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Morning came, and her phone was bright, with a multitude of messages.
Himari was the earliest to greet her, being awake to send her message as soon as the clock struck twelve. Her greeting was lovely, albeit full of emojis and mannerisms she admittedly did not understand in full.
Kokoro and Hagumi followed suit, exclamation points scattered amongst their messages with no end in sight.
A picture of a jellyfish with a party hat was next, courtesy of Kanon. And last but not least, she had a notification from Misaki, who left her a blunt yet heartfelt greeting.
So many birthday greetings… Far more than what she received as a first year. Scrolling through them once more, she felt the corners of her lips turn up, as she looked over the texts once more before she left her bed.
“H-Here, happy birthday!”
A girl, with a red face and shaky smile, nervously pressed a box into Kaoru’s hands. It was delicate, carefully wrapped with a purple ribbon; a shining gem in her hands. Kaoru smiled at the girl as rehearsed, noting the redness of her cheeks. Those waiting behind the girl squealed in delight, gripping her shoulders.
“Ah, thank you. Nothing makes me happier, knowing I am supported by a kitten as lovely as you…”
The words flew from Kaoru’s mouth effortlessly, as she reached for the girl’s hand, to press a kiss to it. Said kitten wobbled in place, her hand firmly pressed to her chest.
No matter where she walked, a chorus of “Seta-senpai” would follow her, another admirer brandishing a small gift. It was dreamlike, in a way. Valentine’s had long passed, and yet her fans were prepared with more presents to press into her hands.
Of course, the group she was surrounded by wasn’t new. With a few exceptions, her life was mostly spent directly in the spotlight... On the stage.
But birthday was a special occasion, and she felt nothing short of honored that so many people wanted to spend it with her. However, she would be lying if she said her kittens were the only company she desired for the day.
There may have been someone else on her mind… Just maybe. But she couldn’t possibly hope to find her within Haneoka’s walls.
There are better times to think about that
, she thought, shaking her head slightly. She willed her legs to move once more. Hopefully no one around noticed her brief stupor… After all, it was already time to go home.
So she began to make her way down the hallway, fans hovering near her as if they were planets, and she, the sun.
The sun, bright like Chisato.
She felt her mind drift away, as thoughts of her girlfriend brought a smile to her face.
Now that she thought about it, she hadn’t heard from Chisato all day. She did say Pastel*Palettes was filming an interview, but that couldn’t stop Kaoru from missing her. It had been days since they’ve seen each other last… With band practice, acting, and school quickly filling up the days in their calendars.
When was the last time they were together by themselves?
Despite how much she treasured her fans, thoughts of a cup of coffee and a book felt more appealing by the minute.
It didn’t seem like the crowd around her was dispersing any time soon. A multitude of girls asked her about her plans for the day, or the possibility of her spending time with them. As she neared the gate, she felt a growing sense of unease. How would she part from her sea of fans without an explanation?
Lost in her thoughts, she did not even notice the arm that suddenly intertwined with hers. Kaoru froze in place, her gaze meeting Chisato’s serene smile.
“Ah, hello.” She smiled at Kaoru’s fans, acting blissfully unaware of their confused stares. ”Is it alright if I borrow Kaoru for the day? It is a special occasion, after all.”
Kaoru couldn’t help but tremble, even slightly.
To wish for her company, and for her to suddenly be here…
It felt like a dream to her.
“Chi… Chisato—”
“Ah, if I can recall, we had a script to discuss for a future production…?”
What script was she talking about? There was no mention of such a thing… But she saw through Chisato’s lie as soon as her eyes fell upon the curve of her lips.
Ah.
Under her expectant stare and the confused looks of the fans, Kaoru couldn’t help but give in. Her foot began to tap, and she awkwardly laughed, averting her eyes.
“Ahaha, I suppose we do…” She paused for a minute, thinking of a quote from Shakespeare. “As the bard said, parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say good night till it be morrow.”
With her bag full of gifts, she broke away from the group, Chisato leading her by her arm. Kaoru waited for them to be out of earshot, before she began to ask questions.
“Chi-chan, what was that about?”
They came to a halt, Chisato gently tapping a finger to her chin.
“I wasn’t lying about it being a special occasion. We finished recording earlier than expected, so I thought I would stop by…”
She released Kaoru’s arm, opting to interlock their hands instead.
“I even found a coffee shop that’s a little out of the way, but it’ll be a nice change of pace… Shall we go?”
Kaoru felt puzzled.
“But Chi-chan isn’t…”
Isn’t it hard for you to navigate train stations?
Her question remained unspoken, but Chisato seemed to get the hint, giving her arm a light smack. She sighed, pulling out her cellphone. The GPS was already prepared with a set of coordinates.
“We don’t need to take a train to it… It is just a short walk from here. Kanon-chan and I stopped by the other day without any problems, so I’m sure we’ll be fine.”
After seeing how much effort Chisato put into the gesture, a smile found its way to Kaoru’s face.
Barely stifling her chuckle, she replied, “I’ll be in your care, then.”
Chisato was right about the distance. What Kaoru expected to be a treacherous journey with many twists and turns, was actually a simple stroll. She watched as Chisato carefully plotted the path with her phone, walking a few paces, then turning back to her screen.
Cute
, Kaoru thought to herself. Before she could think anything else, Chisato suddenly stopped, Kaoru nearly bumping into her in surprise.
“We’re here, Kaoru.”
The coffee shop was a bit smaller and more modest than the types they saw on their way back from school, but it held a certain charm to it. Flower pots decorated the outside of the building, and a small chalkboard stood outside, highlighting their special drinks for today. Through the window, she could see a few clusters of chairs and tables, and someone brewing a drink from behind the counter.
To find such a place was amazing; Chisato knew her well.
Kaoru stepped in front, and moved to push open the door for Chisato, only for it to not budge.
Was the door locked?
Chisato moved ahead of her, giggling as Kaoru uselessly sputtered.
“You need to pull it, Kaoru.” With a single motion, she swung open the glass door, holding it for Kaoru.
She could feel the blush dusting her cheeks as she stepped past her.
The menu of the cafe was expansive, if not a little more pricey than the places she frequented. Kaoru insisted on paying for their drinks and pastries, only for Chisato to shoot her a sharp glare.
There is no way you’re possibly paying for any of this,
she seemed to say. Kaoru could only respond with a resigned smile, raising a forkful of the dessert to her lips. Chisato was not one to argue with, after all.
All she took was one bite, and yet, the flavor of the cake surprised her. Sweet, but not too sweet, alongside the frosting.
“It’s no sachertorte, but chocolate cake is still your favorite, correct?” Kaoru’s blush deepened, as the knowing smile on Chisato’s face widened.
She could only gaze blankly as her girlfriend laughed.
“Fufu, Kao-chan, your face is so red!”
Chisato daintily placed her tea cup down, with a small clink. “I wonder what your fans will think when they see you tomorrow… Since I swept you away so fast.”
She looked at Kaoru, lips up in a teasing smile. Kaoru set down her fork with a sigh, feeling her face warm.
“Ahaha… I still have yet to retrieve the remainder of my presents from my desk and locker, I’m afraid.”
“I thought you already carried everything in your bag...?”
“Well, it was not the entirety of what I received… I’m afraid I do not have the strength to carry it all…”
Chisato hummed to herself as she took another sip. Kaoru took the opportunity to take another bite of cake.
A stretch of silence passed between them, and yet, they both sat together in perfect comfort. The coffee and cake was wonderful, too. She might have to stop by again sometime; perhaps when Chisato is free again.
A customer left, and she heard the faint click of the door as it closed. It was getting late, and she could see the sun beginning to set through the window.
The silence was broken by another question.
“Was your birthday good, Kao-chan?”
She looked at Chisato to see her soft smile, gentle as ever.
“It was more than good… I knew my little kittens were bound to approach me for my birthday, but ah… HaroHapi greeted me this morning, and now you’re here with me.” She paused, looking at the remainder of coffee in her cup. “Kokoro said she wants to throw a party for me during the weekend, but today alone was already lovely in itself…” Gingerly, she reached out, placing her hand over Chisato’s free one. “I couldn’t help but feel so happy about what happened in the span of a year.”
“Kaoru…” Chisato said, in surprise. She grinned, holding Kaoru’s hand in hers. “You’re right. With the bands, the play, and everything, a lot has happened, hasn’t it.”
With a gentle squeeze of Chisato’s hand, she replied, “It definitely was a lot. I’m still particularly fond of our performance together, no matter how embarrassing it felt in the end…”
“I guess we’ll need to perform together sometime, fufu. So people can see more of the Kao-chan I love.”
It was far too early for Chisato to start throwing out words like that!
How unfair…
Her ears burned, but she wanted to continue.
“Chi-chan! I-I… What I wanted to say was… I know we’ve been apart for long, and I definitely haven’t made it easy for you. So thank you for being with me.”
“I did not make it easy for you either.. We’ve both been silly, haven’t we? But what matters is that we’re here now. And I wouldn’t change anything about this even if I wanted to.” She leaned closer to Kaoru then, a teasing smile on her face. “But the shy you, who blushes when I call her by her nickname, is still my favorite Kao-chan.”
“Ahaha, wait—”
Chisato cupped Kaoru’s face, eyes as gentle as ever. And the words Kaoru wanted to say faded away as they kissed, the sweetness of Chisato’s lips more saccharine than any dessert could dream to be.