Week 3D: Decorations
Sailor Raspberry
298 words
"Happy Birthday, Mamoru!"
Mamoru stopped, felt the arcade doors swoosh shut behind him, and slowly peeled off his winter gloves. The room was decorated in frivolous pinks and reds and twirling ribbons. There were balloons hovering to his left, and the floor sparkled with what looked like millions of glossy glitters.
And then he spotted Usagi, smack-dab in the middle of this atrocity. He took a hesitant step forward. "My birthday?"
She beamed up at him and nodded. Over her shoulder, a group of friends covered their mouths.
"I didn't know you were born on Valentine's Day! That's so romantic!" She swooned, and danced into his arms for a birthday hug.
Mamoru hugged back as amiably as he could, and though he rather liked that she was so close, so close, his mind itched with exasperation. "Odango?"
She pulled back and dusted off her pleated skirt. He was egotistically pleased to see that her cheeks were a dazzling shade of pink. "Yes?"
"Today isn't my birthday."
She blinked, and he could see that some stray glitters had gathered in her eyelashes. "What?"
Mamoru gave a weak smile. "My birthday's in August."
Her mouth parted in slow realization. "Your birthday's in August?"
"Yes."
In one of the corners, a balloon popped. She barely flinched. Her friends were slowly inching towards the exit.
"So I spent hours decorating for a party that was for nobody?"
Mamoru shrugged. "Looks like it."
At first, she looked angry, very angry. And then the wildness in her eyes saturated until they overflowed with tears. His face grew contorted with shock. "Odango," he said with a tinge of guilt. "We can pretend it's my birthday, if you want."
The tears were gone. "Really?"
He sighed, watched her excitement grow. "If it'll make you stop crying."