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“How come I have to wear this stupid blindfold? Just show me the present!” Haechan whined, clinging to Taeil’s arm as he was led through the company building. He didn’t even try to keep track of where he was, just blindly trusting his hyungs not to bash him into a doorway or leave him stranded in the bathroom. Again.
“Then it wouldn’t be a surprise,” replied Johnny smoothly. The neos were like a pack of mismatched animals making their way to Haechan’s birthday surprise.
“Not even Mark would tell me what it is,” he lamented, to which Mark scoffed.
“Dude, you threatened to kiss me if I didn’t tell you and then kissed me anyway!”
Smug, he said, “I’ll do it again, too.”
“We’re almost there,” said Doyoung, not particularly enjoying the bickering of the youngest two.
“Almost where?”
“Highway to Heaven,” interjected Jungwoo, who started singing their song as Yuta tried to shut him up.
The group stopped, presumably in the middle of a room, and Taeyong announced, “We’re here. Take off the blindfold, Hyuck, and try not to scream.”
Taeil took a step back as he ripped the offending garment off. A few seconds passed before his brain caught up.
“MICHAEL JACKSON SUNBAENIM???!???”
Jaehyun’s “bruh” was barely heard over the ruckus.
“Hee hee!” Michael Jackson responded, moonwalking over to the group before slapping the bottom of his jacket tails behind him. “Hi, everybody!”
The maknae screeched, and MJ chuckled.
“Happy birthday!” chorused the neos as if this were a perfectly normal gift for your friend.
“How-what, wait, how?? And- wait, how?!? Michael Jackson sunbaenim, I love you so much!!!”
“Aw, thanks, Haechan! I heard you’re a big fan and it’s your birthday so I decided to come hang out to celebrate,” Michael said, coming over to bring him into a side hug. Hyuck’s eyes were wide as saucers, looking up to his idol and then to his hyungs. Half looked a second away from breaking down in hysterical laughing fits.
“It was Jungwoo’s idea,” supplied Mark. “It kinda started as a joke but then Yuta found a time machine thing on Etsy that, like, actually worked and could bring back real people. So, yeah.”
“Genius idea, in my opinion,” said Johnny.
“Well, we’re just glad Michael Jackson sunbaenim was available and agreed to come!” Taeyong said, smiling at how Haechan finally learned to be quiet when his favorite celebrity was near. He looked gobsmacked. Flabbergasted. Dumbfounded. Absolutely in shock. And then-
“Oh my god Michael Jackson sunbaenim is it fun seeing the future? What was the past like? How old are you? What was the last song you listened to? Can we have a dance battle? I love you so much. Have you heard of NCT? 127? Or kpop? Woooow this is so cool thank you so much for coming on my birthday!!”
“Yah, no thanks for us arranging this?” said Doyoung.
Sticking out his tongue, Hyuck said, “No,” and leaned his head on MJ’s shoulder.
“You sure seem like a real fan!” Michael exclaimed. “How long have you been listening to my music?”
“Since birth!” he replied eagerly, stars in his eyes.
“Since conception,” muttered Taeyong.
“Wow, I’m honored!”
“Uh, we have cake,” interjected Taeil. As much fun as this was, the mathyung was starving.
Haechan (and Jungwoo, and Mark) gasped. “What kind?”
“Your favorite kind, dumbass,” Johnny said, earning a few chuckles and a gasping laugh from Mark.
“Sounds fantastic,” MJ said, ruffling Haechan’s hair. The boy then proceeded to fake faint on top of Doyoung. “Hee hee!”
The neos + Michael gathered around the table as Jaehyun lit the birthday candles. They sang Happy Birthday, and their youngest blew out the candles. He couldn’t decide on a wish because how could you possibly top Michael Jackson coming to your surprise birthday party??
Taeyong, ever the mom, cut the cake and started handing out pieces. The first was handed to the birthday boy, who gave the plate to MJ.
“Aw, for me?”
“Yes! You’re, like, the best thing ever, so you get the first piece of cake today.”
(“Simp,” muttered Yuta, to which Taeil and Jungwoo started snickering).
“What does that mean?” asked Michael, who’d heard Yuta.
“Nothing! This cake is great, though,” Mark said, desperately distracting him from his hyungs.
“Mmhmm.” Hyuck had pulled the bear off the top of the cake and stuffed the entire thing into his mouth. “Ihruhguh.”
“Gesundheit,” Taeyong said politely.
“I haven’t had cake this good in years,” remarked Michael.
“Bet he hasn’t,” whispered Johnny to Jungwoo, causing another round of snickers.
“Ignore them,” said Jaehyun. “They like to party and got a bit heavy-handed if you know what I mean.”
Johnny glared at him, knowing full well that Jaehyun had joined them.
“It’s all good,” Michael replied, taking another bite of cake and watching as Haechan almost choked trying to drink Coke around the cake stuffed in his face. “We’re having lots of fun. Right, Haechan?”
Nodding, he threw a thumbs up, physically unable to say anything or even attempt words.
A few minutes later, when everyone had had their fill of sugar, someone pulled out a Bluetooth speaker and started blasting Bad by Michael Jackson, prompting Haechan to show off his dancing skills as the real-life MJ watched him from the sidelines, clapping and cheering him on.
“I learned this when I was seven years old!” he shouted between the lyrics.
“Wow!”
Thriller came on next, and Michael decided to join the birthday boy as the rest of the neos acted as their audience. It really was quite impressive watching the two of them dance in sync without ever having danced with each other before, or even met before today.
After the song ended, Michael jumped to stand on the tiptoes of his shoes and shouted, “Yow!!” flipping his jacket and holding a pretend hat. Haechan had obvious heart-eyes at MJ as he caught his breath from the performance he put on.
“You are so cool,” he said, mesmerized.
MJ chuckled. “You’re not too bad yourself, now!”
Yuta glanced at the time and said, “Okay, it’s time to wrap this up, I have ten minutes until Michael goes back to his real-time.”
The maknae pouted, reaching out to cling onto the sunbaenim’s arm.
“Dude, this was so much fun,” Mark remarked.
“Agreed,” said Taeil from where he was still eating cake.
“Can we do this again next year, hyung?” pleaded Hyuck, looking at Yuta with puppy eyes.
“Nope,” he said easily. “Unless you wanna sell your soul next.”
No one knew if he was joking or not.
“Bye, Michael Jackson sunbaenim!!!” Haechan exclaimed, giving him a huge hug.
“Happy birthday!” he said, hugging back. “And thanks for inviting me, everyone!”
Best birthday party ever. Thanks, MJ!