Calmly, and not at all awkwardly, Taehyeon and Bada shuffle their way to three round little tables set out in the space where the rest of the living room furniture probably used to be. Taehyeon is very kind and lets Bada take the spot on the floor beside Taeri. It is all because Bada is shyer than him and has nothing to do with his grudge against Taeri.
There are empty spaces around the clustered tables and the only other people kneeling at these low little tables are Nayoon and Kyungran. And a greying woman who must be Minjun's mom. She has a kindly face and is wearing somewhat clumsily applied makeup.
Since knowing this party would be at Minjun's house, a tea party organised by his mom, Taehyeon had racked his brain over what Minjun's mom would be like. He had even surveyed people with expertise in the vaguest way he could manage. When asked what the mother of a rich and popular kid would look like, Taehyeon's mom and his sister settled on something they called Sa Piyoung Style. Taehyeon actually got bored of being shown photographs and video clips of an actress for almost an hour but he'd already learnt his lesson about backing out of subjects he brought up in the first place.
Minjun's mom would be youthful with glassy skin that can only be attained with a great bank balance and even better genes. She'd have glossy, dark hair as smooth as shampoo adverts without a single hair out of place. Her fashion sense would obviously be colour-coordinated, layered sets with palazzo trousers, or maxi dresses or pencil skirts which fall to the age-appropriate yet perfectly en vogue length just below her knee. Taehyeon's mom and his sister couldn't quite agree on precisely what fashions Taehyeon should anticipate but they were way off.
Minjun's mom isn't exceptionally glamorous. She looks like a typical middle-aged woman with a perm and a penchant for fussy prints. Taehyeon has seen plenty of women like this around the markets when his bus passes through the less modern neighbourhoods. The fact that she isn't as intimidating as theorised is a nice surprise. That being said, she is someone Taehyeon is extremely reluctant to speak to. He has no choice. Minjun's mom is probably very lovely but speaking to Minjun himself is enough trouble. She could even be one of those moms who knows someone is in love with their kid just by looking; Taehyeon's older sister has claimed to have met a few in her time and rumour has it that Lee Dongmin has a mom like that too. It stands to chance that Minjun's mom would have enough practice spotting such a thing.
"You must be Taehyeon," Minjun's mom smiles. "It is so wonderful to finally meet you. What would you like to drink?"
"It is nice to meet you too. Whatever juice would be fine, thank you," Taehyeon says as politely as he can. His calm exterior has been shaken up now.
Minjun's mom selects a jug and pours Taehyeon a drink. She next says, "And you're Bada, aren't you? You are very handsome, you know. What drink would you like?"
Bada nods and mumbles a response which Taehyeon amplifies for Minjun's mom. "He can have the same as me, thank you."
"So you have the same tastes," Minjun's mom chuckles. "Minjun has spoken a lot about you so I'm glad that you could make it to his party. He normally doesn't ask too much for his birthday so I couldn't say no when he wanted a party this year. Changing the arrangements to lunchtime actually worked out better for me anyway. You must be so busy today having another party to attend later on."
"Yeah," Taehyeon chuckles along. "It's a really big surprise how we suddenly have so many plans."
"Hopefully next year your schedules won't be so packed. Your friends will need to save their parties until after you've done your exams."
Taehyeon tries a laugh and wonders whether he sounds disingenuous. Bada isn't giving any indication how well this interaction is going.
"Minjun seems sure that these two are good at studying though," Kyungran says with the sort of smile parents must love. "I don't think one or two days of socialising will hurt their chances too much when it is their turn."
"It's a totally different case to us lot who have all given up on getting into universities in Seoul," Nayoon adds with a wink.
"I'll miss seeing you all the time," Minjun mom says, not sounding sad at all. "If you go to university out of the city, you'll need to visit me as often as possible. Every weekend, Nayoon."
"Can you be my mom?" Nayoon pleads. "My mom told me that if I don't get into university in Seoul I'm never allowed to come home again. I bet you never wake Minjun up at all hours of the night to make him study."
"Of course I don't," Minjun's mom gasps with a tittering little laugh. "What would be the point?"
Taehyeon doesn't feel comfortable laughing at that despite all the talk at school about Minjun having no academic clout whatsoever. Minjun joins the table of party guests with Eunkwang and Minah, the middle school kids. That's all fine and dandy aside from the fact that he sits right next to Taehyeon. And the fact that he's laughing without knowing what is going on.
"What's the joke?" Minjun asks.
"Your mom was just telling us that she'll be working until her arms and legs fall off seeing as her darling son won't ever make enough money to look after her," Nayoon says seriously.
Minjun frowns. "I think Chanmi will earn enough to support you, mom."
"You're supposed to defend yourself and say that you will be successful," Kyungran tells Minjun over the sound of his mother's laughter. Minjun nods slowly and then grins at Taehyeon. This is the point where Taehyeon should decide whether he is going to laugh or not but he isn't sure which is the better option. Bada is laughing quietly but that usually tends to be more out of discomfort than anything else.
"I shouldn't make a promise I can't keep," Minjun says so quietly that it seems that the words are only for Taehyeon.
This is the time where Taehyeon wants to have a private check-in with Bada but there is no way to naturally leave the table to put their heads together. Taehyeon feels much less composed right now and this is clearly what he deserves. He should be feeling uncomfortable over the fact he is sitting next to Lee Minjun. This is the boy he likes. This is also the boy Taehyeon has been bold enough to think he is allowed to spend time with and get to know.
"Isn't it enough that Minjun is successful now?" Taeri squeaks.
"I'm successful?" Minjun asks.
"You're really sporty so you're on a lot of teams," she points out. "You're popular, right?"
"I do play sports," Minjun agrees. "I'm not sure about being popular though. Aren't all my closest friends here?"
Taehyeon wonders whether stabbing himself right now would be weird. This can't be real life. His picture is on Minjun's birthday banner and now Minjun is including him amongst the grouping of 'closest friends'. There is no way this can be real.
"Am I a close friend too?" Bada whispers. Taehyeon can't answer that question. He taps Bada's thigh and hopes that is a good enough response.
"You have lots of other friends too," Kyungran says with a gentle smile. "Just because you aren't popular with boys, it doesn't mean you aren't popular."
"Minjun isn't popular with boys?" Bada asks quietly.
"Not really," Kyungran says. "All the boys on the sports teams are friends with people like Byun Seontaek."
"Who is that?" Taehyeon asks before his sense of better judgement can engage with this whole conversation.
"He's this uggo dirtbag in our class," Nayoon supplies helpfully. The two middle school kids are snickering quietly together but Minjun's mom shushes them.
"Let's not say nasty things about someone just because you don't like them."
"It's the truth though! He's literally the worst person ever!"
Taehyeon glances at Minjun and immediately finds that he has been caught looking. Or he has caught Minjun looking at him. It doesn't feel right to think of Minjun having been caught when she doesn't look ashamed of the fact at all. He giggles. Giggles! Taehyeon can't take this.
"I don't mind being unpopular with boys. As long as I'm popular with Taehyeon, I'll be happy. He is a boy who is my friend."
"See, there's no need to say bad things about others," Minjun's mom says. Taehyeon can only assume she is making the same expression as her son. Taehyeon can only see Minjun and he can't look away from this boy he likes who keeps saying strange things.
"How can you be popular with one person?" Minah asks.
"Well," Taeri chirps, "I think that he means if he's… no. I don't know what that means either."
"I'm sure my son means to say that as long as Taehyeon is his friend, he will be popular enough."
Minjun nods. So that's what he meant. This probably excludes the possibility of anything else, not that those other possibilities existed outside of Taehyeon's head. Taehyeon can't be anything other than a friend to Minjun. It isn't a nice thing to have confirmed like this in front of so many people, but Bada did warn him.
Finally, Taehyeon can look away. Right now Bada should be comforting him and offering a wordless commiseration at the very least. Instead Bada is nibbling cautiously at the food on Taehyeon's plate.
Great. Taehyeon just needs to be sad all on his own. Absolutely fantastic.
"Can we watch Minjun's legendary video now?" Minah asks.
"What about the cake?" Eunkwang asks more insistently.
"Minjun, what do you want?" His mom asks cheerily.
"Cake first, please."
The cake is homemade as far as Taehyeon can tell. It looks cute. The handiwork for the message written in icing is much better than Minjun's job on Taehyeon's cake. Taehyeon has to stop comparing the cakes to sing along when everyone starts off the song.
Rather than being miserable and ruining the party, and then the next party this evening, Taehyeon forces himself to set aside his current upset for later. He can mope as much as he wants in his room tomorrow. For now he is sitting beside someone who would want their friend to sing happy birthday to them.
Taehyeon sings all the right words. His mouth falters when he feels the light touch of fingers on the back of his hand. It isn't Bada because the touch is on the wrong side.
"Make a wish," Taeri cheers.
The light touch becomes a tentative grasp. Minjun's eyes are screwed shut and then he blows out the candles.
"What did you wish for?" Nayoon asks.
The touch recedes into nothing and Minjun scratches his cheek. "I shouldn't say if I want it to come true."
"That's right," Eunkwang says seriously. "Never tell us your wish. You always waste them on stupid things anyway."
Taehyeon doesn't have the stomach for cake so he does his best to make his way through whatever Bada left him on the paper plate. When the others disperse, he's almost the only one to remain at the table so he can take his time.
"I think there will be food at Pilgyu's party too if you're not hungry now," Bada says.
Taehyeon pauses. "Does it look like I'm struggling to eat right now? Do you think anybody else has noticed if I'm being weird?"
"You're being fine, I think."
The reassurance is good but Taehyeon isn't so sure he is really doing well enough to not bring down the mood. Just as he starts trying to nod his head along to the music, it stops. Well, this plan isn't going the way Taehyeon wanted at all.