454 Best Birthday Greeting

11:50 PM in Korea. 6:50 PM Italy.

Nari was staring at her wall clock, waiting for every minute to pass by. Her eyes narrowed while her mouth frequently twitched with all the watching.

She was holding her phone, ready to call Luiz for when his birthday would arrive. Luiz was born a month before Nari, and since college, they always made it a point to greet each other first at midnight!

For a second, she glanced at the small cake, which she wanted to show to Luiz. It had twenty-three small candles around it, and she meant to blow candles for him. 

No one, not even their parents, could beat them at their own agreement during their birthdays. 

"11:55," she muttered, forcing her eyes to remain awake. "11:56. 11:57... 11:59 - 60!"

She sat up abruptly and made the call, dialing Luiz's number in Italy! It rang repeatedly, but he did not answer. 

A frown appeared on Nari's face. She tried and tried to call again, but still, Luiz did not answer.