“Hey! What the hell!”
Zahid’s eyes widened in shock, and Fire barked after glancing at .
“Woof woof woof!”
I blinked in disbelief, still holding the cream bread in my hand.
“Woof woof woof woof woof!”
Fire darted into the garden. A mont later, he ca back carrying a twig barely the size of my finger.
“What the...?”
Zahid frowned.
“Woof woof woof woof woof!”
I stared blankly at the twig resting in front of Fire’s paw.
Then I let out an awkward chuckle.
“Haha... Fire, really, this is more than enough...”
“Woof woof woof woof woof woof!”
Fire barked in frustration.
Then he bumped our arms, and both round cream breads fell to the ground.
He jabbed the twig right into the center of the stacked bread.
Now it looked exactly like a cake.
Even Zahid’s eyes widened now.
“You... no way...”
“Ah.”
Embarrassed, I fiddled with Zahid’s natag and gave a small smile.
“I an... this was already enough for .”
“Woof woof woof woof! Woof woof!”
While Fire barked furiously, Zahid blinked in disbelief and asked,
“Wait... is today your birthday?”
“Ah... yeah. It is.”
“No way...”
Zahid, looking dumbfounded, picked up the bottle of soda.
“Then why didn’t your grandpa or your brother say anything at the parent eting?”
He looked so shocked his cheeks flushed red.
“If your birthday was this close, wouldn’t they be the type to show up with ten carriages packed with gifts?”
“Well, yeah.”
I laughed awkwardly.
“It’s just... neither of them knows my exact birthday.”
A brief silence followed.
Grandfather didn’t know my birthday—well, we hadn’t known each other for long anyway.
And the birthday recorded at the Temple was a few days off from my real one.
Julian had learned my real birthday because I told him before he lost his mory.
He must have forgotten it after the amnesia.
Normally, he would’ve celebrated my real birthday... but since he didn’t rember, I never brought it up.
Besides, it was my birthday during the Academy sester anyway.
Zahid suddenly stood up. He spoke in a rush.
“Wait here. I should at least get a cake, right?”
“Oh, it’s fine.”
I waved both hands quickly.
“Where would you even get one this late at night? And I already had cake—Assistant Yuta gave so strawberry cake with the tea today.”
Of course, Zahid didn’t seem to be listening at all. He muttered seriously,
“Hmm, if I run to town and offer triple the price...”
“Stop.”
I pulled Zahid down and made him sit again.
Then I looked him straight in the eye and said slowly,
“I just... like being with you during this ti. This natag to commorate it is more than enough to make happy.”
Zahid’s face, which had been full of frustration, turned red again at the ears.
At that mont, Fire waved a paw once.
“Woof!”
And the twig stuck in the two cream breads lit up like a candle with a tiny fla.
Zahid and I both let out soft chuckles when we saw it.
A candle lit by a Divine Beast of Fire.
He’d controlled it so delicately that the tip of the twig glowed steadily, not burning up, shining with a soft, ethereal light.
The rings on our fingers reflected the flickering glow, shimring faintly.
“I...”
I smiled gently, speaking sincerely.
“Really... this is enough. It’s more than I deserve.”
Zahid slowly opened and closed his eyes. A helpless smile spread across his lips.
“Zahid.”
With the tiny fla between us, I looked at him and said,
“Wish a happy birthday.”
Zahid’s violet eyes quietly t mine.
This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.
A soft breeze passed between us.
After a mont of silence, Zahid was the one to speak first.
“Rosie.”
His voice, still untouched by puberty, was clear.
“Just wait a little. I’ll give you a present.”
“I said I don’t need one. I just want to be with you ri—”
“We’re together right now, aren’t we?”
He downed the rest of his drink in one go.
Then dunked the bottle into the fountain to rinse it out.
“Zahid?”
I watched in a daze as Zahid plucked roses from the garden.
One, two, three... twelve.
Each ti he tossed a rose into the air, Fire waved a paw.
And each ti, the rose turned into a dried flower midair and landed softly into the bottle.
“...This is a little silly, but.”
The mass-produced soda bottle from the campus store now brimming with dried rose petals sohow looked new and special.
He handed it to casually.
“Still, I tried to capture this mont.”
With slightly trembling hands, I accepted the bottle.
Fire gave a flick of his paw.
The natag Zahid had given earlier lted slightly and stuck to the bottle with a soft tap under a controlled fla.
Zahid grinned.
“Good thing it’s not midnight yet.”
Still standing before the softly glowing fla, he looked at and said,
“Happy birthday.”
“Snf...”
My heart fluttered as I held the small bottle in my hands.
Just as I was about to blow the candle again, I inhaled deeply—
“Wait. Make a wish first.”
Zahid quickly cut in.
“It’s your birthday. Hurry.”
“...Okay.”
I clasped my hands together imdiately.
Then closed my eyes.
After a mont’s thought, I suddenly opened them again.
“Zahid, is it okay to wish for two things?”
“Why are you asking that?”
“So you don’t know either. Okay, I’m making two.”
Leaving Zahid’s dumbfounded expression untouched, I closed my eyes again.
Even with my eyes shut, I could feel the tiny light flickering.
I clasped my hands tight and prayed sincerely.
‘Please... please let my brother regain his mories.’
Then, after a deep breath, I made my second wish.
‘And soday, please let Zahid co to know everything too.’
I knew I was being greedy, but I couldn’t help it.
‘So that we can one day talk about how much this mont ant to us.’
Before the regression, I always waited for nights with a full moon.
Waited and waited... and Zahid always ca.
"When we get out, I’ll never make you wait again."
That’s what he told .
"I’ll always go ahead and wait for you—forever."
He had no reason to rember that night, but even now, Zahid always arrived at our eting place first.
Arms crossed, legs folded, with a grumpy look—but he never made wait.
As if... as if he rembered.
And every ti, I couldn't help but hope.
That he’d rember the old us, like so kind of miracle.
That he’d stroke my cheek with a sad smile and say, “It must’ve been lonely, rembering everything by yourself.”
I slowly opened my eyes.
Zahid sat with his arms crossed, staring at .
“How long is this wish, seriously? What kind of drama are you wishing for?”
“Oh. I wished our dumb bottom-rank fiancé would start rembering stuff.”
“...Just wait. I’ll beat your score in the graduation exams.”
I snorted at his response. Then whoosh, I blew out the fla resting on the twig.
“All right, give your hand.”
I thrust mine out.
“Before we eat, let transfer divine power. I want to thank you with at least that.”
Like every other night, Zahid naturally held out his hand.
I giggled while pouring divine power into him.
“This is probably the last ti I’ll do this before we leave the Academy. But if you ever find yourself missing my divine power, call . I’ll use that excuse to co visit.”
“....”
Even though I was openly clingy, Zahid didn’t say much. He just frowned a little.
After transferring all the power, I pulled my hand away—and he suddenly asked,
“Did sothing happen today?”
“Huh? Today?”
His violet eyes looked unusually serious. I hesitated, then answered honestly.
“I received an emotional birthday celebration where the Divine Beast did all the work and my fiancé took the credit...”
“...Not that.”
“I an, nothing special cos to mind other than that. Why? Do I seem weird?”
“Ah.”
Zahid stared at my face for a while... then slowly shook his head.
“...It’s nothing.”
Reviews
All reviews (0)