kscans

Chapter 92 - Shinonome Rena

I messed up… A huge, terrible mistake.

I never told Hayate my birthday.

If I had just told him, he surely would have celebrated it with me. I bet he would have prepared a present and everything.

I am the daughter of the head of the Shinonome Group. Most things are within my reach if I desire them. But that's not the point.

What's important is that Hayate would choose something for me. If he chose it for me, even a pebble from the side of the road would become a treasure. I would cherish it for the rest of my life.

And yet… Ugh, I'm such an idiot.

Should I tell him now? But that feels wrong somehow.

Putting my favorite, Hayate, in a tough spot by making him say, ‘I haven't prepared anything!’, is an absolute no-go. That is my pride as a Hayate fan.

If he had known, he would have prepared all sorts of things. That's precisely why I can't tell him that today is actually my birthday.

"It's fine. Let's go to the dungeon!"

I tried my best to act cheerful, but maybe Hayate noticed something was off.

───

After that, I went to tell Father that I was going to a dungeon clear.

Since today is my birthday, a celebratory banquet has been prepared. It doesn't start until the evening, but I need to get my hair done and other things beforehand, which takes time.

I needed to ask him to postpone all of that.

"…I see. You didn't tell Hayate-kun about your birthday."

"No. But telling him now would only trouble him, so I'll just pretend I was planning a surprise party for him all along by not telling him."

I was starting to think, maybe I could blame Hayate a little for not knowing my birthday, and make him sleeping next to me tonight the present.

I think that could work.

If I think of it that way, then clearing a dungeon with my favorite on my birthday becomes the best present ever.

…Wait a minute. I get to be with my favorite during the day, in the evening, and at night.

Isn't this the most perfect day ever?

Ah, no. I can't stop smiling.

"W-what is it, Rena. You have a terrible expression on your face, are you feeling unwell?"

"No, I'm fine."

I have to maintain my composure. I focused on keeping a straight face so the corners of my mouth wouldn't turn up.

I have to make it seem like Hayate was at fault, or I won't be able to demand that he sleep next to me.

I mean, my birthday is trending on social media, so why doesn't he know!? He really has nothing but the four-sword style on his mind!

But well, I fell in love with Hayate, including his oblivious side when it comes to things he's not interested in, so I guess it can't be helped.

"I will definitely be back by the evening."

"…I see, understood. Guests from overseas will be attending tonight's celebration. So please wrap up your dungeon clear early. And of course, safety first."

"Okay."

At my birthday party today, Mulan-san, the Thai songstress, and Mary-san, the Hollywood actress, whom Hayate and I rescued in the past, will be coming. I'm looking forward to seeing them again after so long.

Not attending is not an option. I'm the main star, after all.

Since we're clearing a Grade 3 dungeon today, with our current equipment, we can clear it in five hours even with breaks.

"Well then, I'm off."

"Take care."

───

When I thought about how I could be with my favorite, Hayate, on my birthday, I couldn't stop smiling.

Hayate is right next to me. His profile is so handsome.

I was able to safely welcome my sixteenth birthday today because Hayate came to rescue me when I was turned into a trophy. I engraved it in my heart once more what a wonderful thing it is to be able to clear a dungeon with him like this.

I was trying so hard to keep a straight face that I forgot about our call-and-response strategy.

I wonder if Hayate is mad?

For some reason, I felt that Hayate was praising me less than usual today.

Even though I'm trying pretty hard. I wonder if he'll pat my head…

Well, it's fine. Because tonight, as punishment for not knowing my birthday, Hayate has been sentenced to become my hug pillow.

As I was thinking about that, we arrived at the final boss's room in no time.

He didn't praise me much, but the Air Crystal here is a particularly bad matchup for Hayate. So this was my chance to shine! Or so I thought.

"Today, for you, Rena, I'm going to take that thing down in one hit."

Hey, wait. What does that mean?

You said you came here because there was an item you wanted, right?

Why is it for me now?

"You said you wanted the ‘Necklace of the Blue Sky’ on a stream before, didn't you?"

I didn't understand his intention, but just as Hayate said, I did want the necklace called the "Necklace of the Blue Sky". It was a rare piece of equipment that increased an archer's attack and defense power.

Back when FWO was a game, you could get equipment from the Blue Sky series at a low probability when you defeated the Air Crystal. Among the Blue Sky series, the necklace was especially rare and never appeared on the Market. You can't buy what's not on the market, no matter how much money you have.

There were even rumors that it had a special acquisition method.

In the end, the Necklace of the Blue Sky was thought to be an item whose specs were known from the item list, but that no one actually possessed as equipment.

And that legendary item…

"Here. This is for you, Rena."

Hayate handed it to me.

A deep, sky-blue necklace. It was so beautiful.

After using Fighting Spirit Release, Hayate had stacked every possible buff, switched weapons to add an attack power modifier, and on top of that, he had slammed the Air Crystal with the skill that had the highest damage multiplier currently available to the four-sword style.

He had sliced the enemy in two, right through the sturdy shield protecting its main body.

That's impossible.

The Air Crystal flies in an irregular orbit. Not only did he hit such an enemy with the most difficult skill to land, but he had apparently aimed for its weak point. He said he had to do that much to defeat it in one hit.

But this is reality, you know?

If you miss your attack and get hit by a counterattack, there's a chance you could die, you know?

I had been wondering why he would do something so risky. But the reason was, apparently, to give me the Necklace of the Blue Sky.

"I thought you wanted this."

"No. I came here today to give it to you, Rena. Man, I'm glad I managed the one-shot, and that the specs haven't changed from the game."

Hayate had a look of deep satisfaction, just like when he cleared a high-difficulty quest in FWO.

"Rena, happy birthday."

I couldn't believe my ears. Hayate said, to me, happy birthday.

"W-what, why? But you weren't supposed to know."

"Actually, Todo-san told me last month."

…I see. So that's what happened.

That means Father must also know that Hayate knows my birthday.

They got me.

"Who planned the surprise? It wasn't you, was it, Hayate?"

"N-no. It was with the advice of a certain person."

It was probably Aina. She knows what makes me happy better than anyone.

This is just too perfect.

My favorite, Hayate, celebrated my birthday. He gave me the equipment I wanted as a present.

He made me think he didn't know it was my birthday, but he did something incredibly difficult for me to get that equipment.

This strategy of bringing me down just to lift me up is unfair.

I thought I couldn't possibly love Hayate any more than I already did, and yet he goes and makes me fall for him even more…

"Hayate, put this on me."

I handed him the Necklace of the Blue Sky.

We've defeated the boss, so the forced stream should be off now.

"Yeah. Okay."

Hayate's hands went behind my neck. He was so close.

He's so handsome. I'm so happy right now.

"Ah, huh?"

Hayate doesn't seem to wear necklaces in real life, so he was fumbling a bit.

Even his troubled look, his serious expression, is wonderful.

"Okay, done!"

"Thank you."

This is the best birthday present ever.

As he finished putting on the necklace and started to pull away, I wrapped my arms around his neck to keep him from escaping.

This is my thank you.

"Hayate, I love you."

I kissed Hayate, who was surprised by my actions.