The Unexpected Gift

Three girls walked together, sharing laughter and jokes as they enjoyed each other's company. One of them had long black hair and striking gray eyes. "And then, he freaked out every time he saw me with makeup," she said, prompting laughter from her friends.

Teasingly, the girl with a teal hairclip remarked, "You shouldn't mess with your little brother like that, Nanami." The third member of the group, a gyaru with blond hair and tan skin, added, "You really should introduce Sasaki to us. He sounds cute, looks cute, and probably is cute."

Nanami looked uncertain, contemplating the suggestion. "I don't know. Besides the stories I've shared, he's just... weird. Sometimes, I swear he feels like an alien, and it gives me the creeps," she admitted, shivering a bit at the thought.

The girl with the teal hairclip looked confused. "What do you mean?" she asked, prompting Nanami to explain, "I don't know, he just doesn't act normal, you know? Like, he rarely shows any emotion, and he's never had a friend in his life."

The gyaru, put on a thinking face, her hand on her chin. "Hmm, do you think he's depressed or somethin'?" she asked. Nanami shook her head, saying, "Nope, unless he's been depressed his entire life, I doubt it."

The gyaru nodded, still pondering, and put on a thinking face again. "Chiasa, don't fry your brain by overthinking," the girl with the teal hairclip teased. Chiasa stuck out her tongue. "I won't fry my brain just by doing a little thinkin', Emi," she retorted, as Emi, the girl with the teal hairclip, and Nanami shared a laugh.

"Anyway, Nanami, happy birthday!" Emi exclaimed, catching Nanami off guard. "Ehh, so suddenly?" Nanami responded, surprised, as Chiasa hugged her from behind. "Yup, so suddenly! How else are we supposed to do it?" Chiasa chimed in. Emi pulled out a small rectangle-shaped gift wrapped in silver wrapping paper from her handbag. "Here's your birthday gift! Congratulations on officially entering adulthood today!" she declared, handing the gift to Nanami, who responded with, "Aw, thank you, Emi-chan."

Meanwhile, Chiasa let go of Nanami and rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry, I don't have a gift for ya yet. I'll get ya somethin' when I get the money." Nanami shook her head, saying, "It's fine; you don't have to, Chiasa-chan. Just hanging out with me is enough." Chiasa smiled, hugging Nanami again. "Aw, you're so cute, Nanami-chan!"

As Nanami and Chiasa had their fun together, Emi pulled out her phone to check the time. "It's getting pretty late, isn't it?" she observed, noting that it was nearing 6 pm. Nanami and Chiasa both glanced at her before turning their attention to the setting sun. "It is, isn't it?" Nanami acknowledged, and Chiasa pouted, yelling at the sun, "Damn sun, go down later, why don't ya! Now I can't hang out with my dear Nanami!" Nanami and Emi shared a laugh at Chiasa's playful antics.

Emi sighed and stretched, saying, "Mmm, well, let's hang out tomorrow. You can tell me how you like your gift then."

"I can just message you, you know?" Nanami suggested, but Emi shook her head. "I want to see how you feel, not read, so tomorrow it is." Nanami shrugged, saying, "Okay, I guess. Bye-bye, both of you!" as she waved. Chiasa, looking a bit bummed out, and Emi both bid their farewells. "Bye-bye!" Emi said, nudging Chiasa to do the same. "Bye-bye, Nanami-chan!" Chiasa added as Nanami walked away. "Let's head home, Chiasa-chan," Emi suggested, and Chiasa replied, "Hai-hai."

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It was 6:26 pm as Nanami reached her home, climbing the stairs while checking her phone. "Oh god, I'm so late," she muttered, mentally preparing for the scolding she anticipated from her parents. "Maybe they'll cut me some slack because it's my birthday? I hope so," she continued to mumble, reaching the apartment door. After taking a deep breath, she pressed the doorbell, but no one answered.

"Where could they be?" she wondered aloud, ringing the doorbell again without a response. *Are they out?* she wondered, ringing the doorbell once more. Still, there was no answer. *Maybe I should call Mom,* she thought, but before reaching for her phone, she decided to try the doorknob. To her surprise, it wasn't locked.

"Ugh, not only did they forget to tell me they're out, but they also left the door unlocked," she sighed, gently pushing it open. As she entered, she noticed that the apartment was dark, with all the lights turned off.

"Why does Mom have to do this all the time? It's not like the electric bill is all that bad," Nanami complained as she entered her house, removing her shoes. Walking into the living room, she flipped the light switch, and at that moment, "Happy birthday!" Party poppers exploded, startling her. Her parents and her brother stood there, holding the now-popped party poppers, as Nanami felt her heart racing from the surprise.

"Why did you have to do that?!" Nanami asked, attempting to control her heartbeat. "We had to, Nanami! How else are we supposed to surprise you!" exclaimed Sayuri, giggling. "I told her that it would scare you, but she still wanted to do it," Sasaki said, and his father chuckled.

"Anyway, happy 18th birthday, Nanami," he said, hugging her.

Nanami returned her father's hug but continued to huff, remarking, "I swear, sometimes it feels like you're trying to give me a heart attack." Sayuri playfully chopped her on the head. "Quit complaining so much," she teased, as Nanami held her head in feigned pain.

"Here's your gift," said Sasaki unenthusiastically, presenting Nanami with a small square-shaped package wrapped in plain white paper—no fancy giftwrap, just ordinary paper. Nanami took the gift and just looked at it, commenting, "I didn't expect much, but you still managed to surprise me." Sasaki shrugged. "Just be glad I bothered to get you something."

Nanami hmphed and pouted, remarking, "Let's see how you like it when you turn 18," while Satoru and Sayuri shared a laugh at the playful banter of their children.

"Come on, Sayuri, I've prepared something special for you today, and your brother assisted in making it," said Sayuri as she strolled over to the table, catching Nanami off guard. "You helped make the food!?" she exclaimed as Sasaki tilted his head in a nonchalant response. "Yes," he answered simply before joining the table. Satoru put his arm around his daughter, guiding her to the table, saying, "Come on, your mother and I still have our gifts to give."

As Nanami approached the table, her eyes widened with delight as she caught sight of the culinary masterpiece her mom had prepared. "Omurice!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with genuine excitement. Before her lay a work of art, a symphony of colors and aromas that beckoned her taste buds.

The Omurice sat proudly, a golden-brown omelet draped over a generous mound of seasoned rice. The omelet's surface had a perfect, glossy sheen, hinting at the delicious treasures hidden within. The rice, a canvas of vibrant hues, was studded with tender chunks of chicken, sautéed vegetables, and an array of spices that promised a flavorful journey with every bite.

The aroma alone was enough to make Nanami's mouth water. Stars formed in Nanami's eyes as she beheld the Omurice, and Sayuri looked on with pride at her daughter's genuine excitement.

Nanami turned to her mother with excitement, asking, "Can I dig in right now?" Sayuri giggled, replying, "Of course, go ahead." Without any hesitation, Nanami took a seat, grabbed a fork, and eagerly indulged in the Omurice. Satoru sighed, remarking, "I told you she wouldn't let us sing her happy birthday." Sayuri patted him on the shoulder, smiling. "Who cares? She's happy, and that's all that matters," she said. Satoru smiled in agreement, while Sasaki stared at the food, contemplating, *I want to eat.*

In the midst of savoring the delightful Omurice, Nanami found herself on cloud nine. *So tasty...* she thought. Her joy peaked as her parents presented her with gifts, each wrapped in festive giftwrap, in contrast to Sasaki's plain white paper. "That wasn't my gift, you know," Sayuri teased, and Satoru chimed in, "Happy 18th birthday, Nanami."

Nanami's happiness could only have been amplified if her friends were present. Her 18th birthday unfolded just as she had hoped, with her mother crafting her favorite dish, her father at home instead of at work, her brother contributing the bare minimum, and an unfamiliar blond-haired guy beside Sasaki whom she had been unintentionally ignoring.

"Who the hell are you?!" Nanami exclaimed, rising from her chair and pointing at Richard.

Richard appeared slightly surprised. "Oh, I was wondering when you were going to notice," he said. Nanami turned to her family, asking, "Who's he?" In unison, Nanami's family responded, "Sasaki's/My friend." Nanami looked shocked. "Fri-friend? Of whose?" she asked, as if she hadn't heard half of what they just said. Sasaki tilted his head. "Did you already hit old age? Richard's my friend," he clarified, but Nanami shook her head, saying, "I think there's something wrong with my ears because I keep hearing words that just don't go together."

Richard turned to Sasaki before saying, "Jesus Christ, how much of a loner are you?" Sasaki just looked at him as if he hadn't told Richard that he was the Monster of Humanity. "Your ears are fine, Nanami. Me and Satoru were as surprised as you when we found out that Sasaki had a friend," Sayuri explained, trying to clear up Nanami's confusion. Nanami continued to look at her, still perplexed by what she heard.

Nanami had just talked to her friends about her little brother not having any friends around half an hour ago. Now, she walked in to see an objectively handsome foreign boy as Sasaki's friend. *For some reason, I feel annoyed!* she thought as she looked at Richard.

"So, why are you here?" she asked. Before Richard could respond, Sayuri chopped her on the head. "Don't speak to our guest like that!" Sayuri scolded as Nanami held her head in actual pain this time.

"I just wanted to know. I mean, look at him; he looks so suspicious with those bandages on him," Nanami defended herself.

"Your mother applied those bandages, and he helped make the Omurice, you know," Satoru explained. Nanami looked at her father, then turned to Richard, extending her hand—not in a motion to shake his, but as if she were expecting something from him.

"If you're here on my birthday, you must have a gift, right?" she asked, leaving Sayuri in shock. "Nanami!" she exclaimed, not understanding her daughter's behavior. "Nanami, don't act like this; Richard-kun's just a guest," Satoru said. Nanami pouted, turning her face away from her father.

"Sorry, Richard-kun. I don't know what got into her," Satoru continued. Richard, unfazed, held out his hand. "It's cool. I mean, I did come here uninvited after all." He then took out his wallet. "I don't have a gift, so I hope money will do," he said, while Nanami silently thought, *Like you have any money, delinquent.*

But Nanami bit back her thoughts as Richard started counting 10,000¥ notes. "Eleven, twelve, thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen; there's 150,000¥. That should do it, right?" Richard said as he casually handed over a third of Nanami's father's monthly earnings like it was loose change. Nanami looked at the notes in her hand, then looked at Richard, and then back at the notes, as if she couldn't believe what she was just given. The rest of her family (other than Sasaki) also looked shocked by Richard's generous gift to Nanami.