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“So we hear it’s your birthday today Jeonghan?"
The MC asks slyly like he knows something Jeonghan doesn’t know. It takes him a back a little, he wasn’t expecting anything to be brought up during filming. He’d intended to treat it like a normal day and maybe if they had time, have a small cake and quiet celebration with the members after filming and practice. So he hasn’t prepared himself at all. Now he’s nervous.
Birthdays aren’t safe for idols.
The surprise must show on his face as the MC belly laughs and grins at him.
"Don’t worry Jeonghannie, together with your members we’ve prepared something nice for you!”
He steals quick glances at all his friend’s faces. They’re smiling at him, Seokmin is bouncing on the balls of his feet, Seungkwan is making eyes at him and Chan is giggling into the palm of his hand. They all look incredibly suspicious.
This doesn’t make him feel better at all.
“We asked everyone to write you a loving message, on this special day of your birth!”
His eyes flit over to Jisoo, for not even half a second, but he hears Jihoon scoff in knowing amusement nonetheless. That boy misses nothing.
“Let’s have you read these letters your members have written filled with affection just for you. Show the viewers how very much seventeen loves their angel hyung, Yoon Jeonghan.”
He flaps his arms like angel wings on his way to the MC while Soonyoung and Wonwoo make heavenly gospel sounds, and picks up the pile of letters. They’re all written on pink paper with little heart stickers scattered around the words. He notices there aren’t any names signed on them anywhere and wonders if he’s going to get told who wrote them. The MC catches on and nudges him in the side with his elbow.
“They’re all anonymous though hmm. They can say whatever they want to you this way regardless of age or feelings!”
Jeonghan now knows why they were all looking so suspicious before. He’s going to be in for a ride.
Their messages are ridiculous.
The first one has the entire room in a fit of giggles. By the third the members are hooting and hollering and he’s starting to relax. The nerves dripping away being replaced with laughter and joy.
Each letter contains something different but all similar. All sweet, kind words and fondness masked with humour -poking fun at his beauty routine, his predebut days, and vibrant personality-.
Jeonghan has been making guesses trying to figure out who wrote what and so far has only caught Seokmin out who wriggled and made an excited face when he had read out “You’re my favourite hyung” from his letter. (Jeonghan squished his cheeks and praised him for it “ah my Seokmin! Hyung loves you too!”)
He’s reading the end of the ninth letter and Jeonghan knows exactly who this one is from.
“Jeonghan-ah let us be happy together in this New Year! You and me and our overflowing love!”
He raises his eyebrow in Seungcheol’s direction and makes exaggerated gagging noises into his fist and coughs ‘gross’ and ‘ew’ out in between snorting laughter. He sees Seungcheol smirk and subtly low five Soonyoung in the background for a job well done and knows his guess was right.
Shaking his head at his dumb friends he moves on to the next letter.
He begins reading and feels his ears begin to burn before he finishes the first line.
“You’ve always been that little bit extra special to me.”
The members wolf whistle, ohh and ahh all clapping each other on the back asking “who is it? Who’s the romantic?”
Jeonghan reads on.
“This is going to get pretty sappy, but when else am I going to get the chance to say this to you?”
He takes a deep breath and reads in snippets between cramped lungs and thudding in his chest.
“You’re a dork but in the best way, in the way that makes people want to be around you. Your energy breathes life into the rest of us. Your silly but heartfelt words keep me going.”
“Sometimes I can’t look away. It’s your smile. Your laughter. How bright you are. You were a star to me even before we debuted.”
“You’re a very special person to me.”
“I’m going to stop now before you get too embarrassed.”
They know him well, he’s bright red at this point. So much for his variety skills.
“But I guess what I’m trying to say is, I love you.”
The word ‘love’ is crossed out and re-written three times in smudged ink. Jeonghan can feel his hands shake and his stomach do little flips in time with his heart.
“Happy Birthday Jeonghan-ah.” He finishes.
It’s short but sweet and Jeonghan is a mess. He crouches down and hides his face in his hands unable to bear it anymore. The embarrassment and want is overwhelming.
“Oh my god, who is this?? Which one of you did this to me?” he cries into his knees.
He knows who he hopes it is, but nothing gives it away. It could very well be one of the members playing with him. Writing him an actual love letter for the love letter segment as a joke.
He catches Jisoo’s eye. Jisoo grins at him like usual, wide and with teeth, his eyes squinting closed as he laughs along happily with the rest of the group.
No. nothing gives it away and Jeonghan may never know.
The MC picks him up off the floor and brushes him off, pointing at the members and making jokes ‘wow you guys really really do love your angel huh?’
Jeonghan takes a deep breath to calm his fluttering heart and picks up the next letter.
Once he’s done he’s still no closer to figuring out if it was Jisoo or not and the boys all look like the cat that got the cream.
Jeonghan is grateful for everything but he’s still a little bitter he won’t get to know who wrote what.
“I’m guessing you really want to know which members wrote those letters?”
This MC can read his mind.
Jeonghan laughs and nods his affirmation while the members make big crosses with their arms and boo in horror.
Minghao’s letter is nothing but sugar coated sweetness and thankfulness for all Jeonghan’s support and help since he moved to Korea.
An entire list of his attractive aspects came from Junhui (written in numbered form from 1-17).
Hansol had written about his life choices as an angel and the philosophical difficulties of getting back into heaven after being such a bratty hyung.
He got a flick to the forehead for that.
He was correct about Seungcheol. Of course.
And now was the moment of truth. He was fully aware that Jisoo’s name hadn’t been called yet. That letters one to nine weren’t his, which left four to choose from. Four. When all he really wanted was just the one.
Jeonghan isn’t even trying hard to hide the fact that he’s anticipating this one. He’s not the only one though, the entire room is a little tense waiting for the answer. The MC purposely dragging it out to keep everyone on edge.
Jeonghan tries to catch Jisoo’s eye again but he’s facing away, watching the mc. Jeonghan looks closely, stares, if he’s not mistaken Jisoo’s hands are shaking a little, his shoulders are tense.
Jeonghan hopes.
“We’ve all been waiting for this one haven’t we?” the MC asks slyly, all secretive glances and full body wriggles.
The members huddle together and nod vigorously “YESS~!” they shout. Seungkwan is doing an anticipation dance out front, pointing at each member who’s left and swaying his hips.
“Ah, I wonder-” The MC raises his eyebrows “-if Joshua was looking forward to it as much as us?” he puts emphasis on Jisoo’s name and points at him, wriggling his butt in an exaggerated manner.
The members go wild.
Jisoo is trying hard not to look embarrassed. His head is tilted to the left and he’s laughing brightly along with the others. Mingyu has his arms around his shoulder pulling him to his side and all the members are grabbing at him, ruffling his hair ‘wah Hyung!’ ‘I can’t believe you!’ ‘True variety skills!’
But Jeonghan knows him well. He can see the little tell-tale signs in the way his eyes dart from side to side, how they don’t stop on him at all.
Jeonghan feels the corners of his mouth lift high. He feels hot under his collar and everything is fuzzy at the edges like a dream.
“Hong Jisoo!” he shouts out over the clamour his friends are making and throws himself at Jisoo, wrapping his arms around him.
He can feel the heat emanating from Jisoo’s face against his cheek and pulls him in tighter.
Jisoo has buried his nose in his shoulder and is clinging. Jeonghan knows he’s trying to hide but now is definitely not the time. Pulling him forward towards the cameras Jeonghan addresses the MC.
“Ah! Does this make us a couple now? Should we take couple shots?”
He’s wide eyed and has his acting voice on, all for the camera’s all for the fans. They’ll never know how much he really means it.
The members are roaring with laughter behind them, the MC eager and enthusiastic shouts out poses and shots they should take.
Jisoo is putty in his hands, warm and soft and malleable with embarrassment so he poses and make hearts with their arms and pretend to kiss each other’s cheeks.
The cameras eat it up, the PD nodding a long at the side giving thumbs up for the fanservice.
It is a whirlwind, a flurry of giggles and shouts and Jeonghan’s heart trying to beat out of his chest.
They go back to their places after but this time Jeonghan stays beside Jisoo.
They calm down. The MC finishes calling out the names and numbers of each letter and lets the hype die. Jeonghan is happy.
Jeonghan is ecstatic.
Jeonghan thinks this is the best birthday ever.
When they leave Jisoo is waiting for him outside the waiting room. Jeonghan feels his heart jump into his throat and his spirits soar. He can’t contain the broad grin that takes over his face.
“Did you enjoy your birthday?"
Jisoo asks, doing his best to make eye contact but Jeonghan knows he’s struggling with it.
"You didn’t know they were going to tell me who wrote the letters, did you?"
He’s feeling giddy, daring, like he wants to tease Jisoo mercilessly and maybe also kiss him in the middle of the hallway.
The high spots on Jisoo’s cheeks have bloomed with colour, his eyes darting around no longer able to meet his. He’s shuffling from foot to foot like he’s getting ready to take off.
Jeonghan doesn’t want that.
Tugging Jisoo closer he intertwines his fingers with his and answers the question.
"Yes I enjoyed my birthday.”
Jisoo looks shy but pleased, happy. They smile at each other and let the rest of the world wash away.
“I got everything I wanted.”