Birthday parties are still a happy occasion in high school.

***

That day, we went to the cinema. It was an anime movie we'd long anticipated. Immediately after it was over, we began a lively discussion. Our energetic voices rang through the evening streets. We were both equally engaged in the conversation.

"The movie was a disappointment. Even if you leave aside the sheer number of plotholes and the forced, unnatural ending, the themes were basic, the storyline — predictable, the message — hopelessly shallow."

The story was simple enough — a tale of a loner unable to make friends. Eventually, he meets a girl who changes his world... A pretty typical storyline, the kind you can find anywhere.

"Well, it wasn't anything groundbreaking, but it was still great."

"You're contradicting yourself."

And that's how one of those usual arguments began.

"Not really. It had beautiful background art and unbelievably fluid animation— some of the shots were unforgettable. They took my breath away again and again. In general, the visuals were top-notch."

The animation of the characters' facial expressions was spectacular. Combined with stand-out voice acting, it made for some memorable scenes. However, the discussion wasn't over with just that.

"Pretty picture but no substance."

"Listen to me through to the end, okay? I'm not done yet. The music and voice acting were godlike! I'm certainly downloading some of the tracks."

"I hate anime that don't have anything but production values. Can't you tell I mainly care about the narrative? Don't you, too?"

"Visuals are narrative. At least when done thoughtfully. No point in pretty visuals when you have nothing to say. But, this wasn't the case here. The script wasn't anything extraordinary, but there is no need for that. If you know what you want to say, and the story represents the message, then the only thing left is to communicate it through every frame and every shot."

"Idealistic as always. As if the product will be good just because the person behind it feels strongly. Feelings alone aren't enough."

"I've never said that. Obviously, skill matters. I hate those scenes where it feels like nothing is lost when you watch it without the visuals. When not a single emotion is conveyed through the image. Then the picture lacks substance."

In other words, it wasn't about being pretty. If you put no thought into it, there is nothing to garner from the image. Animation is a storytelling medium — every part of it needs to say something.

"Well, maybe there is that. But this one didn't connect with me. What's up with those loner characters? They're boring as hell. Just how dumb do you need to be to be unable to make friends?"

"...You lack self-awareness, don't you?"

"Idiot, I don't communicate with others, but not because I can't — I don't communicate because I don't want to. The main character here was just an awkward loser, trapped in a shell of his own making. He ends up projecting his shallow perception on the people around him. And all — just because of some half-assed trauma of his own doing. So much is wrong with that. There wasn't a reason for him to be isolated."

"...That's why I said you lack self-awareness."

A character caught in restraints placed by no other than himself, huh...?

"..? What do you mean?"

In the end, that question remained unanswered. 

Even though, deep inside, I knew the correct answer.

***
Maegahara Shosei

I was walking down the usual path to school. It was covered with puddles left from yesterday's rain, and the sunlight made the road glitter with light. Slightly entranced, I was lost in my thoughts.

Today was a big day, September twenty-first, Ishikawa's birthday. I was confident that the usual five would host a party for him today. That's why my plan was to get an invite! Somehow...

It wasn't a realistic prospect, and I didn't feel it had a good chance of success, but I couldn't afford to keep wasting time. Well, it didn't hurt to try, at least. Although, I had to not be too pushy, or it could cause them to avoid me instead...

My thoughts were once again turning to gloom... Well, my plan had already begun anyway.

Furukawa Itsuki

So, why the hell are we in a cinema?

"..."

No, I get what you do at cinemas — I'm not that stupid. But you asked me to tell you about myself, didn't you? Why do we need to watch a movie to talk about that? 

"..."

Tsk. Well — whatever. I guess I'll just try to have fun today.

***

What the hell? This movie is garbage. It's some pretentious avant-garde film. The kind that's supposed to make you intensely think as it subtly weaves its message into a visual narrative. The problem is — it sucked. Nowhere near as deep as it thinks it is. What's wrong with you picking something like this?

...

You thought I would enjoy it? Well, maybe if it wasn't so stupid. I admit that there were cool transitions and memorable shots, and the distorted aesthetic works in some places. But the story is dumb, and, I repeat, it's nowhere near as deep as it makes it out to be — to a comedic extent. I'm more inclined to laugh at it than be genuinely engaged.

Anyway, wasn't there something more important to talk about? Yesterday was an important day, right? Let's talk about that instead.

***
Maegahara Shosei

Now — creating one with only me and them would be problematic. I would certainly have to be the one inviting myself in. Or rather — intruding. That forceful approach would be creepy, to say the least. So, the solution was simple — invite everyone.

In other words, hold a party with the entire class. Usually, it would be hard to convince others to participate, and if most of the kids weren't in, it would not work. However — it wasn't the usual case. After all, we were talking about Ishikawa Yamada. There wasn't anyone as famous as him in our class. From the side, he was the perfect, handsome, sharp-witted, friendly, and caring guy who was well-liked by everyone — and for a good reason. His popularity would work to my advantage.

...Hopefully.

The classes went on as usual today. The third period ended, and the break began. The classroom was filled with boisterous conversations. Those five especially stood out. It was the picture of normalcy — or so it seemed. In reality, my plan had already begun.

I perked up my ears, listening in to the voices around me.

"...So we...today..."

"Ishi...party..."

"Lunch br.. surprise..."

The preparations were in place — now, I just needed to wait and then make one final step.

The entire fourth period, I kept glancing at the clock in anticipation. I mentally went over the plan and imagined every scenario that could happen. Preparing myself to deal with anything, I bid my time waiting for the class to end. Finally, the bell rang.

I waited for a couple of minutes, counting the time until the plan began in earnest. Then, I stood up from my seat and headed to the back of the classroom. There, those five were talking, preparing to eat their lunches. I approached them — no, to be more precise, I approached Ishikawa-san and asked him.

"Ishikawa-san, do you have a minute? There's something I want to talk about."

He turned his head. His expression had a slight trace of puzzlement, but he agreed nonetheless.

"Mhm? Sure, what is it?"

"Ehm... can we talk about this outside of the classroom?"

He stared at me for a couple of seconds, seemingly thinking of the reason behind this request. Then he silently nodded.

We walked outside the class. On the way there, I could feel everyone's gazes following our backs. You could interpret that as people being surprised about me interacting with Ishikawa-san. But that wasn't it.

In fact, it was a signal. A sign for everyone to move.

As I walked through the doorway, I could see movement from the corner of my eye. It began. I kept going for quite a while. Finally, when the distance to the classroom became quite considerable, I turned around to face Ishikawa-san. 

His expression was solemn, and he was waiting for me to start. Seemingly, he was preparing for a serious conversation. Ishikawa-san didn't know why I brought him here, but, from my expression, he probably concluded it was something important.

"Ishikawa-san... Happy Birthday!" 

"Eh?"

His face was colored by surprise as he stared at me in confusion. I pulled a game from my pocket and handed it to him.

"Here. This is my gift to you. I think this would be right up your alley... hopefully."

He accepted it but still looked confused. The seriousness I showed before seemingly perplexed him.

"Thank you... Although, was there any need to leave the classroom? You could have just handed me the gift there," Ishikawa-san said as he intently studied my gift.

I began walking back to the class as I reluctantly replied.

"...It's a bit embarrassing for me. It feels awkward to do it when everyone is staring."

My reply amused him, and he began laughing.

"Hahaha. Why do you make it sound like you're confessing or something? You're particular about weird things, Maegahara-san."

I smiled in response and turned around. We'd already made it back to the doorway. Even though we left it open, for some reason, now the door was shut. Still looking at Ishikawa-san, I reached my hand toward the handle.

"Besides —" I started as I pulled the handle and stepped aside.

"—that's just how surprises work."

As I finished those words, I opened the door.

"Happy Birthday!"

Energetic voices rang from the other side of the door. Confetti filled our field of vision, and the sound of party poppers echoed in our ears. You could also see colorful balloons decorating the class.

Ishikawa Yamada stood there shocked. I faced him and smiled. Words filled with warmth fell from my lips.

"As I said, Happy Birthday, Ishikawa-san."

And that's how our lunch break that day turned into a party.

*** 

The boisterous celebration began. The lunch break only lasted an hour, so we had to hurry up. We brought Ishikawa-san to the middle of the classroom and showered him with congratulations. Everyone clapped and cheered, and a festive mood took over the place. Then, one by one, our classmates began to approach Ishikawa-san to congratulate him personally.

I started preparing for the celebration on Monday. Stuff like getting other people on board and planning the timing of the party. Bringing everything by myself would have been difficult. Not only did I have to think about party poppers, but there were also balloons and other stuff, like drinks. And also —

A pair of girls headed toward the middle of the room. In their hands — was a big birthday cake, bought for today. Surprised, Ishikawa-san stared at it in surprise. The cake was placed on the desk in the middle of the class. The desks were, by the way, repositioned and put together in the center so they could act as a sort of buffet. I eyed the surroundings and said.

"Everyone will get a piece of cake, so line up!"  

I brought some paper plates and plastic utensils from my bag and placed them on the desk. One by one, my classmates began to line up. One piece of cake after another was passed to the crowd. Ishikawa-san, still slightly confused, approached me.

"Maegahara-san? Ehm, this... this party? Why did you..."

While he struggled to find words, I replied with a confident smile.

"Isn't it obvious? It's a surprise birthday party, and today is your birthday. What other reason could there be?"

Ishikawa-san stared at me wide-eyed for a couple of seconds and then smiled back.

"...Thank you, Maegahara-san."

His voice was warm and soft enough to disappear amidst all the party noise, but I could hear it clearly nonetheless.

I kept giving away pieces of the cake when I felt an impact on my back. I turned around to see Maeda-san, her hand on my shoulder. She was smiling brightly.

"Good job, Maegahara-san! Keeping this a surprise from Yamada-kun was pretty tricky..."

She said that as she took a look at the cake. Seemingly puzzled, she brought a hand to her chin as she stared at the desk.

"Hmm? Are there enough pieces for everyone? It doesn't seem so..."

"Don't worry. There is a second cake, so it's fine," I quickly reassured Maeda-san.

"Is that so? Well, it's okay then," she said and then glanced at Ishikawa-san.

"Surprised, Yamada-kun?" Maeda-san had a bright grin, like a child who successfully pulled a prank.

"Well, yeah. Our class never celebrates birthdays during lunch breaks. This is a first, so, of course, I'm surprised," Ishikawa-san replied.

"Good then. By the way, I heard it was Maegahara-san's idea," she said and shifted the conversation to me.

"It was easy, considering that everyone gets along with Ishikawa-san," I explained, unwilling to take credit for what was mostly Ishikawa-san's accomplishment.

It really was. It's hard to pull off something like this because not everyone gets along. Forcing others to celebrate someone who they don't care about is difficult. Even if it's something as simple as holding a party popper or whatever. It's completely different if the teacher organizes something like that, but — if a student offers the idea, then many people would complain.

By the time I noticed, everyone from Ishikawa-san's group was already there, surrounding the hero of the occasion. Their energetic voices were at the center of the class, both in a literal and metaphorical sense. Watching them, I decided. It was time to move to the second phase of my plan. 

I perked my ears as I waited for an opportunity. One phrase after another went through my ears. Finally — it was time to make my move.

"Oh, yeah, where are we going after school?" Nakano-san's words made the entire group fall into silent thought. I seized that opportunity.

"You guys are going to have a party afterward?" I asked, shifting the topic to the afterschool party.

"Yeah, we were planning to celebrate from the get-go, but we haven't decided where to go," Ishikawa-san replied.

"Hmm... What about celebrating it with the class, since everyone gathered today to congratulate you," I offered.

The moment of truth was. My entire plan hinged on the answer... 

Ishikawa-san went silent, thinking over my suggestion. I closed my eyes, praying for a positive reaction. Come on, come on... Please, say yes... Finally, after a silence that seemed like an eternity, Ishikawa-san said.

"Sorry, I want to celebrate it only with my closest friends."

In response, I immediately slumped in disappointment.

His words announced the failure of my plan. Guess that was a given. If Ishikawa Yamada was someone who only did what the surroundings demanded from him, he would probably agree. However — that was not the case. He only did what he wanted, including being friendly with everyone, being an honors student, and being the football team's ace. But. In the end, he had priorities. He wouldn't sacrifice the time with his closest friends just to get along with others. If anything, as results show, he wouldn't hesitate to say no. In other words —

— my plan failed. Completely.

***

The lunch break party went smoothly. Then the fifth period began, followed by the sixth. Finally, the classes were over. The students, excited at being freed from the boredom of the lessons, started getting ready to go home and chatting. Meanwhile...

I was down. Like really. I spent several days on a plan that didn't even work... I guess it happens sometimes. Not every idea was guaranteed to succeed. I knew that much — I knew that! But still... It sucked to fail. As I sank into my thoughts, depressed, a voice pulled me from my thinking.

"Maegahara-san? Are you okay?" Ishikawa-san asked. He sounded concerned, probably because I was slumped on the desk.

"Ah... It's fine. I just didn't sleep well today. I'm okay," I reassured him and tried to change the topic. "More importantly, did you enjoy the party?"

"Yeah, it was fun. I've never celebrated my birthday with everyone, so thank you again, Maegahara-san," he said and smiled brightly.

His smile was so bright that my worries seemed to fade. Who cared if my plan didn't succeed? At least, Ishikawa-san enjoyed it. That's all that mattered. In my book — today was a victory!

"Oh, by the way. Thanks again for the gift..."

For some reason, he brought up the gift again. I kept listening, slightly confused by the change of topic. He seemed to hesitate to say it but eventually mustered his resolve.

"...But, here's the thing... I don't have a console to play this game on..."

"..."

Silence ensued. I stared at him with a dumbfounded expression and my mouth slightly open — as if I couldn't compute what he said. A few seconds passed, and my brain finally accepted reality.

My face planted right into my desk, back where it was just a minute ago. 

I take my words back...

Today was a loss. A massive loss...

***
Furukawa Itsuki

The movie had ended. It stayed awful until the very end, so we mostly talked about yesterday without paying much attention to the film. I overheard Shosei's failed attempt at a joint party, but I didn't hear about his gift before...

What an idiot. Seriously, you were supposed to ask that before buying the game. Regardless, this was unmistakably a failure...

We left the cinema, and I planned to head home when a voice stopped me.

...

Hm? Oh, yeah. I did promise to tell you about myself, didn't I? Well, as I said before, I don't mind. It's just... where am I supposed to start, I wonder? 

Well — let's begin with that.

This is a story about two people. No — not about me and Shosei. This took place before our eventual meeting. Anyway, this is a story about two boys. Let's call them 'I' and 'B,' okay?

'B' was a popular kid, the center of every group he ended up in. Well-liked and smart, he was not flawless, but I'm pretty sure those flaws made him more endearing to others. 

The other one, 'I,' was quiet and shy. He never seemed to fit in and was always alone. He would hole up in the corner, either a book or a gaming console in his hand, and entertain himself on his own.

Eventually, they met. Well, to be more precise, got to know each other better. An encounter made them closer. It wasn't anything special — just a paired project for school. 'B' felt sympathy for 'I,' who didn't have a pair, so he decided to team up with him. See? Nothing special. With that totally normal event, the story was set in motion.

The story of a downfall.