Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Persona series.
This fanfiction is my second challenge of the Okujima (Makoto x Haru) ship. There was a challenge in 2019 on Tumblr, and people liked it so much, that a 2020 version was announced!
Similar to last time, the author or artist must post their work during one week, with a different prompt each day. This year, the week will start on March 16. Go and search #okujima week if you are curious and want to see other works – I know I will be doing that again!
Since the 2019 challenge, Persona 5 Royal has become a thing. This means that some of the creations of my fellow authors/artists could contain spoilers for that game, so be cautious when searching! We are supposed to let others know if our creations contain spoilers or not, so I want to clarify that my stories WILL NOT CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR PERSONA 5 ROYAL! I have not played the game yet, as I live in the West, and this challenge was specifically timed to be right before the release. If you leave comments, please make sure to identify if your comment will contain a spoiler for Persona 5 Royal.
I also want to clarify that these stories WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS FOR PERSONA 5, so if you have not finished the original game, please wait to read this until you do!
The first day is Spring, so here we go!
Please enjoy this first part of the Okujima Week 2020 Challenge!
Okujima Week 2020 Challenge:
Perfect Celebration:
Spring
-Haru-
"Happy birthday, Mako-chan!"
"Thank you, Haru."
Haru was currently sitting in her apartment, on the phone with Makoto. It was early in the morning, but Haru knew that her girlfriend was an early riser, so she had no apprehension about contacting her.
It was April 23rd, which meant that it was Makoto's birthday, and Haru didn't want to waste a moment of this special day. Makoto had insisted that she didn't want Haru to go out of her way with any birthday celebrations, but Haru had insisted for the opposite. Eventually, as most things were with the two, there was a compromise for something in the middle.
Makoto's birthday celebration would be in two parts. The first part had been walking through the local park to look at the cherry blossom trees in full bloom a few weeks prior. Haru had suggested it, even though it had to be before Makoto's actual birthday due to the short amount of time the cherry blossoms would be around.
Makoto had readily agreed to the idea. She said it was something that she used to do back with Sae and her father when she was a child. Haru changed her mind then, not wanting to do something that Makoto had done several times before, but Makoto had stopped her, saying that engaging in an activity from the past with someone new whom she cared about would mean a lot to her. Of course, after a heartfelt declaration like that, Haru couldn't refuse.
Now that today was Makoto's birthday, part two of the celebration could begin. Unfortunately, Makoto had classes up until the evening, while Haru had none for the day. The gardener wished it would have been the opposite, but it couldn't be helped.
Fortunately, that meant that Haru could spend the day getting ready for Makoto to come over. The two had decided that they would spend some quality time together for Makoto's birthday in Haru's apartment, but they hadn't planned any details.
Haru had a few ideas.
For now, though, she kept those a secret, wanting to surprise her girlfriend. They weren't extravagant by any means, but she wanted to have this day be a little bit spontaneous.
"So, are we still on for today?" Haru asked, confirming that Makoto was available.
"Of course, Haru," Makoto murmured. "I'll see you at your apartment after my last class today." At that point, Haru thought she heard Makoto stifle a yawn behind her hand.
"Did you have trouble sleeping last night?"
"I didn't mean for you to hear that." Makoto sighed. "It's not that I had trouble sleeping." She hesitated. "I'm just tired because I stayed up most of the night studying. I have a pretty important exam today."
Haru understood the reason for her reluctance to share that. Though she wouldn't necessarily nag the other girl, she had talked with her many times about how resting was just as, if not more, important than studying. The former student council president wouldn't be able to graduate from university if she collapsed from exhaustion.
But it was her birthday, so Haru decided to relent for today. "Well then, we'll have to make sure that we take it easy and have a good time today."
Makoto gave a soft laugh. "Yes, that would be much appreciated."
"Great! Then I'll see you tonight."
"Okay. I'll see you then."
"Happy birthday! I love you!" Haru giggled.
"Thank you. I love you too."
"You don't have to thank me when I say that I love you, you know," Haru teased. She knew that she was thanking her for wishing her a happy birthday, but she couldn't help herself.
"I-I know that! I meant for the… n-nevermind. Goodbye!" Haru pulled her phone away from her ear to see that Makoto had abruptly ended the call.
"Oh, Mako-chan…" she mused. She slipped her phone into her pocket and stood up from the couch she had been laying on, double-checking and making sure that she had everything that she would need for today.
She rearranged the pillows that were on the couch, making sure that they were neat and tidy. She didn't need Makoto running around straightening up her apartment. As much as Haru would like to say that she wouldn't do that on her own birthday, the fact that she could see that happening motivated her to make sure the place was spotless.
Luckily, Haru kept everything relatively well-kept on a regular basis, so she didn't have to do much. She gave a few of her potted plants a quick watering before looking around once more.
Satisfied, she reached into her pocket to double-check the time on her phone. Barely an hour had passed, so she still had plenty of time to go shopping for the rest of the supplies that she would need for today.
Haru nodded her head. Quickly picking up her purse from the couch, she slipped her phone inside and departed, making sure to lock the door behind her.
A few hours later, a soft knock on Haru's apartment door had the girl look up from her task of fluffing a pillow for the thousandth time.
"Coming!" she announced, dropping the pillow unceremoniously onto the couch and rushing over.
Opening the door revealed the face of Makoto, who was looking at Haru with a smile. "Good evening, Haru."
Haru launched herself at her girlfriend, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. Makoto had obviously not expected her welcome to be quite so enthusiastic, as she stuttered slightly before slowly wrapping her arms around Haru's back.
Giggling at Makoto's awkward behavior, Haru moved her head so that her lips were positioned a fraction away from the other girl's ear. "Happy birthday, Mako-chan," she whispered. She pulled away slightly to press a brief kiss on Makoto's cheek before pulling away.
Or at least, before she tried to pull away.
Makoto's grip on her hadn't lessened in the slightest. In fact, she seemed to be holding on even tighter now. Surprised but delighted, Haru readjusted her grip and went back to hugging her, snuggling into her shoulder.
"Oh uh… sorry!" Makoto immediately let go once Haru had eased her hold, but now Haru was the one pulling her back.
Haru laughed at their exchange. "Mako-chan. I'm happy to stand here hugging you all night, but then you'll miss the rest of what I have planned!"
"I-I… apologies, Haru." Makoto stepped back, and Haru realized that she truly did want to pull away this time. Tucking a strand of hair back behind her ear and looking down at the ground, Makoto continued, "I just had a long day, and seeing you so happy to see me… well, it made me…" She cleared her throat.
Haru titled her head, not quite sure what the other girl was trying to say.
Seeing that Haru wasn't going to rescue her from her rambling, Makoto powered on. "It might sound silly to say, but it made me… desperate for affection. For yours, specifically," she added, looking back up at Haru.
Haru blushed. She always loved how sincere Makoto was, but seeing her so earnest about something as trivial as receiving attention from a loved one was adorable.
"Mako-chan…" Haru placed a hand on her cheek. "You never have to apologize for your feelings. I'm happy that I can give you the comfort that you need."
This time, it was Makoto's turn to blush. "Thank you, Haru."
The two stood like this for a few more moments before Haru pulled away. "Now why don't you come inside and put that long day behind you?" She grabbed Makoto's hand and guided her into the apartment.
"Well, technically the day is still going on," Makoto teased, closing the door behind her.
Haru laughed. "The day is over and the night is starting now!"
"Of course, how silly of me to argue with your flawless logic." Makoto squeezed her hand.
The couple made their way over to the couch that Haru had painstakingly prepared. She was glad to see that Makoto evidently approved, seeing as she wasn't making a fuss about straightening the pillows.
"You just sit down and I'll get your first present." Haru patted a spot on the couch and let go of her girlfriend's hand.
Makoto took a seat, removing her shoes and placing them on the floor. She gave a shy smile up towards Haru. "You really didn't have to go out of your way with presents." Her face reddened slightly. "Besides, you're already the greatest present I could ever ask for."
Haru could feel the heat on her face in addition to her heart beating a little bit faster. Makoto was always so earnest, even if it sometimes edged into cheesy territory. Though Haru wouldn't have it any other way. "If it were anyone other than you saying it, I would have a hard time believing someone would say that." She giggled.
"I-It's true though!" Makoto stammered, tucking her hair behind her ear and looking down at the floor.
Not wanting to give her girlfriend a heart attack on her birthday, Haru relented. "I know," she murmured. Ensuring that Makoto was indeed comfortable, Haru nodded before turning to walk over to her kitchen. She opened the fridge and pulled out the fruit that was to be the first in a long list of presents.
Walking back over to Makoto with a bowl in her hands, she noticed her girlfriend's furrowed brow and head tilt.
"Grapes? I know that I try and eat a healthy diet, but that seems like a strange present." Despite her confusion, Makoto moved over to make room for Haru on the couch.
"It's not just the grapes, Mako-chan!" Haru sat down and placed the grapes at her side. Looking back over at Makoto, she patted her lap. "Make yourself comfortable," she said, winking.
"R-Really?" Makoto spluttered. If her face had been red before, it was nothing compared to her complexion now.
"Yes, really! It's your special day and I want to treat my special someone," Haru insisted, patting her lap again.
"Now who's being cheesy?" Makoto joked. The two laughed.
Makoto slowly situated herself so that her legs and feet were up on the couch, with her head towards Haru. She seemed to make sure every part of her body was accounted for before ultimately laying her head in Haru's lap, doing so with a gentle ease. She looked up at Haru, meeting her eyes despite her earlier reluctance.
Haru couldn't help herself. Despite wanting to feed grapes to Makoto, she decided that part of the plan could wait. Instead, she leaned down and gave her forehead a quick kiss, which caused Makoto to squeak in surprise.
Of course, Haru wanted to elicit more of these adorable reactions. She went a step further and rubbed her nose against Makoto's, feeling the heat rising off of her face. To her delight, she realized that Makoto was taking the lead in their interaction, and was slowly tilting her face so that her lips could meet Haru's.
Their kiss lasted for a few sweet moments before Haru pulled away. Though Makoto seemed reluctant to do so, it appeared she was just as eager for the next part of her present to begin, as her eyes flicked over to the bowl of fruit as she relaxed in Haru's lap.
Not wanting to keep her waiting, Haru plucked a grape out of the bowl and held it over Makoto's mouth.
"Now say 'ah'." Haru giggled as Makoto did so immediately. She gently placed the fruit into her mouth, smiling as Makoto chewed and swallowed it, her expression delighted.
"That's delicious! Did you grow these yourself?" Makoto asked once she had finished.
Haru shook her head. "I haven't moved on to grapes yet, so these are from the supermarket unfortunately. I'm glad that you like them, though!" Haru fed her another grape.
"Mm. They're just as sweet as you." Makoto kissed Haru's fingers, which had been hovering over her mouth. The other girl blushed and thanked her.
The two sat (or in Makoto's case, laid down) on the couch, slowly depleting the bowl until it was empty. Haru was happy to see that Makoto had completely relaxed, and that whatever stress had occurred earlier in the day was nothing more than a distant memory at this point.
Haru began to slowly weave her fingers through the other girl's short hair, butterflies fluttering in her stomach as Makoto hummed in approval and moved her face towards her abdomen, nuzzling her there.
It almost seemed like a good stopping point for their night, but Haru wanted to enact the rest of her plan. Her fingers stilled. "Now let's move onto something that I did make," she murmured gently.
Makoto didn't move an inch. Her words muffled slightly due to her position, she mumbled, "But I'm too comfortable to move."
Haru tilted Makoto's head back so that they could look at each other. Making a playfully-stern expression, she said, "It'll just be for a moment. I'll be back before you know it." She waited for Makoto to move her head, which she did after a few beats.
Getting up from the couch, Haru picked up the bowl and deposited it into the sink, intending to take care of it later. She pulled a package out from where she had been hiding it in a cupboard and brought it back over. Makoto immediately lifted her head for Haru to sit, placing it back down on her lap just as quickly.
"Here we are!" Haru placed the box on Makoto's stomach and pulled open the lid, revealing the sweet treats within.
"Cupcakes?" Makoto looked at the baked goods before looking back at Haru.
"Yes!" Haru picked out a cupcake, moving the box to her other side so that she wasn't using her girlfriend as a human table. "I ask Boss to teach me how to make all different kinds every time I visit LeBlanc. I made this one since it's still sort of cherry blossom season." She peeled the pink wrapper off of the cupcake, which itself was vanilla cake with pink cherry blossom icing.
"That sounds wonderful. Though I might have to sit up and eat this myself. Cupcakes are bit messier than grapes." Makoto chuckled as she sat up. Haru missed the warmth, but she figured that Makoto had a point.
Handing her cupcake to Makoto, she exclaimed, "Dig in!"
Haru watched as Makoto took a bite of the baked good, her eyes sparkling. Seeing as Makoto was not as much of a fan of sweet food, Haru took her following excited bites as an enormous compliment. She had made sure to make the icing sweet, but not too much so. It seemed that she had hit the mark.
She went to work on her own cupcake, and she had to admit that it tasted delicious. The two went through around two cupcakes each before a ringing sounded.
Makoto fished her free hand into her pocket, extracting her phone. She smiled at the caller ID.
"Who is it?" Haru asked, curious.
"Sis. Do you mind if I take the call?" Makoto's finger hovered over the button.
"Of course not! I'll get your next surprise ready!" Haru was delighted that Makoto accepted the fact that there was more to her birthday surprises, rather than express disbelief and insist that she didn't need anything more. It was a nice feeling to be able to spoil her girlfriend sometimes.
Haru stood up and walked back over to the kitchen one final time, hearing Makoto exchange pleasantries with her sister.
She carefully pulled out something she had been working on for a while. She hoped that Makoto would like it.
Haru glanced back at Makoto, who was laughing about something that Sae had said. The gardener merely watched her girlfriend for a few moments, enjoying how happy she was. She wished she could see her carefree expression more often.
Once it seemed that the call was wrapping up, with Makoto promising something or other to her sister, Haru made her way back over to the couch, hiding her present behind her back.
Makoto hung up her phone and placed it back in her pocket. She noticed Haru was standing next to her, and she waved her down, indicating her vacated spot on the couch.
"Sis wished me a happy birthday. She said that she's planning on coming up sometime soon for us to spend a day together," Makoto answered Haru's silent question.
"That's wonderful!" Haru smiled at her girlfriend's bright expression. Makoto tended to guard her more childish emotions, so it was a pleasure to see her so excited at the prospect of spending time with her big sister.
"So, what's this next surprise?" Makoto asked, noticing that Haru was hiding something. She leaned over to try and sneak a peek.
"Nothing much." Haru moved her hand out in front of her, revealing a ruby-red rose. "For you."
Makoto smiled pleasantly as she took hold of its stem, raising it to her nose.
"A rose! It's lovely, Haru. Did you grow this?" She moved the flower away from her nose and examined it. Haru hoped that she saw how immaculate the petals were.
"I did! I've been practicing to grow a suitable one for you. I wanted to give you one last year, but I didn't have the conditions nailed down then. This was the result of a perfect batch!" Haru smiled, proud that something she made had turned out so well.
Makoto smiled too. She then placed the rose in Haru's hair, right behind her ear, which the other girl hadn't been expecting at all. Honestly, she had been planning to do so for the other girl, but it seemed that Makoto had her share of surprises as well.
Makoto stroked Haru's cheek before moving in to kiss her on the lips, which Haru eagerly returned.
"I love it, Haru. And I love you," Makoto murmured as she pulled away, her lips replacing her hand on Haru's cheek for a brief kiss. She grasped Haru's hand and kissed her there as well.
Haru had to admit that she herself was growing increasingly flustered at the sheer amount of affection that Makoto was expressing. It was moments like these that reminded Haru just how much the other girl had charmed her.
Before they lost themselves in the rest of the night's activities that were sure to follow, Haru made sure to respond to her girlfriend's earnest declaration.
"I love you too, Makoto. Happy birthday."
Well that's that! One story down, six more to go!
This story is significant in that it shares birthdays with two important people in my life: my mother and my sister – and it's not because they share the same birthday. My sister shares Makoto's birthday of 4/23 (so jealous!) and my mother's birthday is today/first day of this challenge, 3/16. I knew I had to make a birthday story to celebrate those two coincidences!
Hope you enjoyed, and I will see you tomorrow!