Chapter 71

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Translator: penny

Chapter: 71

Chapter Title: Party? (2)

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"W-What do we do?"

I hadn't even finished tidying up the house, let alone prepared a birthday surprise, and Miss So-jeong was already on her way back. I had to do something right now...!

"I-Il-ho! Fireworks first!"

At my words, Il-ho swiftly grabbed a firework in each hand and handed one to me.

Ding-dong—click.

The sound of the door lock disengaging was followed immediately by the doorknob turning.

We rushed to the entryway. And the moment Miss So-jeong stepped inside,

"H-Happy birthday!"

Bang! Bang!

Two fireworks popped, but only one shot toward Miss So-jeong. Il-ho had held hers backward and ended up covered head to toe in confetti.

And Miss So-jeong...

"...?"

She stood there with confetti draped over her head, her face full of confusion.

Then, a noise came from the kitchen.

Bubble bubble, splat, whoosh!

"Huh?"

Just as I started to voice my bewilderment, Yu So-jeong shot into action like a bullet.

Whoosh!

A ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gust of wind brushed past me as Yu So-jeong vanished from sight.

Click.

The sound of the gas stove lever turning. I spun around toward her.

Yu So-jeong quickly shut off the gas valve and smothered the flames with a wet dishcloth.

The fire died down soon after, and the bubbling noises quieted.

Only then did she slowly turn to survey the scene behind her.

"......"

Her cold gaze swept across the room.

Overflowing pots, green seaweed monsters colonizing the sink, chopping board debris scattered on the floor, splattered sesame oil everywhere, and in the living room, burst balloons and firework remnants rolling around.

She seemed speechless at the utter disaster of the house.

Il-ho and I hung our heads like guilty children, fidgeting with our fingers.

"Um... that is..."

I was definitely in for it. We'd almost started a fire, after all.

I had nothing to say, even if I had ten mouths. I sulked, tucking my imaginary tail between my legs, awaiting judgment.

"Lady Da-yoon."

"Y-Yes...?"

"What is all this?"

Her voice didn't sound angry so much as utterly baffled by the situation.

I mumbled a reply in a shrinking voice.

"T-Today... it's your birthday, Miss So-jeong."

"......?"

"So... we were trying to throw a surprise party... I was making seaweed soup, but the seaweed kept expanding..."

She fixed her gaze on me and blinked blankly.

"Birthday... you say?"

She frowned for a moment, then her expression shifted to one of realization.

"...I see. So today is my birthday."

Her tone was matter-of-fact, as if it were no big deal—but that only pricked at my conscience even more.

How busy must she be to forget her own birthday?

"I'm sorry... I made such a mess..."

It was my fault, but tears welled up anyway, and my throat tightened. I bowed my head to hide my face.

Then Yu So-jeong knelt down to meet my eyes.

"No need."

I looked up to find the faintest, but unmistakable, smile on her lips.

She rolled up her sleeves and headed into the kitchen.

"Please wait a moment. I'll clean this up in no time."

"N-No! It's your birthday—you shouldn't have to work! I'll do it!"

I tried to stop her in a panic, but Yu So-jeong replied firmly.

"I'll handle it."

"...Okay."

Seeing the mess I'd made, I couldn't bring myself to argue.

If I tried, it'd probably take ten times longer.

'Or make it even worse.'

She set about tidying up with practiced efficiency.

She corralled the escaping seaweed back into the pots, wiped up the overflowed broth, cleared the floor of chopping boards and veggie scraps. Her speed was like she had a Cleaning skill or something.

And she didn't stop at just cleaning.

She divided the remaining seaweed into two pots, added water, opened a can of tuna and discarded the liquid, added soy sauce for soup...

Like watching a cooking show, the "non-food" transformed into actual food in seconds flat.

Bubble bubble...

While the soup boiled, she finished cleaning the surroundings and disposed of the unsalvageable seaweed. Soon, a rich, savory aroma replaced the burnt smell.

"Wow..."

I just watched from beyond the kitchen like it was a magic show. Il-ho too, of course.

"Dinner is served."

Yu So-jeong arranged steaming bowls of seaweed soup and side dishes from the fridge on the table.

The birthday girl serving her own birthday meal. It was a bit unconventional, but hey, it was complete.

"Let's eat!"

Miss So-jeong took the first bite, and I followed suit, lifting my spoon. A sip of the broth revealed a surprisingly clean, deep flavor.

I had no idea how she'd salvaged it from my seaweed monsters and saltwater disaster.

After a delicious meal, something occurred to me.

The secret weapon in the fridge!

This wasn't something I'd cooked, so no way to ruin it!

"Hold on just a sec!"

I jumped up and dashed to the fridge.

"The birthday dinner... failed, but that's not all! The highlight's still coming!"

"Highlight?"

I shoved aside the stuff in another compartment to reveal the carefully stored white box.

"Ta-da!"

I carried the box back to the table in both hands. My wings fluttered excitedly on their own.

"Il-ho and I picked the yummiest-looking one together!"

I set the box on the table and looked at Yu So-jeong expectantly.

"Open it up!"

"Yes."

Yu So-jeong neatly unpacked the box.

"......?"

The top opened, revealing the contents, but there was no reaction.

Why? It was definitely a delicious-looking cake!

Perplexed, I peered inside the box.

"Huh?"

The cake I remembered wasn't there.

It had been a fancy one with smooth chocolate coating and pretty fruit toppings, but now it looked like someone had mashed it by hand—a giant blob of cream.

The chocolate was crumbled haphazardly like building rubble, fruits buried like they'd been planted underground, and the cake base had slid to one side, separated from the cream.

"Ah..."

I hadn't even thought of it, but it must've gotten jostled on the way home. I'd been so excited, I'd practically skipped.

"Th-This... it was really pretty originally? For real, it was..."

Everything was ruined. I'd made Miss So-jeong cook the soup, and now the cake was hideous.

Il-ho looked flustered too.

Then Yu So-jeong picked up a fork, scooped some chocolate cream from the box's side, and tasted it.

"Mm."

She chewed thoughtfully and said,

"Delicious."

"Huh?"

"The appearance is a bit off, but the taste is excellent. It's the chocolate flavor I like."

There wasn't a hint of disappointment on her face.

"Thank you. It's my first time receiving a cake like this."

"Th-That's not a compliment, is it...?"

"It is. What matters most is the thought behind it."

Her words warmed my heart, but I changed the subject out of embarrassment.

"W-Well then, I'll stick the candles in. Il-ho, six little ones."

Two large candles, six small ones.

Eight candles rose crookedly from the mangled cake, each pointing in random directions after finding semi-stable spots.

"I'll light them."

"Lighters are dangerous. Allow me."

"It's fine. I'm resistant to heat."

"The house isn't."

"Oh."

I lit the candles with the lighter, and warm flickers danced ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠over the sorry cake.

Once lit, it actually created a decent atmosphere. The darkening sky outside made the candlelight sparkle beautifully.

"Happy birthday~ Happy birthday~"

Il-ho clapped along as I sang.

"Happy birthday to our dear Miss So-jeong~!"

Clap clap clap clap clap!

With resounding applause, we passed the turn to Yu So-jeong.

"Make a wish and blow!"

Foo—

A short puff from Yu So-jeong extinguished the flames. A ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠faint whiff of smoke mingled with the scent of birthday cheer.

"Did you make a wish?"

"Yes. I did."

"What'd you wish for?"

"That's a secret."

She playfully pressed her index finger to her lips.

We dug into the smooshed cake with spoons. It looked awful, but as Miss So-jeong said, it tasted amazing. Sweet chocolate and creamy goodness filled my mouth.

Then I remembered something I'd overlooked.

"Oh right!"

I hadn't prepared a birthday gift! I should've started with that.

But in moments like this, my brain kicked into gear. The best gift I could give Miss So-jeong—I bolted to my room to make it.

I grabbed a sticky note, decorated it with colored pencils and a marker for a cool design, wrote carefully with professional flair.

Finally, I taped it and coated it neatly with Artisan's Touch.

In just three minutes, I had a small card ready. I dashed back to Miss So-jeong.

"Miss So-jeong, your birthday gift."

"This is..."

"It's a Wish Voucher! Keep it safe and use it when you really need it!"

"...Thank you. It's truly a wonderful gift."

Glad she liked my hastily made present.

She examined the card closely, then tucked it into her wallet with the care one gives a treasure.

Suddenly, Il-ho stood and started massaging Miss So-jeong's shoulders.

"What's up?"

Il-ho held up her pre-written whiteboard.

"Pfft, yeah! That's good too!"

But Miss So-jeong's face as she received the massage wasn't exactly pleased.

"...Miss Il-ho. Thank you for the massage, but could you ease up a bit?"

"......!"

Il-ho yanked her hands back in surprise.

...Come to think of it, Il-ho's physical strength was B+-rank. She nearly crushed Miss So-jeong's shoulders.

Miss So-jeong endured the adjusted massage for a while longer before thanking her.

It wasn't perfect—no, it was a total mess.

But that made it an even more memorable, awesome birthday party.

An hour later, Miss So-jeong sat on the sofa, checking her phone.

- KakaoTalk!

I glanced over at the notification chime. She wore an incredulous expression.

"What message is it?"

"...A birthday gift giftcon from Miss Yeon Geum-hee."

She showed me the screen.

"Jeez..."

Is this woman's head filled only with thoughts of harvesting my body parts?

"Was she always this weird?"

"...Not from the start. When I first took over her case, she was just a timid girl."

Hmm. I definitely won't end up like that.