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The clacking of a keyboard was the only sound that could be heard inside of a cramped one person apartment.
“April 2 already…”
The only person inside of the apartment was a young man with messy teal hair and blue eyes working on his laptop. He had just noticed the date displayed on the side of the screen, but the hour displayed showed it was already 4AM. He didn’t really care about how late it was. He wasn’t planning on going outside for a while anyway. He could sleep in and there wouldn’t be any problem. It’s not as if he had any plans for April 2.
The young man, Shin Tsukimi, used to look forward to that day back when he was younger. He used to fantasize about a world where he would go to school, and everyone would give him their birthday wishes. At times, he’d even have dreams where all his classmates were his friends and would give him presents and hang out with him for his birthday. But no matter how much he dreamt or fantasized, those wishes would never come true. No one would even care enough to remember it was his birthday, and the only person outside of his family who would give him his birthday wishes was someone Shin would much rather forget.
Of course, with time, he stopped even fantasizing about such things. He was an adult now, he had no time to waste thinking about things that wouldn’t happen. Eventually, April 2 became just another day to him.
An high school teacher who looked like a mad scientist, a gaudy high school student, and a suspicious homemaker stood in front of him. They didn’t look human. They looked more like monsters. Monsters who wanted to devour him.
They just stared at him silently.
But he wanted to run away.
He didn’t want to deal with this.
Even though he had escaped from the death game, he couldn’t escape from this.
And so he attempted to do what he would always do.
Run away.
Far away.
Where they couldn’t reach him.
But his movements had been stopped. Before he could even realize, someone was twisting his arms and limited his movements. He couldn’t see who it was, but the figure started speaking in a familiar voice.
“One year older, but still the same old coward.” The voice was mocking “You killed them you know? They wouldn’t have died if it wasn’t for you. You murderer.” But it was unmistakably his own voice.
“You really never change.”
The ringing of a mobile phone entered Shin’s ears, and he opened his eyes. He was crouched near his laptop. He didn’t realize, but it seems like he had fallen asleep like that. It was just 9AM, but he didn’t care about not getting enough sleep if it meant he could safely escape that nightmare. He was grateful for that ringing.
He went to pick up the phone, and he tensed up when saw who was calling.
Kanna Kizuchi.
One year prior, he had gotten caught up in a death game. A death game he absolutely couldn’t have survived. So, he decided to change. He’d be cruel and merciless, and he’d win. Three people died because of that.
On the third floor, he had found an escape route, and he succesfully managed to escape with the remaining survivors. The first feeling that entered his heart when he confirmed the escape had been a success was relief. Kanna Kizuchi, a middle schooler whom he had used and manipulated had helped him took his hands and urged him to exchange contact info with her and everyone else. He accepted in the spur of the moment, but later, realizing what he had done, he started strongly regretting it. For starters, he was’t their ally. Even he wouldn’t be so presumptuous as to call himself that. Moreover, Kanna would just be reminded of this death game every single time she would interact with him, of how her sister died, and of how she betrayed everyone and was used by him. It would have been better for everyone if they had simply forgotten about him. After the initial relief he had realized all too well that he couldn’t have just gone back to his previous life as if nothing had happened.
Kanna had tried to call him multiple times before, but usually he just turned her phone calls down. He wasn’t Kanna’s friend or her ally. He had taken advantage of her for his own goals. He couldn’t understand how she’s bother with someone who treated her like that. At the very least, the present him couldn’t understand.
He turned down the call this time too…and in exchange, he received an SMS.
“Happy birthday Sou! Me and the others will drop by your house later to give you a surprise!”
“You do know it’s not a surprise if you tell me like this, right?” but even as he muttered that, it’s not like she could hear him.
As of how she knew when his birthday was, or where he lived, the reason was that this little girl could be very stubborn. Usually he turned her phone calls down, but there were also times where he had to concede to be left alone.
Or maybe deep down he was selfishly happy she kept calling him, and didn’t want her to stop.
He texted her back to not come, but she never answered back.
A few hours later, the ringing of the doorbell could be heard.
Shin thought to ignore it, but it was getting insistent. At the door were Kanna, with a now middle schooler Gin Ibushi, and a high schooler, Miss Perfect Sara Chidouin. He was a bit relieved that at least he didn’t have to deal with Keiji, Q-taro, or Reko.
“I thought I told you to not come here.”
No one had ever done something like this for his birthday before.
He decided to only talk to Kanna. Ignoring the other two would probably be better.
“But it’s your birthday meow! It’s sad to spend your birthday alone, so we decided to be nice and keep you company, woof! Be grateful!”
“Don’t say it like that. Kanna tried her best to call everyone to celebrate your party. I’m sure you don’t eat enough anyway. I brought some sushi, fish is good for a balanced diet. I also brought strawberry cake, since it’s your birthday.”
Ignoring the other two would definitely be better.
“Kanna…didn’t see your message, but she doesn’t regret coming here…”
“Well, too bad for you. Today isn’t even my birthday, I just told you a random date. Now you can go.”
No one even bothered to remember when his birthday was.
“Huh…is that…really true…?”
“It’s definitely a lie.”
“Oh…”
The one to butt-in had been Sara. Shin really wished she would have kept quiet, but instead, as if she was able to read his thoughts and do exactly the opposite of what he wanted, she kept talking. To him.
“Why are you being so stubborn about this? No one here wants to hurt you. I thought you had finally became more honest after our escape, but you keep avoiding us.”
“It’s your fault if you make mistaken deductions, not mine. Plus, I thought you hated me. Why are you acting all friendly now?”
‘And you’d have all the reasons in the world for hating me and wanting to hurt me’, he thought, but didn’t say.
What he said was something else.
“You all came here, acting as if we’re friends. In case it wasn’t clear, we are not. Go away. You guys are a bother.”
Were they really?
If someone had done this to him when he was still in high school, he would have probably been on the verge of crying tears of joy. No matter who it was.
The idea repulsed him.
He was about to go back inside and lock himself in, but he felt someone who was pulling on his sleeve. It was Kanna.
Oddly enough, she seemed to be smiling.
“Kanna is sorry if she was a bother but at the same time…she thinks that you aren’t really angry, deep down.”
“I’m angry. You barged into my house uninvited.”
“At least…take these. There are presents and food for you, even the people who aren’t here wanted to give you something. We can’t return these anyway.”
Shin was pretty sure that people like Keiji definitely didn’t want to give anything to him, but didn’t want to see Kanna displeased. But he kept the thought to himself.
“Fine. I’ll take them.”
“Sou.”
Looks like Sara wanted to say something too. For some reason.
“It’s true that…back then I used to hate you. I hate how you lied and used people but...I still don’t know the real you. So, I don’t know whether I hate him or not. I thought I would get to know him after the death game, but it looks like it won’t be so easy.”
“…”
Shin took the bags she was carrying and brought them into his house.
Then moved to Gin
“You’re so mean loner! But I’m nice so I’ll forgive you meow.”
And took his.
And lastly
“Here! Happy birthday Sou! Kanna…still hopes that one day you’ll want to make a big party with everyone…! Your life is still long…there will be many more birthdays.”
His life was still long huh…
“Well, bye.”
“Goodbye!”
“Goodbye…”
“If you properly apologize, I’ll be willing to see you again meow!”
After they left, Shin checked through the bags. Some of the present made him question the sanity of the senders, and he probably wouldn’t have eaten half of the food in there but…
But…
It did somewhat make him happy.
He didn’t think he deserved such kindness from these people. He didn’t want to be happy because of this.
But it did.
“You never change.” Someone told him.
Maybe he should try to change.
Even if it was hard.
Even if facing the gravity of his actions head on was scary.
Being honest was scary.
Revealing his true self was scary.
“I’m…older…I should try to be more mature…and braver…”
While muttering that to himself, he started eating the cake that had been given to him.