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I slept well the night before my birthday, but only after I'd found my way to Taehyung's room.

It was when Jungkook and Jimin knocked excitedly at the doorframe of Tae's room that I woke up, ready to start the day.

"Sujinnie," Jungkook whispered, walking up to the bed. "Come onnn, Jin and Yoongi made breakfast already."

I sat up, pushing the airy sheets off my torso, eyeing my brother who was still sprawled across the bed beside me. I threaded my hands through my hair, knowing it was a mess.

Jimin followed Kook into the room with a mischievous smile. "And Taehyung needs to get up too," he whined. "We have all your presents ready."

I hopped out of the bed, letting the springs refill where I had been sitting. The movement didn't seem to bother my brother. "You can wake Taehyung up if you want to, but I'm not doing it. I'm gonna get changed and then head downstairs."

I passed Jungkook and Jimin with a smile as I left the room, and then bumped into Hoseok as I headed to my room. He said 'happy birthday' and I thanked him before getting dressed in my room.

Everything in my room was a partial mess. We had started packing for the tour at that point, since it was going to start in about two months from that week.

It seemed early to be thinking about it, but the more we worked on it, the more I realized how long we were going to be gone. I had to schedule my wardrobe for the next several months, and that required a lot of shopping trips, online orders, and finding out ways to transport any dance or music equipment I wanted to take with me.

A quick shower was followed by my favorite white knit sweater that went slightly off my shoulders being paired with a black pair of jeans. I did my hair, enough makeup to be a little more fancy than usual, and a pair of small hoop earrings. Part of me wondered if any of the members would remember I always wanted jewelry as gifts. It was the greatest way to remember my favorite people since it would always be with me.

Namjoon met me in the hall, still in his sleepwear and with half-closed eyes.

"Morning, 'Joon," I said as I headed down the stairs.

"Mhm, how are you doing?"

"Really great, breakfast smells good," I said as I entered the kitchen.

Jin, from the kitchen, looked over at me. "What was that, Sujin?"

I laughed, "breakfast smells amazing."

"Well happy birthday to you," Yoongi added.

It made me happy to see all seven members in the living room or kitchen that morning. That didn't happen very often, with everyone busy with their separate schedules at the company building and between shopping runs, exercise sessions, and whatever their work called them to. As I'd been warned, the months were passing and with every one that did, I had to get more used to the boys coming and leaving the dorm at random times, knocking on one of their doors only to find they were at work, or calling one of them for a favor just for the rings to go on until I met their voicemail.

Thankfully, they did enough for me that I knew they cared about me. I had everything I needed, and I got occasional dates to go off and spend time with the members when I could. It also allowed me more time to spend with Suho, Dae, and even HXSTS on occasion, which was fun as well.

The only thing I still missed often was Minie. I didn't have any other BigHit staff that I connected with, and though I wasn't sure I quite missed Jiho himself, I missed having a special someone to hang out with. Without going to school, I didn't have many opportunities to make new friends either. I longed for company, but went to Suho and Daehyung when I needed it, or the boys if they were around.

"I'm glad you guys have the day off," I said, taking a seat at the kitchen table.

"You're right,' Jin said, scraping something in a pan on the stove, "I don't think I'm the only one eager for the spinach and oyster stir fry banchan."

"Ooooh," I cooed, sniffing the air. "That's what I smelled."

"And honey rice cakes, and cornbread," Yoongi added.

I thought for a moment. "How did you guys know I like cornbread?"

Jin laughed. "We may have asked Aecha."

Aecha.

Right.

I tuned back into the conversation I was having with her over the screen, letting the memory of my last birthday fade so I could focus.

"Yeah, my birthday was December third." A smile perked the corner of my mouth and I found it harder to keep eye contact with Aecha's eyes on the screen. "I celebrated with the boys."

"Right," Aecha nodded from the other end, and then inhaled deeply, "so some records were found that had been transferred years ago, the ones that are first filled out when a new child enters our home and is allowed to be selected for adoption. We used all of those records to fact-check everyone's records, and we found only a few mistakes, usually put in around the same time. I suspect a faulty scripter, and we caught one fault in yours... well, we think there was only one."

"A fault?"

"Some info on you, when you came was put in wrong. It was your age."
"My Age?" I raised an eyebrow and leaned closer to the screen. "So my birthday? Was it the wrong date?

"No," she shook her head, "the date is the same. December third, but the year is different."

"The year?" I gasped. That was a huge change, something I wasn't sure I was ready to believe.

Aecha nodded. "According to the records, your birth year is 2001. Not 2002."

That didn't make sense. I had just turned fourteen the December before. I had thought I was thirteen when I met the boys and became part of their family, and I was still getting used to being fourteen now. But adding a whole year was crazy.

"You're sure, Aecha?"

"I wouldn't lie," she said, shrugging with a slightly concerned expression.

"I know you wouldn't. But that's... crazy." In the next few seconds I had to think about it, my heart began to sink.

Being an extra year older meant a few things I hadn't wanted.

I wouldn't be a year ahead in my schooling anymore.

I'd be learning to drive sooner.

I, in general, felt I'd lost a whole year of my life.

And suddenly any praise I'd gotten about being mature for my age could go in the dirt.

Worst of all, that meant I only had three years of guaranteed time with the boys. I'd be a legal adult in three years. Not four.

"You're sure?" I asked once more. "Really sure?"

"I'm certain. Look, 'Jinnie, the original document has your mother's handwriting."

My mouth clamped shut and I went silent for a moment. "You found a document that has my mom's handwriting?"

Aecha nodded. I had never gotten to have such a thing. The closest I could ever get to my mother were the flashbacks I used to get when I first started living with the boys. After a while, I had to let even those go because they hurt me.

"I know you're travelling right now, but as soon as you get back, I think you can have it. We've already copied all the information down and if I need, I can make a copy of the original for my own use. I think you should have the other."

I wanted that. I really did. "Is that possible?"

"It is, I'm pretty sure. I'll get it to you as soon as I can."

Subconsciously, I chewed the bottom of my lip for a second to think. "Aecha, is there any ways I could have it any time sooner?"

Chinhae, with a large grin on his face, got up from his spot beside Aecha and exited the camera's view. It wasn't surprising he wasn't interested in our conversation anymore.

"Sooner? How are you thinking I'd do that?"

Shaking my head, I shrugged, "I don't know. Is there any way you could send it to me? Mail?"

"Ah." Her eyebrows went up in thought. "I don't know how safe it would be to send it to you. It might get lost with all your travelling. Where are you right now?"

"We're in Santiago."

"Where are you going next? And when?"

I blew a thin line of air through my lips. "Uh, we'll be at Sao Paulo, Brazil by the nineteenth. Then we go to the states." My voice perked up as I said it. "On the twenty-third, we'll be in Newark."

Aecha nodded. "Okay, Sujin, I'll think about it and see what I can do. My best bet might be in the States. I need to be sure it'll get there at the right time. Sao Paulo might be another option. I don't know. I'll see, okay?"

I wasn't sure waiting was going to be extremely easy for me, but I nodded. I was no longer close enough to Aecha to feel I could ask more of her, so I went along with it. Maybe I'd follow up with her about it later.

"Thank you."

She nodded. "I deal with a lot of children, but I know what this means to you. I know what this would mean to any of them, but seeing the way you deal with life right now, with those boys who make and share their music, and with your new traveling around the world, I think you need this piece of home more than anyone."

"I'd really love it."

"Yeah, I definitely know. So..." She paused. "So yeah, I'll... be sure to send that your way. It must be so exciting to travel."

"We're at our first stop, and I'm not sure how we're supposed to do this for months. It's another four months at least before we come home, and the tour won't be over, even then. The weird thing is how we have to fill time. Or, I know we will have to eventually. Right now, we're busy every second travelling, but that'll stop once we get settled in places we're staying at for weeks at a time. We have to put everything we think we might need for this long in a couple suitcases each. The boys are going to be busy preparing for shows, and working, and sure I have school, but online takes up a lot less of my time."

"I bet you'll figure all of that out, you've always been so smart."

With a small laugh, I cocked my head to the side. "If I'm seriously fifteen, I feel a whole year dumber."

"You shouldn't. You still learned information faster, since we thought you were a year younger when you came under my care."

"I guess that's true." I shifted on the bed. "Thanks again, Aecha."

"Of course," she smiled. It was so foreign to me, how that smile wasn't such a huge part of my life anymore. It'd been one month away from a year since it had been. "Well, I can go find Chinhae so he can say goodnight."

"Alright. I love you, Aecha."

I didn't spend another second inside my room after the call. I was in Jimin's room shoving orange chicken into my mouth as I ranted about online classes. Respectfully, he listened to me.

"And..." I chewed for a second, thinking over my next words. The conversation with Aecha came to my mind. "Crud Jimin."

He watched me stoically, as if he were used to his little sister pouring words into the air. It had honestly become a new thing I'd done more frequently. "Hm?"

I waved my hand in the air, dismissing the invisible thought. "Gosh, a lot is going on. I'm just getting into that mood again." What I was referring to was something dubbed 'the mood' by my older brothers. Music made me emotional. And sometimes it made situations feel better or worse than they really were. My brothers would recognize me obsessing over a certain feeling and would tell me to change my music taste, and fast. It'd take one runthrough of a different playlist and I'd been feeling fine again.

I loved how music could make me feel things. On the other hand, they weren't always real.

He stood, shoving his hands in his pockets and sitting on his room's bed before laying down on his back.

"So what is it this time, Sujin?"

My lips pursed together. "Well that's the thing, Jimin." With a chuckle, I continued, "So I talked to Aecha today, and Chinhae."

"You did?"

"Mhm. Facetime. Chinhae has someone looking to adopt him."

"Oh, that's awesome." He tried to be sincere, but he was exhausted. His eyes fluttered closed slowly as I kept talking.

"Yeah, Aecha also had some news for me. But I don't know if I need to tell you before the others."

"Mm."

"What does that mean?"

"Hm? Oh I guess I meant hm. Sorry Sujin, I'm exhausted."

I set down the container of orange chicken I had in my hand and sat up. "Yeah, me too." Darn, I ate too much. "Thanks for letting me come over."

"No problem, but I'm going to get ready for bed."

I thought for a moment. "I should too."

"You should. Get some rest, rehearsal's tomorrow and I thought you wanted to come."

Once again, my response was delayed by thought. "Yeah well I- well yeah, and..."

"What is it, Sujin?" Jimin laughed as he rubbed his eyes and sat up. He searched his suitcase for sweats as I struggled with words.

"I'll tell you what Aecha said tomorrow. Also I don't know if I want to go to rehearsal tomorrow anymore."

"You don't have to." He stood with a grey pair of pants to change into. "But why?"

"It doesn't sound... so appealing anymore." I smiled.

"Okay? Doesn't to me either."

"I know, it's not like I have anything else to do anyways. Ah, I probably will. Just, again, weird mood."

Jimin shook his head. "Alright, sis. You heading to bed?" he asked again.

I closed my eyes briefly and then nodded, "Right, yeah. Goodnight Jimin."

On my way out, I paused before passing him to turn and give him a hug. It took him a second, but eventually his arms wrapped around me and his voice vibrated above my head, "Let me know if you need anything, I'm just down the hall, remember."

"Won't forget," I promised, turning so I could wrap my pinky around his.

I left his room so he could get some rest. As I traveled the cold halls, I noticed the lights at the top of each side after every other door, shaped delicately like a real candle, though I could tell it was LED.

My room was dark, but I entered with a smile on my face. As soon as I was ready for the night and was tucked into bed, I couldn't help but let the candles remind me of my first New Year's celebration with the boys. I closed my eyes and let the memory play.  

Hiiii, hope you're all doing well! I hope you're enjoying the story as it progresses as well X) Can't wait for the chaps during their concerts! 

Please stay healthy, happy, and safe!! See you next week!

Rose