A/N: Once again, thank you to Enigmatic-Elysium and EcoSeeker247! Your reviews and support are just lovely, and I hope my story continues to please you! Since I've been on a writing spree these past two days, this chapter is pretty short and pretty much a filler since I wanted one more chapter with Young-ja's family. I hope you enjoy and welcome any new readers!

-Gunsan, South Korea-

Before I knew it, July had rolled around, and so did my 19th birthday.

All my relatives were in attendance, bringing gifts and well wishes.

My mother made all the traditional birthday meals: seaweed soup, soba salad, grilled short ribs, lettuce wraps, radish kimchi, bori cha, and nokcha cake.

It was the only time of the year my parents eased up on me, so I tried to soak in all I could.

My cousins ran around the house, pasting hand drawn pictures of me on the walls and asking me constantly if I liked them.

"Are you sure it's pretty?" NaRae, my youngest cousin, asked me for the tenth time.

"It's beautiful, NaRae! So beautiful that I plan to frame it and mount it in the Seoul Museum of Art." I cooed, picking her up and kissing her cheek. "Best birthday present ever."

"What about ours?" The rest of my cousin looked up at me with big eyes and trembling lips.

"They are ALL beautiful! I'm so lucky to be the muse of your breathtaking artwork."

They all cheered and scurried off to tell their parents the good news.

I placed NaRae down, and she wobbled after them, dragging her poor doll down the hallway.

"Young-ja," My aunt poked her head around the corner. "Your umma and appa want to see you in their room."

"Oh, I'll be right there, imo." I replied, feeling my mood diminish slightly.

"Aw," She smiled and pulled me into a warm hug. "My brother really is a donkey sometimes. It's a miracle he found someone just like him."

"They just want me to be the best I can be, that's all." I mumbled, savoring the embrace.

My parents aren't the warmest people around and physical contact is rare, so this hug from a family member felt like Heaven.

"You've really grown a lot, sweetheart." My aunt hummed, stroking my hair. "I'm proud of you."

Tears prickled in my eyes, and I tightened my grip briefly before pulling away.

"Thank you, imo. I'll be going now."

She nodded and bid me a final "Happy Birthday" as she went to collect her kids.

As I walked towards my parents' bedroom, I gazed outside the window at the full moon and made a wish.

Dear Man in the Moon, please let this year be as wonderful as last year.

I approached the old sliding door and knocked three times, waiting for permission to enter.

"Come in." My mother's voice rang out.

I slid the door open and stepped into the room, making sure to gently close it behind me.

My parents were kneeling on the floor and gestured for me to do the same.

"Umma, Appa." I gave a brief bow before continuing. "You called for me?"

"Yes," My mother cleared her throat and looked at me with the same piercing eyes Father has. "did you enjoy your birthday?"

"Of course. Thank you for cooking and decorating the house for me."

"Did you thank your relatives for coming?"

"Yes. I went to each one and expressed my gratitude."

"Excellent," she gave a small nod of approval. "I'm glad that boy didn't make you forget your manners."

I clenched my fists and bit my tongue.

"His name is Miles Upshur, umma. And he-."

"Don't talk back to me, Park Young-ja." Her harsh tone shut me right up, and I bowed in apology.

"Didn't I tell you to forget about that boy?" My father piped in. "Summer break is almost over, and you should be preparing for the coming semester."

"Yes, appa. If that is all, may I be excused?"

"Not yet." My mother pulled a small box out of her hanbok sleeve and handed it to me. "Here is your present from your father and me."

"Thank you."

I gently undid the ribbon and lifted the top, finding a beautiful, silver charm bracelet that glittered in the lamp light.

"Keep up the good work, Young-ja."

My heart fluttered as I held the box to my chest.

This was the first time my parents actually gave me something besides school supplies.

"Thank you very much, umma. Thank you very much, appa."

"You are welcome. You now have permission to leave."

I bowed to them more before slipping out and racing down the hallway to my room.

"Wow," I breathed, slipping the bracelet onto my wrist. "This has never happened before. I guess slaving away all year really pays off."

Now with a warm feeling in my chest, I was about to take a shower when my phone started to ring.

The caller ID flashed Miles' number, and I couldn't help the huge grin spreading across my face.

"Hello?"

"Hey, short stack. I didn't miss your birthday, did I?"

"No, we still got thirty minutes to midnight." Then I did the calculations. "It must around early morning where you're at."

"Well, I wanted to say Happy Birthday."

I heard the sound of guitar strings, and my jaw dropped.

"Are you going to sing 'Happy Birthday' to me? I didn't know you played guitar, Miles!"

"I don't. But I figured since you suck at sewing but made me something anyways, I should do the same. Oh, just shut up and listen!"

I giggled and waited while he tuned the guitar and took a deep breath.

Buon compleanno a te,

buon compleanno a te,

buon compleanno Young-ja,

buon compleanno a te!

I squealed and clapped until my hands ached.

"Bravo, Miles! Bravo!"

"Was I that good?" I could sense the cocky smirk on his face.

"No, you suck at playing guitar, and you were singing in the wrong key. But it's the thought that counts!"

I buried my face into my pillow to muffle my laughter as Miles cursed and told me to shut my face.

"Seriously though," I sighed, wiping my eyes. "Thank you, Miles. You just made my night."

"Neh. I guess the last five hours of learning guitar chords was worth it if it made you that happy."

I felt my face flush, and my heart clenched in my chest.

"You're a real sweetheart, you know that, Miles?"

"Mmmph."

I could just see the blush on his face, and it brought the smile back to my face.

"Hey, Miles, when we see each other again, there is something I want to ask you."

My parents' opinions be damned. I'm going to ask him out.

"Really? Well, there is something I want to ask you too."

There was a quiver in his voice, and for a brief moment, I thought he was going to ask me out too.

"Is that so? Well, I guess I'll see you soon and we'll talk then."

"Alright. Good night, short stack. And Happy Birthday."

"Thank you, and Good morning to you, Miles."

I hung up and fell back on my bed with a smile.

Looks like this year will be very interesting.

-Kansas City, Missouri-

I stared at my phone screen long after our conversation ended.

"I'll get you back for laughing at me, short stack." I chuckled, tossing my phone onto my desk and laying back on my bed.

So she has something to tell me, too. Why do I have a feeling it's the same thing I'm going to say.

A smirk creeped across my face, and I shook my head.

"I guess I'll have to beat her to it."

A/N: The thought of Miles speaking Italian makes my heart melt. Hahaha. He is actually a pretty good singer, but he just needs some vocal coaching. It is back to college in the next chapter, and I have something to ask you! There will a gathering in the next chapter, and I need to put in some minor characters. If you would like to be in the story, or put one of your OCs in the story, please tell me. Just include their name and describe their personality in a few words. You guys have been so lovely that I would like to do something to really thank/acknowledge you.

Translation:

Umma: mom

Imo: aunt