Birthday Gifts

Getting Karin out of the clinic turned out to be easier than expected.

"I need you to go to the market," I told her over lunch. "We are running low on everything."

She gave me a suspicious look. "Since when do you leave me alone to shop for food? You always come with me."

"This time I made a very detailed list," I said, handing her a piece of parchment. "Everything we need, where to find it, how much to pay. Think of it as a treasure hunt."

"A treasure hunt for vegetables."

"The most important kind."

She left grumbling, and Kaguya immediately burst into giggles.

"That list is going to send her all over the city," she said. "Some of those vendors do not even exist anymore."

"I may have been… creative with the addresses," I admitted. "We have at least three hours."

We spent the afternoon in the clinic's small workshop, using Kaguya's precision tools to modify one of Karin's spare gauntlets. The crystal fit perfectly into a housing we created in the palm section, with channels carved to distribute energy through the existing flame pathways.

"The beauty of this design," Kaguya said, working with the sun quill to etch connection runes, "is that it does not replace her fire abilities. It amplifies them."

"How much amplification are we talking about?"

She held up the modified gauntlet, the crystal glowing softly in its setting. "Enough to punch through plate armor. Maybe enough to take down one of those corrupted giants we fought with one punch."

"And I can recharge it daily?"

"Should take about ten minutes of focused energy transfer," she confirmed. "Though you will need to be careful not to overload it."

We were just finishing the final adjustments when the front door slammed open.

"Ken!" Karin's voice carried the particular edge that meant she was annoyed. "Half those vendors do not exist! And the ones that do said they have never heard of rainbow carrots or singing lettuce!"

"Singing lettuce?" I whispered.

"I got creative," Kaguya muttered back.

Footsteps stomped up the stairs. We quickly hid the modified gauntlet and the sun quill, arranging ourselves to look innocent.

"What are you two doing up here?" Karin demanded from the doorway.

"Research," I said.

"Medical research," Kaguya added.

Karin's eyes narrowed. "What kind of research requires you to send me on a wild goose chase across the entire city?"

"The kind that is time-sensitive and requires absolute concentration," I said, which was not technically a lie.

She stared at us for a long moment, clearly not buying it. "Fine. Keep your secrets. But I am making dinner, and if either of you complain about what I cook, I am using your face as a cutting board."

After she left, Kaguya and I exchanged glances.

"Think she suspected?" I asked.

"Oh, she definitely suspected," Kaguya said. "But she did not figure out what we were actually doing, so I call it a success."

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Three days later was Karin's birthday.

I had discovered this completely by accident when I saw Kaguya marking the date in her calendar with a small heart. When I asked about it, she had gone pale and made me swear not to tell Karin I knew.

"She does not like making a fuss about her birthday," Kaguya explained. "Says it is a waste of time and resources. But I always try to do something special."

"Like what?"

"Usually I make her favorite tea blend and maybe find a book she would like. Nothing dramatic." She paused. "Though this year, with your gift…"

"Our gift," I corrected. "We made it together."

That morning, Kaguya had prepared everything perfectly. Her special tea blend filled the kitchen with the scent of honey and mint, and she had even found fresh pastries from the bakery down the street. We waited at the kitchen table with the wrapped gauntlet, excited to surprise Karin.

"She is going to love this," Kaguya said, practically bouncing in her chair.

When Karin came downstairs, she stopped short at seeing the small celebration. "What is all this?"

"Happy birthday!" we said together.

A smile spread across her face as she took in the tea and pastries. "You remembered. And you even got the good pastries."

"Of course I remembered," Kaguya said. "Sit down. We have something for you."

Karin sat and accepted the cup of her favorite tea, taking a long, appreciative sip. "This is perfect. Thank you."

I pushed the wrapped gauntlet across the table to her. "This is from both of us."

She unwrapped it carefully, her expression changing from curiosity to amazement as she realized what she was looking at.

"Is this...?"

"A light storage crystal," Kaguya explained, beaming. "Mounted in your gauntlet. It can amplify your fire abilities significantly."

"And I can recharge it daily," I added. "My excess energy problem actually becomes the solution for keeping you equipped."

Karin held up the gauntlet, watching the crystal pulse with stored energy. "This is incredible. This is why you have been so secretive."

"We wanted it to be perfect for you," Kaguya said.

"It is," Karin said softly, then looked up at both of us. "Thank you. Both of you."

After the small celebration, I suggested Karin go out to explore the market. "Not for anything specific," I said. "Just browse around. See if there is anything interesting you have not noticed before."

She seemed happy enough to go, especially after the birthday surprise, and I was relieved to have some time to set up the rest of the day.

But when she returned an hour later, something had changed. Her shoulders were slumped, and she set down a small bag without her usual energy.

"Find anything interesting?" I asked.

"Some things," she said quietly, not meeting my eyes.

Kaguya looked up from where she was cleaning up the breakfast dishes. "Karin? What is wrong?"

For a moment, Karin said nothing. Then the words came out in a rush. "I feel so stupid sometimes. Even shopping alone, I kept thinking about things you two have been discussing. Crystals and energy matrices and theoretical applications... I walk past a vendor selling gems and I do not even know what I am looking at."

Her voice cracked slightly. "All I know how to do is hit things and make fire. And I know you two have been working together on smart things, and I see how Kaguya's face lights up when you talk about medical theory or magical engineering, and I am happy for her, I really am, but..."

She wiped at her eyes angrily. "But I also feel like I cannot keep up. Like I am too stupid to be part of those conversations. I just sit there feeling lost and useless."

I sat down beside her. "Karin, that is not true."

"It is not?" she asked, and now tears were starting to form. "I see how excited she gets about projects I cannot even understand. And I love that she has someone who can match her intelligence, but sometimes I feel like I am losing my sister to someone smarter than me."

Kaguya dropped the dish she was holding and rushed to her sister's side. "Karin, no. You are not losing me. And you are not stupid."

"But I am not smart like you," Karin said, tears flowing freely now. "I cannot keep up when you and Ken talk about complex things. I just sit there feeling left out."

"Karin," I said firmly. "Do you know why this gauntlet design works? Why it took Kaguya three days to get it right?"

She looked at me through her tears. "Because you are both brilliant?"

"Because Kaguya had to understand exactly how you fight," I continued. "How you move. How you think in combat. The crystal placement, the energy channeling, the way it integrates with your natural fire abilities - all of that required her to study the way your mind works when you are in battle."

Kaguya nodded eagerly. "Your combat intelligence is extraordinary, Karin. The way you assess threats, adapt to changing situations, coordinate attacks - I could never do what you do. This gauntlet is designed around that intelligence."

"Really?" Karin's voice was small.

"Really," I said. "And as for keeping up with our conversations - you already do. Every time we discuss something, you ask the right questions. You might not know the technical terms, but you understand the practical applications better than either of us."

"And you train with Ken every day," Kaguya added. "You are the only one who can keep up with him. Ken would have probably burned himself to the core of the planet if not for you helping him expel the excess light."

"You have strategic intelligence, Karin," I said. "Combat intelligence too. My practice with you helped me a lot in the battle against the rat king. And you make both of us smarter just by being around you."

Karin set the gauntlet down carefully and pulled both of us into a fierce hug. "I was being stupid," she said, voice muffled against our shoulders. "I was so worried about not being smart enough that I forgot you chose to work with me, not against me."

"You are never stupid," Kaguya said firmly. "You are my sister and my hero and the smartest tactical mind I have ever met."

"Both of you are important to me," I added. "And both of you make me better than I am alone."

We held each other for a long moment, and I felt something settle into place that I had not realized was missing.

◇◇◇◇

That evening, we celebrated properly with hot pot.

I had managed to find most of the ingredients at the market. Karin came home with a strange red pepper the vendor swore could cure ailments, though she claimed it tasted awful.

The moment I saw it, I nearly laughed. "That is a chili pepper. In my world, these are sometimes used in medicine, good for circulation, reducing pain, clearing sinuses. But they are also delicious."

Kaguya raised an eyebrow. "Delicious? Something that sets your mouth on fire?"

"You will see," I said. "They are perfect for hot pot."

We set up the portable stove in the center of the kitchen table, filling the pot with rich broth and dropping the peppers in whole. Steam rose, carrying a sharp, biting aroma that made my eyes water with nostalgia. Karin fetched one of their bottles of orba wine from storage, and soon the table was ready.

Karin leaned over the pot, nose wrinkling. "Soup?"

Kaguya tapped her spoon against the rim. "It looks like soup."

I shook my head. "You do not really drink this broth. Not with this many chilis. The point is different. We cook while we eat. Everyone adds their food to the pot and takes it out when it is ready."

They both followed my lead, dropping in meat and vegetables. It did not take long before Karin's eyes went wide and she fanned her tongue. "Spicy. It hurts, but… I cannot stop."

Kaguya coughed into her sleeve, cheeks flushed. "It burns, and yet… it is addicting."

"Capsaicin," I explained between mouthfuls, already dunking another slice of meat. "That is the chemical that makes it hot. It stimulates nerves, floods the brain with endorphins, even speeds up metabolism. It hurts, but the body reads it as excitement. That is why it is addicting."

I pulled the meat from the broth, savoring the heat that lingered on my tongue. "I cannot get enough of this."

By the time the wine was flowing and the last noodles were gone, both sisters were laughing, their faces flushed from spice and drink, the kitchen filled with warmth that had nothing to do with the stove.

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