The two of them entered the cafe lounge inside the apartment complex.

After closing hours, the cafe was empty, with wide sofas and small lights illuminating various spots.

“This place looks good.”

They had entered to take photos, but Kim Chae Won took out a small bread bag she had bought at the convenience store earlier, instead of her phone.

A small, palm-sized bread as white as rice cake was placed on the flat leather sofa along with its wrapper.

If she was particularly hungry and wanted to eat the bread right away, it would be understandable, but Kim Chae Won was just neatly arranging the bread as if she were about to take a picture.

“What are you doing?”

Choi Yoo Gun tilted his head at her inexplicable behavior.

“Choi Yoo Gun, do you happen to have a lighter?”

“No.”

Kim Chae Won found something under the bread wrapper and exclaimed “Ah!” with a bright smile.

“Fortunately, there are matches here too.”

Crouching in front of the chair, Kim Chae Won took out a birthday candle and stuck it into the bread.

“I looked it up, and convenience stores these days are really amazing. I was a bit worried this small cake bread with a candle might be sold out. There are no open bakeries at this hour, and it would be boring to celebrate without a cake.”

Choi Yoo Gun finally realized that Kim Chae Won was making a birthday cake for him.

When she suddenly bought a bread at the convenience store earlier, saying it was delicious, he just thought she had bought a snack she liked.

He didn’t expect that small bread to contain a candle and matches, turning into a cake, but most of all, he hadn’t guessed at all that the reason she suddenly wanted to take pictures again was to celebrate like this.

Rustle rustle. Choi Yoo Gun quietly watched Kim Chae Won busying herself alone, then lowered his gaze and asked.

“How did you know it was my birthday?”

“I’ve become incredibly close with Secretary Ahn lately.”

Kim Chae Won concentrated on lighting the candle. The orange flame gave off a diamond-shaped light.

“Don’t misunderstand. It’s your birthday today, so I thought there should naturally be a celebratory photo for your grandmother… So I’m just taking a birthday-concept photo.”

The small bread with the lit candle played its role no less than a cake, creating quite an atmosphere.

“That spot over there would be better.”

Kim Chae Won looked around and moved the lit bread to a bar-style table.

“It’s a 2,200 won cake, but it’s pretty good, right? They say this bread is quite tasty too.”

Kim Chae Won was busy by herself, even under Choi Yoo Gun’s steady gaze.

“Ah, let’s take a photo quickly before the candle melts!”

After hurriedly setting the timer, Kim Chae Won held her phone and naturally tilted her head towards Choi Yoo Gun’s shoulder to take the picture.

Even though Choi Yoo Gun couldn’t properly look at the camera, his gaze fixed on Kim Chae Won, she lowered her phone as if the task was now complete.

As if the photo wasn’t important to her in the first place.

“Oh, the candle is melting.”

Kim Chae Won tugged on Choi Yoo Gun’s sleeve.

“What are you doing? Hurry and make a wish.”

With his gaze that had never left her for a moment, Choi Yoo Gun soon made a brazen request.

“What about the song?”

The corners of Kim Chae Won’s smiling mouth dropped awkwardly.

“Pardon?”

“You should sing the birthday song too.”

His expressionless face was saying it as if it were natural.

Kim Chae Won looked at him with a bewildered expression before letting out a small laugh.

“I really think there’s no one as brazen as you among the people I know, Choi Yoo Gun. Asking for a song too. From someone who called a person at the gym to celebrate like this on your birthday.”

With one hand in his pocket, Choi Yoo Gun said with the same brazen face.

“I don’t feel like it’s my birthday unless I hear the song.”

“…Wow.”

What’s with this guy, really.

He makes such a request without even blinking, let alone showing gratitude?

Maybe I should have just left him alone. Let him build muscles by himself on his birthday or not.

But as she saw the candle slowly melting, Kim Chae Won felt inexplicably urgent.

“Do I really have to sing?”

His head nodded slightly.

Somehow, there was an expectant look in his eyes too.

After biting her lip and hesitating, Kim Chae Won finally cleared her throat once.

Thinking to just sing it like giving alms, in a very small voice.

“Happy… birth… day.”

Thinking ‘What am I doing right now’ with an awkward expression.

Clapping her hands slightly out of sync as they naturally came together.

“Happy… birth… day.”

Thinking that this really doesn’t seem right no matter how she looks at it.

With her gaze lowered without sincerity.

“My beloved.”

Kim Chae Won stopped singing, startled by the sound from her own mouth.

Blinking slowly a couple of times, Kim Chae Won soon modified the lyrics.

“No, just Choi Yoo Gun who lives next door. Happy birthday.”

She ended up singing it all.

Regret washed over her, but the birthday song was shorter than she thought.

With her face slightly flushed, Kim Chae Won glanced at him.

Unlike before, a smile hung on his lips as he looked at Kim Chae Won.

While looking at him, thinking about the meaning of that smile, he spoke.

“I didn’t know, but you’re tone-deaf.”

Snap. Kim Chae Won’s brow quickly furrowed.

It’s true that she’s tone-deaf, but to openly say so at this moment when he should be grateful.

“You should be touched that I sang anyway, what’s this… You’re just laughing. Are you mocking me right now?”

“Of course not.”

“Then why are you laughing? I was being sincere.”

“Because it’s adorable.”

Words and a gaze that would be natural between lovers.

She looks into his eyes, wondering if he’s just saying it casually or if he really thinks that way.

In his eyes, which rarely wavered, she found herself warmly reflected.

Feeling that it was genuine, Kim Chae Won soon relaxed her expression and said.

“I’ve heard that so much since I was young that it’s tiresome. I’m just naturally that kind of style.”

Looking at the candle that had almost burned down, Kim Chae Won said in an urgent voice.

“Oh oh, quickly make a wish. The candle’s about to go out!”

Choi Yoo Gun’s eyes, which had been fixed on Kim Chae Won all along, finally moved to the birthday candle.

His expression quickly turned serious as he looked at the candle, as if really making a wish.

“Hurry and blow it out!”

At Kim Chae Won’s urging, Choi Yoo Gun soon extinguished the flame with a short breath.

Smoke rose gently.

Kim Chae Won, feeling as if she had finally completed a long-delayed homework, asked Choi Yoo Gun with a satisfied feeling.

“You made a wish, right?”

“Yes.”

“What was it? Business success? Or to surely receive your grandmother’s inheritance?”

“For Kim Hee Joo to wake up.”

The smile on Kim Chae Won’s lips stiffened.

Straightening her wavering gaze, Kim Chae Won asked in a solemn voice.

“Why? Why such a wish.”

“Because she’s someone precious to you.”

More questions poured from her heart at the gaze they shared.

His eyes were serious too, as if there was no joking.

Until the security guard came on patrol soon after, they didn’t look away from each other’s gaze for even a moment.

*

Kim Chae Won, getting off the elevator, looked at her own door and then turned to Choi Yoo Gun.

“You know, Choi Yoo Gun.”

Choi Yoo Gun faced her in response to her voice.

“Make some friends. What is this on your birthday.”

“I liked it though.”

“What’s there to like? Getting all wet tilting your umbrella trying to be a gentleman, spending a completely shabby birthday in the apartment’s common area, ending up like this at midnight… How can a company CEO spend their birthday so pathetically? You should gather all the stars from your agency, even if you have to rent something, and have a glamorous party.”

“If I did that, I wouldn’t have been able to hear Kim Chae Won’s song.”

She really regrets singing.

Kim Chae Won turned her head, hiding her embarrassed feelings.

“When did you tease me about being tone-deaf.”

Pfft. He laughed silently.

Kim Chae Won lifted her wrist to check the time.

She’s thinking of going home now.

“Anyway, happy birthday. I’m going in.”

She thought he would say one of these three things: okay, sleep well, thank you, but there was no answer.

As if not wanting to let her go.

Intentionally not looking at him, Kim Chae Won gave her final greeting.

“Sleep well.”

She intends to go in even if he doesn’t answer.

As she turned around as she had resolved, he grabbed her arm.

“But.”

Feeling her heart sink, Kim Chae Won turned her head.

Following his strength that slowly pulled her while holding on, Kim Chae Won had to face him closely.

“What about the present?”

He doesn’t let go of the arm he’s grabbed.

As he took one more step closer, the distance narrowed so much that she had to look up.

Kim Chae Won naturally raised her head.

Looking closely into each other’s eyes, Kim Chae Won knew that he was actually saying something else.

“Choi Yoo Gun, you’re… a very brazen person.”

“I tend not to miss opportunities.”

Choi Yoo Gun’s hand that was holding her arm naturally touched Kim Chae Won’s cheek and waist.

Kim Chae Won’s eyelashes trembled slightly at the unfamiliar heat.

“I think this would be enough for me.”

His thumb that was resting on her chin while cupping her face slightly brushed Kim Chae Won’s lower lip.

In a state of close contact that made it difficult even to breathe, Kim Chae Won asked with wavering eyes.

“…Don’t make another mistake, us.”

“Who says it’s a mistake?”

“That day’s incident, you thought it was a mistake too, right? That’s why you haven’t mentioned it until now.”

“I’ve never made a mistake, I was just being considerate.”

The hand that was touching her more explicitly traced her red lips.

Kim Chae Won looked into his black eyes, unable to exhale the breath she had inhaled.

His lips, tilting his head, came closer, narrowing the distance even more.

“You know, we can’t call it a mistake twice.”

Because he was staying at a distance that seemed like he might touch her at any moment, Kim Chae Won couldn’t even move her lips to say anything.

In fact, she had lost her judgment from the moment he grabbed her arm.

“From now on, even if you say something different tomorrow, I won’t let it slide.”

Choi Yoo Gun captured Kim Chae Won’s red lips.

The softly overlapping sensation relentlessly penetrated Kim Chae Won.

Choi Yoo Gun mixed their lips a little deeper and pulled Kim Chae Won’s waist tightly against him.

Hot breaths intertwined.

Choi Yoo Gun kissed her explicitly and intensely, to the point where it could no longer be definitely called a mistake.

Pressed together so that she couldn’t escape, he melted her with hot breath as if demanding her to acknowledge it.