Happy Birthday, Iwasaki-kun [END Vol. 1]

After classes, I made my way back, passing through the rows of dark green trees. What was once the pink forest was replaced by this canopy, a welcome one considering the sweltering afternoon sun. What I’d do for just a gentle breeze these days.

I passed by the convenience store, the blast of cool air from the storefront tempting me to enter, but I kept my resolve and marched onwards to the dorms.

Up the elevator I went to the seventh floor, which I called home for the past three months. As I tossed my bag into my room and headed to the common room, I was greeted by someone lurking in the kitchen area.

“Happy…birthday, Iwasaki-kun!” The person in question chirped, her ahoge bouncing as she spoke.

“Thank you, Sato-san.” I grinned, chuckling at her newfound Japanese phrase. She smiled back, walking over and nudging me on the shoulder.

“Excited for your birthday extravaganza?”

I chuckled. “Extravaganza? That's some sort of code word for a crazy party?”

“No, but if you want one, we could make a change–”

“Absolutely not. The four of us are just right.” And if by some ritual, there were now four of us in the common room.

“Happy birthday, Iwasaki.”

“Happy birthday, Iwasaki-kun!” Pop! went a little birthday streamer. We’re going to have to clean that up…

Without further delay, it was time for the festivities to begin as we departed for Shinjuku.

At the train station, Sato marched onwards. “See, I’ve been here so many times now, it’s like the back of my hand!” She smoothly got through the ticket gate and turned left, happily leading the way to a train.

The three of us turned right, waiting for her to check back on us as she headed towards the wrong train.

Fifteen seconds later…

“You guys!?!?”

***

The same Yakiniku restaurant we visited as our first dinner place, and this time around, we were going all out on the meats.

As we ate, the aroma of foods and sizzling meats tantalized all our senses.

“You know, I really wanted to punch that guy at the beach house,” Sato raised her fist dramatically. “But we have to be careful, we’re technically adults, even though he was being super childish." 

The thought of Sato flying in to clock Yoshino gave me a chuckle. 

"Oh, did you all know that Tachibana-senpai and Goto-senpai are heading to Hokkaido for summer vacation?"

"Really! That sounds fun!" Sato beamed. "Is it nice and tropical?"

"Uh...not really. It's north of here."

"I see," she nodded. "Are there any places like that around here? My parents mentioned this place in the news...El Salamander.”

I blinked. “El what?”

Watson looked at her. "El...Salvador?" 

“Yes, that!” she pointed at Watson. Where’d she get salamander from that?!  "But now that I think about it, El Salamander sounds more fun... salamanders are cute!" 

“Sato-san...I want you to draw the map of the world at some point. I need to see this." 

"Iwasaki-kun! The audacity!" She sighed. "Anyways...or maybe somewhere like Cancun." Okay, I believe that is a real-world place. "Plus, I'd get to see the pro basketball players there on vacation!" 

Watson again stared at her. "What?"

"That's where the teams go after the playoffs, right?"

"Serina, that's a joke. They don't actually go to Cancun." 

"Oh."

As the conversation moved on, Sato went for the cooked pork, arching her hand clearly over the drink glasses in an exaggerated motion. “No spilling today, I promise!”

“Good job, Serina!” Watson nodded.

“Why are you acting like it’s an accomplishment?!”

“Because it is,” I added.

Her leg nudged into mine under the table as she pouted.

“Anyways, Elise, how’s the outfit looking for next month?”

“It’s pretty much done. And the arm’s still good.”

“Any upgrades you want on it? Maybe a retractable blade?”

“Ooh…” Lafon’s eyes glimmered at the prospect of combining her two favorite weapons into one. “I may have to take you up on that offer.”

As long as it doesn’t involve my safety, I’m fine with that.

“Back to the workshop then!” She glanced at me, acknowledging future days of crafting ahead.

“Ah, Chloe, how have your streaming hours been?”

“Good! I’ve been trying earlier hours, so I’m not going to bed at like 3 am,” she giggled. “But sometimes when I’m having too much fun, it’ll go on.” She pondered for a moment. “I have been thinking of doing a subathon…”

“That sounds fun! Maybe,” Sato paused. “If you need people for party games, we’re down!”

I nodded. “Or for your gacha rolls.”

Watson smiled even more. “Thanks, that would be amazing!”

***

“Karaoke time!”

We rented a room, ordered some soft drinks, and started belting away at the song list. It was like the last time around, and with just the four of us, there was a sense of comfort along for the ride.

“Oh, I’m going to pick up the cake from the bakery,” Lafon said. “Chloe, can you help me?”

“Sure! I accept cash, card, or mobile pay.”

“You can have some of the extra pastries I got with the order.”

“Deal,” Watson skipped along with Lafon towards the door. “We’ll be back soon!”

The two girls exited the karaoke room, leaving Sato and me to ourselves.

“Those two are at it again,” I sighed. 

“Mhm,” she scooted closer, her pinky overlapping with mine. 

“Hey, Iwasaki-kun, want to sing that song again? The one you said you know the lyrics to.”

“That song? I mean sure…”

She grinned. “I want to see if I can pick up on some of the words.”

I selected the song and picked up the mic, the room lights sprinkling colors along the walls. I started singing, with Sato swaying along to the rhythm. This time around, I was prepared to say the line earnestly.

“It’s not just that I like you, you know.”

As I said this, I felt the warmth in my cheeks grow, yet I kept my cool through the rest of the song. The music stopped, and Sato clapped her hands.

“Good job!”

“Thanks,” I exhaled, sitting back down.

“I picked out a few words…like suki.” She giggled. “That means ‘love’ in Japanese, Iwasaki-kun?”

“Yeah, that’s correct, there are multiple ways of saying love, and that’s one of them.”

She nodded. “We learned in a recent lesson about it. And then I remember you got flustered when you sang that phrase the first time.” She leaned in, a small smile on her face. “I wonder...”

“I-I was very moved that time when you spoke against my former classmates…I suppose.” My voice was higher-pitched than I was expecting, and nearly sent her bursting out laughing.

Eventually, she composed herself. “Okay, okay. Well, I told you I’ve felt this way for a while…maybe even longer.”

I remembered Lafon’s perspective she shared after the festival. “An expert at keeping it under wraps, then.”

“But now we’re here.” She looked up at the ceiling, the karaoke room lights creating a starry pattern above.

“Sato-san, I was looking through the story of the cowherd and the weaver girl.”

Her eyes lit up. “Really? Tell me more!”

“The story of the weaver girl, a princess…where her father, God, saw she was lonely and invited the cowherd. They fell in love and got married, however, she stopped weaving, and the cowherd let his cows roam heaven. God was mad and separated the two on opposite ends of the heavenly river, or what we call the Milky Way.” I looked at her. “The story is like your grandparents, like you said at the festival.”

She listened intently. “You’re right. It’s much more similar than I thought.”

“Well, the ending goes where God allows the two to meet once a year, the seventh day of the seventh month. However, they were still separated by the Milky Way. The magpies built a bridge with their wings so the two could meet.”

“Wow…” she smiled. “That’s a touching story…and it does remind me of Grandma and Grandpa. Thanks for looking it up and telling me more about it.”

It represented her grandparents quite well, but I also had a feeling the story could be playing out in a different way.

“Oh, Iwasaki-kun, before they come back, I wanted to give you a little birthday present!”

A birthday present? “Sure, what is it?”

“Close your eyes, and you’ll see!”

Alright then. I closed my eyes, the anticipation raising my heart rate slightly. Several seconds passed, and I was wondering if she was having trouble…

A warm set of lips pressed on my right cheek. A moment in time that felt like several minutes, my brain suddenly stuttering as my eyes fluttered open.

“Happy birthday, Iwasaki-kun. Suki desu.” A warmth spread across my face and my chest as she pulled back to her seat.

My mind swirled as the room felt like it was shrinking. Sato?!? I…she…

I turned to her, her cheeks burning red. “S-sato-san…”

She’s as flustered as I was. “Y-yeah?” She blinked and tried to calm down. “It was...a gift of appreciation. Wanted to save it for a special moment, you know. Once in a while.”

It’s the festival all over again. I’m going to pass out at this point…but the warmth was nice.

She leaned on my shoulder, holding my arm as she looked up, that smile of hers back again. “I know I said once in a while,” her cheeks reddened. “How about again?”

Again?! It’s been what…two minutes?

“S-sure.”

Her face closed the distance to mine, my heart thumping as she went to kiss my cheek once more.

The door opened, with Watson holding a box, presumably the birthday cake. “Surprise! We got the cake–” She froze in place, noticing our current position.

Lafon was right behind her, her stoic face shifting to one with a hint of smugness.

Sato craned her neck to the door, her eyes widened in shock and embarrassment. Both our faces were crimson now.

“H-h-hey! Welcome back!” she croaked, quickly shifting back to her seat.

Watson, without another word, placed the cake on the table and picked up the ordering tablet. As Lafon entered and sat down, Watson selected something and ordered; within thirty seconds, the door opened with a waiter holding a bottle of beer, and she got up to show the waiter her ID before taking the drink.

Before any of us interjected, she sat back down and started drinking.

She inhaled. “WHAT WAS THAT? YOU TWO ARE LIKE THAT? SINCE WHEN?”

As Watson began the interrogation, I looked over at Lafon, who was trying to hold it in.

“Hey, let’s talk after the cake! Right, guys? The cake!” I stammered.

“‘Cake’ my ASS we’re not moving on until I KNOW the DETAILS–”

“Phrasing, Chloe.”

“SHUT UP–”

“C-Chloe, we’ll fill you in... Iwasaki-kun’s right, the cake–”

“I SAID CAKE MY–”

As the room erupted in chaos, I realized this was going to be the norm.

Elise Lafon, the cool French fashion student and internationally renowned cosplayer Eris-sama.

Chloe Watson, the kind Canadian pre-medical student by day, deranged catgirl V-Tuber by night as ChocoNyan.

Serina Sato, the bubbly American engineering student, granddaughter of Japan’s space pioneer, who one day will join the agency her grandfather helped to create.

And she’s my girlfriend.

I looked at her frantically trying to defuse the situation, her green eyes looking back and forth at us, strands of her blonde hair twirling with her head movements. 

Suki desu, Sato-san.