"Venus," I woke up to my Dad's voice. He was knocking softly on my door but I didn't feel like shaking sleep yet and waking up. I pretend that I was asleep and didn't hear him, thinking that he'll go away if I continued but, of course, he didn't stop.

"I need you to wake up, sweetie. I gotta get back to work but I don't want to leave this poor thing here." My Dad said outside my bedroom door.

I tried to push my heavy body off the bed and make my way to open the door. My eyes are still half asleep or half awake? It doesn't matter. I just want to sleep more because it's too early on a Saturday to be moving around.

"Sorry, I woke you up. Happy Birthday daughter." My Dad kissed the top of my head as he would every day. "I found him outside in a box. Poor little thing."

"Poor what? What thing?" I slurred between talking and yawning. It's an ugly sight and only my Dad can tolerate it.

"This little guy here." He pointed to a ball of fur that was going in circles around his feet, sniffing and trying to bite on his house slippers.

"A puppy!!" I made half screeching and half giggling noises as I sat on the floor and played with the small Pomeranian fluff ball. The little beast jumped with his tiny legs and paws, trying to reach my hand to bite it off but he's too small to attack. "It's so cuteeee!"

(Ofc it's yeontan!!)

"I love him, Dad. I love you!" I jumped up to give my father a hug and a kiss on the cheek before he leaves for work again. Then I was left with my tiny companion.

I sat at the dining table, eating breakfast while watching him round around under the table, creating small growls as he picks a fight with the rug. "You're a naughty boy. Come here, experiment 626."

My phone rang at the exact moment and it was a number that I'm unfamiliar with. I stared at it, my anxiety is at it again. I hate talking on the phone with people I don't know. I stared at it, hoping it would stop. Do I have to answer it? It stopped ringing and I felt relieved but then it rang again. A call from the same number.

I have to answer it and see, "Hello?"

"Happy Birthday."

My brows furrowed. I don't recognize this voice at all. How does a stranger know that it's my birthday today? "Uh, thanks.. Who am I speaking to?"

"Oh, sorry. It's me, Mark."

"Oh." Was all I could think of saying. "I didn't recognize your voice."

"Yeah, you would've hung up the moment your hear my voice so it's a good thing that I caught a flu." He chuckled, and once again, he brought back memories that I prefer not to remember. "I miss you. Miss talking to you, laughing with you.. when will you talk to me?"

"I guess I can talk to you now.. I'm not really that mad at you anymore." I said and felt embarrassed right away, "I mean, I forgave you. I have no hard feelings now towards you, is what I mean."

"That's good. Then I'm making progress?" Mark asked and I feel my anxiety levels rising again. "I'm currently on tour. I told you I was preparing for something before I left, right?"

"I think so.. I don't really remember." I replied vaguely. I don't know why this conversation is still going on.

"That's okay." He replied even before I could say anything else. "I'm doing the last stop tomorrow and then I'm coming back home.."

He's sick and he's still working. I knew he had determination but I didn't realize who dedicated he truly is to his career. I guess I didn't notice that because I was so busy getting hurt by myself. Now that I think about the past, I acted really immature but I truly wanted to move on so I have every reason to avoid him. He broke it off and I decided to move on so he shouldn't be even trying to open up healed wounds.

"Can I see you?" Mark spoke in a low voice, barely audible, maybe to save his voice for when he sings. It's almost a whisper. "Please."

"We can't see each other anymore." I told him straight. I didn't want him to believe that us getting back together is still possible. "I'm dating someone else now."

"Ah, that Hoseok guy?"

"No. Not him." I answered, forgetting all about my breakfast. "Someone else and I want to work things out with him. I'm sorry, Mark."

"Ah." He sounded like he was laughing. "I guess your feelings were the price for all the love I'm getting now. I just wish that you are happy and will continue to be happy."

"Thank you, Mark. Really." I said and felt my chest lighten. "I wish you the best in your career. You are an amazing and dedicated person. You will be great."

"Thank you." He spoke. This was it. It's time to leave the past and look forward. "Hey Vee, can you do me a favor for the last time?"

"Yeah, what is it?"

"Don't avoid me if you run into me in the future. I want to still be able to comfortably talk to you and Sydney." Mark said and I felt a sudden loneliness in his tone of voice. "I want to continue being friends with you guys even if I'm far away. We can still be friends, right?"

"Of course." I replied, "We can."

🌸

"Experiment 626, will you stop moving around and chill in one place?" I talked to the pup and he momentarily stop to look at me when he heard my voice. Then continued to chew on the edge of the carpet.

I pulled him away from it, placing him on my lap, "You have to much energy for such a small dog. Let's take a walk."

I put on his leash and made sure it wasn't that tight around his neck. I thought walking him—more like running— would tire him out but in the end, I was the only one who got tired. E626 was so excited as he chased after every children that passed by. He was biting their clothes and pulling on them. I was embarrased as I apologized to all the traumatised kids and mothers that we bothered.

"626! Behave, will you?" I scolded him but he tried to bite my finger off with his tiny teeth, which only made me laugh. "You are too small to fight me."

I lied down on the grass and he walked all over my stomach, trying to find a place that he is comfortable to sit on. "Ugh, just sit somewhere.  I'm tired."

Instead of sitting, he stiffened up and looked behind his back as if he was hearing something that my ears cannot detect. Well, dogs have sharp auditory abilities. He finally daced to the direction of the sound— the small pond— where the ducks are waddling out of the water.

"Oh no."

He ran after his furry winged friends and barked at them, even jumping into the water. Does he even know how to swim?

I watched him paddling with his feet, amazed. "He swims." He was swimming further, still following the ducks, eager to bite their necks. "Wait, 626! Come back here!"

I jumped into the water too with my pants rolled up to my knees. My dog and I have been gathering attention now as I walk in the middle of the pond, mid thigh deep, I look ridiculous. Everyone passing by had their phones up to shoot me while I catch my mischievous dogs who can't seem to stop chasing after ducks.

I shouldn't be doing this on my birthday. I'm supposed to be relaxing, maybe getting a massage or eating out, watching a movie, but I'm here embarrasing myself.

"Vee?"

I whipped my head to the person who called my name and saw Jungkook with Taehyung.

Happy Birthday, bitch.

"What are you doing?" Jungkook asked as they approached closer. He smiled at my current situation, "Why are you in the pond?"

"Is that your dog?" Taehyung pointed to the black teacup Pomeranian on the other side of the pond, shaking off the water from his fur.

"Oh my God, please stop him." I told Taehyung and he immediately chased after him, easily catching him in his big hands.

Jungkook helped me out of the water, holding out his hand. He pulled me gently to firm land and laughed, "Feeling adventurous?"

"Shut up." I told him. I wanted to punch his smug face.

How dare he show up right now? Does he even know that it's my birthday today? And he calls himself my boyfriend. Even Jimin knows it's my birthday.

"What did I do?" Jungkook continuously asked me as I was walking away from him to meet Taehyung with my dog on his arm.

"Thank you so much, Tae." I gave Taehyung a big smile since he got my rebellious dog to stop chasing ducks.

"Is he yours?" Tae asked, referring to the pup in his arms. I was pulling him away but he doesn't seem to want to be away from Taehyung. "He's so cute!"

"Experiment 626, that's enough. We should go home!" I scolded him again and he responded this time, pulling the guilt card on me as he began to whine and nudge his nose on my clothes.

"You named him Experiment 626?" Jungkook chuckled, he's cute but I'm still mad at him. "At least give him a cute name. Like Kookie."

"Kookie is not cute at all." I replied, displeasure written all over my face. "Right, Taehyung?"

"Uhh." He trails off, looking from me to Jungkook and back to me. "I gotta get home. I need to run errands for my mom. See ya!"

He ran along and soon, he was gone. Jungkook picked up my dog and pet him. I was surprised that 626 was not fighting him. "I'm glad you liked him."

"What?" I asked him. I wanted to clarify what he said, if I heard him right. What does he even mean by that?

"What what?" Jungkook replied to you with a confused look. "Did you not see my letter?"

"What letter?"

"On the small cage he came with. I wrote a letter." Jungkook looked ridiculous as he tried to explain himself with big gestures.

"You bought him for me?" I couldn't help but grin. I was mad a second ago because he didn't know it was my birthday but now all that is gone.

"Kind of.." Jungkook avoided my eyes and focused on playing with the puppy. "It's not a big dea—"

"It is to me. Thank you, Jungkook." I hugged him tight before he could even finish talking and then kissed his cheek. I felt his body stiffen and I chuckled. "You know what?"

I loosened my arms around him and placed them around his neck. He looked at me with those soft, brown eyes of his, always so curious. I showed him a smile as I leaned closer to him. He closed his eyes and just before our lips touched, just a few inches between, I stopped and told him, "You are the best birthday present ever and no one in this world can tell me otherwise."

author's note;
I was suddenly craving for some VeeKook while on self quarantine. ❤️

I hope everyone is safe.
Stay at home guys! Peace out.✌🏻