Haruka, it looks like Shintaro's got a gift bag for you ready to go. Inside are some newly-released games that appear to still be sealed, as well as a couple of keychains in various shapes. Wait, were those keychains Ene's idea? "Happy birthday, Haruka-kun."
does he, now? count haruka nothing short of giddy, then — he’s thankful for the birthdays that have come & gone within these past few years. though he had held certain ones dear to his heart ( the ones with his mother when she had still been alive, the first one had spent with the quartet & sensei, the distant memory he has of spending one as konoha, as in shambles & tattered as that memory is now ) the ones that had followed after these hazy, endless summers had been much more full. he had been losing his memories from when konoha had taken over his body, & day in & day out, that had been a struggle. it was hard to cope with that reality --- reality was a pill that haruka had swallowed, but not without strain --- & the acknowledgement that konoha’s memories weren’t really his. they had been experienced through this body, & something he had watched from an inner view of him, but never truly felt.
still, he had come to appreciate the friends that konoha had made, & his old friends that he had brought back. he had hated konoha because he represented the parts of himself he hated, & yet those around him had come to befriend him --- even love him. for that, he could be thankful. he was thankful for konoha. thankful for the bonds he made. thankful for the memories given to him. thankful that his wish had come true, & his heart had been left a little fuller. there was no further way to express it other than sheer, absolute gratitude.
birthdays like this, spent with those he had held dear to his heart were always wonderful, & really, he felt as if gifts weren’t necessary. but he understood their meaning --- & the fact that shintaro had gone out of his way once more to get him something, even after all of these years, had attested to what a kind person shintaro was. prattle on & on about how shintaro may have been awkward, or kind of a jerk, or what may have suited someone’s mood at the time --- but haruka knew he was nothing short of an amazing person. again & again had shintaro been there for him, & he considered himself lucky to call someone as kind as him his friend, much less his best friend.
although he lacks the spry, energetic energy he had once held in their high school days, he still flashes shintaro that same smile he had always had: warm like the sun, & despite the chill in the air, was more akin to that of summer.
❝ you didn’t have to get me anything, shintaro-kun. ❞ it’s spoken easily, without a single missed beat as he takes the gift bags. the words aren’t spoken in anything too dismissive; appreciation is still thick in his tone, & his eyes alight with wonder as he peeks into the gift bags.
what he sees inside is what causes his eyes to shut in amusement, his smile broadening & a much more hearty laugh following suit.
❝ these are cute! ❞ as if to visualize his point, he fishes out some key chains, snickering at their endearing designs. where did he get the idea of these? where ever it was, their presence holds something dear to his heart --- a lost memory, some recognizable faces, & something about dinosaurs being pretty cool. he’d keep this near & dear to him, & he’d have to buy himself a key ring for them soon. they’re placed gently back into the bag before he fishes out the games next --- those are ones that cause his eyes & mouth to open, & an unknown, ‘oooh’ to escape his mouth, as much as he would think of himself as looking awkward doing so.
❝ a-ah, hey --- weren’t these expensive--?! you didn’t have to spend that much--! ❞ ... a pause, & he snickers as he cracks a smile. ❝ hold on. did you get me these so we could game together again? ❞ he teases, of course, but haruka was no stranger to the gentlest of jabs towards his friends. nothing hurtful, nothing that could make them feel self-conscious, but a little banter here & there never hurt.
( ... you’re way too nice of a guy, shintaro-kun. i really didn’t need this much. all i could ask for us to be still be friends. so thank you for giving me that gift again. )
