Chapter 28: The Birthday That Felt Too Warm  

I lost all strength in an instant.

The heat that had been building up inside my chest burst out as a long sigh.

He looked perfectly fine, completely unlike what I was afraid of.

I must have overreacted because those strange people came earlier today.

“…It’s my birthday…?”

“Ugh… I knew you’d forget.

Stop only remembering my birthday and remember yours too, yeah?”

I had completely forgotten.

It’s not like birthdays are that important anyway.

I guess I’m just not the sentimental type, so I never really understood celebrating it every year.

I only cared about Jae-yul’s birthday because he’s him.

“Hurry and blow out the candles.

I brought a strawberry cake, your favorite.

Make a wish.”

“A wish… for what.

I’m already fine as I am.”

The top of the cake was covered in big strawberries.

Every year, Jae-yul always bought me this same kind of cake for my birthday.

I still don’t know why he thinks I like strawberries.

“Then I’ll make the wish, so you just blow out the candles.”

“What kind of logic is that?”

“Does it matter who makes the wish?

Anyone can do it.”

…Fine.

Let him do whatever he wants.

I let him be and just blew out the candles.

“But… why did you rush in without taking off your shoes?”

“Huh…? Ah, the light at the entrance wouldn’t turn on, so I thought something happened…”

“Sorry.

I kept meaning to fix it and forgot.

We’ll eat first, then I’ll change the bulb.

Come on, let’s eat.

I made seaweed soup too.”

With one hand holding the cake and the other grabbing my wrist, he led me to the table.

Somehow, his cooking skills kept improving.

The table was already full — gambas with shrimp, vongole pasta, ricotta cheese salad.

And seaweed soup, though it didn’t exactly match the others.

Jae-yul was always better at Western food than Korean.

The same kid who couldn’t even fry an egg properly once… now he was like this.

It made me proud enough to ache.

“…You have a competition soon.

Why bother making all of this?

We could’ve just bought something simple.”

“It’s your birthday.

You’re supposed to eat at home.

And you always make something even nicer for my birthday.”

He remembered my birthday even when I forgot it myself.

He made time, cooked, prepared all this.

How does he always pick the sweetest thing to do?

Even when I never asked for it—

My chest felt warm and itchy.

“Thanks, really… Jae-yul.”

So I had to say it from the heart.

In the five years I’ve spent with him in this life, I experienced so many things the old me never did in 32 years.

If I had known something as simple as sharing a meal… or a mere birthday could feel this comforting…

Maybe I wouldn’t have lived such a hard life back then.

“Me too, hyung.

Here, this is your present.”

While I was drowning in emotion, he held something out.

…A familiar wrapping.

A black box tied with a white ribbon.

The same box I saw hidden in his closet yesterday.

“…This is… for me?”

“You always wear the same old stuff I gave you or the same clothes over and over.

It bothered me.

So I bought something I thought would suit you.”

“Hey… where’d you even get the money…”

I was just never picky about clothes.

As long as I was warm or cool enough, it didn’t matter.

Who was I trying to impress anyway.

I opened it carefully, making sure not to tear the wrapping.

Inside was a white hoodie.

Half-open design with buttons near the chest.

“Hey… I’m not a kid…”

“You’re young.

You’re twenty-two.

That’s young.

And it’ll look good on you.”

I held the hoodie up.

A little oversized.

…And honestly, I kind of liked it.

I’d never worn something like this before… but maybe it’d be nice.

I put it on right over the clothes I was wearing.

“Does it suit me?”

“…Oh? Yeah.

It looks good.”

…This bastard hesitated.

He even looked away.

So it must not look good.

Why buy kid clothes for me in the first place—!

“Let’s just eat, hyung.”

He even changed the subject.

This kid is still terrible at lying….

“Hyung, what is all this?”

We had finished eating and were resting when he called from the entrance while replacing the bulb.

Ah.

I forgot.

“Oh— those are for you.

I totally forgot because of dinner.”

Time for today’s overspending… no, gift delivery.

I grabbed the bags I left by the door and brought them to the living room.

“All this…? But it’s not even my birthday.”

“Yeah, well…”

I began taking out the clothes one by one… then stopped.

Because now I knew.

He bought my present thinking I deserved it.

While I bought his present thinking he had someone he liked.

I had planned to say, “Wear these on your date.”
But now… saying that would be ridiculous.

“Just… a spring gift.”

“…A spring gift?

What does that even mean.

Hyung, you don’t need to buy me all this.

I’m already happy just being like this.”

He didn’t fall for the lie.

He used to be happy with any gift when he was younger…

But I couldn’t tell him I bought these because I misunderstood.

“…Still, thanks.

They’re all nice.”

“You like them…?”

“Yeah.

You even got me a new phone…?”

“Yours was from middle school.

It was time.

Kids these days all use newer ones.”

He thanked me, but his expression didn’t look good.

Even after five years, he was still the same.

When I spend money on him, he gets uncomfortable.

Even though there’s no need anymore.

It always makes something tighten in my chest.

“Gifts are just meant to be accepted.

If you don’t take it, I won’t take my birthday present either.”

“That’s such unfair logic, hyung… haah…

No, okay.

Thanks.

I’ll use it and think of you when I do.”

Good.

I didn’t have to argue today.

Maybe he’s letting it slide because it’s my birthday.

“…But I have a favor too.”

This was unusual.

He rarely asked for favors.

If he was hesitating this much, it must have been hard for him to say.

It reminded me of how small he was when he was younger.

It made him look strangely cute.

“What is it?

You need money?”

“No.

Tomorrow’s my match.”

“…Ah.

Already?

This one’s the national competition, right.”

“Yeah.

So… I’d like it if you came to cheer for me…”

Ah.

I had been too thoughtless.

I hadn’t gone to many of his competitions.

I just assumed he’d do well, because he always did.

And I always used being busy as an excuse.

But even now… he still wanted someone cheering for him.

“I’ll go.

Of course I’ll go.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen my Jae-yul show off.”

The moment I said it, he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around me.

“Thanks, hyung.

Sorry for asking when you’re busy.”

“Don’t be sorry.

If anything, I’m the one who didn’t pay enough attention.”

Other students had parents cheering for them.

But he… almost always stood on the mat alone.

Realizing that now made my heart heavier than anything.

Tomorrow, I’ll go.

And I’ll cheer until my voice breaks.

“I’m really happy, hyung.”

He tightened his hold and buried his face into my neck.

I couldn’t see his expression, but I could feel he was smiling.

“Ppoppi, let’s go.”

I couldn’t check the exact time inside the Gate, but we should have enough.

I had already marked this Gate days ago.

A large one appeared near home, so the news had made noise for days.

The subjugation was long, but it just finished.

I came to gather Petra before heading to his match.

From the big monster corpse, I got a bright white Petra.

Clear color = good effect.

Not as great as the blue one I fed him after he awakened as X, but still valuable.

I felt light just from holding it.

“Woof!”

“Sorry.

Walk later.

I’m really busy today.”

I still had time, but I needed to dress decently and go to the venue.

Buy flowers.

Choose a restaurant for after.

Just thinking about seeing him fight again made me excited.

“Woof! Woof!”

“What?

What is it, Ppoppi?”

Suddenly Ppoppi sprinted.

Twice as fast as usual.

I grabbed his mane tightly and leaned forward.

Something was wrong.

Whenever he acted like this—

Something was wrong.

“We’re almost there— slow down…!”

I saw the Gate exit.

But the closer we got… the smaller the light became.

Not larger.

Smaller.

“Ppoppi—! Run!

Faster!”

The Gate was closing.

He had been running because he noticed it.

I urged him too late.

The light disappeared right before we reached it.

“…What…?”

The Gate had already collapsed.

We were trapped inside.