Don't Touch My Heart [LeeKnow]

Chapter 34: Stubborn

|<Happy Birthday, Eunbi!>|

They all harmonize simultaneously.
I jump back scared.

I then look at Minho, who has a bright grin displayed on his face.

I force a smile but there was a reason I hadn't told anyone that today was my birthday.

This reason may seem trivial but it is simply because my father left me and my mother exactly today, but 11 years ago. We didn't move out of Busan immediately but it was unbearable for my mother to keep living there.
She said "This house brings memories. But I don't know if I want to remember them".

So after almost eleven years, we moved here. In these years, I have never celebrated my birthday. At first, it was because my mother was too emotionally wrecked to celebrate on that day. Then, over time, I thought there was nothing to celebrate since on that day our family separated.

I've never experienced a birthday as it should be done but I'm not too sad about it. Even if I wanted to, I wouldn't have had any friends to celebrate it with, other than my mother.

A hand on my head catches my attention.
I look up at Minho.
He then ruffles my hair.

<Let's go in> He says, since we were still standing outside the door.

I guess there is no reason in walking away, after all, they put effort into this.

I nod and we step inside. As soon as I approach them, Jisung jumps in front of me.

<We all wish you happy birthday, even Jeongin, who is now on a trip with his family to celebrate his birthday.> He says and I thank him.

Then Yeji, Felix and Bangchan place the cake on a plastic table in the center of the room and walk closer to me.

Yeji proceeds to hug me and I do the same. However, I didn't expect Felix and Bangchan to join the hug, crushing me in the middle.

I can't help but chuckle. This is not so bad, after all.

Lastly, Hyunjin comes over and delicately puts a colorful paper hat on me. He has a soft smile and it makes me happy to finally see him looking at me in another way that wasn't melancholic or depressing.

<Happy Birthday> He whispers and pats my shoulder.

<Thank you> I thank him with a hint of a smile.

<Anyway! We have to hurry because we have received permission from our teachers for only 15 minutes.> Felix says and he makes me realize that it's not so normal that they managed to do this.

<But how did you do it? What about the nurse?> I ask them and they start to chuckle.

Bangchan clears his throat and starts to explain.

<So, initially, it was Minho who had to pretend to hurt himself and then ask you to accompany him to the infirmary. He said there was no danger of you refusing to do it and we didn't ask any further questions about it. But then you were the one who got hurt, and even though it sounds bad to say, it didn't ruin the plan. The only thing that scared us was that we thought Minho wouldn't have wanted to take you to the infirmary with him but, to all surprise, he did.>
He says and we all look at Minho, who was scratching the back of the neck with a shy smile.