What matters most is your feelings for the other person, so don’t bother with surprises—just ask them honestly.
That was the advice given by Yuzuru’s close friend—and sworn enemy of women—Soichiro Satake.
However—
That advice only really applied to gifts meant as a token of everyday gratitude.
A birthday present was a little different.
When it came to birthday gifts, wasn’t part of the fun the anticipation of “I wonder what they’re going to give me?”
At least, that was Yuzuru’s view.
Last time he had asked Soichiro for advice…
and it had turned out that he was surprisingly useless.
Hijiri, on the other hand… considering his family business, he probably knew plenty of ways to win over girls—or trick them, depending on how you looked at it.
But Yuzuru had no intention of trying to win Arisa over.
In that case, it would probably be fastest to just ask a girl directly.
Having reached that conclusion, Yuzuru sent a message to his childhood friend.
The next day.
After school, Yuzuru went to that childhood friend’s classroom.
“Sorry, Yudzurun. My heart already belongs to Soichiro-kun, the man I’ve chosen for my future. I can’t accept your love…”
Black-silk hair.
Amber eyes with a reddish tint.
Fair skin and a slightly exotic beauty.
Not only was her face beautiful—her figure was balanced like that of a model.
One of Yuzuru and Soichiro’s childhood friends.
Ayaka Tachibana said that to him.
“When did I ever confess my love to you?”
Yuzuru replied with an exasperated look.
Still, this was her usual style, so there was no point getting bothered by it.
After all, they had known each other since infancy.
“As I said in the message, I’ve got a female friend. I want to give her a birthday present.”
“Hmm. First question, Yudzurun—do you like this girl?”
“No.”
“Then you should probably avoid accessories.”
“That’s what I figured.”
In the first place, he had no idea what Arisa’s tastes were, so buying something like that would be difficult.
Even if he bought something from Tiffany’s, it might end up being sold online.
…Well, he doubted Arisa was the type of person who would sell a gift someone gave her.
“What kind of relationship do you have with her?”
“It’s… complicated.”
He couldn’t exactly say they were in a fake engagement.
And even hinting at it was dangerous.
The Tachibana family’s information network was nothing to scoff at, and despite appearances, Ayaka was sharp and perceptive.
If he said the wrong thing, she might investigate their relationship in no time.
…For all he knew, she might already have information about it.
“She’s a female friend. But not quite as close as you and I are. That said, we’re not distant either… we’re close, but we maintain a proper sense of distance. And I want to keep getting along well with her in the future.”
“Hmmm. So you’re not lovers or anything, just friends. But there’s some deeper connection than normal friends, and you share some kind of mutual benefit… like partners or teammates?”
“…………Yeah. Something like that.”
Why is she so perceptive?
Yuzuru broke out in a cold sweat internally.
“Yudzurun, every year you give me those assorted sweets, right? Would something like that work?”
Yuzuru and Ayaka had known each other since they were babies.
Naturally, they exchanged birthday gifts out of courtesy.
Every year, Yuzuru gave her an assortment of long-lasting sweets like cookies.
“Well… I did think about that. But those feel kind of… obligatory, don’t they?”
“Yeah, they’re the kind of thing you could give as a year-end or summer gift.”
Technically, Yuzuru and Arisa were engaged.
From the outside, they looked like a couple.
Giving her the same thing he gave his childhood friend would definitely lead to comments from his grandparents later.
Besides, if it came to sweets, he could just buy a cake.
It would overlap with the present.
As the two of them continued pondering—
“Oh my, Yuzuru-san and Ayaka-san. What are you two discussing?”
Another girl suddenly appeared from the hallway.
Bright brown hair.
Hazel eyes.
A refined, traditional Japanese face.
She was a bit shorter, which made the fullness of her chest stand out even more.
Another childhood friend.
Chiharu Uenishi.
Yukishiro Arisa, Tachibana Ayaka, Uenishi Chiharu, and another girl named Tenka Nagiri—
the four of them were widely known at school for their beauty.
Incidentally, Yuzuru had never met Tenka directly, but according to Hijiri—who was in her class—
“She’s a woman like a devil.”
“Yudzurun wants to give a present to a girl.”
“Oh my—has spring finally come for Yuzuru-san? I’m hurt you didn’t consult me sooner.”
“I was planning to ask you after Ayaka. And no, spring has not come.”
After saying that, Yuzuru sighed inwardly.
Whenever these two gathered together, things got noisy.
Not that he disliked them—they were close friends—but both of them had energetic personalities that fed off each other.
Still, saying that aloud would only make them louder.
So he decided to get straight to the point.
“So, Chiharu. What kind of gift would make you happy?”
“Something other than sweets, right? Hmm… how about cosmetics?”
“Cosmetics? …I don’t know anything about that.”
Wouldn’t giving makeup just be inconvenient?
Yuzuru tilted his head in confusion.
“Well, for serious cosmetics there are preferences. But things like lotion, lip balm, or soap are fine. As long as it’s not something weird, most girls will use it if they receive it.”
“That makes sense. It’s also just within the boundary where it doesn’t feel romantic.”
Ayaka nodded in agreement.
If it was something like that, it would also distinguish the gift from what he gave Ayaka and Chiharu.
“Got it. Thanks. I’ll look into it myself from here.”
“Tell us if things work out!”
“A man must have courage!”
“I told you, it’s not a romance.”
With a sigh, Yuzuru left.
About a week later.
Saturday.
June 25th.
The day before Arisa’s birthday.
Naturally, the day itself didn’t conveniently fall on one of their usual Saturdays.
As usual, Yuzuru and Arisa played some games together.
Then they took a short break and ate cake.
“Honestly, I feel a little bad that you always treat me to cake.”
“If you say that, then I’m the one who should feel bad for always having you cook for me.”
It balanced out.
After saying that, Yuzuru suddenly continued—
“Speaking of cake…”
“Yes?”
“Happy birthday. Tomorrow, right?”
“…………Ah. Now that you mention it, yes.”
After a brief pause, Arisa responded as if she had just remembered.
But it wasn’t the kind of surprise that said “I can’t believe you remembered my birthday!”
“…You didn’t forget your own birthday, did you?”
“Well… I do remember the date. I just don’t usually think about it.”
Arisa replied while slightly averting her gaze.
It seemed she really hadn’t been aware that her birthday was so close.
…Given her family situation, maybe no one had ever celebrated it before.
The thought made Yuzuru feel unexpectedly sorry for her.
“By the way, how did you know my birthday, Takasegawa-san?”
“It was written in the profile sheet from the meeting… and my grandfather reminded me recently.”
“I see. …Well, if we’re engaged, we should know each other’s birthdays. I completely overlooked that.”
“Fortunately, my grandfather didn’t find it strange that I didn’t know your birthday. Though he did seem disappointed.”
When Yuzuru said that, Arisa lowered her head slightly.
“…I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
“That goes both ways. By the way, my birthday is October 16th. Just so you know.”
When he told her, she immediately saved the information in her smartphone.
At least now she wouldn’t forget his birthday.
“And one more thing, Yukishiro.”
“Yes?”
“Of course, I prepared a birthday present.”
When Yuzuru said that while pulling out a cute paper bag he had hidden nearby—
Arisa froze in surprise for the first time.
Thanks to everyone’s support,
the story reached #1 in the daily ranking for its genre and #2 overall (as of the morning of the 28th).
Thank you very much!