"Utaha, Utaha, wake up—wake up quickly…"
Still asleep, Utaha gradually woke up as she was shaken, Haizaki's voice ringing in her ears.
What happened?
Did she oversleep? That shouldn't be possible. It felt like she had just lain down not long ago.
"What's wrong, Haizaki-kun?" she asked drowsily. She was still very sleepy.
"An earthquake—hurry, we're leaving!"
A chill rose from the depths of her heart and spread through her body, instantly waking Utaha up. No one cared more about earthquakes than she did.
"Put on your coat and shoes immediately. We're leaving now."
Utaha moved at once. She only pulled on her pants and a warm coat, slipped into her shoes, and immediately followed Haizaki outside.
"Careful—watch your step…"
To keep her from tripping in her haste, Haizaki reached out and took her hand.
Along the way, Utaha was flustered, but as wind and snow hit her face, she gradually calmed down. Why was there suddenly an earthquake? Did Wuhua City even have earthquakes?
But in their current situation, she had no time to ask questions.
Soon, the two of them reached the villa's helipad.
"Get on—quickly…"
"Oh, okay…"
Utaha was even more confused now. Taking off to avoid an earthquake? Wouldn't it be enough to go to an open area? It wasn't like there was a tsunami.
As the helicopter's rotor blades spun rapidly, Utaha suppressed her doubts and waited for Haizaki's explanation.
But Haizaki had no need to deceive her. There was no point.
"Is there really an earthquake?"
Once the helicopter stabilized while hovering in midair, Utaha finally spoke.
"You'll know soon enough."
That wasn't answering the question at all.
"Utaha… I need to apologize to you…"
Haizaki turned to look at her. Meeting those beautiful wine-red eyes, he smiled as he spoke. All the preparations had been for this moment.
"Happy birthday, Utaha."
Her eyes widened as realization dawned on her. So Haizaki knew it was her birthday after all—this unusual behavior must have been part of the surprise he prepared for her.
Faced with the sudden birthday greeting, her heart filled with joy and happiness. Haizaki hadn't forgotten her birthday; everything about today had been deliberate.
What a jerk of a man.
She couldn't help complaining.
"Then where's my birthday present, Haizaki-kun…?"
What exactly had he prepared for tonight's outing?
"Three…"
Haizaki raised his right hand, holding up three fingers, lowering them one by one.
"Two…"
"One…"
"Lower your head and look—you'll see…"
Utaha froze for a moment, then quickly leaned over to the window and looked down.
Pitch black—there was nothing.
Then, in an instant, light appeared. Points of light, brilliance, spreading rapidly…
Red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue—lights of every color. The entire villa complex shimmered with dazzling, colorful illumination.
Utaha had two wishes.
To go to the seaside once more and enjoy a summer beach trip. To once again admire the enchanting night view of a bustling city.
Now that humanity was gone, cities could no longer be bustling, and as for night views… without electricity, how could a city still have a nightscape unique to it?
But now… Haizaki had decorated the villa area with thousands of multicolored lights, simulating a city's night view and fulfilling her second wish.
Haizaki, who usually seemed taciturn, slow, and lacking in romance, turned out to be far more romantic than she had imagined—someone who understood her heart deeply.
The gloom of the daytime vanished completely. This gift—this gift filled with heartfelt intent—she felt it clearly.
"Thank you. I really like this gift."
Utaha's wine-red eyes shimmered with emotion. This special present had touched her heart.
She truly liked it—both the gift itself and the person who gave it.
"I'm glad you like it."
Haizaki let out a breath of relief. At least Utaha liking the gift meant that nearly a month of preparation had been worth it.
If her reaction had been lukewarm, he would have felt somewhat disappointed.
"But…"
Utaha deliberately dragged out the word, puffing out her cheeks with an unhappy, dissatisfied look. Happy as she was, there was still some lingering grievance in her heart.
Her listlessness and irritation during the day had all been because of Haizaki's deliberate act.
"Wouldn't it have been better if you'd wished me happy birthday during the day and let me look forward to the gift at night?"
Haizaki realized the problem. In trying to maximize the surprise, he had ended up making Utaha feel miserable for the entire day.
From his perspective, making her surprised for a moment seemed worthwhile—but for Utaha herself, her mood throughout the day had been poor.
"So, Haizaki-kun, shouldn't you show a bit of sincerity?"
"After we land, okay?"
Probably… a kiss. Haizaki didn't feel much resistance to that.
"That's fine."
Through the glass, Utaha gazed at the lights beneath the snowy night sky, her eyes reflecting the captivating scenery.
She remembered this moment—she would remember it forever. Her special eighteenth birthday gift from Haizaki.
"Then let's land now."
She felt it was enough. More than the gift itself, what mattered to her was the effort Haizaki had put into it.
Lately, he must have been running around and working hard just for this. Even though winter gave him more time to rest.
"Hold on tight…"
Ten minutes later, the helicopter landed smoothly at the villa's helipad.
The rotor blades gradually slowed.
The two of them got off one after the other.
Less than three seconds after Haizaki stepped down, the girl threw herself at him.
He could only catch her to keep her from falling.
"It's slippery outside—the ground's covered with snow."
The snowfall on the 31st wasn't heavy, but there was still a thin layer of snow on the ground.
"Haizaki-kun will catch me."
She believed that.
"What if I fall?"
"Then I'll catch Haizaki-kun."
Sometimes, Utaha could be a bit foolish. But it was a lovable foolishness—one that made hearts flutter.
"Let's go back inside."
But clearly, Utaha had no intention of returning yet.
"Show your sincerity…"
Helpless, Haizaki leaned in and kissed her.
"Not enough… that's still not enough…"
Haizaki had no choice but to lean in again, firmly covering Utaha's cherry-colored lips.
Their breaths intertwined as they felt each other's presence.
"Is that enough now?"
After thirty seconds, Haizaki pulled away.
"If I said it still wasn't enough, what would you do?"
Utaha challenged him stubbornly.
"Of course I'd—"
"Mm…"
If this continued, he really might get addicted.
What would he do if someday he could no longer kiss Utaha's lips?
…