I spent some time playing games with Aoi and Hina, and after we finished our dinner, I invited Aoi back to my room. Fortunately, since we had been playing together just moments before, it felt perfectly natural to suggest, "Since we're already here, why don't the three of us play something else?"
I had been worried that Aoi’s sharp intuition might spoil the surprise, but she was still preoccupied with our previous game. It had been a close match until the middle, but because I’d ended up winning by a landslide, her competitive streak had flared up. She was currently fired up, declaring, "I won't lose next time!", and didn't seem to suspect a thing.
"What should we play next? Kaito-san, you're always so strong at board games like Sugoroku... maybe we should try something with an action element?"
"Aoi-chan, that sounds great, but... before that, there's something I want you to see."
"Eh? Something you want me to see?"
"Yes! And that something is... this!"
"—!?"
The moment I spoke and Aoi turned toward me, Hina didn't miss a beat. She pulled a cake out of her Magic Box and set it on the table.
Taking full advantage of the Magic Box's properties, we had stored it with the candles already lit, so it was ready to go the instant she brought it out.
Caught completely off guard, Aoi stared at it with an expression of pure shock. I took the opportunity to operate the magic lights, dimming the room.
"It's a little early, but this is a small celebration from Hina and me. Happy Birthday, Aoi-chan."
"I heard some talk about carrying over your age or whatever, but for now, Happy Birthday, Aoi-senpai!"
"...Ah, wait, what? O-Oh, thank you so much... Did you really go through all the trouble of getting a cake for me?"
Aoi seemed a bit bewildered, her mind struggling to keep pace with the sudden turn of events, but her eyes were shimmering with a thin veil of tears. Through my Sympathy Magic, I could feel that she was truly Overwhelmed with Emotion.
"It’s nothing fancy, but Hina and I wanted to do something to celebrate, so we put this together."
"Yeah! Well, Aoi-senpai... go ahead and blow out the candles for now."
"A-Ah, okay."
Prompted by Hina, Aoi leaned forward and blew them out. As the flames vanished, I turned the lights back up, and Hina and I clapped for her.
Aoi’s emotions finally seemed to catch up with her. A smile that was a mix of genuine joy and a hint of bashfulness spread across her face.
"Well then, Aoi-chan, have a seat. Let's slice this up and eat it."
"Yes... Kaito-san, thank you. Honestly, I'm so incredibly happy. This is the first time anyone has ever celebrated my birthday like this... My heart feels so full."
"Wait, really? Aoi-senpai, what about back at Aoi-san's Family home?"
"Technically, they held parties, but they were celebrations of my birth in name only. In reality, the atmosphere was always murky with political interests. It was nothing but blatant flattery and people with obvious ulterior motives... This is the first time I've ever felt purely, honestly happy like this."
Aoi spoke with a sharp, biting tone, making no effort to hide her disgust. She truly seemed to loathe her family home from the bottom of her heart.
Well, she had already said she intended to use Machina's power to sever all ties the moment she reached adulthood, so I suppose that was only natural. I could only imagine how toxic her environment must have been.
That was exactly why I wanted her to forget those bad memories and just enjoy herself today.
With that thought, I sliced the cake and placed the piece with the Chocolate plate with the words 'Happy Birthday' on it in front of her. Her eyes sparkled with an adorable light.
"A cake like this—one that actually feels like a birthday cake—is just fun to look at. It's almost a shame to eat it."
"Ahaha, I'm glad you're that happy; it makes all the planning worth it. But don't worry, we'll celebrate again next year and the year after that. There's no need to feel bad about it, so please, eat as much as you like. We can always save the rest in the Magic Box."
"I will!"
Seeing Aoi nod with a beaming smile, Hina and I couldn't help but grin as well. We had planned this as a surprise, but we never expected her to be moved to this extent.
"I didn't think you'd be this happy," Hina said. "I'm glad you're pleased, Aoi-senpai, but it also makes me wonder just how many Gray Birthdays you've had to endure. Hina-san's Family was always pretty strict, but they at least celebrated properly for me..."
"...I hate that house."
"That was a really intense tone... W-Well, let's just forget about all that for now! Once we're done with the cake, we have presents from Kaito-senpai and me too!"
"Really? I can't wait... Hina, thank you so much for everything."
The reaction was even better than I had hoped. Now, I was truly looking forward to giving her the presents.
Serious-senpai: "Hina-san's Family might be strict, as she says, but the family bonds seem healthy. They're just a family that knows how to show affection without over-spoiling her. Aoi-san's Family, on the other hand, really does seem to view her as nothing more than a 'component'—the Representative's Daughter."