It struck midnight.
The world outside was quiet—save for the distant hum of cars and the occasional urban murmur. Sellzen sat alone by a slow-moving river, its surface catching fragments of starlight. He let out a soft chuckle as he leaned back into the cool grass, eyes turned skyward.
The stars blinked above him—silent witnesses to his thoughts.
"Hmph… what a hassle this all is. On my birthday, no less." He sighed. "People can be so unreasonable… or maybe just too cautious. It's like we're all trapped in some endless genjutsu."
His voice faded, replaced by the sound of the water flowing beside him. He smiled faintly.
"But then again... maybe that's what makes us human. We question everything. We chase meaning—in love, in legacy, in emotion. We call it growth, evolution. But do we even understand where we are right now? Or are we just spinning in circles, dressing it up with clever words?"
He paused, letting the silence return for a moment.
"Still... some people surprise you. Some stories don't end the way you think. Maybe they begin right after the supposed ending. Or maybe... they exist just to help a dumbass fall in love." He chuckled again, deeper this time. "Guess it's not so bad. Foolishness… birds of a feather, right?"
He rose slowly, brushing the grass from his clothes before heading back toward the penthouse.
---
Time passed.
Sellzen arrived home, quietly stepping inside. The click of the door echoed faintly in the quiet room. He turned on the lights.
On the table sat a modest birthday cake and a brand-new PS5. A folded note lay on top.
Sellzen raised a brow and picked it up. The handwriting was unmistakably Austin's.
"Happy birthday, even if you hate it. To the only human being that puts up with my crap—happy birthday, Johnny."
He chuckled softly. "Huh. I'll be damned… but I'd have preferred some forbidden frui—"
He paused.
At the bottom of the note, a final line was scrawled in bold ink:
"Turn around exactly five seconds after reading this."
He obeyed.
And there she was.
A woman in a nun's habit, holding a can of whipped cream, her smile equal parts seductive and mischievous.
"Are you the birthday boy~?" she teased, her tone sultry.
Sellzen stared at her for a long second. Then, slowly, he pressed his palms together and let a single, reverent tear fall down his cheek.
"…Dear God… thank you for blessing this dumbass with a friend like Austin."
He grinned.
"Baby girl, I'm not just the birthday boy—I'm the birthday man tonight."
---
The night became one for the books.
(The author, mercifully, will spare readers the specifics—out of respect for decency and common sense.)
---
Morning came.
Austin stepped out of his room, yawning as he made his way into the kitchen. He froze at the sight of the same woman from last night—now fully dressed, with faint red marks trailing up her neck.
"Huh… had fun,Jess ?" he asked, rubbing his eyes. "You look like you've been through a war."
Jessica giggled sweetly, already halfway out the door.
"Tell Sellzen to call me sometime, okay? And maybe next time you could join us for a little threeso—"
Click.
Austin closed the door before she could finish.
He sighed, grabbed his coffee, and stared out the window.
"…Bye bye. Ahh… youth."
He took a sip.