Chapter 6 - Miku's Birthday, Kaito's point of view

How could I have been so stupid? Damn my awkward shyness. I should have told her how I felt. I vowed to myself that I would tell Miku Hatsune that I was falling deeper and deeper in love with her. i just wasn't sure how I would tell her. Soon my brother Akaito came in my room.

"Have fun on your date today," he said in a smug voice with a smirk.

"It's not a date Akaito," I said defensively, "I'm just taking Miku out for her birthday."

"Well, are you paying?" he asked even more smugly.

"Well, yeah," I said, "but that's because it's her birthday and I'm treating."

"Then it is a date," he said in a sing-song-like voice, "Kaito and Miku sittin' in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

"Shut up," I said through clenched teeth.

He then continued to chant, "Kaito and Miku, Kaito and Miku." And made kissing noises and did his usual obnoxious feminine laugh he did any time Miku came up in conversation.

"SHUT UP AND GET OUT OF MY ROOM!" I yelled

"Don't you yell at me like that," he said all of a sudden angry. He then took two of my scarves and tied my arms together with one and my legs together with the other and proceeded to pummel me.

"Okay I give!" I cried out, desperate for him to stop, "sorry Akaito."

"Whatever man," he said, "just whatever, have fun on your date."

And with that Akaito walked out of my room. I then got up and got dressed. I called Miku to make sure we were still on. Her brother Mikuo answered.

"Hello," he answered.

"Mikuo, it's Kaito," I said nervously, "Is Miku around."

"Yeah, she's doing her hair," he answered, "I'll get her. Hey Miku! It's Kaito!"

I heard Miku in the background, "I'm coming!"

"Hi Kaito," she answered, her voice squeaked once again with excitement.

"Hi Miku," I said trying to imitate her squeak, "Are we still on?"

"Of course," she giggled, "I just got done showering and getting dressed, I was just doing my hair. Be here around noon."

"Okay," he said, "and Happy Birthday."

"Thanks Kaito," she said, "I'll see you at noon. Bye."

"Bye," I said and hung up.

I then went to my car and went into town in attempt to find a present for her. Nothing to big, after all we were just friends, for now. I went to a nearby store that sold small trinkets such as candies and stuffed animals. I remembered some of the things she told me her favorites were. Her most favorite thing was leeks. Think, Kaito, think, and then I saw it. Two of her favorite candies, Chocolate Negis, and Negi Pops. I bought those. Then I saw something else. I remembered her favorite animal was rabbits. I saw it a stuffed white rabbit in a green velvet jumper. And it seemed to be holding a stuffed leek. Perfect. It seemed like it was perfect for Miku. I bought that as well. I went over to the greeting cards and found the section called Birthday for Girls. I decided I would get her one that was very simple. It had a picture of a bunny in a party hat holding a pink birthday cake. Inside it read Happy Birthday to a special girl. Hope it is as just as sweet as you are. Perfect, I didn't want to quite reveal my feeling to Miku in that way, so I went with that card.

"Will this be all sir?" the cashier asked me.

"Yes," I said.

"What is the big occasion?" the cashier asked, trying to make small talk.

"Well," I stammered, "I'm trying to impress a girl on her birthday."

"Oh," the cashier said with a smile, "Well would you like a gift bag and personalized tag?"

"Well," I stammered once again, "I guess so. The girl's name is Miku. Spelled M-i-k-u"

I saw the cashier writing out the tag, her hand writing very neat and careful, she then asked, "and your name sir?"

"Kaito," I said, "spelled K-a-i-t-o"

"Gotcha," she said as she put the rabbit, Chocolate Negis, and card, which I had borrowed her pen to sign, in a pink gift bag with pink tissue paper and tied the Negi Pops to the strap of the bag with pink ribbon, "and your total will be $6.50. Don't tell anybody, but I'm giving you a little discount, just my way of saying 'good luck'"

I then paid and took the bag. I checked my watch for the time. 11:53. Crap! I was going to be late. I got into my car and drove to Miku's house. I saw Mikuo pulling in with Miku and they were unloading groceries from his car. "Miku," he said, "Kaito's here." I got a good look at Miku. Her long green hair was in a high ponytail and she was wearing a white baby doll top, pink ruffled skirt and white sandals. She looked very cute. When she saw me come out of my car she ran up to me and hugged me as tight as she could. I hugged her as well. Why not? It's her birthday. "Oh Kaito," she said, "this is my brother Mikuo, he's a senior as well. I think you may have met before."

"Oh yeah," Mikuo said, shaking my hand, "I think we have met. But good seeing you again Kaito. Good to know that you and Miku are becoming such good friends." Yeah, I thought, good friends. I was hoping to become more than that. We then walked to my car, and I opened the door for her. "Have fun, Miku," Mikuo called out, "when you come home your surprise will be ready."

"Speaking of surprises," I said when we got into the car, "I have a present for you in back. Do you want it in the restaurant or when we get back to your place?"

"How about when we get back home," she said, "so I can have two surprises at once. It's very thoughtful of you to take me out for my birthday, Kaito"

"My pleasure, Miku," I said. Soon we reached the restaurant. It was called The Leek Grille.

"I don't think I've been to this place before," Miku said.

"It is very good," I said, "Let's go in."

The lighting inside was very atmospheric and dim. The hostess was very welcoming when she greeted us.

"Good afternoon," she said, "would you like a table or a booth?"

"What would you like, Miku?" I asked her.

"How about about a booth," she replied, "I like how comfy the seats are in those things." And the hostess took us to a nearby booth and said, "Your server will be with you shortly."

Then our server came, he was thin young man with white hair in a short ponytail. "I know him," Miku said, "I had known him since I was two. He was in the same daycare as me and my friend Meiko."

"Hey Dell," she said.

"Miku," he said, "long time no see. I'll be your server. Can I start you and your friend out with something to drink?"

"Sure," I then said, "You go first Miku."

"I'll have iced green tea," she said.

"I'll have a Coke," I said.

"Alright," Dell replied, "I'll get that right away."

"So how has your birthday been so far?" I asked conversationally.

"It's been great," she said, "my brother made me breakfast in bed, and we went grocery shopping because he was going to make me a surprise. And I got a few presents, like this outfit I am wearing. It was from my mom."

"So, what did your brother make you for breakfast this morning?" I asked.

"Well my family has this tradition on birthdays," she began, "where for breakfast we have pancakes in the shape of whatever number age we are."

"Interesting," I said, "so it was in the shape of a 15?"

"You got that right," she said with her cute 'Miku smile' as I called it

"I love it when you smile," I sighed quietly.

"What was that?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing," I tried to cover it up, "I said, it's been a while, where are our drinks?"

And in no time our drinks came. "Sorry, about that," Dell said, "So, what can I get for you two."

"I'll have the Negi Burger, with the seasoned fries," I said.

"Okay," Dell wrote my order down, "And for you Miku."

"I'll have the leek sautee," Miku replied, and Dell wrote it down, I'll be back with your order."

As we sat and waited for our orders, Miku said, "I wonder what the surprise is that my brother has waiting at home for me."

"I don't know," I replied, "You'll also have to see my surprise."

I know I am excited for that." she squeaked. "I can't wait to see what you got me, Kaito."

I smiled, and stared almost mesmorized as she sat and twirled her hair.

"You know, Kaito," she started to say, "it is really thoughtful of you to take me out for my brithday like this. Back in junior high, the only people who even gave a care about my birthday was my family."

I could relate to how she was feeling, because I felt the same way about birthdays.

"Didn't you have birthday parties as a child?" I asked.

"Not often," she said with a downcast expression, "often times, when we would have a birthday party, my so-called friends would act like I forced them to come, except for Rin and Len. Speaking of, I haven't heard from them all day."

She pulled out her cell phone and checked it. "I have a text," she said, "from Teto." She then passed her phone to me to show me the text. It was a kissy-faced emoticon and it said This is you and Kaito. Happy Birthday Miku! I chuckled and handed the phone back to her.

"Your friend Teto is an interesting one," I said, "I remembered what I wanted to ask you."

"What is it?" Miku asked.

"Do you," I stammered, "like me?"

"Of course I do," she replied vibrantly, "What is there not to like about you?"

"No," I said, "I mean, like, more than friends."

"Well," she began, "You are a nice friend. And you do make me feel good about myself. And you're not too bad looking. I really don't know. Why do you ask?"

I tried to think of a response to cover up that I was actually falling in love with her, "Well," I began, "my brothers have been messing with me a lot and I wanted to know if it was true."

"No worries," she replied, "Mikuo has been like that too."

Soon our food had come. I had removed the leek from my negi burger and asked Miku, "You want my leek?"

"Sure," she replied and added it to her leek sautee. Before Dell had walked away once again I said to him discreetly, "It's her birthday today."

Dell smiled to Miku and walked off. And we ate and talked more for the time being. After we were done, Dell came back and asked if we wanted dessert.

"Probably something small," Miku replied, "my brother said for me to get something small for dessert so I can have room for my surprise."

So, I ordered two smal dishes of ice cream. Dell took that order and walked off. We then continued to talk, until a few server came to our table. They handed us our ice cream, but Miku's had a candle in it. The one female server lit the candle and they sang Happy Birthday to her. After that, we paid and left.

"Say," she said as we got in the car, "would you like to stay for while at my place to meet my parents and my step-sister?"

"Sure," I replied, "so I can also give you your present."

We then pulled up in the parking lot of the apartment. We stepped out of the car and went into her brother's apartment.

"Mikuo," she called, "we're home."

She turned on the lights, and Mikuo jumped out and yelled, "SURPRISE!" It was not only Mikuo, but also an older looking gentleman with dark hair, an older looking woman with red hair, and a little girl with black hair in pigtails.

"Mom, Kiyoteru, Yuki," she said, surprised, "you're here."

She hugged each of them. She then turned to me and said, "This is my mom, Miki, my dad, Kiyoteru, and my sister, Yuki."

They each shook my hand. Then Yuki went across the room and picked up a green box with airholes in it, obviously there was a live animal in there of some sort. "Happy Birthday big sister," she said as she handed Miku the box. Miku undid the ribbon on the box and opened it. Inside there was a small white rabbit with beady blue eyes. "He is so cute," she said, "I think I'll name him Negi, after my favorite thing in the whole world."

"That reminds me," I said as I remembered to get the gift bag from my car, "I have my present for you." I handed her the gift bag. She took the Negi Pops off of the side and placed them off to the side. She took the tissue paper out of the bag, and took the Chocolate Negis out of the bag. "You knew these were my favorite candies," she said excitedly, she then took the bunny plush out of the bag as well, "and you knew I love bunnies." She put the bunny down and hugged me tightly. "I think it's time for your surprise," Mikuo said, holding a cake with pink frosting, "happy birthday Miku." We then had the cake and after a few hours, it was time for Miku to go with her family for her birthday dinner, and with that I took off to go home. I was so happy that Miku had a great birthday and I was able to contribute to her having that great birthday.