A loud shrill scream was heard next door as the members of EVE worriedly paced in their dorms.

The remaining members of BOYMYSTIC had just come home, and they saw their member with his schlong out in the kitchen, so they were having a hard time processing it.

Meanwhile, the members of EVE were worried because the skies were already dark, and June still hadn't returned.

"I think he's really upset," Jisung said, already on the verge of tears.

"June wouldn't get upset because of such a trivial matter, though," Jaeyong sighed.

"We don't know that!" Jisung exclaimed. "What do you think, Casper?" he asked the member who was practically an expert when it came to June.

Casper placed his hand on his chin, analyzing the situation.

"It's true that June gets upset with a lot of things, but I don't think he'll be upset about this," he said, making the members sigh in relief.

"However," he quickly added, making them tense once again.

"He has been pretty tired for the past few weeks. I'm not sure if you've noticed, but it also looks like he's going through some personal stuff that he doesn't want to talk about. So, while his mind is the strongest out of everyone on the team, what we did earlier might have pushed him over the edge."

"That...or he had been mugged by fans and is now seeking shelter in a remote place."

The members were stunned, not knowing how to react.

Then, Jay dropped to his knees in an exaggerated manner, even placing his hand over his heart.

"I'm a failure," he whispered. "I shouldn't have let this happen!"

Akira, too, felt guilty for orchestrating the entire thing. "I take full responsibility," he said with his eyes directed to the ground. "I only wanted to surprise him on his special day!"

Jisung's tears now freely fell from his eyes, some of the salty water dripping on the cake right beneath him.

Just then, the door opened, revealing June with a knife, an apple, and the hotpot kit that they requested.

The members looked at him with wide eyes, but June didn't bother sparing them a glance. Instead, he went straight to his room and slammed the door shut, making Jay and the members feel even guiltier.

Jisung's tears were uncontrollable at this point, and the once celebratory atmosphere had severely dampened.

"What are we going to do now?" he asked while sniffing.

Meanwhile, June was just excited to see what Fu prepared for his surprise.

He placed the knife and the apple on the bed and waited for something to happen.

Just then, celebratory music started playing in his mind.

[You've earned your surprise, bitch!]

June sighed and shook his head. He was still confused by Fu's sudden shift in personality.

"Where's my surprise?" he asked.

[As Fu is a kind system and the host has given me what I need, I shall grant you three different potions. This will be helpful for your upcoming projects.]

[1. Sympathy potion: Earn people's sympathy for one whole day with this potent potion.]

[2. Hint potion: A hint will be given when the host needs it. Only one hint will be given.]

[3. Gift Potion: LOCKED]

"Locked?" June asked. "Why are you giving me a locked potion?"

[The gift potion will be unlocked by a certain trigger.]

"And that is?"

Fu didn't respond to his question and moved on to another topic.

[And, since Fu loves the host very much, I will be giving him one upgrade for each of his skills. This is a rare opportunity, and Fu wants to hear praises for his generosity.]

[All skills: +1]

[Current stats:

- Vocals: X

- Dance: SSS

- Visual: SS

- Rap: S-

- Leadership: S

- Music Production: S

- Acting: A

- Stage Presence: S-]

"Geez," he said, almost feeling suffocated when he saw the amount of S-stats in his skills. However, his vocal skill remained as X, and June was still unsure of what it meant.

[And lastly! Happy—]

Just then, he heard someone knock on the door, cutting his conversation with Fu short.

He sighed and opened the door, only to see a dejected Casper standing outside.

"Sorry," Casper said, and without a word, he walked away from June's room.

He frowned in confusion before concluding that the team must be hungry and were slowly losing their minds.

With that, he grabbed the hotpot kit on the table and proceeded to go to the living room, where he saw the members with disappointed expressions. Jisung was even crying his eyes out!

June frowned in confusion as he looked at all of them.

"Guys?" he asked, making them snap out of their daze.

Then, without any warning, they flocked to June like seagulls to a single breadcrumb.

"We're sorry!"

"We shouldn't have forced you."

"Please forgive us."

"I am a bad manager."

June's frown deepened as he pushed away his members.

"What are you guys talking about?" June asked.

Akira stepped forward with a guilty look.

"Aren't you mad?" he asked.

"About what?" June deadpanned.

"About how we made you go out by yourself when it's your birthday!"

Jisung sniffed. "We just wanted you out of the dorms because we wanted to prepare a surprise for you," he said, gesturing to the cake on the table.

There was a 'Happy Birthday to our eternal cat, June! Love, EVE' messily written on the cake, softening June's heart.

Then, he finally noticed the gifts under the table, making him feel more touched than he had expected.

"It's my birthday," he muttered, appearing to be in disbelief.

"Don't tell me that you forgot about it," Zeth said.

June pursed his lips, his silence confirming that he indeed forgot about his birthday.

"Shut up," Ren said. "You forgot your own birthday?"

June shrugged like it was no big deal.

"It's been a long time since I celebrated my birthday," he truthfully said. "Honestly, it feels just like a regular day to me. I think this might be the first time someone had prepared this much for my birthday.

"That can't be," Jisung said, feeling sadness swell in his heart. "So, you haven't had cake for so long?"

June shook his head, making Jisung feel even sadder than before.

"Then, it's all the more reason why we should celebrate it," Jaeyong said, standing next to June.

"I know it may sound cheesy, but we really appreciate your presence on the team. I know how hard you've been working behind the scenes to get EVE to where it is today, and for that, I am eternally grateful."

Ren nodded in agreement.

"Not a lot of people can do what you've done. We're proud of you, June."

"And don't worry," Casper said. "From now on, we'll be sure to celebrate your birthday every year."

June cast his eyes to the ground to suppress the wide smile that threatened to arise from his face.

How could it be possible to feel this...warm?

When all they've done was prepare him a simple cake and some gifts that didn't break the bank?

However, deep inside, June knew the answer to his question.

He felt warm because these were his friends.

And at the end of the day, it is the small things in life that make you realize that life is truly worth living.