Kaede stretched her arms as they left the cinema. Both she and Mirei had barely made it through the horror film, laughing at their messy tear-streaked faces afterward. They were scared out of their minds but enjoyed every second together.
"So, what's next?" Kaede asked, curious about the rest of the day.
Mirei tapped her chin with a playful grin, pretending to be in deep thought. "Hmmm... tell me, why should I tell you?" she teased, her eyes twinkling mischievously.
Kaede laughed, trying to hide her frustration with Mirei's constant teasing. She gave Mirei a light smack on the head, then sprinted off, giggling. "For you, Mirei!"
"Hey!" Mirei called out, trying to keep her cool but clearly annoyed. She started running after Kaede. "Wait, get back here!"
The two of them chased each other down the street, their laughter filling the air. It was refreshing for Kaede to have such a carefree and fun day with her girlfriend, especially on her birthday. They had been so busy with their trainee schedule that days like this felt like a rare treasure.
Eventually, they ended up at an arcade, the bright lights and chaotic sounds pulling them in. Mirei led Kaede from machine to machine, determined to try every single game.
"Let's start with this!" Mirei exclaimed, dragging Kaede over to the Pump It dance machine. Kaede hesitated, knowing she wasn't exactly the best dancer, but she couldn't say no to Mirei's enthusiasm.
They both stepped onto the platform, the beat of the music pounding through the speakers. Mirei took it seriously, trying to hit every step perfectly, while Kaede clumsily missed most of them.
"I thought you'd be better at this!" Mirei teased, barely holding back a smirk.
"I'm not a performer like you," Kaede shot back, sticking her tongue out as the game ended.
Next, they tried the fishing game. Mirei got overly competitive, tugging her fishing rod hard and grunting in frustration when she couldn't catch the biggest fish. Kaede, on the other hand, was calm and collected, managing to reel in a decent catch.
"This is rigged!" Mirei said, slamming her hand down on the machine. Kaede chuckled, finding Mirei's frustration cute.
After that, they moved on to a shooter game. Mirei grabbed the toy gun with determination, her eyes narrowing as she prepared for battle. "Alright, let's see who's the better shot."
The game started, and both of them were fully immersed. Mirei's fierce concentration was a stark contrast to Kaede, who missed half of her shots, laughing at her own lack of coordination.
"You're terrible!" Mirei teased, but Kaede just shrugged.
"I'm here to have fun, not win!" Kaede said, grinning.
They played through a few more machines, moving from a racing game to a silly child's game where they had to shower balls into baskets. Kaede and Mirei chased each other around, pelting each other with soft balls, laughing like kids.
But the highlight of the arcade came when they spotted a doll claw machine. Mirei's eyes immediately lit up when she saw a cute Capybara plushie inside. "I need that!" she declared, her voice filled with determination.
Mirei tried her best to get the plushie, but no matter how carefully she maneuvered the claw, it kept slipping out of its grasp. After several attempts, she groaned in frustration. "This thing is rigged too!"
Kaede, watching from the side, felt a surge of confidence. "Let me try."
Mirei looked skeptical, but she stepped aside, allowing Kaede to take over. With precise movements and a bit of luck, Kaede managed to grab the Capybara and bring it to the prize chute. Mirei's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You… you actually did it!" Mirei exclaimed, her face lighting up with joy. She hugged the plushie to her chest, looking at Kaede with pure admiration. "Thank you, Kaede!"
Kaede smiled, feeling proud of herself. "Anything for you, Mirei."
After their arcade adventure, the two headed to a western restaurant for lunch. They ordered steaks, and Kaede, in her typical clumsy fashion, managed to spill sauce on her shirt.
Mirei snickered, unable to resist teasing. "You're a mess, Kaede."
"I know, I know," Kaede grumbled, trying to wipe it off with a napkin.
Their banter continued as they ate, with Kaede shooting playful glares at Mirei every time she was teased. It felt so natural, so comfortable, being with Mirei like this. It was the perfect birthday.
Once they finished their meal, they strolled around the shopping district, holding hands and enjoying each other's company. Mirei suggested they stop at a clothing store to try on some outfits.
The two of them spent a good hour trying on ridiculous outfits, making faces at each other and take many pictures in the mirror. Kaede picked a matching T-shirt for them, and they both decided to wear it for the rest of the day. It felt silly but also incredibly cute.
As they walked into an accessory store, Kaede's eyes were drawn to a pair of matching rings. She thought they looked nice and mentioned them to Mirei.
But Mirei, with her playful nature, acted uninterested. "Nah, those aren't that great," she said, making excuses.
Kaede didn't push it, even though she had her eye on the rings. Instead, they continued browsing the store, with Mirei turning down every suggestion Kaede made. It was starting to get suspicious, but Kaede didn't think too much of it.
After a while, they decided to take a break at a nearby café. As they sat down, sipping on their drinks and chatting, Mirei suddenly stood up, clutching her stomach dramatically.
"I'll be right back, I have a stomachache," Mirei said, wincing in mock pain. "Don't go anywhere!"
Kaede watched her go, confused but not overly concerned. Little did Kaede know, Mirei wasn't heading to the bathroom.
Instead, Mirei snuck back to the accessory store and bought the matching rings that Kaede had liked. She couldn't wait to see Kaede's reaction later when she gave it to her.
Smiling to herself, Mirei slipped the rings into her bag and hurried back to the café, eager to return to her girlfriend. Today was turning out to be the perfect birthday date, and the surprise she had planned would make it even better.