58 | Bday Gift

***

While Tiffany busied herself with preparing lunch for her boys, her attention was drawn to Seohyun swiftly snatching a sandwich from the table and making a beeline for the door. "Seohyun, hold on!" With a sense of urgency, Tiffany reached for the lunch box intended for Taeyeon and hurried over to her. "Take this with you, at least grab a bite on your way to work." She pressed the lunch box into Seohyun's hands before she could protest.

"Isn't this Taeyeon Oppa's lunch?" Seohyun's eyes widened as she recognized the Spiderman lunch box, identical to Da-On's but larger.

"I can whip up another one, but please, take this instead of just a sandwich." Tiffany's tone was firm yet gentle as she insisted, slipping the lunch box into Seohyun's backpack.

"Thanks, Unnie," Seohyun replied gratefully before turning and finally leaving the house.

Returning inside, Tiffany found Mr. Butter in the living room, his tail wagging eagerly as he looked up at her. "Oh, feeling hungry now, are we?" She gently rubbed his head, eliciting a smile from the furry friend. "Come on." She ushered him into the kitchen, where she scooped his bowl full of dog food from the drawer and placed it beside his house. Mr. Butter eagerly dug into his meal, his hunger satisfied.

Just then, the melodic voices of Taeyeon and Da-On echoed from upstairs, gradually making their way to the living room. Both were dressed in matching blue suits, as though they were about to attend a special event.

"Whoa, where's my little boy off to?" Tiffany asked playfully as Da-On darted towards her. She crouched down to meet him, enveloping him in a warm hug.

"Appa told me we're going to see Grandpa during lunch break, so I wanted to match with him, Omma," Da-On said, his excitement evident in his smile.

"Really? Trying to make a good impression on Grandpa, huh?" Tiffany teased, a playful glint in her eye.

"That's exactly his plan," Taeyeon remarked with a chuckle. "We're also delivering Grandpa's wedding invitation."

Tiffany suddenly stood up, a gasp escaping her lips as she realized she hadn't yet prepared the lunch box. "You two take your time with breakfast. I'll get your lunch ready first, hon," she said hurriedly, darting towards the fridge to start preparations.

"Hey, don't worry about it. We're in no rush," Taeyeon reassured, lifting Da-On and settling him gently into his feeding chair before taking his own seat beside him.

"I really should get this ready before you two finish breakfast," Tiffany insisted, determined to keep up with her duties.

"Aigoo..." Taeyeon sighed in defeat, though a smile graced his lips as he observed Tiffany bustling about in the morning, reminiscent of their early days in the mansion. It warmed his heart to see her return to her usual routine. "By the way, where are Yuri and Jessica? I haven't spotted them this morning."

"Jogging. They woke up earlier than us and hadn't returned home. I guess they stopped by a cafe to have a morning coffee."

"Yoona Appa woke up early and left before Seohyun Noona," Da-On shared between bites of his egg roll.

"Ah, you saw Yoona Appa this morning, Da-On?" Taeyeon smiled warmly at his son, gently patting his head.

"Yes, and it looks like he was in a hurry."

"He's been busy lately again."

"Wait, isn't his birthday coming up in just a couple of days?" Tiffany suddenly realized, noting that the end of May was approaching.

"Yoona Appa is having a birthday soon?" Da-On's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Yes, sweetheart. He'll be turning 33 on Thursday," Taeyeon confirmed with a chuckle. "He's aging right before our eyes, but he still doesn't look a day over 25."

"Yeah, just like Seohyun. They make such an adorable couple," Tiffany remarked with a warm smile as she carefully arranged the grapes and apples into the lunch box.

"Will there be a party? I want to have a pool party, Appa!" Da-On suggested eagerly.

"Hmm, let's talk to Yoona Appa about that," Taeyeon chuckled softly. "But first, finish your meal, okay?" He sweetly smiled as he took a bite of his food.

"Yes." With a bright smile, Da-On wasted no time and quickly finished his breakfast, just as his mother finished preparing Taeyeon's lunch box.

"There you go," Tiffany declared, placing the boys' lunch boxes into a bag and handing it to Taeyeon.

"See you later, Omma," Da-On waved cheerfully, grabbing his father's hand as they headed towards the door.

"Wait, aren't you two forgetting something?" Tiffany called out, chasing after them. Both boys smiled, and Taeyeon lifted his son so they could each plant a kiss on her cheeks simultaneously. "There, have a good day, boys." she said as her cheeks blushed.

"You too, Fany," Taeyeon replied with a sweet smile, and Da-On waved his hand again as they continued towards the door.

A warm yet sweet smile graced Tiffany's face as she watched the two of them leave, her heart fluttering with fondness. Once they were out of sight, she hurried outside and waved at them as the car carefully drove off the driveway.

"Don't forget to take your meds, hon. I've prepared them on the nightstand," Taeyeon reminded his fiancée.

"No worries," she replied reassuringly, her tone confident. Da-On peeked from the window and flashed a big grin at her. "Tsk, someone's so excited to see his grandpa," she remarked, her heart swelling with joy at the sight of her son's happiness.

As the gate closed on its own, Tiffany let out a soft sigh as she returned inside, feeling the solitude settle around her. However, the comforting presence of their pets provided her with another reason to smile as she finally settled down to enjoy her breakfast. 

***

Yoona's day in the office had been a whirlwind of activity, but as soon as his phone chimed for lunch, he joined his employees in a mad dash to the elevator, narrowly avoiding collision with one of them.

As they descended to the ground floor, all eyes turned to Yoona, who received respectful nods and bows from his team, returning the gesture with a modest smile and a nod of his own.

Upon reaching the lobby, the unspoken protocol was clear: Yoona was to exit first. "Thank you," he murmured with a touch of nervousness, offering another brief bow before hurrying outside.

Waiting for him was his driver, who promptly opened the car door as Yoona settled into the backseat. "To Ilcheon's City Hall, please, Ahjussi," he instructed, fastening his seatbelt as the car pulled away.

Retrieving his phone from his pocket, Yoona scrolled through his conversation with Seohyun. She had been the one to invite him to her workplace for lunch, and he wanted to confirm the details before heading there.

I'm on the way, baby. 😁

Seohyun my love: I'm outside. at the park near the city hall. 

Okay. Just give me a few minutes. 🫶

Seohyun my love: You have your driver, right?

Yes. He is more than a skillful driver than me. So I'll arrive there on time.

Seohyun my love: Good. See you in a while. 🤗❤️

Grinning foolishly at Seohyun's message, Yoona decided to savor the moment rather than reply immediately. He set his phone aside and rolled down the window, allowing the fresh breeze to sweep in as he settled back to enjoy the ride.

-

The thirty-minute drive from Yoona's office to his girlfriend Seohyun's workplace usually breezed by, but today the park was unexpectedly bustling with people enjoying picnic dates.

In his search for Seohyun amid the crowd, Yoona couldn't resist purchasing a beautiful bouquet of tulip flowers. With the fragrant blooms in hand, he resumed his quest, eventually spotting her waiting beneath the park's cherry blossom tree.

"Seohyun-ah!" he called out with unabashed enthusiasm, waving the bouquet in the air to catch her attention.

Seohyun returned Yoona's smile as she waved back, her eyes lighting up as he jogged toward her and presented the bouquet of tulips.

"What's this?" she inquired, her fingers delicately brushing against the vibrant petals as she took in their scent.

"Flowers," Yoona replied with a charming grin. "For the love of my life."

"Really? But you're not fooling me," Seohyun playfully countered, setting the flowers aside with a smirk.

"I know you know," Yoona teased back, sticking his tongue out in jest.

"Anyway, let's get to the real picnic date now," Seohyun declared with a mischievous twinkle in her eye, setting Taeyeon's lunch boxes down on the table.

"Omo, why do you have Hyung's lunch box?" Yoona's eyes widened in surprise as he noticed it.

"Unnie prepared this for him originally, but she changed her mind and gave it to me instead," Seohyun explained, deftly opening the three-layered lunch box. In the first compartment, colorful fruits greeted them, while the second contained a delightful array of egg rolls, kimbap, and beef. Finally, the third compartment held an assortment of savory side dishes.

"Whoa, no wonder you invited me out here," Yoona exclaimed in amazement. "I don't think you could finish all of this alone."

"Exactly. Tiffany Unnie gave us the perfect excuse for a picnic date today," Seohyun giggled. She then picked up her chopsticks and passed the others to her boyfriend, ready to enjoy the meal together.

"Bon Appétit!" Yoona and Seohyun chimed in unison before they delved into their meal, exchanging conversation about Yoona's upcoming birthday and their plans for celebrating it.

***

"Ms. Jung, there's a team dinner later tonight. Are you up for it?" one of Jessica's colleagues asked as she returned to her desk.

"Where's it going to be?" she inquired curiously in response.

"At the Jpark Restaurant. You know that famous barbecue place?"

"Is it far from here?" Her eyebrows arched, signaling her lack of knowledge about the location.

"Nope, just a thirty-minute drive. So, are you coming? We're all going after work," her officemate replied eagerly, hoping to entice her to join.

Jessica reached for her phone on the side of her desk and noticed Yuri had sent her the link to the movie they wanted to watch later. "I'll pass. My boyfriend and I are planning a movie date," she declined with an awkward smile, trying to find a polite way to refuse the invitation.

"What? That's too bad. We only do this once a month, and you're still new here. Can't your boyfriend delay the date for now?" One colleague expressed his disappointment. "It's a chance for you to get to know us better."

"Um, I'll try to ask him," Jessica replied, feeling torn between her personal plans and the desire to integrate into her new workplace. She quickly texted Yuri to see if rescheduling their movie date was possible.

Baby, our team has booked a dinner later tonight. Will it be fine if we reschedule this?

Yuri: Omo, chincha? That's actually great! Go and have fun with them. I'll just rebook our ticket for June 1st.

She was taken aback by Yuri's response, realizing he likely wanted her to socialize more, which she found flattering.

"I'm going," she announced, met with immediate cheers from everyone around her. "This will be fine," she whispered to herself, suddenly feeling a rush of anxiety as it would be her first team dinner with colleagues. If only Tiffany could join her. Uncertainty loomed as she pondered what to expect later in the evening.

***

Lounging in the living room, Tiffany noticed Mr. Butter and Pumpkin, her furry companions, were also joining her in procrastinating, sprawled out on the floor, their eyes fixed on the same TV show she was watching. Suddenly, her phone chimed from the side. She reached for it lazily and checked Taeyeon's message, finding an attached photo of him, Da-On, and Mr. Kim, happily enjoying the lunch boxes she had prepared for them earlier.

Taeyeon♥: Baby, we absolutely loved the food, especially Da-On. He couldn't get enough of the kimbap, as usual.

Thank you for such a delicious lunch. Love you~ ♥

Her face lit up as soon as she read his message. Just as she began typing her response, a doorbell interrupted her train of thought.

"Who the heck is this?" Keeping her phone in hand, she made her way to the intercom to check the visitor, finding it was a deliveryman. "I'm sorry, but I didn't order..."

"I'm delivering mail, ma'am. This is from the Register's Office," the man outside informed her.

"Omo, is this our ID's and documents now?" She exclaimed upon realizing it.

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Okay, okay, hold on a second," she responded hurriedly. Tiffany made her way to the door, carefully descending the stairs until she reached the gate. She opened it, and the delivery man handed her a pen.

"Whoa, it's finally here after a month of waiting," she exclaimed with relief as she signed the papers for everyone. She then received the envelopes containing the documents and IDs, especially for Da-On.

"Also, here's a guideline on how to apply for citizenship," the man added, handing her another paper. "You guys could apply later after three months of staying here."

"I see, thank you," she replied with a respectful bow, and the man returned the gesture before she stepped back inside, locking the gate securely behind her. Excitedly, she hurried to the sofa and eagerly opened her envelope and her son's.

"Ah, Da-On's IDs are just too adorable," she couldn't help but giggle at the sight. However, when she glanced at her own ID photo, she cringed slightly at her less-than-flattering a