Short Stories

A Normal Day

Summary: Usually today was treated like any normal day.

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Nikei never acknowledged his birthday.

It's not like he didn't know it existed. He knew all right, he had his birthday memorized.

It's just that he didn't care enough to celebrate.

Who cared about one day out of the year that was supposed to celebrate him? He wasn't important, and besides, he never had anyone to celebrate with. Nobody close to him at all.

Besides, Nikei found it strange to just pick one day out of the year where people acted like they aged a whole lot on that day, when humans really aged a little bit each day.

Plus, he found out after joining VOID that Emma's birthday was only two days before him. It was just more reason not to celebrate; they could focus on Emma instead of him. Time well spent vs. time well wasted.

Well, according to everyone else, time well wasted was time not preparing for his birthday. Which Nikei didn't get at all.

His classmates kept asking him birthday-related questions. What's your favorite cake flavor? How do you normally celebrate? What do you like to do? Are party games fun for you? What decorations do you like?

It made Nikei want to tear all of his hair out.

He never answered any of them. There was a reason he was the journalist instead of the interviewee. He didn't handle questioning like this well at all.

Nikei didn't want a birthday. Was that so much to ask for? He didn't want any of this. He didn't want a party or anything.

All Nikei wanted was a normal day.

So when his birthday finally did roll around, Nikei did what he normally did. He ignored it and treated it like a normal day.

Any "happy birthdays" that were sent his way were ignored, and any cards or gifts were just put in his closet. Nikei would rather people think he was just rude than celebrate today.

Today carried too many bad memories.

Memories he didn't want to deal with.

He ran around, getting his interviews as always. Once he had enough, he'd go back to his dorm and lock himself away for the rest of the day to work. He would ignore the rest of his birthday.

Other people had other plans.

"Nik! There you are!"

Nikei stifled a sigh as Setsuka ran up to him. It wasn't that he wasn't happy to see her, he was dating her after all along with Mikado, but he knew that she'd just make some comment or request about his goddamn birthday. Exactly what he didn't need right now.

"Hey, Setsuka. Do you need something?" He asked, trying to sound as neutral as possible. Setsuka didn't need to pick up on anything.

Setsuka beamed up at him. "Of course I do! Barely anybody has been able to find you, which hasn't been good, since you shouldn't be alone on your birthday!"

There it was. Nikei stifled another sigh as he deliberately looked away. He was so tired of his birthday.

Setsuka continued, as she hadn't noticed Nikei's uncomfortableness. "Come on with me, everyone's waiting for you! Kado's been especially worried, you know how he gets whenever he can't find one of us!"

Dammit. Nikei hadn't meant to worry Mikado, or either of his partners. He hated doing that.

But still, if he went back he'd have people forcing him to acknowledge his birthday. He hated that as well. There were no winning choices in this situation.