Serendipity

V - Natsu no Owari no Harmony (夏の終りのハーモニー)

 People whispered over each other as they awaited for the birthday girl's arrival. Party streamers covered the walls in rainbows, the kitchen infested with birthday decorations designed for little children. The front door slowly creaked open to Moa's mother miming the patrons to be quiet and get ready for her daughter's entrance. A blindfolded Moa was anxious and clumsy when she was led into the house. "Eh? What's going on? Where am I? Where's--ow! What was that? Mom? Mom?! Hello?" Moa's father brought out the candle-lit cake into the living room and gave the signal. Her blindfold was removed, revealing a room filled with close friends and family members. Not surprisingly, Moa started to cry tears of joy. All at once, everybody sung in a crescendo, "Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday, dear Moa; Happy Birthday to you!" The birthday girl couldn't bring herself to blow the candles, struggling to stop the waterworks. She eventually mustered the strength to blow out the melting candles, the cake untainted by teardrops. Once the spectacle was over, their bellies full of cake and food, everyone headed home except for a few people.

"What's wrong, Moa?" asked Mrs. Kikuchi. "Why are you so sad?"

"Huh? Oh, it's nothing, mom. I'm so grateful to everyone who came to my birthday party but... it sucks that Yousuke wasn't here to celebrate with me."

"Aww, sweetie, you know that Yousuke's busy with school right now. He's going to have to miss out on stuff from time to time."

"I know, but--" Moa's eyes were covered by a pair of warm and familiar feeling hands and she instantly smiled.

"Your mom's right, Moa. I'm going to have to miss out on stuff." He removed his hands and Moa turned around. "But I'll never miss your birthday." "Yousuke!" She hugged her cousin in a constricting embrace.

"Look, I brought you this." Yousuke handed her a wrapped present. "What's in it?" "Something I bought for you right before we left Australia. I was thinking about giving it to you the night when we stayed at your house but thought it was best to withhold this until your birthday came along. I hope you like it!"

"Thank you so much! Um... I'll open it later. Right now, I just want to spend some time with you. Do you want cake? I'll go get you some!" "I'll go get it... myself." Moa had already hopped to the kitchen for a slice of cake.

"So how's it been living in Ibaraki? Have they been treating you nicely? Are you sleeping enough hours? Classes aren't too hard, are they? How many people are you living with? Are you being a good guest helping them around the house?" So many questions were asked by the perturbed Moa that Yousuke found it difficult to know where to start. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, one at a time. Let's see. Um, Ibaraki is nice, as far as I know. The family is nice as well; they give me my personal space and treat like me like I'm one of their own. Sleeping? I haven't had a full night's rest but that's not something to be worried about; I can manage myself. University... I can't say how well it's been going just yet; I'm only a few months into the semester."

"Don't you feel lonely going somewhere where you don't know any people?"

"No, not really. I have Nene to accompany me to and from school. She's--"

"Nene?" asked an appalled Moa, "Who is she?"

"Oh, she's the oldest daughter of the family I'm living with. She's also going to the same university as me."

"Ah, okay. So... is she cute?"

 Yousuke blushed a little when confronted with the question. "Uh -- um... maybe? I don't know. Why you ask?"

"You're stuttering. You like her don't you? Otherwise you wouldn't be so hesitant to answer."

"L-like I said, I don't know. Besides, sh--she has a boyfriend right now. So even if, hypothetically, I liked her, right now's an inopportune time to confess."