In a few minutes, the door opens, and Joonha steps inside, wearing a black shirt and pair of trousers, which I am not used to seeing him in.

"You know why I'm here, so you're not gonna lie to me but tell the truth, right?" he does not beat around the bush, doubtlessly hating to see me feel that way. "I'm just nervous."

"No, that's not true. I'm not gonna say anything to my dad about this, so you can talk to me about it," he steps towards me. "You're scared because my mom's gonna be here, aren't you?"

I glance down at my phone and toy with it, not wanting to admit to being this type of person. "Why does it matter? I just need a few minutes to get ready."

"Stop saying that type of shit. It matters because you're not feeling good, and I hate it. I don't want you to feel like that, especially on my birthday. It hurts me," he cares way too much about me. "Tell me exactly why you're fearful about seeing her. I won't be mad at you, and if it can help you let it out, I understand why you feel like that because I'd be in the same state if I was in your shoes, so don't feel ashamed. I wouldn't want to face my girl's ex either."

It feels good to hear that, somehow.

"Come on," he gives a chuck under my chin, softening his voice. "What's worrying you so much? Is it because she's a woman and that she might indirectly remind you of the bitch?"

I shake my head.

"Then because you're gonna compare yourself to her?" he gets it, quickly. I do not react for a few seconds, then I decide to not keep it to myself since he is doing all of this only for me. I nod. "He already told me not to do it, but I just can't..."

"And why is that? What even is there to compare?" he does not see it as if that was not obvious. "Everything. She must be so beautiful, so perfect, and I feel like it's impossible to not think about the past they had and not miss some stuff or not compare what I give him to what she used to give him. I don't even know her. She will probably think that he lowered his standards or something like that. Everything scares me, and I hate feeling so dumb," I hurry to get rid of a tear to not let it ruin the makeup I took too long to do.

"Y/n..." he breathes my name out. "My mom is not a bitch. She'll never say that kind of disgusting stuff about you. And yes, my mom's beautiful, but you're beautiful too. You're not worth less, you're not less pretty. You both are two different women, you both have your own features, your own qualities, your own flaws, your own personalities, and I could go on, but no one's perfect, so you tell your brain and mind to throw those thoughts out because none of it is true. I'm going to give you an example since I dated more than once, and I can assure you that when you break up with someone, no matter the reason why you did, and that you find someone new, someone who makes you happy, who makes you feel loved, you don't care about the past and the exes, you only care about the one who's by your side now. Nothing else matters other than the one you are with, and I swear that if my dad still had a single thing for my mom, he would never have started anything with you. I can promise you that he wouldn't have started a relationship with you, even if he was in love because he would have known that, at some point, you'd get hurt," he takes time to explain to me and teaches me to be a better person. "You're an amazing person, you're so fucking pretty and cute, and so loveable, so you don't have to worry about anything. He loves you and would do anything to make you happy."

He got me to be speechless. I do not even know what to say.

"You deserve the world, for real," I smile and peek at him. "You do too, but you don't want to understand it," he gazes up into my eyes. "And—"

"Joonha, mom's here!" Jungkook raises his voice to be heard, and my heart races out of fright. "I'm coming!" he stands up but directs his body towards me. He bends over and drops a reassuring kiss on my forehead. "Come on, if you're not feeling alright, you come up to me or text me, and I'll take care of it without my dad knowing it, okay?"

I trust him and show him that I do, and he steps back. "Come with me then, let's greet her," he heads towards the door and waits for me, so I get up from my bed and follow him. "Have you told her about my age?" I make it fast before facing her, and he fills me with peace. "I did. She doesn't give a damn about how young you are, she won't judge you at all."

"Good..." I lower my look to my dress and fix it. "Stop overthinking. You're gorgeous, and that dress looks amazing on you," he compliments me before walking out, and he opens the door. I love him so much, I wish every man of his age would be such amazing ones.

I step out of the room to follow him, but the front door is already open, and I can hear a Jungkook's voice and a woman's one. I am so uncomfortable.

I do not say anything but follow Joonha from very close, and we both step out. As soon as my eyes catch sight of the woman, I nibble on my inner cheek.

She is wearing an elegant, black knee-length bodycon dress, and high heels. Dark brown hair that reaches her shoulders, big blue eyes, and plump lips. With no doubt at all, she is Joonha's mother. She is such a beautiful woman.

"My baby!" she hurries towards him, her high heels slowing her down, they both hug each other, but I stay where I am, away from them. Thank god, her husband is here too, if he was not, I would have felt so out of place.

"Happy birthday," she presses a kiss on his cheek, and I feel Jungkook come closer to me, but I cannot think much, I am way too focused on how insecure I feel in front of her.

Once she stops showering her son with kisses and love, she turns her head towards me, and no air goes in or out of my lungs. She walks up to me, and I unconsciously hold my hands behind my back, but Jungkook touches my forearm and caresses it.

"Nice to meet you, y/n," she smiles at me, and I say the same words and bow to her. "It feels so weird to finally meet you, I've heard so much about you," she surprises me. "Really?"

"Yes, Joonha has talked a lot about you. I heard a lot of great things from Jungkook too," she peeks at him as if she was keeping something to herself, but not anything bad. "You're like a celebrity at this point," she chuckles and gets interrupted by Joonha. "She's a cute bean, right?" he prolongs the time spent with everyone's attention on me. "She is."

I awkwardly look away, no matter how good this feels to be complimented. "She's shy now, let's go back inside," Joonha giggles and saves me, and his mother smiles but walks inside the house with her husband.

Joonha follows the same path, and I feel Jungkook pull me in, and he kisses my temple. His hand drifts down to mine that are still together, and he intertwines our fingers to lead me back into the house.

"When are your friends going to be there, Joonha?" he asks him and closes the door behind us, and we take our shoes off. "Seunggil and Munhee told me they should be here in around thirty minutes, but Iseul and the other guys should be a little later."

"Alright," he puts his hands in his pockets and looks at me. "Let's spend some time in the backyard," he whispers to me, and I agree with this idea.

•••

8:10 pm.

I watch everyone have fun in different corners of the house, the younger ones playing video games or talking around the table and drinking, and some of the older ones having a conversation in the backyard.

Not knowing where to go after coming back from the bathroom, I move towards the kitchen and get some strawberry milk. I open the carton and poke the top with the straw, and I lean back to drink, not feeling comfortable in any corners of the house that is occupied.

I know Joohna is spending time with his best friends and Iseul on the sofa, and Jungkook is outside with his ex-wife and her husband, so I just want to be alone. I have seen enough of them laughing together, I do not want to see more of them smiling at each other.

"I go with Joonha," Iseul shouts as they both are arguing about who joins who to make the teams. "Girl. I'm his babe, and we're always a team, so you're not gonna separate us like that," Seunggil refuses to let this happen. "We all know you suck each other's dick, but no need to expose it," a guy, who I have never seen before but already heard through the microphone, shouts at them from the table, and Seunggil raises a middle finger up to reply.

"Just chill. I'm playing this game with her, and I'll play with you for the next one," Joonha favors her, getting Seunggil to show disappointment. "Alright then, let me fuck the shit out of you with Munhee. You're both dead, you're gonna regret not playing with the best gamer," he launches the game with bitterness, but Joonha looks in my direction.

He brings his eyes down to the girl who has a crush on him, and he whispers something in her ear before standing up. He leaves his friends and heads towards me, and as soon as he stands in front of me, he looks into my eyes and cups my face to press onto my cheeks in a soft manner. "Why are you staying in your corner?"

I shrug, not having a good answer to this question, and he squeezes my cheeks again. "I wanna see you smile."

"I'm trying to drink my strawberry milk," I heave it up to my mouth, but he touches the corners of my lips with his thumb and index finger, and he pushes them up to form a smile on my face, making me laugh and get his hand off of my skin. "There. It's better like that," he shows satisfaction, and I swallow some milk. "Don't you want to play with us?"

I shake my head. "You could stay with us though. Even if you don't play."

"That's useless," I put my drink down, and he grabs it but takes a gulp of it. "That isn't useless. That's always what you do when I'm playing in my room, you come and sit on my lap to just watch me play."

"But you're alone when I do it, so it's chill and comfortable, not with friends around," I lay my hand over the counter and tilt my head. "But whatever. Stop ruining your day and go back to your friends."

"Shut up," he says it with a smile to make it sound less harsh, and I chuckle. "If I want you on my team for a game, you come, right? You're not going to leave me alone...this would be mean of you to do so."

"Stop with the blackmail. You already have two people who absolutely want to be on your team," I mention the ones who would have fought if they had to be picked. "But I want you in my team too."

"You won't," I shake my head and smile. "Come on, it's my birthday," he pouts at me, puckering his glossy lips, and giving me a puppy look with his big blue eyes. "Please. You'll stay next to me and hug my baby for me."

"Alright..." I sigh out of defeat and let him have what he wants, and a smile instantly grows on his face. "Come," he takes my hand and drags me to the sofa, but right when I pass in front of the sliding doors of the backyard, I take a peek to check what is happening, and I make eye contact with Jungkook for a short second.

"Here, I'm playing this game with her, then the dumbass over there, and then you, okay?" he sits down to join me after making me get on the sofa first, and I nod. Without Joonha ordering Choco to come, this cute fluffy ball leaves Iseul, who was petting him, and gets on my lap to receive some affection from me.

"Can I play too?" one of the boys, who were at the table, chimes in, with a glass in his hand, and Joonha glances up at him. He nods without saying anything, and then passes right in front of the TV to sit between Munhee and me. For no reason, he looks into my eyes, before leaning back and drinking.

He better not bother me.

30 minutes later...

"Come on, y/n! Let me win!" Seunggil complains, losing against me and believing I will give him a chance. "She's not letting you win, just be better at the game," Joonha fights as well, both playing against him and Munhee. In a matter of short seconds, with Seunggil's sounds of struggle, the game ends, and we win.

"There, bitch. You're dogshit at this game, told you," Joonha verbally spits at his face but receives a pillow in the face. "Fuck you. You're cheating."

"Each time you lose against someone, they're cheating, of course, what a coincidence," he goes into my team again as if he wanted another game with me, but the brown-haired boy on my left touches the side of my thigh. "Can I try?"

I give him the controller, and he moves forth to get ready to play.

"Oh, fuck me now. I'm not playing against this beast," Seunggil already gives up, and I laugh but see the boy, who I forgot the name of, do so. I know Joonha has played many games with him, but the only thing I recognize is his deep voice and the fact that Joonha kept calling him hot when he would send him a picture.

"Y/n was as good as I am, so play and don't be a pussy," he speaks, calling me by my name when I cannot even recall his. "But you're worse because you're a try-hard."

"She's Joonha's girl, you think she's—"

"She's not my girlfriend, dumbass," Joonha corrects him and gets him to look at us. "The fuck are you talking about? I saw you two flirting in the kitchen."

"We weren't flirting, and why the hell were you looking at us?"  he frowns at him, making a good point. "Because he finds y/n—"

"Shut up!" he cuts one of the other guys who shouted from the table. Without explaining why, he puts the controller down on my lap but skims his hand over my skin again, and he rises to leave and head towards the one who exposed him.

"Well, I gotta pee, so wait for me," Joonha tells me and stands up, so I do not do anything but check what the boy with the deep voice is doing.

What was about to be said for him to cut him off?

"Shut the fuck up and talk about your stupid stuff instead," he comes back after arguing, and he sits down next to me again but seems confused. "Where's Joonha?" he asks me. "He's in the bathroom."

"Oh, alright," he takes a sip of the drink he left on the coffee table and sets his brown eyes on me. "Can you remind me of your age?" he slightly leans towards me, the other making a lot of noise. "Twenty-one, and you?"

"Twenty-three," he gets comfortable on the cushions, and I smile, not knowing what to say after this.

"I really thought you were Joonha's girl," he chuckles, seeming very determined to have a conversation with me. "Really? Why though? Wouldn't Joonha have told you if we were together?"

"I think he would have, but I don't know. Since you're always by his side when he plays games with us, that you're really close and that you're pretty, I thought you two were a thing," his thoughts make sense, but the compliment he slipped in the sentence sticks to my mind. "Oh, no, we're not."

"Well, now I know," he grins and looks away. "Is playing video games your hobby?" he keeps it going, but I shrug, not giving a certain answer. "I like playing games, but my number one hobby is drawing."

"Ah yeah, Joonha told me a bit about it. You're the one who drew his tattoo, right?" he knows more than I expected him to, and I shyly respond. "Yes, I did."

"Girl, you're so talented," he smiles, and I unconsciously copy this expression. "Thank you."

"Can people pay you and get one though? Or you only do it for people you're close to?" he asks for himself for sure. "I do it for anyone but do not ask for money."

"I don't believe you," he shakes his head, thinking that I am not serious. "You're way too good at this to not get benefits from it, and honestly, if you'd agree to draw a tattoo for me, I'd pay it no matter what."

"I wouldn't accept the money," I chuckle and insist, but he shrugs at me. "I'll still leave it somewhere or give it to Joonha so that he gives it to you, and you won't refuse, otherwise this will be rude," he tries to make me the bad guy, and I scoff. "Alright, if you absolutely want to pay me, I'll take it but spend it on people."

"It's fine, you do whatever you want with it," he does not mind at all, and he grabs his phone to look at it, and Joonha comes back. "Look," the black-haired leans towards me and shows me his phone screen, so I fix my eyes on it. "That's the tattoo I'd love to get, but I used different pictures."

"It's so pretty, will that be your first?" I watch him show me the entirety of it, and he shakes his head. "No, I already have two tattoos. One on my left arm, and the other on my ribs."

"Ribs? That must have hurt like hell?" I gape, and he puts his phone down. "It's small, so it wasn't too bad. Look," he raises his shirt up to expose his abs, and I take a peek at the small eagle tattoo. "It was painful but fine, and here," he covers his skin and pulls his left sleeve up to show me his arm. "Wow," I get astounded by how beautiful the snake tattoo is. "I love that one a lot."

"It's my favorite too, I loved the work he did," he smiles, and I put my eyes back on his screen. "I have actually done some drawings that look a bit like this one, so I can show them to you if you want, and if there is any of them that you like, I'll give them to you."

"You'd do that?" he expresses some joy, and I nod and stand up. "I'm coming back with it," I move towards my bedroom and enter it, look for my sketchbooks, and grab the one in which I drew some tattoo designs, and I go out but notice that he is standing at the table.

"Everything's in here," I hold it and put it down, and he opens it. "Thank you," he checks my work. "Already flirting?" the guy, who already annoyed him some minutes ago, goes back to it. "Leave me alone."

"What? I'm just stating facts. You're obvious," he sneers and glances up at me. "You're the girl who's always in the background when Joonha plays with us, right?" he smiles, and I nod to him, feeling like I'm famous for that. "Hm. Are you sure you're just friends though?"

"Yes, I'm sure," I assert, slowly getting irritated by this matter. "Hm. Okay," he nods and drops his eyes down to my chest, a smirk still drawn upon his face. "You heard that Hyuk, right?" he pronounces his name, and I finally remember it. "The only thing I can hear is your fucking annoying voice," he glares up at him, but he shows amusement and stands up, and he comes towards us and stands behind me. "What is that?"

"Drawings I've done," I answer him, and he looks over my shoulder, picking a spot that makes me feel pretty uncomfortable since I hate when boys go right behind me and get physically too close when I do not even know them. "It's pretty."

"She's the one who made Joonha's fake tattoo," Hyuk turns the pages, slowly. "Fuck, this one," the boy behind me sticks his body to mine and nearly forces himself against me to point his finger at a Greek god drawing. "This one's sick."

Hyuk slaps his hand away, and out of discomfort, I decide to leave. "Tell me if there are a few drawings you want to keep, I'll cut them later, okay?" I step aside, ad he agrees, so I walk away and sit down next to Joonha but see the other guy come near the sofa and have too much attention over me.

"Stay here now," he speaks in a low voice to me and grabs a pillow, and he puts it down over my lap. "Why?" I ask to make sure this is for the reason I think it is. "Because," he drops one arm on the pillow as if he wanted to make sure this will not move, and I nervously toy with his bracelet, the one I bought him, and which he always wears.