooler than you were. You were wrong. I could never draw you enough."
Chan crouched, his hands shaking as he placed a basketball charm next to the flowers. "Hyung... I practiced like you told me. I still suck, but I'm trying." His tears hit the grass, and Seungkwan immediately pulled him into a hug.
One by one, they spoke. Each voice breaking the silence, each word meant for him.
Jeonghan brushed his hand over the stone, whispering, "I hope you're eating cake somewhere. And not burning it like I always did."
Joshua's voice cracked as he said, "We posted your letter to Carats, Mingyu. They know. They all know how much you loved them."
Woozi's hands clenched into fists before he placed sheet music down, notes written messily in the margins. "I finished the song. The one you wanted. It's yours now."
Seungcheol was the last. He stood there for a long time before kneeling, his hand pressed against the cold stone.
"I dreamed of you, Gyu. You told me I'd see you whenever I laughed, whenever I danced, whenever I loved them like I loved you." His voice trembled. "I've been trying. We've all been trying. But damn it, I still wish you were here. I'd give anything."
Silence fell again, but it wasn't empty. It was heavy with all their love, their grief, their longing.
Finally, Vernon spoke, soft, almost like a prayer, "Happy birthday, Gyu hyung. We love you."
And all together, twelve voices whispered the same.
"Happy birthday."
They stayed until the sky turned dark, until the stars blinked awake.
It felt fitting somehow, the stars gathering on the day that once belonged to him.
Before leaving, Seungkwan turned back one last time, eyes wet but burning with love. "We'll be back soon. Always."
And as they walked away, none of them said it aloud but each one felt it deep in their chest.
Even if he was gone, Mingyu's birthday wasn't empty. Because the love they carried for him was endless.
And as long as they kept remembering he was still here.
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He isn't here anymore, but the love he left behind is still holding them together, still teaching them how to live.
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The End.....