Sorui had changed into the outfit he had been given, a layered Anchor LS, and stepped out.

Yutaka breathed a sigh of relief.

"There, no more scrub outfit."

"I really can't afford this..." Sorui muttered as he fumbled with the tag, which hung awkwardly off the shirts collar.

"I'm buying it. Now, that old shirt."

Sorui held up the tattered Anchor-tee.

"Let's get rid of it" Yutaka announced, as she grabbed the shirt and pulled.

Sorui pulled back.

"N-no!"

"Why not?" She pulled harder.

"B-because it's mine!"

"So are the new clothes. Come on!"

"It was a present!"

"Huh?"

"It was a prese-oof!"

Yutaka had let go of the shirt suddenly, leaving Sorui in a small heap by the changing room.

"Wha...I...urgh..." She knelt down and buried her face in her hands. "Sorry...sorry."

Sorui half-crawled over to where she was, but wasn't quite sure what to do. She just kept repeating "sorry" and rocking back and forth. Sorui decided and giving her a pat on the back.

"It's...ok. I'm not throwing away the shirt, though. If someone gives me a gift, I'll use it. It'd be rude not to."

Yutaka paused mid-sorry and glanced away from Sorui.

"T-then...those new clothes." She muttered.

"Huh?"

"T-those new clothes are m-my present to you. Y-you know. For y-your birthday. And...stuff." She peeked back at him. "S-so you better wear it, okay?"

Sorui smiled and Yutaka actively avoided his gaze.

"Okay." He said. "But that leaves your present."

"Huh?"

"We share the same birthday, right? I gotta get you something too."

"N-no, you don't need to..."

"Of course I do. I'm not sure what I can get you, though..." Sorui's eyes wandered around the store.

She didn't know why she said it, but Yutaka decided on a gift she wanted.

"Then...could you..."

"Hmm?"

"J...j..."

"Juh...?"

"Join a squad with me?" She finished.

Sorui blinked.

"Huh?"

"They're letting people join in squads of two now for the turf wars. They match you up with another squad for allies and you fight two other squads as opponents." She hid part of her face with her hand. "Your present to me...I want to be on a squad with you."

Sorui paused, and then smiled.

"Sure, I'd love to." The boy was beaming brighter than a searchlight, and it was aimed right at Yutaka. Yutaka turned away.

"You know..." Sorui continued. "I thought about it a little while, and I don't think I would want us to be on opposite teams. It doesn't feel right."

Yutaka gave a small nod, face still buried in her hands.

"Are you ok?"

She used one hand to make a weak thumbs-up.

"Okay, I guess I should take this off so we can buy it, then." He stood and walked back into the changing room.

Once the curtain was shut, Yutaka removed her hands from her now crimson-flushed face.

"I can't look him in the face at all..." She muttered to herself.

"What was that?" Sorui asked from behind the curtain.

Yutaka turned a deeper shade of red and sputtered out a "NOTHING."

It was going to be a long day today.