The next evening, Ji-Ah stood in front of the small house holding a key.
Not an apartment building.
A real house.
Small. Quiet. Standing alone like it had its own little bubble of peace.
She unlocked the door and stepped inside.
The moment she entered, she stopped.
"…Wait."
The living room looked familiar.
Too familiar.
Her couch.
Her little bookshelf.
The ridiculous pile of plushies she kept claiming she did not own that many of.
Her eyes widened.
"What—"
Her phone buzzed in her hand.
The screen read: Ha-Joon.
She answered immediately.
"Hello?"
"Well?" his voice asked calmly.
Ji-Ah turned in a slow circle inside the living room.
"The house is great," she said.
Her tone was softer today.
A little tired.
Yesterday still hung quietly in her voice.
She leaned against the wall and sighed.
"…How did you know what I liked?"
A pause.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
She poked one of the plushies on the couch.
"The plushies."
Another pause.
Then his calm answer.
"I kind of figured it out."
Ji-Ah stared at the stuffed bear like it had betrayed her.
"…You went through my stuff."
Silence.
Then his voice again.
"You're welcome."
She rolled her eyes, but a tiny smile appeared anyway.
"…Thank you."
Then she hung up before he could respond.
The house went quiet again.
Ji-Ah looked around.
"…Okay."
She clapped her hands once.
"Birthday mission."
She walked straight into the kitchen and tied on an apron.
The kitchen had everything.
Flour.
Sugar.
Eggs.
Even the exact cake pan she liked.
She raised an eyebrow.
"…He really did plan this."
Music started playing from her phone on the counter.
First song.
Still With You.
Ji-Ah smiled faintly and started mixing ingredients.
Flour everywhere.
Chocolate batter.
Sugar accidentally spilling.
Soon the playlist jumped from soft sad songs to chaotic energetic ones.
She danced slightly while stirring.
Then suddenly paused halfway.
Her chest tightened for a moment.
Earth used to sit on the counter and watch her bake.
She stared at the empty spot.
"…Idiot cat," she murmured quietly.
Then she wiped her hands and kept baking.
No crying today.
Not tonight.
Tonight was for friends.
An hour later the cake was done.
Dinner finished.
Wine bottles set neatly on the table.
Ji-Ah washed her hands and ran upstairs.
Outfit change.
Ten minutes later she came down wearing something simple but cute.
She had just finished fixing her hair when—
DING DONG
The doorbell rang.
Ji-Ah grinned.
She ran to the door and opened it.
Outside stood the entire chaos squad.
Do-Yoon.
Soo-Min.
Kai-Wen.
Hea-In.
Even Min-Jea.
And from Hanryeon Foods, Lin and Aiko.
Ji-Ah blinked dramatically.
"Wow."
She opened the door wider.
"We have company."
Then she stepped aside with a big grin.
"Come on in."
She spread her arms proudly.
"Welcome to my home."
The moment the door opened wider, the group spilled inside the house like a cheerful storm.
"Wow," said Hea-In immediately, turning slowly in the living room.
"This place is cute."
Soo-Min nodded while looking around.
"It feels really cozy."
Aiko sniffed the air dramatically.
"Wait… do you guys smell that?"
Lin raised a brow.
"Food."
Kai-Wen placed a hand on his chest.
"My birthday dinner already smells like victory."
Ji-Ah clapped once.
"Alright!"
Everyone looked at her.
"Let's go outside," she said with a grin. "Dinner is ready."
They followed her through the house and out the back door.
The backyard opened into a soft little garden.
Under a small canopy sat a long table with ten chairs arranged neatly around it. Tiny golden lights hung above them like quiet stars, and flowers from the garden surrounded the space with soft color.
The whole place glowed warmly in the evening air.
Everyone stopped.
"Wow," Do-Yoon said softly.
Kai-Wen spun slowly.
"This is beautiful."
Ji-Ah smiled proudly.
"Sit."
They gathered around the table.
The dinner was simple but elegant.
Grilled lemon-herb chicken.Garlic butter shrimp.Fresh salad with roasted almonds and citrus dressing.Creamy pasta with mushrooms and parmesan.Warm bread with olive oil and herbs.
Min-Jea stepped forward, running a hand through his hair dramatically.
"You cooked this?"
Ji-Ah nodded.
His face turned serious.
"Then it must be terrible."
Ji-Ah laughed.
Then her smile dropped instantly.
"Don't start."
He raised both hands.
"Okay okay!"
Everyone sat down.
Glasses were filled.
Ji-Ah lifted her wine glass and looked at Kai-Wen.
"Birthday speech."
Kai-Wen straightened proudly.
She smiled.
"To the most dramatic birthday boy I know."
Everyone chuckled.
"May you keep annoying us for many years."
Kai-Wen wiped an imaginary tear.
"That's beautiful."
"Cheers," Ji-Ah said.
"Cheers!" everyone echoed.
Glasses clinked.
Dinner began.
For a while the table buzzed with conversation.
Work stories.
Office gossip.
Lin complaining about suppliers.
Hea-In teasing Soo-Min about deadlines.
Kai-Wen describing his "legendary" birthday plans for next year.
But slowly someone noticed something.
Ji-Ah wasn't talking much.
She smiled when others joked.
But she stayed quiet.
Finally Soo-Min leaned closer.
"Why are you so quiet?"
Ji-Ah waved it off.
"It's nothing."
Min-Jea sighed and reached over.
He gently cupped her cheeks in his hands.
"Hey."
She blinked at him.
"I'm your best friend," he said softly. "You can tell me."
She hesitated.
Then quietly said,
"Min-Jea…"
Her voice shook slightly.
"Earth died."
Min-Jea froze.
"…What?"
"That little fluff king?" he whispered.
Ji-Ah nodded.
Her eyes stayed dry, but her voice trembled.
"Yesterday."
Someone across the table asked quietly,
"Who's Earth?"
Min-Jea answered softly.
"Her cat."
He looked down at the table.
"The one her mother gave her… before she passed away."
The whole table went silent.
Even the soft lights above seemed to dim a little.
For a moment no one knew what to say.
Then Do-Yoon gently cleared his throat.
"…Should we bring the cake?"
Ji-Ah blinked.
Then a small smile returned.
"Of course."
She stood up.
"I baked it myself."
She pointed a playful finger at them.
"And I designed it too."
Kai-Wen perked up instantly.
"That sounds dangerous."
Ji-Ah laughed lightly.
"Make sure you like it."
She walked toward the house to get the cake.
Behind her, everyone exchanged relieved glances.
At least she was smiling again.