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Martin didn’t expect his 18th birthday to feel this warm, messy, loud, and perfect in the way only their friend group could make it.
The room was filled with laughter, James arguing over food, Keonho being as silly as ever, and Seonghyeon recording everything like it was a documentary. But somehow, through all the chaos, Martin kept finding his eyes drifting to Juhoon.
Juhoon, his pretty boyfriend.
Juhoon, who stood a little to the side with that quiet smile, who clapped the softest yet looked the happiest when the candles were lit.
When everyone shouted for Martin to make a wish, he hesitated, not because he didn’t know what to wish for, but because it was already standing right there. Later, when the others got distracted, Juhoon slipped closer, gently fixing the crooked party hat on Martin’s head, his fingers lingering just a second too long. “Happy birthday,” he said softly, like it meant more than just the words. And Martin, cheeks warm and heart racing, thought that if this was what being eighteen felt like; having Juhoon this close, this real, then maybe he didn’t need any wish at all.
The night should’ve ended with laughter, but it lingered instead, soft and glowing, like the last flicker of fairy lights.
Earlier, Juhoon had stolen a quick birthday kiss in front of everyone, gentle but bold enough to send the whole room into chaos while Martin stood there, red-faced and smiling like he might burst.
“Eyy we saw that! We saw that!” Their friends were teasing them non-stop.
Good food. Cakes. Whipped Cream smeared on their faces. Loud laughter. Singing, Dancing. Games. Pure Chaotic.
Now, hours later, past midnight, the house was quiet, and Martin sat alone on his bed, unwrapping the last of his presents. When he opened Juhoon’s gift, inside of the bag, along with gifts like shoes and tshirt, that’s when he found it.
An envelope, decorated with doodles and stickers, and inside it, there’s a neatly folded handwritten letter, his name written in Juhoon’s familiar and careful script. He could almost picture him hunched over a desk, pausing between sentences, thinking carefully about each word.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“Hey Martin,
I don’t think I’ll ever be able to say all of this out loud without forgetting half of it, so I’m writing it instead, just like you found tonight.
Being with you feels easy in a way I didn’t know I needed. Not because everything is perfect, but because even the imperfect parts don’t feel so heavy when I’m with you. You make things softer. You make me softer.
I don’t say it enough, but I’m really happy I get to be beside you like this. Not just today, not just on special days, but in all the small, ordinary moments too.
Stay with me for a long time, okay?
I love being close to you. I love standing next to you in a crowded room and still feeling like it’s just us. I love that no matter how loud everything gets, I can always find you. And you always find me.
You make ordinary days feel like something worth remembering. You make me feel safe, and happy, and understood in a way I didn’t think I needed until I had it.
So if you ever wonder, even for a second, whether you’re loved enough, the answer is yes. More than enough. More than I’ll probably ever be able to explain properly.
There are so many things I love about you that I don’t even know where to begin. For this, open another page.
Happy 18th birthday, Martin.
I’m really glad it’s you.
Yours,
Juhoon <3 ”
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
Inside was another page.
°°°°°°
“Eighteen reasons why I love you.”
1. Your smile that heals me
2. Your eyes that calms me
3. The way you listen
4. Your Amazing voice
5. Your thoughtfulness
6. Your kindness to others
7. Your infectious laughter
8. Our shared inside jokes
9. Your creativity
10. Your dedication in pursuing your dreams
11. The way you look at me like I mattered the most
12. The way you make my terrible day amazing with your personality
13. The way you make me a better person
14. How you make me feel special
15. Your hugs that feels like home
16. The way you hold my hand
17. Simply being you
18. And Lastly, I love you because you complete me.
°°°°°°°
His hands trembled as he read, each line soft, specific and achingly sincere.
Martin pressed his lips together, letting out a breath he didn’t know he’d been holding. His chest felt tight, but not in a painful way. It was full, too full, almost, as if happiness and longing had decided to exist in the same space.
He read them again.
Then once more.
A quiet laugh escaped him, shaky but real. He wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand, shaking his head a little, like he couldn’t quite believe it.
By the time he re-read it for the 3rd time, his vision blurred once more with tears, a quiet sob slipping out before he could stop it. The door creaked open then, and Juhoon stepped in, hesitant but knowing, like he had been waiting for this moment. Martin looked up, eyes shining, letter clutched tightly in his hand.
“You weren’t supposed to read it alone,” Juhoon murmured, moving closer.
But Martin shook his head, voice breaking as he reached for him. “I’m glad I did… because now I know I love you even more.”
And Juhoon, soft smile returning, wiped Martin’s tears with his thumb before pulling him into a warm hug.
Juhoon didn’t say anything else at first, he just cupped Martin’s face gently, thumbs brushing away the last of his tears like they were something precious. The room felt smaller somehow, quieter, as Martin leaned into him, clutching the letter between them.
“You really meant all of it?” he whispered, voice still shaky.
Juhoon smiled, soft and sure, their foreheads touching. “Every single word.”
Martin let out a small, breathless laugh, the kind that comes after crying, and nudged their noses together before pressing a slow, lingering kiss to Juhoon’s lips, nothing rushed, just warmth and reassurance and everything they hadn’t said out loud.
When they pulled apart, Martin hid his face in Juhoon’s shoulder, mumbling, “You’re unfair… how am I supposed to top this?” Juhoon just laughed quietly, arms tightening around him.
And of course, that’s exactly when the door burst open.
“ARE YOU GUYS CRYING IN HERE” James’s voice cut through the moment as he, Keonho, and Seonghyeon piled into the room without warning. Martin jolted back instantly, face burning, while Juhoon barely stepped away, still calm but with the faintest hint of amusement in his eyes.
“We knew something emotional was happening,” Seonghyeon added, already pointing his phone to them like he’d caught rare footage.
Keonho squinted at Martin. “Why do you look like you just got proposed to?”
Martin groaned, grabbing a pillow to hide his face, while Juhoon just sat beside him, quietly lacing their fingers together out of sight.
“Get out,” Martin muttered, but there was no real force behind it, just embarrassment wrapped in happiness. The others only laughed louder, collapsing onto the bed and floor like they owned the place, turning the quiet moment back into chaos. And as Martin peeked out from behind the pillow, still flushed but smiling, he realized maybe this, this mix of love, teasing, and too many people in one room was exactly how he wanted to remember turning eighteen.
END.
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