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Tsukasa Tenma’s birthday was not always a massive celebration until a couple years ago, when he met Wonderlands x Showtime. Sure, he got cake and presents and generally felt celebrated, but that was about it. His mom would buy a cake, they’d get a family dinner (sometimes in the hospital, which was from ages 12-15), and that would be that. Saki’s birthday was soon before his, anyways, and as the incredible big brother that he was, he had needed to make sure her special day was absolutely perfect, especially during the hardest parts of her life. 

But, ever since Tsukasa met WonderShow, he suddenly had people who wanted him to have an awesome birthday, who wanted to celebrate with him. Not that his family didn’t want him to, but oftentimes because of the proximity to the much more important Saki’s birthday, it was pretty simple compared to the ones of the other kids at his school. But last year? Tsukasa had hosted his own birthday party for all his friends and Saki and her friends, and it was a total blast! 

And now, his birthday was rapidly approaching once again, and Tsukasa found himself longing for the joy and warmth he felt last year. He was always happy on his birthday, sure, but that year was just… different. Would he have to plan a party like that again? It would be on pretty short notice, as it was merely 5 days away from his birthday, so it would probably be impossible.

Oh well, his family and friends probably had something in mind for him. Wouldn’t it be more fun anyways, if everyone else planned it for him? It wasn’t Tsukasa’s usual outlook, but not everything applies to every situation. He was starting to get excited at the idea that someone would plan an extravagant party just for him! 

Suddenly, the ringing of the school bell broke Tsukasa out of his train of thoughts. It was lunchtime, and he was now just noticing how hungry he was. Tsukasa stood and approached Rui. “Hey, Rui! Wanna find the girls?”

“Ah, I’m afraid not,” Rui said, looking a bit disappointed. “Unfortunately, the teacher found out about my little experiment, and I’m going to get a talking to during lunch. I’m sorry!” 

While Tsukasa was disappointed, he couldn’t disagree with the teacher’s decision. “Good! Perhaps this will straighten you out!” 

Rui smirked a bit. “Perhaps,” he said. “Or perhaps it means I just need to get sneakier.” 

Tsukasa sighed. “Rui… you never learn do you?” 

“Well, you better get going,” Rui said with a slight smile. “Don’t want me tarnishing your reputation even more, do we?”

“See you after lunch!” Tsukasa waved at him as he headed out the door. So what if Rui was unavailable, surely Nene would be free! She always sat alone, anyway. Tsukasa soon located her, but unfortunately she was not alone. Instead, she was surrounded by a group of people, An Shiraishi sitting next to her and chattering away like nothing was wrong while Nene looked entirely out of her element. She eyed Tsukasa with a sort of ‘Save me!’ look, but they both knew that when Shiraishi got her hands on Nene for lunch, there was no escape. But still, like the good friend he was, he tried. 

“Shiraishi!” Tsukasa started, but he was quickly cut off. 

“Hey, Tenma, can I have her today?” Shiraishi asked. 

“Well, she looks uncomfortable,” Tsukasa pointed out. Nene squeaked with embarrassment, her face quickly flushing. 

Shiraishi gasped and turned to face her. “I’m so sorry! Kusanagi, are you okay?”

“I-I’m fine,” Nene stuttered. “Really! It’s just—  it can be a lot…” she looked away shyly. “But—  but I want to eat with you!”

“Kusanagi…!” Shiraishi said, a saccharine look on her face. 

“Aww! That’s it, I can’t intercept a blossoming friendship! Have fun, you two!” Tsukasa exclaimed, turning to walk away. 

“T-Tsukasa!” Nene squealed, burying her reddened face in her hands out of pure embarrassment. “D-don’t say such weird things!”

Tsukasa smiled a bit to himself as he walked away. Okay, so his two typically guaranteed to be free friends were both actually not free, but it was fine! He could eat alone, unless Emu pulled up! He could go and bother Toya, but he didn’t want to interrupt his lunchtime with Akito. So, he sat down alone underneath a tree in the courtyard and opened up his lunch, ready to eat whatever his mother prepared him. 

“TSUUUUKAAAASAAAAA!!!” a high-pitched, cheerful voice called out. 

“Emu! It’s lovely to see you!” Tsukasa said, brightening up as the pink-haired bundle of energy and joy bounded up to him. She sat down next to him and took out her own lunch. 

“Sorry that Nene and Rui aren’t here,” Tsukasa said. “Rui got into trouble, and Nene was sitting with some other friends of hers. “

“That’s alright!” Emu opened her lunch and started eating. “Ith no big deal! I wanted to athk you thomthing anywayth!” 

“Emu! Don’t speak with your mouth full!” Tsukasa scolded. 

She swallowed. “Anyways, Tsukasa, eat this!” She shoved a small container into his hands. Was this an early birthday gift, just for him?! 

“Oh hoho! Don’t mind if I do!” Tsukasa said eagerly, abandoning his own lunch to see what it was. He opened it to see different dessert bars, all with weird flavor combos. “Emu, what is this?!” he shrieked. There was one that appeared to be green apple and ketchup, honey and cabbage, and worst of all, green pepper and egg!

“I made them all by myself! Enjoy!” Emu exclaimed, beaming widely. 

Tsukasa shuddered, but like the good friend he was, he took a bite of the first one. The cookie underneath the apple and ketchup monstrosity was actually quite good, but it was overshadowed and ruined by its toppings. The second one wasn’t actually that bad, not that he would eat it again, but it was tolerable. But for the last one…

“Emu, why don’t you have a bite of this one first? Y’know, to admire your own work!” Tsukasa offered, holding out the egg and pepper bar to her. 

Emu gave him puppy eyes. “Tsukasa? But I made it just for you!” she whined. “Do you not like my special present for you?”

Tsukasa could feel his resolve cracking under her pleadingly cute face, but he tried to resist. “It’s not that! But I really think you should try some, it’s not fair for me to eat all of it!” he lied, sweat starting to drip from his forehead. 

“But- but I made them for you!” she sniffled, her adorably pitiful face completely crumbling the last of Tsukasa’s composure. He sighed and lifted the horrid bar to his mouth, opening it slowly to take a bite, his hand shaking the whole time. He had to stop himself from gagging as the peppers hit his tongue. The eggs were actually quite good, but they were completely ruined by the grotesque green slices on it. He forced himself to finish the bar, swallowing the last bite with the finality that he would never ever eat something like that ever again. 

Emu leaned over to look at him, her eyes sparkling. “So, did you like it?”

“Ah.. I liked the cabbage honey one?” Tsukasa said, hoping his unsure tone would offend Emu less. 

“But not the other ones?” she pried.

“Well… they weren’t my favorite,” he admitted carefully. 

“Well, what would be better next time?” she asked, seemingly genuinely curious. 

Tsukasa considered this. He liked bright, fruity flavors in his sweets. “Strawberry and lemon!” he announced. “But I also enjoy vanilla with it!”

“I see!” Emu observed, pulling a small notebook out to write it down. 

“Eh? What’s that for?” Tsukasa asked, trying to peek. 

“Secret! Future reference!” Emu announced, shoving it back in her pocket. 

Ah! She was probably going to make him more dessert bars in the future, now with actually good flavors! How thoughtful of her! 

The two continued to eat, chatting in between bites. “Y’know,” Tsukasa started. “There’s an important day in a few days!” 

“Ehhhhh?” Emu squeaked, tensing up.

“My birthday! Don’t tell me you forgot!” Tsukasa exclaimed. “I still don’t know what I’m going to do for it… got any ideas?”

Emu’s shoulders loosened. “Nope! Maybe your parents have something planned!” 

“You may be right, it is a big one,” Tsukasa agreed. It would be nice to do something with his family again, of course, but last year had raised his expectations from the typical family dinner that was his birthday. Perhaps he should’ve known that his party last year was a once-in-a-lifetime event, though. Oh well, better to have experienced it than not, but Tsukasa couldn’t help but yearn for a similar experience once more. 

“Anyways, don’t worry about it Tsukasa! I bet your birthday is gonna be super duper wonderhoy this year!” Emu said. 

Tsukasa smiled slightly and looked to the side. “Yeah,” he said. “I really hope so.”

4 days before Tsukasa’s birthday, something strange happened. 

Tsukasa was heading to Wonderlands x Showtime’s next practice after school, by himself since Rui had to stop home to grab some robots, and he left after Nene because he had class representative duties. Miya Girls was a farther distance to their new practice spot than Kamiyama was, so Emu always arrived later than everyone else nowadays. As he entered the practice area, a sweet and melodic sound filled the air. Tsukasa stopped to listen, instantly recognizing Nene’s angelic singing voice. 

“To Tsukasa…” she sang softly. 

“What about me?” Tsukasa said, startling Nene who jumped with a squeak. 

“T-Tsukasa!” she stammered, tensing. “Y-you’re here early!” 

“I think everyone else is just here late!” he commented, walking over to Nene. “What were you singing? I mean, I won’t object if you wrote a song about me!” 

“I bet…” Nene murmured, looking away from him. “I-It’s just that… uh…. I found this new musical online, yeah, and there’s a character in it named Tsukasa!” 

Tsukasa’s face brightened. “Really?!? Hahah, what a splendid name choice! What’s it called?” 

Nene’s face reddened slightly. “W-well… it’s—  it’s called… uhm.. The Tale of Tsukasa the Wizard,” she said strangely nervously. 

Tsukasa pulled out his phone to google it, curious to see what it was. Nene noticeably tensed up, grimacing as he powered on his phone. He typed in The Tale of Tsukasa the Wizard, and watched as the results loaded. 

“Oh!” Tsukasa exclaimed.

Nene flinched, shrinking into herself. “W-well…”

“Wow, it looks really interesting!” Tsukasa said, going on the website for it. “This Tsukasa seems a lot different from me, though! Intriguing!”

Nene perked up. “Let me see that,” she said, grabbing Tsukasa’s phone from his hands. She furrowed her eyebrows as she scrolled through the website, letting out a short laugh. “Huh. Wow.” 

“What song from it were you singing?” Tsukasa asked as he took his phone back. 

“I-I’m not sure…” Nene mumbled. “I just heard a bit of it online, and it got stuck in my head.” 

Tsukasa found the musical setlist, and he clicked on a song. Loud music started to play out of his phone. “Was it this one?” It was the opening song, catchy and dedicated to introducing this Tsukasa. Sure enough, the words ‘to Tsukasa’ were sung.

“Y-yes! Yes, it was this one!” Nene confirmed. “It’s good, right?”

“Indeed! Perhaps I could play this at my birthday dinner!”

“You’re… having dinner for your birthday? With your family?” Nene asked, tilting her head slightly. 

“Presumably,” Tsukasa sighed. “I mean, I would love to have a party again like last year, but it’s much too late to plan and execute anything.”

“Yeah, you’re probably right. So, don’t worry about it too hard, okay?” Nene smiled a little bit at him. 

“I suppose,” he said. “Maybe the four of us could go out before that? I’d like to spend the day with you guys, too.”

“Yeah…” Nene muttered, looking like she knew something he didn’t. 

“Hello, you two!” a voice called out. The two turned to see a certain tall, purple-haired boy holding a box full of small drones and other robotic creations. 

“Hi, Rui!” Tsukasa greeted. “Nene was just singing a song from the musical The Tale of Tsukasa the Wizard!” 

“Oh, I love that one! Didn’t know you were a fan, Nene!” Rui commented, carrying his box over to them and setting it down on the floor. “It’s pretty niche, but I think it will one day be a true classic of musical theater! Plus, the lighting design and effects are all spectacular! Honestly, I would love to see it live so I could study the workings of it!” he gushed. 

“Nerd,” Nene mumbled under her breath. Tsukasa glared at her and she rolled her eyes. Rui winked at her and picked the box back up, carrying it backstage. The two followed him with their eyes, until Nene looked back at Tsukasa. “Just… I do think something good will happen on your birthday,” she said softly. “Don’t worry about it too much, you have a surprising amount of people who actually like you, for some reason.” 

“Jeez, no need to be backhanded…” Tsukasa grumbled. But, then he smiled. Nene was right. There was probably something very special planned for him by the people who loved him, and he couldn’t wait! Saki probably had something nice planned for him, knowing her, and she’d probably bring Toya in to help her. A birthday spent with the two of them would be lovely, but the want of something bigger still nagged at him. Oh well, he would get what he would get and he would be grateful. What else could he really do? 

3 days before his birthday, Rui invited him to his house. 

This wasn’t an uncommon occasion, he went over there for numerous reasons: Wonderlands x Showtime business, homework help, or just wanting to hang out and chat. Today was the first option, however, as the two of them were there to edit and revise the script the troupe was currently performing. Music from The Tale of Tsukasa the Wizard was playing faintly in the background as the boys discussed plot changes, dialogue, and cutting certain scenes. Rui was absentmindedly tinkering with one of his drones as they spoke, screwing things on and then screwing them off and then screwing them back on again. Suddenly, Rui placed down his screwdriver and drone on his desk where he was sitting and went to sit next to Tsukasa on the couch. 

“Say, Tsukasa,” he said. “Have you ever had an interest in any of my robots?”

“I suppose, when you’re not trying to make me do something crazy with one! It’s pretty remarkable how quickly you can make them, and the pure skill you have!” Tsukasa responded.

“Why, thank you, Tsukasa!” Rui smiled slightly. “But anyways, would you ever consider obtaining one?”

“Are you trying to do something weird?” Tsukasa accused, narrowing his eyes. 

“Of course not,” Rui assured. “Well, I suppose it would depend on who you asked. But I just wanted to know, nothing is going to happen.” 

“Hmm…” Tsukasa tapped his chin contemplatively. “I suppose it would be cool, depending on what it was. Like, maybe one that could do my homework while I practice!”

“Tsukasa, you need to do your homework. Remember how you almost failed the year last year?”

Tsukasa cringed. “Hey! I did do my physics homework! I just… didn’t do it correctly.”

“Exactly why you need to do it yourself,” Rui explained. “Other than that, what would be cool to you?” 

Tsukasa thought a little harder. “Oh! Maybe one that could cook me breakfast every morning!”

“That’s a bit more realistic. What if you had an app where you could request the meal you wanted?”

“That’s a splendid idea, Rui!” Tsukasa exclaimed. “You should totally build that!”

“Ehh, perhaps…” Rui contemplated. “But seriously, Tsukasa, what would you consider a good gift? Outside of any device you’d want me to make.”

“Well… it’s probably sold out since it’s in a week, but… Seiichi Amami stars in this upcoming show I heard about, and I’d love to see him live again!” he responded. But, then he scratched the back of his neck and sighed. “Much too expensive, since it’s in a very fancy theater, though, so even if it wasn’t sold out, I’d be unlikely to receive any.”

“Mm. I see. Well, who knows?” Rui said with a small smile. “Sometimes unexpected things happen.”

“I doubt it, unless you’re going to personally buy it for me,” Tsukasa said. “But I suppose it’s a nice thought. Why are you asking, anyways? Any correlation to a certain day coming up soon?” 

“Hmm… I can’t think of any such day…” Rui tapped his chin and stuck out his bottom lip in exaggerated thoughtfulness. “I don’t think there’s anything coming up soon!”

“Really? Not even in three days?” Tsukasa frowned. 

“Nope!” Rui said. “Not even in three days.” 

“Oh…” Tsukasa stared down at his hands. “It’s my birthday, if you were wondering.”

“Oh? That’s right! You don’t have any plans, do you?” Rui asked carefully.

“Not yet. Probably something with my family.” Tsukasa looked back up at Rui. “But one day I would honestly love another party like last year's. It was incredible! I’ll probably remember that day for the rest of my life!” 

Rui giggled. “That’s quite the claim. But, I have the feeling that this year might be just as good, if you will.” 

“What, are you planning someth-”

“Ahhh, Tsukasa, look!” Rui suddenly pointed at something on the floor.

“What is tha- AHHHH!!!!” Tsukasa jumped back as he spotted a small spider on Rui’s floor, crawling towards the couch. Rui crouched down next to it and let it crawl onto his finger, holding it up with a large grin on his face. “Isn’t it so cute, Tsukasa?”
“NO! NOT AT ALL!!” Tsukasa shrieked, moving himself as far away as possible from Rui.

“Hmm. Perhaps I should give you a box full of spiders for your birthday!” Rui pondered, watching the spider crawl over his hand. 

“NO! NEVER!!” Tsukasa wildly shook his head

Rui giggled and then opened the window and placed the spider outside. “Ah, but seriously, I would keep your schedule open three days from now!” he said. Rui was very obviously hinting at something. Perhaps he would actually give something to Tsukasa that wasn’t a weird robot or a box full of spiders? It sent an excited wave of anticipation throughout Tsukasa, causing a faint smile on his face. Now he was really getting excited!

2 days before Tsukasa’s birthday, Saki needed to go shopping.

“Tsukasaaaa! Come with me!” she cried. “You’re free, right?”

“I suppose I am! Where are we going?” Tsukasa asked as he followed Saki out the door. 

“Grocery store! I need more snacks!” Saki announced, heading in the direction of the local grocery store. 

“Really? Didn’t Mom buy some for you a couple days ago?” Tsukasa questioned, following his sister along the sidewalk. 

“I um, brought them to practice and me and the girls ate them all!” she explained, walking a little quicker. 

“Okay..?” Tsukasa could’ve sworn that he had seen her eating some pretzels earlier, but maybe that was something she had gotten on the way home from school and then needed more of now. They reached the store, grabbed a basket to carry their items, and headed for the snack aisle, browsing the different types. 

“Hey, Tsukasa, what snacks would you want?” Saki asked as she compared two different flavors of potato chips.

“Huh? But I thought we were shopping for you! Plus, you know I don’t really snack!” Tsukasa protested. 

Saki pouted. “Well, I thought it would be fun to get some for you too! Isn’t it nice to try new foods?” 

“I suppose it is! A world future star should have a wide palette of tastes!” Tsukasa exclaimed, grabbing some onion flavored chips off the shelf. “Do you think we could get some celery too?”

“Sure! Whatever you want, big bro!” Saki said, noticeably not taking anything off the shelf herself. Oh well, she would probably get her own stuff later. Tsukasa wandered the store, looking for the produce aisle where he found precut celery, alongside some tasty looking baby carrots. As he picked out his vegetables, he tried to ignore the call inside him to look at the candy aisle, where his true favorites lay. He would not be getting any sticky sweet yet delicious gummies, he would be getting crackers! 

…

But maybe just a few sweets wouldn’t hurt, right? It was his birthday soon anyway, so he could treat himself! Cautiously looking side to side to make sure nobody was paying attention to him, Tsukasa held the crackers in place under his arm as he slowly walked towards the candy aisle. There, he scanned the area once more to double check that nobody was looking and then grabbed a pack of his favorite fruity gummies. Hopefully it would blend in with Saki’s unhealthy snacks that she had put in, and he could sneakily hide it in his room. No way Tsukasa, the responsible and healthy older brother, would be caught with such a delicious treat! Yet while he was there, it wouldn’t be too much of a harm to pick up the sour hard candy he liked to suck on after practice, right? He walked back towards Saki with his snacks in hand. She was browsing drinks, going between two different flavors of fruit soda. 

“Tsukasa! Do you prefer lemon or peach flavor?” she asked, turning to look at him. Tsukasa placed the items into the basket on her arm and turned to look. 

“Lemon. Why are you asking me? I don’t drink this stuff that often.”

“Just in case! Remember what you said?” She placed the lemon soda into the basket. “Ooh, I love that one!” she said, picking up the gummies.

“Ah- th-that's why I got them! For you! Yes, my dear sister deserves all the treats in the world! Ha hahahaha!!!!” Tsukasa claimed, glancing away nervously. 

“Ehh? Why are you making up such a weird lie? It’s no big deal if you buy candy, you know?” Saki tipped her head in confusion. 

“Shh! It is, though!” Tsukasa whispered loudly. “I need to stay fit and healthy to be at maximum capability for my shows!” 

“You don’t have another one for the next couple of weeks,” Saki argued. “And plus, it’s your birthday soon! You can treat yourself!” 

“I… suppose that’s true…” Tsukasa grumbled. The two of them picked up a few more snacks along the way, like some pretzels and some vinegar potato chips. 

When they reached the counter, Tsukasa reached for his wallet, but Saki beat him to it. She thrusted the yen at the cashier and then smiled at Tsukasa. “I’m gonna handle it this time!” she announced. 

“Oh! Thanks, Saki!” Tsukasa smiled at her and gathered the bag of their items. They left the store and headed home. When they reached home, Saki’s phone pinged with a notification. She quickly opened it and frantically tapped the screen.

“Who’s texting?” Tsukasa asked, putting away the snacks. 

“Toya,” she said.

“Oh ho! What’s he up to? Did he remember what day it was in two days?” Tsukasa tried to peek over at her phone, but she moved it out of his sight. 

“Um, nope!” she squeaked. “Totally normal stuff!” 

“...Like?” Tsukasa asked, feeling like he was missing something. 

“Like nothing!” She ran up to her bedroom, leaving Tsukasa confused in the kitchen. He shrugged. Oh well, some things weren’t his business. As he went back to putting away the snacks, Tsukasa noticed that Saki hadn’t really picked out anything for herself, despite wanting to go to the store to get snacks for herself. What was that all about? Why would she lie about the reason she wanted to go to the store? Thinking back on it now, all of his friends had been acting strangely the past few days. What was really going on? There was something they weren’t telling him, and he was getting sick of being in the dark! Toya must know because Saki was being so suspicious of how she texted him, so tomorrow he would ask him! 

1 day before Tsukasa’s birthday, he went to talk to Toya. 

“TOYAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!” Tsukasa screamed, running towards his childhood friend. School had just ended, and Toya was chatting with his singing partner/best friend Akito. Akito’s face soured as soon as Tsukasa ran up to them, but what Tsukasa really noticed was how strangely nervous Toya looked. 

“Hello, Tsukasa,” Toya said. “I was actually just about to look for you.”

“Oh really? What a coincidence! What did you want me for?” Tsukasa asked, immediately forgetting his original plan. 

“I want to spend time with you today. We have no singing practice, and the two of us haven’t been together in quite a while. Do you mind?” Toya asked.

“OF COURSE NOT!!” I love hanging out with you, Toya!” Tsukasa exclaimed, a smile lighting up on his face. 

“Alright, you two have a ball. I’m gonna… find someone else.” Akito grumbled, shuffling away. Tsukasa and Toya walked out of school grounds, in no particular direction. Suddenly, Rui ran past them, holding a large box, streamers spilling out the side. 

“HI RUI!!” Tsukasa shouted, waving at his purple-haired friend.

“Tsukasa! Look over here!” Toya suddenly pulled his arm so he was going in the opposite direction of Rui. 

“Toya! What was that for?” Tsukasa complained as Toya physically dragged him away from Rui. 

“I want to get coffee, and the coffee shop is this way,” Toya explained, glancing away from Tsukasa nervously. 

“Okay?” Tsukasa couldn’t think of any coffee shops in this direction, but Toya was the coffee fan, not him. Toya finally let go of his arm and the two continued in that direction. Tsukasa couldn’t help but smile as he saw Phoenix Wonderland approach in the distance, feeling nostalgic for the days when his troupe used to perform there. Suddenly, Emu ran straight into him, holding a box of balloons. 

“OWCH!” she cried. “I’m so sorry!” 

“It’s okay, Emu!” Tsukasa said, helping her up. 

“WAIT, TSUKASA?! OH NO!” she shrieked, quickly gathering her balloons and running into the park as fast as possible.

“Wait- Emu!” Tsukasa called after her, but she was already gone. He turned back to Toya. “That was strange, wasn’t it?”

“I have no idea,” Toya said, fidgeting. 

“I suppose it’s probably nothing. Oh well, let’s go, Toya!” The boys continued towards the coffee shop. Eventually, they reached it and went to the counter to order. 

“Black coffee, please.” Toya ordered.

“I’ll have a mocha latte, please!” Tsukasa added, because tomorrow was his birthday and why shouldn’t he treat himself? Saki was totally right yesterday!

The boys paid for their drinks, and sat down.

“So,” Tsukasa said. “You’re free tomorrow, right?”

“Hm, I think so,” Toya responded. “It’s your birthday, so I think my teammates will understand.”

“Yes! Thanks for actually remembering!” Tsukasa exclaimed. “Rui and Emu totally forgot!” 

“Oh, I’m sure they didn’t,” Toya responded. 

“Well, I’m about 40% certain Rui was messing with me,” Tsukasa amended. “But still! I don’t even know what I’m going to do tomorrow! I don’t want to sound self centered, but I really enjoyed last year’s party with everyone. I haven’t had the time to plan anything, though, so I’ve just kind of been hoping that they would do it for me. I know they’re not mind readers, so it’s totally fine if nothing happens and we just have a fun and spontaneous day tomorrow, but I don’t know…” Tsukasa sighed, oblivious to Toya’s panicked expression. “Don’t mind me, Toya. Being with the people I care about would be plenty for me tomorrow, nothing fancy needed.” 

“Well… Tsukasa…” Toya started, but he was interrupted by their drinks being brought over. 

“Thank you!” the boys said in unison. They drank in silence, both enjoying the flavors of their drinks that they knew the other wouldn’t like at all. Afterwards, they got up to leave. 

Toya checked his phone, and then smiled at Tsukasa. “Thank you for getting coffee with me. Now, do you want to browse at a bookstore?”

“Hm! I suppose that could potentially be a splendid way to get show ideas! Alright, why not!” Tsukasa agreed. They left the coffee shop and headed east, Toya leading the way once again. Suddenly, Nene came by, talking on the phone to somebody. 

“Well, it would be awesome if you could pick it up, Tenma,” she said, not aware of Tsukasa and Toya. “Emu really needs it. It’s so big that she completely underestimated how many packs she needs!”

“Nene?” Tsukasa said.

Nene shrieked and flinched. “Ts-Tsukasa!” she gasped. “You- you didn’t hear that did you?”

“I did! Is Emu making something?” he said.

“N-no!” she squealed, her voice high from panic. She quickly ran away, not paying attention to Tsukasa calling after her. 

Tsukasa sighed. “Why does this keep happening?”

“Ignore it, Tsukasa,” Toya comforted. “Come, we’re almost there.”

The two walked and chatted and about ten minutes later, they reached the bookstore. The boys went into the mystery section, where Toya browsed new releases and Tsukasa read blurbs on the back of the books, ideas coming to him. Emu would love this one! Rui would have the best effects with that one! Nene could totally pull this role off! He himself would-

“Tsukasa, I’m all done,” Toya said, tapping his shoulder. Tsukasa startled but then nodded. “Alright, let’s go!” They went to check out, and Toya bought his books while Tsukasa waited. 

“Thank you for coming with me today, Tsukasa,” Toya said with a small smile. “I had a good time.”

“Ha hahaha! Anytime, Toya! Anytime!” Tsukasa slapped his back heartily. “See you at school!” 

“See you,” Toya said, waving goodbye as he walked in the direction of his house. That really had been fun, but Tsukasa couldn’t help but think back to all the run-ins. How strange was that? Not really knowing why, Tsukasa started to get excited. Something good was going to happen soon, he could feel it!

On Tsukasa’s birthday, the day started like any other.

He woke up, got changed, and headed downstairs for school. 

“Happy birthday, baby!” his mother said, coming over to him and giving him a tight squeeze. 

“Thanks Mom! Do we have anything going on tonight?” he asked, returning the hug.

His mother winked at him. “You’ll see!” she said. “But I also bought the ingredients for ginger fried pork tonight!”

“Awesome! Thanks a ton, Mom!” Tsukasa said as he headed for the door to go to  school. Saki ran down from her room, clearly just gotten up. The siblings parted ways, Tsukasa headed towards Kamiyama High, thinking about what his mother said. So something was planned? It could just be a cake, but memories of his friends resurfaced in his mind. Could they be planning something…? 

Excitement rose inside Tsukasa, and he had an extra pep in his step on the way to school. When he reached his classroom, he was surprised to see Rui already there.

“Good morning, Tsukasa. Happy birthday!” he said with a smile. 

Tsukasa beamed back. “Thank you! Ha hahaha! I have a feeling today will be spectacular!”

“Hehe, I bet it will be!” Rui replied, looking a bit mischievous. 

The school day crawled forward at a snail’s pace, with Tsukasa anxiously waiting for the end of the day. Finally, it was time. Tsukasa ran out of the classroom with Rui on his tail, heading for the school gates.

“Oh, Tsukasa, I have something for you,” Rui said, pulling an envelope out of his bag with a wink. Then, he took off. 

Tsukasa opened the envelope, and took out a picture of PXL. 

“What’s this..?” he murmured. He flipped it over and saw writing on the back. “Tell the mascot you’re looking for TBF,” he read aloud. “What?”

Then, he shrugged. It must be something really cool! Perhaps Emu was going to show him a brand-new attraction and let him ride it first? Tsukasa headed for PXL, trying to walk as slow as possible to build up his anticipation. When he arrived, a mascot was waiting outside of the gates, surrounded by visitors.

“Mr. Tenma,” the mascot said in his deep voice. 

“Where’s TBF?” Tsukasa asked. 

“Come with me, sir.” The mascot led Tsukasa through the crowd and into PXL. He led him through the park, and towards a path near the back. Tsukasa immediately knew where he was going, and a smile started to form on his face. No better place, huh? The two walked down the path towards the Wonder Stage, past the sign that said it was closed today. When they arrived, nobody was there. 

“So, where is-” Tsukasa stopped when he turned to look at the mascot, but suddenly realized he wasn’t there anymore. “Hello? Anyone?” He looked around, but the air was still and silent. Tsukasa walked towards the stage, a feeling of unease settling over him. He had never seen the Wonder Stage so lifeless before. 

“Guys…?” Tsukasa said weakly. 

“SURPRISE!” multiple voices called out, jumping out from backstage. All of his friends were there: Wonderlands x Showtime, Saki, and Toya. Confetti launched from a cannon all over the place. 

“GUYS!!” Tsukasa exclaimed loudly. “OH MY GOD!” 

“Happy birthday, Tsukasa!” Saki shouted. 

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” Emu squealed, jumping off the stage and tackling him.

“Emu!” Nene scolded, but then she helped him up and smiled. “Happy birthday.”

“Happy birthday, Tsukasa! Thanks for taking so long to get here!” Rui said.

“Happy birthday,” Toya said with a warm smile. 

“You- YOU GUYS!!!” Tsukasa shouted, tears starting to form in his eyes. “YOU DIDN’T HAVE TO DO ALL THIS!” 

“We wanted to, though!” Emu said. “Here! It’s WonderShow’s gift to you!” She pulled out another envelope. Tsukasa opened it and-

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!” Tsukasa screamed so loud that nearby birds flew off of trees. “YOU DIDN’T!”

“Hehehehe! We did!” Emu giggled. Inside were four tickets to see the show that Seiichi Amami was set to star in. The tears started flowing much more freely down Tsukasa’s face as he pulled Emu into a bone-crushing hug. “I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!” 

“We all piled our money together to buy them!” Rui explained, coming down to insert himself and Nene into the hug as well. 

“It was really expensive… this better be good,” Nene grumbled, but she had a smile on her face. 

Next, Saki presented Tsukasa with a wrapped box. Inside was a book about different ways to help actors gain a better understanding of their characters. 

“I know you struggle with this, so I thought this would be perfect for you!” she explained.

“It is! Thank you so much, Saki!” He wrapped her into a hug as well. Finally, Toya held out a box of his own. Inside was a new watch, and a fairly nice one too. 

“Oh my God!” Tsukasa breathed, inspecting it. “Toya, you did not have to go this far! It’s awesome!”

Toya didn’t respond, he simply smiled at Tsukasa as he put it on. 

“You guys all set this up for me?” Tsukasa asked. 

“Mhm! Everyone was fishing for what we needed from you, and Toya was supposed to distract you yesterday so we could set up!” Saki announced. “It’s the least we can do for you!” 

Tsukasa couldn’t help it: he burst into tears again. “I feel like the luckiest guy alive!” he sobbed. “And here I was, thinking you guys forgot!” 

“How could we?” Nene said. “You wouldn’t stop dropping hints all month.” 

Emu went backstage and came back out with a large cake. It was four layers, and covered in vanilla frosting and rainbow sprinkles, with chocolate stars scattered across it. Candles flickered on top. “I made this for you! Make a wish, Tsukasa!” she exclaimed. Tsukasa blew out the candles and smiled. Saki gathered plates and utensils, handing Tsukasa a knife so he could take the first slice. He cut a slice for himself, marveling at the strawberry jam that was thick between layers. He took a bite and audibly moaned. It was delicious, moist and dense and perfectly zesty lemon flavored. 

“Jeez, is it that good?” Nene questioned, cutting a slice for herself. She took a bite and her eyes widened. Everyone started taking slices, and Saki brought out bowls with all the snacks Tsukasa had picked out the other day. Rui frowned at the celery and carrots and opted for the gummies instead. The party was a blast! Everyone was chatting and laughing, and at one point Rui fired the confetti cannon again and they made a game out of who could catch the most confetti as it fell to the ground, which Emu and Tsukasa competed extensively for. The party ended when the sun set, and everyone had to go home, everyone working together to clean up. 

“Thank you all so much, everyone! I couldn’t ask for better friends, and a better birthday!” Tsukasa cried after they had finished, squeezing everyone into a hug one by one. 

“Hehe! Think of it as repayment for all the awesome things you do for everyone!” Saki said. “Now, let's get home; Mom’s making ginger fried pork!”