# Chapter 35
Around the time Mo Eunje was finishing his second dessert, there was another knock at the door before it opened. An employee entered carrying a whole cake slathered with whipped cream that looked sweet enough to numb the tongue just by looking at it. Mo Eunje had visited this place with Tae Igyeol about once a year but had never seen cake served as dessert, so he was puzzled.
“Congratulations on your 26th anniversary, gentlemen.”
The employee placed the cake in the center of the table and offered congratulations with a bright smile. The cake had “Mo Eunje & Tae Igyeol 26th Anniversary” written in two lines.
“Wow. Thank you so much.”
“Hey, you…”
Unlike Mo Eunje who responded smoothly, Tae Igyeol’s ears and even the back of his neck turned bright red as he covered his face with one hand. The hundred roses in a bouquet on the chair beside them, the shopping bag from the jewelry brand, and now a cake with their names on it—to anyone looking, this was clearly a couple’s anniversary celebration. The server delivered the cake with a smile and left the room.
“Look at Tae Igyeol’s face turning all red. Why are you embarrassed about something like this between us?”
“Aren’t you embarrassed? I can’t believe you did this… Even if we were a real couple—”
“Yeah, sorry. I know you don’t like it, but I couldn’t help it. Starting this year, they’re giving handmade cakes as gifts for couple’s anniversaries. This is something you can’t buy even with money—it’s truly special. I’ve been dying to try it.”
Tae Igyeol’s face was burning so much that he could barely hear what Mo Eunje was saying. Just imagining that he and Mo Eunje were actually dating and that today was their anniversary made his heart feel like it would tear through his chest and jump out.
Though he wasn’t the type to enjoy events—in fact, he rather disliked them—he thought that if they ever did date, he would celebrate every anniversary: 100 days, 111 days, 200 days, 222 days, 300 days, 333 days, 1 year, and so on, since Mo Eunje liked that sort of thing.
No, before that.
“You… don’t mind people misunderstanding that you’re a couple with a man… with me?”
“What’s with the sudden couple talk? Honey, April Fool’s couple play ended ages ago. Are you still not back to reality?”
“Hey, how am I supposed to get back to reality with this right in front of me?”
“Sorry, sorry. I knew you’d hate it, but my desire won out. I explained on the phone when making the reservation that our parents are friends, so we’ve been friends since we were in our mothers’ wombs—second-generation friendship. Our bond is extraordinary, and our birthdays are just a day apart. So while we’re not a real couple, we’re even closer than couples. I begged them to please give us the cake service just this once, and they finally agreed.”
Tae Igyeol, who had been mentally calculating couple anniversaries he wanted to celebrate, became embarrassed in a different way when he realized this was a friendship cake. He suddenly felt dizzy. Mo Eunje was such a wicked, cruel person who could so easily lift him up and drop him down.
One moment he wanted to flip over the white cake and tell friendship to go to hell, but seeing their names written side by side made him too reluctant to touch it. Actually, the real reason he couldn’t touch it was because Mo Eunje was happily taking photos with an extremely delighted face.
“They brought this now to set the mood, and they’ll pack it up for us to take home? That’s awesome, right?”
“‘Awesome,’ he says. I don’t even eat sweet things anyway. You sold me out just to please yourself.”
Tae Igyeol also wanted to take a picture of their names inscribed on the white cake, but since he had pretended to dislike it to hide the reason for his reddened face (improper imagination), he couldn’t even pick up his phone. It didn’t matter, though. He could get the photos without leaving a trace by transferring them via Bluetooth from Mo Eunje’s phone while he was sleeping. Mo Eunje, who was bad with numbers, used his birthday, 0418, as his phone password.
If he could wish for just one miracle, it would be that the cake had been included in the picture they had taken earlier, sitting side by side.
“This cake is on a whole different level. If you just try one bite, I bet you won’t be able to resist.”
“As if. Sometimes I truly wonder what goes on in your head.”
“What thoughts? Just living today happily and having fun is enough.”
This is why he liked Mo Eunje. Why he couldn’t help but like him. Because he was different from himself, who calculated everything meticulously. Because despite appearing simple, Mo Eunje never lost his bright innocence.
“So, today…”
“Today has been the most fun, satisfying, and happy day of the year. All the happiness Eunje felt today is thanks to Igyeol hyung~”
“…Shall I cut off your tongue and wrists and put them on a plate? That would make a good final dessert.”
Though he pretended to be disgusted and said something he didn’t mean, Mo Eunje quietly closed his mouth and lowered the hand that had been propping up his chin.
“You never play along. Not once in 26 years have you played along.”
Though he grumbled with a pouting mouth, his hands were neatly tucked under his legs so they wouldn’t show. Tae Igyeol stared at him blankly.
If only you would accept my heart, if you would just accept this one heart of mine, I could accept anything you did.
Today too, Tae Igyeol’s desperate yearning, which he kept to himself, failed to reach Mo Eunje.
&
“Hey. Since all four of us were born in April, let’s pick one day in mid-April next year and celebrate together. I must be getting old; drinking on consecutive days is too much.”
Gye Minho, whose birthday was in two Saturdays, suggested. A week ago they had drunk for Ban Hajun’s birthday, and three days ago they had all met with Shin Dael and drunk heavily, so it was understandable that drinking again today for Tae Igyeol and Mo Eunje’s birthday party would be tiring. Several empty bottles were already scattered around.
“I’m in.”
Mo Eunje, who controlled his alcohol intake, wasn’t as tired as Gye Minho, but he agreed with the suggestion to celebrate birthdays together. There weren’t that many Saturdays, and they had already gathered three times in April. Moreover, barbecue parties were fun to have but quite troublesome to clean up afterward. It was nice to do once in a while, but doing it too often in April was somewhat bothersome. Sharing the same thought, Tae Igyeol, who was sitting next to him, nodded.
“But I want to be the only main character.”
However, Ban Hajun, pleasantly tipsy, blurted out his honest opinion. Looking closely, he was outwardly the most narcissistic of the four. But Mo Eunje thought that the truly most narcissistic in terms of inner qualities was Tae Igyeol, who completely ignored others’ gazes. Ban Hajun really liked getting attention and was often swayed by the attention others gave him.
“Be the main character with friends born outside of April. You have birthday parties with school friends too. Didn’t you have six birthday parties last year?”
“I want to be the main character everywhere.”
“Okay. Even if we celebrate together, I’ll make you the main character. I can’t do this anymore—losing an entire day to a hangover makes me feel like garbage.”
Gye Minho, who became brave with alcohol despite his timid personality, shut Ban Hajun up. Mo Eunje exchanged glances with Tae Igyeol. Tae Igyeol chuckled and shrugged.
Mo Eunje was curious about how things were progressing with Shin Dael after the scandal incident two days ago, but judging from Tae Igyeol’s good condition, it seemed the response wasn’t bad. That must be why he ordered the custom bracelet as a gift. He had worried that things might become awkward between them because of the incident, but thankfully that wasn’t the case.
Since they had denied the scandal, it would be difficult for them to meet alone. So Mo Eunje was more than willing to break his own promise not to meet Shin Dael and serve as a third wheel for their secret meetings if Tae Igyeol asked. Now that they had even published an article about a reading group, no one would suspect, and Gye Minho, who had even given a phone interview saying he would do anything for his goddess Dael noona, would gladly participate too.
Really, where else could you find friends like this…
Mo Eunje downed the somaek (soju and beer mix) that Tae Igyeol had prepared, lamenting how deeply friendship ran to his bone marrow.
They laughed mindlessly while talking about things that didn’t really matter, and though it was unclear whether they were drinking the alcohol or the alcohol was drinking them, no one was drunk yet.
“Hey, should we each reveal one secret?”
For some reason, Ban Hajun made a sudden suggestion. Secrets are meant to be kept, not revealed. Moreover, in a state of alcohol, one might slip up and regret it the next day, kicking off the blanket in remorse, so it was better to speak less if possible.
Mo Eunje thought that conversations while drinking should be about topics that wouldn’t matter if forgotten. Topics that could make you laugh, talk, and have fun—topics where even if you don’t remember anything, you could recall that time with good feelings.
However, human beings are generally foolish and always say things under the influence of alcohol that they would never say sober, only to regret it later.
“Since I suggested it, I’ll go first.”
Before Mo Eunje could object, Ban Hajun opened his mouth.
“I got a new partner again. It’s a guy.”
“See? Didn’t I say it would last a week at most? What’s a week—this time it was two days? Where do you even meet these people? Are there candidates waiting with numbered tickets begging you to date them? Anyway, you’re quite talented, I’ll give you that.”
Even though Ban Hajun clearly said “guy,” Mo Eunje’s response was the first to come naturally without any sign of surprise, his tone and expression so ordinary and no different from usual. Gye Minho glanced around cautiously, but no one seemed to notice.
“Um, Mo Eunje? The point here isn’t that I ‘got a new partner again,’ but that ‘the partner is a guy.’ You understand that, right?”
“…”
“It’s not my first time meeting a guy either; I’ve dated regardless of gender before.”
After hearing this unnecessarily detailed explanation, Mo Eunje glanced at Gye Minho. The two exchanged meaningful looks, unable to decide what to do. Their behavior was so obvious that Ban Hajun let out a hollow laugh.
“What’s with this awkward situation? Why are you reacting like this?”
“Well…”
“Wait, did you guys already know?”
“…We found out somehow.”
Mo Eunje’s answer was cautious, as he wasn’t drunk yet. When Ban Hajun glanced slightly at Tae Igyeol, Tae Igyeol discreetly shook his head, meaning he hadn’t even told Mo Eunje.
