The light of the rising sun poured in through the bedroom window, splashing over Osamu as he slept in bed. He slowly came to from his slumber, his eyelids peeling open. Expecting to find the girls sleeping beside him, Osamu was startled to see everyone sitting up in bed and staring at him. It seemed everyone was just waiting for him to awaken.

"Morning, everyone." Osamu groaned. "Is something going on?"

Tsukiakari gasped and covered her mouth. "Oh gosh, the poor thing! He's retarded!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" Osamu asked.

"Osamu, do you really not know what today is? Did you seriously forget?" Isabella questioned. "You of all people should remember this day!"

"It's your birthday, genius. You really forgot? You're officially twenty-one today." Yoko said with a smile.

Osamu stared at them in disbelief before checking the date and time on his phone. "June 31st?! How the hell could I forget?!"

Izanami giggled. "You've been so busy helping all of us out that you forgot it was your birthday! "

" Truthfully, I think you guys all missed Osamu's twentieth birthday, since he was dead and missing for an entire year." Tsukiakari recalled.

Yoko nodded. "That's right. We'll have to give you twice as many presents to make up for it."

"Get up, Osa! Today is all about you, birthday boy!" Isabella sang.

The girls pulled Osamu out of bed and began their day of tyranny on that warm, summer morning.

(So, what do you think they did to me first? Go ahead, I'll wait. Did you get it right? Group shower. Yay me.)

In a matter of minutes, Osamu and the girls locked themselves in the master bathroom and plunged their bodies in the warm, sudsy waters of their black tile bathtub. It was a surprisingly welcome start to the day for Osamu. Lounging in the warm waters of the bath offered him some much-needed relaxation. While Osamu sat back and relaxed, the girls helped each other apply Yoko's strawberry-scented shampoo to their hair.

"Osamu, want me to wash your back for you? I can do it with my breasts if you'd like." Yoko offered.

"Just scrub it like a normal person please..." Osamu said.

"Awesome! I'll wash your balls!" Tsukiakari cheered.

"You will definitely not be doing that!" Osamu groaned.

"Wow, Izanami! Your skin is so smooth! What's your skincare regimen?" Isabella asked.

“Oh, please! I'm cheating since I'm a god!" Izanami sickered. "But I apply oil-free lotion every single day to keep my skin nice and smooth!"

"You have a good ex, Osamu." Tsukiakari said, presumably talking about Yoko. "You should get back with her! We could have three-ways, you know?"

"Did you turn into the Goddess of Intimacy during your time in heaven?" Osamu hissed.

"I want to join! We can try the Lotus Blossom, Reclining Lotus, Bandoleer, and Indrani positions!" Izanami sang.

"What have I told you about using things you don't understand in conversation?!" Osamu recoiled.

(Goodness gracious...)

Osamu survived the group shower just fine. He was expecting the girls to do far worse to him, but it seemed that the household had achieved a level of normalcy that was absent before he died. It really began to sink in how different the atmosphere was among the girls. Back when Aika was still living with them, Osamu couldn't have imagined the girls washing each other's hair in the tub, or delightfully enjoying an evening meal and pleasant conversation.

Even now, in Isabella's time of need, everyone was determined to come together and support her. It had been a wild couple of years since Osamu returned to Kyoto, but it seemed that in that time, the girls had all bonded with each other. Seeing them love and care for one another couldn't have made Osamu happier.

Now that he and the girls were all clean, everyone got back in their clothes and headed downstairs to bake Osamu a cake. Yoko sat him down at the counter and gathered all the ingredients needed while Tsukiakari opened up the curtains around the house.

"You just showered with us, and now we're about to cook for you. Do you feel like a champ yet, Osa?" Yoko asked with a sly grin.

"I feel like I'm running the Genesis Club or something..." Osamu snickered.

"What flavor do you want it to be?" Tsukiakari asked, returning to the kitchen.

"I can make an icing out of my blood if you want." Yoko quipped.

"Just any normal flavor will do. As long as it's not lemon!" Osamu said.

"It's your day, superstar." Isabella said. "Though I have to agree that lemon is a repulsive flavor."

As the girls prepared the cake, Izanami took the opportunity to show Osamu her progress on her book.

"Look! I added a chapter!" Izanami announced.

"Oh really, what it about?" Osamu asked, taking a look.

The first image Osamu saw was of a chibi Izanami with an absurdly big butt and set of boobs, and a chibi drawing of himself with an absurdly large penis and head.

(I...I don't know...I just don't know anymore...)

"This is us about to make little demi-god babies!" Izanami said with rosy cheeks.

"I don't think you should draw things you don't understand either, Izanami." Osamu sighed.

If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.

"I can only imagine what monstrosity she's drawn up next." Yoko said, working with a mixing bowl full of flour.

"This is more like a work of anatomical horror. Still, the idea is sweet. Be easy on her, Yoko." Osamu said.

"Scolded by the man who forgot his own birthday...unbelievable. In my own house too." Yoko grumbled.

In due time, the cake was completed and topped with Yoko's home-made strawberry icing, which thankfully wasn't made of blood or any other hemoglobin related substances. Tsukiakari carried the full, red cake from the oven to the counter in front of Osamu, who was genuinely impressed by the girls' cooking skills.

"Feast your eyes on the Akiyama-Bailey-no-Mikoto-Senkumo-Strawberry-Tongue-Destroyer! Made with unbleached flour!" Tsukiakari cheered.

"Birthday boy, you get the first slice of cake!" Isabella sang.

Osamu cut the first slice, a nice, big, moist piece of cake. "Thankfully, no blood or snippets of her hair..."

"I really did want to add those things...." Yoko lamented.

Osamu took a bite and was blown away by the flavors. Vanilla, cinnamon, red apple, strawberry and almond all in a single bite. The girls held their breaths in suspense as they waited for Osamu's reaction.

Osamu's eyes shot open in surprise. "It's amazing!"

Yoko jumped with joy. "Yes! I knew we could do it!"

"Let's dig in!" Isabella cheered.

(I'll spare you the details. It was just a generic, happy time eating cake and celebrating the occasion. Well...Isabella obviously couldn't eat too much. It seemed like her appetite was shrinking by the day. But still, it was nice to see her smile so much. It's been a rough two weeks for us all. Once again, our house was filled with laughter and cheers, all of them directed to me. I think, the thing that stuck out the most that day was Yoko. She always had this face when I caught her looking at me. It was like she was saying, ‘That's my man. I love you, Osamu’. Gotta wonder what she's always so proud of me for. And of course, when the night came, they brought out the gifts. Apparently, Yoko had bought them in advance earlier that week. She told me she was working overtime, but the silly girl was just out and about looking for gifts.)

With the night upon them, Tsukiakari turned on the hallway light and lit some of the candles around the kitchen. The warm, flicking light of the candles created a comfy and tranquil atmosphere perfect for giving gifts. Izanami was the first to give Osamu his present. Oddly though, she grabbed her wrapped gift out of the freezer before handing it to Osamu.

"Eh? It's cold." Osamu flinched.

"Open it! Open it!" Izanami squeaked.

Gently undoing the wrapping, he smiled and hugged the contents close to his chest.. Three boxes of a hard-to-find and rather expensive brand of Mochi.

"Izanami, I could cry! How did you know?" Osamu asked.

"Oh please! We all know you're a mochi maniac!" Osamu teased. "Better put them in the freezer though, yeah?"

"I'll stick those in for you." Tsukiakari said.

(Everything sounds sexual with these girls.)

"Next gift, Osa!" Isabella sang.

The next one was from Tsukiakari. It was a beautiful silver ring with a red, garnet pendant that had the Ashikaga crest on it.

"My mom handcrafted that ring for you. I told her you'd love it if the Ashikaga crest was on it!" Tsukiakari said with a smile.

"It's gorgeous, Gekko! Amaterasu really made this just for me?!" Osamu asked, a little overwhelmed.

Tsukiakari nodded. "Yep! Think of it as a thank you gift for reuniting us! You stuck by my side and fought like hell for my sake. Truly, Osamu. Thank you."

"Awww, how sweet!" Izanami cheered with a clap.

Yoko scoffed. "No offense to my lovely girlfriend, but that's weak."

Yoko got up and opened the closet, letting all the gifts inside spill out like a landslide.

"Holy crap!" Isabella recoiled.

"Y-you got all of that?!" Tsukiakari shivered.

"Yoko, you're not supposed to out-do everyone! It's rude!" Osamu scolded.

"It's okay, guys! Isabella paid for it!" Yoko assured.

"HUUUH?!?!" Isabella screamed. "Since when?! I didn't agree to pay for any of that!”

Yoko smiled and stuck her tongue out. “You have a really bad habit of speaking out your PIN as you're entering it into a register, Izzy! Didn't your rich parents ever teach you not to do something so dangerous?"

"Oh crap! I'm so stupid!" Isabella cried, face-palming herself.

"What exactly did you get, Yoko?" Izanami asked.

"A grill, a new TV, a fantastic set of shampoo and conditioner for his hair, some jewelry, all the parts for a high-end gaming PC, some new summer outfits, and some outfits for the fall and winter! Oh, and some brand new lingerie for my favorite man in the whole wide world!"

Yoko jumped over and whispered into Osamu's ear like a seductive serpent. "And I ordered some crotchless panties for when you and I want to do it really quick. In the kitchen, in the car, wherever you want, Osa."

(I think I'm gonna faint...)

"Well, great. Since my money was used, we'll say these gifts were given to you from the both of us." Isabella sighed.

"I'll be up all night if I go through these gifts now..."

Yoko checked her watch and scratched her chest. The time really flew by. "Wow, it's ten already? Oh! Time just melts away when you're with people you love!"

"Yeah, it sure does..." Isabella said, lowering her head.

(Izzy...)

Tsukiakari yawned and stretched her legs. "Well? Shall we call it a day and head to bed?"

"Sure. We'll open the rest of your gifts tomorrow, Osamu." Yoko said.

"Sounds good to me!" Osamu said.

Osamu took a polite bow, his hair blocking his face. "Thank you all for the cake, for the gifts, and hell, even for the group shower. I'll never forget it."

Our hero of this story, our shining champ, had a genuine smile that night. They all cleaned up the kitchen and wiped the leftover flour, cake crumbs, and icing off of the counters. Osamu and Tsukiakari hurried upstairs and got ready to hit the sack while Yoko was about to blow out the candles in the kitchen.

"Oh! Uh, can you leave them lit for a little while?" Isabella asked. "I'm sorry, it's just that I should probably eat something. Even if it's just a little."

"Oh, sure. Do eat up, Izzy." Yoko said. "We don't want you losing weight. Make sure you turn out the staircase light on the way up."

"Yeah, I will." Isabella nodded.

Yoko also departed upstairs. Izanami stayed with Izzy to fix her an egg sandwich, as she requested. She could only really eat something light. Izanami also made herself one, and the two sat down together to eat.

"Though I had nothing to do with it, I apologize about Yoko. You know how she is sometimes." Izanami giggled.

Izanami's smile was always great to see, even from the point of view of another girl.

"It's okay! I'm used to it by now. Besides, I'm actually glad she used my money to make Osamu's birthday something special. I would've done the same thing regardless."

Once Izzy really noticed the taste of the sandwich, she gave Izanami a thumbs up. "This tastes fantastic! You used the perfect amount of salt and mayo!"

"Gosh, the compliments are just flying at me today!" Izanami squeaked.

"Because you're so amazing! Really!" Isabella assured.

A woman who represented livelihood and burning passion, laughing face-to-face with a girl as pale as death, who took care of the souls of the deceased. Even Isabella recognized the irony.

"You know, Osamu's birthday had already passed when he first returned here. Then, he died before it could come up again." Isabella said, gazing through the view from the window. "You saved him, but he refused to come home for so long that we didn't get to celebrate his birthday together. Besides for today, the last time I even celebrated his birthday was...gosh, six and a half years ago now?"

"It's been so long since he left this place. It's amazing to think about." Izanami said.

Isabella stopped eating as Izanami finished her sandwiches. "Yeah..."

"Well, we made today a good day! That's all that....Izzy?"

Isabella snapped back into focus and looked at Izanami, her face wet with tears.

"Izzy...you're crying..."

Isabella hadn't even realized it. She tried wiping her eyes with her sleeves but her tears kept falling despite her resistance. She laughed and cried at the same time and hid her face.

"Sorry about that! These are just...mood swings...from my medication..."

"Izzy..."

"You're lucky, Izanami. You get to live forever."

Izanami was no stranger to the sadness people feel when they know their time is short. She also knew that Isabella was still holding back in her crying. She embraced Isabella and stroked her head, letting her cry into her shoulder.

(None of us ever thought about how hard it is on the person who knew the exact second Izzy would die. I foolishly assumed that I had any idea what Izanami's heart felt like in this situation. If you were her, wouldn't you feel guilt and anguish? Wouldn't you feel like the world's biggest burden?)

That night, the kitchen was filled with the heartbreaking cries of a human with shrinking time, and a goddess who would have to take her when that time was up. Life and death, both personified, embraced each other.