Mirei returned to the café with a smile, continuing her little charade as if she had just been to the toilet. "Sorry for the wait, Kaede," she said, sitting down across from her girlfriend, her face showing no sign of the secret she was hiding.
Kaede glanced up from her drink and raised an eyebrow. "You took so long... are you okay? If you're in pain, we can just go home, you know."
Mirei waved her hand dismissively, checking her watch. "Nah, I'm fine. Besides, you still owe me 16 hours, remember?" Her mischievous grin grew wider.
Kaede chuckled at Mirei's playful answer, shaking her head. "You're never going to let me live that down, are you?"
"Absolutely not," Mirei replied, her voice full of teasing confidence.
Just as Kaede was about to take another sip of her drink, Mirei reached into her bag and pulled out a small box. "Surprise!" she said, her eyes gleaming with excitement as she held the gift toward Kaede.
Kaede blinked in confusion, staring at the box. "What's this?" she asked, clearly not expecting any more surprises today.
"Open it," Mirei urged, pushing the gift closer with an expectant smile.
With curiosity bubbling inside her, Kaede slowly opened the box. As soon as her eyes landed on its contents, her breath hitched. It was the matching rings she had been eyeing earlier in the accessory store—the ones Mirei had casually dismissed as "not great."
Kaede looked up at Mirei, her eyes wide and filled with surprise. "But... how?" she stammered, still processing the fact that the rings were right in front of her. "You said you didn't want these..."
Mirei grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. "I lied," she admitted with a playful wink. "I was just trying to make it a surprise. I didn't want you to expect it."
Kaede's chest swelled with warmth, her heart fluttering at Mirei's gesture. She felt a rush of emotions—gratitude, love, and overwhelming happiness. "You didn't have to go through all that trouble..." she said softly, her voice filled with affection.
Mirei shook her head. "Of course I did. I wanted to give you the best birthday ever," she replied, her voice gentler now. "Sorry for lying earlier, but I knew how much you liked these rings. I just wanted to see that look on your face when you opened the box."
Kaede's heart melted at Mirei's words, her eyes beginning to sting with emotion. "Thank you... I love it." She smiled, leaning forward slightly. "I love you."
Mirei smiled back, her eyes twinkling. She gently pulled one of the rings from the box and took Kaede's hand, slipping the ring onto her finger. "There," she said softly, her voice filled with tenderness. "It looks perfect on you."
Kaede's hand trembled slightly as she returned the gesture, picking up the other ring and sliding it onto Mirei's finger. "Now we match," she said, her voice warm and content.
They both stared at their matching rings for a moment, a deep sense of connection washing over them. It was a simple gesture, but it meant everything to Kaede.
After sharing that heartfelt moment, Mirei clapped her hands together, her excitement back in full force. "Alright! Let's move on to the next part of your birthday surprise!"
Kaede looked at her, surprised once again. "There's more?"
Mirei grinned and nodded. "Yep! I've got one last thing planned for today."
They made their way across the bustling city, Kaede still completely in the dark about what was next. When they finally arrived at their destination, Kaede's eyes widened in disbelief. "No way..." she whispered.
They stood in front of a concert hall, the sign above proudly displaying the name of one of their favorite idol groups. Mirei had secretly booked tickets for the concert, and it just so happened that the group had a show tonight in Tokyo.
Mirei's grin was as wide as ever. "Surprise again!"
Kaede turned to Mirei, her heart swelling with love and gratitude. "I can't believe this..." she said, tears of joy welling up in her eyes. "You really planned all of this?"
Mirei nodded, clearly proud of herself. "Of course. I know how much you love them. And hey, what better way to celebrate your birthday than with a concert?"
Kaede couldn't contain her excitement. She threw her arms around Mirei, hugging her tightly. "Thank you... thank you so much!"
The concert was incredible. They spent the entire evening singing along, screaming with excitement, and even dancing a little to the music. Kaede's ankle started to ache from all the walking they had done earlier, but she pushed through it, not wanting to ruin the moment. The energy in the concert hall was electric, and being there with Mirei made it even more special.
By the time the concert ended, it was 9 PM, and the girls were buzzing with adrenaline and happiness. But as soon as they stepped outside, they were greeted by a heavy downpour of rain.
Kaede sighed as she looked up at the sky. "Of course... the weather forecast said it would be sunny all day," she muttered, shaking her head in disbelief.
They huddled under a nearby shelter at the venue, hoping the rain would slow down. After waiting for about thirty minutes, the rain was still coming down hard, though it had lightened up slightly.
Mirei glanced around, her eyes scanning the surroundings, before she suddenly got that mischievous look in her eyes—the look that always meant she had a crazy idea.
"What if we just run for it?" she suggested, pulling out her phone and checking the map. "There's a convenience store about 600 meters away. We can buy an umbrella there."
Kaede raised an eyebrow. "In this rain?"
Mirei smirked, already pulling at the hem of Kaede's shirt. "Take off your shirt."
Kaede blinked, utterly confused. "What?"
"Just trust me," Mirei said, grinning.
Reluctantly, Kaede took off her shirt, following Mirei's lead. Mirei placed the shirt over both their heads, grinning like a kid with a brilliant plan. "Alright, let's run together. This is our 'umbrella.'"
Kaede stared at her for a second, still not fully convinced. "This is ridiculous."
Mirei laughed. "It'll be fun! Come on!"
With a sigh, Kaede finally agreed, and they both prepared to run. "Okay... ready?"
Mirei started the countdown. "Three... two... one... go!"
They sprinted into the rain, Kaede's shirt barely protecting them from the downpour. Water splashed at their feet, drenching them further with every step, but instead of feeling miserable, they were both laughing—laughing so hard that they almost forgot about the rain.
It was chaotic, romantic, and utterly ridiculous, but it was one of the most fun moments they had shared all day.
By the time they reached the convenience store, they were soaked from head to toe, water dripping from their clothes and hair. Mirei grinned, looking over at Kaede. "Not a bad idea, huh?"
Kaede burst out laughing. "Why don't you take a look at yourself?"
They both laughed as they quickly bought an umbrella, and on the way to the station, they huddled close together, hugging each other for warmth as the night wind gave them shivers. Despite the cold and the rain, they were both completely content, wrapped in each other's arms, soaking in the last moments of a perfect day.