LIGHTNOVELONLINE Birthday.
It marks the day when a being, blessed with life, first sets foot in the world, and we generally celebrate it every year, congratulating each other.
The reason I’m bringing this up is that today is July 4th. In other words, it’s Nagisa’s birthday.
I unexpectedly came to remember Nagisa’s birthday while taking a subjective test, and having marked it down, I ended up getting the answer right. Since then, July 4th has cemented itself as an unforgettable date for me. Perhaps one could say it was a small miracle that happened to me, represented by Nagisa’s birthday.
Thus, I decided to enlist the help of others and plan a surprise party for Nagisa. It was the first time I felt determined to throw a surprise party for someone. Coincidentally, things I had been preparing in advance seemed to align perfectly with the schedule, making it all the more wonderful.
When I was young, I didn’t have the circumstances to pour such effort for someone. As I grew older, I lost that innocent mindset, resulting in never having held such a party.
However, now I have plenty of financial and time freedom. I’ve got the invincible T-party card for money, and thanks to working hard for the past three months, I’ve gained a lot of free time.
Innocence? Well, having lived as a high school girl for several months, it turns out I’ve regained some of it.
To be honest, I realize my personality has changed significantly since before I possessed this body. I guess I couldn’t avoid being affected by it. At least my solid sexual preferences have remained unchanged, so I guess that’s a relief.
Anyway, with all the prerequisites in place, my personality driven nature led to things swiftly moving forward.
The first ones I sought cooperation from were the kids from the Filius faction.
Since I was planning to hold a fairly large party in the high-rise office of T-party, I absolutely needed their cooperation to prepare properly. It’s only natural that the students from Filius, who respect and admire Nagisa, would be the most suitable for such a task.
To avoid any disorganized chaos during preparations, I entrusted Seiya with the oversight. Having been friends with Nagisa for at least a year, Seiya should know her likes and dislikes well enough to guide the kids in the right direction.
T-party work? Tch, it can wait a day. Of course, both Nagisa’s responsibilities and Seiya’s responsibilities will pile up, but if I work a bit harder on my side, it’s easily manageable. When you ask why my hard work is a given, well, that’s just the weight of this damn host position…
Hoo. You all should stay out of this. Except for Seiya.
Honestly, I wish Seiya would quickly take over the host position.
I invited people to the party primarily from the Filius faction kids and students who have some degree of acquaintance with Nagisa. In the latter case, practically half of them are renowned students from the Trinity upper class, with the rest being students who are leaders of other factions.
At this point, it becomes nearly impossible to tell if it’s a birthday party or a political gathering, but I’m sure I can figure that part out. Probably. Maybe.
The real problem is cases like Hifumi who stand out too much. Unlike the majority who are second or third-year students, there’s practically only Hifumi as a first-year student with a genuine friendship with Nagisa.
So, after a solid 10 seconds of serious contemplation, I decided to invite Atsuko, Azusa, and Hanako as well. It was a wonderful solution that would make Yuuka reflexively shout “Kanpeki~!”
Atsuko, with her generally bubbly personality, would fit in nicely, and since I had originally intended to introduce her to Nagisa, it would be a two-in-one deal.
By gathering relatively agreeable kids, it would help ensure that Hifumi doesn’t feel uncomfortable and can enjoy the party, and it would ease the burden on Hanako, who wishes to avoid being entangled in Trinity’s political side.
Additionally, I intended to bring Azusa along when I go to an amusement park with Hifumi soon, so introducing them in advance would also be nice. Without Atsuko, it’d practically be like “Supplementary Classes: Begin!” done in no time.
My role, of course, is to hang out with Nagisa until the party. Isn’t it the case that in a surprise party, there are people who enjoy and those who prepare, right?
What about my conscience, you ask? Well, the only reason I haven’t thrown in the towel on being T-party host is probably because I still have a conscience.
Anyway, I did have to pay a small price to get Seiya on board, but… I think it was worth it.
Thus, when Nagisa came to have lunch before her T-party duties after finishing the morning classes, I kidnapped her and headed to the city. Although Nagisa was bewildered by being taken away, she didn’t seem to panic too much, likely aware it was her birthday.
Although there are styles of surprise parties where the surrounding people act like they don’t know the birthday of the recipient, realistically speaking, that’s impossible in this day and age.
For starters, how could one ignore the notifications from Momotalk that advertise birthdays? Actively pretending to not know would serve no purpose either since the moment they say it’s their birthday, that flimsy plan goes down the drain.
So, aside from the party in the evening, we planned to have a cozy celebration just the two of us beforehand. I am fully prepared to treat her like a princess today!
In reality, I considered dressing in a bodyguard style for today, but after glancing in the mirror, I felt it looked less than perfect, so I ultimately gave up. My usual gentle impression and small height only result in that ambiguous outcome.
So, where does this semi-date course begin today?
“…This is, a flower shop?”
“Haha, this is a small gift I prepared for today~ Let’s hurry inside!”
Grabbing Nagisa’s hand, I opened the flower shop door and stepped in. The jingle from the bell on the door rang, and the floral scent tickled my nose even more strongly as I entered.
“Welcome, dear customer… Oh, Misono! You’ve come to pick up your… items!”
A Scottish Fold cat beastman shopkeeper jumped up to greet us upon hearing the bell. The rather large body and the disproportionately small and cute head create a delightful sense of incongruity.
In a panic, I quickly raised my hand and gestured for a ‘shh’ signal, lest the shopkeeper accidentally spill the beans about my order to Nagisa. Fortunately, the shopkeeper understood my signal and skillfully mumbled her words.
“Yes, this young lady right next to me is today’s main character!”
“Hmm… Good afternoon, shopkeeper. My name is Kirihouji Nagisa.”
“Ah, nice to meet you! Did you know that Misono specifically requested that this item be treated with great care because it’s a very important gift?”
“No… Today is the first time I learned that Mika was preparing such a gift.”
“However, if you knew that in advance, it would defeat the purpose of a surprise gift. Now, please stand in front here and close your eyes!”
Gently nudging Nagisa, I positioned her in front of the counter, and the shopkeeper nodded in understanding.
“Oh, it’s an event kind of deal, huh? If you could wait just a moment, I’ll be right back with your item. Kirihouji-san, please keep your eyes closed as instructed by Misono-san.”
As the shopkeeper disappeared into the back, Nagisa turned to look at me as if to say, “Are you serious?”
“Haha! Nagisa-chan, this isn’t a joke, so please close your eyes quickly! It’ll be just a moment.”
“…Alright.”
“Yep, good thinking☆”
After she finally closed her eyes, I crept up close and waved my hand in front of her.
Hmm, no reaction. Thankfully, she’s not peeking.
After about 30 seconds, the shopkeeper returned with a flat box and a mirror, placing them on the counter. I forgot to mention that she even brought a mirror along; the shopkeeper has great instincts.
“Here it is! Kirihouji-san, don’t open your eyes yet.”
“That’s right, you must keep your eyes closed until I say you can.”
Seeing Nagisa flinch at my honorifics makes it apparent that it’s not her usual style. But what can I do? Now that I’m a known host, I have to be somewhat careful about this in front of others.
“Misono-san, here.”
The shopkeeper opened the box, revealing the contents inside. It wasn’t breathtaking, but it was still quite appealing. I couldn’t help but feel that my preparations were worth it.
“…Nagisa, you absolutely must not open your eyes, okay?”
“Yes, I won’t open them, so you don’t need to keep emphasizing that, Mika.”
“Well, I’m saying this because I think you’d feel a bit sad if you opened them.”
My insistence on repeating myself was to avoid her surprisingly opening her eyes when I’m about to do something. Sure enough, Nagisa flinched when I carefully removed her headband.
Well… it doesn’t really matter since I’m blocking her view physically, and by now, she probably has a rough idea of what I’m preparing.
Once I tidied up Nagisa’s hair a bit, I gingerly retrieved the contents from the box and placed it on her head. Now that I see the result…
“Wow—!”
It’s stunning!
I’ll admit, Nagisa, just for today, you’re my favorite!
From this point on, Nagisa’s original headband is confiscated. I’ll carefully store it in my handbag.
“Nagisa-chan, you can open your eyes now!”
“Mika-san, your way of speaking…”
“Oops. It’s just that Nagisa-chan is so pretty it slipped out. Shopkeeper, this is our little secret, okay?”
“Of course. I don’t think anyone would be disappointed to see that side of Misono-san, but I will keep it a secret, naturally.”
Given my nature, it wouldn’t be surprising if I had been discovered several times already, but incredibly, making that mistake while maintaining my honorifics is a first for today. That’s how stunning the wreath I gifted Nagisa matches her.
“…It’s beautiful.”
Yes, referring to the wreath. I secretly wanted to make one myself and gift it to her, but I’ll postpone that for another occasion. Next year, I plan to allocate proper time to study and make one with my own hands.
By the way, having thought that white lilies alone might be a bit plain, I asked her to include pink lilies as well, and seeing it now, I’m certain that was the right choice. For some reason, when I brought that up, the shopkeeper gave me a strange look, but I’m not sure why.
“Haha, see?”
“Honestly beautiful. If it were up to me, I’d want to keep it for years.”
“Well… However, this wreath is made from fresh flowers, so that might be a stretch.”
“Yes, sadly, lilies are not easy to dry, and they don’t retain their shape or color very well. Therefore, I recommend taking as many pictures as possible, Kirihouji-san.”
“Hehe… I was just joking. Gardening is my hobby, so I do have some knowledge. In fact, this gift was entirely unexpected…”
Nagisa couldn’t tear her eyes away from the mirror for quite a while. I dare say one might suspect her of being narcissistic. Seeing Nagisa in the wreath, I would nod in agreement if someone suggested, “Narcissism? At this level, I’ll concede.”
“Thank you, Mika-san.”
“Yup yup, I’m happy to hear that☆”
“…But, you know.”
“Hmm?”
“Are you really asking me to wear this all day…?”
“Haha, Nagisa-chan! Why would you ask such a thing?”
“Right…? No matter how beautiful, wearing something like this would be a bit much—”
“Of course you have to wear it!”
“…”
Oh dear, put that hand down quickly. You can’t just disregard someone’s kindness like that!
Since embarrassment is not my burden, my sole duty today is to stay by Nagisa’s side and take lovely birthday pictures. In the meantime, I can also appreciate our day’s limited edition favorite’s beauty.
After all, the shopkeeper mentioned that preserving the lily-made wreath is difficult, so we must at least take plenty of pictures, Nagisa.
“In that sense, for today, Nagisa-chan and that wreath are one body☆”