To make the most perfect birthday cake, Satsuki had spent nearly the entire evening busy in the kitchen. She repeatedly tested recipes, carefully adjusting the proportions of sugar and flour, all in pursuit of that perfectly balanced sweetness.
Every taste test had been like a devout prayer for the final result. And so, when their lips finally parted, the first thing Naruto's lips clearly sensed was the lingering taste of birthday cake, blended with the rich fragrance of cream and the fresh sweetness of fruit.
His first kiss... was a one-of-a-kind sweetness personally made by Satsuki.
Letting go of the arms around Naruto's neck, Satsuki drew back slightly, yet remained close enough for them to hear each other breathe.
She clearly saw that, after realizing what had just happened, Naruto's face—the one that always wore a sunny smile—was flushing at an astonishing speed, turning the exact same shade of crimson as hers, if not even brighter.
Those blue eyes were filled with shock, shyness, helplessness, and the dizzying daze of being struck by an enormous surprise.
He seemed to want to say something, but this overly wonderful and bold "ambush" had left him completely unable to organize his words.
Seeing Naruto's innocent, clearly inexperienced appearance as he was led into flustered panic by her, a warm tide of happiness, filled with accomplishment and sweetness, instantly submerged Satsuki's heart.
Unable to help herself, her lips curved into a smile, blooming into an unprecedentedly gentle expression filled with satisfaction and affection.
"This birthday gift..." Her gaze locked tightly onto Naruto's blue eyes, which flickered with confusion. "...Do you like it?"
"...Yeah," Naruto replied after a brief daze, instinctively and honestly obeying the voice in his heart. "I like it."
If, on his eighteenth birthday, the most precious gift to fall from the