It was August 25th.
Months had passed since the time of the drops, and today... somehow felt like a good day.
I pulled myself out of bed, still half-asleep. My gaze wandered across the familiar room — the one I shared with Monday. His side was neatly arranged as always, but he wasn't here this morning.
Yawning, I threw on my clothes, the ones I'd set aside for today, and glanced at the calendar nailed to the wall. A red circle marked today's date, with a tiny note scribbled beside it: Heide's Bday.
I smiled unconsciously. Yeah... today was that kind of day.
Stepping out into the hallway, I made my way downstairs. The building was already awake — footsteps, murmurs, the faint clinking of cups. On the couch sprawled Sinus, who looked up the moment he spotted me.
"Happy birthday, Heide. May the times bless you," he said casually.
"Thanks," I chuckled, stepping forward as he stood up to give me a rough hug.
The reception area was lively too. Evena and Shalap stood behind the desk, managing the incoming adventurers, the endless paperwork, the everyday chaos. Evena, who used to be near-mute, could now at least string together a few words. It was progress.
I walked up to them, lifting a hand in greeting.
"Morning, Evena. Morning, Shalap."
"Morning, brother Heide," Shalap responded warmly.
Evena turned her eyes toward me. There was a slight pause, her lips hesitating, but then —
"Good... morning," she said, slowly and carefully.
"Oh yeah, my bad. Good morning," I replied, a little sheepish.
Her smile was small, almost unnoticeable, but it was there. A warm one.
A man approached just then, calling out with a grin, "What's up, Heide? Looking big today."
"I am? Well, thanks, Jonah," I laughed.
He burst into laughter too. "See you soon!"
"Ah yeah, sure."
The day continued on as usual. I pulled up a chair beside Evena, helping her process the mountain of tasks we had to accept. People came and went, papers shuffled, the constant buzz of voices filled the air.
Then, a loud shout pierced through the reception.
"Shalap, get over here for a moment!"
It was Gars' voice. Shalap gave a small nod and hurried off, leaving me and Evena alone behind the desk.
Evena turned toward me, her bright eyes meeting mine.
"Today... your... birthday?" she asked, tilting her head slightly.
"Ah, yes, that's right," I answered.
"Happy... birthday," she said, her words stitched together with care. She smiled, a little bashfully.
"Thanks," I laughed. "How did you know?"
"I saw... calendar... they... marked... it."
"That so? Thanks anyways," I said, feeling oddly touched.
The work continued, the two of us helping adventurers fill out forms and accept requests. During a lull, a question popped into my head.
"When is your birthday?"
Evena blinked at me. She stared for a moment... then looked upward, visibly thinking hard. It seemed... she didn't know? That would be a problem.
Without a word, she suddenly sprang up and ran inside.
"Wait—" I started to call after her but stopped.
...Did I hit a nerve?
Moments later, she returned, clutching the calendar. She plopped it down and, with a marker, drew a neat little circle around February 18th.
"Oh, your birthday is in February?"
She nodded.
"Then when it's yours, let's keep a grand celebration!" I declared.
"Celebration... hic—" she hiccupped, covering her mouth quickly.
"Hm?" I leaned closer. She always did this little hiccup thing when she was hiding something.
"Hey? You hiding something?" I teased.
She shook her head frantically, desperate denial in every motion.
"Well, if you don't wanna tell, then you don't need to," I shrugged, amused.
She let out a heavy breath of relief, slumping a little.
"They are planning a celebration for me, aren't they?" I said quickly, grinning.
Evena froze, eyes wide in horror, her whole body stiffening. She shook her head furiously, even more desperate now.
"Haha, you told me the secret. If anyone asks, I'll say Evena told me."
"Nooo... I didn't... liar... liar," she cried, grabbing my shoulders and shaking me like a ragdoll.
It was honestly kind of adorable — the way she tried so hard to keep the surprise hidden, even though this happened every year without fail.
In the middle of the chaos, a voice interrupted us.
"Hey sir, can you stop flirting and just sign my task?"
"Oh? Oh yeah, my bad," I said, quickly grabbing the stamp and pressing it down on the task paper.
"You'll get your payment as long as you come back with proof, is that alright?"
"Sure," the man said, taking his paper and walking off.
I continued teasing Evena a little more until Shalap finally returned.
"Hey, Wanora called you."
"That so? I'll be there," I said, getting up and giving Evena a quick head-pat.
"It's alright, I won't tell anyone."
She smiled softly again as I turned and left, walking toward Wanora's office upstairs.
"Hey," I said, stepping inside.
Wanora glanced up from her desk, a small smile tugging her lips.
"Hey, happy birthday... 17, huh?"
"Yeah..." I smiled back. "Thanks."
Just then, Gars entered the room, papers in hand.
"Hey, Wanora, I got these," he said, handing them over before turning to me.
Without warning, he pulled me into a tight hug.
"Happy birthday, Heide. One year away from being an adult, huh?"
"Yeah..." I murmured, returning the hug.
"It's a good day. Why don't we have a walk outside?" he suggested.
"Sure, why not?" I agreed.
We waved goodbye to Wanora and exited the Taskhand building together. The streets outside were lively, the sun shining warmly overhead. We headed toward the park, which sat a little distance away.
As we walked, I turned to Gars.
"So what's my gift?"
He kept walking, hands in his pockets.
"I have it ready. Wait for the evening, you beggar."
"Haha. Guess I'm slightly excited," I admitted.
The park was crowded with families today. Parents chatted idly while kids ran around, their laughter spilling into the air.
It was peaceful... almost too peaceful.
In a life like mine, seeing something like this wasn't an everyday luxury.
Sia would have loved this, I thought absentmindedly.
...Huh?
Who's Sia?
Why did that name come to mind?
I shook my head, brushing the thought aside as we continued walking under the blue sky.