January first. The first day of the new year.
The early morning air still carried a biting chill, and the sky had only just turned pale at the edges. Nishikawa Ryouko was already awake — no, more accurately, she had been too excited to sleep properly at all. It was six-twelve in the morning.
January first was also her birthday. For Nishikawa Ryouko, today was a day worth looking forward to. In previous years, admittedly, she hadn't looked forward to it much at all.
After all, a birthday came around once every year, and Nishikawa Ryouko had never considered herself to have any particularly special friends. This year was different, though, because Shikime Natsu had said he intended to give her a birthday present.
She had no idea what sort of present it would be, but presents were the kind of thing where the thought was all that mattered.
At the very least, Nishikawa Ryouko had kept her expectations up.
Of course, she also had no idea when Shikime Natsu would come out of his room. On Christmas Day, after all, she had watched the whole thing from a little corner behind his dorm.
Every so often, another girl would slip into Shikime Natsu's room.
And none of them stayed for a short time, either. As for what happened inside — that didn't require much imagination.
Nishikawa Ryouko understood perfectly well what went on.
She had heard for ages that Shikime Natsu had a lot of girlfriends, but seeing them arrive one after another with her own eyes had shaken her more than she expected.
What struck her most was that Shikime Natsu could actually pull it off. It was genuinely impressive.
Yesterday had been New Year's Eve, and naturally all of those girlfriends had spent it with him.
But today, surely, they wouldn't be there anymore?
Honestly, Nishikawa Ryouko had no idea what the real situation was.
Her feelings were a complicated tangle. She straightened herself in front of the mirror, made sure she looked presentable from head to toe, and only then stepped out of her dorm.
First thing in the morning, Nishikawa Ryouko rode the elevator straight down to the corner beside the door of Shikime Natsu's dorm — the exact spot she had occupied on Christmas Day — and started waiting.
She wondered when he would come out. She wondered whether he'd worn himself out too much last night and had simply forgotten that today was her birthday.
There was a nervous flutter in her chest.
Thankfully she didn't have to wait long — about five minutes — before the door to Shikime Natsu's room opened. And it wasn't some other girl walking out. It was Shikime Natsu himself. Perfect.
The moment she saw him, her heartbeat skipped half a step faster.
Delight surfaced on that delicate little face, impossible to hide.
She hadn't expected him to appear so soon. Today really must be her lucky day.
Nishikawa Ryouko thought it to herself quietly, the corners of her mouth curving upward before she could stop them.
She drew a deep breath, worked hard at looking like she didn't care in the slightest, then set off toward him with a perfectly casual stride.
"Yo, Shiki-san. Good morning."
Shikime Natsu's gaze settled on her, and he gave her a smile.
"Morning, Nishikawa-san. What brings you here this early?"
Her stomach lurched, but she pulled her expression back into place fast, wearing a look that said, I definitely didn't come here to see you.
She gave him a quick once-over and noticed that he wasn't carrying anything resembling a gift box.
Both of his hands were empty, shoved carelessly into his coat pockets.
A faintly uneasy feeling stirred in her at the sight.
Naturally, she wasn't going to bring it up herself. Bringing it up would only prove how much she cared, wouldn't it?
No. Absolutely not. She would not be the one to ask.
So Nishikawa Ryouko decided to wait for him to mention it first.
Besides, maybe he just wasn't carrying it on him right now. Maybe... maybe the present was still back in his room?
Maybe he'd only stepped out for some air and would go back for it later?
Or maybe it was small — tucked in a pocket?
A hundred possibilities spun through her head.
She shook her head hurriedly, those pale golden eyes darting away, too guilty to meet his.
"N-nothing! Nothing at all!"
Her voice climbed a little without her meaning it to.
"I just happened to be passing by!"
"Just happened to be passing by?"
Shikime Natsu raised an eyebrow, amusement flickering through his own pale golden eyes.
"If that's all it is, then isn't the coincidence a little too convenient?"
"Who exactly passes by my dorm on their way somewhere?"
Right. She had been an idiot. She should have picked somewhere else to wait, or come up with a better excuse. How had she managed to be this stupid?
Color crept into her cheeks. She bit her lip, those pale golden eyes brimming with embarrassed indignation.
This guy really didn't understand the concept of seeing through something and letting it slide. Even if he knew, he was supposed to play dumb.
Who just came out and said it to your face like that?
He was awful.
Nishikawa Ryouko took a deep breath, fixed him with a fierce glare, and spoke one deliberate word at a time.
"I was. Passing. By."
She had settled on shameless stonewalling. As long as she never admitted it, this guy couldn't exactly force her to confess she'd been waiting for him, could he?
Seeing that stubborn front of hers, Shikime Natsu didn't press. He just smiled.
"All right. We'll go with that."
With that said, he started walking off in the other direction.
Watching him go, she hesitated for a moment, then followed carefully after him.
She deliberately kept some distance between them — not too close, not too far — as though she really were just heading the same way.
Even she knew how flimsy that excuse was.
Shikime Natsu walked ahead, glancing back now and then, the smile never quite leaving his mouth.
Nishikawa Ryouko trailed after him, feigning total indifference on the surface while wondering: he'd run into her first thing in the morning — didn't that remind him of anything at all?
And where was he even going?
Just as her thoughts were spiraling, Shikime Natsu stopped walking.
He turned his head, pale golden eyes landing on her, one corner of his mouth curling into something that wasn't quite a smile.
"Nishikawa-san, are you sure there's nothing you want from me?"
She blinked, then shook her head quickly.
"Nope. We just happen to be walking the same direction, that's all. Don't get the wrong idea, Shiki-san."
Looking at her like that, Shikime Natsu only smiled and let it go. He walked up to the elevator and stepped inside, and Nishikawa Ryouko followed him in as though it were the most natural thing in the world — then noticed him press a button for a floor above them.
Wasn't that the girls' dorm?
She stared at him in disbelief. Was this guy really that brazen?
Not content with inviting girls to his own room, he was going to theirs now? That was going too far.
It was the very first day of the new year, and he already couldn't wait?
Nishikawa Ryouko didn't want to imagine it. If today ran on the same schedule Christmas had, would he even have time to celebrate her birthday?
Her Christmas present had been handed over a day early, after all. On Christmas Day itself, he hadn't had a single free moment.
Was her birthday going to be the same? Her mood plummeted straight to the bottom.
The elevator doors slid shut and the car began to rise.
The two of them stood there in silence, neither speaking. Nishikawa Ryouko stood behind him, pale golden eyes fixed on his back, a bitter mix of feelings churning through her.
She wanted to ask which girl's dorm he was going to.
But... she felt she had no right to ask.
After all... she wasn't his girlfriend.
What business was it of hers where he went?
The elevator soon reached its floor.
The doors opened. Shikime Natsu stepped out and headed straight down the corridor in a particular direction.
Nishikawa Ryouko hesitated, then went after him anyway.
And then she watched him stop in front of Kamuro Masumi's dorm, produce a key as casually as anything, unlock the door, and walk inside.
Leaving her standing alone in the corridor, staring at that closed door, her thoughts in complete disarray.
She'd gotten up at the crack of dawn and waited for him.
And what had come of it? He hadn't said a single word about her birthday, and the first thing he did was go to Kamuro Masumi's room?
Nishikawa Ryouko was angry. Of course, given what she was to him, she had no right to be angry — but she was anyway. Quietly, stubbornly angry.
She bit her lip and glared at that door for a good long while. Then she turned around and walked back to her own dorm.
Her room wasn't far from Kamuro Masumi's.
The two of them were in the same class, after all, and the dorm assignments were arranged accordingly.
Nishikawa Ryouko reached her door, took out her key, and opened it.
But she didn't shut it all the way. She left a narrow gap — just wide enough to see the corridor.
Then she stood behind the door, watching through that sliver, watching Kamuro Masumi's door, waiting to see when Shikime Natsu would come out.
She waited and waited. Morning turned into noon. She threw together something quick for lunch and went back to it, and still he hadn't emerged. She dragged a chair over and kept waiting.
People passed through the corridor occasionally, but none of them were him. That figure never once stepped back out through that door.
As the hours crawled by, the weight in her chest grew heavier.
Then the sun sank westward and the light in the corridor dimmed.
The lamps in the dormitory building corridor flickered on, casting a dull yellow glow.
It got later and later, until suddenly it was eleven at night. Only one hour left before the day ended.
Disappointment settled over her. So he really had forgotten?
Forgotten that today was her birthday?
Forgotten that he'd promised her a birthday present?
The hollow feeling in her chest ached.
Those pale golden eyes stared through the gap for one final minute. Then she slowly closed the door.
She took a quick shower, hoping it would lift her spirits, but even after changing into her pajamas her mood was still terrible.
"If you couldn't do it, then don't go making me expect things, you jerk!"
Nishikawa Ryouko imagined her pillow was Shikime Natsu's face and slammed a soft pink fist into it.
She was never getting her hopes up again!
And right at that moment, there was a knock at the door. She was off the bed almost instantly, crossing the room in quick strides to pull it open.
Standing outside was Shikime Natsu. The guy she'd spent all day waiting for and never gotten.
Nishikawa Ryouko looked at his empty hands. He hadn't brought anything, and he didn't look like he was here to celebrate her birthday either.
Don't tell me this guy came to ask if I had any spare condoms? How would I possibly have something like that?!
"It's pretty late, Shiki-san. What do you want?"
Her voice came out tight, but she kept her tone as cool as she could manage.
Watching her put up that brittle show of composure, Shikime Natsu let out a soft laugh.
Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small plush doll. It was barely the size of his palm, but the craftsmanship was exquisite.
It was a little angel.
A white skirt, a golden halo, a tiny pair of wings.
And that face was unmistakably Nishikawa Ryouko's.
The pale golden eyes, the two braids, even that faintly sly curve at the corner of the mouth — identical.
She froze completely, staring at the little doll, disbelief filling those pale golden eyes.
"Happy birthday, Nishikawa-san."
Shikime Natsu's voice was remarkably gentle.
The instant she heard it, her eyes went red at the rims, joy shining through the pale gold.
Her lips trembled slightly. She wanted to say something, but the words dissolved into soundless syllables before they could leave her mouth.
After pressing the doll into her hands, Shikime Natsu produced a beautifully made cake and held it out in front of her.
On top of it was a drawing of Nishikawa Ryouko's face, smiling with her eyes crinkled up — just as lovely as the real thing.
Beside it, written in cream: "Happy Birthday."
Her eyes were shining now.
She looked at the cake, then at the little angel in her hands, then at Shikime Natsu's smiling face.
Something inside her seemed to melt — warm and soft.
Seeing her standing there dumbstruck, Shikime Natsu asked with a grin, "Do you like it, Nishikawa-san?"
She nodded hard.
"I love it."
Then she paused, and spoke again — this time with a distinct note of resentment.
"Shiki-san, if you were planning to celebrate my birthday, then why didn't you tell me sooner?"
She bit her lip, those pale golden eyes staring straight at him.
"You made me think you'd forgotten."
She sounded so wronged that it tugged at the heart to hear it.
"Didn't I say I wanted to surprise you? Besides, when we were talking a while back, you said it yourself, didn't you, Nishikawa-san? That you liked that sense of contrast. Well — I just showed it to you."
Listening to him, Nishikawa Ryouko realized she had dug this pit for herself. If she'd known, she never would have said that. If he was going to celebrate her birthday, he could have just done it openly.
"All right, come in."
She stepped aside to let him through. Shikime Natsu carried the cake into her dorm and set it down on the table.
Then he pushed the candles in one by one and lit them. Orange flames danced in the dark, lighting up both of their faces.
Shikime Natsu smiled at her.
"Make a wish, Nishikawa-san."
Watching the flickering candlelight, an emotion she couldn't name welled up in her. She pressed her palms together, closed her eyes, and made a silent wish.
Then she opened her eyes, drew a deep breath, and blew out every candle.
"Whoo—"
Thin curls of smoke rose, carrying the sweet scent of cream.
Shikime Natsu looked at her smiling face, and his own smile deepened.
"Happy birthday, Nishikawa-san."
Hearing him say it a second time, Nishikawa Ryouko broke into a grin, practically glowing.
And then she did something she hadn't planned at all.
She rose onto her toes, leaned in, and kissed him on the cheek.
Still, she managed to sound perfectly composed when she spoke. "You put me in a really bad mood today, Shiki-san. So you're going to take responsibility for that."
After everything that had happened, Nishikawa Ryouko had reached a conclusion: with some things, it was better to be straightforward.
Besides, it was her birthday. Getting away with a little something bold couldn't hurt, right?
"Of course, Ryouko."
"Mm."
Nishikawa Ryouko smiled — the very same smile as the doll's — utterly happy.
____
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