Shoji!” The boys topple into his home.

“Boy, it’s great to be back home.” He yawns and closes his eyes resting. Okazaki pushes him off and sits upright. Ishimoto does the same, passing him around like a tennis ball.

“My, he is a lazy old thing.” Usagi laughs, going over to pat his head.

“He’s not a dog, you know,” Keiko joins in, laughing.

“He still has fluffy hair, plus, I’d pet any of you, my fellow party animals.” She sticks out her tongue and reaches into the bag she brought, revealing she had party hats. “Guess what day it is?” Takei blinks and stares up at the clock on the living room wall. It’s past midnight.

“Wow, is it really?” Takei didn’t realize she was an adult now. There was still dread inside her, the image of the students from earlier. She tried to shut out her mind from it.

“Happy birthday, Takei!” Okazaki boasts out a loud shout.

“Happy, happy birthday!” Keiko’s body attaches to her, hugging and nuzzling into her shoulder.

“Yes, Happy birthday, Takei.” Ishimoto gives his congratulations with some hesitation. It’s clear he’s always wondering about the elephant in the room.

“Sorry, we don’t really have cake for you right now, but I’ll make you one tomorrow.” Usagi goes around placing the party hats on everyone.

“You treat us like babies sometimes, Usagi.” Ishimoto almost pouts.

“Ah, don’t be like that, gotta enjoy every second. Who knows what tomorrow will bring in these times.” She plants the hat on his ruffled hair. “See now? You look fashionable as hell in that hat.” She winks.

“You’re the fashionable one here. I think there’s one thing we can’t simply gloss over.”

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“We’ll get to that. For now, it’s time to celebrate Takei, our birthday girl,” she says.

“You’re so sweet, Usagi. Though I can’t deny it myself.” Placing her own party hat on, she reaches down for her chest with a closed fist.

“Has anybody else felt this strange feeling ever since Usagi did what she did?”

“Mmm, now that you mention it, yeah! It’s like a weird warm feeling that wasn’t there, like an oven where my heart is supposed to be!”

“I agree with Keiko. This strange feeling is really weird. I ain’t ever felt it before.”

“I can’t imagine what it is. Usagi, do you know? You’re the one with the most knowledge on this topic.”

“Oi, am I outshining you, Mr. Egghead? I don’t know everything ‘bout it, just some things.”

“Unfortunate.” Out of Ishimoto’s bag, he reveals a massive bag of potato chips, four ramen cup noodles, six sodas, and utensils.

“This might not be an ideal birthday dinner, but if we put all this together, it should be able to feed all six of us.”

“Yo! You’re stomach finally thinking right and feeding the world!” Okazaki practically jumps over to the kotatsu. Ishimoto passed the utensils out.

“Hoping Shoji’s microwave is working, he overworks every day after class.” He headed off to the kitchen.

“Hey, hey, let me join you! I’ll find a big bowl to put it in once it’s done!” Keiko bounds to her feet, following behind.

The remaining group set themselves comfortably under the blanket. Okazaki helps Shoji to sit with them. He immediately falls face-first on the table, snoring.

“Hopeless.” Okazaki sighs.

Their company never ceases to make Takei feel a deep kinship. Tonight, however, holds bleakness. Those students, every one of them with families and loved ones, are all dead. How many lives will Mr. Nuke Happy and his associates take? Far more than just them. Her smile vanishes.

“Hey, Takei, everything all right?” Her vacant stare snaps.

“I’m thinking about what we saw. All those students. Could we have saved them?”

“No,” Usagi answers firmly. “We were far too late. It’s likely they were that way before we even knew about the kidnappings.”

“Yeah…” The battering thought is hard to vanquish. She clears her mind as best she can. There’s nothing she can do to change it.

“Let’s have a great party tonight, okay?” She smiles.

“Yes, let’s.” Usagi returns the gesture and then goes to seek the other two.

“Keiko, Ishimoto, hurry it up. We’re hungry.”

“I know, so am I. Shoji has an old beat-up microwave.”

“Yes, yes, so old it might be older than us. Probably as old as a smartphone!”

“Keiko smartphones aren’t even older than us,” he argues.

Takei let off a smile. She holds warm to the atmosphere, and then, there is a stinging in her chest. Takei’s heart flutters and the world goes hazy.