Episode 63 – Birthday ①

“Heee~, Mia Brooks is coming to Japan next month.”

After a month of being so busy all the time, I was spending a relaxing weekend for the first time in a long time.

While eating snacks and looking for any news of interest, I slack off and enjoy my vacation.
I thought to myself that it was a way to spend a holiday like an old man, but I didn’t even dislike wasting time that much.

“Hmm?”

I heard the phone on the bed shaking.

“Okay okay, what can I do for you today?”

Since I have a tendency to forget things, I have an alarm that goes off in advance on days when I have important appointments.

But I don’t think I had anything special to meet people today. ……

I turned on my cell phone screen and saw that I had apparently received a message, not an alarm.

[Senpai! May I come over to your house today?]

It was from Azusa.

Azusa was supposed to live on the floor above me in this apartment because of a threatening email from a fan.
Azusa moved here because it is better to have someone nearby who can be relied on immediately in times of need.

So often she would visit in this sort of guerrilla fashion, and that’s happened a lot since I’ve been back here.
This time, too, the pattern will probably be the same anyway.

“Hey hey Roger that”

I type a message, hit the send button, and toss my phone on the bed.
Then immediately my phone vibrated.

I opened my cell phone and found a message from another person.

[Rin. I’m coming over there today.]

And this time it seems to be definite.
Can you at least ask for permission ……? Please…….

And then a further message.

[Rin kun~. I’m going to visit your house today. Please leave it open♡]

And furthermore.

[May I come by today?]
[Nagishiro kun, I’m coming today!]

Harushita san and Shizuku san came to me with lines one after the other.

As expected, when it goes on like this, you realize it’s not a coincidence.

“Oh, I see, today is my birthday. ……”

Come to think of it, yes, Mirei, Azusa, and Kotoha celebrated me last year at this time as well.
It seemed early to think that it has already been a year since then, but that may be because the past year has been so rich in content.

“It’s not every day I get to …… celebrate my birthday.”

It may be a frequent thing among women, but most boys are not familiar with birthdays and such things.
And now that I am a college student and less connected to others, I feel as if it is a rare occurrence to have my birthday celebrated.

“Maybe I’m a happier man than I thought. ……”

I may be a really lucky guy, as the only person with whom I can celebrate is also the person with whom I am celebrating.

“How did this happen? ……”

As the night went on, I had to rethink that idea, which may have been wrong.
The reason is, well, you know. It’s quicker to see it in person.

That’s why I looked in the kitchen with horror and found …….

“Move aside, please. I’m cooking.”
“Oh my~, aren’t you a brat for someone so much younger than me?”
“……It doesn’t matter if I’m …… younger or older, does it?”
“Rin kun likes older women, though, right?”
“………….”

In a terribly swarthy atmosphere, Harushita san and Kotoha were fighting over the kitchen.
Perhaps it is because they have already bought food for each other, but they show no signs of backing down.

……Or rather, don’t just quarrel and reveal my irrelevant type of woman!! How do you know, huh?
Harushita san is also in trouble… Even if you say that, haa? That’s all you’re going to get from me.

At any rate, the atmosphere was such that I couldn’t even look at it, so I decided to quickly leave. …… Now there was a fight in the living room as well.

“Hey, Mirei san! That’s my seat!”
“No, it’s not. I’m next to Rin.”
“Then give me the other side!”
“Ah! Even Shizu san!”

As the dishes were being moved, Azusa, Mirei, and Shizuku san were just fighting for space.
They are supposed to show that it is their seat by placing their own cell phone or bringing their favorite beverage nearby.
Or perhaps they are trying to extort food from me……?　I’m scared. I’d definitely prefer to have a quiet Harushita san or someone next to me.

I mean, Azusa. She is calling Shizuku san [Shizu-san]……. Can’t you do something more about that naming sense? ……

So there were sparks everywhere in the room and the homeowner had no place to stay.
I want to run away to somewhere that is not here anymore. ……

I gave up and put on my headphones to escape reality and spent about an hour making music, and eventually I heard my name being called.

“Rin kun~? It’s Dinner~”

It is Kotoha who calls out to me, somewhat like a mother. A voice comes from the kitchen.
The way the end of the word goes up so much is subtly creepy, similar to my own mother.

And when I went to the kitchen to help out, I was unaccountably a bit surprised to see Kotoha there.

She must have come directly from work, still dressed in her outgoing attire and modest yellow-green transparent apron.
Her hair was tied up in a bun, through which I could see the nape of her neck, which accentuated her femininity.

As I look away, Kotoha seems to notice and calls out to me while serving the food.

“What, Rin kun? Did I look like a married woman to you?”
“I-Idiot !! That can’t be true!”
“It becomes a formal word. Is that a good sign~?”
“Eeei, Come quickly with the food!”
“Fufu, It’s so simple and cute.”
“Noisy!”

I made a misguided appeal to be angry, but I guess Kotoha, who is a real professional, saw right through it.
She grinned and handed me a plate with a hamburger on it.

“Hamburg ……? Seems plain for a kotoha. ……”
“Well, I really would have been happy with a steak or something. If I had said it was your birthday and made it so extravagant, it would have been troublesome, wouldn’t it? Rin kun.”
“……Well, yeah, I guess so. About as good as usual.”

It’s embarrassing to be awed that it’s your birthday.
It’s just as well that we meet as usual, and spoil each other as usual.

I am really mad at her because she knew my personality and made the food a little different than usual, or not at all.

“How’s it taste?”
“Oh, I’m hungry.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I was worried whether it would suit Y-O-U-R taste.” (Kotoha said [You] with an [Anata] which can means [You] or what a wife calls her husband..well you’ll understand)
“!?!?!?☆!!”

Suddenly Kotoha takes on a married woman’s tone, which unintentionally shocks me and almost makes me drop my plate.
That surprise is indeed a …… bad idea.

“Ah, Rin kun is really interesting.”
“P-Please stop…!!!”

Even though I had already lost my strength earlier, I could not hold myself any longer.

I thought, and I had a flash of inspiration for a counterattack.

“Oh, yeah, I forgot to mention…”
“Eh, what is it Rin kun?”
“You’re not allowed to drink.”
“What?”

I haven’t forgotten the devastation that went on before.
Alcohol should never be allowed with Kotoha.

After making sure I nailed it firmly, we moved on to the meal.