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“Happy birthday, Yusuke!”
As soon as he stepped into Leblanc, his friends jumped into view with party poppers, bathing him, and Ren, who was holding his hand, in confetti. Blinking in surprise, he took the scene in front of him. The store was decorated with balloons and a banner that said, “Happy birthday”. Sojiro-san was behind the counter, but there were no customers, meaning the store was reserved to celebrate him and only him .
“You guys…” His voice wavered. He was at a loss for words—overwhelmed with emotion. Weren’t they supposed to step into Leblanc only to see the same frequent customers and get a warning from Sojiro-san, telling them to not get too loud with their little get-together in the attic?
Bouncing on her heels, Futaba came to the door and tugged at his free arm. “Come inside before you two freeze!”
Ren squeezed his hand and took a step forward, prompting Yusuke to do the same. He couldn’t simply stand at the door until the surprise wore off.
Everyone buzzed with energy while Ren and Yusuke took off their scarves and gloves. Makoto grabbed an extra chair so they could all sit at the same booth, even though it always got cramped whenever they sat together. Ann put on some pleasant music as background noise, and Sojiro-san called Ren over to help him in the kitchen. The lively atmosphere was a great contrast to the cold and snowy outside world.
“Man, your face was priceless!” Ryuji joked. “How does it feel to be one year older?” Taking a seat at one of the booths, he patted the empty space as an invitation.
Still overwhelmed, Yusuke cleared his throat and, as he took a seat next to Ryuji, he said, “I feel the same as ever. I'm overjoyed to spend this day with all of you, but I don't feel any different about my age.” It seemed that wasn't the answer Ryuji expected, as he sighed and slumped his shoulders, though he quickly regained his cheerful attitude. “Thank you for…” Pausing for a second, he took another look around the store. “All of this. You didn't have to organize a surprise party or anything.”
“But isn't it nice?” Haru asked with a gentle smile and Morgana on her lap.
“It is very nice, indeed. Thank you, again, from the bottom of my heart.” His heart felt warm and fuzzy. It was the first time he ever had a surprise birthday party—actually, it was the first time he had a birthday party at all.
Back when the atelier was full of many kids' hopes and dreams, Madarame didn't make a big deal out of birthdays as he taught them to live a humble life, though that didn't stop his students from celebrating in their own ways. Yusuke never had a party, but the older students put together whatever money they had and brought a small cake to celebrate during the evening. There weren't any decorations or gifts aside from a few paints and pencils—courtesy of their teacher, who wanted to encourage them to keep making art for his own gain—but Yusuke kept those memories close to his heart. Perhaps it wasn't an ideal celebration, but he still treasured those days.
Sadly, those days came to an abrupt end. The laughter disappeared, taking with it the warmth shared between students and left cold, lifeless rooms behind.
Then, the previous year, the Phantom Thieves had been busy, and besides, he wasn't in the mood to celebrate. Not when his beloved, their leader, was far away, locked up because he had chosen to protect his friends.
But enough of that! Today he was sitting inside Leblanc, safe and warm while surrounded by people he loved and that loved him back, and that's what truly mattered.
“Sojiro, Ren! Hurry up, I hunger!” Futaba complained. “Knowing Inari, he must be hungry too!”
“Yeah, coming right up. Just give us a minute!” Ren said, poking his head from the kitchen for a second before going back to helping in the kitchen. Guess serving food to a bunch of hungry teens wasn't easy work.
“Need help?” Standing from her seat, Makoto walked over to the kitchen and took a peek at how Sojiro and Ren worked in the small space. Despite not working together in a long time, they still could navigate the space without bumping into each other.
“Don't worry, young lady. We got this.” Sojiro stepped out of the kitchen, holding various plates at a time and setting them down at the table with ease.
Ren was quick to follow with the remaining plates. One was different; it was specially made for Morgana to enjoy. Placing the plate with the biggest portion in front of Yusuke, Ren gave the birthday boy a playful wink, making him chuckle. He knew very well that his boyfriend was a very hungry boy, and Yusuke appreciated the extra food.
“Make sure you can still eat after this!” Ann said, leaning across the table. “We still have to cut the cake!”
“Well, if they’re too full to eat cake… More for us, then!” Ren said as he took a seat next to Yusuke, making Ann giggle. If not supervised, those two and their sweet teeth could definitely eat more than half of the cake by themselves.
Fixing her glasses, Futaba teased, “Would you really eat the cake that is meant for your darling Yusuke?”
Ren fell silent as a bright blush crept up his cheeks. He opened his mouth to speak—try to defend himself—but no words came out, making him look like a fish out of the water. After another beat of silence, where Ren closed his mouth and stared down at his lap, everyone burst out laughing, clutching their stomachs while doubling over. Even Sojiro was chuckling from the other side of the counter, though he covered his mouth in a poor attempt to hide it.
Wiping tears of laughter, Yusuke leaned into Ren's shoulder. The party had barely started, and it already was more lively than any other birthday he had experienced in his life. For the first time in his life, he was celebrating surrounded by friends, and warmth, all while Sayuri’s gentle eyes watched from her spot on the wall—watched her son grow up. There was no looming fear of being caught and reprimanded, no need to keep their voices quiet or huddle for warmth.
As he took a quick look around the shop, Yusuke realized how grateful he was for being born and being able to celebrate another year of life.
[...]