Honami's Birthday

Wednesday morning, July 20th.

At the back of the Class B classroom, Shiranami Chihiro was taping handmade decorative ribbons to the window, while Kanzaki Ryuji helped rearrange the desks and chairs.

Today was the birthday of their class's core figure, Ichinose Honami, and several close classmates had spontaneously organized a small celebration.

"Ichinose-san went to pick up the cake we ordered; she should be back soon," Shiranami said, checking the time.

Karuizawa Kei leaned against the doorframe, her gaze drifting toward the hallway every few moments.

Last night, she had specifically called to confirm: "Brother No, you have the gift ready, right? Honami is really looking forward to it."

The reply from the other end of the line was concise: "Yes."

"Honestly, would it kill you to say a few more words..." Karuizawa muttered, though a smile tugged at the corners of her mouth.

Around the corner of the staircase, Ichinose Honami appeared, carrying a cake box.

She was wearing a light blue dress today, her long hair draped softly over her shoulders, making her look exceptionally radiant.

"Kei, sorry to keep you waiting," Honami said, approaching with a gentle smile.

"Honami, happy birthday!" Karuizawa hurried over to take the cake from her. "Brother No should be here any minute."

No sooner had she spoken than the figure of Hoshida No appeared at the other end of the hallway. He was dressed in his usual simple, dark-colored casual clothes, carrying a plain paper bag in his hand.

"Brother No!" Karuizawa waved.

Hoshida No walked closer, his gaze landing on Ichinose's face: "Happy birthday."

"Thank you." Ichinose's smile deepened slightly. "Actually, you didn't have to go through the trouble of preparing a gift..."

"How could you say that!" Karuizawa interrupted. "It's a once-a-year birthday!"

As the three of them entered the classroom, Kushida Kikyo had already arrived.

She was wearing a pale yellow short-sleeved shirt and was busy arranging drinks. When she saw Hoshida No enter, her eyes brightened. "Hoshida-san, you're here."

"Yeah."

Kanzaki Ryuji nodded in greeting toward Hoshida No.

Having witnessed Hoshida No's performance during the Seven-Day War, he held a cautious respect for the boy who had promoted from Class D.

Shiranami Chihiro, meanwhile, eyed Hoshida No with curiosity; so this was the one who had snatched her Honami away.

With everyone present and the room simply decorated, the celebration began.

Ichinose unwrapped the gifts from her classmates: Shiranami had given her an exquisite notebook, Kanzaki had gifted a high-quality fountain pen, and the others had all contributed their own thoughtful tokens.

Karuizawa Kei gave her a light purple silk scarf, personally tying it around Honami's wrist. "It looks so good with your outfit!"

"Thank you, Kei," Ichinose said softly.

Finally, everyone's eyes turned toward the paper bag Hoshida No had brought.

Ichinose Honami took it; the bag was light.

She carefully removed a hardcover encyclopedia of marine life and a small, dark blue velvet box.

Opening the box, she found a minimalist silver bracelet with a tiny anchor-shaped pendant, crafted with delicate detail.

"Wow, it's so pretty!" Karuizawa leaned in to look.

Ichinose picked up the bracelet, her fingertips tracing the texture of the anchor pendant. She looked at Hoshida No. "This is..."

"The encyclopedia is the version you mentioned wanting to see earlier," Hoshida No's voice was steady. "The bracelet is an extra. In nautical terms, an anchor represents stability and a safe harbor. It suits you."

The classroom fell silent for a moment.

Ichinose lowered her eyes, her lashes fluttering slightly.

She gripped the bracelet tightly, and only after a few seconds did she lift her face, her smile even softer than before. "I love it. Thank you, Brother No."

Kushida Kikyo stood to the side, her smile flawless, but the fingers gripping her drink bottle tightened slightly.

She saw a brightness in Ichinose's eyes that wasn't usually there.

Karuizawa Kei pouted. "Brother No, you're so biased, giving such a thoughtful gift."

Hoshida No looked at her. "You'll get a corresponding gift for your birthday next year."

"That's more like it!" Karuizawa laughed immediately.

The celebration continued as everyone shared the cake, the atmosphere light and easy.

Kanzaki Ryuji and Hoshida No chatted briefly about rumors regarding the next special exam, while Shiranami Chihiro curiously asked Hoshida No if it was true that he knew martial arts.

Kushida Kikyo kept the atmosphere lively, making everyone laugh from time to time, but her peripheral vision never left Hoshida No.

When she saw Hoshida No, while Ichinose was blowing out her candles, raise his hand with a completely natural motion to shield her from potential wax splatter—despite his face remaining expressionless—Kushida's smile froze for a tenth of a second.

Midway through, Ichinose went to the restroom. Karuizawa followed her.

In the hallway, Karuizawa whispered, "Honami, that bracelet Brother No gave you... you really like it, don't you?"

Honami was washing her hands, the sound of the running water masking her momentary silence.

She turned off the faucet and slowly dried her fingers with a paper towel before saying softly, "Yes. Because it was something he chose with care."

"I knew it!" Karuizawa Kei laughed. "Though, that makes sense. Even if Brother No always has a poker face, he's quite good to both you and me."

Ichinose Honami didn't respond. She looked out the window at the blazing summer sun.

It was true; he was good to everyone. It was a calm, rational, and efficient kind of kindness. Just like how he handled class affairs—precise and flawless.

But just now, when he said the words "it suits you," her heart had skipped a beat.

That was the first time she had heard him offer something that felt like a truly personal assessment.

Inside the classroom, taking advantage of the moment Ichinose Honami and Karuizawa Kei were away, Kushida Kikyo sat in the empty seat next to Hoshida No.

"Hoshida-kun and Honami-chan are really close, aren't you?" She rested her chin on her hand, smiling sweetly. "Honami looked especially happy when she received your gift."

Hoshida No looked at her. "One should be happy on their birthday."

"That's true." Kushida's fingers traced patterns on the desk unconsciously. "Speaking of which, does Hoshida-kun still remember the handkerchief I gave you?"

"The pink one. I still have it."

"You kept it..." Kushida's voice softened. "I'm a bit surprised. It wasn't anything expensive, after all."

Hoshida No didn't answer immediately. He recalled the day in the dormitory when Kushida had knocked over a glass of water; while he was cleaning up the spill, he had noticed Kushida glancing at the handkerchief in his pocket.

"The value of an object isn't determined by its price," he said.

Kushida was stunned for a moment, then she laughed. "Hoshida-kun, sometimes you say things that are... hard to understand."

She paused, then suddenly lowered her voice. "Yamauchi-kun seems a bit off lately. I heard him and Sotomura talking about some strange things—about Ryuen-kun, and... about you."

Hoshida No's expression remained completely unmoved. "For example?"

"It sounds like they're planning something." Kushida's expression carried just the right amount of concern. "I don't know the specifics, but it doesn't feel like anything good. Hoshida-kun, you should be careful."

"Thank you for letting me know."

Just then, Ichinose Honami and Karuizawa Kei returned, and the conversation naturally came to an end.

As the celebration neared its conclusion, everyone began to tidy up. Kanzaki Ryuji said to Ichinose, "Ichinose, don't forget we have class activities this afternoon."

"Yes, I remember," Ichinose Honami nodded.

Karuizawa Kei tugged at Hoshida No. "Brother No, you're free this afternoon, right? Come with me to buy some new sunscreen; I ran out of my last bottle."

"Sure."

Kushida Kikyo waved with a smile. "Then I'll head back now; I have plans with Sakura-san this afternoon. See you, Hoshida-kun."

The group dispersed. As they walked out of the school building, Ichinose Honami and Hoshida No were the last ones left. With only the two of them in the corridor, their footsteps echoed clearly.

"Brother No," Ichinose suddenly spoke up.

Hoshida No turned his head to look at her.

"Thank you so much for the gift." She raised her wrist, the silver bracelet already fastened, the anchor pendant catching the light with a subtle luster. "I will treasure it."

Hoshida No's gaze fell on her bracelet, lingering for two seconds.

"As long as it suits you."

Honami laughed, a hint of lighthearted helplessness in her voice. "That phrase again. Brother No, sometimes you really are..."

She didn't finish her sentence, simply shaking her head.

The two reached the entrance of the school building, where Karuizawa Kei was waiting in the shade. Seeing them emerge, she waved.

Ichinose Honami stopped walking. "I'm going to head to the classroom to handle some class business. Kei, Brother No, see you later."

"Yeah, let's eat dinner together tonight!" Karuizawa Kei said.

Ichinose Honami nodded and turned toward the direction of the Class B classroom. After a few steps, she looked back.

Hoshida No was already walking toward the school gate with Kei. Kei was gesturing as she spoke, and Hoshida No was listening intently.

She pulled her gaze away and gently touched the anchor on her wrist with her fingertips.

In the evening, when Hoshida No returned to his dormitory, he received two messages on his phone.

One was from Ayanokoji Kiyotaka: Yamauchi and Sotomura were acting suspiciously around the old Class C building area this afternoon. Do you need me to keep following up?

The other was from Ichinose Honami, containing a photo: her wrist with the bracelet, set against a small potted plant on a windowsill. The caption read: The sunlight was lovely today, and the bracelet is shining brightly. Thank you, Brother No.

Hoshida No replied to Ayanokoji first: Continue observing. Record their movements and timestamps.

Then, he opened the photo Ichinose had sent and stared at it for a few seconds.

She had adjusted the anchor pendant to the side of her wrist bone, the spot where a watch would often bump against things. But by using the greenery as a background, she had made the entire image look soft.

He remembered Karuizawa Kei in the cosmetics store that afternoon, muttering while picking out sunscreen, "Honami was especially happy today, did you notice, Brother No?"

"Yes."

"She rarely shows her emotions so openly." Kei turned to look at him. "Even though Honami is always smiling, she's actually under a lot of pressure, right? Everyone in Class B relies on her so much."

Hoshida No hadn't answered at the time.

Now, looking at the photo, his finger hovered over the reply box for a moment.

In the end, he only typed a few words: As long as Ichinose Honami likes it.

Outside the window, the setting sun dipped low, dyeing the room a warm orange.

Hoshida No walked to the desk and pulled open the drawer, where a pink handkerchief lay neatly folded in the corner, beside a digital voice recorder and several Martial Arts Club documents.

He had placed the handkerchief in the drawer after noticing Kushida's reaction last time. He picked it up and unfolded it.

The cotton fabric of the handkerchief had softened from many washes, and its color was no longer vibrant.

Yet, as he looked at it now, he realized just how long he had been using it.

And that message he sent to Ichinose Honami today.

When exactly had he begun to change?

Hoshida No refolded the handkerchief and placed it back in the drawer. The moment he closed the drawer, his movements paused ever so slightly.

No one saw it.

Just like the indescribable sense of stagnation in his heart at this moment, it was something only he could perceive.

ps: The next side story will be Honami's, but I want to wait until she and Hoshida No are together to write it.