Chapter 56

As autumn deepened, it was mid-October.

That day was Yugen's birthday.

"Since it's your birthday, Yugen-san... I, um, baked a birthday cake for you."

When she entered the house, Arisa handed one of the two paper bags she had brought to Yugen.

He had guessed it was probably a cake because he could smell a slightly sweet aroma...

"You baked it?"

"Yes."

"Who baked it?"

"I did."

Yugen's eyes widened in surprise.

In his entire life, he had never eaten a homemade cake.

At Yugen's house, cakes were always bought.

"Sorry about that."

"No, I'm usually taken care of by Yugen-san. ...Especially the other day."

"Oh, right..."

The other day.

Arisa had stayed overnight at Yugen's house.

Although the next day, Yugen had already repaid her by serving her breakfast as a thank you.

"Well, anyway. Since you went to the trouble, can I have it now?"

"Yes."

With Arisa's permission, Yugen opened the paper bag.

Inside were an ice pack and a paper box.

He took out the box and opened it.

"Wow... it looks professional."

Inside was a chocolate layer cake.

It was a bit too large for two people.

But if they couldn't finish it, they could eat the leftovers the next day.

Yugen fetched a knife from the kitchen and cut the cake.

He prepared coffee and clasped his hands together.

"Let's dig in."

He cut a piece of cake with a fork and brought it to his mouth.

The rich and refined taste of chocolate spread in his mouth.

"How is it?"

"It's delicious. It goes well with the coffee."

When Yugen praised it, Arisa slightly averted her eyes.

Her cheeks were tinged with red.

"Is that so? ...Thank you. Although, compared to something made by a professional, I think the taste might be a bit lacking."

"Is that so? I think it's on par with professional-level cakes."

"Probably because I tailored it to Yugen-san's taste. I considered how it would go with coffee and thought this would be the kind of taste you'd like. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

Professionals make products to appeal to the general public.

In contrast, Arisa made it to please Yugen, tailoring it to his taste.

So while Arisa's skills might be a bit inferior to a professional's, the taste was on par.

...That's how it seemed.

"That's really considerate. ...By the way, how do you know my taste so well?"

He had been alive for sixteen years...

But he wasn't that well-versed in his own tastes to articulate them precisely.

"We've been together for over half a year now."

Arisa smiled, and Yugen scratched his cheek.

Remembering his preferences and cooking to suit them was very touching...

But it made him feel like he might misunderstand.

(No, that's not good...)

He shouldn't fall for Arisa.

Yugen thought that.

To maintain their "engaged" relationship, this was a line he had to keep.

"Why don't you have some too?"

"Sure."

To mask his complicated feelings, Yugen suggested this to Arisa.

Arisa also picked up a fork and brought a piece to her mouth.

"How does it taste? Your own cake?"

"Eight out of ten."

"Isn't it a perfect score? You're being strict."

"Of course, I did my best. But... I think there's still room for improvement."

It was delicious as it was.

But Arisa seemed to be aiming for even better taste.

"Don't overdo it. I think you should relax a bit more."

Of course, being too casual like Yugen also had its problems.

But he felt Arisa was putting too much pressure on herself.

"Striving... is a bit different."

"How so?"

"Cooking for Yugen-san is fun. It makes me happy to see you enjoy it. So... I don't feel like I'm striving that much."

"Well, if you say so."

If she was enjoying it and it helped her relax, Yugen had no reason to stop her.

Of course, it shouldn't become a routine or something she felt obligated to do.

So he always made sure to tell Arisa that she didn't have to push herself.

"By the way, Yugen-san... I prepared a birthday gift for you."

Arisa said this and took out a beautifully wrapped box from the other paper bag.

It was adorned with a cute ribbon.

"It's, um, not much, but..."

"Thank you. ...A cake and a gift, I'm sorry. Can I open it?"

"Sure."

Yugen carefully removed the wrapping and ribbon and opened the box.

Inside was...

"A bracelet?"

It was a stylish bracelet made of braided leather.

It was clear at first glance that it was a very intricate piece.

"Yes. ...I thought about buying something, but I couldn't decide. When I asked Ayaka-san for advice, she said that a handmade gift would be the best. It might be a bit shoddy... but how is it?"

Yugen didn't answer immediately to Arisa's words. He tried the bracelet on his left wrist, where he usually wore a watch.

He was particular about his watches and was confident he had a good one, but the bracelet's design seemed to complement it well.

It was quite stylish and suited his taste.

"Thank you. I like it. I'll wear it from now on."

When Yugen said this, Arisa let out a relieved sigh.

But she still looked a bit worried.

"Yes... I'm glad you like it. But, um, it's not the best work. If you don't like it, you don't have to wear it..."

Yugen reached out and gently stroked Arisa's ash-blonde hair.

Her beautiful emerald eyes slightly drooped.

"A man who doesn't appreciate your handmade gift doesn't exist in this world. I'm a lucky guy. ...I'm really happy."

"...Yes, thank you."

Arisa closed her eyes in contentment.

The most important thing about a birthday gift is the sentiment, the feeling of "celebrating" and "caring for you." Whether it's a store-bought item or its price isn't that important.

By the way, for the author...

If you understand without being told, please consider bookmarking and rating (changing the ☆☆☆☆☆ to ★★★★★) to help maintain the author's motivation.

True Dere Level: 32% → 40%

Well, it should be around 50% next time.