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November 20th
The chilling wind on a bright hot day swept through the inside of a humble little shop kept by a wise lady and her young son. The weather was perfectly balanced between breezy and warm that afternoon, which tingled Leona's senses with satisfaction as she continued to cook for the few customers who had come to her small restaurant. One of them was a recent visitor from a few days ago, coming in regularly to chat with Leona as he enjoys a warm bowl of noodles in a meaty stew.
"We all had a rough restart after the war. But it's refreshing to come back to the town after a while and see other veterans pulling through together." The visitor reported "I get to find other familiar faces too. It's great to see some of my comrades alive and strong, and it really means a lot to know that you've been helping them get back at their feet."
Leona smirked at the sincere compliment of the veteran "Thank you for the kind words, although I don't think that was all me. The citizens here have always been determined and eager, I just wanted to help them the way I can."
"Hahah… you're too humble!" the veteran friendly chuckled, his worn off cracked voice echoing through the walls "I've heard from many people that things weren't the same until you and Jun started helping the community. You deserve to take a bit of that pride to yourself too."
The lady let out a kind smile as she continued to cut the veggies and proceeded to put them in the boiling water. The visiting veteran continued his talk.
"Speaking of Jun… I believe her birthday is coming soon, isn't it?"
Leona turned around to look at the visitor, visibly surprised. "Oh… is it really?"
"What day is it? Uh… the 20th? If so, yeah, her birthday is roughly in 3 days if I'm not mistaken."
Leona was then immediately reminded that this wasn't any veteran she knew. When they first saw each other, Jun swore that she recognized that man from somewhere, and she was right. He was one of Jun's comrades during the war and they had been friends since their time in the military. It caught Leona by surprise that he probably knew things about Jun that she didn't know.
"I… I wasn't aware." Leona admitted, slightly ashamed "Jun never told me her birthday."
"Really?" The veteran raised an eyebrow "Well… maybe she could have also forgotten, or something…"
"But if her birthday really is coming, I think it feels right to celebrate it. I would have done it before if I knew about it."
The veteran laughed "So you're thinking about throwing her a party too? Heh, I'll be glad to help, I wanted to show my appreciation for having her as a comrade before I leave this town."
"Party?" A distracted little Bao raises his head from his tall seat to pay attention to the conversation of the adults. Leona approached smiling, and patted the little boy's head.
"Yes, Bao. What do you think of making a party for Jun to celebrate her birthday?"
"Jun's birthday? Yes!" He cheerfully replied, raising his tiny hands for his mom, as she gently picked him up to put him back on the floor."
She looks back at the old visitor "It's good to start preparations soon. Also, maybe we can make it a surprise. She will probably be out by day and come back at night, as she usually does."
"A surprise party is a good one… but you don't have to worry too much about preparations. Jun doesn't like receiving much attention, so I think she will be satisfied with a cozy celebration with a few friends rather than anything big."
Leona agreed "Yes, I also think that's true. It will be fun regardless."
The first birthday party Jun has in years… How would she react?
November 23rd
"Are you sure you don't wanna sit down and rest a bit?" Sam called "We've been walking non-stop, you look tired."
The pink haired girl kept her pace, holding her countless bags of medical supplies.
"I'm okay." Jun exhales "And we're almost there…"
Sam chuckled "You are quite determined today aren'tcha? Almost like you're in a rush. Is there something going on?"
Jun didn't know how to answer that question. It was just a regular day of work for her. But something felt odd. It was like a gut feeling that something was waiting for her when she got back, expecting her… the mysterious feeling kept her excited.
"...No, I don't believe there's anything." Jun shook her head "Let's continue moving."
As they headed back to the clinic, Jun right away noticed something different as she spotted Leona's restaurant beside it. The banners covering the entrance were replaced by a red and pretty curtain, which were also present at the other entrance. Jun couldn't see through the curtains, but there was a warm lightning from inside the establishment. Jun's curiosity grew bigger.
"Hey, there's something different about the restaurant today…" Sam pointed out, also clueless.
"That's odd." Jun commented.
They first headed to the clinic to put their stuff back at the right place. Then they cautiously walked back at the front of the entrance. The gut feeling was much stronger than before.
"Shall we come in?" Sam questioned, slightly worried.
But Jun didn't answer. She only walked forward and pushed her way through the curtains. Her head pops through as she enters the little restaurant, and her senses are immediately filled with the smell of tasty food, treats, and cake.
"Happy birthday!"
Jun is caught off guard immediately by Leona, Bao and the veteran's warm surprise greeting. She then right away saw the food at the counter, two bottles of wine, and a cake, as Leona stood by the other side of the counter. She looks around and sees Bao sitting at a chair, and the familiar war veteran approaching her.
"Hahahah! Good ol' Jun getting older! Happy birthday!" The old veteran approaches Jun and startles her with a big hug, lifting her up and then gently putting her down.
"...Clark! You're here too…!" Jun smiled in shock and joy. The pink haired girl embraces his back with one arm. "Thank you!"
Clark lets out a loud friendly chuckle. Sam's curious head also pops through the curtain.
"Jun! It's your birthday?" Sam asks, surprised "You didn't tell me!"
"I-I don't think I've told anyone… To be honest, I kind of forgot after all this time…" Jun scratches the back of her head, embarrassed.
Leona comes closer, holding two glasses of wine.
"Clark was the one who told me that your birthday was coming up. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't know either." Leona comes closer to Jun, landing a soft kiss on her forehead before handing her a glass of wine "So happy birthday~"
Jun picks up the glass of wine while flustered, but with a dumb smile on her face. "Thank you Leo…"
"Well, what are ya waiting for?" Clark cheered "We prepared this all for you. Night is only starting! Get in here~!"
Jun and Sam come into the cozy restaurant, the air seasoned with different smells and flavors, each person except little Bao having a glass of wine, spending their time drinking, eating and chatting. Jun couldn't feel more comfortable being in the presence of friends, happy for cheering another year in her life after a long time. Warm memories of the past came to her head, but right now, she felt like this current moment was going to be the warmest one in her mind for a long time.
…Later
The night was silent and peaceful. The only sound that could be heard from outside was of an insistent chirping cricket. Inside the restaurant, the lights had dimmed a little, soft and still pleasantly warm to the sight. Jun was head down on the counter, looking completely passed out. Leona had just finished tidying up the restaurant, and she sat down next to Jun to finish her glass of wine. Sam was sitting with Bao on his lap, babysitting the little tired kid, and the veteran Clark was standing against the wall, quietly looking at Jun, watching her rest.
"Mom…" Bao called, sleepy "...when are you gonna stop drinking?"
"Don't worry Bao." She softly replied "I'll be done here soon, and we'll head home."
Clark chuckled "Leona can handle drinking more than anyone here… while Jun has completely shut down."
Leona let out a quiet laugh "Oh come on… I'm also a little tipsy too. Jun does not often drink this much though."
She starts caressing the pink fluff on Jun's head, softly brushing her fingers through her hair as the sleepy lady stood still.
"Glad to see her happy like this." Clark commented "I'm sure she went through a difficult time right after the war."
"Jun is a fighter." Leona replied "She fought to get her life back, and she did it well."
Clark caressed his beard with his hand, lost in memories "I was worried that things would be a lot harder for her since that one incident that forced her to leave her duties. War is rough, but the aftermath is still… difficult."
Leona didn't reply, but she nodded.
"After the war I also had a difficult time." He continued "...But it didn't take long for me to get back at my feet. I had some people waiting for me when I got back. But we all lost something during the war… that's why there's no winning in it. We all end up losing something. Losing our comrades, our friends, our home, our humanity… losing ourselves… and some of us lose it more than others."
Clark sighed.
Leona looked at the worn off veteran, and then at Jun. She will never know what it feels to be at war and to survive one. But she understands the feeling of loss, of losing hope, a life of emptiness and loneliness.
"I've heard many tales of veterans in this town. They're always so different, but so similar at the same time. The feelings shared between each one of them ends up being mutual." Leona commented.
The veteran lifts his head up to face Leona, suddenly curious to what she has to say.
"I think no matter how much they have lost, inside, they all wish to live a normal life again. Jun is no different. I know she went through so much, and because of it, used to be very stubborn. But she still deserved better, like all the other veterans in this city."
Clark approached Jun and Leona to sit down next to them. "...And so you didn't give up on her."
"I wouldn't give up on anyone." Leona softly said "As much life can be cruel, everyone deserves happiness. If no one would help her achieve that happiness, then I would, whatever it could cost."
The veteran warmly smiled. "Jun is very lucky to have you."
"And I'm very lucky to have her. I'm lucky to see how far she has come. She is strong, gorgeous, skilled and very loving..." She bows to kiss Jun's fluffy head. "I'll be happy if she is happy."
"Hah… I guess you two were meant to be together, huh?"
The chilling breeze of the night remained, as the inside of the familiar restaurant stayed warm and cozy. The pink haired girl kept still, but there was a comfortable smirk hidden behind her arms where her head rested. She could feel the soft hand caress her head… and her sneaky ears paid attention to the conversation over her.
Maybe she wasn't as passed out as they thought…