Chapter 1 - Happy Birthday Haesoo
Two months had passed since their movie date the one where they wore couple rings and held hands on the subway like everything would stay soft and easy forever.
But nothing stayed soft for long in Nova’s world.
Now, it was September. The air was cooler, the leaves outside her window were beginning to turn amber, and Nova found herself smiling more than usual as she paced through her house barefoot, phone in hand, excitement buzzing quietly beneath her skin.
It was Haesoo’s birthday.
And this time, she had gone all out.
No dinner reservations. No handwritten letter. Not even a surprise cake.
Nova Reyes, the girl who rarely made time for emotions, had bought him a car.
Not just any car. A Bugatti Mistral.
The only one of its kind in Korea.
Specially delivered. Custom matte black finish. Hidden key in a velvet box.
She had watched the delivery team park it in the private garage that morning, heart pounding with something dangerously close to giddiness.
She hadn’t felt like this in a long time.
Nova didn’t stop moving that morning.
By noon, her private kitchen was stocked with Haesoo’s favorite foods hand-selected by her and flown in from three different cities. She didn’t leave anything to chance: the exact kind of tteokbokki he liked from a hole-in-the-wall shop in Busan, the peach sparkling water he always drank after practice, even the mango cake from the bakery they once visited during a secret getaway outside Seoul.
The staff followed her quiet instructions all day. She rarely hosted, but when she did, everything had to be perfect.
She even sent a group message to Asher and the members of SOL7, keeping it casual but clear.
Nova: 7 PM tonight. My place.
Nova: Don’t tell Haesoo.
Nova: Yes, there will be cake.
Asher replied immediately.
Asher: I’ll be there early to make sure you don’t overthink the table layout again.
Taeyul responded next:
Taeyul: Tell him it’s a meeting and watch his soul leave his body when he walks in 💀
Dongmin added:
Dongmin: I call first slice of cake
Eunwoo: Not if I tackle you first
Jihwan: Should we bring anything?
Nova: Just yourselves. And maybe don’t wear black. That’s his thing.
She smiled as she set down her phone.
It felt good to plan something for someone else.
To do something with love and no agenda.
For once, Nova wasn’t saving a nation.
She was just throwing a birthday party for the boy who had once made her laugh until she cried.
Haesoo didn’t suspect a thing.
He’d been filming a commercial shoot all day something for a new luxury brand that required five wardrobe changes, fake smiles, and standing under studio lights until his skin felt stiff. He hadn’t even checked his phone since early morning.
Just before wrap, the manager handed him a clean towel and told him he could head home early. He didn’t question it he was exhausted.
Meanwhile, Nova’s house was full of life.
Laughter echoed through the kitchen.
Asher was placing candles on the mango cake, counting them under his breath while pretending not to care if they were crooked.
Dongmin was trying to sneak a bite of frosting.
Jihwan and Taeyul were arguing over where the speaker should go.
Minjae and Seojin were already dancing to the playlist Nova had queued up.
Nova stood off to the side, dressed in soft neutral tones, her hair pinned back loosely, watching it all unfold. Her house, usually silent, was buzzing.
She didn’t say much just smiled when someone teased her or asked where to put something. She was listening for the door. For the sound of footsteps. For him.
“Do you think he knows?” Eunwoo asked.
“No chance,” Asher replied, adjusting the lights. “He’s been stuck filming all day. He’ll probably walk in thinking he has five missed calls from the company.”
Nova stepped closer to the window, peeking through the curtain at the driveway.
Nothing yet.
But any second now… he’d walk through the door.
The front door clicked open.
Haesoo stepped inside, shoulders slouched from a long day, his jacket slung over one shoulder. The house was quiet. Dark. Too quiet.
“Nova?” he called, setting his keys down near the entrance.
No answer.
He took a step forward
And suddenly, the lights flicked on.
“Happy birthday to you…”
Nova stood in the center of the room, holding a cake with soft glowing candles. Around her stood Asher and all the members of SOL7, their voices overlapping with laughter as they sang.
“Happy birthday dear Hae-sooooo…”
Nova’s eyes met his through the flickering candlelight her smile soft, calm, waiting.
Haesoo froze.
His hand dropped from his jacket, and a stunned smile slowly took over his face. “Are you serious right now?”
“Finish the song!” Taeyul shouted, still off-key.
“Happy birthday to you—!” they all finished in chorus.
Haesoo walked forward slowly, the corners of his mouth lifting more with every step. Nova held the cake steady as he approached.
“Make a wish,” she said quietly, her voice just for him.
He stared at her for a moment.
And maybe… for a second… he already had.
Then he leaned in, blew out the candles.
Applause erupted. Cheers followed. Someone started clapping off rhythm, and Dongmin shouted, “Speech! Speech!”
Haesoo didn’t speak, though. He just looked at Nova.
And said, “Thank you.”
They headed to the dining room it was glowing soft lights above, the table filled with plates of food, laughter bouncing from wall to wall.
Everyone had gathered around, shoulder to shoulder, squeezing in wherever they could. The atmosphere was loud, familiar, easy.
Haesoo sat at the center, flanked by Dongmin on one side and Taeyul on the other, holding a pair of chopsticks and already halfway through his second plate.
He was eating like he hadn’t all day probably hadn’t. And he didn’t even notice the way Nova was watching him from across the table.
She didn’t say much.
Just sat there, listening to the teasing, the stories, the jokes. Watching the way his eyes lit up when he recognized his favorite dish on the table. The way his laughter came out loud and real when Jihwan made a sarcastic comment about SOL7’s last chaotic livestream.
She watched the way his shoulders relaxed.
How his brows smoothed out.
How he looked happy like he belonged here, like nothing had ever been broken.
He caught her staring once.
She didn’t look away.
He smiled through a mouthful of food. “This is so good.”
“I know,” she said softly.
And she meant more than just the food.
After dinner, Asher stood up and clapped his hands twice, loud enough to hush the table.
“Alright, before Dongmin tries to sneak a second dinner,” he said, “it’s cake time.”
Everyone cheered.
Nova disappeared into the kitchen for a moment and returned holding the mango cake she’d picked out herself light, fluffy, layered just the way Haesoo liked it. The top was decorated simply: white frosting, thin mango slices arranged in a soft spiral, and gold lettering that read:
“Happy Birthday, Hae.”
She set it down in front of him as the candles were lit again.
“Second round?” he teased.
Nova just smiled. “You deserve it.”
The lights dimmed again as the others started singing for the second time that night. This time louder. More chaotic. Off-key on purpose.
“Happy birthday to you!”
Haesoo laughed the whole way through, shaking his head like he couldn’t believe this was real. Like a part of him was still waiting to wake up from a dream that had gone right for once.
He closed his eyes and blew out the candles.
“Okay, someone slice it,” he said.
“I will!” Dongmin volunteered instantly.
“Absolutely not,” Asher and Taeyul said at the same time.
Nova took the knife and carefully made the first cut, passing the first slice to Haesoo before handing out the rest.
Everyone gathered closer, plates in hand, picking at frosting and arguing over who got the biggest piece.
Haesoo took a bite and leaned back in his chair, looking around at his friends, his team, and at Nova who had quietly returned to her seat.
“This is the best birthday I’ve had in years,” he said, not to anyone in particular.
But Nova heard it.
And for now, that was enough.
Once the cake was nearly gone and everyone was leaning back in their seats with full stomachs and sugar highs, Jihwan clapped his hands together.
“Alright, birthday boy time for gifts.”
Haesoo groaned playfully. “You guys really didn’t have to ”
“Oh, we did,” Dongmin grinned. “Because we’re amazing. And because we want you to cry.”
“Or laugh at how bad some of these are,” Taeyul added, reaching for a gift bag with flamingos on it. “Starting with mine.”
The table erupted into laughter as Haesoo opened each gift one by one:
• From Taeyul: designer sunglasses with gold accents “because he’s dramatic.”
• From Minjae: a framed photo of the whole group with the words “We Raised Him” engraved at the bottom.
• From Jihwan: a sleek black leather phone case with Haesoo’s initials embossed.
• From Dongmin: a pair of fuzzy slippers shaped like tigers.
• From Eunwoo: a custom lyric journal with Haesoo’s name stitched on the front.
• From Seojin: a signed poster of Haesoo from a past shoot, edited to look like a comic book cover. “In case you forget you’re famous.”
• From Asher: a simple but beautifully wrapped gift box with luxury skincare because “someone’s been looking tired.”
Each gift came with teasing, laughter, and exaggerated thank-yous from Haesoo. He looked genuinely touched by the end of it, surrounded by the people who knew him best.
Then someone looked toward Nova.
“What about you?” Jihwan asked with a grin. “You’re being very quiet over there.”
Nova sipped her drink and tilted her head slightly. “I’m going last.”
“Ooh, the mysterious girlfriend entrance,” Taeyul joked.
“She probably got him something boring like socks,” Dongmin whispered loudly.
Nova smirked. “Keep talking. You’ll get nothing on your birthday.”
Everyone laughed, but the air shifted just slightly. Now, all eyes were on her.
No one knew what she had planned.
Not even Haesoo.
And she liked it that way.
The laughter around the table settled just enough for Nova to speak.
“I didn’t bring my gift,” she said calmly, setting down her glass.
Everyone turned to her.
“What?” Dongmin blinked. “You didn’t?”
“I didn’t bring it in,” she corrected, her tone flat clearly joking, but no one was sure how far the joke went. “It’s not something you can carry.”
Haesoo raised an eyebrow. “So… what? You forgot it?”
Nova stood from her seat and pulled something from her pocket a small, matte black object no one had noticed all night.
A car key.
She held it up with two fingers, casually. “Follow me.”
Asher’s brows shot up. “Wait, hold on what?”
“Just come,” she said, already walking toward the back hall that led to the private garage.
They followed her, half confused, half intrigued, a little sugar-drunk and very suspicious. The lights in the garage flickered on as Nova opened the door and stepped aside, letting everyone file in one by one.
And then they saw it.
Parked at the center of the spotless garage, under soft overhead lights, sat a sleek, matte black Bugatti Mistral flawless, low to the ground, the kind of car that looked like it belonged in a museum, or in a billionaire’s vault.
Silence.
Dongmin was the first to react.
“Wait… wait, what”
“Is that” Eunwoo’s jaw dropped.
“No way,” Minjae whispered.
“That’s a Bugatti,” Seojin said slowly, like he couldn’t believe the words.
“That’s a $5 million car,” Jihwan added, stunned.
Haesoo stood frozen in the middle of the garage, eyes wide, lips parted, completely still as Nova walked toward him.
She held out the key. Calm. Cool.
Completely unbothered by the stunned faces around her.
“Happy birthday,” she said.
Haesoo looked at her like she’d lost her mind.
“You didn’t…”
“I did.”
He stared at the car. Then at her. Then at the key.
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope.”
“Nova, this is…this is insane.”
“I know.”
Everyone around them was still reacting some filming, some pacing, some gasping like the air was too expensive to breathe in here.
Asher just stood with his arms crossed, muttering, “This is exactly why no one competes with her on gifts.”
Haesoo finally reached out, slowly taking the key from her hand.
Nova leaned in slightly and whispered with a small smile, “You’re not allowed to cry in front of them.”
He didn’t.
But it was close.
Haesoo stood there, holding the key like it might evaporate in his hand. His expression was stuck somewhere between speechless and stunned, while the rest of SOL7 lost all composure.
“Can I sit in it? I just want to sit, I won’t breathe,” Dongmin pleaded, already inching toward the passenger side.
“I feel like my bank account cried just from looking at it,” Seojin muttered.
“This costs more than our last tour,” Taeyul said, bent over to examine the wheels. “Combined.”
“I thought it was a museum car. People aren’t even supposed to drive this,” Jihwan added.
Eunwoo circled it slowly like it was an ancient artifact. “Do you know what kind of people own these? Oil princes. CEOs. Nova.”
Asher stood in the back, arms crossed with a smirk. “I should’ve known the second she said she didn’t bring it in.”
Minjae was filming. “No one’s going to believe this is real.”
Nova stayed silent, watching them all with her hands in her pockets, expression unreadable. She wasn’t trying to impress anyone. She wasn’t bragging.
She just wanted Haesoo to have something unforgettable.
Something big. Something that said I thought of you.
Something that said I was listening.
Haesoo looked at her again still processing.
“Nova…” he whispered. “This is unreal.”
She gave a small shrug.
“Good. You deserve unreal.”
And with that, the garage buzzed with laughter, disbelief, and movement as everyone began circling the car like it was a rare animal they’d only ever seen online.
Nova stayed by the door.
Watching. Quietly smiling.
For now, the world still felt warm.
