Chapter 14: Birthday

At the Yamanaka flower shop, Mrs. Yamanaka sat at the front, watching the sky slowly darken. It was getting late, and there was still no sign of her daughter returning. She started to feel a little worried. But soon, she spotted her daughter Ino, being carried on the back of the boy named Kaito. Seeing this, she was taken aback. Did something happen? Did Ino hurt her leg?

Worried, Mrs. Yamanaka quickly stepped out of the shop to meet them.

"Mom, I'm back!" Ino's eyes lit up as she saw her mother and called out. Kaito then gently let her down.

Mrs. Yamanaka didn't see any visible injuries on Ino and sighed in relief. But she then turned to Ino and said, "You shouldn't make others carry you like that, you know."

"Ugh, well, I was just too tired!" Ino pouted, using her mother as her excuse.

"Too tired? Let me guess, you were playing too much on the way back?"

Ino turned her head away, her cheeks slightly flushed with embarrassment—her mother had guessed right.

"Sorry for the trouble," Mrs. Yamanaka apologized to Kaito. She also couldn't help but be a little surprised; the boy wasn't even breathing hard. He must have quite the stamina.

"It's no trouble at all. In fact, I'm grateful to Ino for leading the way," Kaito responded politely.

"See, Mom, even Kaito says so!" Ino beamed, feeling even better about her actions.

Mrs. Yamanaka glanced at her daughter, amused. Then she smiled at Kaito and said, "Don't be so formal, just call her Ino. Also, why don't you wait a moment? Let me arrange something for you. And don't refuse."

Kaito hesitated for a moment, then nodded. Since she insisted, he wouldn't refuse.

Soon, Mrs. Yamanaka emerged from the shop with a bouquet of beautifully arranged carnations.

Kaito was stunned for a moment. He distinctly remembered only buying one flower.

"Here you go," said Mrs. Yamanaka with a smile. "Consider the rest as a gift from Ino and me to your mother for her birthday."

"Yeah, take it, Kaito," Ino added.

"Thank you," Kaito accepted the flowers, deeply moved. "I'll be on my way then."

"Kaito, see you at school tomorrow!" Ino waved as he left.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow."

Mrs. Yamanaka watched Kaito walk away while holding her daughter's hand. She sighed softly—what a nice child. Though, she couldn't help but think, a bit oddly mature for his age.

The thought amused her. A classmate of Ino's, not a child? How ridiculous. Chuckling to herself, she led Ino back into the shop. Even if Kaito said it was fine, Ino should still be taught a bit of manners. After all, she wasted his time and ended up troubling him.

Later that evening, Mrs. Yamanaka shared the story with her husband, Inoichi, when he came home after a long day.

Inoichi thought for a while before saying, "I think I know who he is. He must be the son of one of my classmates."

Mrs. Yamanaka's interest piqued, and she asked for more details.

"His parents were both classmates of mine," Inoichi began. "But I believe his father passed away before Kaito was even born. His mother works at Choji's family barbecue restaurant. I try to support her whenever possible. Besides, she's known to be hardworking and has never caused any trouble for the Akimichi family."

Mrs. Yamanaka sighed, a hint of sadness in her eyes. "No wonder he seems so mature."

Inoichi chuckled. "Looks like you really took a liking to the kid, huh?"

"Of course! Who wouldn't like such a considerate child?"

…

Back at Kaito's home, everything was ready. The cake was placed perfectly, and the house was tidied up. Now, all he had to do was wait for his mother to return.

With that in mind, Kaito made a hand seal.

"Shadow Clone Jutsu."

A clone of Kaito appeared and left the house to keep an eye on his mother's location. Once she was spotted, the clone would dispel itself to notify the original Kaito, who would then light the candles.

He didn't think waiting until midnight was a good idea.

Some time later, Kaito received the memories from his clone. His mother was almost home. Kaito opened the cake box—the cake was intact. He lit the candles and then looked around. Since it was still relatively bright in the house, he decided to pull the curtains closed. The only light in the room now came from the gently flickering candles.

Meanwhile, on her way home, Shinai, Kaito's mother, walked along the familiar path. She pondered over what to make for dinner tonight. As for today being a special day, she had no recollection. It had been a long time since she last celebrated her birthday; she simply didn't think about it anymore.

Hmm, now that Kaito was attending the academy, his energy needs had likely increased. She should make something hearty for him tonight, she decided.

As she reached the front door, she fumbled with her keys and unlocked it, stepping inside. She was met with an unexpected scene—a dimly lit room illuminated only by the flickering glow of birthday candles atop a cake. It had been years since she last saw something like this. Who else could it be but...

"Mom, happy birthday." Kaito smiled, stepping forward with a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

Shinai stood frozen in place, dumbstruck. Slowly, she reached out and took the bouquet, staring at it blankly.

"Come on, Mom. Make a wish and blow out the candles," Kaito urged, glancing at the steadily shrinking candles.

Suddenly, Kaito found himself enveloped in a tight hug. He felt something damp against his shoulder. His mother was crying, which left him momentarily bewildered.

Though he'd lived two lives and was nearly twenty years old in his previous one, he didn't quite understand why tears were necessary at a moment like this. He could only guess they were tears of joy, but he still felt that one birthday couldn't evoke such intense emotions.

While he didn't understand, there was one thing Kaito knew for sure—it was best to just stay still and let his mother let it all out.

Watching his mother's reaction, Kaito made a promise to himself. Every year on this day, no matter what, he would be there to celebrate his mother's birthday with her.

Shinai's tears weren't merely because of the cake or flowers. Seeing her son celebrate her birthday made all the struggles she'd endured to keep the family going worthwhile. It was her validation, the perfect answer to her efforts. The endless days she worked tirelessly, the weight of shouldering responsibilities alone—in that moment, she felt it was all worth it.

She was glad she didn't give up back then. She was glad she didn't follow her late husband and leave Kaito alone in this world. She felt immense gratitude that Kaito grew up to be such a sensible child. Had he been rebellious, she might not have made it through.

Tonight's tears were the release of years of pent-up emotions, a release born of finding the meaning behind her perseverance.

The past was behind them now. What she looked forward to was watching her child grow into a strong and kind man.

After some time, Kaito quietly spoke, "Mom, the candles are about to burn out."

"Hmm, Mom has already made a wish," Shinai said softly, finally letting go of Kaito. Her voice held warmth. "And my wish has already come true."

"Well… how about making another one, one that hasn't come true yet?" Kaito suggested.

Shinai chuckled softly, then nodded. "Alright."

She approached the cake, closed her eyes, and made a new wish. A moment later, she opened her eyes and blew out the nearly burned-out candles.

She wished for Kaito to grow up safe and sound, find a kind and beautiful partner, and perhaps, one day, give her a chubby grandchild—hopefully while she was still alive to see it.