Surprised!!

Two weeks slipped by quietly amidst the rustle of books and pens. On Saturday morning, Shimiya Kuki's figure appeared inside a refined gift shop called "Breeze Garden" on the shopping street. The store's interior was elegant, the lighting soft, and the air carried a faint woody scent mingled with the fragrance of paper. Glass display cabinets held a variety of artworks, stationery, and delicate trinkets—from handmade ceramic cups to vintage music boxes, an array of goods. Shimiya's gaze swept calmly over the rows of shelves, his fingertips occasionally brushing against velvet boxes or smooth wrapping paper, until he finally stopped at a corner. He picked up an item, examined it closely for a moment, seemed to confirm its suitability, and walked to the counter. After a brief exchange, the clerk skillfully took out plain yet high-quality wrapping paper and ribbon, carefully wrapped the gift, and handed it to Shimiya. Carrying the neatly wrapped, moderately sized rectangular box whose contents were impossible to discern, he left the warm shop, returned to the Class B dormitory, and stored the box securely in his room.

The next afternoon, sunlight streamed through the windows, casting warm patches of light on the dining table in the dormitory cafeteria. Shimiya Kuki and Ichinose Honami sat facing each other, enjoying a simple lunch. Ichinose took small bites of her salad, her face wearing its usual gentle smile, occasionally glancing up at Shimiya as he ate quietly.

"Ichinose." Shimiya set down his chopsticks, his voice calm as he spoke. "Do you have any plans this afternoon?"

Ichinose put down her fork, tilted her head in thought, and a few strands of soft blonde hair slipped down her cheek. "Hmm... I haven't received any other invitations," she said lightly. "It seems like a lot of classmates plan to stay in the dorm and review for the final exams. What's up, Kuki-kun? Do you need help with something?" Her bright blue eyes looked at him curiously.

"It's not exactly help," Shimiya replied, his gaze fixed on the plate before him, his tone flat. "I just think studying alone is less efficient. Since you're free this afternoon, how about going to the library together? We can focus on narrowing down the exam scope."

"Eh—?!" Ichinose's eyes widened in surprise, her body leaning forward slightly, her face full of disbelief. "Kuki-kun... taking the initiative to invite me to the library?" She even instinctively reached out, a playful smile on her lips, pretending to check his forehead. "Are you running a fever? Did the sun rise from the west today?"

Shimiya subtly leaned back, avoiding her hand, his expression unchanged. He merely gave her a faint glance. "It's just a reasonable proposal based on efficiency. Sorting through knowledge points alone takes time and effort; dividing the work between two people is more effective." His reasoning sounded utterly calm and pragmatic.

Ichinose withdrew her hand and couldn't help but let out a laugh, her eyes curving into crescents. "Honestly, Kuki-kun's reasons are always so 'Kuki-kun'! But you do have a point! Okay, let's head out after we finish eating!" She picked up her fork again, her movements noticeably lighter.

When the two stepped into the library, they immediately felt the tense atmosphere unique to the end of the term. The usually somewhat spacious space was now nearly full, the air filled with the rustling of pages, the faint scratch of pens on paper, and deliberately lowered voices. The foot traffic was several times heavier than usual.

Shimiya seemed to have anticipated this. He pulled out his terminal, quickly tapped a few commands, sent a brief message, and without even waiting for a reply, switched to the library's reservation interface to confirm.

"I accounted for this situation," he said, putting away the terminal, addressing Ichinose, who was scanning the room for an empty seat. "I reserved a small study room yesterday." His tone was as calm as if stating an established fact.

Ichinose once again wore that expression of helpless admiration, as if to say "I should have known." "Kuki-kun, you really are the epitome of being prepared!"

The two smoothly entered the quiet, enclosed study room. Time flew by amid focused notes and low-voiced discussions. Ichinose took charge of marking key points in Japanese and some social studies; her notes were clear and detailed, and whenever she encountered something needing deliberation, she would quietly exchange opinions with Shimiya. The remaining subjects' important and difficult points were handled by Shimiya. His thinking was extremely clear, logically rigorous, and he often pinpointed the core exam topics with precision. Unnoticed, the sky outside the window shifted from bright afternoon to deep dusk, and the library's lights grew brighter.

"Whew—finally done! (≧▽≦)" Ichinose closed her last Japanese textbook, let out a long breath, and stretched her shoulders and arms, stiff from sitting too long. Her face showed the satisfaction and slight fatigue of completing a tough task.

Almost simultaneously, Shimiya closed his notebook and looked up.

"Before we know it," he said, gazing at the fully darkened sky outside, his voice low, "four months have passed."

"Yeah," Ichinose also looked out the window, her tone tinged with emotion. "The first semester's studies are over just like that. For students at other schools, the long-awaited summer vacation would be next, right? But here at this closed-management Advanced Nurturing High School..." She turned back, her eyes shining with determination and rationality. "The next two months might be the real test's beginning."

"Mm." Shimiya nodded slightly in agreement.

"But!" Ichinose's voice instantly regained its energy, her smile radiant. "I believe in everyone in Class B. As long as we work together, we can definitely get through any difficulty!"

Just then, Ichinose's terminal on the table suddenly vibrated, the screen lighting up with the name "Shiratori Chihiro."

"Hello? Shiratori-san? What's up?" Ichinose answered, her voice warm.

"Ichinose-class president! Are you near the classroom right now?" Shiratori Chihiro's slightly anxious voice came through. "I left my very important review textbook in my classroom seat! I just asked several classmates, but they're all reviewing in their own dorms. So I wanted to ask if you're near the classroom?"

"I'm at the library, just finished reviewing with Kuki-kun and about to leave," Ichinose replied immediately, her tone soothing. "Don't worry, it's on my way. I'll go get it for you. Just wait in the dorm."

"Ah! Great! Thank you so much, class president! Sorry for the trouble!" Shiratori's voice clearly relaxed.

"No need to be polite, don't worry!" Ichinose ended the call with a smile and turned to Shimiya. "Kuki-kun, thanks for today! I need to go to the classroom to pick up Shiratori-san's textbook. You head back to the dorm and rest first?"

Shimiya had already gathered his things and stood up. "I have nothing else to do. I'll go with you."

"Eh? Sure!" Ichinose didn't refuse, a relaxed smile on her face. The two walked side by side out of the library.

The corridor leading to the school building was utterly silent, only their footsteps echoing in the empty space. Most classrooms were pitch black, except for a faint light coming from the Class D classroom at the end of the hallway, standing out conspicuously in the darkness. They walked straight to the door of the equally dark Class B classroom.

Ichinose unlocked the classroom door and pushed it open, muttering "It's so dark" as she fumbled for the light switch on the wall.

Click!

With the crisp sound of the switch being pressed, bright light instantly flooded the room, illuminating the entire classroom like daylight!

"Surprise!!!"

"Happy birthday, Ichinose-class president!"

"Happy Birthday!"

Deafening cheers and blessings surged like waves, engulfing Ichinose Honami, who stood at the doorway! She was so startled by the sudden noise and light that she took a big step back, nearly bumping into Shimiya behind her. The color drained from her face, leaving only pure shock and disbelief. Her beautiful blue eyes were wide, her mouth slightly open, completely frozen.

Under the lights, the classroom had been completely transformed! Colorful balloons clustered on the ceiling and window frames, shiny ribbons wound around the desks and chairs. Several desks had been pushed together, covered with a white tablecloth, laden with all kinds of tempting food, drinks, and snacks. But the most eye-catching was the huge, three-tier birthday cake in the center of the table, decorated with delicate cream rosettes and fresh fruit!

"Happy birthday, Ichinose-class president!" Shiratori Chihiro stood at the front, her face beaming with excitement and anticipation. "This is a surprise party prepared by the whole class for you!"

"Happy birthday, Honami!" Hino Yuki stepped forward, her tone unusually gentle. "You're always taking care of everyone. Today, just enjoy yourself and relax!" She lightly patted the still-dazed Ichinose on the shoulder.

"Everyone... everyone..." Ichinose finally found her voice. Her eyes instantly reddened, tears glistening under the lights. Her gaze swept over every familiar smiling face in the room, her voice thick with emotion. "You... you prepared all this for my birthday? And kept it a secret from me and Kuki-kun?" She instinctively turned to look at the ever-calm Shimiya Kuki beside her, her eyes full of suspicion. "Kuki-kun! You... you knew all along, didn't you?!"

At that moment, Shiratori Chihiro cut in with a grin, a hint of pride in her voice. "Class president, I asked Shimiya-kun yesterday! I begged him to find a way to 'distract' you this afternoon so we'd have enough time to set everything up! Shimiya-kun was our key inside man!" She winked playfully at Shimiya.

"Alright, alright!" Shibata Sassa waved energetically, his voice loud, carrying the impatience of a true foodie. "Save the touching speeches for later! Let's start eating! I'm starving! This smell is killing me!"

"Idiot, don't ruin the mood!" Hino Yuki standing beside him didn't hesitate to deliver a light "hand chop" to his head. Shibata let out an exaggerated "Ow!", drawing laughter from everyone.

Watching the lively, warm, and slightly chaotic scene, seeing her classmates' sincere smiles, the tears in Ichinose's eyes finally spilled over. But her face bloomed into a brilliant, supremely happy smile. She nodded firmly, her voice thick with a nasal tone but crystal clear: "Mm! Thank you, everyone! Thank you... really... Then... let's eat!"

For the next two hours, the Class B classroom became an ocean of joy. Everyone sat together, sharing food, chatting and laughing, teasing each other about recent events and embarrassing moments during review. Shibata, true to form, "cleaned out" the food, while Shiratori Chihiro and the other girls chattered around the cake about how to cut it. Kanzaki and a few boys engaged in calmer conversation. Ichinose was the absolute center; her smile never faded as she continuously responded to everyone's blessings and jokes, occasionally wiping away tears of emotion. Shimiya Kuki sat quietly in a corner, holding a drink. Though he spoke little, his gaze always followed the lively center, and the faintest, almost invisible curve touched his lips. The warm birthday song began; in the flickering candlelight, Ichinose closed her eyes and made a wish, then puffed out her cheeks and blew out all the candles in one breath, sparking another round of applause and cheers.

Time at the gathering always flew by. Finally, everyone worked together to clean the classroom spotlessly, as if the feast had been nothing but a dream.

On the way back to the dorm, the night breeze was gentle. Ichinose Honami and Shimiya Kuki walked side by side. She seemed still immersed in the afterglow of immense happiness, her steps so light they almost bounced, her face wearing an undisguised, supremely content smile.

"Today... was super—super—super happy! (ω)" She couldn't help but whisper a small cheer to the night sky, her voice full of pure joy, her cheeks flushed with excitement under the streetlights.

When they reached the dormitory building, about to part ways, Shimiya Kuki stopped.

"Wait here a moment," he said calmly, then turned and quickly walked toward his own dormitory.

Ichinose was a little puzzled but obediently waited under the streetlight. Before long, Shimiya's figure reappeared. In his hands, he held a rectangular gift box, over a meter long, carefully wrapped in plain wrapping paper.

He walked up to Ichinose and handed her the box, which looked bulky but was surprisingly light in his hands.

"Your birthday gift." His voice was especially clear in the quiet of the night. "Happy birthday. Good night."

Ichinose froze for a moment, then a smile brighter and more delighted than before bloomed across her face. She took the large gift box with both hands, hugged it tightly to her chest as if it were a treasure, and her eyes shimmered with emotion. "Thank you! Kuki-kun! Thank you so much! Good night to you too!"

The two exchanged good nights at the dormitory entrance and headed to their own rooms.

Back in her cozy single dorm, Ichinose Honami couldn't wait to unwrap the long gift box. As the wrapping paper fell away, what emerged was a long-bodied, exquisitely crafted, endearingly cute pink dolphin plushie. The dolphin's fabric was soft and comfortable, its gaze gentle, and its slightly upturned mouth seemed to be smiling too.

"Ah..." Ichinose let out a small, surprised gasp, her face instantly filling with tenderness and affection. She immediately hugged the big dolphin plushie to her chest, burying her face in its soft body and nuzzling it, as if she could still feel the silent yet meticulous thoughtfulness of the person who had chosen it.

After washing up, she placed the pink dolphin plushie by her pillow and patted it gently. Bathed in a full sense of happiness, the sincere wishes of her classmates, and the warmth of this special gift, Ichinose Honami embraced that gentleness, a sweet smile lingering at the corners of her lips, and soon drifted into a peaceful and wonderful dream. The dolphin by her pillow silently watched over her slumber in the moonlight.