A Special Day

Hana was scrolling through her phone, sliding her fingers over photos and videos of friends on a timeline. Many of them were people she hadn’t seen since high school. Still, she kept up with their lives a little through social media and would occasionally send a message just to stay in touch.

In one of the videos, she watched someone celebrating a birthday and suddenly remembered an upcoming date.

“Mayu’s birthday is coming up,” she said.

Shinya, who was sitting on the couch reading one of his books, didn’t even bother to turn around. He simply answered with a “Hmm?” as if he wasn’t really listening.

“We could do something to celebrate,” Hana added.

At that, he closed the book and set it aside on the couch, turning to look at her, still leaning on the kitchen table, eyes glued to her phone screen.

“Birthdays are important to you, huh?”

He said ‘to you’ as if he didn’t quite understand the common practice of celebrating life’s milestones, like another cycle of a year completed. And that was actually true.

Hana lifted her gaze, fixing her eyes on him as he watched her from the couch. He hadn’t said it with any malice, he simply didn’t know how these things worked because he had never lived that way.

She had felt this way in other conversations with him too, still grappling with the idea that Shinya came from a different world, a place where festive dates, food, and sleep didn’t exist. Like a character out of a fairy tale. Sometimes she thought his calling himself a god was just a joke... but maybe it really was true. And trying to accept that left her with a strange sense of discomfort because the idea was simply too surreal.

She often felt even more confused because so many times she had to explain things to him as if he were a child trying to understand the world, like the day he took an umbrella but ended up completely soaked, or his stubborn habit of always baking strawberry shortcake, or the times he would suddenly disappear without a word.

She would always let out a soft, sighing laugh when she thought about it.

The truth was, even with his innocence — or maybe because of it — Shinya had captured her heart. His genuine desire to learn about the smallest things made Hana want to spend all the time in the world teaching him.

Being with him was always fun. And even though sometimes he didn’t seem to know much, Hana found herself learning from him too, like when they cooked together, a skill that never failed to surprise her, since everything he made turned out delicious. Not to mention the beautiful smile he gave her when she helped him in the kitchen, or the way he would watch her so attentively when he thought she wasn’t looking.

It was in those moments that Hana felt her body float and her heart race.

“You don't really celebrate birthdays, do you?” Hana asked.

Shinya simply nodded. There was something in his gaze that said it wasn’t by choice, he had just never thought about celebrating something like that.

“Well... it’s not like I’m crazy about celebrating my own, but I always thought it was nice to do something for friends,” Hana continued with a soft smile. “A surprise party, a thoughtful gift...”

“So you want to do something like that for Mayu?” Shinya asked.

“Yeah. You know how much I love her. The least I can do is prepare something for her.”

Shinya listened intently, as he always did. His eyes showed that every small word from her seemed like a revelation.

“We could just keep it simple, here at home,” Hana said. “We cook something or order food, watch a movie... It doesn’t have to be anything big. I just don’t want to let the day pass without doing anything.”

Shinya shifted, getting more comfortable on the couch.

“It does seem important... this date. I’ve never celebrated it, so I don’t really understand what it means,” he said, the words coming out with effort.

Hana smiled, touched by his honesty.

“Birthdays might seem like just another day to some people,” she said, seeing him nod slightly. “But they’re a reminder that we exist, that our life matters to someone. It’s a way of celebrating that. That’s why I like showing the people I love how special they are.”

Shinya continued watching her, captivated. It wasn’t just her explanation that moved him, it was the tenderness with which she said each word.

“I know not everyone likes it,” she added, “but for me, it's a chance to make someone feel loved.”

Her words carried a weight Shinya couldn’t fully measure yet, but he could feel it. And even without understanding everything, he knew he wanted to be part of it. He wanted to learn.

“So what do you plan to prepare for Mayu?” he asked.

“Nothing too fancy,” Hana said, smiling. “Just something that shows we thought about her.”

Shinya thought for a moment before replying, determined.

“Then I think I know what I can do.”

***

Shinya pulled out the cake he had kept in the fridge and placed it on the table. Hana watched with a slightly exasperated look as if she were being forced to witness something inevitable.

“I told him you’d prefer a strawberry cake, your favorite just like mine,” Hana said.

Shinya, however, wore a look of total confidence. Despite what Hana had insisted for days, he knew Mayu’s favorite cake wasn’t strawberry. He just couldn’t understand why Hana said it with such certainty.

“Hmm, I’m not so sure, Hana. Maybe Mayu actually prefers this one,” he said.

In front of them, on the table, was a peach cake.

Mayu watched the scene with an unreadable expression on her face. She glanced at Hana, then at Shinya, clearly unsure how to react.

“Well? What do you think?” Hana urged. “You can say you don’t like it, then I’ll rub it in Shinya’s face how wrong he was!”

Mayu approached Hana and took her hands.

“I’m sorry, Hana, but... I never really liked strawberry cake,” she said, closing her eyes as if bracing for punishment.

“What?! What do you mean? You always said you liked it!”

“I only said that because you looked so happy eating it... I didn’t have the heart to say otherwise.”

Hana turned to Shinya, who now made much more sense.

“Then how did you—”

“I told you, Hana,” Shinya said, cutting her off before she could finish.

“I don’t know how he figured it out,” Mayu said, laughing as she released Hana’s hands, “but you’d better watch out, Hana, or I might actually fall for him.”

“Mayu!”

Mayu just burst out laughing, and soon Hana joined in.

Seeing them so happy, Shinya felt something warm inside his chest. The look Hana gave him at that moment said more than any words could. She was genuinely touched by what he had done.

The night went on peacefully. Despite the small cake confusion, it was exactly like Hana had described, just like any ordinary day. They watched a movie together, Hana and Mayu chatted about old memories, and teased Shinya about how reserved he was.

Yet even though it seemed like a regular day, Shinya could feel a different energy in the air, like a special glow he still couldn’t explain.

After the movie, they shared the cake. As Mayu happily dug into her slice, she noticed something that made her reflect: Hana and Shinya seemed closer than before.

Small gestures, exchanged glances, a kind of silent understanding that they might not even realize themselves.

And despite the joy she felt from the surprise, a strange feeling welled up inside her, a sense of being an outsider. As if she were witnessing something she knew deep down she could never have.

Especially when she saw the light in Hana’s eyes or the subtle looks Shinya sent her way.

“Thank you both for doing this for me,” Mayu said, setting down her empty plate. “But I think it’s time I head home.”

Hana got up and gave her a tight hug. “I hope you enjoyed it.”

“Yeah, it was really great. And Shinya... thanks for the cake. I don’t know how you knew, but it was exactly what I wanted,” she said with a smile, heading toward the door.

After saying goodbye, Mayu walked outside. As she descended the stairs, she looked up at the night sky, her thoughts swirling. She wondered if one day she’d have someone by her side the way Hana seemed to have found. It was a bittersweet feeling, a longing she hadn’t even known she had.

Walking home, she noticed someone leaning against a wall. She recognized him immediately, even though she had only seen him once.

“H-Hi... Tsubasa, right? What are you doing here?”

Tsubasa stepped closer to Mayu before answering, catching her off guard and leaving her feeling vulnerable.

“I was planning to visit Shinya, but... I felt like it was a special day, and that I might be intruding. So I decided to wait out here until things calmed down.”

Mayu’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“I can’t believe you waited out here just so you wouldn’t bother them.”

Tsubasa looked completely out of place, yet acted as if his behavior made perfect sense.

“And yeah, today was a special day... it’s my birthday,” Mayu said, smiling shyly.

Tsubasa tilted his head, thoughtful.

“Birthday...” he repeated as if pondering the meaning of the word. “It seems to matter to you.”

“Yeah... something like that,” she joked. “And you’re totally looking like you forgot the present!”

Tsubasa looked even more confused.

“A present...? I didn’t bring anything…” he muttered.

Mayu chuckled softly.

“Hmm... I'll give you a chance to make it up to me,” she said, clasping her hands behind her back and rocking on her heels. “You could walk me home.”

Tsubasa stayed silent for a moment, processing the idea.

“If that's your wish, I can do that,” he answered awkwardly.

They walked side by side along the quiet, glowing streets. And although the path was the same as always, the company made it feel special.

When they reached her house, Mayu turned to Tsubasa. “Thank you... I think in the end, this present was better than I expected.”

Tsubasa just nodded, still seeming to not fully understand.

“Well... it wasn’t anything special. I just walked with you.”

“Hm... maybe that’s exactly what I needed,” she said, flashing a wide smile.

For a moment, Tsubasa seemed like he wanted to say something, but instead, he just smiled back. Small, reserved, but genuine, and said goodbye.

Mayu stepped inside, leaned against the door, and smiled to herself, still feeling the warmth of the walk beside him. Nothing grand had happened, yet something inside her felt like it was changing. And even if she tried to deny it, she felt an overwhelming desire to see him again.

***

At the apartment, Shinya held the small plate with the leftover cake while Hana gathered the cups from the table, laughing at something she remembered.

He looked at the door Mayu had just left through, then at Hana. Her golden hair glowed warmly under the light.

Without thinking, Shinya placed a hand over his chest.

Subtly, he was beginning to understand why humans cherished these moments, these gatherings, these connections.

It was a comforting, sweet, and quiet feeling.

And without even realizing it, a new wish was born in his heart.

“I hope I can do something like this for your birthday,” he said to Hana, “for the next one... and for many more after that.”

Hana suddenly stopped as she carried the cups to the sink. She stayed facing away from him, but a smile bloomed across her face, a true smile, full of meaning.

A smile that said more than any words ever could.