You And I

Chapter 31: Preparations

A week had passed since the strange New Year's incident, and school had resumed its usual pace. As class started, I found myself distracted, thinking about Mei's upcoming birthday. I was lost in thought, wondering what gift would make her happy, and didn’t even realize it was already lunchtime.

Mei had gone to the cafeteria, while the rest of us—Ryan, Yvonne, Kris, and Jane—gathered in our clubroom. Ryan clapped his hands together, breaking the silence.

"Alright, how should we surprise Mei on her birthday?" Ryan, ever the organizer, looked around for ideas.

Kris chimed in, "We could throw her a party. But we need a good gift, something special."

Ryan pointed at me. "Levi, you’re the closest to her. You should take her to some places, ask her what she likes, and report back to us. That way, we’ll know what to get her."

I stammered, "Wait, why me?"

Yvonne grinned mischievously, "You don’t want to, Levi?"

I felt my face heat up, speechless. Of course, I wanted to, but the thought of spending time with Mei like that, with the pressure of finding the perfect gift, made me nervous. Everyone stared at me, waiting for my answer.

“Well… I mean… it’s not that I don’t want to…” I muttered, rubbing the back of my neck.

Ryan chuckled and gave me a pat on the back. “It’s settled then! Just be yourself. She’ll probably give you all the hints you need without even knowing it.”

The next day, just before school ended, Ryan caught me as we were all packing up.

"You know what to do, right?" he whispered with a wink.

I nodded, feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. As the others left for home, Ryan shot me a thumbs-up before disappearing down the hallway.

Mei turned to me, her bag slung over her shoulder. "We should get going too," she said softly.

I hesitated for a moment, then, gathering my courage, I suggested, "You know what? Let’s stop by some places, just for fun."

She looked surprised at first, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "Oh... sure, that sounds nice," she replied, a small smile playing on her lips.

I felt relieved that she agreed, and together, we headed out of the school, our small adventure about to begin.

We wandered around the nearby mall, walking side by side. At one point, I noticed Mei staring at a beautiful blue dress in one of the store windows. She didn’t say anything, but I could tell by the way her eyes lingered on it that she wanted it. I made a mental note but didn’t bring it up.

As we continued walking, we stumbled across an arcade. Mei's face lit up, and before I knew it, she was pulling me toward a claw machine. "Let's try this!" she said, her enthusiasm contagious.

She tried a couple of times but couldn't get the plushie. I saw the sadness creep into her expression. "Don't be too sad," I said, trying to lighten the mood. "These machines are rigged anyway."

She laughed softly, her smile returning. "Yeah, you're right."

As we were walking back, we passed a bakery. Mei's eyes sparkled as she gazed at the display, particularly the chocolate cake sitting in the center. I knew she liked it, but to keep our birthday surprise intact, I decided to buy her a simple cupcake instead. She looked hungry, and the cupcake seemed like a good treat for now.

When we reached her house, I turned to her before we said our goodbyes and casually asked, "By the way, what's your favorite color?"

"Purple," she answered with a soft smile.

I smiled back and we exchanged goodbyes before heading home.

That night, I texted Ryan, reporting all the details: the dress, the plushie, the cake, and her favorite color. Satisfied with the day, I finally drifted off to sleep.