For a few moments only the sound of raindrops from his parka could be heard, hitting the ground with pak... pak... while the three person party silently awaited Ein's reaction.
"I told you to stop doing this," he finally said, wiping the pieces of confetti from his chin.
A blond guy, Avery, approached him with a cake. "Aw, well, you're not the boss here," he held up the cake in front of his face. "Now, make a wish~!"
Adriel stared at Ein in shock. "Whaaat? It's your birthday today? A day before mine? Why didn't you tell me?"
Ein was busy dodging by the pile of frosting that was about to slap him the same way confetti had. "Stop that."
"Come on, don't kill the vibe and blow out the candles!" Avery urged impatiently.
"Avery prepared this for you, Ein. We all did," a shorter elderly lady in a yellow apron walked to his side, trying to pick the last colorful rectangle stuck to his forehead.
Ein leaned down slightly so she could reach it. "Thank you."
"You're welcome!" Avery replied, popping another burst of confetti with a cheerful grin.
"I was thanking Mrs. Shin, not you," Ein muttered, waving the glossy colors away.
Adriel watched them curiously, then pointed at the blond guy, "Was this guy the one messaging you as 'Jolly Wings'?"
Ein gave a microscopic nod.
The third member of the party—a grouchy man in a green bomber jacket—grumbled, "Blow the damn candles so we can eat and move on with our lives."
"And what's wrong with him?" Adriel scoffed, turning away from Dean with an annoyed grimace.
Ein wanted to get it over with too. He blew out the candles, and Avery lowered the cake, staring at him with narrowed eyes. "You didn't make a wish, did you?"
"Last year I wished to be left alone. Didn't work," Ein remarked dryly, following Avery out into the dining area.
"Have you eaten dinner yet?" Mrs. Shin interjected.
"Yes," Ein replied on the way.
Adriel whipped his head around like a hawk, pointing a righteous finger. "Liar! You only drank that shitty coffee water."
Mrs. Shin called out from the kitchen. "I made a fresh batch of sweet chili wings. Ein, you'll eat them, right?"
"Say yes, say yes!" Adriel laughed, tugging at Ein's sleeve. "If you won't eat them, I will!"
After brushing the ghost off, Ein sighed and called out, "Yes."
Before he could sit down, Avery dangled a cutesy panda keychain in front of his face. "Here, a gift. Looks just like you."
Adriel slapped his thigh, cackling. "He's right, your eyebags do match the panda! Haha!"
Ein glared at the ghost, muttering under his breath, "...must be here to have fun."
"Why, yes, I am here to have fun." Avery thought the statement was about him. He stuffed the keychain into Ein's pocket before giving him a smack on the back. "Smile a little for once. Life's easier that way."
Mrs. Shin carried over two large plates, one of crispy chicken wings that had a spicy, reddish color, the other golden brown drumsticks, absent of strong spice. "Dig in. I put the cake in the refrigerator for now."
"She's a nice lady. I like her," Adriel commented, hunching over the table as he eyed the food.
"Yes," Ein replied, his answer directed to both Mrs. Shin and Adriel.
Four living people and a ghost occupied the large table. Bottles of soju were brought out. Crunching and chewing sounds filled the air.
Avery kept a constant smile on his face as he chatted with Mrs. Shin, occasionally nudging Ein or the grumpy Dean. Avery was used to the other two men's lack of enthusiasm, not minding their dry answers.
Mrs. Shin kept placing pieces of meat on Ein's plate, who bowed his head slightly each time, expressing his thanks.
Adriel observed Ein's placid demeanor and how he remained on the sidelines, almost as if he was merely a guest at his own birthday party.
"It's such a nice atmosphere, but you're so... Dead. One would think you're the ghost," Adriel said, grabbing one of the spicy wings.
The moment Ein saw the wing begin to float, his hand shot out, seizing it before anyone could notice the paranormal activity.
Mrs. Shin looked at Ein in surprise. "Wow, the wings must be a hit this time. I tweaked the recipe. Is the difference noticeable?"
"Yeah, it's nice," Ein replied, raising the chicken wing to his mouth, taking a bite as Adriel mumbled something in disappointment.
Dean raised a skeptical eyebrow, "Looks spicier than before."
"Come on, can't I get a wing? If not now, then can you take the drumsticks home for me? Please?" Adriel whined, rocking back and forth in his chair.
Ein abruptly grabbed the backrest, stilling the chair as he shot a warning glance at the ghost.
"What's wrong? Did you hear something?" Mrs. Shin inquired, looking at the empty chair, then around the restaurant.
"Must be seeing things again," Dean interjected. "I bet he's still not over—"
Avery chuckled between bites, clapping loudly before raising his glass. "Hey! Cheers!"
Mrs. Shin joined in, clinking her glass against Avery's, "To keeping it light!"
Ein raised his glass of water, joining the toast, "Cheers."
Adriel stared at Ein, crossing his arms. "Are you a lightweight? Sipping on water the entire evening?"
The ghost didn't receive any reply, and was ignored for the rest of the gathering, up until the cake was gone, and the soju bottles were empty.
Avery tapped Ein's shoulder as they began cleaning up. "Follow me."
Ein finished stacking the plates and followed him into the storage room.
Adriel was too busy squinting and trying to figure out what was Dean's problem to notice the two leaving the dining area.
Avery pushed the door open, a creak greeting them. He flicked the light switch, and the tired light bulb overhead whined a hello too.
"Here's your half," Avery said, slapping the briefcase that sat on the table. He leaned against a shelf stocked with large bags of flour, his grin widening. "It's almost like a birthday present, eh?"