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Birthday Girls

"Looks like the rest won't finish on time", Sana says.

"Go ahead Jihyo-yah", Nayeon urges the leader. "Please buy delicious cake. We'll just have lots more food and games when we get home."

"Alright, I'll get going!" Jihyo storms out hoping she'd make it on her best friend's birthday Vlive. She texted the manager to prolong the broadcast.

Meanwhile, Jeongyeon who is arranged to finish her schedule ahead of everyone is celebrating an hour of her 24th birthday with Once. She shares random info.

"Mina bought a Lego set, a huge one…"

"Stranger Things", the manager helps her remember.

"Ah, Stranger Things! She completed it in 2 days", Jeong is happy to share this letting Once know that Mina is indeed has been doing well. She's also responding to some questions and comments.

Like her first impression of the members and about their tradition if they've done it. She says, "I didn't get kisses yet. I guess they will give me later."

Jeong nearly ended her Live. Giving a few more sneak peeks of her Marie Claire magazine feature when suddenly, the lights turned off. She turns to a lit candle on a cake carried by Jihyo. She makes a silent wish after the song and blew the flame.

The Live is extended with more stories now together with Jihyo. They munch on the cake with their chopsticks. She's proud to make it in time that she suggests the celebrant to tease some members, notably Tzuyu, who promised to accompany her.

But being the Twice guardian that she is, Jeong understands that even gathering together amongst them scheduling is still difficult. So she tells Jihyo, "Don't~ Tzuyu's gonna feel bad."

As Jeong expects, the rest of the girls have only arrived later that evening. Too late for the broadcast. They made it up, however, by staying until 4 in the morning for drinks and games.

"No one's gonna sleep until the bottle's done!" Jeong declares. The younger half of the group Mina, Dahyun, Chaeyoung, and Tzuyu have cozied on the couch in their own ways.

"Unnie~ ", Momo on the floor draggingly rubs head to Nayeon's shoulder seemingly asking for some help.

Nayeon takes Momo's glass and drinks it empty. Jeong pours another set and the unnie empties it just the same. Momo halts the next glass, "Andwae…" But Nayeon never backs down on her words. She nods on Jeong to keep pouring.

Across the chaotic unnies are the partners. Jihyo tells Sana, "Should I go help them?"

Jihyo's about to bother the chaos when Sana pulls her in and says, "Don't." The Japanese has her lips slightly open with eyes looking down on the other's lips. "Don't use that excuse when you can just ask me. Right here, right now."

"Think I'm gonna need it", Jihyo speaks as Sana shakes her head telling her no. Leader shuts eyes when the other moves in on her lower lip with a nibble. She tells her, "You were rough one time."

"I was- Hungry that time", Sana buries face on Jihyo's neck.

"This time, too?"

Nope. Sana who isn't hungry nor angry wants something else. She sits up and looks to her directly. Right here, right now. Jihyo then announces, "I definitely need a drink."

She gets up and goes to the unnies making Sana question, "Waw wae wae?? What's wrong?!"

Jihyo settles to the other side of Nayeon, takes the glass, and help them. Momo scoffs, "Yah~ Get your own!" The Puberty line strike each other. Nayeon and Jeongyeon cuts them off.

It's past noon, Jihyo finds herself on the floor beside her drinking buddies. She's feeling a bit of a hangover. Sana literally looks down and tells her, "You brought this upon yourself."

Even so, she gives her partner a cup of tea to be able to perk up. Sana is curious of something so she asks, "Do you really need to choose alcohol over my sweet lips?"

Jihyo spits her tea. Sana helps her wipe what she spilled. Jihyo asks back, "Y-you just want kisses?"

Sana nods with a sound and retorts, "Just kisses. Maybe some touches here and there as usual. But just kisses. Wae?"

Jihyo doesn't answer and goes back sipping tea instead.

"Hokshi…" Sana whispers something making Jihyo spill again. "Alright! Algesseo! As if we haven't gone before. Why are you like this?"

"Cause you wanted it Right here, right now. Tsk, wild" Jihyo shakes head and about to sip again when Sana teases her with another comment.

"That's what blankets are for."

"YAissSH!"

Despite the outburst, Jihyo couldn't take it all out on Sana when she's looking like that. Like, they'll be apart and miss each other. This time, Sana too has an earlier flight to Japan and later arrival to Korea. Sure, they'd meet again in between for the concert. But because it's in Osaka, Jihyo concedes for Sana's time with family.

"Come back safely and healthily. I'll give you anything you want this time", Jihyo says.

"Anything?" Sana is thrilled. She has a lot in mind that she couldn't choose yet. She holds on to those words until she can figure herself out. Her birthday is fast approaching anyway. Similarly, Sana thought of her best friend Momo's day too coming real soon.

She asks her partner "By the way, have you gotten Momo a gift yet?"

"Well, I'm thinking of something that would help her get a good sleep. She's restless. It's not as bad as Chaeng's but Jeongyeonie is worried."

"Hmm… Since I'll miss it, the least I could do is get her a nice present. Thanks for the tip."

Twicelights had passed with both of Osaka schedules witnessing all of nine. The crowd sang Momo a Happy Birthday greeting her in advance and wishing her well. After the concert, 7 girls gone back to Korea. The others stayed for 2 more days. Mina still took a separate flight while Sana who has finished schedules in advance took a mini vacation.

Like how Jeongyeon lends time to celebrate with Once, Momo goes on Vlive. For a change, she does a simple cooking show assembling a cake topping it with her own Monsters Inc icing scribble. Her guests also arriving late are Nayeon and Tzuyu who brought a commercial cake.

Tzuyu is shocked of the vividness on Momo's work. "It's too yellow", she says.

The celebrant confesses that she spilled the food color out of proportion. But since breads and pastries are Tzuyu's favorite and Momo's effort is at stake, she tries having some.

"It's good though."

The staff signals on them that they have to go back in a few minutes. Looking at the frame, the girls are by the window that seems overlooking the city. More like, they are in a hotel room. Anywhere but their dorm.

When they're about to end the broadcast, Nayeon couldn't promise to go Live again once they arrive. She shares, "Since we're talking about dorm~ The reason that we're very careful about it is because, there are people waiting for us. Even foreign friends."

"Sometimes we want to do a Live at the dorm but we're holding it", Tzuyu adds.

"Please protect our dorm. We're afraid to bring trouble to the neighbors too", Nayeon begs for everyone's understanding.

The girls end the Live. Momo asks Nayeon, "Unnie gwaenchana?"

"What- Of course, I am! How's your day so far? I have a gift waiting for you~ Let's go now." Nayeon takes Momo by the hand and along with Tzuyu, they head out.

Momo can't help think of this unnie who has given so much to her. Nayeon's worries are hers as well. It's making her restless. Birthdays are the times to gift something to oneself. For Momo, it's to protect this family.

So, she convenes with Jihyo.

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