The downside was that lighting this many candles took a bit of time, but once Amane had successfully lit all of them, he dimmed the room’s lights using the remote control. While the surroundings grew dim, it still wasn’t completely dark. The soft glow from the candles, one for each year of Mahiru’s age, cast a gentle veil over the decorated room, illuminating it.
“You can open your eyes now, Mahiru,” he whispered gently to her, who had followed his instructions until the very end. Mahiru slowly and cautiously lifted her eyelids, and—
“…Ah,” A trembling whisper—one of either lament or astonishment—accidentally escaped her lips.
The soft light brightened Mahiru’s face, revealing an almost dazed expression that threw her usual composure out of the window. Her eyes reflected clearly the flickering flames of the candles before her.
Amane cleared his throat once before slowly parting his lips to speak. While truthfully, this made him feel a bit embarrassed, his desire to convey and share his feelings with Mahiru was much stronger. Although he didn’t consider himself skilled at it, he sang the short happy birthday song that his parents used to sing to him as a child just for her, putting his heart and soul into every word.
“Happy seventeenth birthday, Mahiru.”
Deliberately saving the words he had wanted to say since they met earlier today, Amane finally expressed his joy and celebration for the birth of his beloved girlfriend. When he looked at Mahiru, she was completely frozen, taken aback.
Amane understood that she was likely overwhelmed by the unexpected shock and gave her a small smile as she stood there, frozen, undoubtedly trying to process and make sense of what had just happened.
“I did wonder if this might be a bit too childish,” Amane said softly. He had decorated the room lavishly, prepared a special birthday seat, brought out a whole cake with plenty of candles, and even sang the happy birthday song. Despite being a high schooler, the celebration was the spitting image of a child’s party. But that was exactly what Amane was going for, and he had prepared everything just for this moment.
“At the end of the day, we’re still kids too, so I thought a party like this would be nice. I have fond and happy memories of my birthday being celebrated just like this when I was younger. The memories of what they did for me as a child have always stayed with me, even now.”
Even though his memories of his childhood were a bit vague, he still remembered those events clearly to this day.
His parents had decorated the room exactly to his tastes, placed his favorite stuffed animals and toys at the table, put candles on his favorite cake, and given him the privilege of blowing them out. They had showered him with countless “happy birthdays” and an abundance of love. Those fond childhood memories remained deeply embedded in his heart, giving him the pride of being loved. It was this assurance that had helped him overcome even the most difficult of hardships.
“It may be presumptuous of me, but I wanted to share my happiness with you. I think a party like this is something we all dreamed of as kids,” Amane added.
To a certain extent, birthday parties were something that most children had either experienced or longed for. While it wasn’t good to base everything on his own experiences, there was no denying that for Amane as a child, no day was more exhilarating than his birthday.
“I wondered if, just maybe, you had once dreamed of something like this,” Amane continued. While he felt a bit guilty for making such assumptions on his own, seeing Mahiru’s reaction assured him that he hadn’t been wrong. “That’s why I wanted you to experience it too. I know it might be selfish of me, but even so…”
Seventeen candles on a cake with a fifteen centimeter diameter might have been overkill, but after considering the birthdays Mahiru hadn’t—or couldn’t—celebrate before, it didn’t seem overkill at all. As the flames of the candles gently swayed in the warm air, a silent shimmer appeared in Mahiru’s eyes and began to fall like a sparkling tear.
Just a moment later, Mahiru’s body immediately melted like jelly. Amane panicked—her face crumpled, and countless clear droplets of tears began to fall.
“D-Did you not like it?” Amane asked, alarmed.
“No, it’s not that—it’s just, um, I’m so, so happy…and my heart is overflowing… Do I really deserve something so…wonderful?” Through her sobs, Mahiru, now having experienced something she had never experienced before in its entirety, tried her best to weave her overwhelming feelings into words.
Amane crouched down beside Mahiru as she desperately tried to articulate her emotions, showing her true, unvarnished appearance. Feeling tears well up in his own eyes, he gently enveloped her trembling hand with his.
“I’m glad you liked it. I put a lot of thought into it, asking myself, ‘What can I do here to make Mahiru happy?’ I thought a lot about different ideas for your birthday and consulted many people. In the end, it was all worthwhile,” Amane said softly.
This was different from the first time he had celebrated Mahiru’s birthday. This time, when Itsuki and Chitose lended a hand, they knew that it was all for Mahiru. His parents also offered their advice for Mahiru’s sake, and friends like Yuuta and Ayaka, as well as seniors and even the owner at his part-time job, all contributed to make the day possible in their own ways.
“It wasn’t just me—a lot of people came together to help out today. That just goes to show that there are many people wanting to celebrate your birthday and are willing to lend me a hand.”
“…Yes.”
“Now, blow the candles out before they melt. That’s your special privilege as the birthday girl.”
After wiping Mahiru’s tears with a handkerchief, Amane gave her a playful smile. Her tear-streaked cheeks relaxed slightly, as if she was amused. Not wanting to cry any longer, her eyes—though still wet—regained their bright sparkle as she broke out into a shy yet joyful smile.
Mahiru got down from the sofa and knelt in front of the table. As the candles’ flames glowed softly yet mightily amidst the darkness, she blew them out gently. The flames merely flickered, trying to resist her gentle breath, and after a few attempts, Mahiru turned back to Amane with a troubled look. That initial confusion of hers was more endearing to Amane than anything else.
Seeing Mahiru struggle, unsure of how to proceed, Amane gently encouraged her with pats on the back. “Since there’s seventeen candles, you’ll have to blow a bit harder.” He continued to watch over her, wanting her to blow out all the candles herself. After all, blowing out the birthday cake candles was a ritual meant only for the star of the show.
Backed by Amane’s encouragement, Mahiru took a deep breath and blew on the candles as if to snuff out each and every one of her worries. As each candle went out, the room grew dimmer and dimmer, but Mahiru continued to extinguish the flames one by one. The moment she blew out the last candle, Amane turned the living room lights back on.
The cake could now be seen in all its glory.
Amane had gone for a simple shortcake. It was decorated mainly with strawberries and whipped cream to honor the first shortcake Amane had given to Mahiru last year. However, at the same time, Amane couldn’t say that it was an exact reproduction.
The decorations was one thing, but sat in the center of the cake was a chocolate plaque with the words “Happy Birthday” written on it clumsily by Amane. That, paired with the candles nestled between the chocolate and the strawberries, made it a completely different cake than the one he had bought all that time ago. Even so, he had specifically chosen this cake to add last year’s memories on top of the brand new ones they were creating today.
“Now that the lights are on, the cake looks even more rough around the edges, huh…” Amane trailed off before assuring, “W-Well, even so, the taste should be just fine! The shop owner watched me make it, so I can guarantee that much! I practiced it a lot!”
“Huh? Wh–When did you do that? Where…?”
“At work. I asked the owner to teach me the ropes while I helped her test a new recipe.” As he served her taste-tester, Amane had earnestly asked Fumika for help, to which she agreed on the spot. She agreed so quickly, in fact, that it left Amane utterly dumbfounded—and he was the one asking. “That’s how I managed to do it without coming home too late. Otherwise, you would have caught on. I’m really grateful to the owner.”
Despite her busy schedule, Fumika took the time out of her day to personally teach Amane. She had said, “It lightens the load on everyone else if more people can make cakes,” but Amane knew that she was just trying to put him at ease, which made him feel a bit guilty.
Under Fumika’s kind guidance, Amane managed to learn a foolproof recipe for baking a sponge cake. Naturally, when making a cake, being able to reproduce the recipe was essential. Fumika gave him thorough instructions of the steps and precautions so that he would be able to bake it himself using the equipment he had at home. Thanks to this, Amane had gotten the hang of baking sponge cakes. Though his frosting skills still left much to be desired, Fumika assured him that it wasn’t something he could master so easily. He had at least learned how to make a cake presentable before moving on to tackle the real thing.
I’m glad that Mahiru is happy with it nonetheless.
Feeling relieved, Amane looked at the cake he had prepared for her. “Well, it comes with a price.”
“A–A price…? You did all this for me and—”
“‘Let me know if your darling girlfriend likes it,’ she said… So, what do you think?”
From the very beginning, Fumika didn’t want to ask for anything in return. But to fulfill her request and satiate his own curiosity, Amane gently yet intently stared at Mahiru. Looking as if she were about to cry again, she nodded.
“I’m so happy, I can’t even find the right words. Truly, thank you very much,” Mahiru said, giving him a smile of pure joy despite being on the verge of tears.
Relieved, Amane thanked Fumika in his mind and went to get the plates and cake knife. However, Mahiru then looked up at him with a worried look.
“…Is it really okay for me to experience such happiness?”
“Nnnope.”
Amane accidentally replied reflexively, and Mahiru froze in place. Quickly realizing that saying too few words could be misunderstood, Amane hurriedly continued.
“Oh— Just to clarify, by ‘nope’, I mean that the happiness you are feeling right now is nowhere near enough. I’ll make you even happier than this, so you can’t be satisfied just yet.”
“…Okay.” Mahiru nodded slightly, a faint blush tinging her cheeks.
Having managed to clear up the misunderstanding, Amane was relieved yet again. He got everything needed to eat the cake and then sat down on the floor next to Mahiru.
“Let’s cut the cake now, shall we? Just please excuse how uneven all the candles are.”
Amane had tried to place the candles in a way that would look pretty, but the chocolate plaque and strawberries blocked some of the spots he was going for, so it didn’t turn out exactly as planned. Despite his efforts, some areas had more candles clustered together than others, showing that he still had room for improvement. He made a mental note to avoid such issues next time, but for now, Amane pushed those thoughts to the back of his mind and focused on the task at hand, contemplating how to cut the cake.
After mulling it over for a moment, Amane concluded, “In fact, we should probably remove the candles for now,” and began to pull them out. Noticing the forlorn expression on Mahiru’s face, he carefully placed the candles on a separate plate to reassure her.
As it was fifteen centimeters across, he decided to cut the cake into four pieces, making it both easy to cut and easy to eat. He handed the plate with the main slice, which had the chocolate plaque on it, to Mahiru. “Here you go.”
Mahiru accepted the plate with great care. Her cheeks softened and her eyes sparkled as if she were gazing upon the figure of a treasured possession. Although Amane thought she was exaggerating a bit, it was also proof of how much joy Mahiru felt. Feeling a bit ticklish inside, he handed her a fork.
“Enjoy.”
“Th-Thank you for the meal.”
Mahiru seemed a bit hesitant, for she couldn’t eat the slice without disturbing the carefully balanced chocolate on top.
Mahiru hesitated for quite some time, at a loss for what to do. Then, with an apologetic look, she gently removed the chocolate from its white stage. She took her time slowly cutting the cake into bite-sized pieces, but once she started eating them, it was all gone in an instant.
With a quiet “nom”, the beautiful contrast of white and red disappeared into her petite lips. Her wide caramel-colored eyes blinked open, then slowly softened and narrowed with delight.
Seeing the previously hesitant expression on her face now replaced with a gentle and pleased look, Amane was certain that his efforts over the past two weeks had paid off beautifully.
“…How is it?” Amane finally asked.
“It’s delicious.”
After chewing thoroughly and swallowing, Mahiru nodded to Amane with a shy smile. Seeing this, Amane finally allowed himself to relax. He released the heavy breath he had been holding and took in a fresh one, now feeling much lighter.
“Thank goodness. You made a cake for my birthday, so I wanted to return the favor,” Amane said.
As someone who wanted to return happiness in kind, Amane wanted Mahiru to experience the same joy she had given him on his special day. Since he was a complete novice and had not much time to prepare, he realized he needed to give it his best effort. Rather than fumbling about on his own, he decided to seek guidance from an expert. This approach was so successful that Amane realized it was indeed wise to rely on others when truly in a moment of need.
“But with my skills, there’s no way I could make something on your level, Mahiru. Relying on others really is the way to go.”
“…The kind owner taught you, right?”
“Yeah, I went to her for help. When I said, ‘I want to make a birthday cake for my girlfriend,’ she just beamed at me. That’s very much a her thing to do. Anyway, I’m really grateful to her,” Amane said.
Fumika had explained, “The simpler the dish, the more the flavor of the ingredients and skill of the maker affect the final taste.” Since Amane was a complete amateur when it came to baking—despite now being a fairly good cook—she made sure to teach him from the ground up.
Fumika had him taste various cakes to demonstrate how different sponge textures could be achieved by altering the way eggs were beaten. She also showed him how the fat content of the cream changed the whipping time and technique, letting him work with different ingredients to understand their properties. Additionally, she even told him where to buy the best ingredients for baking, directing him to a specialty confectionery shop. Fumika provided him with a wide range of support to help him improve.
After receiving so much help on top of being hired by her as a part-timer, Amane felt incredibly indebted to her. He couldn’t help but hold her in high regard.
“I would also like to thank her in person for her help with your birthday, but…you don’t want me to go, right?” Mahiru said hesitantly.
“I-It’s not that I don’t want you to,” Amane quickly replied. “I would just prefer if you came after I’ve gotten better at the job… You know, it’d be embarrassing if I wasn’t doing a proper job and stuff.”
Amane had now been working for over a month, so he was confident that he’d gotten used to the job itself. But at the same time, he wasn’t confident that his skills were polished enough to show to Mahiru.
He believed that most people felt a bit uneasy about being watched by their friends or significant other while they’re working, and showing Mahiru how he performed at customer service would only worsen that feeling for Amane. If he were to show Mahiru, he wanted her to see him handling everything with confidence. He felt sorry for making Mahiru wait, but this wasn’t something Amane could compromise on.
Amane wanted to show her his best self whenever possible, even though Mahiru had already seen plenty of his weaknesses and awkward moments. To him, this was at the top of his priorities.
“But to me, you’re cute even when you’re flustered, Amane-kun.”
“Well, that’s no good… I want you to think I look cool.”
“I understand. In that case, I will be waiting.”
Despite being willing to forgive Amane for making her wait, Mahiru smiled with glee. Amane bowed in his mind, thanking her for her generosity as he brought a piece of cake to his mouth.
Thanks to Fumika’s guidance, the cake itself came together beautifully. The sponge, brushed with syrup, was moist without being too heavy and had a fine, delicate texture that melted softly in the mouth alongside the strawberries sandwiched within. The cream had been measured such that it wouldn’t be too sweet, allowing the strawberries’ tartness and sweetness to really shine through. While Mahiru appreciated intricate and stylish desserts, she ultimately gravitated toward classic flavors like this one. Amane thought he had successfully recreated a taste that suited Mahiru’s preferences.
Amane glanced at Mahiru, seeing her savor the cake with a gentle, soothed expression, as if she were treasuring each bite. She seemed even more content than she usually did when enjoying dessert, her eyebrows relaxed in genuine satisfaction.
“It truly is delicious,” Mahiru said softly.
“…I’m glad.”
If Mahiru liked it, then that was the greatest win for Amane.
Making cakes for Mahiru isn’t a bad idea every now and then, he then thought, slowly enjoying the sweet yet not-too-sweet cake that was topped with Mahiru’s smile.
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