Author's note: I do not own Harvest Moon.

Birthdays were not supposed to be like this. At least, Candace's wasn't.

"So, do you want to have lunch at the inn?"

It came so suddenly, what could she have said?

"Uh-um… o-okay."

Candace barely talked to this man before. They may have walked together to the church but it wasn't friendship. Come to think of it, Candace barely talked to anyone. Maybe a date was what she needed. When they arrived at the inn, he began to try to talk to her.

"Do you have any hobbies?" he asked.

"Um… I guess… it's, uh… making clothes," she stuttered.

"Your hobby is your job?" he wondered aloud. "Well, it's good to do what you like, I suppose."

Candace chased a mushroom around her plate. He took a sip of tomato juice.

"So, how's your work coming along?"

Candace continued to stare down at her plate. "… Fine."

"Well, that's good to hear." He paused. "Are you making anything special?"

"No… n-not right now." Candace felt her cheeks becoming warmer.

"Mm, when do you usually take commissions?"

"Uh, w-we haven't really gotten… any commissions… ever," she said ashamed.

Gill leaned back in his chair. "Oh really…? Hm… What kind of things do you usually make?"

"Oh…" Candace blinked. "Everything, I guess."

"Everything? …What do you mean?"

"Shirts, dresses, scarves… things like that." She twiddled her thumbs.

"Ah, I see. Do you have any favorite pieces you've made?"

She looked down, dejected. "No," she sighed. "N-nothing I make turns out that, um, well. I still… have a long way to go."

He tilted his head. "Really? That's not what I've heard. Elli seemed really pleased with a dress you made."

"Really?" Candace lifted her eyes to his.

"Well, it certainly seemed that way."

"Oh…"

He gazed around the inn. "Hm, would you look at the time. The inn is going to be closing in ten minutes. Well, I must say, I had a good time today and I'm sure you did too."

"Um, y-yeah, I had a… good time," Candace managed to sputter.

"That's good to hear. We should do this again sometime. I'll walk you home."

"That w-won't be… uh, necessary."

"Nonsense. It's no trouble at all." He grabbed her arm in his and they walked off down the street.

Tears were beginning to form around the corners of her eyes.

"You don't… have to do this."

The tears went unnoticed to the man as he kept walking. Finally, they reached the tailor shop.

"Well, hope to see you soon!" he waved goodbye to her.

Candace managed to mumble out a reply before she fell inside and closed the door. Tears were now rolling down her eyes as she laid in a heap, sobbing to herself. Immediately, Shelly and Luna rushed over to find out what was wrong.

"Candace dear, what ever is the matter?" Shelly asked.

Candace could only reply with a muffled sob.

"Big Sis, you need to stop crying if you want us to help you," Luna told Candace sternly.

Candace began to choke back the tears until they finally stopped. "O-okay. I'll… try. When I was out for my usual walk, he came up to me and asked me out on a date."

"Well yeah, there aren't many other things that guys ask you for," Luna muttered. "…Wait, who is 'he?'"

"Be quiet Luna! Candace, please continue," said Shelly.

Candace nodded her head. "And when he asked me out, it felt so forceful, like I…I couldn't say no."

"Well," Luna rolled her eyes. "It's not like you can say no to anyone or anything, for that matter."

"Luna!" Shelly yelled.

"Sorry," Luna shrugged

Candace took this as her cue. "Um, and I felt so… uncomfortable during the whole thing. And then…" She stifled a cry.

"And then?" Shelly prodded her on.

"He… insisted on walking me home! And..." Candace began to cry again.

"What?!" Luna said in disbelief. "He walked you home? You're complaining about him walking you home?! Do you know how few guys do that now?!"

"Luna, please! This was obviously very traumatizing to Candace, so you need to lend her your support!"

"Fine, fine." Luna turned to Candace. "Don't worry Big Sis, I'll exact revenge on… wait, who did this to you?"

Candace hiccupped. "Gill…"

"What? What?! Gill made you cry?" Luna seethed. "That horrible-"

"Luna!" Shelly said. "Watch your language!"

"It's just like him too! Making Sis go out on a date with him and being brazen enough to ignore the hints she drops! Don't worry Sis, I'll protect you from him!"

"Luna…" said Candace. "Don't do anything… rash and please don't hurt Gill. He didn't do… anything wrong."

"Candace," Luna looked her in the eye. "He was being a jerk to you, he didn't notice he was being a jerk, AND he was being a jerk to you on your birthday. There are no excuses for him."

"But Luna, it… really wasn't his fault." She sniffed.

"Candace, trust me, I know what's best."

Shelly interjected, "Candace, Luna, maybe now would be the best time to have the cake."

Candace sniffled. "…Okay."

Luna shrugged. "Oh, all right."

Shelly came back with Candace's birthday cake, an orange cake.

"I hope you like it. I made it myself," said Luna.

They sang 'Happy Birthday' and afterwards ate the cake. Unfortunately, Luna under baked it; however, Shelly and Candace ate it and praised her for it anyway. Luna glowed with pride.

Before they went to bed, Candace could faintly hear Luna muttering to herself. "Hmph, stupid Gill … this won't happen again… I'll make sure of it…"

Finally, Candace's worst birthday came to a close as she went to sleep. She prayed tomorrow would be better. Unfortunately for her, this was only the beginning.