Rearranging Fate | Tokyo Revengers x OC

164 • Keeping Up

Reina's thirteenth slash twenty-third birthday started with Mirai, squealing and cheering, jumping onto her bed in the early hours of the morning, forcibly waking her from her sleep.

"Happy birthday, Nanane!"

Groaning because Mirai landed on her fucking stomach, Reina lay limp on her bed. "I am too old for shit like this."

"Nobody's too old for a birthday celebration, Nana." Harui came into her room, scooping a still squealing Mirai up while smiling down at her. "Happy birthday. It's a shame South has to be released on such a fine day, right?"

"I'd say there's no better day."

It wasn't like Reina didn't want to celebrate her birthday, but today was quite a busy day, so celebrations would have to wait until everything was settled. Well, it wasn't like Reina ever had a grand birthday party or anything. She used to celebrate with Harui and Mirai by blowing candles and cutting a cake, and her boys from Black Dragon had surprised her with a cake. But since forming Ryujin, the only birthday celebrations she got were a cake from her boys, a gruesome fight that ended many lives, and a time leap that brought her to one of the worst moments of her life.

Reina hated her birthday.

"Hey!" Yuzuha placed a hand on her shoulder, slightly pulling her back as she was finally snapped out of her thoughts. Right, she had skipped breakfast again with the excuse that Yuzuha was waiting outside, a pure coincidence, really. "Don't space out when you're walking, it's dangerous."

"Why're we out so early? It's Sunday."

"To wish you a happy birthday, of course."

"How did you know that?"

"Emma-chan."

Damn her. She was the one who baked her a cake and dragged her to Shinichiro's shop last year, where the founders of the original Black Dragon were waiting with balloons and banners. Reina appreciated the effort, but she really didn't want to celebrate her birthday when she wasn't even grateful she had been born. Still, she smiled and thanked them, savoring the sweet cake Emma had baked.

But when Yuzuha dragged her away from her actual destination towards a café, Reina resisted the urge to sigh when she saw Hinata and Emma waiting inside a café. Upon noticing them approaching, Emma beamed and waved her hands, beckoning them over.

"So, I found out you hate big parties, or just balloons and banners, but you can blame Shin-nii for that. He thinks all kids younger than him are babies," Emma rambled without so much as a greeting as they came close, tossing her hair behind her shoulders with a huff. "Anyways, you enjoy sweets, and it's your birthday, so we're gonna celebrate even if it's small."

Well, at least there wasn't a banner saying 'happy birthday, my beloved baby girl' in blinding neon pink. No offense to pink, but neon pink was one of the ugliest colors to exist, right below swamp green. Reina preferred magenta and maroon. The pastel balloons were fine, to be honest, but Reina burst into hysteric tears when Benkei accidentally popped one, so she hated balloons.

Reina didn't know if it was her mind or body that hated gunshots.

"Is that oreo cheesecake?" Still, she supposed it was fine to celebrate her birth. It only happened once every year, and she did stay alive because she wanted to make a good future for them. "You all spoil me too much."

"I don't wanna hear that from the one who gave me a La Prairie makeup set." Emma deadpanned as if she hadn't burst into joyful tears at the gift last year.

Reina shrugged. "You look glamorous, Emma."

"Well, Rei-chan does like giving, em, luxurious gifts." Hinata sweatdropped, remembering the grand piano delivered to her front door earlier this year that had her mother fainting on the couch and her father concerned over what kind of people his daughter was befriending. Reina played the role of a spoiled rich kid a bit too well that Hinata just had to accept her birthday present.