The sky was starting to shift—soft blues melting into that warm, golden-orange glow—as Lyra wandered over to the student council office. The air still had a bit of winter's chill, but at least it wasn't freezing anymore.
Inside, the place was lively. A few members were chatting around the couch, Mei was glued to her phone, and Adam looked like he was in a serious debate with someone. Robin was tucked into a corner, locked in on his laptop like the rest of the world didn't exist.
Lyra dropped into her chair, cracked open her notebook, and got ready to knock out a few unfinished tasks.
She barely got through a page before Mei leaned over with that all-too-familiar smirk. "Hey, Lyra."
Lyra glanced sideways. "What."
Mei held up her phone, flashing her calendar. A date was circled in red. "Guess what's going down in a couple of days?"
Lyra squinted. "It's February fifth? …Okay?"
Mei let out a dramatic sigh, then glanced toward Robin and looked back at her with a grin that said you're hopeless. "It's Robin's birthday."
Lyra froze. Her eyes went from Mei's phone to Robin—still typing, completely in his zone.Wait… his birthday?
She hadn't known. He'd never mentioned it, and honestly, it had never even occurred to her to ask. Maybe because… this was her first time being in anything like this.
"Where'd you find out?" she asked.
Mei chuckled. "Relax, I'm not trying to steal your man—if that's what that face is."
Lyra shot her a glare. "That's not my face."
"Uh-huh. Anyway, I've got the full Student Council's members birthday list. Yours are on it too, you know."
Lyra blinked. Right. That would've been nice to check, maybe… weeks ago. She stole another glance at Robin.
"So," Mei leaned in, voice dropping to a whisper, "got something planned, Miss Girlfriend?"
Lyra nearly choked. "W-What? I just found out!"
Mei snorted and gave her a light smack on the shoulder."Oof. Guess that makes it the perfect time for a surprise then, huh? Now I really wanna see what you pull off."
Lyra didn't answer. Her eyes drifted back to Robin, still zoned out in his own world.
'I want to do something for him. Something that actually means something,' she thought.
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Back in her warm little room, Lyra sat cross-legged on her bed, laptop balanced on her thighs. Her eyes were locked on the screen, scrolling through article after article like she was searching for buried treasure.
"Hmm... birthday gifts for your boyfriend... special gifts for men…" she mumbled, reading each title out loud as if saying it would help it make more sense.
She let out a groan and flopped back onto her pillows."Why is it always shirts, cologne, watches? Ugh, come on. Boring," she muttered, clearly unimpressed by the internet's go-to suggestions.
Her mind wandered to Robin. What did he actually like? What would really make him smile?
And then it hit her—a memory.
"I mess around with the guitar sometimes,"
he'd said once, casually plucking at the strings of his old acoustic back at his place.
Lyra instantly straightened up. "Guitar!"
But a beat later, her excitement faded into a frown. "Wait... guitars are expensive. And he already has one."
She stared at her screen again, clicking through tabs. "Okay, no guitar… what else?"
Minutes passed. Nothing clicked. Nothing felt quite right.
Until another memory surfaced—this one much simpler.
Robin loved her cooking.
Ever since that weekend when she'd made lunch at his place, he'd always looked genuinely happy whenever she brought him something—even if it was just a basic meal she threw together in fifteen minutes.
"What if I cooked for him?" she whispered, already typing in, easy but special homemade birthday dishes.
But she didn't want to stop there. She wanted to give him something he could actually use—something that would stick around after the food was gone.
After a while, and a lot of overthinking, she paused on an item that made her tilt her head."Okay... he listens to music all the time… and he edits videos for class, right? Maybe this could work."
Her fingers stopped moving. She stared at the screen.
Still… something didn't sit right.
What if he already had a good pair of earbuds? What if this wasn't what he really needed?
With a sigh, Lyra closed her laptop and reached for her phone. Maybe she didn't have to figure this out alone.
One name popped into her mind.
Robin's best friend since high school—and now his classmate in the comms department.If anyone knew what Robin could actually use, it'd be him.
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After class, like always, Lyra and Robin grabbed lunch together at the campus café. The place was buzzing with students, all trying to squeeze in their meals between lectures.
As he stirred his drink, Robin glanced over at her."You have any more classes after this?"
Lyra shook her head. "Nope. You?"
He let out a small sigh. "Gotta meet with my comms professor. Something about my paper."
Lyra raised an eyebrow. "Ooh, look at you—must be getting straight A's if your prof wants a one-on-one."
Robin chuckled. "Or maybe I just need the extra help," he joked. Then, his expression shifted a little. "But that means you'll be waiting around by yourself."
Lyra quickly shook her head. "Oh—no, it's fine!" she said a bit too fast. Realizing how eager she sounded, she added, "I mean… academics come first, obviously. Don't worry about me. I'll just head to the Student Council office. Mei's probably there anyway."
Robin looked at her for a moment like he was trying to read something in her face, but eventually nodded. "Alright," he said, though he still looked slightly unsure.
Lyra, on the other hand, was smiling.
She'd just hit the jackpot.
She'd been trying to figure out a way to talk to Nelson without Robin knowing. But it wasn't easy—Robin and Nelson were in the same major, same year, and practically always in the same orbit. Finding Nelson alone was like trying to schedule a private meeting with a celebrity.
But today? She finally had a window.
As soon as she made sure Robin had actually headed toward the faculty building, Lyra made a beeline for the café.
Nelson was already there, sitting by the window with his usual chill vibe. He waved casually when he saw her coming.
"Well, this is rare. You showing up without Robin. Should I be worried? Is this how I die?" he said with a smirk.
Lyra laughed as she took a seat. "Relax. I'm not gonna tell him."
Nelson raised an eyebrow. "So what's up? Has to be something important."
Lyra nodded, cutting straight to the point. "I wanna get him a birthday gift. And I just found out it's coming up."
Nelson blinked. "Wait—you just found out? Aren't you his girlfriend?" he teased.
Lyra rolled her eyes. "It slipped my mind, okay? That's why I need help."
Nelson leaned back, sipping his coffee thoughtfully. "Gift? Got anything in mind yet?"
"I thought maybe earphones? He's always listening to music, and he could use them for editing too."
Nelson nodded… then shook his head. "Solid idea. But I think he already has a pair. And honestly, stuff like that—it's kinda forgettable. I mean, his family's loaded. He could buy five of those without blinking."
Seeing her face fall, he quickly backtracked, hands up. "Not saying your idea's bad!"
He swallowed hard, realizing too late how that probably sounded. If Robin ever found out he made Robin's girlfriend feel bad—especially on his birthday—Nelson could kiss his life goodbye.
"I just mean... maybe something with a little more heart? Robin's a pretty simple guy. Like, weirdly humble. He doesn't care about fancy or limited edition anything."
Lyra frowned. "So what am I supposed to give him then…"
Nelson leaned back, thinking. "Doesn't have to be a thing. Sometimes a gift's just... something that reminds you of him."
Lyra blinked. "What does that even mean?"
"Like, if you see something and it instantly makes you think of him—boom. That could be your gift."
She stared at him, trying to wrap her head around the idea. It sounded vague. Too vague."Okay, honestly? Talking to you isn't helping much," she muttered.
Nelson snorted. "Hey, I tried. But you'll figure it out. I'm sure of it."
After they parted ways, Lyra headed to the supermarket to pick up some ingredients—still turning everything over in her mind, hoping some brilliant idea would hit her before time ran out.
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"Alright… first, the stew."
Lyra murmured to herself, filled with quiet determination.
She stood in the chilled meat aisle, eyes scanning rows of carefully packaged cuts. A good beef stew needed time—and the right kind of meat, the kind that got better the longer it cooked. She picked out a few well-marbled cuts of beef, making sure there was just enough fat to give the broth that rich, savory depth.
'Okay, beef—check,' she thought, dropping the package into her basket.
Next stop, produce. Her eyes swept across neat lines of fresh vegetables. She grabbed bright orange carrots, firm golden potatoes, crisp celery stalks, onions, and plump, juicy tomatoes—each one placed gently into the basket.
"Hm, need to grab some beef stock… and a little red wine," she muttered, recalling the recipe she'd found online.
Once the stew ingredients were all accounted for, she made her way to the pasta aisle. She paused, eyes scanning the shelves, then reached for a package of wide ribbon pasta stacked neatly on the rack.
"Pappardelle with butter and herbs… yeah, that feels right," she said under her breath.
To pull that off, she added high-quality butter, a bulb of garlic, and a fresh bunch of parsley to her haul.
Main course, complete.
Now, dessert.
She wanted something simple—nothing too flashy—but still special enough for a birthday. As she wandered down the baking aisle, an idea struck.
"Molten chocolate cake sounds doable," she said, lips curling into a small smile.
Robin liked chocolate. And this one… this would be the sweet surprise at the end of the night. She picked up a bar of rich dark chocolate, then grabbed flour, eggs, more butter, and sugar.
Satisfied, she headed toward the checkout lane—basket full, heart lighter—when something on a nearby household shelf caught her eye.
It was a black tumbler. Simple, matte finish, with a tiny engraved camera on the side.
She froze, staring at it.
It wasn't flashy. It wasn't loud. But something about it tugged at her.
A quiet smile crept across her face.
"If you see something and it instantly makes you think of him—boom. That could be your gift."
Nelson's words echoed in her mind.
Camera. Robin and his camera.
He always snapped pictures of her when she wasn't looking—those soft, unguarded moments he somehow always managed to catch. He kept dozens of them, from every angle imaginable.
And the tumbler? Practical. Robin pulled late nights editing, and hot tea or coffee was practically his fuel.
Without a second thought, she reached for it and placed it gently in her basket.
'This is it,' she thought, her smile lingering as she made her way to the register, her steps steady and sure.
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Back at home, Lyra dropped her grocery bags in the kitchen before heading over to her desk. She placed the sleek black tumbler gently on the surface and stared at it for a moment.
It looked cool. Clean design, decent weight. Still… it felt a little too plain.
"I need to make it more special," she muttered, already rummaging through her stationery drawer. Pens, scissors, tape, some old stickers—it was a little chaotic, but buried treasure always was.
"Ah, there you are!" she said softly, pulling out a sheet of alphabet stickers and a few random emoji ones. She peeled off the letter 'R' and carefully stuck it to the side of the tumbler. Then, after a pause, added a tiny camera sticker next to it.
Tilting her head, she squinted at her work. "Hmm… still missing something."
More digging.
Then her fingers brushed against something tucked between books—a Polaroid. Her eyes lit up.
It was a shot Mei had taken back at the Student Council office. Robin was mid-laugh, eyes squinting in amusement. Next to him, Lyra was caught turning away in mock-annoyance, probably after he'd pulled some dumb prank.
Perfect.
She grabbed the gift box she'd set aside earlier, slid the photo inside, and reached for a notecard. Pen in hand, she paused only for a second before writing.
It's a simple gift, but I hope it's useful.Also, maybe cool it with the coffee? Sleep and meals matter too.Happy birthday.
—From someone who's always on your side.
She blew gently across the ink, letting it dry before placing the card inside and closing the box with a quiet smile.
"Alright," she whispered, stretching her shoulders. "Now just gotta wait for cooking day. Fingers crossed."
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"You showing up here out of nowhere?" Mei leaned against the doorframe, hair a mess, hoodie oversized like she'd just yanked it off a pile of laundry. She looked halfway between awake and dreaming.
Lyra smiled sheepishly. "Did I ruin your nap?"
Mei yawned, waving it off. "Please. I can nap anytime. Come in."
Lyra stepped into her dorm room—simple, cozy, a little chaotic. Mei poured her a mug of warm tea and handed it over.
"Here. Sorry, it's just tea. This isn't a fancy café, y'know. Just broke college girl realness."
"It's perfect. Thank you," Lyra said, taking the mug with both hands.
Mei narrowed her eyes. "Okay, spill. You're not the type to drop in unless it's big."
Lyra bit her lip, then pulled out her phone and handed it over.
Mei blinked blearily at the screen. "…A tumbler?"
"You know, something surprising. Mysterious. A gift with intrigue." She leaned in. "Like—what if you hid a secret message inside the tumbler? One that only shows up when it gets hot."
Lyra blinked. "I'm not a spy. I don't have disappearing ink or thermal-reactive powers."
Her friend laughed. "Okay, okay. Then write '100 Reasons Why I Love You' and fold them up inside. That'll wreck him."
Lyra groaned. "I want it to be sweet, not over-the-top."
Mei stared at the tumbler again, then grinned like she'd just solved a riddle."Fine. Etch something underneath. Something only the two of you would understand. An inside joke or a secret code or whatever."
That… didn't sound half bad."That might actually work…" Lyra murmured, smiling to herself.
But before she could say more, Mei's grin widened with mischief. "Or," she added, voice dipping into a whisper, "if you really want to make it personal…"
Lyra shot her a suspicious look. "What do you mean."
Mei leaned in like she was about to deliver a plot twist."You give him… yourself."
Lyra choked on her tea. "HEY—"
"Shhh!" Mei giggled, looking around dramatically, even though no one else was in the room. "I'm just saying… maybe a little something special for midnight? A cute set of lingerie? A private surprise?"
Lyra's face lit up like a warning sign. "MEI!"
Her friend burst out laughing. "Oh my God, look at your face! You're so picturing it!"
"I am NOT!" Lyra squeaked, turning an even deeper shade of red.
Mei clutched her sides in laughter, wiping tears from her eyes. "You're cute. Seriously though—make the gift something only he would get. Something that matters to both of you. Could be funny. Could be meaningful. Just make it you."
Still flustered, Lyra nodded slowly. "Yeah… yeah, okay. I'll think of something that really fits."
Mei smiled, finally calming down. "That's the spirit. But hey—if you do change your mind about the lingerie, no judgment."
Lyra buried her face in her hands. "I hate you."
"You love me," Mei sang back. "But not as much as you love Robin, right?"
Lyra just groaned while Mei giggled behind her mug like the chaos gremlin she was born to be.
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*** TO BE CONTINUE ***