Another submission for Digi OTP Week, this time featuring Jenruki for Day 3, Celebrations. This is meh, but I kind of like the idea of it. Henry seems kind of OOC, but hopefully the background info helps to explain the slight changes in personality. Enjoy!

Note: For the texts below, Henry is italics while Rika is normal font.


(6:34) It's your birthday

(6:40) And?

(6:41) IT'S YOUR BIRTHDAY AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME

(6:42) And?

(6:43) I'M YOUR BOYFRIEND

(6:43) I should know about these things

(6:44) Why didn't you tell me?

(6:46) I didn't think it was important, gosh

(6:47) How did you find out about it anyway?

(6:48) Facebook sent me a notif

(6:50) I knew I shouldn't've made that account

(6:51) Well, what? Wanna call, sing me happy birthday and get this over with?

(6:53) I'm picking you up in twenty

(6:54) But I don't want to do anything, seriously

(6:56) If you don't let me, then I'll tell Takato

(6:56) Better yet, JERI

(6:58) Ughhhhh fiiiine

(6:58) But only because I'm not in the mood for a barrage of emojis from those two

(7:00) Just be ready by then


Rika knew that this was bound to happen. Henry had a way of finding everything out, especially after downloading a bunch of social media apps. He never actually used any of the ten or so apps on his phone, but he had accounts on all of them since he knew that social media was pretty much the future of the career field he was planning to enter.

"I have to learn how they work if I'm ever going to program one," he would explain every time she questioned him about them.

Still, she had been hoping that her boyfriend wouldn't figure it out or that the app would accidentally overlook her. She supposed that she had been asking for the impossible.

It wasn't like she had necessarily not wanted him to know; it was more like she didn't want him to make a fuss over her when she only saw it as any other day, except that she got to hold up an extra finger when asked about her age.

Henry normally wasn't the sensitive type when it came to those things, but he acted like he did because he tried so hard to be the perfect boyfriend, despite Rika's insistence that he was doing a fine job.

And so, as Rika threw on a hoodie and lazily put up her hair in a bun, she heard the doorbell ring.

As expected, Henry was attempting to woo her. He was wearing the usual: a simple tee, jeans, and the orange vest he refused to get rid of. However, he had gelled his hair slightly, and he had put on his 'nice' shoes. He had even brought her flowers.

"You know how I feel about flowers…" Rika sighed. What was the point? They died in a few days anyway.

Henry smiled and handed her the bouquet. "You underestimate me. Look closer."

Rika did so and was surprised to see that the roses weren't actually real, just wrapped in red and shaped that way. She peeled back the plastic and was pleased to see dark brown under it. "Chocolate, nice!"

"See?" Henry bowed exaggeratedly. "Now, let us go."

"Where to?" Rika asked, breaking off a piece of chocolate and taking it into her mouth.

"Surprise."

"I hate surprises."

"You'll like this one," Henry assured her, not backing down.

Rika rolled her eyes, but amused Henry by giving him a small grin. "If you say so." Then, after linking arms, she added, "Lead the way."


After a couple minutes, Rika could tell that they were heading for the park, the one with the turtle dome. Takato had introduced them to it on several occasions, but they had never been there without him.

"What are you planning?" Rika attempted to use her soft voice. That got her what she wanted to know many times before.

"You can wait another three minutes." But it had yet to work on Henry. She guessed it was because he knew her too well.

Giving up, Rika suppressed her curiosity until they had arrived. She looked around everywhere, expecting a cheesy picnic or something of the sort, but found nothing.

"Where is it?"

"Where's what?" Henry chuckled. Rika could tell he was enjoying her confusion.

"The surprise?" Rika prompted, impatiently tapping her foot on the ground.

"There." Henry pointed towards the playground. Rika checked his expression, but she could tell he wasn't joking.

"Huh?"

Henry took her arm and chuckled slightly. "Here; I'll show you."

Henry led her towards the swingset and instructed her to sit down. Obediently, she did so, confused as to what his purpose was. Before she could ask, however, he moved behind her and started to push.

"H-hey!" Rika yelped, not having been prepared for the sudden movement. She instinctively reached for the ropes on either side of her and held tight.

Meanwhile, Henry only kept on pushing. Once Rika was nearing the highest the swing could go, Henry ceased and got on the one next to hers. "Don't stop!" he called to her.

Rika didn't really see the point in it, but she continued going higher as she swung her legs back and forth. Henry was soon at a similar height, and for a while, that's all they did.

"Let's jump on three," Henry suggested, already slowing down somewhat to get himself ready.

"But-"

"One…"

"Henry, this is stupid-"

"Two…"

"Someone's gonna break a leg-"

"Three!"

Without objecting any further, Rika let go as her swing lurched forward and leaped off the swing. Not until she was in the air did she realize just how high she had been. In the few seconds that it took for her to reach the ground, she panicked and somehow switched her position midair so that her back was facing the ground.

She hit the floor with a thud and a groan from Henry. Having jumped first, she had broken her fall on his stomach. "You were right," he choked. "This was a ridiculous idea."

Groggily getting off of him, Rika couldn't help but laugh at his pathetic appearance. The sand on the playground floor had found its way to Henry's clothes, and he tried desperately to shake it all off. His hair was ruined too, and both of his shoes were untied and tangled together.

"Why this?" she asked, attempting to hide her wide grin. "Why swings?"

"Honestly, I had no idea what we were gonna do when I got to your house," Henry admitted, blushing in embarrassment. "I kind of just improvised while we were walking and the swings were the first thing I saw sooo…"

"Well, I guess it's the thought that counts," Rika shrugged. "Let's just go back to my house and watch a movie, yeah?"

"The flashy one with the chick who kicks ass and an actual plot?" Henry agreed, picking himself up and taking Rika's hand as they began to walk back.

"You know it."