𖥻 chapter twenty one
"so happy, oblivious to the reality."

꒰💭꒱

─ paris, 15/01/19 00:01 AM

"happy birthday love." mia whispered while positioning herself on his lap, a plate on her hands, as juyeon saw the lit candles stuck on the cake being mirrored in her eyes, her having a struggle to bring it in a decent place.

"give it to me babe." he said, now both of them having a hold of the plate, as mia cleared her throat and started singing the birthday song for him. juyeon got immediately taken aback by that, looking at the girl with wide eyes.

it's not that mia had a bad voice, besides he had heard her singing before, and her voice was nowhere between bad. just that, this night, her voice seemed strangely magestic and pretty much alluring, that when she stopped, he was still left with a mouth agape.

 "was it that bad?" she shyly asked, head lowering as he blinked a few times, shaking his head. "what's the meaning of bad when it comes to you?" he asked, the girl smiling as she chinned towards the cake. "make a wish."

juyeon thought for a bit, tho what he wanted to wish for was hitting each corner of his brain till last night. he had lost any hope in his birthday wishes getting granted since his tenth birthday but, tonight, he wanted to believe that it'll come true.

"be with me. forever." he said, blowing on the candles as the room dove in darkness, the only light coming from the window, where the curtain was tucked on the side.

mia placed the cake on the coffee table while still sitting on his lap, her hands wrapping around his waist and her head nuzzling on the crook of his neck. "you know, you don't have to wish for things that are meant to be."

she couldn't see it, yet juyeon's face was lit by a smile, wide enough to make her realise that he did so. she placed a small, soft kiss on his neck, her hands searching for his as she intertwined their fingers.

"I love you juju, and I promise I'll always do." she whispered, juyeon feeling warmth spreading at his heart. it felt so right, having her close to him, with promises and kisses filling their midnight.

maybe...maybe not, mia has won his heart fully, and soyeon was nothing but a sweet, but sour memory.

"shall we sleep now?" she asked, yawning in the process as her hands stretched upwards. he chuckled at her sleepy state, smiling while fixing her hair. "I guess we have to, I don't want you to look like a zombie tomorrow."

"huh? I don't remember you being this caring when we sleep at four in the freaking morning and have work tomorrow!" she exclaimed, juyeon furrowing his brows. "what work? we won't attend work tomorrow bubba! I filled absence for both of us."

the girl grinned from ear to ear, attacking his cheeks with multiple kisses. "I guess we'll have some fun then."she said, as his lips twitched into a smirk (mia being completely of its meaning). "we'll do for sure."

morning came in a flash, that the girl had no actual intention leaving the soft mattress and the warm blankets (juyeon had to grab her feet and drag her out of the room). so by now, her and the raven were on the kitchen, enjoying a meal she had prepared (with whines of disatisfaction).

"I told you it's fine, why can't you just be okay with my answer?" he said, slamming the fork he was holding on the table, as mia flinched for still being sleepy. "it's fucking six in the morning and you ask me why? I just fell like I didn't do my best."

"it's the best so far, guess I'll have to wake you up every day at six so that the gordon ramsay in you can jump out." he commented with a chuckle, mia furrowing her brows with her mouth filled with food. "stohp ith-"

"what?" "jINJJA HAJIMALLAGO!" the girl suddenly bursted, juyeon laughing his ass off with a finger pointing at her. "calm your tits down bubba. eat your food to grow up and then we can leave."

"leave? for where?" she asked, juyeon winking as he stood up and took both his and her plates to wash them clean. "h-hey, that's my bussiness, I am supposed to do it-"

"it's my birthday, I didn't lose my hands or what!" he pointed out, turning on the faucet, as mia yelped in surprise for having her hands already below it. "shoot-"

both were seated on their respective seats (him as the driver, her as the co-driver), silence filling the car with some faint music playing at the back. mia shifted awkwardly with one hand being supported by the window, her head placed on her open palm.

"does it still hurt?" juyeon asked, her shaking her head with a pout. he quietly glanced at her, to see how her left hand was clenching tighter on the ice bag, some of the red skin showing. "mia, I didn't mean it, I'm literally sorry-"

"I told you it's all fine." she whispered while looking at him, a small smile on her lips to calm him down, yet to no avail. juyeon was worried, and it showed. his pupils were shaking, his grip on the stirring wheel getting tighter.

"ju, calm down baby. it doesn't hurt at all." "at all! this means that it hurts!" he exclaimed, as mia rolled her eyes while extending her hand at the front. "keep your focus on the road, I don't want to die today!" "but you are the main focus now!"

"juyeon lee, I swear I'll jump off the car if you don't keep your freaking eyes on the road!" it was the only thing the boy needed to look at his front, not daring to turn his head a tad bit to the side, in fear of mia yelling at him once again (how much threatening him).

 he was surprised tho, when he heard her laughing from beside him, her hand slapping his thigh. "eYE-CALM DOWN YOUNG LADY-" "you looked so damn cute, I busted an uwu!" she said, a hand reaching to pinch his cheek. "I need to focus on the road!"

"finally!" she exclaimed, taking out a cd from her backpack, juyeon frowning at the sight of it. "what is that?" her head immediately shot on the side, brows raised up. "it's a cd, duh?" "and I clearly remember living in the twenty first century, duh?"

mia growled, finding the number of her favorite song and letting it replace the monotonous music playing for an hour now. juyeon was taken aback at how a rather familiar song started playing, mia bopping her head while shaking her hands.

"are you a tvxq fan?" she asked him, yet juyeon wanted to seem cool, tho he was trying hard enough not to sing along. "me? I don't even know who they are!" "bitch! it's tvxq, the one and only! IT'S SHIM CHANGMIN SUNBAENIM!"

"I only know ji changmin, my giraffe friend." he said, the chorus nearing dangerously and him not uttering a single lyric. mia bopped her head a few times before forming a microphone with her fist and started singing.

"neon nareul wonhae-C'MON JUYEON, DON'T RUIN IT-neon naege michyeo." juyeon looked at her, before the grip on the stirring wheel got tighter. at the end, he opened his mouth and let out the line he's been waiting to sing.

"I GOT YOUUUUUU, UNDER MY SKIN!" they both blurted out while throwing their heads back, then bopping along to the rhythm. "neon nareul wonhae-HEY-neon naege ppajyeo-HEY-neon naege michyeo-WOOP-neon naye noye-"

"bitch why so loud?" mia laughed out, as juyeon couldn't care less, his one hand under his chin, the left one still on the wheel. "han beone kisseuwe hamkke nari son duthan ganghan ikkeulim."

his finger pointed towards mia, who didn't hesitate to sing along. "du beone kisseu tteugeobkae ttajyeo beorin geot gatteun nae simjangeul." she popped her chest while making a finger gun and pointing it to her heart, then flipped her hair back and flicked her fingers.

"YEAH, neoreul gajyeosseo, you know you got it-BOOM!" mia threw her head back and proceeded with making a high note, which resulted in her voice cracking, juyeon laughing at how she gripped on her throat and widened her eyes.

"sis, you should have seen your face." he kept his eyes on the road, still chuckling while mia pressed another number and let the next song play. juyeon frowned, as mia took out her bottle of water, dipping in her finger and placing some of it to her eyes.

"what in the holy namjesus are you doing?" he asked, as she clenched the cloth near her heart. "gotta be in the mood." then she turned at the front, extending her hand and throwing her head on the side. "ulgo shipji anha." she whispered, juyeon immediately widening his eyes.

"if this is the kim mingyu dude and his minions, I'm gonna throw hands!" he said, mia shaking her hands like worms, eyes shut close. "I don't care!" she shouted, still dancing (well, being a butcher's machine to jueon).

"nunmureun manchiman!" she said, her hair being a mess with juyeon having a horrified look on his face. "dude, I'm gonna shut it down-" "NOT NOW! MEANIE IS COMING!" "meanie who-"

"NAN GWENCHANA! NEOL BEOGO SHIPJI ANHA!" she yelled, juyeon looking at the front, a small smirk on his lips as he uttered the next words. "oh look! this guy is looking and pointing at us...or maybe you?"

the girl looked up, finding no one but the empty road in front of them, only juyeon's laugh mixed with the song as a background. "bitch, way to ruin the mood!" "I ruined no mood, you were the one looking like the demon under our bed."

"we have a demon under our bed and I haven't befriended him yet?" she asked in surprise, the boy rolling his eyes in desbelief. "I still can't believe I even planned this nonsense." he muttered, now mia typing a new number. juyeon looked at her, who had a sad and longing look on her face (or that's how it looked like, at least to him).

"it's those thirteen guys again, right?" he asked, mia paying no attention as her eyes were glued on the sight before them. "look how beautiful it is." she muttered, pointing at the sun rising behind the snowy mountains.

juyeon glanced over where she was pointing, then back at her, a small smile plastered on his lips (and it had to vanish). "me and kevin would always play this song while looking at the sunrise, it felt refreshing for a reason. as if 'our dawn is hotter than day' was meant for this specific time of they day hehe."

"ahem, trigger warning." juyeon glared at her, as she chuckled while smiling. "well, this time round, it's way more special, since it's with you." she looked at him, his gaze softening as the soft orange colour of the sun made her eyes seem shades lighter, a warm like honey colour that made his own heart feel at ease.

he abruptly stopped the car, turning on the volume of the song while opening his door. he rushed his way to her side, opening the door for her too and taking her hand. with puzzled steps, mia made it to where juyeon was leading her.

it was then that she realised how plain the place they were was, how no trees blocked the view, how the cold breeze blew past them, leaving this sudden urge to hug him close and let him warm her with his embrace.

and of course, juyeon read her face, this unsaid need to keep her warm and safe, as he wrapped his hands around her waist and brought her closer, eyes still glued on the magnificent wonder in front of them.

"I never knew I was losing such a sight every morning." he started, mia attentively listening as she raised her head. "but lucky me, I got to enjoy it with the most beautiful sight god could gift me." he said, shifting his gaze from the sun to her.

she found her strangely attractive (as in every morning he woke up next to her), as if it was the first time they met (the feeling he would get every time they met eyes) and felt blessed for even having a person like her (as in every moment of the day).

 young people tend to not cherish what they have, even in the smallest things, until they truly fall in love. that's when they realise, how beauty is hidden neither in the big things, nor the most expensive stuff, but in the things around them.

juyeon found it, mia also found it, so that should have been considered a good thing for their relationship.