Sorry for not updating for such a long time! . Stress over exams! Anyway, hope you'd like this...this story's probably gonna end soon... XD Anyway, enjoy!

The usual chirps of the birds awoke Kurapika like every other morning. He sat up and yawned, but winced in pain as he stood up to stretch himself.

"She may be small but damn, she's strong…" he muttered, gently rubbing his well-earned injuries of last night.

Then he took a quick scan around the room,

"Speaking of which, where is she?"

Kurapika left the room and smelled the usual aroma of lunch.

Lunch? I must've woken up late then.

He was usually an early bird, but the fight yesterday must have worn him out. Kurapika frowned. Yesterday's incident was not something he'd like to remember.

"Good afternoon Kurapika," the melodious voice broke his chain of thoughts.

"Good afternoon," Kurapika smiled as Melody placed the scrumptious food on the dining table.

"Where's Katsu?" he heard himself say. Well, it was not like he'd care even if she had decided to leave because of yesterday…it was just… Kurapika frowned again. It was another question that he could not answer.

"She went out quite early today. Why?" Melody smiled the kind of smile when she is suspecting something.

"Nothing…" he looked away, hoping that she would not start assuming anything.

Silence took over for a moment as Kurapika looked as if he was thinking of the solution for the hardest math question in the world.

Finally, with a rather hesitant voice, he said,

"Melody, can you do me a favor?"

Katsu trotted back to the apartment hugging the big bag which was about half her size. She had planned a surprise for Kurapika. Although she was excited about it, she knew, this would not last. Katsu stopped and frowned. She must make a choice…but…but…

"Forget it," she muttered to herself as she opened the door and greeted Melody, who welcomed her back warmly.

Katsu then looked left and right, expecting to hear something like, "So the idiot is back" or something harsher, but she heard nothing of the sort.

"Where's Kurapika?" she asked rather worriedly.

Is Kurapika still angry at me?

She wondered.

"He went out to buy something," Melody consoled her, knowing that she was probably worried about last night.

"Really? Where? What's he gonna buy?"

Melody smiled. Unlike Kurapika, Katsu speaks her mind more freely.

"It's a secret."

Katsu looked down as if she was making a hard decision for someone of her IQ level, then said,

"Melody, can you do me a favor?"

Kurapika scanned the mall for a suitable size for someone as tiny as Katsu. He never actually bought anything for a girl before. That just makes him wonder why he even bothered to do this. Then he spotted a rather cute and pink one. Smiling and feeling quite contented, he brought it to the cashier.

"That'd be 10000Jennies miss," the salesgirl said with much courtesy.

M-miss?! You are born with a pair of eyes for a reason for goodness sake!

But Kurapika said nothing and felt his pocket for his wallet.

…eh? My wallet…don't tell me I left it at the apartment!

Sighing, he took the leftover money in his pocket which he did not bother to put into his wallet before.

10200 Jennies, he counted. Barely enough. Again, he sighed.

Damn…

On the way back, Kurapika spotted a food stand with a kind-looking man selling what Katsu liked most - dango. Kurapika observed it for a moment before finally buying it with the remaining money.

"What do you know, it's quite good," he smiled after swallowing one down.

Kurapika could already smell the new scent of dinner before even entering the apartment.

I must've been outside for a really long time…

Well, he did take god knows how long to pick out his little present for Katsu. Smiling unconsciously, he opened the door.

"HAPPYYYYY BIRTHDAAAAAYYYYY KURAPIKAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

Katsu flew at him. Instinctively, he ducked as she banged her head against the cement.

"Oww…" she groaned, rubbing her forehead with tears of pain welling up at the edge of her eyes. She was about to open her mouth and start another endless argument when Melody came and welcomed them for dinner.

"Melody helped me with the dishes and I baked the cake with my remarkable skills!" Katsu folded her arms proudly.

"Well, good job. Everything looks normal but the cake…" Kurapika muttered rather sarcastically.

"Oh don't complain when someone else makes you dinner! I think it looks superb!" Katsu yelled at him as he glared at her as usual.

The cake looked nothing like a cake. It was more of a yellow blob of something which Katsu had named "cake".

Excitedly, Katsu cut out slices of cakes for everyone, "I made it yellow cause' Kurapika is yellowish!" she added rather enthusiastically.

Yellowish? What is she trying to imply there?

But Kurapika said nothing and looked at the yellow blob of something called "cake" disgustedly.

"Come' on, try it!" Katsu hollered.

Kurapika shot her another glare. She had been shouting a lot lately, seems like she is more hyperactive than ever today.

He sighed and scooped up a spoon of the yellow blob of something.

I'm only doing this to make her happy…

Bracing himself, yet calmly putting it into his mouth and calmly swallowing it, Kurapika then said with a rather empty expression,

"It's good."

Katsu looked like she had just won a million dollars in a lottery as she bounced up and down, face reddened with excitement.

"Really?! I wanna try it too then!"

Kurapika watched her place the wretched thing into her mouth and was not at all surprised to see her spitting it out like how I used to spit out my dad's cooking.

"SALTY!" she screeched.

"Stop screaming Katsu!" Kurapika finally bellowed at her.

"Alright, it seems like we can't eat this anymore right?" Melody said with her usual gentle voice before another quarrel starts between the two explosives.

To Kurapika's relief, Melody disposed of the yellow blob of something called "cake" into the bin. He stole a glance at Katsu to notice her in the verge of tears, obviously very disappointed with herself. Sighing, Kurapika intentionally said out loudly,

"Melody, thanks for doing me that favor. Mind completing the last step?"

Melody walked out of the kitchen with a smile, carrying a chocolate cake in her hands.

"Happy birthday," she smiled as Katsu's eyes twinkled in wonder.

"Katsu."

Katsu's voice shivered in excitement as she struggled to keep her cool,

"B-but it's not even my birthday today…"

"Who cares? Many of your birthdays have passed without any celebration right?" Kurapika smiled at her.

Katsu looked as if she was about to burst into tears of happiness any moment,

"So…so I get to blow the candles?"

"Not before we sing the birthday song," Melody smiled kindly,

"Okay, so one, two, three."

"Happy birthday to you…" the three friends chorused,

"Happy birthday to Katsu and Kurapika…"

"Kurapika you're out of tune!" Katsu suddenly burst out at him.

"No I'm not! I'm just singing a pitch lower!" he retorted.

"Okay okay, let's just finish the song alright?" Melody cut in.

"Happy birthday to you~"

After the scrumptious dinner, Katsu brought out the huge bag and presented it to Kurapika.

"Here's your birthday present!"

Kurapika took it hesitantly at the same time rather curiously.

"Thanks," he smiled.

Wait…am I actually feeling happy about this?

Kurapika looked at the present as his cheeks turned pale pink.

Stupid!

All he could do was to scold himself silently, but for what reason was unknown.

"Go on! Open it!" Katsu's eyes sparkled as they usually do when she is feeling incredibly excited.

Rather excited himself, Kurapika gently opened the paper bag.

In it was a cute pink rabbit plush toy.

"It's cute right?!" Katsu squealed as she hugged the stuffed animal in Kurapika's hands lovingly.

"You bought it just because you liked it right?" Kurapika muttered.

"…is there something wrong with that?" she tilted her head to one side.

Kurapika sighed and shook his head hopelessly.

"Besides, where did you get the money to buy this?"

Katsu looked up to think for a while before she answered,

"Well, I found a wallet on the dining table this morning so I-"

"SO YOU TOOK IT?!" Kurapika shouted so suddenly that Katsu flinched.

"S-something wrong?"

"That was my wallet you….you…" he could find no words that could describe the level of her ignorance and stupidity.

"Well it didn't have you name on it!" she retorted.

Kurapika sighed again. If there were two Katsus, he might just die of stroke.

"So," Kurapika cleared his throat, "You used my money to but what you wanted to give me for my birthday. Correct?"

"Yeah!" Katsu exclaimed cheerily.

"Don't 'yeah' me! You…you...ARGH!"

Just get over it…

Kurapika told to himself as he got up to fetch Katsu her present.

"Here."

He handed the nicely wrapped up present for Katsu.

"Woah!" Katsu exclaimed and took it happily. She did not wait for Kurapika to ask her to open the present, she just ripped it open like a child on his first Christmas.

"Woah!" she exclaimed again, "A new kimono!" she held the cute pink kimono with flowery patterns up high before hugging it tightly.

"Thank you…Kurapika…" she whispered with her face still buried in the pink cloth.

Glad she liked it…

Kurapika smiled at the sight of Katsu.

"Kurapika…" Katsu began, sounding unusually serious.

"What?" Kurapika barely looked down at her.

She hesitated, then looked away, cheeks turning rather hot and pink.

"I…I like…"

"Can you guys help to clean up please?" Melody suddenly called out from the kitchen.

"O-okay!" Katsu ran off before Kurapika could say anything.

Looking at such a happy Katsu, Kurapika could not help but smile the warmest smile he had ever smiled.

…too bad Katsu was not able to see it… ;)