Birthday

"By the way, what's gotten into you lately?"

Eun-ha tossed the question at me out of nowhere, and I answered with a flat "What do you mean?"

Apparently that reaction didn't sit well with her. She puffed out her cheeks a little, then smiled as if there was simply no helping me.

"You know what I mean~ Until not long ago, you were famous for all the wrong reasons. Even Yurim used to complain to me about ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠how you never listened to a single word she said — called you a total idiot who gave her nothing but headaches."

"…I'd given up on everything, so. This and that."

"But~ that's not the case anymore, right?"

"Yeah." I nodded calmly at her words.

I wanted to change.

To become someone who could give that girl all the affection she'd never received…

Not a supporting character who pushed from behind, but one who walked beside her.

I was too embarrassed to say any of that out loud. But Eun-ha just kept grinning at me, watching my face the whole time.

"Whoa, so many cute things!"

"We're here to buy stuff for Seol-hwa."

We were the same age, and yet somehow I couldn't shake the feeling that I was dragging a little kid around. I let out a sigh.

"I know that~ But one little something for the friend who came all the way here with you is fine, right?"

"The parfait alone set me back ten thousand won, you know? For a dessert, what's with that price?"

"Ahem! Girls and desserts have an unbreakable collusive relationship!"

"As a guy, I don't get that at all."

"So unfunny~ Girls fall for guys who know how to empathize, you know?"

"Ah, is that so." My deadpan response made Eun-ha puff her cheeks out again.

"If you keep that sulky face all the time, Seol-hwa won't like it either, you know~?"

"…I know."

I knew. But no matter how hard I thought about it, facial expressions remained a complete mystery to me. Whenever someone told me to smile for a photo, or to consciously put one ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠on, my face would just go stiff — that was my everyday reality. Maybe that was why a smile as free of wrinkles as hers still looked so strangely fascinating to me.

I was lost in thought when Eun-ha huffed, "If you know, then let's change it!" and reached over to tug at the corners of my mouth.

"Ahaha! Seol-hwa should've seen this!"

"I might just plant one on your head."

"Hmph, then I'll tell Yurim on you!"

In that instant, the image of that Dokkaebi lighting up her eyes and growling, So you did that to our Eun-ha…? flashed through my mind, and my arm gave an involuntary twitch.

Taking that as a victory, Eun-ha flashed a smug little grin and wiggled her eyebrows — which was why my fist found the top of her head a beat sooner than I'd intended.

"Ow!"

"Who ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠keeps poking at me?"

I left Eun-ha fretting over a hit that hadn't even had any real force behind it and started browsing the display cases.

"Hmm…"

Maybe it was because so many things caught my eye. I was fretting and making little sounds of indecision when something brushed against my cheek.

"What is it?"

"I found all sorts of things~ Moisturizer and hand cream, treatment and a hydrating pack…"

"I've been meaning to ask — do you really pay this much attention to this kind of stuff?"

I looked at the basket piled high with beauty products, and Eun-ha answered, "Of course, right? I'm a girl."

"I wouldn't really know."

People said taking care of yourself was important, but honestly, I'd never paid any attention to it, so I had no idea. Maybe it was a prejudice — the idea that no matter how much a guy like me tried to dress up or look good, nothing would change. I'd never felt the need.

Hearing that, Eun-ha said, "Mm~ you're free to think what you want," then poked my forehead with her index finger and smiled.

"When there's someone you like, you want to look good for them, don't you?"

"…Is that so."

"That's how it is♪"

By the time we left the store, a large shopping bag was stuffed full of things.

"Tell Seol-hwa happy birthday for me~"

"Yeah, yeah."

Eun-ha covered half the cost. She asked me to pass it along as a birthday present while I was at it.

I'd half expected her to trail all the way to the house to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠celebrate in person, but surprisingly, she said, "The first time is precious," and decided to put off her congratulations until tomorrow.

I was grateful for the quiet consideration. With a personality like hers, of course she had plenty of friends.

Still, I couldn't exactly tell her to put some of that consideration into her actual words and actions… so I just walked along in silence, until I finally noticed Eun-ha staring straight at me.

"What is it?" I asked, and without taking her eyes off me, she answered, "Earlier you said something like, even if someone like me dressed up, it wouldn't matter~"

"I did…"

"Excuse me~"

Before I could finish, Eun-ha suddenly pushed my bangs up off my forehead.

"…What are you doing all of a sudden?"

"The base material doesn't look half bad~"

"Flattery won't get you anything, you know."

"Hey now, would I lie about something like this~? Of course, you're still no match for Tae-yang."

She hummed in agreement and nodded as if that settled it. I was staring at her in disbelief when she chirped, "See you next time!" and shot off like a bullet… no, fled.

"What on earth was she thinking…"

By the time I got home, the sky was already turning to sunset. I reached for the doorknob — and before I could even turn it, the door swung open.

"Oh, welcome home…!"

Seol-hwa had clearly been preparing dinner; a delicious smell drifted from the kitchen all the way to the living room. She must have run over, because she greeted me with a smile and slightly flushed cheeks.

Is it from running? Her cheeks look a little red.

"…D-do you want to eat first? Or take a bath f-first?! Or maybe…"

"Stop."

Having figured out the reason, I brought my hand down like a water spout onto Seol-hwa's head — which looked ready to explode from the steam pouring out of it at any second.

"Yu Eun-ha. You're dead the next time I see you."

"E-Eun-ha didn't do anything…!"

"Who else would put you in this state?"

"…S-Seo-jin…"

Before Seol-hwa could finish, I pulled out my phone, found that damn mother in my contacts, and called her.

Any more conversation and something ugly was going to come out of my mouth, so I hung up on the spot, shoved the phone into my pocket, and let out a heavy sigh.

"I-I'm sorry… She said that if we're living together, it's something we absolutely have to do…"

"Just let most of it go in one ear and out the other. Half of what she says is just for her own entertainment."

I'd completely forgotten about the new phone Mother had sent not long ago. Or rather — I should have anticipated she'd use it for something like this and prepared accordingly. That was my failure.

I glanced over at Seol-hwa. My reaction must have gotten to her, because she looked noticeably dejected.

"…I'm plenty happy. Don't droop like that."

It wasn't that I was trying to comfort her. I really was happy.

Maybe it was because I'd lived a life alone both at home and outside of it — honestly, I was grateful in more ways than one for Seol-hwa being there to welcome me back, asking if I'd gotten home okay.

And on top of that, the apron she was wearing like it was the most natural thing in the world, plus lines like those… she really did look like a newlywed bride.

Even so, I couldn't bring myself to say something like that out loud, so I settled for stroking her hair gently and offering a bit of comfort.

"Happy birthday."

After polishing off a fairly generous dinner, I picked a good moment and handed Seol-hwa the bag of gifts I'd brought from my room.

"…?"

Had she not understood the situation? Seol-hwa just blinked at me as if to ask what I was talking about.

"…Was it your birthday?"

"No. It's yours."

Exactly the reaction I'd expected. So she really had forgotten. I let out a small sigh.

"Birthday…"

Plip.

A sound like a water droplet falling.

"H-huh…?"

Sudden tears — like a sun shower falling from a clear sky.

Seol-hwa seemed to realize only belatedly that she was crying. She rubbed at her eyes, but there was no sign of the tears stopping anytime soon.

"…Honestly."

I set the bag down, pulled her body toward me, and held her close.

"Don't cry in little drips. Just let it all out at once."

Come to think of it, I'd never properly seen this girl cry. She'd gotten teary-eyed before, but all I could remember were those choked-back sobs — the kind that leaked out of a clogged faucet, where she desperately held the sadness in.

"Be spoiled. I'm fine with it."

I patted her back and told her to just cry it out properly, and from within my arms came only the sound of quiet sobbing.

"…Sorry. Out of nowhere."

I don't know how much time passed. Only when I felt the dampness against my chest did Seol-hwa lift her head and speak.

"I'm the one who told you to."

So don't worry about it, I said, and poked her forehead.

…I had a rough idea of the reason.

"…I've never had a birthday celebrated before."

"I figured."

Her voice still carried a sadness that hadn't fully drained away.

I wanted to say don't mind it… but that would have been too much to ask.

A bitter feeling seemed to rise all the way up my throat.

Patting Seol-hwa's back, I looked up at the ceiling with a sigh and answered.

"I didn't know."

Her arms wrapped tightly around my waist.

"A birthday… being able to be celebrated for one… I had no idea it could make someone this happy."

"Get used to it soon," I said, and Seol-hwa, still wearing her tear-streaked face, smiled brightly and replied, "…I will."

"By the way, it looks like a lot."

"It actually is a lot. That Eun-ha piled on all kinds of extras."

Moisturizer, sunscreen, lotion, even the wallet I'd had my eye on… I'd ended up buying so much I could barely talk about it. All because she'd butted in with "A girl needs these!" and insisted that since we were already there, we might as well knock it all out.

"She paid for half. She said to tell you happy birthday."

"…Yeah. I have to make sure to thank her tomorrow."

"I can already picture Eun-ha making a huge fuss tomorrow~"

Seol-hwa just laughed — ahaha — but she couldn't exactly deny it either.

"…Is there something else in here?"

Seol-hwa pulled out the box I'd tucked at the very bottom of the bag and tilted her head, which made me flinch before I could stop myself.

"What is this?"

"…My prejudice and my arbitrary decision."

"…Is it okay if I open it?" At her question, I nodded without a word.

She carefully unwrapped it, and what emerged was a small rabbit plushie.

"…I bought it on my own."

Girls like stuffed animals, right? That was the kind of preconceived notion that had made me snatch it up without thinking.

…Of course, if Eun-ha had caught me, she would have teased me mercilessly, so I'd bought it on the way back.

"If you don't like it…"

"That's not true!!"

A sudden blast of volume slammed into my eardrums. I grabbed my ringing ears, about to say that was a relief — and then froze solid.

"…Thank you. I'll treasure it."

Watching Seol-hwa hug the plushie with a radiant smile, as if she couldn't contain her joy, a certain line from before floated unbidden into my mind.

(Have you ever thought Seol-hwa was cute?)

There was no other word that could describe the sight before my eyes.

My heart was pounding far too hard. All I could do was silently pray that the girl clutching that plushie so tightly wouldn't notice.