Prologue

Just another ordinary day, nothing more, nothing less. Sol watched the clock in the classroom as it strikes to 4pm then the bell rang, she stood up along with her classmate and arrange their things to leave.

As she arrange her things to her bag and minding her business, she can't stop but feel her surroundings. All her classmates has their own circle of friends while she has none. Sol didn't mind at all, she likes being alone. No one bothers her and no one dares. It's her everyday life.

She goes to school every 8am and go home every 6pm and during weekends, she went out to go to her part time job on a cafe shop and during her free time, she just read books and listen to music. She studies a lot but not quite nerdy. She knows how to dress up but not quite a fashion frick. She knows how to makeup but prefer the natural look. She just ordinary.

When this is a story, she just the extra in the background. But she loves her everyday life. No hassle, no problems but sometimes Sol wanted to be more than ordinary, she wants something thrilling in her life, that's why if an opportunity comes in her way, she grabs it.

Sol pack her things and left the classroom with no goodbye. She's not that close with her classmates but they didn't treat her like an outcast too, Sol just prefer to be alone. She likes being quiet and peaceful in her life.

As she walk pass the hallway, she heard the student chattering of how excited they are at the party tonight. Sol didn't know any parties happening tonight and she didn't care. All she heard was about this party that they're invited too. Sol can't take it anymore so she grab her earphones, put it to her ears and played some music, blocking all the noise in the hallways.

Sol wore the cap of her hoodie to her head and look down as she walks avoiding every student eye contact as she passed by but somehow she manage to bump into someone making her other earphone fell out of her ear, she slightly bow to the person and apologize before putting back her earphone, not bothering to look up to the person she bumped into and she continued to walked through the hallway.

Sol walked out herself to the school building and out of the campus, she stop by to a convenient store just like she used to and buy herself a banana milk and a pepero before going to the nearest bus stop. This is her life. She do this everyday, just a boring simple life.

Sol was just casually listening to some music while waiting for the bus to arrive in the waiting area, usually the bus she will be riding arrive before 6pm. As Sol sat down, vibing to the rhythm of the song she's listening to, she took a sip on her banana milk and eat one of the pepero stick.

She noticed some boys chatting in the corner of the waiting area, they were just casually laughing and talking about that party again while waiting for their bus, no matter how loud her music is, she can still hear their chatters. Sol then got curious about this party. Everyone was talking about it and how they are invited. She can't help but look at the boys in the corner, they wore the same uniform as in her school, maybe a few schoolmates.

Sol was about to mind her own business again when she caught one of the boys looking at her, she look at him but he then quickly avoid his contact and laugh with his friends as if nothing happened, this make Sol furrowed her eyebrow, "what was that all about?" A bus arrived but this isn't the bus she was supposed to ride to, the boys left their spot and rode the bus.

Sol watches as that one boy rode the bus, when they took their seat, that boy look at her once again and smirk before the bus went off. She was the only one in the bus stop left but she can't stop thinking about the boy who keep looking at her. This makes her even curious and let her eyebrows curl. She stand up and left her bag and snack to her spot and went to the positions where the boy sat and saw a book. She thinks this belongs to the boy earlier.

Sol grabbed it and examined it, there's no title or even a name on it, she got curious and open it but something fell out of its pages. She quickly grab it from the ground before it actually flew with the wind. It was an envelope. It was elegantly designed, it looks like an invitation. A normal invitation to a party. She think this is the party they're talking about the whole afternoon. "What great was this party about?" She ask herself and got curious, she was about to open it when she felt someone watching her from the corner.

Sol glance to her right and saw no one, "Huh?" Maybe it was just her imagination but she swore someone was looking at her, she try to look for that person but no one was else in the street on the bus stop but her, weird then a bus arrived, she quickly grab her things with the book and envelope before stepping on the bus.

She put the book and envelope in her bag so it won't get lost. Sol arrived on her street and went on to the apartment building she rent on, she greeted the guard that's been there for almost the years she's staying there, she ride the elevator and arrive at her floor, she walk to the hallway and checked in to her apartment. She went inside and the light automatically on in the doorway, she put her shoes away in the shoe rack and put on her inside sleepers before entering inside and turn on the lights.

Sol threw her bag in the small chair in the corner as well as the hoodie she's wearing and lay herself in the couch. She sighed and covered her eyes using her arms. Another ordinary day has gone. A beep heard on the telephone in the small kitchen counter, meaning a voice message has been left.

"Hey, Sol sweetie how are you? It's your mom, I see that you're not home yet. Please call me once you get this message. I pack you some of my cooking, I think it arrive today and ask Jil to put it on the fridge." The caller said, it was Sol's mom, "I'm sorry I couldn't be there with you this year, It's just that Louise needed me here, I promise next year I will visit. Don't skip your meals and drink your vitamins. I love you sweetie. Take care!" And a beep was heard again then silence filled the room.

Sol sighed. "That's what you said last year and the previous years. Why bother promising again?" She put her arms away and look at the family picture on the corner of her couch, she smiled bitterly and put down the frame. She stand up and went to the small kitchen and open the fridge and saw some side dishes that her mom sent. Looks like Jil was here.

Sol has been living on her own since the beginning of high school. She used to lived with her nanny, Jil ever since her parents divorced and has their own family. Her mom keeps checking on her and bringing some foods and her dad, she hasn't been talking to much but has been sending money from overseas. Sol was the only child so she used to being alone. Her nanny, Jil still visiting her apartment and checking on her or cleaning the house but only if she's free, after all she has her own family.

She sighed again ang grab one of the dishes that her mom send. Another alone time. She was eating on the small counter while scrolling to her cellphone. When she read about a party on the feed. There's that party again and then the boy crossed her mind as well as the book and envelope, she rush to her bag and check on it. It's still there. She grab it and sat on the couch again.

She put the book down on the table and examined the envelope on her hand. "Is this the invitation card to the party they're talking about?" It was a black envelope, a lettering was calligraphic on it.

An invitation to our bloody birthday party.

It written. "What does it mean bloody?" Sol asked herself, curious about this invitation. So it's a birthday party? Who's birthday is it? Our? Maybe there's more than one celebrant. There's no name written on it to whom it's invited or the celebrant names. Is this some kind of mysterious party? She open inside and saw a piece of white paper written;

You're invited to our bloody birthday party,

Sometimes, walking down the deadly path
Without fleeing from death itself
Can give rise to the most wondrous creation.

We hope you will be able to come.

"What?" Sol was confused. She didn't understand what it meant or what's this birthday party's all about. An howl was heard outside, this makes her flinch and cut her flesh, dropping the invitation card on the floor, paper cut. "Aish," She hissed. She look at her wound and to the card on the floor, while the drop of her fresh blood on the card, taking a while to glance. For a minute, she saw her own blood assembling her own name and was now written on the invitation card.

To: Dae So-Young