Chapter 17

Chapter XXXIX: Many Happy Returns A fresh winter wind swirls in the air on top of the hill. Kota goes to the shrine for thanksgiving as he reaches another step in his life. Going down the steps, he runs into Enmei."Yow, Happy Birthday!" (Enmei)"Aww, thanks dude" (Kota) Enmei reaches into his bag and pulls out a sword, made of wood which is for cosplays and hands it to him."Aww, another one. Thanks!" (Kota)"You're welcome. Btw, how old are you now?" (Enmei)"I'm actually 17 now" (Kota)"Oh, that's makes me still older than you dude" (Enmei) They then go home. As they reach his home, he feels that there is something off with the place. When he opens the door, he finds an eerie silhouette. He closes the door and as he opens it again, the silhouette draws closer so he closes it again."Wait, let me try", says Enmei as he steps forward. He opens the door but the silhouette is not there anymore. He pushes him in front."HEY! What are you doing?!" (Kota)"I'm scared and it's your house, deal with your paranormal" (Enmei) The silhouette the slowly slides and a terrified Kota breathes heavily. The lights turn on and a confetti erupts."HAPPY BIRTHDAY!", Asahi, Tengen, Enmei, Gin, and his parents exclaim. A petrified Kota just stands there while the others are trying to him back to earth. Going to the living room, Asahi and Enmei prepares the TV for karaoke while the snacks are prepared by Kota's parents. The doorbell then rings so Kota gets it. He opens the door and it turns to be Masashi."Eyy, glad you came" (Kota)"Well, I can't say no to my best friends' calling. Friends are friends even though we're in different schools now. Besides, this will serve as a reunion" (Masashi) The TV is all set and Asahi prepares to sing Happy Birthday. Kota smiles but inside, he is actually horrified. He then goes into a flashback. Kota smiles but inside, he is actually horrified. He then goes into a flashback. When they were in the 1st year of their junior high school, Asahi was a good singer. Very good in fact that his voice was high as an angel's. There was one time that Kota mistakenly thought that his voice was Hanako's in a recording. However, through the years, his voice underwent some drastic evolution and become very scarce and scoff. Back to the present, he gets some corks and plugs them into his ears invisibly. As Asahi sings, the gang also joins in but a bit irritated. When he finishes, they clap and Kota remarks to himself,"Glad there were these corks. My ears would be bleeding if not for them! It's just like the student council president from First One Who Confesses, Loses the Game! who sang like a sea cucumber" Tengen then gets another mic and challenges Asahi in a singing-duel. Asahi complies so they start off nice and easy. But as soon they get to the rapping part, the music goes up and down and some, left and right like the famous rhythm game. After that, they go for lunch which different varieties of food are served. Enmei raises up his glass and toasts to Kota for another milestone in his life and he also wishes him more blessings and success. They all raise their glasses and toast as well. Since there will be class the day after and they have many requirements to pass, Kota requests a study session in the afternoon. He then distributes pieces of paper since they don't have one. Although they are on the topics of speeches, Masashi asks,"Do you guys know about the ravelin in Intramuros?" Kota knows this but he's in the middle of their group work."Oh, weren't those prominent during the Spanish Empire? Used for an anti-invasion technique?", Gin suddenly asks. The group stops doing their tasks and looks at the two. A sudden realization then brings upon them. Regarding their history, both are very good at religious, warfare, and historical discussions."We don't have any fortress in Japan right?" (Masashi)"What? We do have there's the-" (Gin)"No, I mean Spanish or European ones" (Masashi)"Well of course not. We have our own notable characteristics here which are distinctive from other cultures" (Gin) Masashi nods while Gin continues."Take the Philippines for example, occupied by Spanish rule so their culture is combined with Spanish and native influences" (Masashi)"That my friend, however, some of the colonial cities have those old buildings but were obliterated during WWII, earthquakes, and typhoons. Although most of them stayed intact and preserved, there are at least 30% of the historic structures that are being forgotten and being consumed by nature" (Gin) This then goes on and on until they switch to religion and back to history again. Despite their discussion, the group still focuses on their study while the two elaborate more. As soon as the clock strikes 4pm, they all go home with the exception of Asahi. While Kota cleans up, Asahi tells him about the dream he had back then. The cushions, the artwork on the wall, and the ambiance, all of them are present. Though there is something missing, that would be the mysterious girl at the gate. After realizing, the gate opens. Kota's eyes enlarges and tells Asahi to go check. When he takes a glimpse from the window, he finds a girl in a butterfly-patterned jacket which is synonymous to that of My Sister is a Demon. As he tells him, Kota runs up to the door and sees who it is. He opens it, the girl enters and greets him a happy birthday, hugs him and also gives him a present. As she takes off her hood, she turns out to be Akiko."Sorry I was late, I hope you'll enjoy what I gave you" (Akiko)"It's alright and btw, thank you. I didn't expect you to come to my birthday" (Kota)"Come on it's not like I can just forget about it. My mind might forget but my heart won't" (Akiko)"Aww, you're too kind" (Kota) Asahi looks at his phone and bids farewell as he goes to hang out with a friend."You know, it's my first time coming on your birthday" (Akiko)"Well I thought you already have forgotten" (Kota)"Biz, how would I forget it? You've been a catalyst to my life which actually gave me a good inspiration to carry out my tasks" (Akiko)"That's a sweet thing to say" (Kota)"How old are you right now?" (Akiko)"I'm 17" (Kota)"Oh right, I'm much older than you right""Well that really is the gist" She eat some snacks, thanks him for the meal and goes home. When she was away, Kota opens up the present. He finds three items: The Twins sticker, a miniature painting of the dream, and a small plant where he later identifies it as a hibiscus. In his mind,"It's the first time she gave me something, although she already had though not materially. It's pretty good tho, really iconic, I will treasure it" While riding in the car, Akiko texts him,"I hope you'll have fun <3" On the other hand, a smiling Kota going to sleep, inspired saying,"These gifts are very remarkable, I hope this year will get better"