Happy Birthday, Seto!

For as long as little Kousuke could remember, birthdays meant receiving bigger portions of the food rations, getting prioritized for adoption, and most of all, everyone suddenly becoming kind to him. Then it'd be back to the cruel reality of him being too small, helpless, and weak right at the next day. Where him getting bullied, laughed at, and isolated was a normal routine.

However, it had actually been quite nice to revel in this momentary special treatment. At least, for once a year, he'd get a break from the unfairness and misery he'd been forced to live with despite his young age.

But for the previous year, he'd started hearing voices. People's real voices that tell him words that don't usually match the ones they speak out loud. It was terrifying, traumatizing. And worse, he couldn't help it.

And so, as the clock ticked towards the first hour of his seventh birthday, he'd feared the things he'd hear. It had already been bad enough to have to suffer through their countless mean thoughts directed at him every day. But tomorrow, the only day he'd looked forward to each year, would just be the worst. This ability he had gained cannot give him freedom from the harsh world anymore.

If only Hanako, his trusty dog best friend, had still been with him, he'd be okay. He'd been certain its thoughts only meant to comfort him like usual. And that alone would've been the perfect gift. But he had also known that would not be possible anymore.

Kousuke had felt the bed shift suddenly, the springs too noisy in the dark. He had turned around and saw the boy from the top bunk climbing down to sit on his bed. "Shuuya?"

"Hey. You're crying again, huh?" The blonde boy had smiled wryly down at him.

"I'm sorry." He had sat up as well. "Am I keeping you up?"

"Nah, it's alright." Shuuya had grinned. "You'd get a pass for everything in a few hours anyway, birthday boy."

He had looked away. "A-ah, yeah, I guess."

"Hmm?" The other boy had peered at him. "Why the long face? Ah, are you afraid of getting adopted?"

He had shaken his head fiercely. "No, I don't think that would be a problem. No one wants a monster, so I'm sure I'd be safe." Kousuke had tried smiling then. "Besides, no one gets adopted first, right? That was the promise. Tsubomi did quite well on her birthday two months ago."

"Ah, yes. So," Shuuya had winked, "not to pressure you or anything, but my friend, the pressure's on you."

"Huh?"

Shuuya had only chuckled. "Never mind that. I'm sure you'd do a great job displeasing those clients tomorrow."

Kousuke had frowned. "I already displease everyone."

Shuuya had stopped smiling then. "No, Kousuke, not… everyone."

"Everyone!" he had repeated quite forcefully. "Even you and Tsubomi think I'm annoying!"

That had shut Shuuya up. Or rather, the boy didn't have the heart to say anything more in his defense as Kousuke had begun to cry.

"I… I just want this to stop!" he had struggled to say in between sniffles, hands moving to cover his ears. "I'm sick of everyone lying to me! Especially tomorrow! Tomorrow would be the one day each year when everybody would act like they like me. Even if it's just for a day, I'm happy with that. But now… now, it will never be the same again! Because I'd still hear what they really think of me – that they hate me, that they're disgusted with me!" Kousuke had ended up curling into a ball and rocking himself back and forth until he calmed down.

It had been a long moment of nothing but his soft cries, so it was a surprise to feel the other boy's presence still beside him.

He had looked up. "Y-you're still here…?"

"Of course! I am your friend! Tsubomi and I are!" Shuuya had grinned again. "Even if you… well, do get on some people's nerves at times, we will stay, because we're your friends! And friends don't usually give up on each other that easily, right? So just think: tomorrow, you may hear all sorts of mean stuff even if they give you their biggest smiles, but know that you'd also be hearing from at least two sincere kids. And that would be me and Tsu—"

"Quiet down, you two!" they had heard an older kid grumble from the opposite side of that room they shared with the other boys. "We're trying to sleep here!"

Shuuya had only snickered before he patted a startled Kousuke's head. "It'll be okay. Cheer up! It's supposed to be a happy birthday, right? And like I said, you've got us. So don't worry."

You've got us.

Kousuke had taken note of that phrase that resonated in his head as he laid back down. It had allowed him to survive his birthday that year, and the years after that, eventually learning how to control his power. True enough, he hadn't been alone in achieving that.

You've got us.

As time passed, he'd also found out that anyone – classmates, teachers, coworkers, bosses, strangers – can think badly of you, intentionally or not, no matter how much kindness you show them. But by the end of the day, he's got people he could count on to give him the truest smiles and the sincerest words of appreciation. Shuuya and Tsubomi, then the Tateyamas, and then Marry.

And this year, the even bigger set of friends he found waiting for him just as he opened their apartment door when he went home from work that day.

"Happy Birthday!" he was greeted in chorus.

Seto's eyes widened. He'd kind of expected a little celebration (he'd been accidentally overhearing Marry and Momo's plans since last week), but how the base turned out to look surprised him.

Because it seemed like his friends did some kind of big art project. Paint stains on the carpet he's sure Kido had gotten mad at, Happy Birthday cutouts hanging from the center of the room, quite uneven streamers strewn across the walls, and a bunch of Post-its on the one right nearby. When he took a closer look, they were short notes signed by the Dan for him.

"Wow!" He looked back at his friends gathered in the middle of the living room. "T-thanks, everyone."

"Sorry for the lack of artistry," Momo said sheepishly. "We didn't want to spend your money."

"After all," Ene piped in, "you're the most responsible almost-adult here! Right, Master?"

"Yeah, sure," Shintaro deadpanned.

Seto smiled as he scratched the back of his head. "Oh, uh, thanks again, then?"

"But we did spend some— "

"Oh, shush you!" Momo interrupted Hibiya.

Kano laughed. "Oh, come on, there's no point in keeping it a secret."

He suddenly noticed the little medusa do the slightest twitch.

"You seriously said something like that, huh?" Kido raised an eyebrow at the blonde. "Though, you have a point. See that cake, Seto?"

Seto glanced at the dining table a few distances behind one of the living room couches.

"Uwah, Danchou, so straightforward!" Kano whined. "But yeah, that large, delicious-looking chocolate treat you'd normally see from that bakeshop just across the street," he described carefully, "actually came from your paycheck."

"Because I was supposed to help out with baking one," Kido added, "but unfortunately I was helping the clumsiest person alive."

Marry, who was standing in between the two, visibly tried to make herself small. "I-i-it was an accident…"

"Oh, come on, you guys! Stop bullying her." A fond look on his face, Seto approached Marry and pat her head. "It's okay. I'm sure you only meant well."

"I just wanted to do something special for Seto," she murmured. "Because Kano said you'd get tons of gifts from work already. Something about always being employee of the month?"

"And older women coworkers crushing on you," Kano added.

"W-what?"

Marry glared at the deceiver for a moment before looking back at Seto and pursing her lips. "It looks like he's right, though."

Seto turned to the door where Marry had been eyeing the plastic bag he'd set down upon entering, which Konoha was now rummaging through. A few chocolate bars were already at the android's feet.

"Those notes were just a last-minute idea I asked them to do." Marry hung her head. "I'm really sorry."

Today at work, he received pats on the back, unexpected favors, free food, little presents. But then again, he knew not everyone's sincere. And he didn't need his Eyes to confirm that. Just the other day, he witnessed some of these same people look at and speak of him maliciously.

"You know what?" Seto gently lifted her chin to properly look at her. "Those messages are actually the best gifts this year. Really, thank you. Believe me, it's… the thought that counts."

Seto had to smile again. Suddenly, that old saying had a whole different meaning to him now.

This took me quite a while to write. I don't know, I kept on writing unnecessary paragraphs, which are wordy and too long and unrelated, so it was kind of hard to edit. I was like, "This is so wrong, but what the heck am I doing wrong?"

Anyway, enought with the rant... so, what do you think? Please tell me through a review!