Notes
HBD Shinoa!
(writing while sneezing endlessly. Damn you cold)
Shinoa groaned at the stack of papers in front of her.
Why would she think being a leader a good idea? She grumbled. The paperworks never stopped multiplying, she swore. Her fingers were already numb from signing, her eyes drooped every few minutes.
"Shinoa." The door opened to a blurry sight of white and yellow. She rubbed her eyes tiredly. "It's almost midnight."
A blank faced Mika greeted her eyes. Still she could see a small uptick on his lips to know that Mika was upset. "I'm sorry Mika, I'll be finished in minutes," she smiled.
Six reports later, Shinoa finally put her pen down. Brown orbs glanced at Mika as she stretched on her seat. His lean body was seated on the window bay, red eyes following the words on the book on his hand.
Sometimes, she thought, Shinoa couldn't believe how striking his features are, especially against the dark snowy sky.
The book closed with a flop. "Come on, Shinoa. Let's go home."
Happily, her feet jumped to catch up on Mika's long stride.
The walk to her apartment was in silence.
Her free hand touched the snow fell from the sky. It felt soft between her gloved fingers, she thought as she burrowed her body closer to Mika, their gloved hands joined. She was practically dead on her feet, completely leaning her weight on Mika as she walked. Mika had offered to carry her home, but she declined. Truth was, she wanted to be on her feet when the midnight rolled and she turned a year older.
Shinoa didn't have many good memories about her birthdays. As a child, she was neglected too much by the Hiragi. Sure, she had siblings, but Mahiru died when she was young and Shinya couldn't leave their family watch easily. Never mind about Kureto and Seishiro.
Moreover, her birthday was also the day of the apocalypse.
Sure, sometimes she still felt the foreboding feeling on her birthday. However, these recent years her birthdays were filled with her squad laughter and Mika by her side.
"Mika," she looked up at him. "What did they do today? Anything you should warn me about?"
Red eye winked at her. "It's a secret."
She pouted, "I don't want to have stomachache tomorrow."
He grimaced. Last year, Yuu, Yoichi and Mitsuba joined effort to make her birthday cake. In the end, everyone except from Mika couldn't stop vomiting. "Just don't touch the stew," he said.
Noisy yells were heard from her apartment. They stood outside the door, stared at each other in concern.
"Do you think it's safe to come inside?" she asked.
"Well, better to go in now before they burn your apartment," he replied.
Braced herself, she opened the door.
... To the sight of her couch flipped sideways, her stuffed pillows all over the floor along with the green goo dripping from the ceilings.
"You bastard!" A battle cry sounded from beside her table, where a bruised Yuu got Kimizuki in a chokehold.
"Aaaah!" Smoke filled the kitchen, a sooty Mitsuba haphazardly put down the burning kitchen while Yoichi hurriedly carried a cheesecake out from the kitchen, his eyes wide in terror.
Her jaw dropped open. What just happened to her apartment?
Then simultaneously, the fire sprinkle poured water overhead , Yoichi tripped on Kimizuki's long limb, the cheesecake soared to the air... and Mika did an amazing somersault to save the cheesecake.
"WHAT. HAPPENED. HERE?" Shinoa yelled at them.
Four guilty looks were thrown at her.
"Happy... Birthday?" Yuu said uncertainly.
She couldn't help it, she laughed.
Her squad looked ridiculous. Mitsuba was still sooty, Yoichi's face covered in the green goo, both Kimizuki and Yuu were black and blue from their nonsense fights. Even Mika was disgruntled, trying to save the cheesecake frosting.
"Yes, Yuu-san," she beamed. "Happy birthday to me."
