Like Antennas to Heaven [Happy Birthday, Misha]
Posted: Sat Nov 01, 2014 4:33 pm
I figured I'd write something nice for once. It's gotta happen every once in a while.
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Like Antennas to Heaven
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With a smile on my face, I take a long glance beyond the window in front of me. The cold and quiet of the early morning greets me as I press my hands against the glass. Snow this early in the year. It's extraordinary what you see sometimes with the weather. There are some days where all you can think is, if I don't like it, wait five minutes and it'll change.
Not today though. The gray skies, clouds fat and fluffy and heavy with ice and wind say otherwise. The snowfall isn't particularly heavy but it is sticking to the ground which is the important part. Sticking snow means snow men and snow angels. It means the coming of the winter or maybe that it's already here, a cold and hazy blue that throws itself over the whole country like a comfy blanket. Although I guess the comfiness would be found indoors. The dorms are always warmer late in the year.
Unfortunately living in the same place as the school means that they have total rights to laugh in the face of people expecting a snow day. It's a bit mean to make the teachers drive to school on the icy roads uphill since they DON'T live here but honestly it seems like it could be fun! Like doing some mad drifts in a go-kart. Maybe there's a reason I don't have a driver's license.
More important than any of that though is a special sort of something that only comes once a year on November the first and I ball my hands up into anxious fists just thinking about the love and adoration I'm gonna receive~! I almost want to hop up and down but I contain myself, because there are preparations to be made. First I let down my hair and wind it all back up into fresh, bouncy drills with even more spirals than usual. Then I gaze at my outfit in the mirror until it is perfectly straight and even on both sides. Instead of my usual dress shoes, I wear warm and fuzzy boots, with a nice beige coat with a fur collar to match. Dressed for success.
I make sure to lock the door behind me as always. Don't want anyone going through my stuff~! It'd be embarrassing if some loser got into my room and started rifling through my underwear drawer or something.
The first part of the day is easy. I sit in class and struggle to pay attention while staring out the window at the slowly growing piles of snow, and though neither Hicchan nor Shicchan make any mention of my birthday at first, I know it's coming. I'm practically bouncing with excitement again as I think about it. It's almost like a holiday; it only comes once a year and therefore it's very special to me! I idly translate the teacher for Shicchan's sake until they announce that it's break time and I barely even notice.
[Sooooo~, how are you guys today?] I try to egg it out of them with the subtlety of a... something that isn't very subtle, I dunno. The quicker I can get them to say it, the quicker I can stop being anxious about it and start celebrating for real.
Hicchan yawns like a boring jerk. [I'm tired. My heart pills have been making me sleep like crap lately. Lots of homework, too.]
[Same here,] Shicchan nods in agreement. [All of the winter club activities are coming up and it's been pretty stressful organizing it all, I--] she halts in mid-sentence to stifle a groaning yawn of her own, then glares at Hicchan. What a weird phenomenon, yawning is. [--I need you two to help me out tonight if you're not doing anything.]
[By which you mean, we're going to help you out tonight no matter what.] Hicchan is quick to respond to her sarcasm.
[Of course.]
[Well, what else were we gonna do for the council meeting~?] I nudge Shicchan with my elbow. C'mon, take the bait. You know you want to.
[That is true,] she says back. Darn it, so close. I could almost feel it too~.
By now the class has started to empty of people as they move to the bathroom or their next class or wherever during break, and I decide to head to the restroom myself just so I can strategize and wonder further when they will wish me a happy birthday. As soon as I get up though I regret getting out of my desk so energetically, as I stumble and fall with an "Eek!"
Shicchan doesn't even bother getting out of her seat, but Hicchan stands up to see if I'm alright... mostly because I landed on his foot and probably crushed his bones with my body.
"Owwwww." I shut my eyes and rub my nose, hoping nobody besides us three saw that happen.
Then I notice Hicchan is standing in a very compromising position. With my butt in the air and my hands on my sore knees, he has a pretty good angle on... certain parts of me.
I decide to recover like a champ. "You weren't looking at my panties~ were you, Hicchan~?" I stick my tongue out at him, turning to look from behind.
He gives Shicchan a doe-eyed look- she is not amused -and sputters "N-No", but his expression says "that's a nice shade of purple and I like the bow".
"Well between you and me, if you wanted to steal another glance sometime I wouldn't mind letting you look~."
"Uh." He purses his lips. "Are you... proposing something, Misha?"
Standing up, I throw my head back as a laugh makes its way out. "Gahahaha~! What a perverted thing to say! I was just messing with you!"
"Oh. Oh, okay." He puts a hand to his chest and I can't tell if it is an involuntary motion of relief or if I just accidentally almost killed him. I make a mental note to not mess with him like that in the future but it's what he gets for forgetting my birthday! And being a pervert!
Most of the day proceeds in a similarly uneventful manner. They both continue to not mention the most important thing about the day besides the snow and I start to feel a bit restless about it.
Later on, we're walking down the hall to head to the student council room while we have some spare time to work when suddenly around the corner comes Hanako, followed closely by Lilly. The instant Shicchan sees them she freezes up, as if she has been waiting for this conversation all day. Wuh-oh.
"Ah, man, I don't wanna make a scene in the middle of the hallway..." Hicchan mumbles, mostly to himself. From the look on Shicchan's face I don't think she means to bicker so much as get some things straight.
"Hi Lilly, hi Hana-chan~!" I give them both a hearty wave. Lilly stiffens for a second at her name being called, and Hanako looks down at the ground, counting the tiles on the floor. I guess she still hasn't forgotten that time I accidentally ran her out of class.
Maybe Lilly remembered my birthday? I do SORT of know her, through Shicchan, in a way. I guess really mostly I know her via insults flung to and from her. But who knows, it's worth a shot. I decide to intercept the argument before it starts.
"Say, Lilly, Hana-chan... you wouldn't happen to know of any special "events" that take place today, would you~?" I lay it on thick, doing everything short of a wink and a nudge.
Hanako looks at Lilly and then shakes her head silently. Lilly looks thoughtful for a moment, but then shakes her head too.
"No, sorry, Misha. Why? Is there something important happening today?"
Crap. Another shot in the dark missed. No offense to Lilly, of course~. Although now I have to struggle to come up with something to respond to that with.
"Well... uh... nope~! I guess not if you don't know about it, hahahaha!" I put my hands on my hips, shining my pearly whites at her even though it's kind of a useless gesture. It was worth a try, I guess.
Shicchan then launches into her already-prepared argument about the winter club activities with Lilly, who is not quite receptive of the absolute importance of getting it all ordered out as soon as possible. I feel bad for having to translate such mean words after asking such an honest question but I really have no say in the matter. They bicker and fight for a while longer before Hanako tugs on Lilly's sleeve and tells her what time it is.
"It's that late already? Oh no, we'll be late to class if we don't go now..." She murmurs back and forth with Hanako for a second before turning back to me.
"Okay, fine, Shizune, we will take care of what you want us to do. Hanako and I have to go take our lunch break now, otherwise we won't have time for our tea."
[You and your tea,] Shizune scoffs. I translate, of course. [Fine. We'll see you later, though, and you will be helping us out.] I look at Hicchan, who is just as confused-looking as I am, and when I turn back Shizune has given Lilly a two-handed forced handshake. I hope she doesn't think that's me doing that.
Either way, the two bid us a quick farewell and disappear down the hall, probably going up to the next floor to have their daily tea thing that they do like the said.
[We should get some lunch too, I'm kinda hungry~!] I say, happy that their suggestion has reminded me of how starving I am. I only now realize that I was so eager to get to class that I didn't have breakfast, whoops~!
We head out of the school and down the road to the nearby cafe where Yuuko, the librarian, works. I feel like I could eat a horse! The snow has started to crunch underfoot while we walk, the path becoming a bit slippery too. It's starting to turn into a real, honest snowfall, and I couldn't be more excited. How convenient that the first snow of this winter would happen to be on my special day!
The cafe is full of life, people eating with their friends, drinking coffee or tea, or just stopping in to get out of the cold on this blustery day. The good thing about talking in sign language is that you don't have to yell over people, so the noise doesn't really bother us any as we make conversation.
Our food arrives quite a while after we order- it's mostly my fault, as I got a whole lot -and after our waitress walks away Hicchan makes a comment about it.
[Are you sure you're gonna eat all that, Misha? I mean, that'd be a lot of wasted money if you didn't.] He says. I dunno why he waited, it's not like she could've understood him anyway. Maybe he just didn't want to look like a weirdo making crazy hand gestures at me~.
[Of course I am! That's why I ordered it!]
Shicchan is too busy eating to say anything, but she nods nonetheless.
Hicchan is skeptical. [I dunno, it's not like any of us are rich or anything. I hope you don't want to go dutch or something because all I'm getting is a sandwich.]
[Jeez, don't be such a miser! Next you're gonna tell me you don't tip~!]
[We're supposed to tip here?]
That gets a laugh out of me. I still haven't forgotten his little quip from earlier. [I'll make you a deal, Hicchan.] I sign this time, so that Shicchan can be our mediator.
[I already don't like this,] he responds.
I wink at him. [If you manage to steal a pair of my underwear, I will personally~ pay for lunch next week!]
[Are you really that confident in your ability to protect them?] Shicchan joins in the conversation.
I nod. [Absolutely~.]
[What is it with you people and Misha's underwear today? I just don't get it.] Hicchan seems genuinely confused by the topic of discussion.
[Sometimes a tree of conversation is planted by a single seed, Hicchan~!] I close my eyes and nod sagely.
[Do you even know what that means?]
[No! Well, sort of. It doesn't matter, do you accept the deal or not?]
He hesitantly looks back and forth between Shicchan and I. [What are the other conditions? What if I DON'T manage to do... that?]
Shicchan cuts me off before I can respond. [You have to pay for both of our lunches for the next two weeks.]
He takes offense to that. [Why is this bet weighted in your favor? If you lose, you lose nothing, and if I lose then I lose immensely.]
[Sometimes life's not fair, Hicchan~! Do you accept??]
The prospect of not having to pay for his own food is weighing heavily on Hicchan's mind, I can tell. He thinks Shicchan and I are too dumb to see that if he wins, he will buy the maximum amount of food he can shove in his stomach, but we are totally not that dumb and I can see right through him! That said, I would not blame him for doing that one bit~.
He stares at his tea with begrudging eyes and then sighs. [Yeah, alright, fine. I'll play your game.]
I pump my fist in victory. "Yess~! Free lunch for Misha!"
"What a pointless conversation," Hicchan mutters to himself. Something tells me he doesn't believe Shicchan will hold him to the bet... but obviously he has a lot to learn.
Another hour or so of idle conversation passes before it's time for us to head back to school so that we can continue organizing the next series of club activities. On the icy journey back up the hill we are passed by a legless girl I recognize from the swim team and a girl with one eye, sledding down the still-growing mounds of snow at light speed. There's still not enough snow for a good, well-engraved snow angel, but it's definitely getting there~!
The student council room is nice and toasty and we all shed our coats as soon as we exit the hallway. Despite having big windows lining one wall the place sure is well-insulated! Shicchan sets her backpack down on one of the desks and pulls out a big ol' binder full of laminated sheets of paper. Wordlessly, she passes one out to each of us and motions for us to read them.
"We've gotta HAND COPY this letter fifty times?" Hicchan's frustrated tone goes unnoticed by Shicchan- which I guess should be obvious -mostly because she's not looking at him and has already started working.
"Don't worry, Hicchan, that's only... uh... f-fifteen times apiece?" I am not good at math.
"It's sixteen-ish," he grumbles. I'm the best at math! "But that's still a lot. Why can't we just go to the teacher's lounge and make copies?"
I recall a certain no-legged menace accidentally blowing a fuse inside the copy machine while trying to skirt around her detention work. She meant to make only five copies but the machine quit working after spitting out number three hundred and forty~!
It makes me smile just thinking about it. Shicchan's got a funny angry-face. "It's a long story, just forget about it~." He does not seem satisfied by that answer but he gets to work anyway. It'd take way too long to explain just how badly things went wrong and how much ink stained the carpet when it exploded everywhere. That's one pair of shoes I'll never wear again!
But as time goes on, that little niggling feeling I had before I chatted up Lilly about my birthday rises again. Hicchan obviously forgot because he's a loser jerkface forever, but... could Shicchan have? She hasn't wished me a happy birthday yet be it in writing or sign language and I'm starting to get worried.
I'm sure she remembers, she just hasn't remembered to SAY anything about it yet. Really she's the only person I HAVEN'T asked directly yet, just because I'm so absolutely confident that she remembers that it doesn't even matter that she hasn't said it aloud! There are still- I glance at the clock -seven-ish hours left in the day!
...But maybe it wouldn't hurt to poke her about it, just to make sure I'm right. I tap her on the shoulder to get her attention. [Hey, Shicchan!] I say when she glances over.
[What is it, Misha? I'm a little busy still.]
[Can you think of anything... special that is going on today?]
Shicchan adjusts her glasses. [Hmm... No?]
[some sort of event or happening that only occurs once a year maybe?]
She sppears to be in thought for a second before responding. [I can't think of anything, why?]
...Ouch, my heart. That one hurt a lot more.
So Shicchan forgot too, huh. I swallow heavily and blink away a few tears at this; it was fine for Lilly to have not mentioned it because she barely knows me on a personal~ level, Hicchan maybe but we have been friends for a while so I'd expect him to at least have asked Shicchan at some point... but for Shicchan herself to have forgotten is just devastating.
Can't be a crybaby though, I learned my lesson about that. I certainly feel like crying now but I put on a smile anyway. [It's the first snowfall of the winter! It's a special occasion, don'tcha know!]
My poker face is enough to fool even Shicchan this time, and after agreeing that it is pretty noteworthy of a date, she goes back to work. I stare out the window and Hicchan ends up doing most of my copying- my handwriting is less than totally legible anyway after all. The snow is still coming down and for some reason I'm less excited about it now. Coercing Shicchan into making celebratory snow men tonight just wouldn't be as fun if she didn't know what we were celebrating and it'd be just impolite of me to remind her that it is in fact my birthday today.
Usually I don't care about impoliteness! Being brash and bold are the easy way to get what you want! At the same time though I just can't force myself to mention it to her, maybe because it'll give me a little support for my own private pity party. What a series of words!
A little while later, our work is done. I compare Shicchan's massive stack of copies to Hicchan's and mine and it is impressive as always. The three of us walk to the exit of the main school building and stand in the entryway, staring out at the cold and deep blue light of the early evening, none of us particularly wanting to be the first to brave it. We are about to say our goodbyes for the night and head back to our own dormitories, no well-wishes for Misha given, when Shicchan suddenly snaps her fingers and points at me.
For a moment I am hopeful, but it is immediately squashed. [Darn. Misha, I forgot my scarf in the student council room. Would you mind going to get it for me?]
I giggle at her. "Wahahaha!" [All the stress is getting to you, Shicchan~.]
It's a short trip back to the student council room, but when I give it a look over, it's totally empty! No scarf to be found. I'm not sure Shicchan was even wearing a scarf, but maybe I just didn't notice it. Just to make sure I'm not missing anything I walk into the room and give it a quick search, but I turn up empty.
By the time I get back to the entryway I am shocked to find myself alone! Hicchan and Shicchan just up and left without me! I consider running to catch up with them but they're probably already halfway across the campus by now. I push open the door and decide to just go back home and go to bed. What a wash this day has turned out to be.
Feeling more than bummed out, I shove my hands in my coat pockets and stare at my boots as I trudge through the now calf-deep snow back across the campus to go back to my room. Maybe it was too much to ask. I guess my birthday isn't really common knowledge, maybe I just confused people knowing ABOUT me with knowing who I am. It would've been nice for someone to have remembered, though.
Hovering outside my door, something seems amiss. I pull out my key and put it in the lock to open it up... but it doesn't twist in the correct direction, because the door isn't locked. I could've sworn I locked it this morning! Maybe I just forgot in my hurry to leave and get the day started. I push open the door and only then does it dawn on me that Shicchan is the only other person who has a key to my room.
When I turn on the light, it's immediately apparent that I'm not alone. There's no big shout of "surprise!" complete with noisemakers, but that's mostly because of who comprises the group in the room. Lilly is blind so obviously she wouldn't have seen me turn on the lights, Shicchan is mute so she wouldn't shout "surprise" in the first place, Hana-chan looks like she's terrified to even be alive, and Hicchan looks particularly guilty.
"Sorry, Misha," he says with an uneven smile. I can barely even hear him because I'm laughing so hard at how dumb I suddenly feel.
It turns out that not only did they all dodge my hints about it being my birthday, they planned an impromptu surprise party for me too! There's a big fluffy pink cake on the table in the middle of the room adorned with candles and fully wrapped presents beside it. It's a lot to take in at once and all I can do is laugh.
"Wahahahahaha~!! You all tricked me so hard! How'd you set all this up~?"
Lilly speaks up. "When I said earlier that Hanako and I were going off to have our tea, we actually came here first to set up the cake."
So THAT'S what I saw Shicchan do; I remember I thought she was shaking Lilly's hand but she must have actually been passing her the spare key to my room!
"A-And I wrapped... the presents." Hanako sits beside Lilly on my bed, almost cowering behind her, but I'm sure she can tell I'm grateful just by my beaming expression. Although I guess I always have a beaming expression so it's nothing really that out of the ordinary.
Shicchan has creeped up on me during this conversation and she suddenly sticks a party hat on my head, giving me a pat on the shoulder. I stare her in the eyes and I can almost feel myself falling in love all over again. I break the lock on her gaze to straighten my hat, and then turn to the others.
"Thanks, you guys, really~." It's the most sincere thing I've said all day.
. . .
After everyone leaves, I set the various gifts I got- what little my friends all pooled together with their money that is -on the dresser in the corner of the room... and almost bump my chest into my underwear drawer, which is ajar just~ slightly. I take a quick inventory stock and, wouldn't you know it, Hicchan has made good on his end of our game. A small, genuine smile creeps across my face. I guess I'll be buying the next lunch at the cafe after all.
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Thank you for reading.
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Like Antennas to Heaven
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With a smile on my face, I take a long glance beyond the window in front of me. The cold and quiet of the early morning greets me as I press my hands against the glass. Snow this early in the year. It's extraordinary what you see sometimes with the weather. There are some days where all you can think is, if I don't like it, wait five minutes and it'll change.
Not today though. The gray skies, clouds fat and fluffy and heavy with ice and wind say otherwise. The snowfall isn't particularly heavy but it is sticking to the ground which is the important part. Sticking snow means snow men and snow angels. It means the coming of the winter or maybe that it's already here, a cold and hazy blue that throws itself over the whole country like a comfy blanket. Although I guess the comfiness would be found indoors. The dorms are always warmer late in the year.
Unfortunately living in the same place as the school means that they have total rights to laugh in the face of people expecting a snow day. It's a bit mean to make the teachers drive to school on the icy roads uphill since they DON'T live here but honestly it seems like it could be fun! Like doing some mad drifts in a go-kart. Maybe there's a reason I don't have a driver's license.
More important than any of that though is a special sort of something that only comes once a year on November the first and I ball my hands up into anxious fists just thinking about the love and adoration I'm gonna receive~! I almost want to hop up and down but I contain myself, because there are preparations to be made. First I let down my hair and wind it all back up into fresh, bouncy drills with even more spirals than usual. Then I gaze at my outfit in the mirror until it is perfectly straight and even on both sides. Instead of my usual dress shoes, I wear warm and fuzzy boots, with a nice beige coat with a fur collar to match. Dressed for success.
I make sure to lock the door behind me as always. Don't want anyone going through my stuff~! It'd be embarrassing if some loser got into my room and started rifling through my underwear drawer or something.
The first part of the day is easy. I sit in class and struggle to pay attention while staring out the window at the slowly growing piles of snow, and though neither Hicchan nor Shicchan make any mention of my birthday at first, I know it's coming. I'm practically bouncing with excitement again as I think about it. It's almost like a holiday; it only comes once a year and therefore it's very special to me! I idly translate the teacher for Shicchan's sake until they announce that it's break time and I barely even notice.
[Sooooo~, how are you guys today?] I try to egg it out of them with the subtlety of a... something that isn't very subtle, I dunno. The quicker I can get them to say it, the quicker I can stop being anxious about it and start celebrating for real.
Hicchan yawns like a boring jerk. [I'm tired. My heart pills have been making me sleep like crap lately. Lots of homework, too.]
[Same here,] Shicchan nods in agreement. [All of the winter club activities are coming up and it's been pretty stressful organizing it all, I--] she halts in mid-sentence to stifle a groaning yawn of her own, then glares at Hicchan. What a weird phenomenon, yawning is. [--I need you two to help me out tonight if you're not doing anything.]
[By which you mean, we're going to help you out tonight no matter what.] Hicchan is quick to respond to her sarcasm.
[Of course.]
[Well, what else were we gonna do for the council meeting~?] I nudge Shicchan with my elbow. C'mon, take the bait. You know you want to.
[That is true,] she says back. Darn it, so close. I could almost feel it too~.
By now the class has started to empty of people as they move to the bathroom or their next class or wherever during break, and I decide to head to the restroom myself just so I can strategize and wonder further when they will wish me a happy birthday. As soon as I get up though I regret getting out of my desk so energetically, as I stumble and fall with an "Eek!"
Shicchan doesn't even bother getting out of her seat, but Hicchan stands up to see if I'm alright... mostly because I landed on his foot and probably crushed his bones with my body.
"Owwwww." I shut my eyes and rub my nose, hoping nobody besides us three saw that happen.
Then I notice Hicchan is standing in a very compromising position. With my butt in the air and my hands on my sore knees, he has a pretty good angle on... certain parts of me.
I decide to recover like a champ. "You weren't looking at my panties~ were you, Hicchan~?" I stick my tongue out at him, turning to look from behind.
He gives Shicchan a doe-eyed look- she is not amused -and sputters "N-No", but his expression says "that's a nice shade of purple and I like the bow".
"Well between you and me, if you wanted to steal another glance sometime I wouldn't mind letting you look~."
"Uh." He purses his lips. "Are you... proposing something, Misha?"
Standing up, I throw my head back as a laugh makes its way out. "Gahahaha~! What a perverted thing to say! I was just messing with you!"
"Oh. Oh, okay." He puts a hand to his chest and I can't tell if it is an involuntary motion of relief or if I just accidentally almost killed him. I make a mental note to not mess with him like that in the future but it's what he gets for forgetting my birthday! And being a pervert!
Most of the day proceeds in a similarly uneventful manner. They both continue to not mention the most important thing about the day besides the snow and I start to feel a bit restless about it.
Later on, we're walking down the hall to head to the student council room while we have some spare time to work when suddenly around the corner comes Hanako, followed closely by Lilly. The instant Shicchan sees them she freezes up, as if she has been waiting for this conversation all day. Wuh-oh.
"Ah, man, I don't wanna make a scene in the middle of the hallway..." Hicchan mumbles, mostly to himself. From the look on Shicchan's face I don't think she means to bicker so much as get some things straight.
"Hi Lilly, hi Hana-chan~!" I give them both a hearty wave. Lilly stiffens for a second at her name being called, and Hanako looks down at the ground, counting the tiles on the floor. I guess she still hasn't forgotten that time I accidentally ran her out of class.
Maybe Lilly remembered my birthday? I do SORT of know her, through Shicchan, in a way. I guess really mostly I know her via insults flung to and from her. But who knows, it's worth a shot. I decide to intercept the argument before it starts.
"Say, Lilly, Hana-chan... you wouldn't happen to know of any special "events" that take place today, would you~?" I lay it on thick, doing everything short of a wink and a nudge.
Hanako looks at Lilly and then shakes her head silently. Lilly looks thoughtful for a moment, but then shakes her head too.
"No, sorry, Misha. Why? Is there something important happening today?"
Crap. Another shot in the dark missed. No offense to Lilly, of course~. Although now I have to struggle to come up with something to respond to that with.
"Well... uh... nope~! I guess not if you don't know about it, hahahaha!" I put my hands on my hips, shining my pearly whites at her even though it's kind of a useless gesture. It was worth a try, I guess.
Shicchan then launches into her already-prepared argument about the winter club activities with Lilly, who is not quite receptive of the absolute importance of getting it all ordered out as soon as possible. I feel bad for having to translate such mean words after asking such an honest question but I really have no say in the matter. They bicker and fight for a while longer before Hanako tugs on Lilly's sleeve and tells her what time it is.
"It's that late already? Oh no, we'll be late to class if we don't go now..." She murmurs back and forth with Hanako for a second before turning back to me.
"Okay, fine, Shizune, we will take care of what you want us to do. Hanako and I have to go take our lunch break now, otherwise we won't have time for our tea."
[You and your tea,] Shizune scoffs. I translate, of course. [Fine. We'll see you later, though, and you will be helping us out.] I look at Hicchan, who is just as confused-looking as I am, and when I turn back Shizune has given Lilly a two-handed forced handshake. I hope she doesn't think that's me doing that.
Either way, the two bid us a quick farewell and disappear down the hall, probably going up to the next floor to have their daily tea thing that they do like the said.
[We should get some lunch too, I'm kinda hungry~!] I say, happy that their suggestion has reminded me of how starving I am. I only now realize that I was so eager to get to class that I didn't have breakfast, whoops~!
We head out of the school and down the road to the nearby cafe where Yuuko, the librarian, works. I feel like I could eat a horse! The snow has started to crunch underfoot while we walk, the path becoming a bit slippery too. It's starting to turn into a real, honest snowfall, and I couldn't be more excited. How convenient that the first snow of this winter would happen to be on my special day!
The cafe is full of life, people eating with their friends, drinking coffee or tea, or just stopping in to get out of the cold on this blustery day. The good thing about talking in sign language is that you don't have to yell over people, so the noise doesn't really bother us any as we make conversation.
Our food arrives quite a while after we order- it's mostly my fault, as I got a whole lot -and after our waitress walks away Hicchan makes a comment about it.
[Are you sure you're gonna eat all that, Misha? I mean, that'd be a lot of wasted money if you didn't.] He says. I dunno why he waited, it's not like she could've understood him anyway. Maybe he just didn't want to look like a weirdo making crazy hand gestures at me~.
[Of course I am! That's why I ordered it!]
Shicchan is too busy eating to say anything, but she nods nonetheless.
Hicchan is skeptical. [I dunno, it's not like any of us are rich or anything. I hope you don't want to go dutch or something because all I'm getting is a sandwich.]
[Jeez, don't be such a miser! Next you're gonna tell me you don't tip~!]
[We're supposed to tip here?]
That gets a laugh out of me. I still haven't forgotten his little quip from earlier. [I'll make you a deal, Hicchan.] I sign this time, so that Shicchan can be our mediator.
[I already don't like this,] he responds.
I wink at him. [If you manage to steal a pair of my underwear, I will personally~ pay for lunch next week!]
[Are you really that confident in your ability to protect them?] Shicchan joins in the conversation.
I nod. [Absolutely~.]
[What is it with you people and Misha's underwear today? I just don't get it.] Hicchan seems genuinely confused by the topic of discussion.
[Sometimes a tree of conversation is planted by a single seed, Hicchan~!] I close my eyes and nod sagely.
[Do you even know what that means?]
[No! Well, sort of. It doesn't matter, do you accept the deal or not?]
He hesitantly looks back and forth between Shicchan and I. [What are the other conditions? What if I DON'T manage to do... that?]
Shicchan cuts me off before I can respond. [You have to pay for both of our lunches for the next two weeks.]
He takes offense to that. [Why is this bet weighted in your favor? If you lose, you lose nothing, and if I lose then I lose immensely.]
[Sometimes life's not fair, Hicchan~! Do you accept??]
The prospect of not having to pay for his own food is weighing heavily on Hicchan's mind, I can tell. He thinks Shicchan and I are too dumb to see that if he wins, he will buy the maximum amount of food he can shove in his stomach, but we are totally not that dumb and I can see right through him! That said, I would not blame him for doing that one bit~.
He stares at his tea with begrudging eyes and then sighs. [Yeah, alright, fine. I'll play your game.]
I pump my fist in victory. "Yess~! Free lunch for Misha!"
"What a pointless conversation," Hicchan mutters to himself. Something tells me he doesn't believe Shicchan will hold him to the bet... but obviously he has a lot to learn.
Another hour or so of idle conversation passes before it's time for us to head back to school so that we can continue organizing the next series of club activities. On the icy journey back up the hill we are passed by a legless girl I recognize from the swim team and a girl with one eye, sledding down the still-growing mounds of snow at light speed. There's still not enough snow for a good, well-engraved snow angel, but it's definitely getting there~!
The student council room is nice and toasty and we all shed our coats as soon as we exit the hallway. Despite having big windows lining one wall the place sure is well-insulated! Shicchan sets her backpack down on one of the desks and pulls out a big ol' binder full of laminated sheets of paper. Wordlessly, she passes one out to each of us and motions for us to read them.
"We've gotta HAND COPY this letter fifty times?" Hicchan's frustrated tone goes unnoticed by Shicchan- which I guess should be obvious -mostly because she's not looking at him and has already started working.
"Don't worry, Hicchan, that's only... uh... f-fifteen times apiece?" I am not good at math.
"It's sixteen-ish," he grumbles. I'm the best at math! "But that's still a lot. Why can't we just go to the teacher's lounge and make copies?"
I recall a certain no-legged menace accidentally blowing a fuse inside the copy machine while trying to skirt around her detention work. She meant to make only five copies but the machine quit working after spitting out number three hundred and forty~!
It makes me smile just thinking about it. Shicchan's got a funny angry-face. "It's a long story, just forget about it~." He does not seem satisfied by that answer but he gets to work anyway. It'd take way too long to explain just how badly things went wrong and how much ink stained the carpet when it exploded everywhere. That's one pair of shoes I'll never wear again!
But as time goes on, that little niggling feeling I had before I chatted up Lilly about my birthday rises again. Hicchan obviously forgot because he's a loser jerkface forever, but... could Shicchan have? She hasn't wished me a happy birthday yet be it in writing or sign language and I'm starting to get worried.
I'm sure she remembers, she just hasn't remembered to SAY anything about it yet. Really she's the only person I HAVEN'T asked directly yet, just because I'm so absolutely confident that she remembers that it doesn't even matter that she hasn't said it aloud! There are still- I glance at the clock -seven-ish hours left in the day!
...But maybe it wouldn't hurt to poke her about it, just to make sure I'm right. I tap her on the shoulder to get her attention. [Hey, Shicchan!] I say when she glances over.
[What is it, Misha? I'm a little busy still.]
[Can you think of anything... special that is going on today?]
Shicchan adjusts her glasses. [Hmm... No?]
[some sort of event or happening that only occurs once a year maybe?]
She sppears to be in thought for a second before responding. [I can't think of anything, why?]
...Ouch, my heart. That one hurt a lot more.
So Shicchan forgot too, huh. I swallow heavily and blink away a few tears at this; it was fine for Lilly to have not mentioned it because she barely knows me on a personal~ level, Hicchan maybe but we have been friends for a while so I'd expect him to at least have asked Shicchan at some point... but for Shicchan herself to have forgotten is just devastating.
Can't be a crybaby though, I learned my lesson about that. I certainly feel like crying now but I put on a smile anyway. [It's the first snowfall of the winter! It's a special occasion, don'tcha know!]
My poker face is enough to fool even Shicchan this time, and after agreeing that it is pretty noteworthy of a date, she goes back to work. I stare out the window and Hicchan ends up doing most of my copying- my handwriting is less than totally legible anyway after all. The snow is still coming down and for some reason I'm less excited about it now. Coercing Shicchan into making celebratory snow men tonight just wouldn't be as fun if she didn't know what we were celebrating and it'd be just impolite of me to remind her that it is in fact my birthday today.
Usually I don't care about impoliteness! Being brash and bold are the easy way to get what you want! At the same time though I just can't force myself to mention it to her, maybe because it'll give me a little support for my own private pity party. What a series of words!
A little while later, our work is done. I compare Shicchan's massive stack of copies to Hicchan's and mine and it is impressive as always. The three of us walk to the exit of the main school building and stand in the entryway, staring out at the cold and deep blue light of the early evening, none of us particularly wanting to be the first to brave it. We are about to say our goodbyes for the night and head back to our own dormitories, no well-wishes for Misha given, when Shicchan suddenly snaps her fingers and points at me.
For a moment I am hopeful, but it is immediately squashed. [Darn. Misha, I forgot my scarf in the student council room. Would you mind going to get it for me?]
I giggle at her. "Wahahaha!" [All the stress is getting to you, Shicchan~.]
It's a short trip back to the student council room, but when I give it a look over, it's totally empty! No scarf to be found. I'm not sure Shicchan was even wearing a scarf, but maybe I just didn't notice it. Just to make sure I'm not missing anything I walk into the room and give it a quick search, but I turn up empty.
By the time I get back to the entryway I am shocked to find myself alone! Hicchan and Shicchan just up and left without me! I consider running to catch up with them but they're probably already halfway across the campus by now. I push open the door and decide to just go back home and go to bed. What a wash this day has turned out to be.
Feeling more than bummed out, I shove my hands in my coat pockets and stare at my boots as I trudge through the now calf-deep snow back across the campus to go back to my room. Maybe it was too much to ask. I guess my birthday isn't really common knowledge, maybe I just confused people knowing ABOUT me with knowing who I am. It would've been nice for someone to have remembered, though.
Hovering outside my door, something seems amiss. I pull out my key and put it in the lock to open it up... but it doesn't twist in the correct direction, because the door isn't locked. I could've sworn I locked it this morning! Maybe I just forgot in my hurry to leave and get the day started. I push open the door and only then does it dawn on me that Shicchan is the only other person who has a key to my room.
When I turn on the light, it's immediately apparent that I'm not alone. There's no big shout of "surprise!" complete with noisemakers, but that's mostly because of who comprises the group in the room. Lilly is blind so obviously she wouldn't have seen me turn on the lights, Shicchan is mute so she wouldn't shout "surprise" in the first place, Hana-chan looks like she's terrified to even be alive, and Hicchan looks particularly guilty.
"Sorry, Misha," he says with an uneven smile. I can barely even hear him because I'm laughing so hard at how dumb I suddenly feel.
It turns out that not only did they all dodge my hints about it being my birthday, they planned an impromptu surprise party for me too! There's a big fluffy pink cake on the table in the middle of the room adorned with candles and fully wrapped presents beside it. It's a lot to take in at once and all I can do is laugh.
"Wahahahahaha~!! You all tricked me so hard! How'd you set all this up~?"
Lilly speaks up. "When I said earlier that Hanako and I were going off to have our tea, we actually came here first to set up the cake."
So THAT'S what I saw Shicchan do; I remember I thought she was shaking Lilly's hand but she must have actually been passing her the spare key to my room!
"A-And I wrapped... the presents." Hanako sits beside Lilly on my bed, almost cowering behind her, but I'm sure she can tell I'm grateful just by my beaming expression. Although I guess I always have a beaming expression so it's nothing really that out of the ordinary.
Shicchan has creeped up on me during this conversation and she suddenly sticks a party hat on my head, giving me a pat on the shoulder. I stare her in the eyes and I can almost feel myself falling in love all over again. I break the lock on her gaze to straighten my hat, and then turn to the others.
"Thanks, you guys, really~." It's the most sincere thing I've said all day.
. . .
After everyone leaves, I set the various gifts I got- what little my friends all pooled together with their money that is -on the dresser in the corner of the room... and almost bump my chest into my underwear drawer, which is ajar just~ slightly. I take a quick inventory stock and, wouldn't you know it, Hicchan has made good on his end of our game. A small, genuine smile creeps across my face. I guess I'll be buying the next lunch at the cafe after all.
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Thank you for reading.
