You push open the classroom door, expecting the usual calm chaos of your friends chatting before class, but the second you step in, every head turns—and Keonho’s glare is sharper than a pencil tip.

“Wow,” he says, voice dripping with fake hurt. “I didn’t know my best friend could forget something so small… like, I dunno, my birthday.”

You freeze, heart sinking. “Keonho… I—”

He crosses his arms, leaning against the wall like the world’s most dramatic statue. “No, no, don’t explain. I love being ignored on my special day. Totally my favorite thing ever.”

You groan and drop onto the seat next to him. “I didn’t mean to! I literally lost track of days—school, homework, life. I swear I didn’t forget on purpose.”

He huffs, looking away, but there’s a twitch in his lips that almost looks like a smile. “You know, I was expecting at least one dramatic text from you. Or a cake. Or a parade. But nah… nothing.”

You roll your eyes, nudging his shoulder. “Fine, I’ll make it up to you. We’ll go all out. Cake, embarrassing presents, a parade if you want—whatever it takes for you to stop glaring at me like I committed a crime.”

Keonho finally looks at you, eyes softening just a fraction. “You better,” he says, but the edge in his voice has dulled. “Or I might just haunt you for the next year.”

And even as he mutters that, you catch the faintest twitch at the corner of his mouth—the Keonho smile reserved only for you, the one that makes it impossible to stay mad at him for long.