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“Ya ain’t gettin’ it! I gotta pick the perfect present for her.”
It was a 24th of October that had gotten the world’s greatest psychic in such distress. I just a few days, it would be her dearest comrade’s birthday and she still hadn’t decided on what to give her.
Her other friends were here to help, of course, but they weren’t much use.
“I’m telling you Megumin, just give her anything and she’ll be over the Moon.”
“Yes, even a rock will delight her as long as you are the one giving it to her.”
“You…”
Her frustration at the rocker's and the gamer’s answers was such that electricity flickered on her body, but she restrained herself. Destroying their bedroom wouldn’t help her, after all.
Her last hope was the informant's and the hacker’s ideas, but that hope would soon be smashed to pieces.
“I recommend giving her the first volume of ‘That Time I Became a Shut-in Despite Being Reborn in a Parallel Universe’. It’s a very deep story, I myself have had some trouble with it at times.”
“That grade school book? She might actually like it. If you really don’t know, just give her chocolate or something. Ruka’s right you know, she’ll like whatever you give.”
“Ya only say that to defend your girl.”
Megumi left the room and began to wander around the base.
On Narby Square, she found Maria and Ichigo playing catchball. Decisively, she approached them.
“A birthday present? Chocolate coins for Sumomo, that’s a given. But if I had to give one to Aoi... I guess would have given her a bracelet.”
Maria put a hand on Ichigo’s shoulder and turned to Megumi.
“It is good manners to give a thoughtful present. You Giapponesi really don’t know anything.”
On the next day, as she was going to the Cafeteria, Adelheid landed next to her.
“I heard you were looking for present ideas! The best present is a shower of attention! Ja, give her your entire focus!”
Another day later, as Maki was about to leave on a mission, she approached Megumi.
“Ya gotta give her someting full o oomph, half assin’ tings ain’t gonna cut it!”
The following day, as she had guessed, Megumi received a piece of advice from Carole.
“You have to be bold and heroic! Don’t put the name Psychic Pink to shame, and even less the name of the Seraphic Heroes!"
All that advice, some better, some worse, had given Megumi food for thought. She pondered and contemplated. She kept agonising about what to choose until, finally, it was the big day.
She had made a decision. Was it the right one? She didn’t know. Was it the best one? Probably not. But it was hers.
That morning, she left a note inviting Tama to come to the studio. She had wasted a lot of paper writing and rewriting it until she was satisfied with the wording. Ruka had suggested to help her but Megumi had refused, she wanted to make something personal.
The wait for Tama had been hell. She had paced back and forth, had adjusted her hair and outfit hundreds of times and repeated to herself what she would say more times than she would admit. But it was worth it.
There was a knock and the door opened, revealing the small former battleship captain.
Megumi took a deep breath. She wasn’t ready, but that didn’t matter. This day wasn’t about her, it was about Tama.
“OI TAMA!!”
“Y-Yes?!”
Megumi lowered herself and opened her arms invitingly.
“Happy birthday, your present is me. Come here. I’ll take you to wherever you want.”
She felt an impact.
Tama had run into her arms.
“Megumi! I’m already where I want!”
Megumi broke into cold sweat. Had she picked wrongly? She summoned all her courage.
“Ya… Ya mean the base?”
Tama giggled slightly.
“I mean in your arms. Thank you Megumi, it’s the bestest present ever!”
Relief washed over her and, at the tip of her tongue, three words burned to escape. But she couldn’t say them. Those three, simple words were…
“I love you.”
She couldn’t believe her ears. And yet she couldn’t deny what she heard. Those three words she didn’t dare to say were instead addressed to her.
Before she could finish processing them, a warm, soft sensation came from her lips.
For some, their first kiss tastes like lemon, for others, it tastes like the tears they unknowingly shed.
A few days later, Tama discovered they had missed Megumi's birthday so they celebrated it late.