Shared Spaces & Hidden Desires ? Seungcheol

YN

Birthdays were never really a thing for me. I didn't hate them but I didn't love them either.

They just... existed. A day like any other, except people expected you to smile more and pretend it felt different.

When I blinked awake, the sun was already high through the windows. The other side of the bed was empty. Cold.

I sat up, squinting at the time. 11:04 AM.

Figures.

No note. No text. No "gone out, be back soon." I checked, just to be sure, scanning my notifications in case I'd missed something. But there was nothing from Seungjae.

I stretched, brushing my hair off my face, silk slipping over my skin. The cream-colored camisole and matching shorts I wore were light as air—something I used to wear for him. Not that it mattered anymore.

Padding down the stairs, the quiet of the penthouse wrapped around me, familiar and strange all at once. My eyes lingered on his door for a second too long.

It was closed, like always.

I turned away before I could think too much of it, heading toward the pantry for coffee. My feet barely touched the tile when...

"Surprise!!"

I jumped slightly, heart stuttering in my chest as Seungjae, Jiwon, and Sujin popped out from behind the island counter, grinning like kids.

Seungjae was holding a cake, all frosted and pretty with a single candle already lit.

Jiwon beamed. "Birthday girl! Make a wish!"

Sujin giggled beside her. "Yeah! Before the wax melts in, this cake wasn't cheap."

I blinked at the three of them, a smile tugging at the corner of my lips. The kind you give out of instinct, not necessarily because you feel it. Still, it was... sweet.

I stared at the flame for a second. Didn't think of a wish. Just closed my eyes and blew it out.

Seungjae leaned in with a soft "Happy birthday, baby" pressing a kiss to my cheek, lips lingering for a beat longer than they needed to.

I didn't move.

Jiwon and Sujin chatted for a while after, catching me up on the usual gossip. I nodded in the right places, laughed at the stories, even if my head wasn't fully there.

Eventually, they glanced at the time and stood, both having other things to run off to.

"Don't let her spend her whole birthday doing nothing at home, Seungjae!" Jiwon called out on her way out the door.

"I won't," he said, hand brushing my waist as he watched them leave.

Except five minutes later, his phone buzzed.

He looked down, eyes flickering, then quickly masked it with a sigh. "Shit. I totally forgot. I have this meeting. Really important. I need to run."

"Now?" I asked, trying not to sound like I was questioning it.

"Yeah, they moved it up. I'll be back later, okay?" He kissed my forehead this time. "We'll do something tonight. Promise."

I nodded, lips pressed together. "Sure."

He left with barely a glance back.

And I let him go.

Because I didn't even love him.

Not really.

Once the door shut and the silence crept back in, I found myself standing still. Not moving. Not thinking. Except...