The so-called "birthday operation" was essentially figuring out what kind of gift Kushida would like.
Not only did Kaoru need to prepare a gift, but Ichinose also felt it necessary to give Kushida a small present.
Otherwise, wouldn't their newly formed little group be meaningless?
Of course, they also had to celebrate properly on the day itself.
While Ichinose enthusiastically picked out gifts, Kaoru subtly moved closer to Mako.
"Mako, when's your birthday?"
His proximity made Mako tense up.
She couldn't quite describe the feeling—ever since accepting his ring, locking eyes with him left her dazed for a moment.
"M-my birthday? October 2nd."
Her words came out slightly stuttered. She knew tomorrow was Kushida's birthday, and Kaoru was planning to celebrate it.
But his sudden question about her birthday made the girl's imagination run wild with strange thoughts.
Kaoru didn't notice her expression, quietly relieved.
In truth, he hadn't realized that the day the training camp ended was also Shiina Hiyori's birthday.
He made a mental note to ask Miki Yamamura, Airi Sakura, and Hasebe Haruka about their birthdays later.
Celebrating birthdays wasn't a trivial matter—it was at least an important gesture among close friends.
"M-Mitoma-kun, when's your birthday?"
Mako couldn't bring herself to say his first name, as if the bold girl who once talked about a "friendship kiss" wasn't her at all.
"The first day of July." Kaoru answered absentmindedly, reflecting on what Ichinose had pointed out earlier.
Mako felt a pang of disappointment.
July? That meant she had missed it last year.
Then it occurred to her—Kaoru had missed her birthday too. The thought made her even gloomier.
If only they had been closer back then...
But what difference would it have made?
No sensible girl would ever approve of Kaoru. Who would agree to be with such a playboy?
Mako sulked silently, unable to articulate her frustration.
She just felt unbearably resentful, as if she had fallen far behind, with no outlet for her pent-up emotions.
"Mako, do you think this looks nice?"
Ichinose held up a small, glittering accessory that looked quite charming.
"It's pretty, but... do you think Kushida-san would like it?"
Mako leaned in to take a closer look.
She had some impression of Kushida, though the two had never really interacted.
"I don't think I've ever seen her wear accessories before." Ichinose recalled her interactions with Kushida.
"How about giving her a cute little plushie?"
"Plushies take up too much space. What about a keychain?"
Mako thought plushies were too bulky, and gifting something the recipient didn't like would probably make them secretly resentful.
Kaoru watched as the two girls chattered away about gift ideas when it suddenly dawned on him—he still hadn't asked Mako about the ring.
"What do you think we should pick, Kaoru?"
Ichinose ultimately tossed the question to Kaoru. "Did Kikyo ever mention what she likes to you?"
Girls generally liked cute things, but considering Kushida's personality, Kaoru wasn't entirely sure.
"Can I just call her right now?" Kaoru asked.
Ichinose scolded him lightly, "That would ruin the surprise! It'd be like she's ordering you to buy something for her."
Kaoru felt a headache coming on—this was the trickiest part.
After thinking for a moment, Mako spoke up, "Tomorrow's a day off, right? Why don't the two of you go out together and pick something she'd like?"
Then, she quickly added, "If it were me… I'd just be happy spending time alone with someone I… with the person. The gift itself wouldn't matter as long as it came from them."
Her words seemed to reveal a bit too much, and Mako didn't dare look at Kaoru.
"That's a great idea!"
Ichinose's eyes lit up, and she enthusiastically agreed.
"Kaoru can subtly figure out Kikyo's preferences while you're out! Mako's suggestion is brilliant!"
A one-on-one date…
Kaoru had actually considered it before, but with Ichinose and Mako right there, he didn't know how to bring it up and felt awkward.
"I was originally planning to invite you all to celebrate her birthday together—throw a little party to make it livelier."
Kaoru quietly swallowed his last thought: And it'd help strengthen the bonds in the harem.
Ichinose's eyes widened slightly before she smiled gently.
"I see. How about you two go out during the day, and we'll all gather for a party in the evening?"
Mako pointed at herself uncertainly. "M-Me too?"
Kaoru mentally tallied the numbers and replied, "I was thinking of inviting Suzune, Kei, and you two."
Of course, he could also include Airi Sakura and the others, but that felt a bit excessive—too flashy. The atmosphere might even turn awkward.
"Hmm, Mako and I will come along too."
Ichinose agreed with a bright smile, then suddenly blushed slightly as she recalled the last group outing.
Mako saw this and realized she couldn't refuse, so she nodded hesitantly.
She felt uneasy—though Ichinose had told her about Kaoru's harem, she wasn't familiar with them.
Would any of them look down on her?
"Looks like we're picking out a gift for Kikyo now."
Ichinose began scanning the shelves for a suitable little present. "What do you think of this one, Mako?"
Seeing them dive back into discussion, Kaoru wandered around nearby.
Having spent nearly a year at school, he was quite familiar with the place.
What would Kushida like?
As he pondered this, his thoughts drifted back to the agency a year ago.
At first, he had treated them merely as NPCs who would drop rewards, investing little emotion.
Later, he realized that the more he treated them that way, the less likely they were to drop rewards.
The agency's atmosphere had even grown tense at one point, nearly reaching the brink of disbandment.
It wasn't until he put himself in their shoes, helping them with their troubles, that their relationships gradually improved.
In the end, even if he didn't want rewards, they wouldn't let him go.
Now, Kaoru couldn't say for sure whether the despair he felt back then was out of fear or simply his own misunderstanding of them.
The ones he had assumed were NPCs ended up relying on him more and more, pulling him deeper into their lives.
"Mitoma-kun?"
Someone called his name, a mix of surprise and curiosity in their voice.
Kaoru snapped out of his thoughts to see Shiina Hiyori standing before him.
Dressed in her school uniform and carrying her bag, her eyes sparkled as she looked at him.