Sora's POV
After finishing my last tarot reading at the plaza, I headed straight to the restaurant Yejin and Hanna had reserved. But the moment I arrived, the waitress led me past the main dining area. And then past another one.
I frowned. "Um, excuse me," I said, gently tugging at her sleeve to stop her. "Where exactly are you taking me? Our reservation is only for four people. This looks like the VIP section."
She smiled, completely unbothered by the worry creeping into my voice. "Yes, ma'am. The reservation is for a VIP room. The food has already been ordered and will be served shortly. Right this way, please."
My heart dropped straight to my stomach.
There had to be some mistake! There was absolutely no way I could afford a VIP room. I was already mentally calculating how fast I could apologize and back out when the waitress knocked.
The door opened—
—and before I could react, hands reached out, grabbed me, and pulled me inside.
"Happy 35th birthday, Sora!"
The room exploded with cheers, music, and laughter. My breathing hit a pause as my lips stretched into a wide, uncontrollable smile. Instantly, my worries about the bill vanished into thin air.
It's my day today. I should only think of myself, even if it's just for tonight.
Today I turn thirty-five. Widowed, single, alone, and swimming in debt that shouldn't been there in the first place if things didn't go south.
But it's okay, I have my friends with me. Just a handful of people, but true friends. They are the family that I chose, born from my heart. Our blood may not be related, but our souls are.
Yejin was already on the karaoke mic, belting out "Happy Birthday" like she was auditioning for a concert. Hanna stood in front of me, holding a round cake glowing with lit candles, her eyes shining with genuine happiness.
Behind her, Nari shook a tambourine with dramatic flair, dancing like a TV show contestant.
And then I saw them. People I never thought I'd see in the same room again.
My cousin Jeri, who lived overseas. Our high school best friends—May and Michiko, now wives and mothers living in different faraway cities. And Penny… my fourth husband's sister.
All of them are here for me, on my birthday.
It felt unreal. Like the universe had paused just long enough to give me something rare and precious.
When the song ended, Hanna stepped closer, smiling. "Make a wish and blow out the candles!"
I clasped my hands, closed my eyes, and let my chest fill with everything I'd been holding in for years.
'Dear universe… please let me be happy. From today onwards.'
It was a simple wish. And somehow, the hardest one.
I blew out the candles, and the room erupted again, cheers, hugs, party horns, the tambourine clanging wildly. Gifts were pressed into my hands, arms wrapped around me one after another, and I laughed until my cheeks hurt.
"Oh my gosh," I said, my voice full with emotion. I was smiling yet teary-eyed. "What are you all doing here?"
"Yejin told us your plans," Michiko said gently. "And since this might be your last birthday here, we thought we couldn't miss it. We wanted to make it special."
May stepped forward with a grin. "Also, it's a perfect excuse to escape our families, even if it's just for one night."
Penny hooked her arm around mine. "I'll tell you a little secret… Don't worry about the bill. It's my brother's money. Order anything you want, the sky is the limit!"
Laughter filled the room again, warm, loud, and alive.
The moment the food arrived, we attacked the table like we hadn't eaten in days. Three straight hours of tarot readings had drained every ounce of energy from me. But honestly, nothing in this world heals exhaustion faster than good food and alcohol.
"Drink more, Sora! Cheers!" Nari declared, already refilling my glass with soju like it was her sole goal in life.
"Hey! Someone keep an eye on this girl," I laughed, sliding the unopened bottles away from her. "If she gets too drunk, her husband will scold me. And I refuse to carry a wobbling 18-year-old woman up the stairs later."
"It's you who needs to drink, birthday girl," Yejin said, lifting her own glass with a grin. "Since this might be your last birthday here… we prepared something special."
'Uh-oh. That doesn't sound good if it came from Yejin.'
The excitement from the girls immediately erupted, tambourine shaking, hands drumming against the table, laughter bouncing off the walls. Yejin turned up the music, and that's when I noticed Hanna standing beside the thick red velvet curtains I was certain hadn't been there earlier.
My stomach fluttered. Curtains meant secrets. Secrets meant trouble. And with my friends here all together and drunk, trouble was always loud.
Yejin joined Hanna on the other side of the room and clapped her hands. "Ready, girls?"
Everyone started clapping to the beat, cheering like we were about to witness a magic show.
"This is for you, Sora," Hanna said, winking at me. "Because we love you, and because you deserve it."
Then, together, they pulled the curtain cord.
The red velvet slid open.
My eyes widened. My jaw dropped. I slapped both hands over my mouth before the sound could escape.
"Oh. My. God."
The room exploded.
Shrieks, laughter, squeals so high-pitched they could've shattered glass, like a bunch of teenage girls spotting their favorite K-pop idols in the front row of a concert.
In that moment, my heart was racing, my cheeks aching from smiling so hard. I knew this was the best birthday celebration I had ever had in my entire life.
Before I could even catch my breath, the five young men who were revealed by the curtains turned around in a blur of movement and music. In perfect sync, they ripped their shirts off, and one was thrown to me with a wink; others hit the floor as they started lip-syncing and dancing with shameless confidence. Whatever song was playing never even reached my brain.
Because my brain had officially shut down.
All that existed were sculpted abs, strong arms, and bodies that looked like they'd been carved into perfection, something engineered. My mouth betrayed me, squealing and laughing as I cheered along with everyone else, completely unashamed.
They moved fast, lifting tables and chairs out of the way until only a single chair remained in the center of the room.
They started doing their moves, and they were down to just their pants now. Cargo, leather, and three pairs of denim in different washes and cuts. Accessories made them even more ridiculously handsome and charming: a cowboy hat here, a baseball cap there, anime-style wigs with splashes of face paint that made them look like they'd stepped straight out of a colored manhwa novel.
One of them reached for my hand and gently guided me forward, sitting me down like I was some kind of queen. Or maybe I am, since they put a pretty tiara on my head.
And just when I thought my heart couldn't take any more—
The five dancers slid aside as part of their choreography.
Another curtain opened. I peeked at what's behind me.
Three more men turned toward us.
One wore sunglasses indoors like a blind man or perhaps a member of Men-in-Black. One had the face paint of my favorite anime character, of all things. Surely Yejin requested that.
And the one in the middle… wore a half masquerade mask, mysterious and unfairly attractive, with a very, very seductive body. He was wearing a denim jacket but shirtless underneath, and a low-hanging, fitted, worn-out pair of jeans with the zipper unzipped, showing his perfect V-shaped torso that just made me drool.
Gods, I'm in heaven!
Chaos... it is an absolute chaos, before my chair was suddenly turned around to face them completely.
The man in a masquerade mask lifted my hand and pressed a kiss to my knuckles.
"This one's for you, baby girl," he murmured, making everyone shriek, including me.
Then the lights went out.
The room was swallowed by darkness, except for glowing laser swords that traced the silhouettes and curves of those impossibly hot men.
The girls screamed, squealed, and nearly lost their minds as the dancers slowly advanced toward me.
I brought my hands to my burning cheeks, my whole body buzzing with embarrassment, but at the same time, excitement rushing through my veins like electricity.
Dear Lord!!!
What is even happening right now?
Wait… Am I in heaven?