Chapter 134: Birthday (2)

Sixteen candles flickered on the cake. I felt a familiar dizziness, a sense of detachment, like when I’d seen the poster attacking Aya and me.

But… this time was different.
This time, tears welled up in my eyes.

“Happy Birthday, Rina!”
“Happy Birthday, Rina-tan~!”

Mizuki and Aya’s voices brought me back to reality.

I hadn’t cared about my birthday since I’d arrived in this world. I’d completely forgotten my birthday from my past life, focusing all my energy on adapting to my life as Kurosawa Rina.
But to have friends who remembered my birthday, even if it was just in this life… I felt a lump forming in my throat.

“Rina… are you crying?”
“Eh…? N-No…!”

I quickly lowered my head, trying to hide my tears, but it was too late. Tears were already streaming down my cheeks. Mizuki patted my shoulder, unable to hide her amusement.

“Aw~ Rina-tan, why are you crying~? Are you touched? Heehee, you’re so cute~!”
“Seriously… Mizuki, you could have told me beforehand… Doing this so suddenly…”

Overwhelmed with emotion, I sniffled and complained to Mizuki. Aya, covering her mouth with her hand, chuckled softly, then took out a handkerchief and gently wiped my tears.

“Rina, of course we’d celebrate your birthday. We’re so grateful to you.”
“No… I’m the one who’s grateful… to both of you.”

Their heartfelt words calmed me down. I was so lucky to have such wonderful friends.

“Rina-tan, we actually planned this secretly. The others wanted to have a big party, but I insisted that we wanted to celebrate just the three of us~”
“Eh…? Really?”
“Yeah. We wanted to celebrate with just us today.”

Mizuki’s words made me tear up again. Aya gently took my hand.

“That’s right, Rina. It’s a special day… just for us.”
“You guys… Thank you so much.”

Tears welled up again, but this time, I smiled through them. I finally felt like I truly belonged here, in this world.

Aya carefully took out a small, wrapped gift. It was tied with a ribbon.

“Rina, here’s a present.”
“Aya… can I open it?”

Aya nodded. I hesitantly unwrapped the gift. Inside was a beautiful white handkerchief, delicately embroidered with lily-like flowers. As I carefully held it up, Aya said shyly,

“I embroidered it myself. I thought you wouldn’t like anything too extravagant…”
“You… embroidered it… yourself…?”

I wasn’t surprised that Aya could embroider, but the fact that she’d put so much effort into making something for me… it touched my heart. This was also very extravagant, Aya…

“It’s beautiful… Thank you, Aya…”
“I’m glad you like it.”

Mizuki, watching us, beamed. “Okay~, my turn! Here, Rina-tan, a present for you!”
“Mizuki too…?”

Mizuki’s gift was a small, practical notebook, about the size of my palm. The cover was a thick, luxurious material that looked expensive.

“What is this?”
“Ehehe, since you sometimes space out and forget things! I picked it out myself. Use this so you don’t forget things anymore~”
“Ehehe, thanks!”

I hugged the gifts close. They weren’t just objects; they were tokens of their affection and care.

“Thank you… both of you… so much.”

I wasn’t as eloquent as they were, so I couldn’t express my gratitude properly. I just closed my eyes tightly, trying to hold back tears.

****

After the birthday celebration, the conversation naturally shifted back to the ball.

“About the ball… is it okay if Aya and I are partners? It’s… two girls…”
“That’s not a problem, Rina. There were same-s*x partners last year too.”

Mizuki chimed in,

“Yeah, yeah! If you’re worried about that, it’s rude to the other same-s*x couples who’ve participated before!”

Ah, I see. It wasn’t unprecedented.
Then Mizuki suddenly sighed deeply, an unusual sound for her. I was worried.

“Mizuki, what’s wrong? Is something bothering you?”
“Well… I think I’ll have to dance with my fiancé.”

“Eh…? Fiancé…?”

Mizuki had a fiancé…?
That was unexpected.

But thinking about it, it wasn’t that surprising. Mizuki was the only daughter of the Asakura family, a likely candidate for an arranged marriage. It was natural for her to be engaged to someone from a suitable family. Mizuki’s usual cheerful and playful demeanor made me forget that she was from a very high-ranking noble family.

“Mizuki… who is your fiancé?”
“Hmm… You probably haven’t heard of him. He’s not from our school… He’s the student council president of another prestigious academy. His name is… Kamijo…? Something like that.”

Mizuki shrugged, her expression unusually indifferent. He must have been a minor character in the novel, easily forgotten.

Seeing Mizuki so downcast made my heart ache. She was a close friend, and I wanted her to be happy. But she didn’t seem happy about her engagement.

“It’s nothing to worry about~! Don’t worry, don’t worry! It’s just an arranged engagement. I barely remember his face.”

Mizuki forced a cheerful smile, but I could see through her facade. I wasn’t sure what to say, so I just looked at her awkwardly. Mizuki, having recovered her usual cheerfulness, linked arms with Aya.

“So~ Aya-ring and Rina-tan, you have to dance beautifully and steal the spotlight for me, okay~?”
“Don’t worry, we will.”
“You’re the best, Aya-ring~!”

Aya, being a longtime friend, played along with Mizuki’s teasing.
As we walked back to the classroom after lunch, Aya said quietly,

“Rina, are you worried about Mizuki?”
“Huh? Um… A little.”
“Mizuki doesn’t like to show her burdens. She probably slipped up just now. So just… pretend you didn’t hear anything.”

Mizuki had often talked about Aya, but it was rare for Aya to talk about Mizuki like this.

“Okay?”
“…Okay!”

Aya smiled and patted my shoulder gently.
Back in the classroom, the bell rang, signaling the start of the next class.
The afternoon passed uneventfully.

****

And then, another unexpected event occurred as soon as I got home.

“Happy birthday, Rina.”

Mom and Dad greeted me with smiles, and standing beside them was…

“Unni?”
“Rina-chan~! Long time no see! Happy birthday~!”

It was my cousin, Kurosawa Miyu, dressed in an elaborate Lolita outfit.

“Come on in, freshen up, and let’s have a party!”
“Okay… What are you doing here, unni?”

“It’s your birthday, Rina-chan! I came to surprise you!”
“B-But… you could have told me you were coming…”
“Then it wouldn’t be a surprise~?”

Miyu pinched my cheek.
Ugh… My cheeks weren’t public property…

“Okay, everyone, come in. Rina, go wash up and then come to the dining table.”
“Okay…”

I hurried to my room, changed clothes, washed up, and went to the dining room.
A birthday cake, much larger and more elaborate than the one at school, was on the table. My parents and Miyu were beaming.

“Now that the birthday girl is here, shall we begin?”
“Yes~!”

Dad, who was usually too busy to be home, announced, and the candles on the cake were lit. Sixteen candles flickered, illuminating my face.

“One, two~”

“Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday to you~ Happy birthday, dear Rina~ Happy birthday to you~!”

Ah… They used the same melody in Japan. Their voices, though slightly off-key, filled the room. It was the second time I’d heard the song today, but it still brought tears to my eyes.

“Rina! Make a wish and blow out the candles~!”
“I don’t need a wish, just… Fuuu~!”

I blew out all the candles in one go, and the room erupted in cheers and applause.

“That’s our girl~! You blew them all out at once!”

“Rina, stay healthy and happy.”
“Rina-chan, happy birthday~! Stay cute and… stop growing taller~!”

I smiled happily and nodded, except at my cousin’s comment, which I protested.

“No way! I’m already the shortest among my friends. I need to grow taller…!”
“But you’re already taller than me…”

We laughed and chatted as we cut and shared the cake. Dad joked with Mom, and Mom boasted about their loving relationship.

Miyu put her arm around me and whispered in my ear,

“Rina-chan, how are things going with your girlfriend?”

Her words made my face burn, and I fanned myself frantically.