Birthday Party (3)
If you're the birthday girl hosting the party, when do you think the most anticipated moment would be? When you first meet your friends? Nah. When you're hanging out with them? Nope. When they bring out the cake and sing for you? Probably not.
For others, it might be different, but for me, it'd be when I get my birthday presents. After a hearty meal and blowing out the candles on the cake, facing those prettily wrapped boxes full of gifts—that feeling has to be amazing.
But what if one of your friends shows up without a gift in the middle of all that?
"Whaaat..."
"...? What's wrong?"
Just imagining the awkward vibe makes me cringe. If I admitted right now that I forgot a gift, Se-rin would probably smile sweetly and say, 'It's okay. Juwon made us such a delicious dinner.' brushing it off.
"Ugh..."
"...You okay?"
Picturing Se-rin like that stabbed at my conscience hard.
Chae-yeon's gift was perfume in a sleek, stylish container. I didn't have much experience giving birthday gifts to women, but even I could tell that was a solid choice.
I couldn't let this slide. Honestly, dinner as a birthday gift? Way too stingy, right?
What can I do right now...
I racked my brain, trying to recall any skill that could help on the spot. Attack magic? No way—totally useless here. And revealing myself as a mage just for some spectacle? Not my style. Ye-rim might be cool with it, but I didn't want to show off that much to the other two.
...Shadow Ally.
The skill that gave me Bambi back in reality. Of course, I could use it here too. But I couldn't just hand over an animal like mine to Se-rin out of nowhere. Hard to explain how it doesn't need food or sleep, and she might not even want a pet.
"Be right back, gotta hit the bathroom."
"Okay, go ahead."
I slipped into the bathroom, locked the door, and focused my mind.
What shape should I make it?
I'd never asked Se-rin about her favorite animal.
...A rabbit.
I started shaping a rabbit that reminded me of Se-rin. Slowly, the form took shape—a fluffy black-furred cutie with purple eyes appeared in my palm.
"Kek."
Shadow Ally permanently drains 5% of your max mana. Feeling it apply in reality made my heart jolt with sharp pain.
"Cough, cough..."
A bit of blood came up. My black pupils flickered back to purple, and dizziness hit hard. I'd burned through almost all my mana, so the permanent loss hit my body like a truck.
"...Haa... Get it together."
For a friend, this pain was nothing. Besides, I wouldn't be casting spells in reality as much as in-game anyway.
I barely held onto my heavy head, washed my face, and wiped the blood off my hands. I wanted to use Clean, but with barely any mana left, I just used water. The sink gulped down the dark red blood and gleamed clean again.
"Mweeng...?"
The rabbit looked up at me with worried purple eyes, as if asking if I was okay.
Whispering just in case someone overheard, I said, "...Sorry to ask this of you, but could you let someone else take care of you?"
"Mweeng..."
"Sorry. While you're here, can you pretend to be a doll? Even if someone pets you, hugs you tight, or tugs your ears—just stay still."
"...Mweeng!"
I stroked the rabbit's head reassuringly and gave it a squeeze. "...Really sorry. I'll visit sometimes. But... this is an order. If danger comes to the person I entrust you to, protect them."
"Mweeng!"
"I won't say to serve them as your master. Just stay by their side, watch over them, and give them strength."
The rabbit nodded happily. It wouldn't have existed without me, but that didn't make what I was doing feel entirely right.
"...Sorry one last time. And take care."
"...Your name is Danbi."
The rabbit nodded at my words, then went limp like a doll, a faint smile frozen on its face.
"...Cough."
I wiped the last bit of blood from my mouth and opened the door.
"...?"
I headed to Se-rin's room where I'd left my bag and chugged the mana recovery potion—about a third left.
"Haa..."
Strength flowed back into my body. I tucked the now-doll-like Danbi behind my back and returned to the kitchen, where the birthday party was still going.
I skipped reshaping my appearance. Might as well mention it now—the constant mana drain from maintaining it feels awful.
"I'm back."
Se-rin was beaming, accepting concert tickets from A-young.
"Oh, you're back?"
"These are tickets to our concert stage! The manager said if there's anyone special you want to invite, go ahead—it's for three, so you can bring another friend, unnie!"
Seeing Se-rin thank her with a huge smile, I caught Ye-rim glancing my way.
"...Unnie? What?"
"...Nothing."
Ye-rim gave Se-rin a diffuser as her gift. Se-rin was just as thrilled and thanked her profusely. For some reason, though, Ye-rim's face soured a bit even as she accepted the gratitude. What was up with her?
Soon it was my turn. I fiddled with the rabbit doll hidden behind my back, calming Danbi's subtle trembling.
"Juwon, you really don't have to give me anything... Dinner was more than enough already...?"
I held out the rabbit doll.
"Whoa...! So cute! The fur's all fluffy!!"
Se-rin hugged it tight to her chest and rubbed her cheek against its face.
"Where'd you get this? I've never seen a doll this soft!"
"Uh, I... made it myself."
"Handmade?! I told you about my birthday just two days ago, and you made this in that time...?"
It wasn't stitched by hand, but since it was made with my mana, handmade counted. I nodded.
...Technically twenty seconds, not two days, but whatever—details.
"Happy birthday."
I smiled as I said it, and Se-rin looked touched, pulling me into a tight hug.
"Thank you. Really... for me..."
.
The rabbit doll (sort of) I made was a hit with everyone else too.
"Whoa! This is seriously squishy...!"
A-young tucked it into her chest to feel the warmth, rubbed her face on it, even wiggled its limbs.
Chae-yeon quietly snuggled it when no one was looking, then placed it back when others noticed.
Ye-rim didn't seem that interested. She'd smile and pet it if Se-rin or A-young handed it over, but her mind was elsewhere.
We moved to round two: drinks. Ye-rim had work tomorrow, and A-young was watching her weight, so they planned to sip lightly. Or so they said...
"Black hair, tuck!"
"Argh, seriously, you...!"
The drinking games heated up the mood.
"Hunminjeon~geum, Hunminjeongeum~ G-I!"
"Korean!"
"Heat!"
"Plausible!"
"Argh! Unnies...!"
One by one, they started getting tipsy...
"Hng... Unnie's too mean..."
"My baby... A-youngie... Unnie loves you so much, you know~?"
"Kuuul..."
And it ended like this. Chae-yeon was out cold on the sofa. A-young and Se-rin, faces flushed, were clinging to each other on the floor.
Ye-rim loved booze but was a lightweight—surprisingly, not blackout drunk. Still, I was the last one standing. Again.
...Sometimes I missed that buzzed feeling. Now that I couldn't get drunk even if I tried, I chuckled wryly and kept drinking.
As Se-rin and A-young's tussle faded into deep sleep, and Ye-rim lifted her head from the table, she murmured softly.
"...Juwon-ah, are you hurting anywhere?"
"...Huh?"
Ye-rim raised her flushed face.
"It's not serious, right?"
I panicked for a second but smiled back.
"Unnie, what're you talking about? I'm perfectly healthy."
"Don't..."
Ye-rim slowly scooted over and leaned her head on my shoulder. Her shampoo scent tickled my nose.
"Seeing you... reminds me of Ye-won."
Before I knew it, her face was buried in my chest.
"...Always sick, but hiding it, smiling... acting like nothing's wrong..."
I silently stroked the back of her head.
"...If you're hurting, tell me. Okay?"
"...Unnie."
Sensing a misunderstanding building, I gently sat her up.
"Unnie, I'm not sick... I know it sounds crazy, but I'm actually a mage?"
"Don't think you can fool me with that lieee..."
Ye-rim buried her face back in and started sobbing, wrapping her arms around my waist, mumbling incoherently.
"H-Hey, unnie?! L-Look! Aqua! See? Water's coming out of my hand..."
"...Unnie?"
She'd already passed out in my arms. Peeling her off left tear stains on my shirt.
"Haa..."
My guess? She'd heard my coughing up blood earlier.
"...This unnie's been through a lot too."
As an only child, I couldn't relate, but imagining your one sibling suffering for years, smiling only for you—it'd break your heart.
"Sigh... Gotta tell her someday."
I carried Ye-rim to an empty room and laid her on the bed.
"...What about these two."
Chae-yeon was fine solo on the sofa, but A-young and Se-rin were awkwardly tangled on the floor. Separating them felt wrong—like breaking up a cute big-little sis moment—and leaving them like that wasn't great either.
"...Sigh, at least cover 'em with blankets."
Maybe I should pump some Strength stats— I grumbled childishly, grabbed blankets from the room, and draped them over the pair. One for sofa-sleeping Chae-yeon too.
"...This is all just self-satisfaction anyway."
I muttered to myself, pondering where I should crash. Until weird noises came from Ye-rim's room.
"...Nightmare, huh."
Her pale face twisted in frown—looked like my spot was next to Ye-rim.
"Ugh... Why does this unnie need so much babysitting..."
I lay down softly beside her. Sensing me, her arm draped over my shoulder.
"Ha, this unnie, seriously..."
Her face relaxed. I tidied her messy hair.
But she'll never wake up on time like this.
I set alarms for 8:00, 8:05, 8:10 on my phone and closed my eyes. It was a chilly autumn night.