New Years sucked. At least, it did as far as Dia was concerned. It wasn't that she hated time passing, as it naturally did. What she hated was feeling forgotten. Sometimes she cursed her mother for giving birth to her on New Years Day. Couldn't she have waited an extra day before going into labor? Her parents should've done better planning before conceiving, really. She was the one who had to suffer the consequences of sharing a birthday with a holiday. Everybody lit fireworks and partied for the upcoming year. Barely anybody even paid a passing glance to her own birthday.

Her friends would wish her happy birthday, and sometimes her parents would too. They didn't come to visit, though. University had everybody scattered around somewhat, making meeting up difficult. In her weaker moments, she bitterly figured that they were all too lazy to make an effort to celebrate with her, but that probably wasn't fair. Especially when it came to Mari, who was in a completely different country. She wondered how Mari felt, all alone in Italy. Maybe she was being selfish feeling sorry for herself. At least she was in the same country as the rest of Aqours.

Well, so what if she was being selfish? It was her birthday, dammit. She could be selfish if she wanted to be. No one was around to see it and judge her, anyway. Sighing, she reached out for the champagne she'd put on ice next to her bed. It was a present to herself from herself, since no one else was going to gift her anything. Not even Ruby was there to celebrate... Normally she was the only person who made time to show up for her, but Hanamaru had fallen ill the previous day, so she had to stay and take care of her. It was understandable, but it didn't make her feel any better. The fact that she'd gotten a voicemail from Hanamaru - and Ruby - apologizing for being sick and missing out on her birthday made her feel worse, because there was added guilt to it.

Ah well, there was no use moping about all this... while sober, anyway. She could drink and feel sorry for herself. The cork that topped the champagne bottle was quickly popped off, shooting out and bouncing off the wall in her darkened room. Only the light from her computer let her see what she was doing, since she didn't care enough to turn on the lights this late. She grabbed one of the two glasses she had in the ice bucket, staring at it for a moment. Then she put it back and just chugged the champagne straight from the bottle. No time for subtlety tonight.

She leaned back on her bed, using one hand to keep herself propped up while the other held the chilled bottle. It seemed that the plan for that night was to drink an entire bottle of champagne and sigh profusely, then wake up in the morning and pretend that she wasn't upset that she had to spend another birthday alone. She closed her eyes, only to reopen them when she heard firecrackers popping outside her window. Of course, it was New Years, so she'd been hearing them bursting outside for several hours now. Even if the clock had only recently struck midnight. These firecrackers seemed a lot closer than they should've been, though...

She got up and put the bottle of champagne back on ice, walking over to the window to see what was going on. Pulling the blinds open, she looked down from her second floor window and was shocked to find Kanan and Mari standing outside. They had fireworks settled around their feet, and they were both looking up at her window. When they realized she had opened the blinds, they both started waving with grins that she could see even from a distance.

She was stunned. Neither of them had mentioned anything about coming over that night. She hadn't even known that Mari had come back. It was such a long flight between Italy and Japan... Had she done of all of that for her? She wanted to open the window and call down to them, but she had been rendered speechless. Plus, there wer likely people still asleep, so causing a ruckus would just wake them up. Then again, Kanan and Mari had just launched fireworks right next to the building...

She held up her index finger, hoping that they'd understand she needed a moment. Then she grabbed her jacket and keys before hurrying out of her apartment. She locked the door, pocketed her keys, and pulled on her jacket while she went down the stairs, then around the building to confront her friends. "Kanan? Mari? What are you two doing here?"

"What do you think? We're here to celebrate your birthday!" Mari gleefully leaped forward and wrapped Dia in a tight hug, latching on like a shiny snake. Dia couldn't even push her off with all her strength, which made Kanan laugh.

"We weren't going to miss your birthday this year." Kanan walked over and laid her hand on Dia's shoulder, giving her a sympathetic smile. "Even if Mari had to take a red-eye flight over here to make it."

"We wanted to keep it a surprise so you'd be... well, surprised!" Mari finally let go of Dia, giggling all the while. Dia huffed and made a show of brushing off her arms, but she wasn't mad. It actually made her heart swell with warmth knowing that her friends had come all this way just to wish her a happy birthday, almost like they knew that she was having a bad time by herself.

"Well, you two surprised me. I appreciate you coming here." Dia smiled, but after that, she wasn't sure what to do. "So, uh... Where are you staying, Mari?"

"Dia, it's too cold for small talk!" Grabbing Dia's hand, Mari tried to drag her away from the apartment complex. "C'mon, we got places to be!"

"What? Where are we going?" This time she was able to wrench herself out of Mari's grasp, pointing back at the abandoned fireworks. "And what about the fireworks? You can't just leave them there."

"Jeez, even on your birthday you can't turn off your Dia-ness." Mari rolled her eyes, gesturing to Kanan. "I'll go get the fireworks. You take Dia to my unmarked van." Kanan nodded and before Dia could react, she had been lifted up and laid over Kanan's shoulder. She let out an embarrassed squeal and punched Kanan in the back.

"Kanan! Stop! Put me down! This is embarrassing! What if someone sees?!"

"There's no one out here this late, Dia. Unless your hollering brings them here." That shut Dia up quick. It didn't stop her from pouting, though.

"Can you at least make Mari stop calling her car an unmarked van?"

"How am I supposed to do that?"

"You could throw her in the ocean. Use your problem-solving skills, Kanan."

"Dia, it's freezing in the ocean right now."

"It's supposed to be a punishment."

Dia sat in the back while Mari drove her to who-knows-where. She had been frowning ever since she'd buckled up in the back, tapping her foot against the floor repeatedly. Whether it was from impatience or from nerves, she wasn't sure. Probably a mixture of both. She didn't know what this surprise was, and considering Mari was involved, it could be anything. There were grounds to be worried.

"Dia, do you think you can stop tapping your foot so hard? You're making the car shake." Kanan looked into the back, able to see the hint of worry in Dia's expression. She wished that she could just say what they were doing so that Dia wouldn't have to keep worrying, but Mari wanted it to be a secret until they got there. It kind of made sense, though. After all, the three of them were the masters of keeping secrets and destroying each other with them. This one would be a good one, though. Dia would like it... she hoped.

Dia stopped tapping, though she didn't say a lot the entire way there. She wasn't trying to seem rude, but she was still trying to figure out what was going on. Her mind had already become fixated on the fact that she'd spend another birthday alone, so her friends actually showing up had thrown her for a loop. She needed to say something to break the silence, but with just enough self-deprecation to make it known that she was merely in a reflective state.

"You two didn't have to go to all this trouble just for my birthday."

"Oh no, none of that on your birthday, Dia. This is something we wanted to do." Dia could see Mari smiling in the rearview mirror. "Besides, we didn't want you to spend your birthday up in your room drinking all day."

"That is not what I would've been doing at all!" Dia blushed, not wanting to admit to having entertained that very idea. How did Mari know anyway? She knew too much for her own good. "But thank you for taking me out... wherever we're going. Why can't you tell me anyway?"

"Because it's still a secret! We're almost there anyway, so be patient." Dia went right back to pouting, staring out the window as all the scenery rolled by. They drove on for awhile, until they reached a beach. Mari parked the car and all three of them exited. Dia looked out at the untrodden sand, not seeing a single person crazy enough to be on the beach after midnight. Nobody was even there to launch fireworks. It was strangely quiet.

They weren't alone, though. Dia soon realized this when she saw a lone figure standing on the nearby dock, a rather large boat behind them. It made her feel somewhat unnerved. "Uh, maybe we should go somewhere else? There's someone else here."

"We know. We're gonna go say hi!" Mari smiled like there was nothing wrong with what she had just said. Dia should've known there was something weird going on.

"Are you crazy?! You don't just go say hi to random strangers! What if they're doing something nefarious?" What was she saying? Of course they were doing something nefarious. Why else would they be standing by a boat in the middle of the night? They were probably drug smugglers waiting for a buyer to take the supply. Oh God, and they were standing there right in the open! There was no way they would be undetected, especially with Kanan and Mari walking directly towards them. Just because she had been lonely didn't mean she wanted to die on her birthday!

She went for the driver's side door, but it was locked. Mari must've locked the car, and she had the keys. Dia felt herself beginning to sweat, dropping down to hide behind the car. She needed to call the police. Her friends were definitely in danger. She pulled out her phone and was about to dial the number when someone coughed from her side.

Dia dropped her phone onto the pavement, knowing that she was going to find herself staring down the barrel of a gun. She didn't even want to look, but she forced herself to look up... right into Kanan's unamused expression. "Dia, the people on the boat are not going to kill you. Please tell me you didn't already call the police."

"I told you, you should've carried her to the boat!" Mari's voice called out from some distance away. Dia went red at that. There was no way she was going to be seen by criminal scum in such an undignified manner.

"Okay, okay, I'll go!" She picked up her phone and moved past Kanan before she could grab her. Death before dishonor, right? Taking a deep breath, she followed Mari down to the docks, with Kanan right behind her. As they got closer, she was able to see the person standing there more clearly. "Wait... You?"

"Ahoy!" You shouted up to her, waving enthusiastically. So it was You all along... Which meant that had to be her father's ship. Now she wasn't fearing for her life, but she was still very confused. Was this all for her birthday? Oh jeez, hopefully she wasn't being given a boat. Where in the world would she put it? "Glad you could make it!"

"Dia almost called the police on you." Mari laughed as You's face started paling, while Dia's took a different color route.

"That is irrelevant information! You, can you please tell me what's going on? These two clowns refuse to say anything."

"Well, I think all your questions will be answered if you step onto the boat."

"I feel like that isn't a good idea." It probably wasn't, but Mari picked her up with a surprising amount of strength and deposited her onto the boat. She didn't like the implication that she was weaker than her friends. It made her shudder to remember when Mari had jumped on her back for an impromptu piggyback ride and she'd crumbled to the ground like a house made of matchsticks. Maybe she needed to start lifting weights...

Dia didn't have much time to ponder about that. You had grabbed her hand and dragged her forward, making her wonder just how many of her friends were stronger than her. This totally wasn't fair. She should've asked for Anchor Arms as a present. At least she'd appear stronger. "Alright, now close your eyes!"

"I will do no such thing- Mari!" Giggling, Mari had come up behind Dia and covered her eyes, blinding Dia to the world around her. "Stop this at once!" She heard the door to the captain's cabin opening, which she thought was You going in there for some unknown reason. "Are you going to stop this childish game, Mari?"

"Not yet... Okay, now!" Mari lifted her hands, giving Dia sight again. It turned out that You hadn't gone into the cabin: she had just opened the door. Standing around her was the rest of Aqours, all of them looking at her with big smiles on their faces. Now this was a shocker. How long had all of them been planning this?

"You guys..." She could feel her eyes starting to water, and she couldn't stop her lips from curling upwards. Then she noticed Hanamaru and Ruby there as well, which further surprised her. Wasn't Hanamaru feeling ill? "Hanamaru? Ruby? I thought you weren't able to make it."

"Ehehe, we may have fibbed a little..." Ruby giggled shyly, blushing a bit as she wrung her gloved hands together.

"We completely lied, zura."

"D-Don't say it like that!" Everybody else laughed at that, and Dia found herself laughing as well. She went over to Ruby and gently patted her on the head.

"It's okay, Ruby. I understand. I appreciate you coming out here just for me." She turned her attention to the rest of the group. "All of you. It means a lot."

"Is that it for all the sappy stuff?" Chika poked her head out from between You and Riko's shoulders, lifting up a bottle of champagne. "Because we got the two best things to celebrate a birthday and a new year: champagne and fireworks!"

"You shouldn't mix those together, Chika." Even on her birthday, Dia couldn't help but the be the voice of reason.

"I wouldn't bother." You sighed, shrugging her shoulders. Chika's head lolled onto Riko's shoulder instead, making Chika laugh. "She already got drunk before we got here."

"Lovely." Dia walked over and snatched the bottle of champagne from Chika, surprising the others by chugging a good portion of it down. "So, are we doing this or what?"

"Alright! Three cheers for Dia!"

"H-Hey, put me down! Don't lift me like that without warning! No no no, don't fall!"

Celebrating her birthday on a boat was a new one for her, but she enjoyed it all the same. There were even presents tucked away in the captain's cabin, likely all wrapped up by people who weren't a complete mess with wrapping paper - so probably Riko, You, and/or Ruby. The whole thing was so sweet, and it made Dia feel much happier than she expected to be that night. She didn't even make too much of a fuss when Chika and Yoshiko started lighting fireworks on the bow of the ship.

Eventually she ended up at the stern, leaning against the railing and watching the fireworks bursting in the sky, along with the sounds of Chika and Yoshiko either 'ooh'ing or laughing. She smiled, closing her eyes as the red streams faded away, giving her temporary peace on the ocean. You had sailed them out away from shore, since she hadn't been able to drink. She had been sore about it, but no one else could captain a ship, so the job fell to her by default.

"Enjoying yourself?" Dia opened her eyes to find Kanan and Mari standing on either side of her.

"Mm... Yes. I really didn't expect this." She smiled and looked back up at the night sky, watching another exploding batch of lights highlight the stars. "I know you all are usually busy, so..." She felt both of them place a hand on her shoulders, and she looked at both of them giving her sympathetic smiles.

"We're all sorry that we haven't been around to celebrate your birthdays lately. It's not really excusable. We all wanted to really treat you today, to apologize for making you think that we didn't care."

"That's... That's quite alright, Kanan. I don't mind spending my birthdays alone." She couldn't hide the truth, though. The way she scratched at her mole gave her away. Kanan and Mari just smiled sadly at each other. "You'd better not be sharing a solemn moment together on my birthday."

"Ahaha, sorry, Dia." Mari slung an arm across Dia's shoulders, pulling her close. "We just really wanted to make it up to you. This is your night, and you deserve to have a fun, special day with your friends." The sound of panicked screaming came from the bow. "... That was probably nothing." Dia frowned and tried to extricate herself from her friends' grasp, but they pulled her back.

"That sounded like Chika. I knew she shouldn't have been playing with firecrackers while drunk."

"I'm sure she's just fine," Kanan reassured her, though in her mind she hoped that Chika still had all her fingers intact. "This night is for you, Dia. You don't need to worry about what anyone else is doing." They could hear what sounded like a firecracker going off behind the cabin, with green and orange sparks exploding over the sides of the boat. There were a couple intermingled screams, then the sound of something - or someone - splashing into the water. "That's what Riko's here for."

"Are you sure she didn't just go overboard?"

"I'm going to really hope she didn't." That was a lot of faith to put in her drunk friends, but Kanan was going to do it for Dia. She could hear what sounded like whatever - or whoever - went overboard getting back into the boat, so that was somewhat relieving. "Like we said, this is your night, Dia. We're appreciating you all day, and there's nothing you can do to stop it." Both Kanan and Mari leaned in and gave Dia synchronized smooches on the cheek, making her blush.

"Well, I... guess I can accept this." She smiled, so brightly and easily. They really did care: all of them. She should've known better than to doubt them. They all really were the best friends she could ever have. "But while I do appreciate it, are you absolutely sure you don't want to check on the others?"

"...Chika!" Kanan rushed from Dia's side over to the bow of the boat. "Did you hurt someone?" Looking at each other, Dia and Mari started to laugh. Smiling at each other, they followed after Kanan, with Dia in incredibly high spirits. This was the best birthday she'd had in quite some time: maybe ever. Her friends were really incredible people.

"It was Yoshiko, I swear!"

"It's Yohane! ... Who did not do anything!"