「Senpai, what are you worried about while looking at your phone?」
During a club activity, I was taking a break from writing and fiddling with my phone to search for something, when Karen spoke to me.
「Yeah, I was thinking about what to get Mai for her birthday.」
「I see, so that’s why you were grinning so luridly.」
「Eh, Did I look that weird?」
「Yes.」
So I was floating around enough to be told that… But I can’t help it, as her boyfriend I want to give Mai a present that she’ll be happy with, and I’m really looking forward to spending time with her on her birthday.
「Really, Senpai loves his girlfriend.」
With a single sigh, Karen makes a dismayed face. I guess I’m too much in love from the side. It’s kind of embarrassing to hear Karen say that…
「W–Well… y–yeah… Ah!」
「The committee meeting ended early, so here I am!」
With a rattle, Mai opened the door to the clubroom. The way she sat next to me smiling and laughing was really cute, and even though we had known each other for a long time, I was still very nervous. I knew it, my girlfriend is too cute!
Mai grins and twinkles my cheek. I poke Mai’s forehead with my index finger, as if to retort.
「Uwaah! You did it~!」
「Hehe, Mai did it first, didn’t she?」
「Hmph— I am happy to have been made a part of it. Speaking of which, Akihiko, what did you do now? I don’t think you were writing a novel.」
「Ah, erm… t–that’s—」
Oh shit, I wanted to surprise her with a birthday present, so I wanted to avoid as much exposure as possible. Hmmm, I can’t think of a good deception in a snap.
「He was now doing research. You know, the stuff that would be the subject of a novel.」
Seeing me struggling, Karen gave me a nice follow-up. As expected of Karen, she immediately understood my intentions.
「I see, writing a novel is hard work, too. So, Akihiko, I finished early today, but I have to help my friend with its club activities for a while. So it looks like we won’t be able to play for a while after the festival.」
「Eh, Okay?」
Mai’s birthday is a week before the school festival begins. So that would probably mean that we can’t be together on the day of her birthday…
「I’m sorry, I wanted to be with Akihiko too, but I just couldn’t say no.」
「Ahh, it’s okay, don’t worry about it. Mai will have her own circumstances, so I will not mind it. Then, let’s celebrate Mai’s birthday after the festival.」
「Yeah! I wish I could eat pizza or something.」
「I like that! It’s Mai’s birthday, I’ll buy your favorite pizza!」
「Really! As expected of Akihiko, I love you!」
「!?」
She hugged me tightly and abruptly kissed my cheek. That, when did she learn to do such a daring thing when she was so shy that she turned bright red when she kissed me for the first time?
「I–I’m surprised…」
「Ehehe, but you must have been happy.」
「W–Well, yeah.」
「Yay! Then, I’m going home. I don’t think Akihiko will write any novels if I stay here.」
「Uhh… alright. Later then, Mai.」
「Bye!」
Like a storm suddenly appearing and disappearing, Mai left the clubroom sooner than expected. In fact, if she had stayed like this, the manuscript would not have progressed at all, so I guess it was Mai’s way of showing concern.
「I’m going to show you.」
「Ah.」
Oh shoot, I forgot about Karen. She seemed to be in a very bad mood because she had been shown something that was not interesting from his side, such as other people’s lovemaking.
「Really, Senpai is very sweet to his girlfriend.」
「I–I see?」
「Yes. however, maybe that’s a good thing for her. So what about gifts?」
「Hmm, I don’t think I’ll be able to be with her on that day… I knew I should give her the gift that day, right?」
「I think so too. So, what are you going to do about the gift?」
「…What do you think would be good?」
I wanted to make sure he was happy, so I was worried about my sense of style, so I asked Karen.
「Do you want to ask me? …But, well, it would be troublesome for Senpai to be depressed if you fail to get a present, so next Sunday, let’s go choose a present together, shall we?」
「Are you sure!? Thank you, Karen… I’m in your debt.」
「No, no, it’s not that big of a deal.」
Thus, I was to go shopping for a gift for Mai the next Sunday with Karen. I think I was thinking a lot about the future with Mai in my head at this time, wondering what kind of things I should give her to make her happy, and whether we could get to know each other better.
『Y–Yeah… I told him I couldn’t see him for a while. So… Let’s do more of it. Eh? T–That’s… I like it. I like Akihiko as well, but… More than that, I am——』
Mai didn’t think about the future with me at all.