The announcement left everyone stunned.
No matter how you looked at him, Gojo Satoru seemed like the type of pampered young master who had never touched a chore in his life, let alone knew the price of oil and salt.
Him? Cooking?
However, over the past few years, they had become desensitized to his superhuman displays of talent. After a brief moment of shock, they accepted the reality.
"Kaiser-sama truly is the greatest!" Sake exclaimed with heartfelt admiration.
Calvados, recalling the line from his manual—"To capture a woman's heart, you must first capture her stomach"—had a sudden epiphany and nodded solemnly to himself.
Once the ingredients were delivered, Satoru began his preparations. Before starting, he asked Gin what kind of style he wanted for the cake. The answer, predictably, was a flat "Whatever."
"Then I'll just freestyle it~ Don't go crying on me when you're moved to tears later."
Satoru tied on a cute little rubber duck apron and gave a playful wink. Gin let out a soft huff, looking skeptical as to whether the end result would even be edible.
Satoru called Sake and Calvados over to assist—mostly with menial tasks like cracking eggs. As for the birthday boy, he wasn't allowed to interfere. Luckily, the kitchen was equipped with an oven and all necessary materials; everything was ready.
"First, mix the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt evenly... then blend the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract..."
The two assistants were full of energy, though not necessarily for Gin's sake.
Sake: It's so wonderful to be helpful to Kaiser-sama, and I get to be close to him officially. Ugh, his eyelashes are so long and curved, so beautiful...
Calvados: Once I master this, I'll bake a cake for Miss Vermouth... I must capture her stomach!
Very good—everyone had a bright future.
With his "tools"—no, his dear companions—helping out, Satoru's progress was remarkably fast. It took about an hour to produce a decent-looking batter ready for the oven. Calvados headed to the restroom, leaving only Sake and Satoru in the kitchen.
As they waited for the cake to bake, silence fell over the kitchen. Aside from the bullying incident years ago, Sake had almost never been alone with Satoru. Being naturally shy, she hesitated for a long time before gathering her courage.
"Um... excuse me!"
Satoru, who was currently spacing out, snapped back to reality and looked at the girl. "What is it, Sake?"
"I have something I want to tell you, Kaiser-sama." Sake kept her head down, seizing the chance to ask the question that had been swirling in her mind for ages. "You told me before... that my goal should be to reach even a fraction of your strength. I've been chasing your back ever since, working tirelessly day and night."
Hearing this, Satoru recalled what Shimizu Kasumi looked like when they first met. She still looked like that girl, but the spirit within her was entirely different.
Sake's face flushed as she continued, "I've finally become a codenamed member. Do you think... I've reached that goal?"
After a long pause, Satoru replied in his usual casual tone, "Not yet."
"Oh..."
The girl, clearly hoping for her idol's validation, slumped visibly—only to perk up at his next words.
"But you're about halfway there." The boy, several years younger than her, patted her head with the maturity of a mentor. His azure eyes, which looked like they extended to the end of the sky, were filled with a smile. "So, keep it up. Keep fighting for the rest of your life."
Sake was so happy she felt dizzy; her fighting spirit ignited like a wildfire. "Y-Yes!"
Is it just an illusion? Ever since the mission with Hermann, Kaiser-sama... seems to have become even gentler.
The oven emitted a sharp ding, and the aroma of the cake filled the air, interrupting their conversation. Satoru took the cake out, let it cool, and then focused on the frosting. It took another hour before he was satisfied with the result. Finally, the three of them added the candles and brought it out.
"Alright, mission accomplished!"
Seeing the finished product, both Sake and Calvados swallowed hard, their mouths watering. Satoru heard the sweet chime of impression points hitting his account. Outside, the sky had turned dark.
Their stomachs were growling. Soon, they gathered in a circle around the coffee table in the living room. Since Gin had been forbidden from peeking (though he wouldn't have stooped to that anyway), his curiosity had been piqued. Now, he finally had the chance to see Satoru's "skills."
One look, and he froze.
The cake was simple yet exquisite, consisting of three tiers. Each layer was carved into a slightly tilted circle, the edges decorated with cream flowers. The sides were cleverly covered in a spiral of chocolate shavings, and the top was adorned with fresh blueberries—reminding Gin of that blueberry bread Satoru had shoved into his mouth after he lost a fight years ago.
In the center, Satoru had used icing to paint a small figure. With just a few strokes, it was incredibly vivid.
"Is this... me?"
Blonde hair, green eyes, dressed in black... it was clearly Gin. Beside it, beautiful cursive script was written in chocolate sauce:
Happy Birthday, Gin.
This was the first birthday cake ever prepared for him.
The thought stirred a strange sensation in his chest, like a feather brushing against his palm in a dream. Gin had never imagined anyone would celebrate his birth; he had always believed only pampered, foolish brats clamored for cakes with their names on them. He wasn't a dessert connoisseur, but he felt this cake looked better than anything in a shop window—it was much more endearing.
Perhaps because Gin had been silent for too long, Satoru broke the ice.
"What, are you really crying?" Before Gin could glare at him, Satoru added, "Fine, I'm done teasing. Happy Birthday~ Gin-chan."
"Happy Birthday, Gin," Sake and Calvados chimed in. Although their relationship with Gin wasn't great, they were caught up in the atmosphere and spoke with genuine sincerity.
Looking at this warm scene—which didn't fit the style of their Organization at all—Gin did something unprecedented: he let his lips curl into a smile.
He had always imagined his birthdays would be spent alone in a dark, lifeless building after a hit, looking at the moon and thinking of the pointless fact that he was another year older.
But... these past few years, with Gojo Satoru around, life was always full of surprises.
Thank you, Satoru, he said silently in his heart.
[Ding! Impression points from story character "Gin" increased by 2,000! Impression type: Best Friend.]
Satoru was stunned by the notification, then grew even happier. Best friends, huh... hehe. Who knew a cake could make the "Model Worker" smile like that? Just a while ago, the guy was threatening to kill him if he betrayed the Organization. If that day ever came... God knows which of them would find it harder to pull the trigger.
The white-haired boy lit the candles one by one. Each flame was like a tiny torch, casting a warm, dancing amber glow.
Gin quietly closed his eyes, then opened them a moment later and blew the candles out. No one knew what he wished for.