Incognito ✓

Birthday it is

Reader POV

Was it three years or four? I don't really remember now that I think of it. I was high on K-dramas and decided that I wanted to celebrate my 25th birthday in Seoul, Korea. Sitting at the waiting area of Kuala Lumpur airport for my flight to Seoul with an hour to my birthday left on IST, I think I have partially fulfilled my dream. Now you might ask why I didn't get an earlier flight or fly a few days before. My friend, capitalism didn't let me do it. My company didn't give me leave and the cheapest flights happened to fall on my birthday. Hopefully, if there aren't any delays, I might have a few hours of my birthday left to spend in Seoul without burning a hole in my pocket.

Looking around I find very few people around. Most of them aren't even wearing masks. I really don't get how people think jeopardising other's and their health looks cool. Even if the pandemic has slowed down it hasn't been deemed safe to discard masks yet but guess people don't care anymore.

What do people usually do on their 25th birthdays? Most of my friends have gotten married and had kids that they don't even celebrate their birthdays but their kids' alone. Maybe I should get a cake, a small cupcake or slice.

Walking through the limited stores at the airport I come across a dainty and pretty cafe. Finalising it as my Birthday bash venue , I look at their cake collection and immediately fall in love with a cupcake with mint chocolate frosting. Another thing I don't get is the hate for this flavour. Somehow they didn't have candles and me being the overly anxious kind takes this as the first thing to go wrong. My best friend says that bad things come in threes and one should always anticipate three things to go wrong everyday when they wake up. Well she shouldn't have told that to an anxious person like me because now my brain is only thinking about the other two things that could go wrong. There is no arguing with an anxious mind. It has already imagined 6013 scenarios including one where I'm stranded in Malaysia with all flights cancelled to Seoul.

Looking for a secluded spot in the cafe I find myself sitting next to a huge glass window. 20 minutes to my birthday and I remember what my sister always says on her birthday. Always be the first one to wish yourself on your birthday. Most probably I am going to be the only one wishing myself this birthday considering I am gonna be off-grid for hours. It would have been nice to have a candle. Like you know the complete birthday vibes but I guess not. Maybe I could have a tiny banner or something. Let me find some tissues.

Jin's POV

It was a close call. This was the only flight that could get me to Seoul at the earliest. My random adventure trip to Malaysia was hidden from everyone, especially my members. They wouldn't have stopped talking about it and drawn illicit conclusions. Can't really blame them because I did have a role to play in spoiling their not so innocent minds.

Even with all this mask, cap and what not, people tend to recognise me. Maybe it is because I'm worldwide handsome. I was enjoying my reflection along with the moon in the glass pane in front of me against the beautiful night sky when I noticed someone huddling into a few seats away from me facing the same glass panel. She had a cupcake with the horrendous frosting choice on the face of earth. Maybe she wanted something close to brushing her teeth since it was way past midnight or maybe very early morning. Her eyes are sparkling and she looks like an excited kid jumping all over the place. She reminds me of our maknae Jungkook. I really hope he isn't getting himself into any trouble while I'm away. That hunk is turning 25 this year but still behaves like a teenager most of the time. I do that too so maybe I shouldn't chastise him. That would be a total hypocrite behaviour.

Back to the horrendous topping muffin girl. She is busy scribbling things on napkins and folding them into origami. She is really taking the prize home today for being the most unconventional. At least she looks happy and content, that's all that matters. I happened to catch a happy birthday written on one of the napkins. Oh! That's the reason. God, I was an insensitive prick in my mind. Why am I like this? She is celebrating her birthday! Where are the candles though? Maybe I should give the candle I had picked from the lounge earlier. It is no way a birthday candle. But you need a candle right for a birthday. How is she supposed to wish without blowing a candle?

Reader POV

My banners were all set and I have a good three minutes for the clock to strike 12 in my home country. I was clicking a few snaps with my polaroid camera when I heard someone next to me.

"Excuse me, if I'm right you seem to be celebrating your birthday. I have been sitting here for a while and saw that you don't have a candle. Sorry for intruding and I'm definitely not a stalker but I have a candle to spare and celebrating a birthday without a candle seems incomplete. So?"

He was sitting here the whole time ! And why didn't even notice! God, what if he is a stalker. 'I'm not a stalker' would be the first thing a stalker would say, right? Oh god, how do I call the police. Do they have-

"Hello?! Are you there? You looked like you had seen a ghost. I'm quite sure that I'm not that hideous to look at, well honestly, I have won awards for my looks, a surprising amount of times. You wouldn't believe-"

"Yeah, yeah! I get it. You are handsome. Well, thank you for the candle, I guess?"

"Oh! Here it is. Happy Birthday!"

"Thank you handsome stranger."

Well damn! That sounded kinky. Fuck you dirty mind! By the look in his eyes, he too thinks the same. He retreats back to his seat but all of a sudden rushes to the counter. His actions all seem a little animated like a cartoon character. It is quite silly and I can't stop myself from watching him. He does seem adorable. Wait a damn minute! What's with all this nonsense, brain? He is a stranger. Initiate stranger danger protocol not fanfiction scenario protocol!

He rushes back to me with something in his hand and it dawns upon me that he had gone to get a lighter to light the candle. He is thoughtful, I guess. Cute too. Stupid brain!

"Thank you so much. Would you like to join my birthday bash perhaps? You can be the guest of honour you see. Now that I think about it, it does seem strange to be doing this alone and even strange to invite a stranger around but you see I really don't know what I'm saying at this point. I gues-"

"I will join the birthday bash. It doesn't matter if it sounds strange at all. I could click a few snaps if you want."

"That would be perfect I guess."

As he clicked my snaps I thought of different ways of cutting my cupcake with my tiny wooden spork. I couldn't help but wonder what he looked beneath all that mask and bucket hat. He looked very familiar but I couldn't put my finger on it. It is not like I have met Korean people before. Maybe he isn't korean. Maybe he is Chinese or Japanese. God I would have come off as a racist if I had said that out loud. I could offer a piece of my cupcake maybe and he would take it. As I was about to cut the cake he started singing the 'Happy Birthday' song. I would be a relatively new fan or baby ARMY as they call it, but I would have to be stupid to not recognise the man before me and his voice. This has to be the best birthday I have ever had. A millisecond of realisation might have flashed across my face but I put in all my acting knowledge from school dramas from showing it. I blew the candle with a wish to be happy. If the person in front of me is the one who I am about 90% percent sure about, then he must hate the topping flavour with all his existence. Let's put that to the test.

I offered him a slice and he actually accepted it. Maybe I was wrong. Wait! He removed his mask a bit and took a spoonful before putting the mask back on. I'm a 99% sure that he is the person I have assumed with the slight glimpse of his face I had caught on. But his actions caught me off guard. Maybe he was pretending to like it to be nice. Maybe.

He moved back to his seat after wishing me a good day and safe travels. Poor boy must be afraid someone might recognise him and jump on him. I have heard my share of horrendous fan attacks on celebrities.

I enjoyed the rest of my cupcake while I enjoyed my view of the moon and the handsome stranger. It would have been nice to have a snap with him. My polaroid cam would have been blessed with his handsome face. Chuckling to myself about what he had said as soon as I met him, I realised that it was almost time for boarding. This wouldn't be the first time if I missed my flight because I was so lost in my thoughts.

A/N

Hi friends and fellow ARMY. It has been a while since I have written a fanfiction. Well, life had caught up and a break was long overdue. Thanks in advance for your time, votes and well wishes. See you soon with the next chapter hopefully. Cheers!