It’s been a little over an hour since Yuna has been pushing me around to no end.
Finally, she tells me that I can go home. I thought it was one of the few places where I could stay whenever I like but now, I need permission to go home. If I were 15 years old, I’d be riding off on a stolen motorcycle to search for a place to stay. No, I’d probably just take my bike out for the night and go out of town since it would be too much trouble to deal with the aftermath. I’m too narrow-minded for my own good.
「I’m home.」
The short walk from the station to my house was swift when I was thinking of stupid things. However, if I keep thinking about stupid things, it might affect my grades so I’d better think of something smart next time. Let’s see…I think, therefore, I am. Yes, no, this. I think the idea of thinking something smart is stupid.
Yuna’s not replying so I went to the living room while thinking about something stupid.
「Eh?」
When I opened the door to the living room, my eyes met Mei’s for some reason. I heard Mei’s surprised voice too but I think I’m more surprised. I immediately took a step back and closed the door.
I went to check the nameplate and I confirmed that I’m indeed at my house. That means I’m having a heat stroke or something so I’m hallucinating. Yuna pushed me around too much so I guess things like this can happen. I should take some cold drinks and relax.
I opened the door to the living room again. My hallucination hasn’t disappeared but even worsened. Now, I can even see Wakamiya-san and Shinozaki in the back.
「Eh, when did you get here, oniichan?」
「Just now. I bought what you asked me.」
After taking a step forward, I feel like there’s an indescribable air flowing but I replied to Yuna who spoke to me from the back.
「The timing’s very bad but it can’t be helped. Let’s do it.」
What are you going to do to me? Will they finish me off? Are they trying to silence me?
Yuna pushed the confused me from behind and brought me to the middle of the living room. Everyone’s trying to get something in their bags.
「Happy birthday.」
「Happy birthday Amane.」
「Souta, happy birthday.」
「Oniichan, happy birthday.」
My brain stopped momentarily as I bathed in paper tapes that popped out of the crackers.
Today’s my birthday, isn’t it? I opened my cell phone to check the date and it was definitely my birthday.
「Ah, that, thank you.」
「Oniichan, don’t tell me that you forgot that it’s your birthday today?」
「Ah, no, of course not. I remember my birthday because Yuna usually celebrates as soon as I wake up in the morning.」
Our parents told me that my birthday will be this month so they increased my pocket money.
Yuna’s the only one with me during my birthdays so it can’t be helped that she’s the only one who celebrates it with me.
This year, I only received an email from our parents that they had put my birthday money in my bank account.
Well, I don’t really have any complaints because I think it’s more convenient and I’m free to do what I can with the money I receive than prepare a lot of things. Perhaps my only complaint is that Yuna gets more birthday money than me. They say that girls use more money and they are sure she has friends she has to treat. I agree with them on those points but the difference is almost double.
「Anyway, let’s sit down for now.」
Shinozaki had me sit on my birthday seat. There are many colorful dishes on the table. There are a lot of store-bought items but there are also a good number of homemade items. Many dishes on the table were my favorites. I guess they got the information from Yuna.
Paper cups were handed out and juice was poured. The meal begins with a toast with Mei who once again said “Happy birthday, Souta”.
「I was really surprised. Didn’t you say that you have club activities today and you with the student council?」
「Those are all lies. They are all done the other day.」
「So that’s how it is. Is this the reason why you left the classroom early today? To prepare for this?」
「It is. That’s why oniichan made everything hard for us for going home soon.」
So that’s why there are a lot of emails of “buy this and that”.
「I never expected what happened at the last minute though.」
According to Yuna, if I had come home a few minutes later, everything would have been ready. She told me that my timing was the worst since she was in her room when I arrived. There’s nothing I could do about it though.
「Maa, it’s fine. Souta was still surprised.」
「It’s amazing though the vector of his surprise is not as planned.」
Shinozaki, who said something unnecessary, was kicked by Wakamiya-san in the foot under the table.
「No, that, I mean, I’m very happy right now.」
「Oniichan is so straightforward.」
Don’t look at me as if it’s going to be the end of the world. I’m a very straightforward person, you know. I’m pretty straightforward when I’m saying I don’t want to work or I want to sleep more.
「yeah yeah, oh, this is delicious.」
The store-bought chicken was immediately gobbled up by Shinozaki but I don’t want to eat oily food that much. However, I don’t want to leave anything untouched since they had prepared a lot of things for me. I started eating a bite-size sandwich considering it is the easiest to eat.
「This is good.」
It seems to be made by Mei. She’s taking care of little children so I guess she’s used to making something that’s easy to eat.
「Wakamiya-san, Shinozaki-san, are the two of them always like that?」
「Yes」
「Yes」
Yuna said “hohou” while looking at us with shining eyes. What? If you have something to say, just say it.