Chapter 343: Side Story. A Certain September 22nd
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 343: Side Story. A Certain September 22nd
The process of celebrating Park Ju-woo’s birthday was long and arduous. This was because Park Ju-woo, as an individual, was uniquely eccentric in a way that set him apart from everyone else.
If I had to describe Park Ju-woo in a single sentence, it would be: "A stone-fisted chinchilla with sensitive senses but a gentle heart."
He was picky about many things, yet he never used his preferences as an excuse to bother others. He possessed powerful fists, but he never flaunted his strength. And behind those vacant-looking eyes lay a dogged obsession with rock music.
In short, it was incredibly difficult to prepare a gift for him.
"When I think about how often Ju-woo Hyung washed our blankets whenever he had a spare moment, I feel like we should replace his entire bedding set..."
"But what if it’s not his style? Ju-woo Hyung wouldn't even be able to say anything if he didn't like it."
Lee Cheong-hyeon and Kang Gi-yeon’s faces were clouded with worry. As the younger members who had received much care from Park Ju-woo, they seemed determined to take good care of their Hyung’s birthday ahead of their debut.
Jeong Seong-bin was no different. He had been practicing power hard rock for Ju-woo’s sake, but he was currently mourning the fact that no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't replicate the raw screams that leaked out of Ju-woo’s headset.
"Can't we just buy him a new headset?"
Choi Je-ho chimed in with a mindless suggestion.
A new headset for a guy who has been buying and replacing the exact same pillowcase for years? Do you really want to see the birthday boy’s pupils shaking because he doesn't know what to do with a gift he can't use?
Even now, we were holding a meeting while Park Ju-woo was thirty minutes into his shower. According to his routine, we were guaranteed at least another thirty minutes of freedom.
Park Ju-woo was that kind of person. Spotlessly clean, with firm personal rules. While he could be flexible in other areas, he never, ever went against those few specific rules.
Something we have confirmation that Park Ju-woo likes, something that won't become a burden even if he doesn't like it—meaning it shouldn't take up real estate—but still feels like a proper birthday celebration...
I combed through my brain, drawing on my past experience of frantically searching for resignation gifts.
And after a long search, I reached a conclusion.
"Let's prepare a birthday feast!"
Park Ju-woo’s palate, officially certified by Jeong Seong-bin, was as follows:
— Lukewarm milk, low-acidity yogurt (about the level of One Some Place plain yogurt; no smoothies or frappes).
— Bone broth (no salt), clear galbi-tang (no pepper).
— White porridge, white rice.
— Salad (toppings: only eggs and sweet potatoes; no dressing).
— Plain chicken breast.
.
.
.
"Can you even make a birthday feast with this?"
Choi Je-ho muttered as he read the list. For once, I agreed with him. What on earth did this guy eat to survive before becoming an idol?
"It looks like it'll just be a standard diet menu..."
Lee Cheong-hyeon added, covering his mouth.
"How about a rice cake cake?"
"I'm not 100% sure, but knowing Ju-woo, I think he’d hate things sticking to his teeth, don't you?"
"Ah."
Kang Gi-yeon immediately agreed with Jeong Seong-bin’s opinion. You're a difficult man, Park Ju-woo.
After racking our brains, we decided to use the "One of these has to be your type" technique. We would prepare every bland food we thought Park Ju-woo might like.
"Let's split into a Cake Team and a Cooking Team. One side prepares the cake, and the other side actually manufactures the food."
Choi Je-ho and Lee Cheong-hyeon were assigned to the Cake Team, which would use ready-made products. Kang Gi-yeon and I joined the Cooking Team, where we had to manually control the seasoning. Jeong Seong-bin took on the role of supervisor for both sides.
"Everything must be prepared in advance where Ju-woo can't see. Got it?"
Our future main vocalist had very sharp ears. If we tried to do anything in the dorm, he’d surely sense it like a ghost and come waddling out.
The members nodded solemnly. The preparations for the birthday celebration, reminiscent of a spy movie, began.
It was the night of the 21st, the day before Park Ju-woo’s birthday. After group practice, Kang Gi-yeon and I stayed behind at the company under the pretext of extra practice. Choi Je-ho and Lee Cheong-hyeon waited, saying they were going to the gym, planning to move the cake and other materials they had picked up earlier once Jeong Seong-bin gave the signal.
"Are you and Gi-yeon... doing extra practice again today?"
Park Ju-woo, who was sprawled out on the floor as usual, asked us.
"Yeah. You go on ahead."
"..."
Park Ju-woo stared at Kang Gi-yeon and me for a moment before speaking.
"Should I... stay a bit longer too?"
"Huh?"
Kang Gi-yeon sent me a signal with his eyes: Has he already noticed?! I tried my best to remain calm and asked back.
"Why? You're tired."
"I felt like I was being too lazy since everyone else is working so hard..."
"Ju-woo, you're a large Hexagonal Human, so you don't need to put in the same level of effort as a small Hexagonal Human like me."
Park Ju-woo looked at me with vacant eyes.
"I mean! We should save your strength and use it efficiently! It’s a bigger loss if you overdo it today and can't practice tomorrow."
Realizing the metaphor might be too difficult for him, I quickly changed my phrasing. Fortunately, Park Ju-woo accepted it easily.
Before he could say anything else, Jeong Seong-bin promptly took Ju-woo back to the dorm. Once the two of us were finally alone, Kang Gi-yeon and I let out a long sigh of relief.
"What is up with that guy's intuition?"
"He is extraordinary. I definitely can't lie in front of Ju-woo."
To become clean chefs, we showered at a nearby sauna and changed into pre-prepared clothes before heading to a shared kitchen that operated 24 hours a day.
The actual frying and boiling weren't difficult. I was just a little worried about Park Ju-woo, who would be eating this... completely unseasoned food.
"Want to try a piece?"
I cut a small piece of freshly pan-fried tofu (ingredients: tofu, cooking oil) and handed it to Kang Gi-yeon. After chewing for a bit, Kang Gi-yeon nodded and said:
"It tastes like absolutely nothing."
"Then it's a success."
We were off to a good start. After that, we spent three long hours sweating as we devoted ourselves to cooking.
We returned to the dorm in our socks, carrying bundles of airtight containers in one hand and our shoes in the other. The dorm was quiet. Jeong Seong-bin came out to meet us at the door.
Does Park Ju-woo know? That everyone is walking around barefoot with one heart and mind just to celebrate him?
"Great job, Hyung. You too, Gi-yeon."
"It was nothing. Where's Ju-woo Hyung?"
"He washed up and fell asleep as soon as he got back."
Kang Gi-yeon and Jeong Seong-bin whispered updates about Ju-woo’s status.
"What about Choi Je-ho and Lee Cheong-hyeon? Are they in their room?"
"Yes. They're decorating the cake in the room."
Jeong Seong-bin pointed to our room.
But something was strange. Not a single sliver of light was leaking from the room.
"Did they finish already? Are they sleeping?"
"Well... you'll see when you go in."
Jeong Seong-bin avoided my gaze.
Honestly. Can't they even decorate a cake without me watching? How are they going to film Top-kku self-produced content after we debut?
Grumbling internally, I opened the door, and what a sight it was.
Choi Je-ho and Lee Cheong-hyeon were decorating the cake, relying solely on their phone flashlights. They looked like the first humans in a cave discovering fire.
"What are you doing?"
"We were afraid Ju-woo Hyung would catch us if he saw the light on while going to the bathroom...!"
Lee Cheong-hyeon spoke in a voice that sounded like he was swallowing tears. He must have been doing a lonely 'try not to laugh' challenge by himself.
As I closed the door and sat on the floor, Choi Je-ho thrust a spare phone at me. Lee Cheong-hyeon, suddenly bombarded by the flashlight from the back of the phone, rolled around on the floor.
"Is this how you wanted it made?"
Whether his younger teammate was collapsing from a laser beam attack or not, Choi Je-ho remained nonchalant.
"Uh... sorry, but I can't see the cake."
"Ah."
Choi Je-ho shone the light on the cake again. Does he really not realize that now I can't see the design? I didn't want to nag on a good day, so I held it in.
The cake was entirely white. Even though they had clearly piled a lot of things on top, it was still white. I guess the combination of a milk cake topped with marshmallows and white chocolate was the issue.
"What's with the peppermints?"
"You told us to put white things on it."
"So you didn't think about the flavor combination at all?"
"He can just eat them separately."
Choi Je-ho was merciless, even toward the birthday boy. And here Kang Gi-yeon and I were, coming back after being hit by an oil bomb.
"Hyung."
Lee Cheong-hyeon, who had successfully readjusted to the darkness, slithered over to my side.
"We even drew a picture with whipped cream."
Lee Cheong-hyeon brought the phone closer to the cake. It featured the 'ㅇㅅㅇ' face that Park Ju-woo often used in messenger apps. On the side, it said, 'The Crystallization of Purity: Park Ju-woo's Birthday.'
"The detail is impressive. You guys must have worked hard."
"The cream on top might be a bit thick. Je-ho Hyung and I kept covering it up and redrawing it, so the layers of cream are stacked high."
"We bought low-fat cream. It'll be fine."
Encouraged by the praise, Lee Cheong-hyeon began the finishing touches, decorating the edges with sugar flowers. His delicate hand movements were noteworthy.
"I hope Hyung likes it!"
Lee Cheong-hyeon said in an excited voice.
I wonder if he'll... like this bizarre cake? Well, even if he doesn't, surely he'll appreciate our sincerity. Sharing those thoughts, we hid the cake deep inside the refrigerator.
The morning of Park Ju-woo’s birthday dawned. At the sound of the alarm set slightly earlier than usual, Choi Je-ho, Lee Cheong-hyeon, and I snapped awake. Jeong Seong-bin and Kang Gi-yeon stayed in their room, waiting for the right moment to maintain a normal environment for the surprise event.
While we were setting the table, some noise came from Ju-woo’s room. The voices of those preventing Ju-woo—who had woken up early—from wandering into the living room reached the kitchen.
Despite many twists and turns, we managed to successfully set the all-white birthday spread. We even wrote a birthday message on the white tablecloth (which was actually the back of a page torn from last month's calendar).
"Can we come out now...?"
When Jeong Seong-bin, having run out of excuses, received the signal via a knock, he finally released Park Ju-woo from his 'cage.' The door opened, and the birthday boy entered.
"What is this...?"
The pure white cake, decorated as elaborately as a wedding cake, the dining table stripped of all color, and even the utensils wrapped in white napkins—every element was perfect.
"It's your birthday. we all prepared this together."
At my words, Park Ju-woo’s eyes went wide.
"All of this...?"
Ju-woo’s eyes sparkled. It might have been my imagination, but he also looked a bit overwhelmed.
"Since you always struggle with food, we wanted you to be able to eat whatever you want today without having to pick anything out."
Jeong Seong-bin said kindly. Park Ju-woo’s face was flooded with emotion.
"Hyung, it's because we couldn't find any white candles..."
Hesitating, Lee Cheong-hyeon pulled a bundle of candles from behind his back.
"They might look like this, but they're not for ancestral rites; they're scented candles! Really! They said these are meant to be stuck on top of larger candles as interior props! I'm serious!"
At Lee Cheong-hyeon’s frantic explanation, Park Ju-woo laughed brightly.
"Anything is fine."
With a radiant smile, Park Ju-woo blew out the fist-sized candle I had lit.
"...Thank you, everyone."
Park Ju-woo’s cheeks flushed pink. He ate half of the milk cake and finished the rice with pan-fried tofu and the bone broth completely. He carefully folded and tucked away the calendar page containing the members' letters.
"I will never forget today's party. I promise..."
Park Ju-woo looked truly happy. As the ones who had celebrated his birthday, nothing could have been more rewarding.