A sweet surprise

Sam woke up to the sound of his alarm buzzing softly, signaling the start of another ordinary day—or so he thought. He let out a tired sigh, stretching his arms before dragging himself out of bed. His morning routine was as usual—he took a quick shower, dried his hair lazily, and grabbed his phone to check the time.

As he unlocked the screen, his eyes landed on the date.

February 5th.

For a brief moment, he stared at it before the realization hit him.

"Ah… it's my birthday."

He blinked, feeling strangely indifferent about it. It wasn't that he hated birthdays, but after years of treating it like just another day, it had lost its charm. No grand celebrations, no big surprises—just a few generic messages from classmates and maybe his parents reminding him they'd call later.

"Not like anyone else would care anyway," he thought with a shrug.

Just as he was about to put his phone away, it buzzed with an incoming call. He raised an eyebrow at the caller ID.

Mahiru.

That was unexpected.

"Hello?" he answered, his voice still groggy from just waking up.

"Sam!" Mahiru's voice rang cheerfully through the phone. "Are you free? Meet me at the riverside in the evening!"

Sam's heartbeat quickened just slightly. "The riverside? Uh… sure, I guess. Why all of a sudden?"

Mahiru giggled. "No reason! Just come, okay?"

The call ended before he could ask more. Sam sat there for a moment, staring at his phone.

"Does she… know it's my birthday?" he wondered, the thought lingering for a second.

But then, he shook his head, chuckling to himself. "Nah, no way. She doesn't even know my birth date. She probably just wants to hang out."

Still, he couldn't ignore the tiny flicker of curiosity growing inside him as he got dressed and headed out.

---

When Sam arrived at the riverside, the peaceful breeze brushed against his skin. The sun was beginning to set, painting the sky in soft shades of orange and pink. His eyes quickly spotted Mahiru sitting on a bench, gazing at the river with a small, content smile.

She looked up as he approached and waved. "Hey!"

"Hey," Sam greeted back, taking a seat beside her. "So, what's up?"

Before Mahiru could respond, a loud voice rang out from behind him.

"Surprise!!!"

Before Sam could react, Anna suddenly jumped out from behind a tree, holding a small cake with lit candles. Mahiru smiled beside him, and together, both girls spoke in unison—

"Happy birthday, Sam!"

Sam's breath caught in his throat. His eyes widened as he looked at the cake, then at the two grinning girls in front of him.

"You… you guys…" He blinked, feeling an unexpected warmth spread in his chest. "You actually remembered?"

"Of course we did!" Mahiru said with a giggle.

Anna smirked. "I mean, I am your sister. If I forgot, that'd be a crime."

"But Mahiru…" Sam turned to her, his voice softer. "I never even told you my birthday."

Mahiru smiled, tilting her head. "I may not have known at first, but someone made sure I found out," she said, shooting a knowing glance at Anna.

Anna crossed her arms proudly. "You should be thanking me, big bro."

Sam let out a short laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. "I… I don't know what to say."

Mahiru nudged him playfully. "You can start by making a wish and blowing out the candles."

Sam looked at the small cake—nothing extravagant, but something about it felt so personal, so heartfelt. He closed his eyes for a moment, making a wish before blowing out the candles.

As the flames disappeared, he opened his eyes to see both Mahiru and Anna watching him expectantly.

"Well?" Anna asked. "How do you feel?"

Sam let out a deep breath before smiling—genuinely smiling.

"...Happy," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper. "I feel… really happy."

Mahiru's eyes softened, and Anna gave a small nod of approval.

They spent the next few moments enjoying the cake together, sharing laughter and playful banter. Sam couldn't stop smiling, even when he tried.

For the first time in a long while, his birthday didn't feel lonely.

And for that, he was truly grateful.

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