Luke’s birthday party was now just a few days away.
However, Mary’s ambitious plan to invite the entire class did not come to fruition.
Mary thought everyone would respond positively to the invitation since Luke was well-liked by all the kids in class, but…….
“I’m sorry for not being able to make it to the birthday party! It’s the exam period, and my parents won’t let me.”
“That’s okay. I understand. Exams are important.”
This was the case for more than half of the kids.
For students, exams took precedence over everything else.
Moreover, there were many kids who, even aside from that reason, were naturally introverted and didn’t enjoy such parties.
Luke waved at those kids.
It was inevitable.
No one could be forced to have fun against their will.
Mary muttered a little sadly as she watched their backs.
“It would definitely be more fun if more came. What a shame.”
“Haha. There’s nothing that can be done about it. You can’t just drag them along.”
“That’s true, but….”
“Yeah, it’s a shame.”
There were still a considerable number of kids who thought spending time with friends was far more valuable than studying, so the scale of the party didn’t diminish too much. However, Mary, a Hyun, seemed not entirely satisfied with that.
It’s unclear if this dissatisfaction stemmed from Mary’s inherent nature or an instinctive trait common to Hyun.
Luke, too, secretly felt a sense of disappointment.
Although important, it was only an exam.
Essentially just a number for organizing a lineup.
Still, he refrained from saying the exams were unimportant, sensing that it would be too self-centered a thought.
Those numbers were crucial for kids living in this era.
He recognized a long time ago that he could score high without much effort, and he had the ability not to be overly concerned about scores, but the same couldn’t be said for the other kids.
They were still figuring out what they liked.
So he couldn’t just tell them to neglect their studies.
“Don’t look at it too negatively. It seems those kids are naturally desperate when it comes to grades. Still, I think it’s important to accumulate diverse experiences as much as possible.”
“I agree! My dad said that friends are the most important later on.”
Mary chimed in, supporting him.
Shirud glanced at Luke, who was saying this.
That kind of statement would only come from someone like Luke, who maintained top-tier grades while freely coming and going from school.
He had ranked as the youngest in a magic competition and was going on to a national contest without seeming to prepare separately.
With such a smart mind, he probably thought he could enjoy experiences and such from an early age.
And for Shirud, the decreasing numbers of kids coming to the party was actually a good thing.
He was fundamentally opposed to Mary’s hope.
He was a type of kid who disliked large gatherings.
The decision to scale the birthday party up to this extent was actually because Luke wanted it, not because Shirud did.
He initially thought of gathering friends just to hang out, but Luke planned an enormous event altogether.
‘Luke wanted to play with as many kids as possible from the start…’
He had even called performers and musicians with great expectations.
However, this stemmed from Luke’s different perception of what a ‘party’ meant.
The parties hosted by the ‘nobility’, the social leaders of 5000 years ago, were akin to banquets or major events for the entire territory.
Furthermore, Luke was a member of the illustrious Irushi family, which boasted a considerable standing, so the scale was truly overwhelming.
Moreover, most of the parties Luke typically attended were those directly hosted by the royal family, solidifying that perception even further.
Thus, within Luke’s memory, ‘parties’ were solely characterized by such scales.
Luke was now finishing up the budget by jotting down the names of those who wouldn’t attend in his notebook.
Normally, it was customary for the person hosting the party to send out invitations; however, directly inquiring about attendance beforehand was somewhat improper.
But since this party wasn’t funded by his own money, it was an unavoidable measure to minimize expenditure.
Currently, the only money he had was the few hundred thousand he earned recently from playing the cello.
“I guess it’s because I’ve been resting for too long; my income isn’t what it used to be.”
Compared to the fixed times he used to play the cello, earnings had drastically decreased.
Familiar faces from his past no longer appeared.
He hoped nothing had happened to them.
Nonetheless, the good news was that Mary had lent him the venue, and since he was using staff already employed at Mary’s home, there wouldn’t be significant costs.
Moreover, thanks to the advancements in modern technology easing mass production, prices were notably cheaper than in the past.
Luke suddenly asked Shirud.
“Oh right. What about the performers or musicians? Have you found anyone yet? If not, I think we could drop it….”
With only a week left, the hurried preparations meant the overall investigation was lacking.
He was concerned that he might be wasting resources.
However, Shirud shook his head and replied nonchalantly.
“I already found them. It’s fine, you love music and performances, right?”
“That’s true, but the size is reduced by more than half compared to my initial thoughts….”
“It doesn’t matter. Well, those performers already knew my mom from the start.”
“Well, if that’s the case, then that’s a relief.”
Luke laughed, seemingly reassured by Shirud’s words.
Seeing that smile, Shirud felt a sense of accomplishment.
It wasn’t that his family lacked money; hiring a performer or entertainer wasn’t significantly challenging, even if it wasn’t like it used to be since his father passed away.
At that moment, the classroom door suddenly burst open, and a kid from another class swaggered in as if it were her own.
It was Helena Luspind, a cute elf girl with pink hair tied up in pigtails.
“Luke! I heard you’re having a birthday party for your 10th birthday!”
“Oh, Helena. It’s been a while. How have you been?”
“Yeah, I’ve been well… No! That’s not important!”
Helena strode up to Luke and pointedly rebuked him.
“Are you out of your mind? No matter if it’s your 10th birthday, can you really throw such a big party during exam week?”
“Is there a problem?”
“A problem? Are you seriously asking that?”
Helena shouted as though she couldn’t believe it.
“Even if it’s not a formal exam but a mock test, it still influences grades! Plus, the report cards will come out! We barely have enough time to study, so what’s the reason for throwing such a large party now? Are you seriously considering ditching the exam?”
“No, I plan to take the exam.”
“That sounds like you’re not really going to take it seriously! How can you think that way?”
“Well….”
Helena secretly hoped for a rematch with Luke.
She didn’t want Luke to give up on their ‘competition’ in that manner.
Luke, who couldn’t relate to that thought at all, could not read her intentions.
“Why is she so angry? Is she worried about my grades on my behalf?”
Or perhaps she was upset about not being invited.
Helena seemed more shy than she appeared, so it must have been hard for her to outright ask to be invited.
From what he could tell, it seemed she studied all the time and had few friends.
What Helena needed most was perhaps this kind of experience.
Reflecting on this, Luke quickly pulled out a piece of paper from his bag, wrote something down, and handed it to Helena.
“Here, take this.”
“What is this?”
“It’s an invitation with my contact details and the party’s location and time. If you think about joining, let me know, and I’ll make sure to prepare your share of food.”
“No! I didn’t mean to receive this…!”
At that moment, Mary pushed Helena’s back and said.
“Yes! It’ll definitely be fun! Luke has really prepared a noble-like party!”
“No, I mean that’s not what I…!”
“It’s just one day of fun; what’s the harm in that?”
“Right, if you want to study, I’ll study with you later. How about you have fun right now?”
Helena felt a slight temptation at Luke’s offer of ‘studying together later.’
If she learned how that Hyun girl studied, she could score even higher like a dragon spreading its wings.
She gazed intently at the invitation and said.
“…Is that really true?”
“Of course! I’ve helped you out before. And….”
Luke paused mid-sentence, stood up, and approached Helena.
– Whisper, whisper.
Luke spoke softly so that only Helena could hear.
Helena visibly flustered began to stammer.
“Wha, what did you say? I’m not interested in that at all!”
Helena snatched the invitation and swiftly dashed out of the room.
However, shortly after, she returned, peeked her head in, and stuck her tongue out at Shirud before scampering off again.
Watching her, Shirud furrowed his brow and said.
“Luke, what did you whisper to her? Why is she suddenly acting like that towards me?”
“Yeah, I’m curious too.”
But Luke simply smiled and turned away, saying.
“It’s a secret.”
“Hey, what is it? Tell me!”
“What kind of secret is it that you’re acting like that?”
Despite continued probing, Luke kept silent.
In the end, it was Helena’s choice to make.
