I Don’t Want to be a Villainess

Some people think of their birthday as important, while others don’t.

Of course, most people consider birthdays significant—it’s the day they came into this world, the day all their actions and relationships began to take shape.

If someone believes their life has worth, then celebrating a birthday isn’t odd at all.

Even if that person thought their life had little value until recently.

“Hey, Sara, when’s your birthday?”

Ha-neul asked this as we were all gathered in our room as usual.

Yang Hye-in had become much gentler after visiting her grandmother’s house, but she still maintained her usual lifestyle.

Unless it was mealtime or the moment Sara stepped out, Hye-in didn’t disrupt our lives too much.

Of course, there had been plenty of changes, but that’s a topic for later.

…By the way, I get the feeling Ha-neul hasn’t been going home for a while. Is it just me?

Well, she occasionally stays over at my place or brings home-cooked meals her parents gave her, so it seems like “running away” like Sua did is not the case.

Ha-neul said her father has a pretty gruff personality, but maybe he’s more open-minded than I thought.

That’s fine by me. It makes me feel less guilty about leaving Ha-neul out of the loop.

“My birthday?”

However, when I was asked about birthdays, I was stumped.

The thing is, I wasn’t sure if I should mention my birthday or Sara’s.

My birthday! Let it be mine!

Before I could even think, Sara shouted within my consciousness.

“Um… June 17th.”

So, I reflexively answered like that.

That day was Sara’s birthday.

“Oh, that’s only a week away.”

Sohee, who was rolling around on the bed with her smartphone, said that.

Right.

I had a lot of time to chat with Sara. I met her every night in my dreams.

I’d talked a lot with Sara and heard about her birthday, so I remembered it well, but…

I hadn’t remembered until a week before Sara’s birthday.

……..

Maybe sensing my thoughts, Sara showed a hint of disapproval.

Sorry. I’ll make sure to celebrate properly.

…But what should I do for a gift? Should I just buy something and wrap it? And then let Sara open it?

What about a birthday cake?

Even though our personalities were clearly distinct, the fact that we shared a single body made it complicated to exist in the same space simultaneously.

Remember that time we went to the amusement park? I’d love to do that.

…Well, if she says so, then I guess I have no choice.

It’s just about performing the birthday ritual together.

Sara seemed to smile a little. It lightened my mood.

“So, do you want anything?”

“Want something…?”

Hmm.

Since it’s Sara’s birthday, I should probably let her choose what she wants, right?

What might Sara want?

“……”

Ah, this is really hard.

I waited for Sara to tell me what she wanted, but she remained silent.

…Instead, I felt the light anticipation rising from deep within my consciousness.

“…”

Ah.

I’m doomed.

I have a feeling this is one of those ‘Guess what I want’ situations.

“Sara?”

Ha-neul asked again.

Sweat was trickling down my back.

I’d never had a girlfriend before, so phrases like “Do I look different today?” or “Let’s eat something” or “Don’t you know what I want?” were foreign to me.

So… it’s true, Sara is the first person I’ve gotten this close to.

“Um…”

After thinking for a while, I ended up responding with, “Uh… right?”

*

“Uh… right?”

Sara’s reply was very vague.

However, Yoo Ha-neul seemed to grasp the reason behind that hesitation.

That’s because Sara could get anything she wanted.

It’s not a metaphor; Sara simply had a lot of money. If there was something she really wanted, she could just buy it or offer the cash. She could probably even create a zoo with rare animals all for herself if she set her mind to it.

But…

Understanding her response and figuring out an actual gift were two different things.

Thinking of a gift for someone who can have everything is really hard.

“Hmm…”

Not giving a proper answer seemed to bother her, and as Sara’s forehead beaded with sweat, Yoo Ha-neul nodded.

“Well, it can’t be helped. It’s hard to answer immediately when someone asks out of the blue like that.”

Well, regardless of having a lot of money or not, it’s also not easy to answer if you don’t have something you really want at the moment.

“I’m sorry…”

For some reason, Sara’s cute frown made her look even more adorable.

I mean, it felt rude to think that watching her sulk was cute, but even conscious of that, I couldn’t help but think that way.

She was already someone I liked, and she was cute without needing to make that face, so…

Seeing someone objectively pretty and adorable, and being smitten, it’s no wonder I felt that way.

“You don’t have to apologize. It happens.”

Yoo Ha-neul smiled and gently ruffled Sara’s hair.

It was the kind of hair I wanted to touch all day.

…

Of course, worries about gifts still lingered, but…

I wasn’t concerned.

Yoo Ha-neul believed she could definitely figure out what Sara wanted.

*

What gift can I get Sara…?

Watching Ha-neul subtly play with Sara’s hair, Lee Soo-ah pondered.

What could Sara want?

…Probably not something materialistic.

This was something Soo-ah had experienced herself.

When people are busy, they tend to forget significant promises or anniversaries. Isn’t that what Soo-ah’s parents did?

That doesn’t mean they completely forgot her birthday. They were just so busy and often confused with time zones, or they’d remember in the middle of the night and hurry to call and wish her happy birthday…

She never recalled not receiving a birthday gift. Her parents always made sure to prepare one as quickly as possible since they understood their own busyness.

Yet every time, Soo-ah only wanted to see her parents.

After all, it was her birthday.

Gathering as a family, singing happy birthday, blowing out the candles on the cake, cutting it to share and having a good time—that was the essence of a birthday, wasn’t it?

…And it’s likely that Sara has never had a proper birthday celebration.

“I see.”

In that case, there’s no need to prepare an expensive gift.

Rather, heartfelt congratulations would mean much more.

Soo-ah wanted to express how grateful she was that Sara was alive and how much a blessing it was to have met her in life.

Yes, that would be good.

That Sara’s life has become a significant source of hope for others.

She wanted to let her know that.

With that, Soo-ah had decided on her gift.

*

“I see.”

Hearing Soo-ah mumble to herself, Shin So-hee felt a little uneasy.

She couldn’t come up with a decent idea in her head. Unlike Ha-neul, who seemed to have thought of a nice gift for Sara or Soh-hee, who was lost in thought about something creative.

“Hmmm…”

Shin So-hee folded her arms and soon shook off her worry.

After all, worrying didn’t suit her at all.

She just runs freely to wherever she wants to go.

If something stands in her way, she jumps over or breaks it down to move forward. That thrill was what Shin So-hee considered her specialty.

So, she would try again this time.

Find out what Sara wants and prepare an event that Sara would thoroughly enjoy.

She would think of everything she could think of and pour it out for Sara.

…And, well.

Shin So-hee had a senior who would surely help her in times like this.

Although she wasn’t here right now, she would definitely know what to do for Sara’s birthday.

For now, she’d ask her senior a few things and brainstorm ideas.

The most important thing is to ensure that Sara doesn’t feel burdened or pressured in any way.

Shin So-hee nodded with her arms crossed.

Hmm, this should be enough.

If she preps busily, she can surely arrange a nice party within a week.

…Lately, she felt like her senior has been acting a bit odd, though.

Thus, Shin So-hee tried to ignore the thoughts swirling around her head.

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