When my birthday arrived, my mother invited Sontakai and Kremos over for a small party. My nanny, Haillag, had taken over keeping the house immaculate, even though she was pregnant now. Although she tried to be strong, she didn't hesitate to scold me if I was lazy and didn't help out!
We heard knocking at the door. They had arrived! I rushed to open it with a huge, goofy smile! This was the best gift! They came inside, and the chatting began. As I went to the kitchen to fetch sodas for Hitomi and Galaxia, I heard Mom talking with Haillag, Marley, and Gioulnour about work. On the other side, as I walked toward the living room, I heard Kling and Anisim speaking in a serious tone about the continuation of their Friday night tabletop game. A serious matter, indeed.
When I brought the sodas to Hitomi and Galaxia, Hitomi, with a wide smile, hugged me and immediately gave me her gift—she couldn't wait. Galaxia told her, "Don't rush, he'll open them all together, girl!" But Hitomi replied, "Oh, come on, do whatever you want, hmmm." Hitomi couldn't contain her excitement. She had made the gifts with love. She looked at me, "Come on, open it! This is for you, and this is for you, Galaxia, and one for me too!" Galaxia and I exchanged glances.
Sweetly, I turned and looked at her, "Okay, the one for Galaxia is fine, but why is yours in a little box?" The look she gave me was full of awkwardness and embarrassment. She blushed, "You are silly, know that!" I looked at Galaxia, and she laughed awkwardly. I wondered again, "HMMM, eeer?" and shyly said, "Thank you very much! Whatever it is, it will be wonderful." I said it with a smile, and she blushed even more, quickly turning her head to the left.
When she heard the unwrapping, she turned around! It was a bracelet! Its chain was made of lava crystals, which seemed to smolder faintly. The two ends were joined by a golden Sun, but it could connect with something else too…
"I'm truly surprised by the work you've done, Hitomi! I don't... I have no words! Honestly, I love it! THANK YOU," I hugged her tightly!
Galaxia opened hers, and it was also a bracelet, but made of materials from a comet, which you could shape however you wanted. It was an expensive material! When I saw it, I just widened my eyes. Galaxia was thrilled, she loved it, and almost burst into tears, hugging Hitomi!
"You remembered that I loved this comet-metal because it has various colors, and when you sculpt the edges, it gets that blue-white-gold finish. And… oh, what is this clasp? A sphere with the galaxy inside?"
Hitomi smiled, saying, "Hehe, yes, exactly right! You will be a boundless galaxy of knowledge and wisdom! You just have to smile!"
"Although mine is in a box," she said, giving me a half-glance. "Because I wanted this to be a gift for me too, I put so much work into it! This one is mine! Ta-da! Look at it, metal that changes color the moment I put it on my hand! Its edges are forged with Mithril and closed with a Moon. Isn't it wonderful? Huh? Huh? Huh?" Indeed, the metal had taken an incredible color: gold, pink, blue, purple, yellow – it was wonderful! But I noticed something!
"Hey, Hitomi... is it just me, or does your Moon complete my Sun?"
For a second, Hitomi froze. Her cheeks turned crimson, and she averted her gaze. She stood up abruptly, but not before I noticed her fingers clenching her sleeve. Was she shy? Or perhaps... something else? She got up quickly, looking toward the hallway, as if trying to avoid the subject. "Excuse me, I'll be right back!" she said quickly.
I looked at Galaxia: "Sorry, what did I do? What did I say?" She just smiled, telling me, "I don't know what to say. Maybe you just don't get the hints?" I raised my head toward the ceiling and lowered it, saying in a very relaxed voice, "HMMMM, eeeeee????" She burst out laughing.
The Sun had a gap on its right, so with the notches the Moon had, they became one. I felt quite strange with the crystal in my hand. I raised my left hand, where I was wearing it, let the Sun dangle, and saw an aura of flame coming out from within.
(Meanwhile, Hitomi thought) "It's crazy... How did he figure out that our two bracelets match? They're practically a continuation of each other... He's annoying sometimes! You can't even surprise him! Idiot Aither. I'd better splash some water on my face and go back. But that's why I like him!"
(Back in the living room) We had placed the food in the center and slowly started eating. Hitomi also came back. But just as we were smiling, the door opened, and a voice called out: "I'm back!"