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Since he was about ten, Okarun had loved to keep a hanging calendar by his bedroom door. He was gifted the calendar by a distant relative for his birthday as a way ‘to keep him busy.’ The front had a wide-spread visual of a horse in a pasture, with various horses in different settings in the calendar for every month. December had been his favorite with a black stallion in a snowy forest. Since then, he’s pretty much gotten a calendar every year to keep up with school - tests, exams, projects, chores - and it has been very effective in ‘keeping him busy.’
School projects had always been green with instructions in the little note section off to the side. Tests and exams were in a red marker, with thick outlines to press how important that date was and how Okarun had to be prepared for it. Chores were blue because they could be a drag, plus he mainly just used the blue pen to remember that trash day was on Thursday and that he needed to get the bag out to the dumpster on Wednesday or else he’d get scolded by his dad. He used an orange marker for holidays and festivals, decorating them with stars and stickers he found now and then. However, his favorite thing to date in his calendar was birthdays!
He picked out colors similar to the person’s favorite color or if a color reminded him of said person. Okarun would take care of writing down gift ideas in the notes section for that month, eagerly waiting until that day. The gift ideas would be circled, highlighted, and decorated so much that other dates surrounding it merely disappeared in his excitement.
Momo coincidentally had hearts around it, decorated in pinks, reds, and purples with a long list in the notes section. Okarun desperately tried to figure out what to get her for a present. Miss Shiratori had blues, lilacs, and deep purples in beautiful swirls around her birthday date with a silly sticker set he’d gotten from her in passing. Jiji had oranges, reds, and a neon yellow that just felt right for his birthday, a range of silly drawings taking up the sides. He even made a note about maybe getting Evil Eye something as well since no one knew his birthday, but Okarun was saving that for when Jiji’s birthday was a little closer. He didn’t know when Ms. Seiko or Turbo Granny’s birthdays were, but they’d also be here if he did. What color pen would he use for their birthdays?
However, as much as he cared and poured his soul into his friends’ birthdays, carefully planning them out with as much excitement as a kid having tried candy for the first time, the date of his birthday was untouched. There was no cute drawing with a million candles atop a three-tiered cake like on Miss Shiratori’s birthday. There was no pink and purple banner drawn across the box housing the date like on Momo’s birthday. There weren’t any stickers with silly emoji taking up a week’s worth of dates like on Jiji’s. If Okarun even wrote ‘my birthday ,’ it would be a miracle. It was always done with a black-inked pen, scribbled like he couldn't care less… like it didn’t matter.
But it did matter… to him.
His eyes caught sight of the small font sitting beside the digit. His birthday was this week, Wednesday, and nothing had been said to him. It’s not like he’s expecting anything. The last time he got a gift for his birthday was two months late. It was a cheap single-use razor since he was ‘a growing boy’ . But this year… this year, Okarun thought maybe it would be different. He had people who cared about him and might want to celebrate him… Momo’s face flashed in his head, face heating up.
Would she get him something for his birthday? The thought warmed his aching heart. Or would she forget like his parents had every year? And just like that, his heart squeezed painfully, eyes warm as if threatening to cry.
For the last five years, his parents had forgotten his birthday, barely remembering once it had passed. Okarun hadn’t received a good present or a cake from them in maybe eight years. And, of course, being the loner he used to be, no one at school celebrated him, leaving a kid alone on his birthday. He desperately craved this year would be different… if it wasn’t. Okarun pulled his eyes away from the calendar, feeling like he’d been burned, curling in on himself as he moved to face the window above his bed. The moon shone brightly, blindingly so, as he drifted to sleep.
In the blink of an eye, it was morning, a heavy knock on his bedroom door. It felt like he hadn’t slept at all. “Hey, kiddo, get up. Your mother made breakfast!” His dad’s voice called outside his room, “She wants to talk to you about something, but hurry up; we’ve got work early today!”
“Y-Yes, sir!” He called out, scrambling out of bed and hobbling into the kitchen, rubbing his tired eyes. He sat down with a heavy sigh as his mom placed a plate before him - microwaved sausage, cold eggs, and hard toast. It was edible; he would never turn down a meal. He thanked his parents quietly for the meal before digging in.
His mom sat down, not even looking at him, a coffee in one hand and a report from her company in the other. His father was directly across from him, his laptop taking the place of where a plate of food should be. The keys clicking felt grating on his overtired brain, but Okarun kept quiet. His parents worked daily to provide for them; he should be grateful. But… It sure does get lonely with them gone nearly eighty hours every week. Okarun peeked at them quietly as he ate hastily - it had been so long since they’d shared a table. He shyly looked down, a small smile on his face. It felt nice to eat with them again.
“Son, I wanted to tell you about your birthday this year.” His mother jumped in, not even looking up from the report, “We have decent funds this year, so I wanted to know if you’d like anything. We’ll get whatever you want.”
His eyes bugged out of his head, nearly choking on the dry toast. “R-Really?! Are you sure?” Was he losing it? Had he heard them, right? Did they finally want to celebrate him? This was the first time they’d asked him directly about his birthday.
“Of course!” His dad scoffed, closing his laptop and putting it in his bag to take to work with him as he stood up from the table. “Just tell us what you’d like, and we’ll get it for you.”
“Then can I have, um…” For the first time ever, after years of craving something from his parents, he had no idea what he even wanted. He felt put on the spot, desperately wanting anything but not having a clue as to what. “Can I just have a vanilla cake and takoyaki? I don’t have anything in mind other than that…” Okarun shyly concluded, glancing down at his fidgeting fingers, “Is that… okay?”
His parents glanced at each other briefly before nodding. “That’s fine, " his mom assured, standing up to join her husband near the front door. I’ll go ahead and schedule a baker to decorate a cake for you, and I’ll get your dad to grab some takoyaki on the way home from work the night before.”
“Okay!” Okarun cheered with a broad, excited smile, “Thank you so much!” He probably would’ve bowed from his whole-hearted appreciation if he weren't in a chair. A birthday! He was finally going to have a proper birthday!
“You’re welcome, son.” His father nodded, waving to his family before leaving for work, and his mother followed suit shortly after leaving her cup in the sink. And with that, the house was empty once more, but this time, the creeping loneliness felt so far away. A birthday…
Momo noticed a clear shift in Okarun almost immediately upon getting to school. He felt lighter, bubbly, almost as if she knew any better. He was practically on cloud nine, so sweet, polite, and grinning from ear to ear. It was only a Monday, so she wasn’t sure why he was already dialed up to eleven when the week had just started, but damn was it cute. “Oi, Okarun.” She poked his cheek, his head swiveling to look her in the eye. His dark eyes were sparkly as they stared at each other. “What’s got you so excited?” She smiled politely as they walked towards their homeroom class.
“My parents are getting me a birthday cake this year!” He practically squealed out, “And takoyaki! They’ve never gotten me takoyaki!” Okarun was almost bouncing on his feet.
Momo was about to respond with the first thing on her mind , which likely would’ve been a little crass given the statement, but she stopped herself. “What does he mean by them getting him a cake? Does he not get a cake for his birthday?” she found herself thinking. She stuffed the question down before keeping up an easy smile: “Oooo, what presents do you think they’re gonna get you?”
“None.”
Momo was startled more than she’d like to think but tried to hold back her initial reaction as much as she could, “What do you mean by that?”
“They’re not going to get me anything.” Okarun responded, despite the brilliant smile on his face, “If they did, I think it’d be a miracle.”
“Why wouldn’t they get you a present?” She asked before thinking twice about it, mentally smacking herself when he visibly flinched.
“Ah, well…” He shuffled his feet discreetly, obviously uncomfortable, “My parents work a lot, so they forget dates a lot.” He peeked up at her, seeing horror in her eyes. Okarun waved his hands quickly, “I-I forgive them because I’m sure it’s hard to balance hard work and home life! It’s okay! They make up for it… sometimes! But they said they’d get me a cake and takoyaki this year, so they remembered this year!” He was rambling at this point, but the saddened and horrified look in Momo’s eyes was making his heart cramp in pain.
They wouldn’t forget this year, they wouldn’t !
Momo looked away, collecting herself from the rather sad information she’d gathered. She would’ve never guessed he had absent parents - workaholics, she’d bet. Is that why he was so lonely before this debacle happened with Turbo Granny and his missing family jewels? “Oh, we made it to your class, Momo-chan.” He quickly uttered, “I’ll see you at lunch!” Okarun promptly dismissed her, running away to his homeroom class as if he were embarrassed about his rambling. She watched him quietly.
After homeroom, she raced through the halls to find Aira and Jiji as quickly as possible, which was easier said than done since their homeroom classes were as spread out as possible. She rounded Jiji first before dragging him to get Aira. They caught her before her first-period class, the three of them hiding in a broom closet that Momo forced them into. “Ugh! What’s your problem, skank!” Aira growled, raising a fist at her, “You demon woman!”
“Shhh! You're trying to get us caught!” Momo snapped back, “And be quiet momentarily, I need to tell you guys something! It’s about Okarun.”
“Why didn’t you just say so?!” It was like a one-eighty switch, Aira transforming from an angry, vile girl to a sweet girl, fluttering her eyelashes at the mention of her love interest.
Momo fake gagged, rolling her eyes, “It’s about his birthday!”
“Isn’t that this Wednesday?” Jiji interjected, having just been a bystander by this point.
“Yeah, but I… I had a sad talk with him before homeroom.” She fiddled with his fingers, “It seemed like his parents forget his birthday every year because he was super-duper excited over them getting him a cake and takoyaki this year. And he even said he’s not getting any presents at all! He says they often work and forget dates but never spend time with him!”
Aira’s eyebrows furrowed together, “Oh no! You’re not joking, right?”
She shook her head, “He said it himself. But… I think it’d be fun to plan a surprise party for him. It seemed he hadn’t had a birthday party in a long time.”
“If he even had one at all.” Jiji said, silencing the whole group, “He has had a birthday party, right?” No one knew for sure. “Well, we’ll have to make this the best one yet!” He raised his fist, pumping it once to sell the mood.
“Yeah!” Aira grinned, punching her fist into her palm. We’ll get Ms. Seiko in on it, and we'll get him the biggest, best cake ever !”
“And I have some extra cash to get him some presents!” Momo cheered with them.
The supply closet suddenly opened, and a disgruntled school janitor paused upon seeing them. The three teenagers tensed up before squeezing past the janitor, passing apologies to them before racing to their first-period class, not realizing that they’d spent too much time in that closet.
Operation: Give Okarun the Best Birthday Ever!
Monday came and went as quickly as it had started. An exhausted Okarun crashed the minute he saw his bed. When he got home, he took a two-and-a-half-hour nap to recharge himself. When he awoke, he went to the kitchen, where the stovetop clock read 5:49 pm. His parents wouldn’t be home till maybe after one in the morning if it were a rough night in their offices or if they even came home. His dad was notorious for falling asleep at his cubicle and staying there until the next work day, returning home after midnight. His mom likely never slept - sometimes, he joked with her that she was a vampire; she did not find it funny. She always came home, though, even if it was late, and she only managed to get an hour of sleep. It made him feel a little better.
But sometimes, he wished they would be home by five to share a meal at six, giving each other well wishes and talking about their days over a warm meal. That hadn’t been the case since he was little. How little, he couldn’t remember anymore. If anything, Okarun had shared more meals with his friends at Ms. Seiko’s place than at home. His heart clenched similarly as it had done throughout the day, but with the loneliness clouding his room, it held more presence in his mind. The only thing that eased it was the thought of a beautiful birthday cake and takoyaki.
They wouldn’t forget.
Tuesday came and went with no hiccups. He saw his mom get home at about two in the morning when he got up for a glass of water. She told him goodnight and went to bed. She was gone before Okarun even got up for school. His dad had been nowhere to be seen that night or morning. A quick message got no reply back. It seemed he was on his own again. It didn’t damper his mood, though, as Wednesday was vastly approaching, and he could barely contain his excitement, buzzing and bouncing everywhere.
His friends, though, were acting a little odd. He never saw the three in the same place; at least one or two were always gone. He wouldn’t say they avoided him because that would be strange and out of character. He caught Momo and Jiji whispering to each other a few times while Aira was asking him weird questions for her baking class, like what cake flavor she should make for their test this Friday and if he had any recommendations. Since vanilla cakes are superior, he told him so. She quickly wrote it down, asking him how she should decorate it. Okarun always found plain cakes with simple writing to be very cute, and Aira seemed curious, and in need of help, so he didn’t mind telling her.
Jiji expressed concern over a little party in his homeroom class at lunch. The teacher’s birthday was later this month, and they asked the homeroom class if they’d celebrate it for him by decorating the classroom with banners and whatnot. Jiji had been voted to make the banner, but the poor guy said he couldn’t figure out what it should say or what font the lettering should be, hell even the color of the banner was giving him trouble. Not one to let his friends suffer, Okarun helped him plan the banner with a simple drawing and showed him a cute font many businesses used for banners. Jiji seemed pleased, so Okarun was sure their homeroom teacher would have a great birthday with him on the case.
On the way home from school, Momo kept shoving her phone in his face, showing him all sorts of things on this shopping website to show what was in a mall. She’d been saving up some extra cash for trinkets and things to decorate her room with but was having difficulty choosing anything. She commented that she’d wanted some alien stuff for her room, so Okarun had to tell her about all the cool stuff he’d seen when he’d done the same for his room. He even went on to show her some of the limited edition stuff he’d wanted for a year, but he hadn’t had the funds to get it himself. He may or may not have ranted about aliens and their coolness, but that’s beside the point.
It was Tuesday night, 8:24 pm, three and a half hours before Wednesday, his birthday. He was so anxiously excited he couldn’t fall asleep. He was grinning ear to ear, practically rolling in his bed. His parents still weren’t home from work, not that he was listening for the door to open. They’d be home and have a cake and takoyaki waiting for him when he woke up. He was sure of it. Or maybe they’d surprise him at school with it to eat at lunch? That would be so cool! He could even share some cake with his friends.
Okarun snuggled deeper into his covers, desperately trying to go to bed - just because it was his birthday tomorrow didn’t mean he could skimp out on school. He had to be well-rested for it. Knowing he needed his sleep, Okarun couldn’t turn off his brain. Years of being forgotten by his parents on the one day that was to celebrate him was finally about to stop. Half-hearted apologies about forgetting was behind him. He was going to have vanilla cake with takoyaki!
Vanilla cake. Takoyaki. Sweet, sweet vanilla cake with takoyaki on the side. Should he indulge in the takoyaki first or the cake? Usually, the cake is eaten last so that he will go for that. He will savor and smile with every bite. Should he take a photo of the cake to show his friends? Momo might get jealous if he doesn’t share some with her. Vanilla cake. Takoyaki. Okarun is finally getting his vanilla cake and takoyaki.
He woke with a start, his alarm blaring near his ear. Okarun jumped out of bed, rushing to his closet to dress for school, excitedly tripping over everything littering his floors. Would his parents decorate the kitchen as well? Would the birthday candles be lit already, or are they waiting for him to wake up? Would they sing ‘Happy Birthday’ to him like they used to do when he was young? Wouldn’t it be silly if they bought those cheap party hats to go on his head? Okarun made a giddy noise as he struggled to tug on a sock, his shoes following suit. Finally dressed, Okarun dashed into the kitchen, practically gasping for breath. He clawed at the walls to propel him forward before rounding around the doorway into the kitchen, a giddy laugh in his throat. But that’s when he paused.
There was nothing . No balloons. No banners. No parents.
He tried not to be disappointed, desperately trying to find a reason why there was nothing here that screamed birthday. Didn’t his mom say she’d get Dad to pick up the takoyaki on his way home last night? Did he even come home last night? Okarun moved to open the fridge, thinking that maybe, just maybe , the takoyaki was just waiting to be cooked later tonight. There was nothing in the refrigerator. There wasn’t even a cake in there. He fiddled with his fingers, eyes wet with emotion. Maybe… they were out in town getting it now? Or perhaps they were saving it for dinner?
Okarun went back to his room to reach for his phone, thinking that his parents might’ve left him a message about their whereabouts. He clicked open his messaging app, seeing that the group chat he shared with his mom and dad had some new messages ranging from last night, well after he’d fallen asleep, to this morning.
Dad: “I’m sorry I didn’t get home last night; the boss wants these projects done by tomorrow night. I’ll likely be here until then.”
Mom: “Please eat when you can, dear. The report got pushed back. I guess the higher-ups were unhappy with its presentation and wanted a new report done by tonight.”
Dad: “You worked so hard on that report, too.”
Mom: “Yes, it’s unfortunate, but it’s the business.”
Mom: “Son, please find yourself some breakfast before school and be careful getting home. We won’t be there when you get home.”
Dad: “Thank you for being reliable and independent, son.”
Okarun’s bottom lip wobbled, eyes watering as his teeth sunk into his cheek, trying to quell the terrible feeling in his chest. It’s happening again. His hands sped across the keyboard, anger pooling in his fingertips as he typed out a spiteful, aggressive message. How dare they do this to him again ?! Did they forget? Or did they remember but chose work over him again ?! Tears finally ran down his face, and Okarun did nothing to wipe them away. The message got longer and longer, the worse he felt. It came to a head when he’d reached the max characters for that message box, an overwhelming feeling to send the message fueling him. His thumb hovered over the send button, but he stopped himself with a quiet shake of his shoulders.
He deleted the message and simply said, “What about the vanilla cake and takoyaki?” The message pinged back almost immediately, fueling him with hopeful desire.
Mom: “Sorry, son, we’ll make it up to you another day. Work is too hectic for a cake right now. Dad could send you money to order a pizza if you want.”
Okarun hiccuped quietly: “Forget it.”
He threw his phone away, falling heavily onto his bed. He pushed his hands into his eyes as he sobbed quietly, his shoulders shaking violently as he cried. Why did he think this birthday would be any different? Every year is the same. Broken promises, hopeful wants and desires, crushed dreams, and broken hearts. Why does he tolerate this? Why don’t his parents want to celebrate him like they celebrate their work achievements? Is he not good enough or worthy enough?
Okarun sobbed louder, practically pulling his hair out. He glanced up through his tears, seeing that stupid calendar just taunting him from across the room. He stormed up to it, ripping it off the wall and tearing it in half in his anger. He took the page his birthday was on and tore it to pieces until there was nothing left, all the while sobbing his heart out. In the end, only ruins were in his hands, making him cry harder. He loved that calendar; why would he do that? Why don’t his parents love him like they used to? Why do they choose work instead of him? Why do they make time for work and their bosses and coworkers but not him?
He got up from the floor, his head aching painfully. He’s not going to school, not today… He’ll just get in trouble with his dad instead. Maybe then they’d pay attention to him. Okarun sniffled quietly, climbing back into his bed with a whimper. “Happy birthday to me…” He whispered out loud, shivering underneath the blankets as the morning passed.
“Happy birthday, Okarun!” Momo loudly yelled out, Aira and Jiji standing behind her, enthusiastically jumping out. The classroom before them fell quiet as they stared at the three people.
“Takakura-kun is not here.” Rin, the class representative, responded cooly, fixing her glasses.
The three paused, glancing around Okarun’s homeroom class. “What do you mean he’s not here?” Aira voiced quietly, desperately searching, clutching a small present.
“He didn’t show up for attendance, and no one’s seen him today.” Rin continued, shrugging, “He could be sick or, if it is his birthday like you all just shouted, then maybe his parents pulled him out for the day to celebrate. A lot of other students do the same.”
Jiji furrowed his eyebrows, “He’s not one to not show up to school. Maybe he is sick…?”
“No, he isn’t, he would’ve told me!” Momo expressed her concern before quietly collecting her thoughts.
Aira jabbed Momo’s side painfully, getting a dirty look from her. “Maybe you were too paranoid about his parents’ not celebrating his birthday, and you got us all worried for nothing !”
“Ow! Skank!” She hissed out, ready to throw hands with her immediately, “I’m not being paranoid !”
“You sure look like it!”
“ Skank !”
“You’re the skank! Skank!”
“You’re just stealing my words!”
“I am not ! I'm pretty sure I used skank against you first when we met, so you’re the real skank!”
Jiji stepped between them when he’d finally had enough, “Ooookaaaaay, I think that’s enough, guys. Why don’t we just call him to check on him?” He ushered the two of them back into the hallway so they wouldn’t get an earful from the class rep about disrupting their homeroom class.
Momo immediately pulled out her phone and dialed his number quickly. They all waited around her quietly as it continued to ring and ring with no answer. She did it once more and then a third and fourth time , just in case. Aira did so as well, going for six calls instead because “He probably likes me better than you, skank!” He did not answer as well. Jiji tried twice before the bell rang, signaling students to go to their first-period class.
“Let’s meet in the courtyard after class and try him again, okay?” Momo insisted as they all parted ways, intent on getting a hold of their good friend.
The first period came and went, and even with another eleven calls between the three friends, Okarun would not answer them. By now, they were so worried that the trio decided to ditch school altogether, head to his place, and get him out of his house to celebrate his birthday. Momo called ahead to her grandma, letting her and Turbo Granny go ahead and bring out all of the party stuff cause they were going to be showing up earlier rather than after school like they had all planned originally. The trio made it to Okarun’s residency quickly.
They waited on the porch after ringing the doorbell. “You think he’s pooping?” Momo tried to joke when no one came to the door after the first two tries at the doorbell. Only Jiji seemed to laugh at that.
Aira tried the doorknob and then the doorbell a few times, “Ken Takakura!” Her voice was loud, desperate to hear from him.
Momo stepped back, staring at the two-story house before following her gut instinct. With her powers, she pulled herself up to the second floor, using the first-floor roof underneath a window to stabilize herself as she peaked into a window. It was Okarun’s bedroom window, and he was lying in bed with the covers over his head, practically shaking. Maybe he was sick. Momo reached out and knocked on his window. The teen startled at the noise, whipping her head up to the window to stare. And Momo’s heart broke.
His eyes were red and swollen with tears, and snot was smearing his face. “Okarun?” She whispered out, tilting her head, “What’s wrong?” It seemed like that was the wrong thing to say because he merely just sobbed louder, sitting on his knees to open the window and allow her in. She was practically tugged on his bed with him, his shaking arms wrapping around her waist. Momo was quiet as she allowed him to cry his heart out, stroking his hair soothingly. It was a little while before he calmed down and pulled away with a quiet apology. “It’s okay, Okarun.” She patted his head sweetly, “We were worried about you.”
“We?” He choked out.
“Yeah, Jiji and Aira.” She smiled widely. “We were all waiting for you to show up at school, so when you didn’t show up, of course, we’d be worried. They’re waiting for you at your front door, and Grandma and Turbo Granny are waiting for you at my place.”
“Why are you all waiting on me?” He sniffled, wiping his tears away.
“Because it’s your birthday, silly!” Momo poked his forehead with a warm look in her eyes, “Happy birthday, Okarun!”
His eyes welled with tears, ones that he tried to desperately will down, but they overflowed, spilling down his cheeks in quick succession. Okarun scrubbed his face vigorously, desperate to stop the tears, but they kept coming and coming. Momo reached out and held him again until he calmed down. “Thank you… Thank you, Momo-chan…” He mumbled out, holding her tighter, his whole body shaking.
“You’re welcome, Okarun.” She pulled away first, “Now, come on! Get out of bed! We have something to show you!”
“What is it?”
“It’s a surprise, silly!” Momo flicked his forehead, “I can’t tell you, obviously.”
He sheepishly smiled, sniffling quietly, “Okay… I’ll meet you downstairs. Just give me a second…”
“Okie-dokie!” She grinned, moving about his house like she’d been here before. Momo moved to open the front door for Jiji and Aira, allowing them inside while they all waited on Okarun.
“What took you so long? You weren’t macking on my man, were you?!” Aira accused, poking Momo in the chest.
“Stupid skank!”
“That's all you got today!”
“Guys, please!” Jiji tried, waving his hands sporadically before them, “We’re guests in Takakura’s home; we should behave ourselves.”
“Jiji’s right. Momo, you should do better when you’re a guest.” Aira quickly dismissed her behavior, blaming it all on the other girl.
“You’re insufferable…”
Movement at the top of the stairs stopped their conversation for now. Okarun looked sheepishly down at them, pushing a strand of hair behind his ear. “Okay… I’m ready…” He was quiet today, they all noticed, his shifty eyes and tense body.
“Well, let's move,” Momo instructed the group, the three following her out of Okarun’s house. He was quick to lock it behind himself.
That’s when Jiji and Aira pounced on Okarun, “Happy birthday!”
He flushed pink, immediately shy and shaky, “T-Thank you…” He choked on his words, eyes finding Momo from where he was being squashed, only her eyes knowing what transpired in his bedroom. Jiji and Aira gushed over him, excitedly talking in his ear, but he was tuned into Momo. A vulnerable moment had been shared between them, one that he was not quick to forget. “Thank you for birthday wishes…” He tried not to feel emotional at his own words as they walked down the road.
The rest of the trip to Momo’s place was full of excited chatter, with everyone trying to cheer Okarun up as much as possible. The closer they got, the faster everyone was urging Okarun to pick up the pace. Whatever surprise they had for him was making them all giddy and excited. He was even starting to feel the energy shift, and it was making him feel better to be surrounded by people who cared about him.
“Ah, home sweet home!” Momo cheered, linking her arms with Okarun, practically dragging him inside while Jiji dashed ahead of the group, Aira following quickly behind him. The two disappeared into the building before Mom and Okarun had even made it halfway across the courtyard.
“Thank you for checking up on me…” Okarun found his voice after being relatively quiet on the way there.
“Of course, we’re friends!” She cheered with a bashful smile, leading him to the front door. She stepped behind him discreetly so he could open the door instead.
“Still, though, I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart.” He smiled shyly as he opened the door and stepped in.
“ SURPRISE !!!” Several voices called out to him, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!” They cheered for him loudly, party poppers flashing through the air with their signature pop sound. Momo pushed him inside fully as he was utterly frozen, shutting the door behind them.
It was a surprise birthday party for him. He… He’s having a birthday party. His eyes drifted over everything in his shock. There was takoyaki sitting in a big heap on the table Ms. Seiko had likely set up. On a pristine large platter was a two-tier plain vanilla cake with simple writing on the top that said ‘Happy Birthday Okarun .’ A banner was stretched across two boards with the same writing and in a font similar to the one he’d told Jiji about. In the corner of the room were several presents. And it was for him. Vanilla cake. Takoyaki. A banner and presents. It’s his birthday, and he’s having a party.
He fell to his knees, curling in on himself, and just wailed. He couldn’t help it. Years and years of being forgotten, never celebrated, never cared for, and his friends did such a beautiful and incredible thing ever. “T-Thank y-y-you!!! Thank you !!” Okarun cried loudly, “Thank you, thank you, thank you….” Momo fell beside him, hugging him tightly. “You didn’t f-forget…” He rumbled out as Jiji joined in the hug, “Thank y-you for remembering me…” Aira took up the front, the three huddling around him in a tight hug. “T-Thank you for c-caring about me!”
He had never felt more loved than in this moment.
Ms. Seiko tapped her tongs together to grab the group's attention, “Alright, birthday boy, get off the floor and come get the first slice of cake and a plate of takoyaki. Eat your fill today, as this is all for you, okay?”
“Yeah, come on, Takakura!” Jiji’s bashful smile warmed Okarun’s heart . “The takoyaki is fresh and smells so good, so you gotta have the first plate so we can eat too!”
Aira tugged Okarun up and onto his feet. “Yeah, and I want you to try the cake Ms. Seiko and I made for you! I’m sure you’ll just love it!”
“And I got you lots of presents!” Momo cheered, her face so close to his. You gotta eat so you can open your presents! I want to see your reaction!”
Okarun wiped his tears one last time, “Okay! Okay, I will! I would like a massive piece of cake, please! A-And four takoyaki!”
“And don’t forget your party hat!” Turbo Granny interjected, pulling out those cheap hats and passing them out to everyone.
Momo put it on for him, "Birthday boys aren’t allowed to lift a finger, right?”
He nodded with a giant smile on his face. “Thank you. Thank you all so much… from the bottom of my heart. I… I can’t begin to thank you enough…”
“You can thank us by sitting down and enjoying your cake and takoyaki and preparing to open some presents.” Ms. Seiko nodded toward the table. “Only once you’ve enjoyed yourself can your thank-yous mean something.”
“Yes, ma’am!” Okarun sat down at the table with a large grin. Jiji brought him a large slice of cake while Momo reached to make a plate of takoyaki for him. Aira rounded out by getting the presents as close as humanly possible. He had never felt so happy in his entire life. And to think, all he needed was his friends. “Thank you for the meal!” He cheered delightfully as he dug in.
Mom: “Oh, son, I’m sorry, I forgot it was your birthday. Could we reschedule for next week? Your father and I have some extra work to complete before the week is up?”