Growing Up in Ferngrave [A Seventeen Fanfiction]

Chapter 3: First Grade and Birthdays

  The only things I can truly remember from first grade were all the playdates I had with Seungkwan, Mingyu, and Wonwoo.  Everyday after school the four of us would either meet at my house or at Mingyu's house.  Seungkwan lived in an apartment building with his mom and sisters, and Wonwoo's parents were always worried about the apartment being on the third floor, so we never went there much.  As for Wonwoo's house, funnily enough, Wonwoo himself was the one who never wanted us to go to his home.  I would later find out that the reason for this was because Wonwoo didn't really enjoy the thought of being coddled by his over-protective parents in front of his friends.

•

  "Why didn't you say it was your birthday?" Seungkwan proceeded to scold Wonwoo, as Mingyu pushed the birthday boy lightly on the swings.  You sat with your juice box in the farthest swing from Wonwoo, while Seungkwan occupied the one nearest, coming nearer than he should as he leaned towards his quiet friend. "My mom always says we should bring gifts for birthdays! I would've brought one!"

  Wonwoo shrugged and kept his gaze at his dangling feet. "There's no need."

  "No need?" Mingyu marveled. "Man, Woo, you thure are weird!"

  "I don't know how Ms. Kelsey even knew." Wonwoo muttered bitterly, still sulking after their first grade teacher who had unceremoniously exposed Wonwoo's secret birthday in the middle of art class.

  "Does this mean you don't want us to come over to your birthday party?" Seungkwan pouted, his plump cheeks taking shape finely.

  Wonwoo shrugged again. "Don't want one."

  Mingyu suddenly stopped pushing Wonwoo back and forth on the swing, his brown hands gripping the chains into place. "Whath?! No birthday parthy?!"

  "But you have to, Wonu!" Seungkwan complained. "Not even with us?"

  "Yeah, yeah, we're your besth friendth!"

  "Oh, please?" Seungkwan suddenly jumped from the swing and landed on his knees right in front of Wonwoo's lanky, dangling legs.  Mingyu got the bright idea to the same, his hands clasped into each other.  This left you sitting on the side, completely neutral as always, sipping away at your drink.  There was a thick silence, and the sound of your sipping seemed to catch the boys' attention.

  "C'mon, thell him, Dew!"

  "Help us!"

  You blinked, glancing at Wonwoo momentarily, before rising from your seat on the swing and walking over to stand beside where Seungkwan and Mingyu kneeled.  Wonwoo kept eye contact with you the whole time; it reminded you slightly of how you first met.

  "Are you going to beg too?" You allowed yourself to ponder for a moment on Wonwoo's question.  Your juice box had finally reached its peak, when you came up with a response.

  "Well...I want to have cake."

•

  Wonwoo's family owned a bakery that was located near the pharmacy in the center of town, and he lived on the second floor with his parents and younger brother, so nobody can really blame me for responding the way I did.  It stuck us at 3-to-1 on the argument, and Wonwoo had no choice but to oblige with our wishes.  That birthday party would be the first official time I would meet Wonwoo's mother.

•

"Oh, my little Wonwoo is already turning seven!" Mrs. Jeon exclaimed, wiping the side of her son's face with a napkin, much to Wonwoo's chagrin. Mingyu and Seungkwan snickered at Wonwoo's less-than-impressed expression. You, on the other hand, were still paying attention to the cake.