30

Birdsong fills the cool morning air. Sunlight spills through the kitchen window where Mrs. Lee is already up, slicing fruit and prepping ingredients.

A soft knock on the kitchen door reveals Heyoung, tiptoeing in with a wrapped gift.

"Is everything ready?" Heyoung whispered

Mrs. Lee smiled, "Of course. You really think I'd forget one of your boys' birthdays?"

In SEVENTEEN's guest house. Inside, Seungkwan, DK, and Mingyu are tiptoeing around a sleeping Wonwoo, who's still buried under blankets.

There's a cake in DK's hands with slightly melted candles, and a giant birthday banner held up between Vernon and Joshua.

Seungkwan whispered loud enough to let them hear, "On three. One... two..."

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WONWOO!!"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, WONWOO-HYUNG!!"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUU!!"

Wonwoo groans, buries his face deeper into the pillow, then slowly peeks out, blinking through his bedhead.

"You couldn't wait ten more minutes?" Wonwoo, who is half-asleep said.

DK grins, "Nope. Now blow out the candles before Mingyu eats the cake himself."

Everyone laughs.

Wonwoo sits up, smiling sleepily but genuinely touched. They sing again, more relaxed this time, voices echoing softly through the countryside air.

Outside, Ayun rocks Heechan on the porch while watching the commotion, and Heyoung walks over with coffee and breakfast snacks.

Heyoung greeted Wonwoo, "Happy birthday, bookworm. You deserve a day as calm as you are."

Wonwoo smirked, "Then you should've let me sleep."

Suddenly, Mrs. Lee walks over from the house with a big smile and a curious glint in her eyes.

"Kids, I have a question. Would you all like to help the town today?" Mrs. Lee asked

Jeonghan said in his suspicious voice, "With what exactly...?"

Mrs. Lee cheerfully looked at them,

"It's the village festival! There are food stalls, traditional games, and dancing tonight. But we're short on volunteers for setup this morning. I told them I had a whole group of handsome young men who'd be perfect!"

Everyone turns to Jaehyuk.

Jaehyuk raised his hands innocently, "Don't look at me. This is all Mom's doing."

Scoups chuckled, "Actually... could be fun."

"Do we get to wear hanbok?" Dino excitedly asked.

"As long as no one makes me churn rice cakes again," Seungkwan said. "I'm in."

Heyoung looks over at Ayun, who's bouncing Heechan gently in her lap.

"Are you okay with helping out? It's Ayun's first village festival, too." Heyoung softly asked.

Ayun smiled, "Of course. Heechan and I are ready to become honorary citizens."

The group breaks off into teams, everyone in high spirits as they start preparing for the town festival. Villagers greet them with wide smiles, handing them snacks as thanks and laughing at how clumsy some boys are with traditional tools.

Wonwoo, still the birthday boy, ends up at the book booth with kids from the village who want to read with him.

A kid pointed at Wonwoo, "Ajusshi, you talk like a cartoon villain."

Wonwoo chuckled, "That's the nicest thing anyone's said to me today."

Heyoung and Scoups pass by together, carrying a crate of vegetables. They stop and watch him reading to the kids.

"He looks delighted," Heyoung said.

Scoups smiled, "He deserves it."

The festival setup continues, the town slowly transforming with banners, lanterns, and the sound of tradition blending with new energy.

=====

The town square is bustling with preparations — children run past with balloons, elders gather near food stalls, and SEVENTEEN is scattered around helping with setup.

Ayun is near a booth arranging snacks with Heechan tucked safely in a carrier on her front, sleeping peacefully.

Heyoung is nearby, chatting with a local vendor. Ayun hums quietly, focused, until she notices a few middle-aged village women glancing her way and whispering loudly enough to hear.

"That young girl again... bringing a baby without a husband?"

"Such a shame. And staying at someone else's house too. No wonder the child has no father around."

"These days... girls have no shame. And she's pretty too. What a waste."

Ayun stiffens, and her hands falter slightly over the rice cakes. Her smile fades but she doesn't look up. She just keeps working. Her shoulders shrink a little as the whispers continue.

She tries to focus, but the words linger like a cold draft.

Suddenly, Jaehyuk appears beside her, calm but with sharp eyes. He had overheard everything. Without a word, he steps beside Ayun and casually — yet very deliberately — wraps an arm around her shoulder.

"Is everything okay, jagi?" Jaehyuk firmly asked loud enough for the women to hear.

Ayun looks up in surprise.

Jaehyuk gives her a small, reassuring smile, and squeezes her shoulder gently. Then, without breaking eye contact with the woman, he continues:

"She's been working hard all morning. I told her to take a break, but she insisted on helping." Jaehyuk calmly said.

The gossiping women blink, caught off guard. The silence between them is thick now.

Jaehyuk glanced back at the villagers,

"She's also an incredible mother. Raising Heechan with more love and strength than I've ever seen."

One of the women fumbles for a polite response, suddenly flustered.

"Oh... we didn't mean anything by it. Just talking..."

Jaehyuk flatly looked at them and said

"I know what you meant."

The women shuffle away quickly, murmuring apologies they don't mean. Jaehyuk doesn't turn to watch them go.

Instead, he finally looks back down at Ayun, whose face is a mixture of gratitude and disbelief.

"You didn't have to do that..." Ayun quietly said.

Jaehyuk softly looked at her,

"I did. You're not alone, Ayun."

He gently brushes a strand of hair from her face, eyes sincere.

Jaehyuk is a bit shy now,

"And pretending I'm your boyfriend keeps people from making you feel small... I'll do it again. Every time."

Ayun exhales slowly, eyes watering just slightly — not out of pain, but the unexpected warmth.

Ayun faintly smiled at him, "That was... kind of bold, Jaehyuk."

Jaehyuk grins, "Well, someone had to be."

=====

The village has come alive. Colorful lanterns swing gently in the breeze. The scent of grilled food fills the air, mixed with the cheerful sounds of traditional music and kids playing festival games.

Locals in Hanbok stroll through the streets, and booths are crowded with visitors laughing and trying snacks.

Heyoung, wearing a light pastel hanbok, stands with Scoups near the rice cake pounding booth, both laughing as Mingyu and DK hilariously struggle with the mallets.

"You're strong but have zero rhythm!" Scoups teased Mingyu.

Mingyu did a mock offended,

"Excuse me, I'm the rhythm section of the visual line!"

The crowd chuckles. Children squeal with excitement nearby as they win small prizes from games.

A local elder approaches Scoups and Heyoung with warm eyes.

The elderly smiled at them, "You two make a very beautiful couple. First time in our village?"

Heyoung blushes. Scoups gently places a hand on her lower back and bows slightly.

"Yes, it's my first time... but I think I want to come back often," Scoups replied.

Heyoung smiles shyly at him as the elder walks away, clearly charmed.

On the other side, Jaehyuk and Ayun are on the quieter side of the festival, near a traditional tea booth. Ayun is sipping barley tea with Heechan cradled on her lap, now in a soft baby hanbok.

Some children coo at Heechan, and Jaehyuk kneels beside Ayun, adjusting the baby's hat.

Ayun quietly said, "He's enjoying the attention."

"He gets it from his mom," Jaehyuk softly said while glancing at Ayun.

They both pause, then smile. The earlier incident lingers, but the weight has lifted somewhat.

Then suddenly, Jaehyuk looked at Ayun seriously and said, "I wasn't pretending, you know... not really."

Ayun turns to look at him, caught off guard. Her smile fades a little, replaced by something softer — vulnerable.

"Jaehyuk..."

"You don't have to say anything now," Jaehyuk gently said to Ayun. "Just... wanted you to know."

Now, going back to SEVENTEEN is gathered for the evening performance. A small wooden stage is lit with lanterns, and the members are dressed in a mix of traditional and casual outfits. The villagers cheer as they take the stage.

Heyoung stands with her mom, watching proudly. Scoups sneaks a glance at her just before the music starts.

The first chords of an acoustic version of "Ready to Love" ring out, slower and more intimate than usual. The crowd falls silent in awe.

Scoups sings with his eyes on Heyoung. She knows it. And she smiles — not just at the music, but at everything the day has become.

Ayun, now standing near the back, rocks Heechan slowly. Jaehyuk stands behind her, close but not pushing, simply present. The lights bathe the stage in golden warmth as voices rise in harmony under the twilight sky.