"She likes… cats. And ramen. Sports, too. And being really touchy-feely and obnoxious."

Nozomi cradles her chin with one palm and flashes a Nozomi-like smile. "And…?"

"And…"

"She likes you, Maki-chan."

Something like that is clear as day, a daily reminder too, yet it still doesn't fail to draw the blood to Maki's entire face. She mumbles something and looks away, crossing her arms. "Jeez, I know that. I just need suggestions for a present."

"And I gave you your answer. The one thing she likes more than any cat or bowl of ramen is you."

Maki blinks stupidly even if the point Nozomi is trying to get across is practically waving itself in front of her face with blinking neon lights. "So… what? I'm supposed to give myself to her as her present?"

Nozomi only slowly nods with her smile growing wider, and Maki suddenly regrets going to her for advice.

–

She excuses herself a while into the party without explaining why, but Rin cheerfully assumes that Maki went to go get that "surprise" she had mentioned before. It isn't long until Rin already forgets about it though, distracted by some sort of impromptu party game involving sticking candy wrappers down the back of a very annoyed Nico's shirt.

Then Nozomi wheels in the biggest cake she had ever seen and Rin forgets about the game just as quickly.

"Whoaaa, it's so huge!" Rin's eyes are sparkling as she moves in quick circles around the cart to see it from all sides. It's as large as the fancy wedding cakes she'd sometimes see on TV, and almost just as intricately decorated. The only thing it's missing are little figures on the top.

"I'm glad you like it, Rin-chan. Nozomi-chan and Nico-chan helped me bake it," Kotori says with a rather suspicious giggle that flies right over the birthday girl's head.

"It's nyamazing! Thanks so much, you guys!" Rin grapples each of them into quick hugs. "Nyaa, I wanna eat it right now! Let's cut it up!"

"Hold on…" Nozomi grabs her shoulders before Rin can launch herself at the cake, firmly placing her in front of it and discreetly stepping aside. Rin doesn't notice that everyone else had left a wide berth around her as well, holding their breaths. "Shouldn't you make a wish, first?"

"Oh, right!" Rin stares straight ahead at the cake, practically vibrating on her feet. "Then—"

And then Maki suddenly bursts from the cake in a magnificent spray of frosting and cake bits and… awkwardly slipping forward and collapsing right on top of Rin. Rin falls before she can even open her mouth again, splayed on her back with Maki on top of her and a whole bunch of frosting splattered all over them.

In that flashing moment of chaos, Nico yells something about how Maki had missed her cue and Nozomi already has a camcorder aimed down at the two.

"I told you guys it was a bad idea…" Eli mutters. Nobody seems to hear her.

"I-It was hard to breathe!" Maki sputters, pushing herself upright and wiping frosting off her face. "I couldn't wait any longer than that!"

"Ahaha, Maki-chan totally screwed it up!" Honoka's free to point and laugh when Umi had already retreated to huddle in a corner, too overwhelmed by the secondhand embarrassment to do anything else. Hanayo's already kneeling beside Rin, frantically patting her cheeks as Maki remains seated on her chest, still wiping frosting from her face.

"Rin-chan! Rin-chan, are you okay?!" Hanayo yells.

"Ah—" Maki finally seems to realize that sitting on Rin might be making it hard for her to breathe and she gets off, leaning over her face. "Rin! I-I'm sorry, Rin, it wasn't even my idea! I shouldn't have listened to Nozomi!"

Rin wheezes and looks up at Hanayo and Maki, too confused to be upset. "Maki-chan, were you inside the cake?"

"I-It was just supposed to be a surprise, okay?!"

She sits up and looks around at everyone, at Maki (who's still splattered with frosting), Hanayo's worried face and Nozomi grinning behind her camcorder, Honoka and Nico laughing hysterically together, and Eli who had gone to attempt to retrieve Umi from her corner of secondhand embarrassment. Kotori is the only one who seems more or less unaffected by the swift onset of chaos, though she's looking at the mutilated cake with a rather sad expression.

Well, Rin can't say it was a bad surprise. She rubs the back of her head and grins.

"Maki-chan, you've got stuff on your face."

"Wh—"

Hanayo's quick to give them space as Rin grabs Maki's shoulder and begins to lick the frosting off of her cheeks. Nozomi whistles loudly, and Umi, who had just decided to follow Eli back to the group, promptly sprints to her corner once more.

Somebody's hooting encouragement now (it's probably both Honoka and Nico) as Rin easily pins a very, very stunned and mortified Maki down to get the rest of the frosting off.

Kotori moves beside Nozomi, watching them with a fond sigh. "You must be very satisfied with this, huh?"

"Mmmmhm~" Nozomi is indeed wearing a very, very satisfied smile as she records her underclassmen. The tape will be a nice present for Rin too, she figures. "Now I know what I'm doing for Elicchi's birthday next year."

.

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A/N: a short silly thing for Rin's birthday. all hail the cat.