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She sighed, again and again, until the man in her mind suddenly appeared beside her: “What is it, Sai? You are acting strange today.”
“Oh, um, it’s nothing… nothing” she struggled to smile, “I am fine, Masaki.”
And he frowned: “You are lying, Sai, it’s bad to lie.” Meguro Masaki reached out his arms and tried to grab her, “Why did you sit there and sigh so many times?”
She thought it was going to end up like before, when his hands and even arms went right through her body because he died long ago. But it didn’t.
He embraced her after so many days and nights separated, warm like a healthy, living human being.
“Why are you looking so surprised?” Meguro sounded very confused, “Did you expect me to beat you or other things? What a strange people----”
“MASAKI!” she screamed while leaping into his arms, “Oh my… It’s really you…” tears slowly flew out of her eyes, “I missed you so much…”
Meguro licked up all the tears on her cheek, as usual, with a confused face: “What are you saying, of course it’s me, silly Sai. Wait, you haven’t answered my question, why did you sigh? And why are you still crying?”
How could she tell him the truth under such a strange circumstance? She was afraid that he would return to void if she stayed honest, which she couldn’t afford. But lying was surely not an option, so she decided to only tell part of her thoughts: “Masaki.”
“What?”
“My birthday is coming.”
“Is that a problem? You always celebrated it as long as I can remember.” Meguro smiled in a teasing way, “Oh, Sai, are you finally starting to act like those average women and worrying about your age?”
“Hey! It’s not that, um, no, Masaki, I…” she choked, “I…”
“Go on, Sai, I’m listening.” Meguro tightened his arms to lock her there, “Don’t look away like that.”
“... I will be older than you.”
“What? That’s impossible ----”
“Next month, I will be older than you after my birthday.” she leaned forward and tried to hide her face from his sight, “I will be 34 and you are still 33…” forever and ever.
“What are you saying silly Sai?” said Meguro, who was REALLY confused by now, “I am growing older as well, don’t you describe me as some never aging monster! I will be 35 this year, remember that?”
“But…” you died, didn’t you?
“Don’t give me that look, Sai,” Meguro dug his girlfriend out of his chest and kissed her, “we have lived together for years, and you still can’t remember that I am older than you? Silly Sai, we all grow old together, isn’t it?” he grinned, “ and I thought someone insisted that she wants to grow old with me?”
“... Yes.” sure I still want to.
And that was when she woke up at her desk with tears still on her face. She stood up, left the blanket that she didn’t remember using on the chair and went to wash her face.
Just one more month, she will be older than the love of her life forever, and she had to accept it, sooner or later.
Happy birthday, Sai.