12. The Firework

"Wow!" Astonished, Suzuna stared into the darkness with wonder. "What a party!"

"Now you're being naive..." Sena said, "Hiruma-san must have planned something utterly terrible!"

"Wow as well!"

"Well, " Hiruma spoke to the darkness, "as you all know, this is NOT Cerberus's fucking birthday party."

Musashi stumbled to Mamori and asked, "What's this about?"

Mamori shook her head, "Whatever you think it is, he's just telling the truth and yes, I knew this all along. Sorry."

Musashi nodded with a "wow".

"First, " Hiruma started with a cackle, which totally freaked everyone out, "tell me the result of the game."

The room fell into silence.

Mamori sweat-dropped and said, "You'll have to turn on the lights before you go over the cards... Since, as you can see, it's completely dark here, Youichi."

Her words proved the turn-off-all-the-lights action very unnecessary.

After the lights were turned on again, Hiruma dived his hand into the box and took out the cards one by one. "While I'm doing this, tell me how you can fucking tell these two cakes apart."

"No idea, they taste very much alike." Musashi answered, trying to lighten the tension. "And very good, too."

"So that's how you all fucking felt just now?" Hiruma asked again. He didn't seem to have found anything valuable from the box.

Takami pushed his glasses and sighed, "Yes, the cakes tasted exactly the same and don't try to raise another subject when everyone is trying to figure out your real purpose for this mysterious party, Hiruma."

"Do you know my real purpose for this fucking party, fucking glasses?"

"Of course not!"

Hiruma grinned, "Then why an electric whisk?"

"What?" Takami looked puzzled. But at the same time, Wakana's face changed.

"Youichi... " Covering her face with embarrassment, Mamori cut in, "I led you screw with this party so can you ust get to your point?"

"Fine." A little annoyed, Hiruma continued, "What I need to say is that this fucking glasses is currently dating the former manager of the Ojo White Knights!"

"Wow!" By everyone.

Takami's jaw almost dropped when he heard Hiruma's announcement, "So this is your purpose of the party?"

Wakana's couldn't speak since her face grew all red and stuff.

"How'd you know?" Takami asked.

"Now you're fucking confessing it, aren't you?"

"Well, if it's you, I have no point in hiding it... And, as a matter of fact, I'm more shocked by your interest in my personal life than the purpose of the party itself." Takami leaned closer and asked again, "How did you know? I thought I did a perfect job in hiding it."

"Two things, what you bought some weeks ago and what you said just now."

"What did I say just now?"

"That fucking old man said, ' very much alike ' while you said ' exactly the same '. It's weird, isn't it?"

Takami thought for a moment and broke into laughter, "You set me up, didn't you, Hiruma?"

"Yes, he did." Mamori answered, "Wakana and me made the cakes separately in the beginning but Wakana did the cream for both of them... That's why they tasted exactly the same..."

"But for those who never ate the cakes, the idea of ' cakes made by 2 people ' arrived first of everything. So however similar they tasted, you people would unconsciously decide that they are just slightly different instead of ' exactly the same '." Hiruma explained.

Takami smiled, "But I know the exact taste of her cream so when I tasted both of them, I was shocked... You captured my facial expression, didn't you, Hiruma?"

"Yes, he did..." Mamori said, at the same time tapping on Wakana's shoulder.

Takami looked at Wakana for a second, "I knew this would come sooner or later... But I never expected Hiruma to reveal this..."

"And I didn't know you would be so convincing about this..." Wakana laughed nervously but also happily.

"Wow!" Suzuna again, all excited and hopping everywhere.

"Suzuna, " Sena held her arm, "your antenna is spinning like crazy..."

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It was surprising enough that the party actually went on safely.

"That's it, Youichi?" Mamori asked Hiruma in the hallway when the newly-discovered couple was already chatting with other guests on relationship issues. "You don't plan to do anything else?"

"You want me to do something else?"

"No! It's just... It's hard to believe that you're satisfied already, since the party is only half-way through."

Hiruma smirked, "Now comes to the question that if you really know everything about my fucking plan for tonight..."

"So you admit you're hiding something from me?"

"It wouldn't be fun if you know everything."

"So it's really the blowing-off-our-house thing?"

"Almost..."

"What?!" Mamori gasped but Hiruma left without answering.

Stepping into the living room, and euipped his whole set of firearms, Hiruma announced, "Attention, you people, the game is not over yet!"

All the guests turned their faces to Hiruma, nervously waiting.

Hiruma took out a remote from nowhere and pressed a button, "Boom..." He bluffed.

Boom!

The roof of the house split apart.

"Time for some fucking explosion!" Hiruma pressed the button again and a series of firing and shooting and launching started around the house, shaking the neighborhood as if a massive earthquake occurred. And in the evening skies, firework went off in a cascade of colors.

"Happy fucking birthday, Cerberus..." Hiruma said to the dog.

"Warrff!"

It was Cerberus's birthday after all...

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"Wow! Firework! So romantic!" Sat on the soft grass, Suzuna leaned on Sena's shoulder, "Will you put on firework for me, Sena?"

"If you let me disappear with the Devil Bat Ghost... Yes, maybe." He answered, "I think that one looks like a football, doesn't it?"

Also enjoying the waterfall of splendor by the window, Mamori said to Hiruma, "Wakana was right, we should know the gender beforehand so we'll know what kind of toys to buy and what color the wallpaper should be."

"You're fucking telling me this all out of a sudden because..."

"Because I think a prenatal examination is necessary? Fine, I'm curious. Are you with me or not?"

"Uhmm..."

"So it's a yes?" Mamori tentatively asked again.

"If you have made an appointment with the fucking doctor... I'm okay with it." Hiruma shrugged.

"I'll call later..." Mamori sat next to him and kissed him on the cheek, "The firework is so beautiful, Youichi... Too bad somebody can't see it now, not yet."

"You can get it videotaped if you want..."

"Have a sense of romance, Youichi! You are always spoiling the moment..."

But deep in her heart, she enjoyed his spoiling more than anything else...

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When the party was over, Musashi came up to Mamori and said, "Nice party!"

"Thanks, I hope we didn't screw up."

"No, the food was great, the firework was wonderful... Will you be having a baby shower later?"

"Maybe, we'll see. But I'm not sure what Youichi wants. After tonight, we all know what to expect from him... He never told me about the fireworks."

Musashi paused and nodded as if he knew something she didn't, "Hiruma likes fireworks... It reminds him of the taste of victory. I'm sure you also liked the fireworks."

"I hope the neighbors won't complain..."

"No, I don't think so, who dares to complain about Hiruma Youichi?"

"Yeah, you';re right..." Mamori smiled.