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They were all watching a movie – some cheesy drama – in the living room of the Huntrix penthouse when Zoey spoke up.
“Wait, do you guys have birthdays?”
Mira paused the movie. None of them were really paying attention anyway. Rumi was painting Jinu’s nails, Mystery was making more popcorn in the kitchen, and Baby and Zoey were having one of their rap-lyric-offs on the floor. Only Mira, Romance, and Abby were really watching the movie.
It was Jinu who spoke first. “I mean, yeah, we were born on a day at some point in time.”
Zoey rolled her eyes and smacked his calf that was hanging off the end of the couch. “I know that , dummy, but I mean, do you remember them?”
“We don’t even remember our own names,” Romance murmured. His eyes were still glued to the paused TV screen. “Well, except for Korean Clark Kent over there.”
“Oh.” Zoey’s shoulders tensed, obviously recognizing the uncomfortable atmosphere she may have created. “Sorry.”
Baby kicked her with a socked foot. “It’s whatever. Come on, it’s your turn.”
The moment was obviously over, so Mira raised the TV remote to unpause the movie again. But before she could press the button, Zoey dropped her pen and notepad with a huff.
“How can you not have birthdays, though? You have lives in the human world now, I wanna be able to celebrate you guys!”
“Do you wanna give us birthdays, Zoey?” Jinu asked, leaning forward with a soft smile. After a year in the Overworld, he had grown a fondness for the excitable raven-haired girl; she reminded him of his little sister. “You can pick our days. What do you think, guys?”
Abby shrugged, glancing at Romance. “I don’t see a problem with it. I still don’t understand how you guys celebrate birthdays, but I loved the parties we had for the three of you this year. Could be fun.”
Zoey squealed with delight, and when Mystery came back with three steaming bowls of popcorn, she excitedly filled him in. Then she ran off to her bedroom, coming back with the turtle calendar that hung on her wall above her desk. While the others continued watching the movie, she worked with Baby to analyze each of the boys and choose the perfect birthday for all of them. Eventually, they had to go into the kitchen, due to a disruptive argument over whether February 14th was too cliche for Romance.
As Rumi blew on Jinu’s nails to get the navy blue polish to dry faster, they chatted quietly.
“So, what do you want for your birthday once Zoey decides what it is?” she asked curiously.
Jinu shrugged. “I dunno. You know I’m not good at receiving gifts. I’m even worse at asking for them.”
“A surprise, then?”
“A surprise,” Jinu repeated with a smile. He kissed her on the temple, nuzzling into her hair. She giggled and kissed his knuckles. For the rest of the movie, she tried to focus, but her mind was racing. What gift do you give the man who gave you his soul ?
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“March 22nd?! Zoey, that’s a week away!”
The next morning, as they all gathered for breakfast, Zoey and Baby stood together and announced all of the boys’ new birthdays. Rumi balked when she heard Jinu’s. Later, in the studio, she confronted her best friend.
Zoey threw her hands up in defense. “It just felt right! What’s wrong with it being in a week?”
“It’s his first real birthday in four hundred years. I only have a week to give him the perfect gift!”
“Ohhhh. Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll figure this out,” Zoey said, grabbing Rumi’s hand. “You’re the best gift giver. You pay such good attention to people, it’s amazing – you always know exactly what to get them!”
Mira sat down on the couch on the other side of Rumi, passing them sodas from the vending machine. “Yeah, I sleep with that weighted blanket you got me every single night. You’ve got this, Rumi. But for now, we need to brainstorm this bridge.”
“Right, right,” Zoey squeaked, opening her notebook back up. She hummed the chorus melody, getting them back in the zone.
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“ Saengil chukahay , Jinu!” Zoey said, squeezing the older boy into a hug.
“Thanks, yeodongsaeng .” Jinu rustled her hair, which she left down instead of in her usual twin buns. He smiled down at the new set of sneakers she had gotten him. They fit perfectly.
As everyone else ate their cake and danced to the music playlist Bobby had put together, Jinu felt light as air. He had never been celebrated before like this. Even when he was a prized musician in the royal court, any praise was reserved for the emperor for bringing him in and giving him the privilege of being able to perform. But now, he had friends. No – family. And they loved him and wanted to give him gifts. Gifts he didn’t quite know how to accept yet; he just squeaked out an awkward thank you for each one. Should he write thank-you cards? He did live with these people, and basically saw them 24/7.
His thoughts were interrupted by Rumi approaching. She held a large box in both arms, expertly wrapped in paper that matched his nails.
“Where’d you disappear to?” he asked cheekily, spinning around in his stool to face her and grinning from ear to ear. His mouth was beginning to hurt from how much he was smiling, but he couldn’t stop.
“Sorry, it only came in today and I didn’t have much time to wrap it what with all the decorating earlier,” his girlfriend responded. She held it out nervously. “I hope you like it.”
Jinu hummed curiously as he carefully unwrapped the gift. It was a long, rectangular box made from bamboo wood. When he clicked open the brass clasps and lifted the top, his breath hitched.
Inside, nestled in plush red velvet cushioning, was a beautifully crafted hyung-bipa. Running his fingertips over the pear-shaped body, he felt the fine grain of the paulownia wood, and a tingle ran up his arm like an electric shock. Notes rang in his ear, echoing from the distant past. All other sounds in the noisy living room deafened.
He had almost forgotten Rumi was there until she spoke. “The strings are actual silk, instead of whatever synthetic material modern ones usually use. I found a craftsman from a village up north, and had to send a guy to go pick it up. I didn’t trust delivery workers with it,” she rambled with a nervous chuckle. “Is it okay…?”
Okay?
“I…” he breathed, trying to force his heartbeat to return to its normal rate. “It’s perfect, Rumi.”
She smiled in relief, and Jinu had the strongest urge to scoop her up and kiss her. He didn’t want to drop the beautiful bipa though, so he grasped her hand and squeezed. She seemed to understand.
“Woah, that’s awesome!” Abby said, leaning over Jinu’s shoulder. The others had taken notice and were crowding around him.
“You should play something,” Mira suggested. “Did you have a favorite song?”
“Probably some song that would make today’s ‘oldies’ seem like they were released yesterday,” Baby teased, taking a massive bite of cake.
Jinu laughed with everyone else, and thought. He did have a favorite song. It was one he played for his sister, about the gumiho who fell in love with the temple gardener. He took the bipa out of the case and balanced it on his thigh. He hadn’t played since that day a year ago, when he had convinced Gwi-ma of his plan… But that memory felt faint; it didn’t have the same burn it used to. He knew from now on it would be replaced by the image he had right in front of him. Of his new family, waiting with bated breath for him to play.
Blinking away tears that threatened to fall, Jinu positioned his fingers over the strings, glad his nails were a little bit grown out thanks to Rumi painting them last week. There was an ivory plectrum tucked into a fold in the velvet cushioning of the case, but he was much more used to playing this way. And as he strung the first cord, and began to sing, everything was alright in the world.