The studio is quiet except for the low hum of equipment and the faint melody looping through the speakers. Taehyun sits alone at the desk, headphones resting around his neck as he tweaks the same line for the hundredth time. Birthdays aren’t really his thing—too loud, too distracting. He told everyone he’d rather work.

That’s why he freezes when the door creaks open. You step inside, careful not to let the cold follow you in, a small cake balanced in your hands and a neatly wrapped scarf tucked under your arm.

“…You’re supposed to be busy,” he says, blinking like he’s not sure you’re real.