July 5 – Aika Hoshino's Birthday
Riku Kazehaya had finally recovered — just in time.
The sunlight poured into the apartment, warm and golden. He was sitting on the couch, tousling Punch's fur with one hand while checking his phone with the other.
Suddenly, Aika's voice came from the bedroom, phone pressed to her ear.
"Yeah, Dad. You can swing by around 9 tonight," she said, casually. "I'll be busy the whole day. With Riku."
Riku turned, raising an eyebrow.
"…Yeah, yeah. I know I gotta wait until he turns eighteen too," she added, rolling her eyes at her father's voice. "His birthday's February first, I get it."
She hung up, tossed the phone aside, and grabbed her purse. "Alright, up. You and I are going out."
Riku blinked. "Isn't today your birthday?"
Aika turned, giving him a wicked smile. "Aren't you my property?"
"…You don't even deny it anymore."
"Because it's true."
Riku stood with a lazy grin. "Fine. But in exchange—I want another lip-to-lip kiss."
Aika's eyes gleamed. "That's a small thing. I can do it with you every night."
Riku opened his mouth, then closed it again, ears slightly red. Aika leaned in and added with a playful pout, "And look—Punch is trying to steal you from me too."
Punch barked innocently, wagging his fluffy tail.
Riku chuckled. "He only looks at me like a dad. You? You're his overprotective mom."
Just as Aika grabbed Riku's wrist and started dragging him toward the door, Punch suddenly lunged forward, biting at Riku's joggers.
"Oi, what's with you?" Riku said, staring down.
Punch growled softly, not in anger, but almost like he didn't want Riku to leave. As if sensing something... territorial.
"Don't tell me... you are trying to stop me from being stolen?" Riku asked.
Aika laughed, kneeling beside the pup. "You're just mad you can't come into the restaurant, huh?"
After a moment, Punch loosened his grip. Riku scooped him up, hugged him gently, and placed him back on the couch.
"Don't worry," Riku said, stroking his head. "I'll be back with the same scent."
They stepped out together, the mid-summer air warm and buzzing with life. Aika wore a casual white dress and sneakers, paired with gold accessories that caught the sunlight — simple but effortlessly stunning.
Riku, on the other hand, wore his old joggers and a hoodie with a frayed sleeve.
"You seriously weren't kidding about wearing whatever you had," Aika said, looking him up and down. "Guess we're definitely shopping after this."
They stopped at a sleek café-restaurant not far from the main street. It wasn't crowded, just stylish enough to feel special.
But the moment they stepped in, a voice behind them gasped.
"…Wait, that's Riku?!"
Shizuka Yumehara — their classmate. The quiet girl with the perfect grades, who wore glasses at school but clearly not today. She looked stunned, phone in hand. And before anyone could stop her—
Click.
She took a picture.
Then she turned and started typing furiously.
Sent to: School Girls GC
"Riku Kazehaya??? With THAT body?? Who knew??" "Aika Hoshino's boyfriend??!?" pic attached
Riku was oblivious, too focused on pulling out a chair for Aika.
Shizuka approached with an awkward smile plastered on her lips.
"Hey, Riku. You… look different today."
He glanced up. "Oh. Hey, Shizuka. You're in our class, right?"
Her eye twitched. Right, she thought. I've sat two rows behind you all year and all I get is 'you're in our class, right?'
Aika didn't miss a thing. She saw the way Shizuka's eyes lingered on Riku's arms, his jawline, his nonchalant posture.
Aika's tone turned syrupy sweet — dangerous. "Isn't it amazing how average-looking guys turn into something else once the hoodie comes off?"
Riku blinked. "Was that supposed to be a compliment?"
Shizuka laughed nervously. "Well, I just… didn't expect you two to be… a couple."
Aika tilted her head. "Why not?"
"Because he always seems so... quiet at school."
"Maybe that's because he's too busy knocking out national-level boxers outside of school hours," Aika said casually, sipping her drink.
Riku sighed. "Don't make a scene."
Shizuka's eyes widened. "…You're that Riku Kazehaya? The one who beat Renji?"
Riku scratched the back of his neck. "Wasn't trying to hide it."
Suddenly, Riku's phone buzzed.
A text from his classmate popped up:
"Bro you're trending in the girls' group chat." "You're like… hot now, apparently?"
He sighed. "...Here we go."
Aika stood, grabbing his arm. "Forget her. Let's go pick your birthday present early."
"But it's your birthday."
"Yeah, and I want you dressed like a boyfriend who can break hearts and bones."
As they left the restaurant, Aika whispered under her breath with a grin:
"Let's make the whole school realize you're taken."