Chapter 8: And so, the Important Day Arrived
What lay beyond their exams was, of course, Mahiru’s birthday.
Having managed to balance his part-time job, test studies, and birthday preparations, Amane finished his exams with most of his plans already set in place. Incidentally, his classroom had been reduced to a mere bestrew of corpses, which served as proof of just how hellish this round of exams had been. Chitose was so genuinely exhausted that she had Mahiru worried for her well-being, but all Amane could do was hope that the test results wouldn’t cause a wave of panic to spread among the rest of the class.
The week-long break immediately after said hellish exams coincided with Mahiru’s birthday.
It was currently the day just before the break—in other words, the day before Mahiru’s birthday—and Amane’s busy schedule had begun to reach its peak. However, there was one thing he had to convey to Mahiru, something that could potentially hurt her if left unsaid. Amane straightened his posture and turned to face Mahiru, who was sitting next to him.
During their slow time after dinner, Mahiru now often worked on textbook exercises. Today was no different, as she diligently engaged in what had become her usual self-study routine. Having finished grading her own answers for the exams, she seemed to be already thinking about the upcoming mock tests. It appeared she had no awareness that tomorrow was her birthday, acting just as she always did.
“Mahiru-san.”
“Yes?”
When he called her name, Mahiru closed her reference book without hesitation and looked up. Sensing that Amane was acting differently than usual, she straightened her posture and turned to face him. However, she didn’t seem to have any idea what he was about to say, for a curious and puzzled expression could be seen from her every feature.
“May I ask you not to come into my house tomorrow until I call you?”
“Why?— …Oh, yes, I see. That would be okay.”
Although she hadn’t been consciously aware of it up until now, Mahiru immediately understood from Amane’s actions and readily agreed, her expression changing as if to say, ‘Oh, right. I forgot about that.’ It wasn’t that she wasn’t looking forward to her own birthday, but she mustn’t have been particularly conscious of it either. This was something rooted in Mahiru’s own awareness, and there was nothing Amane could do about it, nor did he want to force her to think otherwise.
For now, relieved that he could secure enough time for tomorrow’s activities without causing any misunderstandings, Amane looked deeply into Mahiru’s eyes, which still seemed somewhat detached from the present.
“It would pose a slight problem if you came over before I managed to finish my preparations. I want to welcome you with everything set perfectly, so I hope you understand.”
Mahiru giggled. “I understand. But still, I see you are asking me this very directly.”
“I did say from the very beginning that I would prepare something, so there’s no surprises here. I ask you openly and sincerely: please, give me some of your time.”
On the day itself, he had so many things to do that he would be swamped. If Mahiru came over to his house, it would be utterly impossible to prepare without her noticing. Besides, it was a given that he would want to spend time with Mahiru on her birthday. Since he intended to properly celebrate and give her the surprise of her life, he needed to eliminate any chance, even a tiny one, of prioritizing his immediate desires over the preparations.
As if seeing the enthusiasm brimming within him, Mahiru widened her eyes before letting out a gentle breath and giving a soft, amused smile. “Then, all I need to do tomorrow is wait eagerly, right?”
“Yeah. I can’t say for sure that it will meet your expectations, but I want to celebrate your birthday in my own special way.”
“Honestly, celebrating my birthday already makes me more than happy.”
“I know that, but even so….”
No one understood better than Amane just how much Mahiru cared about him. He knew that simply being by his side was enough to bring her happiness. However, while the happiness she felt with him was also significant, it was her birthday, an occasion that came only once a year. Amane wanted to make it a birthday that Mahiru herself would truly enjoy.
“Even so, I still want to make you feel like you’re on cloud nine, Mahiru. Let me give it my best shot.”
“…In that case, I will keep my expectations high.”
“Ah— …I’ll try my best.”
Of course, he felt delighted and excited for Mahiru to have grand expectations of him, but at the same time, the question of whether he could fully meet those expectations slowly gnawed at him from the inside.
“The way you lose confidence this far in is very typical of you, Amane-kun.”
“Having no confidence was my default state.”
“Goodness. But you have updated since then, haven’t you, Amane-kun? You’ve learned to have more confidence in yourself now, right?”
“When it comes to you, Mahiru, I’m always extra, extra careful.”
Amane had spent a month preparing for Mahiru’s birthday and had left no stone unturned, but he still couldn’t say for sure that it would make her happy.
His desire to make her happy and his wish for Mahiru to experience the culmination of his preparations were both sincere and unwavering. His lack of confidence was solely a result of him not wanting to disappoint Mahiru’s expectations. On top of that, there was a certain plan he had, one that blew the very concept of caution out of the water, which further added to his anxiety.
“…I’ll try my very best to make you happy, Mahiru. So…”
“So?”
“May I recharge a bit first?”
Amane’s day tomorrow was packed to the brim with work, but he couldn’t see Mahiru until all the preparations were complete. He needed energy beforehand, but he wouldn’t be able to recharge until everything was over. Thus, hoping for a chance to recharge now, he asked her for permission to cuddle. Mahiru blinked cutely and then laughed, clearly amused.
“You don’t need to ask for permission, you know? You may do it whenever you would like.”
“Well, um, this time I thought I should ask you properly.”
“So earnest… All right, you can recharge as much as you want. In return—”
“In return?”
“Tomorrow, it will be my turn, right?” As Mahiru gently reached out and pulled him closer by the back of his head, Amane nodded and followed her lead, burying his face in her shoulder.
Tomorrow morning, I’ll wrap up what I need to do in the kitchen, prepare the room, and then check my emails to reconfirm my schedule for the day.
Whether everything went smoothly depended on Amane’s efforts and how well Mahiru received them.
I’ll have to prepare as best I can tomorrow, Amane vowed. He nuzzled his cheeks against Mahiru, enjoying her sweet scent, and closed his eyes for a bit of recharging.
✧ ₊ ✦ ₊ ✧
This day was one of the top three busiest in Amane’s life so far.
First thing in the morning, he stood in the kitchen, putting the skills he had honed through his special training to the test. In the afternoon, he called in reinforcements to help decorate the room and held a meeting with the person involved with the biggest surprise of the day. Amidst all this, he continued to stay in touch with Mahiru to ensure that she never felt lonely while he worked on the preparations.
Juggling so many tasks simultaneously, Amane was on the verge of feeling overwhelmed. However, compared to what Mahiru usually managed, it was nothing. Silently praising Mahiru for her multitasking prowess, he diligently continued to set things up.
✧ ₊ ✦ ₊ ✧
After such an intense and hectic time, the sun had completely set.
By the time he finally felt satisfied with what he’d done and glanced at the clock, it was already around the time when he would usually be having dinner. Outside the window, the sky reflected a myriad of colors shifting from crimson to a gradient of deep indigo and dusky blue.
He had been worried about what he would do if he didn’t make it in time, but he was deeply relieved to have finished his preparations—albeit just in the nick of time. Amane rang the doorbell of the house next door to call Mahiru, who had been waiting for his signal.
Mahiru, who opened the door immediately after the doorbell rang, looked to be fully prepared in her own way.
When he glanced through the crack in the door, Amane noticed a vase with flowers placed on the shoe cabinet. This sight put one of his worries to rest, giving way to another sense of relief.
“I-I’ve been waiting for you,” she said.
Mahiru came out of the door in a slight hurry and spoke nervously. Seeing this, Amane couldn’t help but chuckle. Mahiru’s cheeks promptly turned a faint shade of pink upon realizing what he was laughing at and awkwardly looked away.
“…P-Please pretend you didn’t see that.”
“Why’s that?”
“W-Well, um, because…don’t you think it’s embarrassing if I’m all excited and giddy about it?”
“Huh? Doesn’t that just mean you were really looking forward to it? That makes me happy, you know.”
If it had turned out to just be a one-sided celebration, it would have come as a big shock to Amane, and he would likely be quite embarrassed. However, just knowing that Mahiru was excited and eagerly waiting for it made him extremely satisfied. He wasn’t sure if he could meet her expectations, given how eagerly she had been anticipating his visit, but he was confident that he had prepared everything as flawlessly as he could.
All that remained was to show her the fruits of his labor.
It seemed that Mahiru had also prepared herself thoroughly, as her outfit was particularly cute and much more elaborate than the loungewear she would typically wear. Taking her hand, Amane asked, “Are you all set on your end, Mahiru?” She squinted her eyes shyly and quietly replied, “Yes.”
Leading Mahiru, who was carrying only a small purse, back to his house, Amane noticed her blink in surprise once she realized that all the lights were turned off, except for the ones by the entrance.
“…Huh? It’s pitch black,” Mahiru said.
“It would be no fun if you could see everything from the entrance, right?”
Even though there was a door separating the entrance hallway from the living and dining room, it had glass panels fitted, so you could still see inside. Since he had gone to all the trouble of planning and executing everything in secret for Mahiru, slacking off on the final touches was, of course, out of the question. To deliver a proper surprise, the magic of contrast was essential.
“So, if it’s all right, could I cover your eyes for a bit? It might be a bit scary when you can’t see, but I’ll be right here. Don’t worry and let me guide you.”
Mahiru replied with a giggle, “If that’s the case, then I trust you completely, Amane-kun.” Her quick nod was surely a sign of her strong trust in Amane.
Without any hesitation, and even before Amane could cover her vision with his hand, Mahiru immediately closed her eyes.
She could at least be a little cautious… Amane thought. He then slipped his hands around her back and under her knees and lifted her up into the air. As always, the light weight of her body made him seriously worry whether she was really getting enough to eat. With one hand still free, he opened the door to the living room and turned on the lights.
Mahiru still kept her eyes closed, apparently intending to wait until Amane told her it was okay to open them. Relieved by her trust, he carefully guided her to the birthday seat he had prepared on the sofa, ensuring she wouldn’t get hurt as he gently lowered her onto it. It seemed she knew where she was from the distance walked and the feel of the seat, as she sat up straight with practiced ease.
“Ah, please sit still and don’t open your eyes just yet. Can you promise me you can wait just a little longer?”
“Hehe, don’t treat me like a child. I understand that you want to show off what you have prepared in all its glory. I can wait in anticipation for a little while longer.”
“Sorry, sorry. I appreciate having such an understanding girlfriend.”
While he thought she might actually be a bit too understanding, her intelligent and perceptive side was also very characteristic of Mahiru. Smiling wryly, Amane stood up and gave a quick glance at the paper bag next to the sofa as his last step of preparation, which contained the items he wanted to give to Mahiru, ensuring that nothing was missing.
“Everything is in place. You can open your eyes now,” Amane said gently. Mahiru immediately yet slowly opened her eyes, as if she had been waiting keenly for this moment.
Her eyes, slightly squinting as if not yet adjusted to the light, gradually revealed themselves.
What did she think of the decorations in this room, which she had just entered for the first time today?
“This is…” Her quiet voice trembled slightly.
Without needing to ask, Amane could tell what she was referring to from where she was looking and the way in which her eyes sparkled.
“Itsuki, Chitose, Kadowaki and Kido all helped me decorate the room. Um, you did say it would be fine if they found out about your birthday, right? I couldn’t have made such stunning decorations all by myself, so I asked them for help and they happily agreed. They all have way better taste for this kind of stuff than I do, so I’m incredibly grateful for their help. What do you think? Isn’t it cute?”
“Wow… It’s so adorable.”
“I asked them to go wild with the decorations, and this is what they came up with.”
With the help of the few friends Mahiru trusted, Amane had transformed the living room into a birthday-themed setting within just one day.
The theme was: a fun birthday party, just like the ones she had longed for as a child.
The walls were adorned with numerous bundled balloons and paper flowers with matching colors. Additionally, a large LED light spelling out HAPPY BIRTHDAY was affixed to the wall, further adding to the festivity. From the ceiling hung crystal glass ornaments, swaying in the warm air and occasionally scattering soft, dazzling light when illuminated. On the sofa where Mahiru was seated, her favorite stuffed animals were adorned with ribbons, cutely dressed up and eagerly awaiting the star of the day.
One might believe that with this many decorations, it may have resulted in the room looking gaudy or uncoordinated, but that could not have been further from the truth. The decorations were done in soft warm colors to avoid clashing, and thanks to the thoughtful arrangement and color scheme, the room had a calm yet distinctly pop atmosphere.
Even Amane, who considered himself to be fairly indifferent to such decorations and had even seen them being prepared, couldn’t help but let out a gasp of admiration upon seeing the finished room. For Mahiru, it must have been an even bigger surprise.
Seeing the room’s decorations glitter and diffuse in her wide-open eyes, Amane immediately broke out into a smile, knowing he had evoked the reaction he was so hoping for. However, he still had many birthday surprises in store, so it wouldn’t do for her to think that this was all.
“And this here is your birthday bouquet. I asked Itsuki to arrange the flowers.”
Their living room had been completely transformed to suit her tastes, and Mahiru was curiously looking around in awe. Still smiling, Amane picked up the bouquet that he had placed out of sight earlier. He gently handed it to Mahiru, who was momentarily taken aback by the sudden gesture.
Since he aimed to create a birthday that would delight Mahiru as much as possible, the bouquet was naturally stuffed with her favorite flowers and colors. Though he had a general idea of her preferences, he enlisted the help of Chitose and Ayaka to pinpoint her exact tastes. Thanks to their cooperation, he was able to prepare a birthday bouquet that was likely close to perfect in her eyes, for which he was deeply grateful to both of them.
“Is that why Chitose-san and Kido-san were…?”
“You figured it out, huh. Yeah, Chitose and Kido were trying to secretly research your tastes… They were really enthusiastic about making you happy.”
Especially Chitose, whose enthusiasm was off the charts.
In her words, in order to “make Mahirun happy~,” Chitose had subtly and naturally gathered all sorts of information. Even knowing that Amane was preparing something, Mahiru hadn’t been suspicious or felt that anything about their conversations were out of place. It made Amane think that Chitose might actually have a knack for being a detective or something similar.
This ability to slip past someone’s guard and get close to them was one of Chitose’s greatest skills and strengths. It was something Amane admired and wished he could emulate, even though it seemed impossible.
“I don’t think everyone appreciates fresh flowers, but you have a vase in your entrance hallway, don’t you, Mahiru? I happened to notice it whenever I came to get you, so I figured you must like them.”
“I see you have been paying close attention to me.”
“Well, you are my girlfriend, after all.”
Amane was half-expecting her to say, “In that case, you should have already known my favorite flowers,” but he hoped that Mahiru would cut him some slack in that regard.
Since he wanted to give her a bouquet full of only the flowers she loved, it was essential to research and check the range of flowers that was available in the current season.
Does she like it? Amane glanced at Mahiru. Ever so gently, she was cradling the bouquet close to her chest, careful not to let it fall apart. Her eyebrows were relaxed in a tender expression.
“…It’s so beautiful, it would be a shame to see it eventually wither away,” Mahiru said.
“Milady, I have also prepared some silica gel so you may preserve it as a dried flower.”
“Hehe, how thoughtful.”
“Well, of course. I want you to enjoy them until the very end. Even dried flowers may crumble one day, I want them to make you happy for as long as possible.”
“Thank you. I will enjoy its beauty both while it’s fresh and while it’s preserved… Every time I see them, I will think of you, Amane-kun.”
“Hearing you say that makes me really happy.”
“…It will remind me that you’re always with me, even at my own apartment,” Mahiru whispered in a voice so sweet.
Faced with her endearing response, Amane couldn’t help but force his lips together and hold his now rapidly beating heart by gripping his shirt. While it was gratifying as a boyfriend to know that she would think of him when she looked at his gift, hearing it directly from her made him feel a bit embarrassed. Unable to help himself, he scratched his cheek awkwardly.
Mahiru held the bouquet with a dreamy expression dearly, gazing at it as if it were something truly precious. Amane’s lips twitch with a mix of frustration and embarrassment.
“…I’m happy you like it. Well then, I, uh…kinda need to finish preparing dinner, so I’ll get to that now!”
Mahiru, still holding the bouquet and smiling shyly, watched as Amane stood up, using the continuation of the birthday celebrations as an excuse to step away.
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