For the toast, I was told that it could be sothing really simple, so I kept it safe by expressing my gratitude for the party held in my honor. Since I was on the receiving end of the surprise and didn’t know the details, I just ntioned that I hoped everyone would enjoy themselves before leading the toast.
As the party started, the first person scheduled to give a present, Shiro-san, appeared in front of .
[Kaito-san, happy birthday.]
[Thank you. Everything is a bit overwhelming, but I’m really happy that Shiro-san and everyone else went to such lengths for .]
[I'm glad to hear that. By the way, Kaito-san, what number am I?]
[Eh? You're the first one.
[I see, so I'm the first huh?]
[……Yes, that's right.]
She nodded in great satisfaction. Shiro-san seems to have a particular attachnt to being the very first in these situations. It was the sa when she gave a handmade accessory—she was delighted when she got to go first.
Looking at it that way, making her the first was probably the perfect choice. That said, I wonder what kind of gift she would give ?
Last year, she gave a gaming console that I still use regularly, so I wasn’t worried about getting sothing strange, but given that she can prepare practically anything, I had no idea what to expect.
[Then, once again…… Kaito-san, happy birthday.]
[Thank you.]
[As my gift to you, I have prepared this black tea tree.]
[……Black tea tree? Not tea tree?]
[Yes. The leaves for black tea grow directly on it, and when harvested, they dry automatically, so you can brew black tea imdiately.]
[I- I see……]
This was definitely beyond the realm of common sense, sothing that wouldn’t normally exist. But…… well, since it’s Shiro-san we're talking about here, she can do anything.
The idea of a black tea tree caught off guard, but thinking about it, Shiro-san often drinks black tea. Plus, there’s the Glorious Tea in God Realm, so in a way, it wasn’t all that surprising.
[Ever since Kaito-san started your tea brand, I had been wanting to gift you sothing like this. I went through a lot of trial and error, seeking advice from various people. Just recently, I even asked Nebula, who produces the tea leaves for your brand, and after so adjustnts, I was able to complete it to my satisfaction.]
She got advice from Nebula? When did that happen……? And from the way she phrased it, it sounds like she consulted others as well.
Maybe she also consulted soone like Kuro or Makina-san? Either way, knowing that Shiro-san put so much thought into this gift makes happy.
[Thank you. I’m really looking forward to trying it. Ah, and…… if you don’t mind, would you like to drink the first cup together with ?]
[That’s a wonderful suggestion. I’d love to.]
When I thanked her, Shiro-san gave a gentle smile. Since she went through all the effort to create this special black tea, I have no doubt it will be delicious, and I’m genuinely excited to try it.
Also, I'm not sure if it's just my imagination…… no, it's definitely not my imagination, but I can feel so intense stares from Ein-san and Jutia-san. I should probably share so with them later.
"……That’s actually a surprisingly well-thought-out gift. Since he can keep drinking from it, and with the tree as the source, Kaito-san can easily share it with others. Its efficiency might be a little beyond normal, but it's not at an absurd level that would cause him stress. In that sense, it’s quite the ideal gift."
"As expected of Shallow Vernal-sama, a truly fitting gift for soone at the top. Now then, I wonder who will be next?"
There were still plenty of participants left, so Shiro-san didn’t stay too long and returned to her original spot. With that, I spun the garapon lottery machine once again.
The next person drawn was Eden-san…… Makina-san. Up until just monts ago, she had been twitching in frustration, but now her face lit up like a shining beacon.
[My chiiiiiiild!? Of course! A mother and her beloved child share an unbreakable bond!!! Naturally, you’d draw my na early on!!!]
She’s definitely soone who brings a lot of uncertainty when it cos to presents, but considering that Shiro-san had provoked her earlier, leaving her frustrated, maybe it was actually a good thing that she got picked this soon.
Serious-senpai : [Now then, we have here the problem child who, last ti, pulled the whole "The present is " stunt.]
? ? ? : [Well, we’re on high alert this ti, and I made sure to give a firm warning in advance, so I think it should be fine.]
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