₍ᐢ..ᐢ₎ ♡ your boyfriend doesn't celebrate his birthday
Rin never talked about his birthday.
Not because he was trying to keep it a secret.
Birthdays meant attention. Messages from people he barely spoke to. Pointless celebrations. A reminder that another year had passed and he still wasn't where he wanted to be.
Every year after Sae came back from Spain.
And because Rin never brought it up, nobody else did either.
You found out by accident.
You were sitting beside him on the couch one afternoon while he was scrolling through something on his phone.
You weren't paying attention at first.
Then a date caught your eye.
He looked down at the screen.
“So that means your birthday is next week.”
“And you weren't going to tell me?”
Rin looked genuinely confused.
“Because that's a normal thing people tell their girlfriend.”
“Didn't think it mattered.”
The conversation should have ended there.
Because for the next week, the fact that Rin apparently intended to spend his birthday pretending it didn't exist bothered you more than it should have.
The night before his birthday, you texted him.
Don't make plans tomorrow.
A reply arrived thirty seconds later.
The message made your heart squeeze.
Not because of what he said.
But because of how he said it.
As though he genuinely hadn't expected anyone to.
Of course I remembered, idiot.
The next morning, Rin woke up to twenty-three unread messages.
Most were from teammates.
Some were from people he barely knew.
It was simply a picture of a badly edited birthday hat pasted onto his head.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY LICKY RIN 🎉🥹🥹
Then immediately saved the image.
Not that he would ever tell you that.
By noon, you were standing outside his apartment carrying two bags and looking entirely too pleased with yourself.
The second he opened the door, you grinned.
Rin immediately looked annoyed.
You slipped inside before he could.
“This is exactly why I don't celebrate.”
“You don't celebrate because you're allergic to joy.”
“I'm not allergic to joy.”
“You looked offended when a puppy approached you once.”
“It knew what it was doing.”
You laughed so hard you nearly dropped one of the bags.
Rin hated how hearing that laugh instantly improved his mood.
Unlike what he expected, there weren't decorations covering every wall.
You had brought lunch from his favorite restaurant.
And a movie you'd been trying to convince him to watch for weeks.
You stared at him like he'd asked the dumbest question imaginable.
“Because it's your birthday.”
“…That's not really an answer.”
You sat down across from him.
For a second, your expression softened.
“You spend every day working harder than everyone else.”
“You don't really let people take care of you.”
“You don't have to make that face. You know it's true.”
“You deserve at least one nice day,” you said. “That's all.”
Something uncomfortable settled in his chest.
Rin wasn't used to people doing things for him simply because they wanted to.
Without expecting something back.
Without asking for anything.
You just wanted him to have a good day.
The realization made it difficult to look at you for too long.
The afternoon passed surprisingly quickly.
Played a game that ended with you accusing him of cheating.
“I literally followed the rules.”
“No normal person wins by that much.”
“Sounds like a skill issue.”
A tiny smile appeared on Rin's face.
You pointed at him dramatically.
“You're getting sassy in your old age.”
“Ancient, your turning into unc.”
Rin ended up throwing a pillow at your face.
By evening, only the cake remained.
A single candle flickered on top.
“It's literally tradition.”
“I don't care about tradition.”
You pushed the cake closer.
You immediately started cheering.
Rin regretted everything.
Later, after the cake had been eaten and the dishes had been cleaned, you handed him a small wrapped box.
Inside was a photo frame.
For a second, he frowned.
It was a picture of the two of you.
The stupid joke you'd made.
The way his stomach had hurt from laughing harder than he meant to.
For several moments, he said nothing.
“If you don't like it, I can get something else—“
Rin ran his thumb across the edge of the frame.
Yet somehow it felt more valuable than anything expensive you could have bought.
Because it captured something he rarely allowed himself to have.
A memory he didn't want to lose.
“Did you just say thank you? Willingly?”
“That was once in a blue moon,” you said. “I'm framing this moment.”
The sun had long since set when you finally stood to leave.
Rin walked you to the door.
Something warm settled in his chest again.
The same feeling he'd been ignoring all day.
The feeling that maybe this day had mattered more than he wanted to admit.
Because it wasn't really about celebrating his birthday.
It was about being with you.
About someone remembering.
Someone choosing to spend their entire day making him smile, even if he'd deny smiling until his dying breath.
Before you could leave, Rin reached for your wrist.
For a moment, he hesitated.
Then he leaned down and pressed a kiss against your forehead.
When he pulled back, your face was completely red.
“Thanks,” he said quietly.
Your expression softened.
And suddenly every hour you’d spent planning the day felt worth it.
As you walked away, Rin closed the door and looked toward the photo frame sitting on the table.
For the first time in years, he didn't think celebrating his birthday had been a waste of a day.
And for the first time in years, he found himself wondering what next year's would be like.
As long as you were there, he thought, he probably wouldn't mind celebrating it.