Birthday Party (3)
“Huuuuh.”
All eight candle flames flickered out.
No one got up to turn on the hospital room lights, though.
“...”
The lively chatter from moments ago felt like a complete lie in the sudden chill of silence.
“Why... is everyone...?”
I blinked in confusion.
“Uh...”
“Hey, Nami!”
“Eek!”
“How could you blow them out before we even sang?!”
“Means she’s that eager for cake.”
Oh, right.
I couldn’t even lift my head from the embarrassment.
I’d assumed they’d already sung the birthday song since they were celebrating. No wonder I hadn’t heard any singing—I hadn’t been lost in some trance-like flashback.
“That’s why we always keep matches in pairs—for mishaps like this.”
Ji-hye’s dad pulled a spare match from the cake box.
“Don’t blow this time, NoNami!”
“I said it was an accident!”
Everyone raised their hands to clap when the door slid open with a rattle.
The room was dim, but that massive silhouette could only be Director Park.
Haru waved happily at the returning bodyguard, who’d stepped out for work earlier.
“Ack! Wax is gonna drip on the cake!”
“Start the song quick!”
Clap—
The song kicked off with the applause.
"Happy birthday to you!"
"Happy birthday to you!"
"Happy birthday, dear Nami!"
"Happy birthday to you!"
The loudest voices belonged to Yuna and Haru.
“Happy birthday to you.”
Professor Cheon’s low tone joined in next.
In the midst of it, I caught the manager just mouthing the words. I’ll deal with you later.
“Dear beloved Nami~!”
Yoon-seol, sitting beside me, poked her head forward, peering at my face in the candlelight.
[Why?]
[Nothing!]
I shot her a questioning glance, but she just smiled and dove back into the song.
“Happy birthday to you! Wooaaah!”
“Happy birthday too much!”
A grand round of applause erupted.
Now at the unmistakable perfect timing, I blew out the candles with relief.
Unlike before, everyone moved fast—reversing the setup: pulling the candles from the cake, flinging open the curtains, flipping on the bright white LED lights.
A hazy trail of smoke drifted up toward the ceiling fixture.
I rubbed my eyes, adjusting to the sudden brightness, when Haru’s voice boomed from beside me.
“Wh-what the...?!”
She jabbed a finger at the figure in the opposite corner.
Director Park? No, a bit further over.
Following her point, I spotted a girl about Yoon-seol’s age, legs crossed saucily.
White off-shoulder blouse, cool sky-blue cropped jeans. A Gucci chain bag pressing against the frills on her chest, sunglasses perched on her forehead.
Nothing over-the-top, but class oozed from every outfit choice.
Her skin was even paler than Yoon-seol’s, who already didn’t flush easily—maybe some constitution thing.
I only tilted my head for a second before Haru stormed across the table.
“How’d you know to come here, sis? Did Director Park bring you? Why follow me to my friend’s birthday party? What’s your deal?!”
Haru trembled with rage, but it had zero effect.
Those impassive eyes shifted to meet mine.
“Looks like Daddy’s little girl’s got some misunderstandings.”
She unzipped her tiny chain bag and held out a rectangular invitation card right in Haru’s fuming face.
You are cordially invited to
Nami's Birthday Party
Hospital Room [Redacted]
Today • Evening
— A Friend —
“I was invited too, y’know?”
Haru’s hand shook violently as she took the invite.
“I’ll stay quiet and leave, so chill.”
* * *
I sometimes overlooked my academy classmates’ backgrounds. Their age played a big part in that.
I’d heard that real rich folks often raised their kids normally from the start, instilling solid financial sense early on. Not deprived, exactly, but from an academy life perspective, it rang true enough.
Lee Ha-ru, granddaughter of the vice chairman of Sanyeong Group—ranked 16th in the business world. I’d learned that from her friends at our first intros, but seeing her mingle casually with the class made it hard to picture.
Her sister, Lee Bo-reum, on the other hand, radiated “I’m a chaebol” from the jump. Kinda fascinating contrast.
“Manager.”
“...”
“Cat Church mumble mumble...!”
“Hey, shh! What’re you doing...? People haven’t all left yet, and you’re gonna say that nickname here...?”
“Pfft!”
Since lunch, Bo-reum’s gaze had been locked on me. Worried I’d blab her nickname?
“Take care, Nami! Get better soon so we can see you at academy!”
“Yeah. Study hard for finals.”
“Yep, this time I’ll beat you for sure! Even if just one subject, hehe.”
The party wrapped with long chats among friends. What Jacqueline Teacher was like while I was out, tough spots on finals, etc.
Detective Ma stuck around till evening, but said it’d hold up the patients too long and took Ji-hye and Se-ri.
That sparked everyone else’s goodbyes.
The stream had ended ages ago. The last holdouts in the room were my broadcast managers.
“Why hasn’t Big Bro Da-sal left?”
Bo-reum scolded him.
“Oh! Uh, yeah, gotta go. Yep.”
“Just curious—did you really take the train from Daejeon just to see Nami today?”
“What, think I walked?”
“Whoa, that savage style...”
“Bet I got ten times more friends than you.”
“I got a hundred times more than that.”
“A billion times.”
“A trillion.”
“Googolplex.”
“A kalpa.”
“Pfft, googolplex is way bigger, dummy.”
“Seriously, you two wanna act that childish at your age? My friends wouldn’t.”
And so, Cheon Eun-woo—the guy who nailed 100% laughs at every self-intro—finally left, leaving me alone with Bo-reum.
She fidgeted like she wanted to say something, hesitating nervously.
“You came all the way to the birthday party but just sat there doing nothing?”
She’d parked herself in the corner for hours, barely helping Professor Cheon clear the table at the end.
No sign of answering yet. She shifted poses, scanning my face from every angle, then plopped back in the bedside chair, deep in thought.
“You and your sister don’t seem close.”
“Guess it looks that way.”
“Not ‘looks’—you two feel like total enemies.”
“Spot on. I hate her guts. She hates me more.”
“Then just say that.”
“But she’s pitiful.”
“...?”
Hate her or love her? Make up your mind.
Her mixed expression popped a question mark over my head.
“Wanna spill the story? I’m a good listener.”
“Whoa... so this is how your clan leader seduced Ha-ru?”
“Huh?”
“Kidding. And drop the formal speech.”
“Got it.”
Much better when they let me.
Tiring tagging polite speech onto every kid.
“Ha. Stories like this are tough without a smoke.”
Bo-reum perched on the chair, swinging her legs onto my bed.
Her socks had a big cat character on them. Embarrassed I noticed, she wiggled her feet under the covers.
“Sis, want one?”
“Huh?”
“Cigarette. Make me one, I’ll smoke it.”
“...?”
Does she not get Korean well? Seems dumber than she looks.
Anyway, she wants a cig, so I closed my eyes, focusing to draw in ambient mana.
Apple flavor like last time should do.
“W-wait! What’re you doing?! NoName—no, Nami—if you use magic, it feels like you’ll actually make something!”
“You asked for a cig.”
“I-I’m a high school sophomore! I’m not even old enough to smoke! And this is a hospital!”
“Fine, whatever.”
“Haa... haa... something’s off. The clan leader I imagined wasn’t like this...! Knowing you’re just a little kid is messing with my head.”
“It’s normal. Kariri went through it, everyone does.”
It’d take time for Bo-reum to warm up. Fun hearing how folks pictured me while chatting.
‘SaveGradStudent’ Cheon Eun-woo thought I was some young associate prof at a public uni. Kariri’s brother ‘Hoyamuyaho’ Set Taeyang figured unemployed college kid.
Bo-reum’s worldview? Wildly unique.
She only realized I was a girl late—came from World of Arceria streams, fan of my playstyle alone. Getting picked as manager? Pure sharp instincts and insane luck.
“Detective Ma Beom-il, though...”
“I kinda like UFC...”
She pictured me as a 40s noir film hardass. Prejudice-free, huh?
Penalty kept me swordless, so lots of fisticuffs, but still—a female avatar’s vibe?
“I don’t actually smoke! Tried... yeah, two or three times, but never since!”
Set Taeyang looked like a middle-school punk earlier; Bo-reum screamed TikTok high-school delinquent.
“So the cig thing was just a joke, right Nami? Yeah?”
Bo-reum’s tough talk? All bluff, ‘acting cool,’ textbook eighth-grader syndrome. Nothing more.
I held back—didn’t wanna hurt her.
“Hey, Bo-reum sis. Gotta head out now—wanna keep talking? Walk and chat?”
“Uh... can I?”
“Duh. Won’t be boring, I like it.”
Evening neared, but summer sun still hung high. Peering out, its vibrant energy lingered.
With my surprise companion, I stepped out for the day’s final errand.
* * *
“Traffic’s bad...”
Peak rush hour stalled Professor Cheon’s car in the main road.
He savored jazz and distant mountains, oblivious.
Bo-reum, prim beside Nami, leaned in quietly.
“So... where we headed?”
Bo-reum hadn’t gotten the destination from Nami.
“To see Mom.”
“Ah, visiting your mom... Mom? Wait, why say that now...?!”
For Bo-reum, this moment felt like hell.