A Sunday in mid-June.
“Happy birthday, Arisa.”
Yuzuru said this as he greeted Arisa, who had come over to his place.
Strictly speaking, her actual birthday had already passed by a few days—but they had agreed to celebrate it on the Sunday she visited his flat.
A slight delay of a few days hardly mattered.
“This is for you… it’s the same as last time, though.”
Saying that, Yuzuru handed her the present.
Inside was the same as the previous year—a set of towels and soap.
He had at least chosen a different variety of soap (a different scent), but the difference was minimal, and he felt a bit apologetic about it.
“Thank you very much. I’m happy.”
Arisa smiled as she accepted it.
The previous gift had suited her tastes perfectly, so even if it was the same again, she had no complaints.
More than that—since it was from Yuzuru, there was no way she could be dissatisfied.
…Unless it had been something truly strange.
“But, um…”
“Hmm?”
“I was hoping for… something else as well…”
Arisa looked up at him from under her lashes.
Yuzuru tilted his head.
“Something else? …Well, I’ve got cake prepared.”
“N-not that…”
She fidgeted, clearly flustered.
Seeing her like that, Yuzuru smiled—
“Happy birthday, Arisa.”
—and gently pressed his lips to hers.
Her face turned bright red.
“R-really… please don’t tease me!”
“I couldn’t help it—you were too cute.”
“I don’t even know you anymore, Yuzuru-san! I hate you!”
She turned away with a huff.
Now it was Yuzuru’s turn to be troubled.
“Sorry, Arisa… will you forgive me?”
“…Do you really want to be forgiven?”
“I really do.”
“…Would you do anything?”
“Anything.”
“Then bring me the Dragon’s jeweled necklace.” The Dragon’s Jeweled Necklace is a powerful item in the Touhou Project series. It is a necklace that grants the wearer immense power, but it is also cursed and can bring misfortune to those who possess it. In this context, Arisa is asking Yuzuru to bring her this powerful and dangerous item as a test of his willingness to do anything for her.
“…That might be a bit difficult.”
“The jeweled branch from Hourai would also do.”
“I could maybe get a fake…”
“It has to be real.”
Honestly…
Arisa let out a small snort.
“Then give me the best thing you can possibly think of, Yuzuru-san.”
“That, I can do.”
With that, Yuzuru—
—lightly kissed her lips again.
Arisa opened her eyes and shot him a flat look.
“You think a kiss will make everything okay, don’t you?”
“Isn’t it enough?”
“…One isn’t enough.”
She said this with a dissatisfied pout.
Yuzuru responded by sealing her lips again.
Then a third time, a fourth—
—and the fifth kiss lingered a little longer.
When he finally pulled away…
Arisa, now completely limp and dazed, leaned against him as he held her up.
“Still not enough?”
“Th-this time… I’ll let you off with just—”
Before she could finish, he kissed her again.
Her eyes went wide.
“H-hey…”
“You looked like you wanted more. Do you?”
Blushing deeply, Arisa shook her head from side to side.
Then she straightened herself and adjusted her slightly dishevelled clothes.
“Honestly… in the end, you just wanted to do that, didn’t you? Honestly…”
Despite her words, she looked pleased.
It seemed Yuzuru’s “present” had been to her liking.
After that, the two of them ate cake, played games, studied a little…
…and enjoyed the meal Arisa had prepared.
Later, as they washed the dishes together—
“…Yuzuru-san, your birthday is in October, right?”
“Yeah, that’s right.”
About four months away.
“What would you like?”
“What do I want? Well… anything is fine, really…”
But that was probably the most troublesome kind of answer.
After thinking for a moment, he added—
“I’d be happy if you baked me a cake.”
At that, Arisa looked slightly troubled.
“No… I was already planning to make a cake separately from your present…”
“I see. …Right, that makes sense.”
Last year, Arisa had made him a bracelet—and baked a cake in addition.
To her, the birthday cake and the present were separate things.
“I thought about making something by hand… but if I knit a scarf or gloves every year… you wouldn’t need that many, would you?”
“Well, I’d be happy with anything you give me.”
Though admittedly, having two or three scarves would be a bit much.
“Hmm… maybe something practical. Something that gets used up.”
Something along the same lines as the soap he had given her.
At his vague suggestion, Arisa nodded.
“I understand… I’ll think about it.”
She smiled softly.
After that, Yuzuru walked Arisa home.
They shared a goodbye kiss, and she went inside.
Then, once in her room, she murmured quietly—
“…What am I going to do about money…?”
