Chapter 1

Spring had come softly, like the gentle sigh of the earth awakening from sleep. Outside my window, cherry blossoms danced in the breeze.Inside, however, my world was far more private.

I sat curled in the corner of my bed, heart racing for an entirely different reason than the season. In my hands was my favorite yaoi manga—one I'd read more times than I could count, the pages soft from wear, the emotions as electric as ever. I bit my lip, the corner of my mouth twitching into a guilty smile as I flipped to that scene.

Then—

BANG!

The door flew open like it had been kicked by destiny itself.

"Happy birthday, Luna!!" my family shouted in like there a war coming .

Mom held a round cake with purple and sprinkles shaped like stars. Dad had a party hat askew on his head, looking proud of himself like he'd planned the whole thing. My little brother stood in front of them both, bouncing excitedly, their hands full of confetti like they'd just robbed a party store.

I yelped, instinctively slamming the book shut so fast I might've bruised the poor characters inside.

"W-What are you doing here?!" I blurted, cheeks turning redder than a ripe strawberry.

"Surprising the birthday girl, duh!" my sibling grinned. "Why's your face all red?"

"No reason!" I said way too fast.

And just like that, spring wasn't the only thing blooming—I had embarrassment in full flower.

"Happy birthday, honey," my mom said warmly, stepping closer with the cake balanced perfectly in her hands, its candles flickering like tiny stars just for me.

My face was too stunned to respond—mouth slightly open, brain still short-circuiting from the surprise... and the book I had just tried to hide under my blanket like a guilty secret.

"Come on, hurry, make a wish!" my dad encouraged, his eyes crinkling with a proud smile, like he hadn't just barged in.

That's when my senses finally returned, slapping me back into reality. My heart still beat fast—but now from embarrassment, not fictional romance.

"Yeh, hurry," my little brother added dramatically, clutching his stomach. "I'm so hungry right now I could eat the whole cake myself!"

I blinked at the candles. The flames shimmered, casting soft golden light across my room. The scent of strawberry drifted toward me.

"A wish..." I muttered, almost to myself.

How could I make a wish when my mind was still tangled in fictional kisses and real-life chaos?

Still—I closed my eyes anyway.

"I wish..." I whispered, letting the flickering warmth of the candles pull the words from deep inside me. "I wish I could stay with my family forever... that I'll become rich, beautiful, smart... meet lots of good people..."I almost laughed. It was such a silly wish, like something I would've dreamed up when I was seven

The flames danced, like they were listening.

I hesitated, then dropped the last piece in a voice no one could hear but the universe.

"...Oh, and... I wish I could turn into a boy."

I opened my eyes slowly.

They were all still there—my mom smiling , my dad , my little brother already inching toward the cake like a hungry cat.

I smiled faintly and blew out the candles in one breath.

The smoke curled up like a secret carried into the sky.

Of course, I knew none of it would come true. Wishes were just dreams whispered into sugar and wax, and dreams weren't real. Not in the way I wanted them to be.

But even as my brother shoved cake in his mouth and my mom kissed my cheek, I felt something strange—a soft, glowing thing settle in my chest.

Maybe it wasn't about whether the wish would come true.

Maybe it was enough just to want it so badly, the universe had no choice but to  listen.

The party faded into memory like a warm dream.

Later that night, I lay on my side, My fingers curled loosely around it, turning page after page with my yaoi book, even though my eyelids were heavy.

My thoughts wandered between the story and the day—my family's surprise, the cake, the laughter... and the secret wish I'd whispered only in my mind.

Just one more page, I told myself.

But I never made it.

Sleep took me before I could finish the chapter, my body sinking deeper into the mattress. My breathing slowed, my hand still resting on the open book.

"Wake up, Master."

A voice—soft, unfamiliar, and strangely formal—threaded through my dream like silk.

I stirred.

My eyes blinked open slowly, adjusting to a room that was not mine. Tall ceilings. Gold-trimmed walls. Heavy velvet curtains. The air was crisp, and the sheets were... not the faded cotton I remembered.

Then I saw her.

A tall woman stood beside the bed, dressed in a sharp, black-and-white maid uniform, her silver hair tied back neatly. Her eyes were calm but focused on me like I was someone important.

"Good morning, Master," she said with a bow.

I blinked at her, too stunned to speak.

Where am I?!

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