The cat's Birthday

“ I really have to plan something for her birthday this year” you mumble to yourself. Especially since you were on vacation last year and couldn’t plan anything for your best friends birthday. And the worst part is she still reminds you till this day that you didn’t plan anything for her last year.

It’s already late at night when you’re seated on your couch in your dorm room while trying to make a plan to make it an unforgettable birthday. When suddenly the front door opens and there she is. Her hair slightly messy, and her eyes carrying that familiar look she has when she is tired. “Hi Yeji. How was your day, everything okay?” You ask her. “Could be better, been studying all day for the upcoming examens. It’s just way too much at once” she answers with a little sigh.

“I know that feeling all to well” you say to her. “Take a seat, I will get you something to drink” you stand up and walk to your kitchen to make her favorite drink. In the meantime Yeji makes herself comfortable as she removes her shoes and walks over to the couch. When al the sudden you realize what you were working on is still open on your laptop. But it’s already to late. Yeji is already looking at the screen. You freeze. “What is the meaning of this” she asks you while staring at the screen.

“I-it is a… trip i’m planning for our study group.” You blurt out trying to safe what you can. “Is this really for your next outing with the study group, it seems more like an cute getaway to me.” she says. Yeji looks up her gaze meeting yours as she starts staring at you, unconvinced. You quickly place the drink down in front of her before she can ask another question. "Why don't we start that new show you talked about last time?" you ask, already reaching for the remote. You sink back into the couch and pat the spot next to you. "Come, sit with me." She looks down at you staring for a few more seconds before sitting down next to you.

After a few minutes of watching the show, you notice Yeji shifting closer to you from the corner of your eye. She keeps doing it little by little, until she is almost leaning against you. At this point focusing on the show is impossible, your mind completely occupied by how close she is. You steal a glance at her, only to find her already looking at you. For a brief moment your eyes meet and neither of you say anything. Yeji quickly looks away, a small smile forming at the corner of her lips. Your feel your heart beating faster while a light blush creeping up your cheeks, you turn your head back to the screen pretending you were watching all along.

A few moments pass before you feel her shift again. Then, slowly she closes the last bit of distance between you two, and rests her head on your shoulder. You go completely still for a second, to try and not ruin this moment. You lift up your arm and put it around her, pulling her her just a little closer to you. Yeji doesn’t say anything, she lets out a small sigh and relaxes in to you.

When the first episode ends, the room falls in to a comfortable silence. You look down to Yeji, who is still leaning against you while your arm rests around her. This is the moment you think to yourself. “Hey Yeji… I have to confess something.” She lifts her head slightly, looking up at you with her tired eyes. “What is it?”

“The trip…” you start mumbling “I-it was not for the study group. I was planning it for you for your birthday.” For a moment she just looks you in the eyes, and stares at you. “For me?” she asks quietly. “You remind me every time you get the chance that i missed your birthday last year.” Telling here while chuckling to ease your own nerves. “I wanted to make it up to you. Make it something you would actually remember.”

Yeji then shifts her gaze away from you. “You didn’t have to do all of that for me.” she murmurs. “I wanted to do that for you.” you tell her. “But honestly, that isn’t what I wanted to tell you.” She sifts here gaze back to you and that makes it al the harder to say what you want actually wanted to say to her. You’ve kept it for longer then you would’ve liked, so you muster up your courage and just tell her “I’ve liked you for a long time Yeji. I just kept waiting for the right time to tell you, but it never came. So I just… never said anything.”

The silence that follows feels like it lasts forever. Your heart is beating so fast you and loud that your certain that she can hear it. She lets out a breath, almost like she had been holding it in. “I’ve like you for a long time as well.” she says softly. “i had no idea that you felt that way about me. I just didn’t want to say anything and make thins weird between us. And the chance of loosing what we had, it was just to big of a risk for me.”

You look at her, letting her words sink in. “So we both just said nothing.” You say. A small chuckle escapes her. “Apparently.”

The tension between you shifts into something warmer, something that feels like you could get used to. You reach over and tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear, you let you hand linger against her cheek for a moment. She doesn’t pull away if anything she leans in slightly.

Before you can even think about what you are doing, you close the distance. Your first kiss is soft and you just feel all the worries you had go away. When you finally pull back she is smiling, her cheeks flushing with a pink hue.

“You really could have told me sooner.” She whispers to you. “So could you” you say to her. She laughs softly, as she settles back against your side. You put your arm around her once again, pulling her closer.