#twinnem

You'd think sharing a birthday with someone would get old after a while. But with Jungwoo?

It never does.

"Happy birthday to me," I say dramatically, stepping into the room with my arms raised.

He immediately matches my energy, standing up from the couch and throwing his arms in the air. "Happy birthday to me!"

We meet in the middle of the living room with an over-the-top hug, nearly knocking each other over.

Our friends are already scattered around the place—cups in hand, music playing, someone yelling about who last touched the karaoke mic. It's chaotic, exactly how we like it.

"Well," Jaehyun calls from the kitchen, "how does it feel to be the same age again?"

"I'm older by five hours," I remind them proudly.

"And yet, still shorter," Jungwoo quips beside me.

I jab him in the side and he yelps. "I'm taller in personality," I shoot back.

"Yeah, okay. Keep telling yourself that."

He wanders off to greet the others and I watch him go, shaking my head.

We've been celebrating our birthdays together for years now. It started with a mutual friend introducing us, a shared laugh over matching birthdates, and some harmless teasing. Now it's a tradition. The cake always has both our names. The party always has both our friends. The spotlight, always shared.

But this year feels a little different.

Maybe it's the way his hand brushed mine earlier when we reached for the same drink. Or the way he looked at me when I walked in, like he almost forgot to speak. Or maybe I'm just being weird because I've had too much sugar and not enough food.

"Come on," he says later, grabbing my hand as someone yells our names. "They want us to blow out the candles."

I let him pull me through the crowd to the cake table. It's ridiculous. Sparkles, glitter frosting, two cartoon drawings of us that look absolutely nothing like either of us (thanks, Mark) but it's perfect.

We lean in together, just like always. Everyone's singing loudly and off-key. I feel his shoulder bump into mine.

"You ready?" he murmurs.

I nod. "Same wish?"

He smiles. "Always."

We blow the candles out in one breath. Cheers erupt. Someone throws confetti. I'm pretty sure Renjun's already trying to smear frosting on someone's face.

But for a second, it's just us. Standing there, shoulder to shoulder. Same day. Same sky. Same wish.

Later, we end up outside on the balcony, away from the noise. The sky is navy now, the city lights glittering.

Jungwoo hands me a drink. "So," he says, "what did you wish for?"

I sip slowly, buying time. "If I tell you, it won't come true."

He smiles at that, like he expected it.

"What about you?" I ask.

He's quiet for a beat.

Then, "I wished for another year like this. With the same people. The same chaos. The same you."

I look at him.

He's not joking. He's not even smiling, not fully. Just looking at me like I matter more than I thought.

My chest tightens, but I smile anyway. Because maybe it's not the right time. Or maybe we're not ready. Or maybe this, whatever this is, is already enough.

"Same wish," I say softly.

He bumps his shoulder against mine again.

Same day.

Same sky.

Same heart, maybe.

We just haven't said it yet.