Sunday dawned bright and clear, the perfect day for a celebration. Today was Minori's birthday, and she had been planning this event for weeks. As one of the most outgoing and popular people in the office, Minori's parties were legendary, filled with laughter, games, and more than a few unexpected surprises. I was looking forward to it, especially after the emotional roller coaster of the past few days.
I arrived at Minori's place around noon, the vibrant decorations visible from a distance. She had transformed her spacious apartment into a festive wonderland, with colourful streamers, balloons, and a large banner that read "Happy Birthday Minori!" The smell of delicious food wafted through the air, making my stomach rumble in anticipation.
"Kei! You made it!" Minori exclaimed as she greeted me at the door, a wide smile on her face.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," I replied, handing her a small gift. "Happy Birthday, Minori."
"Thanks! Come on in. The party's just getting started."
As I stepped inside, I was greeted by a wave of friendly faces. Hirose was already there, chatting animatedly with a group of colleagues. I made my way over to join them, exchanging pleasantries and catching up.
Just as I was settling in, I heard a familiar voice behind me. "Kei!"
I turned around to see Akari, looking equally surprised and delighted to see me. "Akari! What are you doing here?"
"I could ask you the same thing," she said with a laugh. "I thought you didn't like social events."
"Yeah, we've known each other for a while so I felt like I had to come," I explained, rubbing my head. "I didn't expect to see you here either, especially since you only just met her on Friday."
"Minori works fast," Akari said, shaking her head in amusement. "She insisted I come."
"I'm glad she did," I replied, genuinely pleased to see her.
The party was in full swing, and Minori, ever the social butterfly, made sure everyone was involved in the activities. We started with some ice-breaker games, which quickly dissolved into fits of laughter and friendly teasing. One game involved pairing up and trying to pop balloons between our bodies without using our hands. Hirose and I ended up paired together, and the sight of us awkwardly bouncing around trying to pop the balloon had everyone in stitches.
After the games, Minori brought out a karaoke machine, and the real fun began. Hirose, always the entertainer, belted out an enthusiastic (if slightly off-key) rendition of a popular J-pop song. The crowd cheered him on, and he hammed it up, dancing around and striking ridiculous poses.
"Your turn, Kei," Minori called out, shoving the microphone into my hand.
I groaned. "You know I can't sing."
"That's never stopped you before!" Hirose shouted, earning a round of applause from everyone.
Reluctantly, I picked a song and did my best, my voice wavering and cracking. To my surprise, Akari joined me halfway through, turning my solo into a duet. Her voice was sweet and clear, and together we managed to make it through the song without too many mishaps. The room erupted in applause, and I couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.
"Not bad, Kei," Akari teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
"You saved me," I admitted, grateful for her intervention.
As the afternoon wore on, the activities became more relaxed. We played some classic party games like charades and Pictionary, each round filled with hilarious guesses and dramatic acting. At one point, Minori had to act out a famous movie scene, and her exaggerated gestures had everyone in stitches.
"You're quite the actress, Minori," I said, wiping tears of laughter from my eyes.
"Don't quit your day job," Hirose added, earning a playful swat from Minori.
As the sun began to set, Minori announced that it was time for cake. She brought out a large, beautifully decorated cake, and we all gathered around to sing "Happy Birthday." Minori made a wish and blew out the candles, her face glowing with happiness.
"Thank you, everyone," she said, cutting the cake and passing slices around. "This has been the best birthday ever."
With cake in hand, we moved to the living room, where Minori had set up a photo booth with props and costumes. We took turns donning silly hats, oversized glasses, and feather boas, snapping pictures and creating memories. Hirose somehow managed to get his hands on a clown wig and a rubber chicken, much to everyone's amusement.
"Okay, everyone, group photo time!" Minori announced, herding us all together.
We crammed into the photo booth, laughing and jostling for space. The resulting picture was a chaotic, joyous mess, capturing the spirit of the day perfectly.
As the evening wound down, people began to trickle out, thanking Minori for a wonderful time. I found myself lingering, not quite ready to leave. Akari seemed to have the same idea, and we ended up helping Minori clean up the remnants of the party.
"Thanks for sticking around to help," Minori said, piling dishes into the sink. "You two are lifesavers."
"No problem," I replied, stacking empty plates. "It was a great party."
"Yeah, I had a lot of fun," Akari added, wiping down the table.
Once the clean-up was done, Minori hugged us both. "You guys are the best. Let's do this again soon."
"Definitely," I agreed.
As we left Minori's apartment, Akari and I walked together towards the train station. The streets were quieter now, the hustle and bustle of the day giving way to the calm of the evening.
"Today was really fun," Akari said, breaking the comfortable silence.
"It was," I agreed. "Minori sure knows how to throw a party."
"Yeah, she does. I'm glad she invited me."
"Me too," I said, smiling at her. "I didn't expect to see you again so soon."
"I'm happy we did," she replied, her eyes meeting mine. "It's nice getting to know you again, Kei."
I felt a warm, fluttering sensation in my chest. "Same here, Akari."
We reached the station, and as we waited for our trains, I couldn't help but feel a bit nervous. "Akari, are you free next Tuesday? We finish work early at lunch time every week at the company.
"Yeah, I'm free, what do you have in mind?" she replied.
"If you don't mind, then let's visit the amusement park!" I asked excitedly. "I've wanted to go there for a while, since it's been so long, but I feel too embarrassed to go by myself as a 30 year old grown man."
*Silence.*
"Pffftt…HAHAHA…Haahha. What are you? A blockhead? Why are you getting embarrassed about that kind of thing?" she burst out laughing as she wiped a tear off her eye. "You haven't changed a single bit."
"W-What's that supposed to mean?" I grumbled.
"Nothing, but sure, let's go to the amusement park together," she answered.
Her train came on time as I waved her goodbye and wished her good night.