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The morning sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains of Natsuki Subaru’s dorm room. The young man woke up instantly, a broad smile lighting up his face. He glanced at the small calendar on his desk. April 1st was circled in bright red marker. Today was his birthday.
Subaru quickly got out of bed, grabbed a towel, and got ready with great enthusiasm. While brushing his teeth, he stared at the mirror and imagined what kind of surprise he would receive today. All this time, Subaru had always been the first and most enthusiastic person to organize his friends’ birthdays. When Garfiel had his birthday last October, Subaru willingly chipped in to rent out an entire café. When Otto had his birthday last month, Subaru stayed up all night to make a compilation video of birthday wishes. Even when it was Felt’s birthday, Subaru went so far as to wear a silly costume just to entertain that tomboy girl.
“They are definitely going to give me a crazy surprise today,” Subaru muttered as he combed his black hair. He checked his phone. Not a single message had come in yet. Not from Garfiel, not from Otto, not even from Emilia, his own girlfriend.
Subaru chuckled softly. “Ah, classic. They’re definitely pretending to forget on purpose so they can surprise me on campus later. Pretending not to care, then suddenly showing up with a huge cake. I know your tactics by heart, guys!”
With a cheerful stride, Subaru walked toward campus. The morning air felt incredibly fresh. Upon reaching the campus gate, he saw Garfiel and Otto hanging out near the faculty bulletin board. Subaru immediately jogged over to them, arms outstretched, ready to receive a hug or a greeting.
“Hey! Good morning, guys!” Subaru greeted them loudly, drawing their attention.
Garfiel turned with a wide grin. “Ah, here comes our captain! Hold him back, bro!”
Before Subaru could process Garfiel’s words, suddenly from the tree near them, Felt jumped down carrying a plastic bucket.
SPLASH!
White flour mixed with water spilled instantly, drenching Subaru’s entire body from head to toe. Subaru froze. His vision went white.
“BWAHAHAHAHA! Gotcha, Captain!” Garfiel laughed so hard he had to hold his stomach.
Felt joined in the laughter, satisfied, as she tossed the empty bucket onto the grass. “Take that, big bro! That’s what you get for walking around smiling to yourself like some weirdo. You got pranked!”
Otto, standing beside them, just scratched the back of his head awkwardly, but couldn’t hide his amused smile. “Natsuki-san, I’m sorry... but Garfiel’s idea was pretty funny, you know. Don’t be mad, okay?”
Subaru wiped the flour paste off his sticky face. His heart was beating a little faster. He waited for Garfiel or Otto to pull a cake out from behind their backs. He waited for Felt to shout, “Happy Birthday!” But that shout never came.
“Happy April Fools’ Day, Big Bro!” Felt exclaimed gleefully. “I won this year! You were totally surprised just now, weren’t you?”
Subaru’s chest suddenly felt like it had been pricked by a tiny needle. April Fools’ Day. That’s right. Today is April 1st. The day when everyone all over the world tells lies and plays pranks on each other. They hadn’t prepared a birthday surprise. They were just pranking him purely because it was an April Fools’ tradition.
However, instead of showing his disappointment, Subaru forced out the loudest laugh. “WAHAHAHA! You guys are crazy! Damn it, first thing in the morning and I’m already being treated like food! You’re so mean, Garf, Felt! Just you wait, I’ll get you back later!”
“Go ahead and try, Captain!” Garfiel challenged, gently punching Subaru’s flour-covered arm.
“Just go to the bathroom and change your clothes, bro. You smell like fishy dough,” Felt teased, sticking out her tongue.
Subaru laughed and gave a thumbs-up. “Alright, alright. You guys win today. Just wait for my payback!"
Subaru turned and walked toward the campus restroom. The smile on his face slowly faded as his steps grew heavier. Inside the stall, he turned on the faucet and began washing the sticky batter off his hair and face. He stared at his reflection in the mirror. His eyes looked a little dull.
“It’s okay, Subaru,” he whispered to himself. “They’re just busy. It’s only natural they’d forget. Besides, it’s April Fools’ Day—their minds are probably just focused on pranking people. They’re my good friends; I shouldn’t get upset over something like this.”
After managing to clean himself up—though his shirt was still a bit damp and stained—Subaru headed back to his classroom. In the hallway, he ran into Reinhard. The red-haired young man always looked impeccable in his neat clothes.
“Good morning, Subaru,” Reinhard greeted him with his polite, reassuring smile.
Subaru’s eyes lit up for a moment. Reinhard always remembered the little details. Maybe Reinhard remembered his birthday?
“Morning, Reinhard! It’s rare to see you alone,” Subaru teased.
Reinhard chuckled softly, noticing Subaru’s slightly damp shirt. “Looks like you’ve fallen victim to Garfiel and Felt’s prank, huh? I saw them carrying a bucket earlier. Please forgive our friends, Subaru. Today is April 1st, April Fools’ Day. Everyone’s in the mood to play tricks on each other.”
Subaru’s hopes were dashed. Reinhard just saw today as April Fools’ Day.
“Hahaha, no big deal, Reinhard. I’m immune to that kind of thing. Alright, I’m heading to class first,” Subaru replied, patting Reinhard on the shoulder, trying to hide the ache in his chest.
“Have a nice day, Subaru,” Reinhard said politely before they went their separate ways.
When lunchtime arrived, Subaru went to the cafeteria hoping to run into Emilia. On the way, he instead bumped into the twins, Ram and Rem, who were carrying thick books.
“Oh my gosh, what’s that smell? It feels like the scent of wet trash just passed by,” Ram teased with a sharp, piercing glare. The pink-haired girl looked Subaru up and down with a disgusted expression.
Subaru snorted. “Chill out, will ya? I just got pranked by Garfiel this morning, that’s why I look a bit messy. Don’t overreact, Ram.”
“Ram won’t go near a guy who looks like a bum,” Ram retorted sharply. Their feud had been ingrained since high school and continued even after they ended up at the same university in Lugunica. “From the past until now, your behavior has always attracted bad luck, hasn’t it, Barusu?”
Rem, the younger sister with blue hair, looked at Subaru with a guilty expression. “Rem is sorry, Subaru-kun. My sister does speak a bit harshly.”
“Hmph. You’re a mess, ugly, and stupid to boot. Let’s go, Rem. Ram might catch some of that stupidity if he talks to Barusu for too long,” Ram snapped, pulling his sister’s hand away.
Subaru could only shake his head. Deep down, he felt his chest growing tighter. Not a single one of them remembered. Everyone was completely focused on the April Fools’ Day celebration.
“Hey, Subaru. You’re looking anything but elegant today.”
A deep voice interrupted Subaru’s reverie. Julius Juukulius stood near the cafeteria pillar, crossing his arms over his chest in his pretentious, aristocratic manner.
“What are you staring at, Julius?” Subaru grumbled. Even though they often argued and looked like sworn enemies, they were actually quite close and cared about each other.
Julius walked closer, pulled a silk handkerchief from his pocket, and unexpectedly, he wiped the dried flour residue off the back of Subaru’s collar. “It’s such a shame—on a sunny day like this, you’re dressed like a street clown. But then again, what can you expect from someone like you on a day full of pranks? You’re definitely the easiest target to mess with.”
“You’re such a nag, you pretentious knight,” Subaru muttered, though he let Julius clean his collar. “I’m just playing along today. Besides, it’s fun.”
“It’s up to you. At least try to look a little more dignified when you meet Emilia later,” Julius said elegantly before walking away, leaving him behind
Hearing Emilia’s name, Subaru’s spirits reignited. Yes, Emilia! The silver-haired girl he loved most. His beautiful, ever-attentive girlfriend. Emilia must remember. There’s no way Emilia would forget his birthday.
Subaru ran toward the campus backyard, where he and Emilia had agreed to have lunch together. From a distance, he saw Emilia sitting on a park bench, holding a medium-sized gift box wrapped in silver paper and a purple ribbon.
Subaru’s heart was pounding. His eyes felt hot. See, he thought. Emilia-tan must remember. She must have prepared this gift for me on purpose.
“Emilia-tan!” Subaru called out as he ran toward her.
Emilia turned her head, and a sweet smile immediately spread across her face when she saw Subaru arrive. “Subaru! Come here, sit next to me.”
Subaru sat down beside her, his eyes constantly glancing toward the gift box. “Emilia-tan, have you been waiting for me for a long time? I’m sorry—I was a bit of a mess earlier after the kids played a prank on me.”
Emilia chuckled softly. “Subaru, you’re okay, right? Felt told me earlier that she spilled some batter on you. Don’t be mad at them, okay?”
“No way, why would I be mad? It’s April Fools’ Day, after all,” Subaru replied with a gentle smile. “Oh, by the way, that… who’s the gift for, Emilia-tan?”
Emilia looked at the box on her lap, then held it out toward Subaru with sparkling eyes. “This is for you, Subaru! Go ahead and open it now!”
Subaru’s heart leapt with joy. His hands trembled slightly as he accepted the box. “Seriously, this is for me, Emilia-tan? Wow, you really went out of your way. Thanks so much, I’m really happy today.”
Subaru slowly pulled the purple ribbon and opened the box lid.
BOING!
A creepy-looking clown doll with a spring underneath suddenly jumped out of the box, punching Subaru’s nose with a toy boxing glove.
“Ouch!” Subaru jumped in surprise, dropping the box.
Emilia immediately covered her mouth, holding back a laugh that finally burst out. “Hihihi… Happy April Fools, Subaru! You were really startled just now, weren’t you? I managed to prank you, didn’t I?”
Subaru froze in place. The toy clown wobbled mockingly on the ground. The air around him felt as if it had been completely sucked away. Emilia, his own girlfriend—the person he’d hoped most would remember his birthday—had also just prepared an April Fools’ prank.
“I’m sorry, Subaru,” Emilia said in a feigned guilty tone, her eyes radiating pure innocence. “It’s just that Felt said I should celebrate April Fools’ once in a while so you don’t get bored. You’re not mad at me, are you?”
Subaru bowed his head deeply, his bangs covering his eyes that were starting to well up. His heart was shattered. It hurt far more than being doused in flour or insulted by Ram. It hurt so much that not a single aspect of his existence was celebrated on a day that was supposed to be the most special day for him.
But Subaru could never hate his friends. He could never be angry at Emilia. He knew they didn’t mean to hurt him. They just genuinely didn’t remember.
Subaru took a deep breath, swallowing all that pain and disappointment back down to the deepest part of his heart. He lifted his head, flashing his sweetest smile and the most carefree laugh.
“Hahaha! Oh my gosh, Emilia-tan! I seriously had a heart attack, you know?! I was so shocked, I swear!” Subaru exclaimed, clutching his chest dramatically. “You’re such a great actor now. Did Felt teach you? You totally nailed it!”
Emilia smiled in relief, reaching for Subaru’s hand and holding it tightly. “Thank goodness you’re not mad. I was afraid you’d hate me because you were so startled.”
“There’s no way I’d hate you, Emilia-tan. I’m actually happy to be pranked by my own girlfriend,” Subaru replied softly, even though his chest felt like it was being sliced open.
Subaru spent the rest of the day dealing with various other small pranks from his college friends. Some stuck a piece of paper that read ‘Kick Me’ on his back, others bought him coffee mixed with salt, and many more. And with every prank, Subaru always laughed the hardest. He hugged his friends, praised their brilliant ideas, and celebrated April Fools’ Day as if it were the happiest day in the world.
However, no one realized that every time the laughter died down, a pair of eyes would stare blankly at the floor, hiding an invisible wound from the people he loved most.
He silently endured that emotional torment disguised as a joke, counting every second so that the day would pass quickly. His wait was finally over when the shadows outside the window began to lengthen. The afternoon sun slowly sank below the western horizon of Lugunica, leaving a streak of orange that reflected off the windows of campus buildings.
Classes were finally over, and as the students dispersed, Subaru’s suffering as an April Fool’s Day prankster for the day came to an end.
At the campus gate, Subaru waved with a broad smile still firmly fixed on his face. Garfiel and Otto were just walking toward the bus stop, while Felt had already gone home.
“Subaru, are you really not going to stop by for dinner with us?” asked Emilia, standing not far from him. The silver-haired girl tilted her head, looking at Subaru with a slightly worried expression because her boyfriend’s shirt still looked wrinkled from all the pranks today.
Subaru chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his neck. “No need, Emilia-tan. I’m just going straight back to my dorm. My body’s been sticky since this morning from the flour, and then in the afternoon I got splashed with Garfiel’s salty coffee concoction. If I join you for dinner looking like this, people will just think I’m crazy.”
Emilia chuckled at the joke. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry… today must’ve been really rough for you. But you’re amazing, you didn’t get mad at all and even joined in the fun. Next time I’ll scold Garfiel and Felt so they don’t go overboard again.”
“Hahaha, take it easy, Emilia-tan. It’s April Fools’ Day, after all—once a year. Alright, be careful on your way home, okay? Don’t stay out too late,” Subaru said softly, offering the most sincere smile he could muster.
“Yeah, you be careful on the road too, Subaru. See you tomorrow!” Emilia replied, returning Subaru’s wave, then turned toward the train station.
Subaru stood frozen near the campus gate, continuing to stare at Emilia’s back until she disappeared behind the crowd of pedestrians. Once Emilia was completely out of sight, the broad smile on Subaru’s face slowly faded. His shoulders, which had been stiff all along, now slumped. The laughter he’d forced out all day now felt like a lump in his throat, leaving an excruciatingly sharp pain.
He let out a long sigh, gazing at the twilight sky over the city of Lugunica. Nothing. Absolutely no one remembered.
Subaru turned around and began walking toward his dorm. The sidewalks that afternoon were quite crowded with people just getting off work or students hanging out. Every now and then he saw a group of friends laughing together, or a couple walking hand in hand. For some reason, that sight made Subaru’s chest feel even tighter.
In his mind, he recalled how excited he’d been while preparing his friends’ birthday parties. He remembered clearly how he’d willingly saved up for weeks just to buy Garfiel the latest model of a sports motorcycle helmet. He remembered how he’d stayed up until three in the morning decorating a café for Emilia’s birthday surprise. He remembered how happy she’d been seeing the surprised and joyful faces of her friends back then.
“Ah, what am I even thinking,” Subaru muttered softly, gently slapping both his cheeks with both hands. “You can’t think like that, Subaru. You gave them those surprises wholeheartedly, purely because you care about them. You shouldn’t expect anything in return.”
Subaru lowered his gaze, staring at the tips of his shoes as he walked listlessly. Deep down in his heart, he truly didn’t hate his friends, let alone hate Emilia. He knew full well how busy they were…
“They’re just busy. It’s only natural they’d forget,” Subaru thought to himself, trying to rationalize his pain. “Besides, today is April Fools’ Day. Everyone’s probably just focused on figuring out how to prank people. It’s my own fault for being born on such an odd date. It’s only natural that I’d get lost in the world’s celebrations.”
Even as he kept convincing himself with various positive reasons, for some reason his eyes felt hot. That loneliness crept up from his stomach to his chest, gripping his heart tightly. The exhaustion from having to pretend to laugh all day had finally reached its limit. He felt empty.
In the midst of his reverie, Subaru’s footsteps halted in front of a small bakery named “Roswaal Bakery,” located not far from the intersection leading to the street where his dorm was. The shop’s glass display case showcased a variety of beautiful, mouth-watering cakes. There was a large Black Forest cake adorned with red cherries, a cheesecake that looked soft, and various other luxurious cakes.
Subaru stared at the large cakes with a dazed expression. His memories drifted back to the past, when he would always buy large, expensive cakes from this shop for his friends’ birthday celebrations. But today, looking at those cakes no longer felt enjoyable. Why would he buy such a huge cake? Who would eat it?
With hesitant steps, the young man in the sports jacket pushed open the shop’s glass door. A small bell tinkled above the door, welcoming his arrival. The sweet scent of vanilla and baked butter immediately greeted his sense of smell, feeling so starkly at odds with his bitter heart.
“Welcome, sir!” a shop clerk greeted him warmly from behind the cash register. “Can I help you? Are you looking for a tart for a celebration or a regular slice of cake?”
Subaru walked over to the display case, his eyes scanning the rows of cakes inside. His gaze settled on a very small strawberry shortcake—just enough for a single serving—sitting in the corner of the display case. It was simple in design: just a white sponge cake topped with generous amounts of cream and a single whole strawberry.
“Miss, I’d like one of those small strawberry shortcakes, please,” Subaru said in a slightly hoarse voice, pointing toward the cake.
The clerk smiled warmly and immediately retrieved Subaru’s order using tongs. “Sure, sir. One slice of strawberry shortcake. Anything else? Maybe you’d like to buy some bread or a drink?”
Subaru paused for a moment. He reached into his pocket, then looked at the server with an awkward smile. “Miss… could you do me a favor?”
“Sure, sir. What would you like?”
“Could you please write my name on top of the cake using melted chocolate? A small inscription is fine,” Subaru asked softly.
The server nodded. “Of course, sir. Even though the cake is small, we can put a little chocolate plaque on top. What would you like written on it, sir?”
Subaru swallowed hard; his throat suddenly felt dry. “Please write… ‘Happy Birthday, Subaru.’”
The server paused for a moment. Her eyes glanced at Subaru, noticing the young man’s disheveled appearance—his hair slightly stiff and his shirt still bearing traces of flour. A flicker of sympathy shone in her eyes, as if she understood her customer’s situation. Yet, professionally, she maintained her smile.
“Sure, sir. Just a moment, please,” the waitress said softly. She then turned around and began preparing a small chocolate plaque, decorating it carefully.
“Oh, right, ma’am,” Subaru called out again, his voice growing even softer. “Just one candle, please. A small one.”
“Sure, sir.”
A few minutes later, the server returned and handed him a small white cardboard box tied with a simple ribbon. “Here’s the cake, sir. The chocolate plaque and the candle are already inside.”
Subaru took the money out of his nearly empty wallet and handed it to the waitress. “Thank you so much, Miss.”
“You’re welcome, Sir,” the waitress said, then added with a very sincere tone, “Happy birthday, Mr. Subaru. May you live a long and happy life.”
Hearing those simple words from a stranger, Subaru’s eyes immediately welled up. He quickly lowered his head, hiding the tears threatening to fall. He merely nodded softly, mumbling a barely audible “thank you,” then hurried out of the shop, carrying the small cake box in his hand.
Subaru’s steps felt heavier as he made his way down the narrow alley toward his boarding house. The streetlights began to come on, illuminating the slightly potholed asphalt. The night breeze felt colder than usual, piercing through the jacket he was wearing.
He gazed at the small white box in his hand. It felt so heartbreaking. The man who had always been the class clown, who always made sure all his friends laughed and felt special on their birthdays, now had to celebrate his own birthday by walking alone through a dark alley, carrying a single slice of cake that might not even be enough to fill his stomach.
“It’s okay,” he whispered again, though he’d lost count of how many times he’d said those words today. “It’s okay. There’s always next year. Next year they’ll definitely remember. Besides, I’m a guy—why get sad over just a birthday? You’re such a crybaby, Subaru.”
Upon reaching the simple boarding house where he lived, Subaru climbed the metal stairs to the second floor, where his room was located. The place looked deserted. Most of the residents were probably out looking for dinner or hanging out at a café. This quiet atmosphere only served to emphasize his loneliness.
Subaru fished the key out of his pants pocket, inserted it into the keyhole, and opened the door to his room. Click. The small room was pitch-black and felt stuffy from being left empty all day. No confetti was falling from the ceiling. No balloons were stuck to the walls. None of his friends were jumping out from behind the closet shouting “surprise!” There was only silence to greet him.
He closed the door again, locked it from the inside, then flipped the light switch. The somewhat dim white neon light illuminated his messy bedroom. There were piles of textbooks on the desk, clean clothes still unfolded in the laundry basket, and a single bed with slightly rumpled sheets.
Subaru shuffled over to his desk. He pushed aside a few books and a pencil case to clear a small space in the center of the desk. Carefully, he placed the white cookie box there. He pulled out a wooden chair and sat down in front of it, staring at the box in silence for several minutes.
The room was so quiet that Subaru could hear his own heartbeat and the steady ticking of the wall clock. Tick… Tick… Tick… Slowly, Subaru pulled on the end of the ribbon tying the box. He opened the cardboard lid. The sweet scent of strawberry cream wafted up again. There, on a small cardboard doily, lay a very tiny shortcake. On top of it rested a thin chocolate plaque with handwritten text in white icing sugar: ‘Happy Birthday, Subaru.’
Beside the cake was a small red candle.
Subaru picked up the candle and stuck it right in the center of the cake, right next to the strawberry. He reached into his desk drawer, searching for the lighter he usually used to light mosquito coils when his dorm was swarming with mosquitoes. After finding it, he lit the lighter. A small blue and yellow flame ignited, slowly burning the red candle wick.
The small light from the candle was now the only source of warmth on his desk. The candle swayed gently, reflecting a dim light in Subaru’s already teary brown eyes.
Subaru stared at the flame. He imagined Garfiel laughing, Otto smiling awkwardly, Felt sticking out her tongue, and Emilia gazing at him gently. He didn’t hate them. Not even a shred of hatred. He loved his friends dearly. He just… felt so tired. Tired of being the one who always remembers, yet is always forgotten. Tired of being the one who always gives attention, yet rarely receives it in return.
Without warning, the defenses he’d desperately built up all day finally crumbled. The tears he’d been holding back finally fell, rolling down his cheeks and soaking the wooden table in front of him.
In his quiet dorm room, accompanied only by a small piece of cake and a single candle burning brightly, Subaru sang a birthday song to himself. His voice trembled violently, choked by the sobs he was trying to hold back.
“Happy birthday… to me,” he whispered hoarsely, between the sobs that were beginning to break through. “Happy birthday, Natsuki Subaru. You’ve made it this far. You’re amazing… You’re a good person.”
He cupped his hands in front of his chest, closed his tear-filled eyes, and began to pray. A simple prayer. He didn’t ask for his friends to be punished for forgetting. He didn’t ask for a lavish gift in return. He simply prayed, silently pleading that in the years to come, there would be at least one person who remembered his birthday without having to wait for April Fools’ Day to end.
Subaru opened his eyes, preparing to blow out the small candle in front of him. He took a deep breath, roughly wiped the tears from his cheeks, and leaned his face toward the cake.
However, before his breath could even extinguish the candle flame, a loud knock suddenly sounded from his bedroom door.
Knock! Knock! Knock!
The loud knocking from the wooden door sounded so brutal, as if the person knocking had absolutely no patience. Subaru, whose face was only a few centimeters away from the small candle flame at that moment, jumped in surprise. His heart, which had been shrouded in sadness, suddenly began to race. He hurriedly pulled his face away from the table, panicking.
“W-wait a moment!” Subaru called out in a hoarse voice.
He frantically wiped his eyes with his jacket sleeve, trying desperately to wipe away the tears streaming down his cheeks. He took a deep breath, patting his own cheeks to keep from looking pitiful. Who could be coming at a time like this? Could it be the landlord coming to collect the bill? Or maybe his roommate next door wanting to borrow something?
Knock! Knock! Knock! “Open the door, Barusu! You’re in there, aren’t you? Don’t play dead—Ram knows you’re in there because those ugly shoes of yours are right in front of the door!”
Subaru’s eyes widened in surprise. That sharp, high-pitched voice… there was no mistaking it. It was Ram’s voice. But why had she come to his dorm room so late at night? Especially on a day when he was already exhausted from being the butt of everyone’s April Fools’ jokes?
With hesitant steps and slightly trembling hands, Subaru turned the key and opened his door. The night breeze rushed in, carrying a chill that made Subaru shiver slightly. And there, standing in the narrow hallway of his dorm, was the most absurd sight he’d seen all day.
Ram stood with a scowling expression, wearing a pink cardigan over her casual clothes, holding a thick paper bag in her left hand. And what made Subaru want to faint even more was the figure standing right behind Ram. Julius Juukulius. The elegant young man was wearing a long navy coat that looked incredibly expensive, standing with a straight posture that didn’t fit at all with the backdrop of Subaru’s dorm wall, whose paint was starting to peel.
“R-Ram? Julius?” Subaru blinked rapidly, making sure he wasn’t hallucinating. “What are you guys… doing here? This is a guys’ dorm, you know! Ram, what are you doing coming to my place this late at night?!”
Ram snorted harshly, staring at Subaru from head to toe with a look of utter contempt. Her light red eyes then fixed on Subaru’s face. “What took you so long to open the door? What were you doing in there? Oh my god, look at your face, Barusu. Your eyes are all red and swollen. Were you sobbing your eyes out in the corner of your room? It’s so gross, A guy shouldn’t be such a crybaby.”
Subaru immediately stammered, quickly looking away and scratching the back of his head where it didn’t itch. "N-no way! Who was crying?! I was just yawning because I was sleepy! Besides, what are you guys doing suddenly showing up at my door? Trying to make fun of me again because I’m so easy to prank today?”
Julius let out a long sigh, straightening his coat collar with an incredibly elegant gesture before stepping forward. “Good evening, Subaru. It’s truly a shame to see your pathetic posture when we went to such trouble to come here. And honestly, I didn’t expect your place to be this small and messy. But I suppose, this perfectly represents your messy personality."
“Damn you, you pretentious knight! If you’re only here to insult my dorm, you two might as well just go home!” Subaru grumbled, though his voice still sounded a bit hoarse from his earlier crying. "Besides, April Fools’ Day is almost over! What else are you going to splash on me? Flour? Coffee? Or are you carrying mud in that bag now?!"
Instead of answering Subaru’s barrage of panicked questions, Ram simply barged into the room, shoving Subaru’s shoulder aside to clear the doorway. “Move aside. Ram’s tired of standing out here. The hallway’s already narrow, and there are tons of mosquitoes.”
“Hey! You just barged right in!” protested Subaru.
Julius gave a faint smile, then followed him into Subaru’s room with a relaxed yet graceful stride, closing the wooden door behind him. Now, Subaru’s tiny dorm room felt even more cramped with the presence of the two people he argued with most often.
Ram scanned the room from corner to corner. Her nose wrinkled at the pile of clothes in the hamper and the scattered college textbooks. However, her gaze immediately fixated on a single spot in the center of the desk. A tiny strawberry shortcake, with a single red candle whose flame still burned dimly, illuminating a chocolate plaque that read ‘Happy Birthday, Subaru’.
A sudden silence enveloped the room. Ram stood still, staring at the cake. Julius, standing beside Ram, also turned his gaze toward the desk. The faint smile that had graced Julius’s face slowly faded, replaced by an expression that was hard to read.
Subaru, realizing where their gaze was directed, immediately panicked. His face flushed with intense embarrassment. He hurried over to the table and stood in front of it to block Ram and Julius’s view of his pitiful little cake.
“I-it’s nothing!” Subaru exclaimed quickly, his voice trembling with panic and mounting embarrassment. “I just… happened to pass by a bakery earlier, and I was craving something sweet! Yeah, that’s all! I didn’t mean anything by it!”
Ram folded his arms across her chest, staring at Subaru with a sharp gaze, yet for some reason, there was no aura of hatred there. “Barusu. Please don’t insult Ram’s intelligence with such a stupid lie. Do you think Ram can’t read the writing on that chocolate plaque? Besides, why would you light a candle if you just wanted to eat something sweet?"
“What kind of cake is that, Subaru?” asked Julius, his voice now sounding much softer yet still piercing. “It’s so small. Not even bigger than my fist. Is that what you call a celebration for yourself?”
Subaru’s composure began to crumble. He bowed his head, his hands clutching the hem of his jacket tightly. “You guys are such a pain… It’s my business how big a cake I want to buy. It’s my own money… Why are you all making such a fuss? What exactly are you guys doing here? To make fun of me because it’s April Fools’ Day, is that it?! Fine, go ahead and laugh all you want! Today really is my unlucky day anyway!”
Suddenly, a blow landed on the top of Subaru’s head. Not too hard, but enough to make the young man groan and look up. Ram had just smacked his head with a thick book she’d pulled out of nowhere.
“Ouch! That hurts, man, Ram! What the hell are you doing?!” Subaru protested, rubbing his head.
“Can’t you just shut your mouth, Barusu?” Ram scolded with a annoyed expression. "Do you think Ram has nothing better to do than come to this dump in the middle of the night just to make fun of you? Ram is busy; there are a lot of college assignments to finish. Ram isn’t as childish as Garfiel or Felt, whose whole day is spent playing some random April Fools’ pranks.”
Julius walked over to Subaru’s desk. Politely, he shifted Subaru’s body slightly so he could place an elegant golden box—which he’d been carrying under his coat all along—right next to Subaru’s small cake box.
“Sit down, Subaru,” Julius ordered in a tone that brooked no refusal. “Seeing you act so defensive all the time, like a scared dog, is really an eyesore.”
Subaru remained frozen in place, staring blankly at the golden box, then at Ram, who was now placing a thick paper bag on his bed. Subaru’s brain, already exhausted from working all day, suddenly short-circuited. He couldn’t process what was happening. Why were Ram and Julius—the two people who most often roasted and criticized his life—in his room, carrying strange items?
“That… what is it?” Subaru asked hesitantly, pointing at the golden box on his desk. “This isn’t a bomb prank, is it? You didn’t put a cockroach inside, did you?!”
Ram rolled her eyes lazily. “I already told you, I don’t have time for stupid pranks like that. Just open the box, Barusu.”
Julius smiled slightly at Subaru’s pale, suspicious face. Since Subaru didn’t move, Julius himself slowly untied the gold ribbon securing the box, then lifted the lid.
Subaru’s eyes widened. Inside the box was a fairly large Black Forest cake, decorated with thick shavings of chocolate, fresh red cherries, and beautifully arranged whipped cream. In the center of the cake was a fairly large white chocolate plaque with handwritten calligraphy that was very neat and elegant:
‘Happy Birthday, My Stupid Friend - Natsuki Subaru.’
“This...” Subaru swallowed hard, his voice barely a whisper. He stared at Julius in disbelief. “Julius... you...”
“I bought it after my class ended this afternoon,” Julius said calmly, pulling out Subaru’s wooden chair and gesturing for the young man to sit down. "Even though you often act annoying, noisy, and have absolutely no grace, I still consider you someone who... well, is pretty reliable. As a man who values manners, I won’t let my friend celebrate his birthday with a pathetic slice of cake while crying alone in a dark room.”
Julius’s words were long-winded and condescending as usual, yet for some reason they sounded incredibly warm to Subaru’s ears.
Ram folded her arms again, turning her face toward the wall so she wouldn’t have to look Subaru in the eye. “This afternoon, Ram saw you walking alone near the intersection with a face all scrunched up like an idiot. Ram knows all your stupid friends are just focused on April Fools’ Day and have forgotten what really matters. Since Ram was sick of seeing your pitiful face—which was ruining Ram’s mood—Ram finally called this pretentious knight to come here with you. Don’t get the wrong idea, Barusu. Ram didn’t do it because Ram cares about you.”
Subaru froze in place. His mind was still struggling to process this whole chain of events. Julius had bought him a fancy cake. Ram had deliberately contacted Julius and gone out of her way to come to his dorm because she’d seen him looking sad on the street. These two… the people he’d always thought cared least about him, were actually the only ones there when he hit rock bottom today.
“You guys…” Subaru’s voice trembled violently. His eyes, which he had managed to dry earlier, were now welling up again. His vision began to blur with fresh tears. “You guys… do you know that today…”
“Of course Ram knows, you stupid Barusu,” Ram cut in sharply, though this time her voice sounded a little softer. She pointed toward the paper bag on the bed. "That’s a gift from Ram. It’s just a regular thick jacket because Ram noticed that your old, worn-out sports jacket is starting to get holes in the elbows. Remember, Ram bought it with a spare change, so don’t get too excited.”
Julius smiled, patting Subaru’s shoulder gently. “Happy birthday, Subaru. We’re sorry we’re a little late and for letting you go through such a tough day alone. Now, wipe away those unbecoming tears. We’ve got a cake to cut.”
Hearing those birthday wishes spoken directly and sincerely, the last defensive wall Subaru had built crumbled completely. He looked at the beautiful Black Forest cake, then at his own small cake with its candle still burning beside it. He looked at Julius’s face smiling at him, then at Ram, who was still looking away even though her ears looked a little red.
They remembered. Ram and Julius remembered his birthday. They hadn’t come to mock him or play an April Fool’s prank. They had come purely to celebrate. To keep him company so he wouldn’t be alone.
Subaru’s chest felt so full, as if it were about to burst with relief and overwhelming emotion. He clenched both fists tightly, bowing his head deeply, while tears began to stream down his face, falling and soaking the wooden table before him.
Subaru’s tears broke free, unstoppable. The defenses he’d desperately maintained since morning finally crumbled completely in the presence of the two most unexpected people. His shoulders shook violently, and the sobs he’d been holding back all this time now burst forth as a hoarse, wailing cry that echoed through his cramped dorm room.
“Waaah… sniff… I… I really thought no one remembered…” Subaru sobbed, roughly wiping his eyes with his jacket sleeve. Tears mixed with snot made his face look a complete mess and, honestly, absolutely hideous. “I… I never forget their birthdays… but today it was just a prank… sniff… I don’t hate them, I swear! It’s just… it feels so lonely…”
Seeing Subaru’s flushed face covered in snot, Ram took a step back with a genuine look of disgust. “Oh my god, Barusu! That’s so gross! Get away from me, don’t let your germ-filled snot get on Ram’s clothes! A guy your age crying like a toddler begging for candy—it’s so embarrassing!”
Julius could only let out a long sigh at the chaotic scene before him. With calm, elegant movements, the young man with purple-tinged hair reached into the inner pocket of his coat, pulled out a clean white silk handkerchief, and held it out toward Subaru’s face.
“Use this, Subaru. At least wipe your face so you look a little more dignified,” said Julius in a flat tone, though his gaze softened. “Seeing you sobbing like this is really ruining the aesthetics.”
Subaru snatched the expensive handkerchief without hesitation, then used it to blow his nose with a loud, wet sound. SROOOT! Julius closed his eyes for a moment, mourning the fate of his expensive silk handkerchief, now officially a casualty of Subaru’s sorrow. “Alright. That handkerchief is now officially yours. Please, never return it to me.”
“Sniff… thanks, Julius… thanks, Ram…” Subaru said in a sniffly voice, staring at the two people in front of him with eyes still wet. He suddenly spread his arms wide, intending to hug them both. “You guys are definitely my best friends! Come here, give me a hug first!”
“DON'T COME NEAR ME, YOU FILTHY— Eh, heh! You damn filth!” Ram screamed in panic. At first, she’d intended to grab a thick book to fend him off, but it was too late. Subaru had already crashed into her and Julius at the same time in a tight embrace. Ram held her breath, her face wrinkling in disgust as she felt Subaru’s wet shirt stick to the shoulder of her cardigan. “It’s so gross, I swear! Ram’s shirt is now covered in your snot germs! Just you wait, you’re going to have to cover Ram’s laundry costs this month!”
Julius, on the other hand, had briefly pulled back, intending to protect his expensive navy coat. But seeing how utterly shattered the young man’s defenses were, Julius eventually just let his sobbing friend bury his face in his arm. The elegant young man closed his eyes, letting out a long sigh as he lamented the fate of his luxurious clothes.
“Oh my, Subaru… You’re really testing my patience,” Julius complained in a flat tone, though his right hand unconsciously moved to gently pat Subaru’s trembling back. “This coat costs as much as a year’s rent for your dorm room, just so you know. And now it’s officially contaminated by your tears and that utterly inelegant snot.”
Subaru sobbed even harder in their embrace, but this time his tears were mixed with a genuine, relieved laugh. “Who cares… sniff… I’ll wash your clothes myself tomorrow… thanks a lot, guys…”
After letting Subaru vent his feelings for a while—accompanied by Ram’s endless nagging and Julius’s resigned sighs—Subaru finally released his embrace. He rubbed his reddened nose and chuckled softly. He sat back down in his chair, staring intently at the large Black Forest cake Julius had brought and the gift package from Ram. A warm feeling spread through his chest, driving away the chill that had been enveloping his emotions all this time.
“I really... didn’t expect the two of you to show up,” Subaru muttered, this time with a genuine smile spreading across his lips. His eyes darted back and forth between Ram and Julius. “Especially you, Ram. We’ve been fighting nonstop since high school. I thought you really hated me.”
Ram snorted roughly, turning her face away while folding her arms across her chest. Her ears looked a little red. “Don’t get the wrong idea. Ram came here purely out of pity for seeing your pitiful face on the street earlier. If Ram let you freeze to death and die alone in this crappy dorm, your spirit would haunt Ram. Ram’s just preventing that from happening.”
“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Miss Sarcastic,” Subaru teased with a hearty laugh, already well-acquainted with the temperament of the pink-haired girl.
Julius smiled faintly, then pointed at the two cakes now sitting side by side on the table. Subaru’s cheap little cake, and the fancy tart he’d brought. “Well, since you’ve stopped crying like a baby, how about we get to the main event? Blow out your candles, Subaru.”
Subaru nodded enthusiastically. He moved the small red candle from his old cake onto the Black Forest cake. The young man then closed his eyes, clasping his hands together in front of his chest. If just a few minutes ago he had prayed that even one person would remember him, now his prayer had been answered. He offered a prayer of thanks, hoping that his friendships with the people in this room, and also his other friends out there, would last forever.
Phew. Subaru blew out the candle.
“Happy birthday, you idiot, Barusu. Don’t act up too much in this new year of your life,” Ram said bluntly, though she gave a soft, small clap.
“Happy birthday, Subaru. May you become a man who’s a little more elegant and not so easily fooled,” Julius added with a wry smile.
“Thanks, guys! Seriously, I’m really touched,” Subaru replied as he cut the cake into three large pieces.
Since Subaru’s dorm room was very cramped and had only one chair, the three of them ended up sitting cross-legged on the thin carpet on the floor. The scene was truly a stark contrast and somewhat comical. Julius, in his expensive shirt and pants, had to fold his legs with great effort to sit cross-legged on the carpet, whose pattern had already faded. Meanwhile, Ram didn’t stop complaining because she felt Subaru’s dorm floor wasn’t clean enough, even though she kept devouring her slice of cake with gusto.
"Wow, this cake is so good!" Subaru raved, his mouth full of chocolate cream. "Where did you buy it, Julius? It must be expensive, right?"
"At my family’s favorite bakery in downtown Lugunica," Julius replied casually, sipping the bottled tea he’d bought earlier at the convenience store down the street. "Of course it’s expensive. The quality of the ingredients used isn’t just any simple stuff. You should be grateful your low-class taste buds get to taste a masterpiece like this.”
“Yeah, right, Mr. Pretentious Knight,” Subaru scoffed, though he shoveled another big bite into his mouth. “Oh, by the way, Ram! Can I open your gift now?”
Ram shrugged indifferently. “Go ahead. I already told you it’s just a regular jacket. That orange-and-black sports jacket of yours is already really ugly and outdated. Please don’t wear that thing to campus anymore; Ram would be embarrassed if we accidentally ran into each other."
Subaru pulled the paper bag off the bed and took out its contents. A thick black jacket with orange accents—far more stylish and made of much better material than his old one. Subaru’s eyes lit up. He immediately put the jacket on, and it fit him perfectly.
“Wow! This is insanely cool! The size fits perfectly too!” Subaru exclaimed excitedly, admiring himself in the reflection of his bedroom window. “You’ve been secretly checking out my shirt size, haven’t you, Ram? Come on, admit it!”
Ram’s face instantly turned bright red. She threw Subaru’s pillow right at the young man’s face. "Don’t just say whatever comes to mind! I was just guessing the gorilla’s body size, and it turned out to be a perfect fit! Enough with the chatter—hurry up and finish your meal!”
Subaru burst out laughing. The awkward and somber atmosphere that had briefly filled the room now vanished completely, replaced by warmth and laughter.
That night, the three of them chatted aimlessly until late. Subaru recounted all the pranks he’d been on the receiving end of that day.
“I’m really not mad at them, especially not at Emilia,” Subaru said, leaning against the edge of his bed. “It’s just… earlier today I felt like, ‘Wow, does nobody actually remember?’ You know? Especially since I always go all out for their birthdays. But whatever, it’s April Fools’ Day. It’s only natural they’d forget.”
Julius looked at Subaru with a judgmental gaze. “That’s your problem, Subaru. You always put yourself in the lowest position and let others have fun at your expense. You spoil them too much.”
“It’s not about spoiling them, Julius. I just… like seeing them laugh,” Subaru protested softly.
“And sacrificing your own feelings? That’s just stupid,” Ram retorted sharply. The girl was sitting cross-legged, fanning herself with Subaru’s notebook. "If you’re hurt, just say so. If you want to be celebrated, just let them know. Don’t pretend to be strong, laugh the loudest when you’re pranked, then go back to your dorm to cry alone while eating a cookie the size of a booger. That’s pathetic.”
Subaru fell silent. Ram’s words stung, but he knew she was right.
“Ram’s right,” added Julius. “Your friends care about you, Subaru. But they’re sometimes blind to your feelings because you always wear the mask of someone who’s always cheerful and never hurt. If you never show that you’re hurt, they’ll never know when they should apologize.”
“I… just didn’t want to ruin the mood…” Subaru muttered, looking down at the pattern on the carpet.
“What kind of mood? The atmosphere of lies you’ve created yourself?” Julius gave a faint smile, this time far more friendly. “Be a little more selfish, Subaru. There’s nothing wrong with demanding attention from the people you care about on your special day.”
Ram let out a harsh sigh, then tossed a bag of peanuts she’d found in Subaru’s drawer at the young man. “Enough, stop making that pitiful face. Ram’s sick of seeing it. The point is, stop acting like some hero who shoulders everything alone. Got it, Barusu?”
Subaru caught the bag of peanuts, then looked up at his two friends—who often fought but were close that night. A wide smile, this time truly sincere and free of pain, spread across his face.
“Yeah, I get it. Thanks for the advice,” Subaru said in a cheerful tone that had returned to normal. “But honestly, I never expected to get life lessons from the Pretentious Knight and Miss Grumpy like this!”
"Hah?! You’re so rude, Barusu! Come here, Ram’s gonna smack your head!"
“Ram, please keep your voice down, or the neighbors will wake up. And you, Subaru, stop provoking us when we’ve been so kind to you.”
They spent the evening in a pleasant, lighthearted commotion. They teased each other, discussed college assignments, argued over trivial matters, and laughed at each other’s silliness. Every now and then, Julius had to massage his temples because his head was spinning from watching Subaru and Ram’s absurd antics as they kept arguing over who would graduate first.
Time kept passing; the clock’s hands slowly moved to three, then four in the morning. The atmosphere in the dorm remained warm with their endless conversation. Subaru’s heart, which had once been shattered, was now whole again. The pain of being forgotten on his birthday seemed to have been completely erased by the presence of two people who were willing to set aside their egos just to be with him.
For Subaru, even though his birthday had begun with lies and painful tears, that night ended up being one of the best nights of his life. And he knew he would never forget the moment when Ram and Julius sat on a thin rug in his shabby dorm room, celebrating his existence in the most chaotic yet most sincere way he could imagine.
The warmth of that night’s memories seemed to stay with him in the days that followed. Two weeks had passed since that emotional yet joyful evening. Campus life was slowly returning to normal. Assignments were piling up, pop quizzes came one after another, and the casual chats in the cafeteria were once again filled with laughter.
Subaru had truly put his heartache behind him. For him, the night when Ram and Julius brought the cake was more than enough to erase all the bitterness of April 1st. He acted normally around his friends, laughed the hardest when Garfiel cracked a joke, and remained the most attentive boyfriend to Emilia. There wasn’t the slightest intention in his heart to bring up the issue of his forgotten birthday.
Until one afternoon, after his last class ended, Subaru, who was organizing his books, was startled by his phone vibrating violently in the pocket of his jacket. He reached into the pocket of his black jacket with orange accents—the jacket Ram had given him, which had become his favorite piece of clothing ever since that night—and saw an incoming message.
Miss Grumpy (Ram): Barusu, come to Mathers Café right now. Don’t give me any excuses. Ram needs a servant to carry a stack of Ram’s reference books. If you’re more than ten minutes late, Ram will post a photo of your face while you were sleeping with your mouth open in the library yesterday.
Subaru’s eyes widened as he swiped his phone screen in disbelief. “Man, this girl just doesn’t know when to calm down! She was actually pretty nice last night at my birthday party. Now she’s back to being bossy again!” Subaru grumbled to himself.
Even though he kept grumbling and cursing his fate of always being pushed around by Ram, the young man’s footsteps still carried him toward Mathers Café, located not far from the campus gate. Since that night, for some reason, Subaru felt his relationship with Ram had become a little more relaxed. Yes, they still traded jabs.
The afternoon air felt cool as Subaru walked along the sidewalk. Upon arriving in front of Mathers Café, which was usually bustling with students, he furrowed his brow. The sign in front of the glass door had been flipped over, displaying large letters reading ‘CLOSED’. The window curtains were also tightly drawn.
Subaru scratched the back of his head, which wasn’t itchy. “Huh, closed? Then why did Ram tell me to come here? Could it be that I’m about to get pranked again? Ah, come on, are they really extending April Fools’ Day?”
Feeling uncertain and a little anxious, Subaru pushed the café door handle, which turned out to be unlocked. A small bell jingled. The room inside the café was pitch black.
“Ram? You're inside, aren't you? The café's closed, you know, don't just barge in—”
BOOM! POP! POP!
Suddenly, the café lights came on bright as day. The deafening sound of party poppers echoed from every corner of the room, showering Subaru's body with thousands of colorful confetti pieces.
Subaru jumped in surprise, nearly stumbling backward. His heart was racing wildly.
“SURPRISE!!! HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, CAPTAIN!!”
Subaru’s eyes widened, scanning the scene before him with bated breath. Mathers Café, usually elegantly arranged, was now filled with balloons, ribbons, and a large handwritten banner in slanted letters that read: ‘FORGIVE US, NATSUKI-SAN! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!’
In the middle of the room stood his closest friends. Garfiel held a still-smoking party popper with a wide grin that looked a little forced. Otto stood beside him, holding the end of a banner, his face flushed with embarrassment and guilt. Felt jumped down from the chair, scratching her cheek awkwardly. Reinhard stood tall with his signature polite smile, carrying a medium-sized gift box wrapped very neatly. Rem looked at him with a relieved smile and eyes that were slightly glistening. In the corner of the room, Julius leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest with his elegant, meaningful smile.
And standing right in the middle of them all was Emilia. The silver-haired girl held a large birthday cake with unlit number candles. Emilia’s face didn’t show her usual cheerful smile. Instead, her lips trembled, and her eyes were already brimming with tears ready to spill over at any moment.
Meanwhile, the mastermind behind this event, Ram, was simply sitting casually on one of the café’s plush sofas, elegantly crossing her legs while sipping hot chamomile tea as if the commotion around her was none of her business.
“You guys...” Subaru’s voice caught in his throat. He pointed at everyone in turn with a trembling hand. “What... what is this, seriously? April Fools’ Day was two weeks ago! What kind of prank are you guys pulling on me now?!”
Garfiel took a step forward, bowing his head deeply, setting aside his usual sky-high pride. “Captain… I swear, I’m so sorry. I really feel like the biggest loser right now. We... we all forgot your birthday, Bro. Forgive me for actually dousing you with flour on your birthday..."
Otto stepped forward as well, bowing until his head was level with his waist. "I’m also so sorry, Natsuki-san! I should’ve been more sensitive! Natsuki-san always stayed up late to help me and prepare a surprise for me, but I went and joined in on making fun of Natsuki-san on April Fools’ Day..."
“I’m sorry too, Big Bro,” Felt added softly, tapping her foot lightly on the café’s wooden floor. "I was the one who came up with the flour bucket idea... I really didn’t know it was your birthday. I’m such a clueless friend."
Rem clasped her hands in front of her chest, looking at Subaru with a pleading expression. “Rem is sorry too, Subaru-kun. Rem even forgot your birthday... Rem promises not to forget again.”
Reinhard smiled wistfully, stepped closer, and patted Subaru’s shoulder gently. “As a friend, I failed to realize your special day, Subaru. I’m so sorry for only wishing you a Happy April Fools’ Day that day. Please forgive my ignorance.”
Subaru stood frozen in place. His mind was struggling to process the barrage of apologies coming at him like bullets. How could they possibly know? Subaru had never confided his disappointment to anyone. He had never mentioned the little cake, or his tears that night.
Subaru’s gaze unconsciously shifted toward the sofa, staring at the pink-haired girl who was still engrossed in her tea. Ram returned Subaru’s gaze with a raised eyebrow.
“What are you staring at, Barusu?” Ram snapped. “Don’t get the wrong idea. Ram’s just sick of seeing them act like innocent fools, while you pretend to smile like an idiot every day.”
Julius chuckled softly from the corner of the room, walking over to stand beside Subaru. “Don’t blame me, Subaru. That pink-haired girl is the one who gathered everyone and berated them mercilessly.”
“B-berated?” Subaru repeated, his eyes widening as he looked at his friends, who were now all shuddering in horror at the memory of what happened a few days ago.
“It was so terrifying, Captain...” Garfiel whispered, his voice trembling. “Ram suddenly burst through the door while we were gathered. Then she lectured us all non-stop for an hour. She said we’re parasites who can only take your kindness.”
Felt nodded quickly, agreeing with Garfiel. “Yeah, Bro! I swear, Ram’s rant earlier really hit home. She totally called us out for claiming to be his best friends, yet we all forgot the birthday of the guy who cares about us the most. Ram even said she was totally disgusted seeing us laughing at his expense. I swear, bro, I started crying right there when Ram said that to me.”
“And Ram also told us how you celebrated your birthday all alone in that cramped dorm room of yours with a really pathetic cake,” added Julius, deliberately rubbing salt into his friends’ wounds of embarrassment. “Of course, Ram went into detail about how ugly your face looked while you were crying that night.”
“Hey! Why did you have to go that far, Ram?!” Subaru screamed, his face flushing bright red with embarrassment as his secret weakness was exposed to everyone.
Ram set down her teacup with a sharp clink. “Ram’s just stating the facts, Barusu. Besides, if they aren’t taught a lesson the hard way, they’ll never realize how deep the wound is that their April Fool’s prank caused.”
Subaru fell silent. He looked at his friends again. There were no fake expressions there. They were all genuinely overwhelmed by an immense sense of guilt. Garfiel, who was usually so explosive, now looked like a frightened kitten. Otto looked like he wanted to vanish into thin air.
However, of all of them, Emilia looked the most devastated.
The girl stepped forward with trembling steps. The tart in her hands would have spilled if she hadn’t been holding it tightly. The tears she had been holding back finally fell, streaming down her smooth cheeks.
“Subaru…” Emilia called out in a very soft, hoarse voice.
Seeing the girl he loved most crying, Subaru’s instincts kicked in immediately. All his shock and pride vanished in an instant. He hurried over to Emilia.
“Emilia-tan, why are you crying? Oh my gosh, don’t cry,” Subaru said frantically, reaching out to wipe the tears from Emilia’s cheeks with his rough thumb.
“I’m a terrible girlfriend, Subaru…” Emilia sobbed, her voice breaking. “I… I forgot my own boyfriend’s birthday. Even though you always remember all the little things about me. And what’s worse… on your birthday… I actually gave you a toy clown that poked you in the nose. I’m so terrible… When Ram told me that you came home and bought a small cake all by yourself… my heart ached so much, Subaru. Forgive me… Please don’t hate me…”
Emilia bowed her head deeply, unable to look into the eyes of the young man in front of her. Her guilt had been gnawing at her chest ever since Ram had flown into a rage. She kept imagining how Subaru must have felt when he opened the box, expecting a sweet gift, but instead received a toy punch that mocked him on his birthday.
Subaru looked at Emilia, then scanned the room. At Garfiel, Otto, Felt, Rem, Reinhard. His heart, which had once felt empty and cold, was now filled with overflowing warmth. He had never hated them. Even if they had completely forgotten him for the rest of their lives, he would never hate them.
Subaru took a deep breath, exhaled slowly, then suddenly his hearty laughter burst out, filling the quiet café.
“Hahahaha! Goodness, why do you all look like you’re at a funeral?!” Subaru exclaimed, laughing freely, clutching his stomach as he found the tense faces around him suddenly hilarious. “Seriously, Garf, your face looks so pitiful, like a cat that fell into a gutter! And Otto, why are you looking down the whole time? Doesn’t your back hurt?”
Everyone lifted their heads, staring at Subaru with confused and disbelieving looks.
Subaru smiled widely, a smile just as sincere as the one he always gave when celebrating their birthdays. He looked at Emilia with a very gentle gaze.
“Emilia-tan, listen to me,” Subaru said softly, taking the large cake from Emilia’s hands so she could relax a little. “I’ve never hated you, or anyone here. Not at all. Honestly, I was actually a little sad that day, hahaha! It’s only human, right? But whatever, it just so happened to fall on April Fools’ Day. It’s only natural that your minds got distracted.”
“But bro...” Felt interjected uneasily. “We’re your friends. How could we forget something that important...”
“Hey, listen to me first,” Subaru cut in firmly yet affectionately, just like an older brother. "I love all of you. You guys are my best friends. My family here on campus. For me, seeing you guys laugh while you covered me in flour, seeing Emilia laugh with satisfaction when her clown prank worked—that’s already a gift enough for me.”
Subaru shifted his gaze to the pink-haired girl still sitting on the sofa. “And honestly, I’ve already had the most memorable birthday celebration of my life thanks to Miss Grumpy over there and this Pretentious Knight. So you guys don’t need to feel that guilty.”
Ram clicked her tongue in annoyance, turning her face toward the window to hide the corner of her mouth that was slightly turned up. “Don’t drag Ram’s name into this. Ram was only there because Ram had no choice.”
“Of course. You had no choice but to buy the jacket you’re wearing right now, right?” Julius teased elegantly, which was immediately met with a napkin thrown at him by Ram.
The stiff atmosphere in the café slowly began to thaw. Garfiel roughly wiped his slightly watery eyes, then grinned widely. “You really are the weirdest captain, I swear. Too nice to the point of being idiot.”
“Hey! You better apologize for calling me an idiot at my birthday party!” Subaru replied, feigning anger.
Emilia stared intently at Subaru’s face. There was no deception in the young man’s eyes. Only sincerity and an extraordinary sense of relief. Emilia smiled; her sweet smile returned, wiping away the last traces of tears from her beautiful face.
“Thank you, Subaru,” Emilia whispered tenderly. “You really are the best.”
“Of course I am!” Subaru puffed out his chest proudly. “Well, now that the tearful drama session is over, let’s get the party started! I’ve been starving since this afternoon—I haven’t eaten yet! Here, where’s the lighter? Light the candles, will you!”
Garfiel immediately cheered with delight, quickly lighting the match and igniting the number candles on the cake Subaru was holding. Otto and Felt began blowing their paper trumpets, while Reinhard and Rem clapped their hands joyfully.
Subaru stood in the midst of the people he cherished most in the world. Even though this celebration was two weeks late, even though he had to go through the heartache and tears of that night first, he felt it was all worth it. In that café, rented specifically for him, surrounded by the laughter and beaming faces of his friends, Subaru felt like the luckiest man in the world.
He gazed at the brightly burning candles on his birthday cake, smiled broadly, and prepared to say his second birthday wish of the year. His wish remained the same: may these warm moments with these silly yet precious people never end.
In the brief silence, he closed his eyes and silently vowed that sincere wish in his heart. When his eyes opened again, Subaru took a deep breath, then blew it toward the flickering flame before him.
The number candles on the cake went out instantly. The Mathers Café erupted with the clapping and cheering of his friends. The remaining confetti in the air slowly drifted down, creating a celebratory atmosphere so magical.
“YEEEAAAH! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CAPTAIN!” Garfiel shouted the loudest, immediately wrapping his arms around Subaru’s neck so roughly that the young man nearly choked.
“Garf! Hey, let go! I haven’t even eaten the cake yet and I’m already about to die!” Subaru protested, laughing heartily as he tried to free himself from his friend’s death grip.
Otto quickly cut the tart and divided it among small plates. “Come on, everyone, let’s eat the cake first. We specially ordered this from the best bakery in downtown Lugunica, you know, Natsuki-san. We chipped in together to make up for our mistake yesterday.”
Felt snatched the first plate from Otto’s hand while sticking out her tongue. “Thanks, Otto! Ah, Big Bro so easy to bribe with sweets. Right, Bro?”
“Don’t get too cocky, brat!” Subaru retorted as he took his own plate from Emilia. “This bribe only works today! If you guys prank me with flour again tomorrow, I’m reporting you to the university dean!”
Everyone burst into laughter. The stiff, awkward atmosphere that had briefly hung over the room was now completely gone. It was replaced by the familiar warmth of their usual, noisy hangout. Subaru stuffed a large piece of cake into his mouth. It tasted incredibly sweet, but what was even sweeter was the fact that he was surrounded by people who loved him so much.
After the cake-eating session—marked by Garfiel choking on cream and Otto frantically searching for water—it was time for the gift-giving session.
Reinhard stepped forward with his usual grace. He held out a neatly wrapped blue gift box. “Here you go, Subaru. Once again, I apologize for being late in realizing your special day. I hope this simple gift will be useful to you at college.”
Subaru accepted the gift and immediately tore open the wrapping paper. Inside was a backpack from a famous brand that must have cost a fortune. “You’ve got to be kidding me, Reinhard! You call this simple?! Thanks a million, bro!”
“I’m glad you like it,” Reinhard replied with a sincere, relieved smile.
Next, Rem stepped forward, her face slightly flushed. She handed him a bento lunch box featuring Subaru’s favorite anime character, complete with a matching tumbler. “Subaru-kun often forgets to eat lunch when he’s busy with assignments. So Rem bought this so Subaru-kun can bring a healthy packed lunch. I’m sorry if the gift isn’t as expensive as Reinhard-san’s.”
“Wow, Rem! This is super useful, I swear!” Subaru’s eyes sparkled. “Thanks so much, Rem! You’re definitely the most thoughtful one!”
Hearing that compliment, Rem’s face flushed even redder. But from the sofa across the room, Ram snorted derisively.
“Don’t get too full of yourself, Barusu. Rem bought that so you’d stop whining about being hungry and extorting food from Otto at the cafeteria. You’re just embarrassing yourself,” Ram snapped, though he was secretly smiling at seeing Subaru so happy.
“You’re such a nag, Ram! Besides, I’m already wearing the gift you gave me right now,” Subaru retorted, proudly showing off his new black-and-orange jacket. “So where’s your extra gift, Julius? You didn’t just come here empty-handed, did you?”
Julius, who was standing by the window, let out a long sigh and shook his head. “You really don’t know how good you have it, Subaru. That fancy Black Forest cake I bought you two weeks ago cost as much as your monthly food budget. Isn’t that enough for a guy with no class like you?”
“Hahaha! Yeah, yeah, I’m just kidding, you pretentious knight!”
After Garfiel and Otto gave their joint gift of a new pair of shoes, and Felt gave him a cool snapback hat, it was now Emilia’s turn. The silver-haired girl had been standing beside Subaru all along, gazing at him with a gentle smile that never faded.
Emilia reached into her shoulder bag and pulled out a flat, square box wrapped in light purple gift paper. She handed it to Subaru with both hands, her face looking a little nervous.
“Subaru, this is the real gift from me,” Emilia said softly. “I’m sorry, because back then I ended up giving you that annoying clown toy... I hope you like this one.”
Subaru gazed deeply into Emilia’s eyes, feeling an immense love welling up in his chest. He accepted the box carefully. When he opened it, he found an elegant black sports watch. On the back of the watch, there was a small engraving of their initials: S & E.
“Emilia-tan...” Subaru was at a loss for words. He immediately slipped the watch onto his left wrist. It fit perfectly. “This is so cool. Seriously. I really love this watch. Thanks, sweetie.”
Hearing that term of endearment, Emilia’s cheeks immediately flushed red. She smiled with relief. “I’m glad you like it, Subaru.”
“WOOHOO! OUR CAPTAIN WON BIG TIME!” teased Garfiel, whistling loudly, which was immediately followed by mischievous cheers from Felt and Otto.
“You guys are so noisy! Just admit you’re jealous!” Subaru replied with a laugh, clutching Emilia’s hand tightly.
After the gift-giving session ended, the café buzzed with activity again. Felt suddenly jumped onto a chair, raising her camera.
“Guys! Since we’re the only ones here, let’s take a group photo to commemorate the Captain’s belated birthday!” Felt exclaimed enthusiastically. “Everyone, gather in the middle!”
A new round of chaos began. Getting nine people with completely different personalities into a single camera frame was no easy task. Garfiel kept covering Otto’s face with his hand, causing the gray-haired young man to protest vehemently. Rem tried to drag her older sister, who was refusing outright to join the photo.
“Let go! Ram doesn't want to be in a photo with such a stupid pose! It'll ruin Ram's reputation!” Ram grumbled as she tried to break free from her younger sister's grip.
“Come on, Sis! Just this once, for Subaru-kun's sake,” Rem pleaded, refusing to give up, until finally Ram could only sigh in exasperation and join the back row with a scowl on her face.
Meanwhile, Julius tried to maintain his elegant posture in front of the camera, but Subaru playfully wrapped his arm around Julius’s neck from the side and ruffled his purple hair just as the camera’s timer beeped.
CLICK!
“Subaru! What did you do to my hair?!” protested the now disheveled Julius.
“Hahaha! Just so you look a little more down-to-earth, Julius!” Subaru laughed smugly.
They spent the rest of the night taking dozens of silly photos, chatting, and trading insults as usual. There were no traces of sadness left. No lingering guilt remained. Everything melted into a new memory—so warm and precious.
By nine o’clock that night, they were finally exhausted. Everyone lay down or leaned back comfortably on the café’s carpet and sofas, staring at the ceiling, gasping for breath after laughing too much.
Subaru was sitting back on one of the sofas, while Emilia sat right next to him. The young man turned his head, looking at the faces of his friends one by one. Garfiel, who was already starting to doze off; Otto, who was laughing at the photos; Ram and Julius, who were still having a quiet little argument; Reinhard, who was tidying up the teacups with Rem’s help; and Felt, who was organizing their photo collection.
It felt like just two weeks ago he was sitting alone in his dark dorm room, crying over his little cake because he felt like no one cared about him. But today, seeing how hard they were trying to make up for their mistakes, seeing how they’d prepared all these surprises just to see him smile again, Subaru realized one thing for certain.
He was deeply loved.
Emilia leaned in, gazing at Subaru’s face as he daydreamed with a peaceful smile. She reached out her hand, clasping Subaru’s fingers beneath the sofa’s shadow so they wouldn’t draw too much attention.
“Are you happy, Subaru?” Emilia whispered softly.
Subaru turned his head and squeezed Emilia’s hand tightly in return. Subaru eyes radiated boundless warmth, far surpassing any happiness he had ever felt before. All the pain and wounds from that April Fools’ Day had been fully healed.
“So happy, Emilia-tan,” Subaru replied, his voice trembling with emotion. “This is the best birthday celebration I’ve ever had. I’ll never forget today.”
“Promise me, next year there won’t be any more pretending to laugh when you’re actually sad,” Emilia said earnestly. "If we forget, you have to scold us. Yell at us. Because we don’t want to see you hurting alone again.”
Subaru nodded slowly, smiling so widely his eyes narrowed. “Yeah, I promise. But honestly, I don’t think you guys will dare to forget again after getting scolded by that Grumpy Lady over there.”
Emilia chuckled softly at that. In the corner of the room, Ram sneezed rather loudly, then immediately shot a sharp glance at Subaru as if she knew they were talking about her.
That night ended perfectly. An ordinary young man named Natsuki Subaru, surrounded by extraordinary people he called family. And in his heart, Subaru vowed to keep protecting his friends’ cheerful laughter, ensuring that their bond would endure through the surprises of tomorrow, no matter how absurd they might be.