11:59:50, 11:59:51, 11:59:52…
It was late—truth be told, Himari should have been asleep hours ago, but it was a very special day today! She clutched her phone in her hands as she laid on her side in bed, impatiently awaiting midnight. Though it was only a few seconds away, the amount of time she’d spent staring at the clock on her phone made time seem to drag on sooooo slowly. Her hands were shaking from so much excitement! Her eyes too were heavy, but she powered through her drowsiness with the utmost of determination. It’s almost time, don’t fall asleep yet!
11:59:57, 11:59:58, 11:59:59…
So close now…!
12:00—Midnight!
Once the hour struck, Himari’s phone began to flood with notifications—there didn’t seem to be an end to the incessant buzzing!!
Oh my gosh, so many notifications!
She went through the messages one by one.
Himari-chan, happy birthday!! I hope we can become even better friends this year~
Himari, happy happy birthday♪ Let’s go shopping again soon!
Happy birthday Himari-chan! I have prepared a bouquet of flowers as a gift for you.
Happy birthday, Himari. You’ve been a fantastic leader this year. I look forward to seeing you later.
Hii-chan, happy birthday~ Try not to cry this year, okay?
Himari-chan, happy birthday! You’re an irreplaceable friend and leader. See you later today!
Though she had tried not to cry, her efforts had been in vain. Himari had started weeping before even opening the first message—the swarm of texts she had received exactly at midnight made her heart feel so full. I mean, it happened every year!—but every time it did the joy she experienced overflowed. She’d made so many new friends this year, too!
Everyone is so kind…! Thank you…
She still had one more message left to read, though. And she purposefully saved it for last.
Himari, happy birthday! I have a surprise for you—look outside your window.
“Eh?”
Placing her phone next to her on the bed and rubbing her eyes, Himari somehow managed to groggily drag herself out of bed. The covers that had previously draped her body fell, exposing her loose, frilly pink pajamas. She slowly wobbled over to her window, pulling back the sheer curtains.
…And with one glace outside she saw Tomoe, staring up at her with a goofy expression. She stood tall with what looked like a cake cradled in her hands. There were two slices?—enveloped in what seemed to be a plastic platter and lid.
Himari thrusted open her window immediately, looking down at Tomoe before she mustered a response.
“T-Tomoe, what are you doing here!?” She shouted.
“Happy birthday!!” Tomoe yelled back, her voice more exuberant than ever.
“I wanted to surprise you.”
She paused, feeling a cold shiver run down her spine. She had rushed over without a second thought and only now just realized she was very cold without a jacket…
“C-Can I come inside?”
By now Himari’s entire face had flushed. It had taken her some time to fully process the events that had just transpired, but when she did process them…
Is Tomoe really standing outside of my house with a cake? Is this really happening? It’s midnight, what is she doing?? There’s no way this is real, this kind of stuff only happens in yuri manga—
Another shiver. “Himari, please let me inside…”
Finally snapping out of her disbelief, Himari closed her window as quickly as she could and rushed—quietly!—down the stairs and to the entrance. She carefully opened the front door so as to not wake anyone.
Tomoe was standing not far from the doorway, and greeted Himari with a cheeky grin.
“Wh-What are you waiting for!? Come on in.”
Himari was overtly flustered at this point, which amused Tomoe a great deal. Though it was quite dark inside, it was easy to tell that Himari’s hair was really messy. There was a misshapen bun resting on top of her head, with many stray hairs peeking out and rustled about. Paired with her messy hair were her pajamas that were twisted around her body sloppily. The first few buttons of her top were undone, too.
She’s so cute…
“Hima—”
“Shhh!!” Himari interjected, hushing her.
“Mama has an important meeting early tomorrow so we have to be really quiet.” She whispered, lightly closing the door and taking the lead as they both snuck up the staircase and into Himari’s bedroom. They both walked at a slow pace, only letting the tips of their toes grace the carpeted floors.
After a few moments of hushed walking, the two finally arrived at their destination. Himari closed the door which shut with a small creak. She gestured for Tomoe to sit down against the base of her bed—not wanting to get crumbs on her blankets. They leaned down to take a seat in unison, huddling up closely together.
“Did you… really come here so late just to give me cake?” Himari asked, a sheepish expression adorning her face.
Still holding on to the plastic platter that protected the slices of cake she brought over, Tomoe carefully placed it on the floor next to her.
“Yeah, I did—well, there may be more than that…” She trailed off.
Before Himari could properly respond, Tomoe began opening the plastic lid of the platter next to her. On the sides were two plastic forks meant for eating. She handed Himari both a plate and a fork, while she took one for herself.
“What more could you possibly have for me, Tomoe!?” Himari asked excitedly, swiftly digging her fork into the cake Tomoe had given her. It was black forest cake! Coated in bits of chocolate, whipped cream, and a multitude of cherries…
Yummy…
Taking her first bite, Himari’s expression changed from surprise, to absolute delight, and finally to a slight concern.
Tomoe suddenly looked so… solemn.
She swallowed the piece of cake in her mouth, and attempted to ask her what was wrong. “Tomoe? Are you alright?”
“I’m fine, Himari.” She replied, her voice now a quiet whisper.
What Tomoe wanted to say wasn’t difficult per say, it was just hard to cheep out when she was so flustered!! It wasn’t like her at all to be so timid, but when it came to Himari it was such a natural occurrence.
She placed her plate down next to her, attempting to steady her nerves before she spoke again.
“You’re right, I’m not here just to bring you cake—but seeing how happy you are eating it right now is already worth it! Uh.” She paused, scratching the back of her neck. She was so anxious right now, oh my god.
She laughed nervously before continuing. “What I mean to say is… You mean so much to me, Himari. I can’t imagine my life without you. So…”
Placing her own plate down next to her, Himari glanced at Tomoe with a vulnerability that could only be meant for her. Her eyes were beginning to water again, but that didn’t stop her attentive gaze for a moment. Through her misty eyes she gave all her attention to Tomoe, unable to peel her eyes away from her for even a second.
Immediately noticing her tender expression, Tomoe returned the soft glance. Now the both of them had flushed cheeks, huh?
Tomoe continued with a knot in her throat, and a tightness gripping her pounding chest.
“Thank you for always staying by my side. I love you.”
In order to avoid embarrassment, Himari quickly shoved a bite of cake into her mouth. This was just too much! How could she possibly process Tomoe’s feelings without crying!? This felt more like an engagement!!
Tomoe, you dummy!!
“Himari, are you—”
As if sensing the oncoming danger, Tomoe reached out to Himari who had begun choking on the food she foolishly shoved into her mouth so quickly. She hastily pulled the fork out of her mouth, attempting to cough up what was stuck in her throat.
Overcome with fear, Tomoe reached for a glass of water she managed to find mid-panic atop Himari’s nearby dresser.
“Drink some water!”
Happily obliging, Himari snatched the glass from Tomoe and drank as much as she could. Slowly and eventually, the cake lodged in her throat disipaited, allowing her to breathe properly again.
Her chest was still pounding, but it was a… different sense of urgency now.
Himari placed the glass next to her, barely waiting a second to leap into Tomoe’s arms—which Tomoe was not expecting!—she nearly fell over! But she did manage to maintain her balance (somehow), and welcomed Himari into her arms.
Himari buried her face in her shoulder, wailing as she spoke.
“Th-This is the best birthday ever!!” She whimpered, her voice muffled in the graces of Tomoe’s shoulder.
“I love you, Tomoe…”
Tomoe couldn’t stop herself from laughing then. She tightened her grip on Himari, who clutched her in an embrace that was clumsy yet fervent.
“Himari, you should really finish eating your cake first!”
Himari whined, tightening her grip. “I don’t want to just yet.”
Grinning, Tomoe nestled her face in Himari’s neck, and began sighing into her soft skin. It was in that quiet moment that she truly felt at peace—it was a happy feeling that she had begun to correlate solely with Himari.
“You’re so cute.”
Digging her face even deeper into Tomoe’s shoulder, Himari grumbled. “H-Hyuu… how can you say things like that with a straight face!?”
Though her words were still muffled by the cuff of Tomoe’s shirt, Himari’s words were clear enough to be understood. The way they escaped her mouth so delicately made Tomoe’s heart flutter.
She regained her composure nonetheless, squeezing Himari in an even tighter embrace. It was probably obvious her composure was all an act though, since Himari was undoubtedly in a position to feel Tomoe’s increasingly rapid heartbeat.
She patted the back of her head, and kissed her neck without moving position.
“Dry your tears, Himari. I’ll always be right here beside you.”