Happy Birthday, Iryna

[Fuukami Haruka]

Location: Fuukami Mansion
Time: 9:00 PM
Date: May 31^st, 2003

It was Iryna's seventeenth birthday today, and Haruka was absolutely glowing with cheer, but also covered with flour and lots, and lots of chocolate ganache and buttercream. Maya Fuukami even had to make little Tomoka take Kaoruko, their pet chocolate labrador on a walk so that the dog wouldn't lick the elder sister lest it got food poisoning. But Shinjirou was proud of his little girl's hard work in making one of the best cakes he had ever seen. Granted, she had the chef, Grishin's help and she had looked up a recipe online from a woman named Marina. But that couldn't be helped because it produced one of the best Bird's Milk Cake yet.

She hoped to dear God her cousin Iryna-neechan liked it even though it was made with chocolate and Buttercream. The dining room was dark and decorated with pink balloons and streamers and a big banner that read Happy 17^th Birthday, Iryna was strewn across the room. The dining table was set with birthday party-themed with napkins, eating utensils and plates. And the cake was absolutely beautiful to look at and delicious to devour. Now Shinjirou took out a box of matches and used one to light the pink candles on the cake, admiring it. "I just know she'd love it. No doubt about it," he said.

"Honey, doesn't Iryna-chan prefer vanilla?" his wife Maya reasoned gently, looking like Haruka's matured and more refined spitting image.

Her husband crossed his arms as he found himself thoroughly countered. This would be a problem if Iryna didn't enjoy her birthday cake. And even though their one and only daughter worked so hard on the pastry? Quickly, Maya consoled Shinjirou, "It'll be alright though. I'm sure she'd like anything that our dear little Haru-chan has to offer her. Grishin also did a great job helping her. Maybe she could even be a bigger, more constant help in the kitchen later on."

"Yeah, the cake is amazing! I'd love to see what else Haru-chan could do! Haha!" Shinjirou, her father, added in, to Haruka's horror. She cringed, obviously ready to refute her parents' points.

Shaking her head no, the class rep had to find the best way possible in order to tell her parents that she couldn't do that. "Mother, Father, please! There's no possible way my cooking could be that good! Plus, this was exhausting! I'm not sure if I want to do it again! Anyway, Maria-obasan and Yuusaku-ojisan are here! We should all get ready and hide!" She pointed in her aunt and uncle's direction before ducking under a chair. Her parents laughed.

The cake was ready, the candles were ready, the chef and his assistant were pleased with their handiwork, and the dining room was all set. Now all they had to do was make sure that everyone was hiding so they could pop up and surprise the birthday girl, hopefully not to death, before singing her Happy Birthday, shower her with gifts and praise, and begin partying hard! Then all of the family's hard work could finally come to fruition. They absolutely deserved it after all. The whole family had pitched in, along with a few of the hired staff, since all the parents came home late due to work. But they were loving and good parents despite being busy and even they found time to take care of personal loyalties like family matters. Certainly, family was what mattered the most at home, and the adults were desperate to take their minds off of the gruesome paperwork they had to plough through hour after hour in the workplace. Here they found a lovely respite in their two adorable, loving and talented teenage daughters. There was nothing more they wanted to do than give Iryna the pampering she deserved on the day she was born.

[Fuukami I. Iryna]

Two days ago, Fuukami Yusaku has prepared a special present for his daughter Iryna today: special tickets for the premiere of a highly anticipated adventure movie, and he even says the pigtailed girl's cousin and best friend, Haruka, can come along. Delighted, Iryna proceeded to call her favorite cousin, only for her offer to be declined. Haruka said her family had unexpected matters to attend to. The excitement from before deflated considerably.

Even though he has not spent much time with his daughter recently, being the chairman of Fuukami Group, Yusaku still thinks that his daughter will definitely like this movie. Ever since she was young, Iryna has been interested in any movies and TV series involving adventure and breathtaking visuals. Thanks to his connections with the film distributor, he finally got hold of the best birthday present he could think of this year. Besides, Yusaku knows he has to make amends for missing his own birthday not so long ago, which devastated his lovely daughter greatly. Yusaku is a busy man, but today is all about Iryna, the daughter he dotes on. He missed his own birthday, but there is no way he can miss his child's, or his wife's, or the wedding anniversary.

However, there is something bothering Yusaku. When he asked his Russian chef, Grishin, about what kind of feast the latter can prepare for the family when they get home, the blue-eyed cook just made a rather reassuring smile and replied: "You will see, Master. You will see. Please trust me." Yusaku decided to ask Katsura, the butler, about how mysterious Grishin acted, only to receive a similar smile: "Just enjoy the show, Master. You will know when you get back." Despite being confused, Yusaku brushed it off as some kind of plan his employees were planning for the day, and focused on his daughter being able to enjoy herself instead.

With their butler at the wheel, Yusaku's family arrived at one of the largest cinemas in town, and with the best seats in the house, the family enjoyed the movie greatly. Iryna was so excited that her lonely feeling of not having Haruka seems to be forgotten.

While on the way home, the family engages in small talk. After a lively discussion about the movie, suddenly Maria, Iryna's mother, decides to change the subject:

"Oh, by the way, Iryna-chan? How is that boy doing? The one with white hair who came to our place on Papa's birthday. I've seen him coming to your training sessions lately."

Caught totally off-guard, Iryna's face instantly turned into dark crimson.

And Yusaku doesn't help:

"Yes, I'm curious, too. That was the first time you invited a boy to our house. And, I'm sorry again about that day, Iryna."

Iryna does not care much about the apology right now, as she has already forgiven him, and just wants to get home as soon as possible.

"Mama, Papa, he is just a friend from school, whom I talk to quite often, that's all!"

The more Iryna insists, the more she feels she is lying. After all, just two days ago she technically confessed to Haruka that she has feelings for the boy in question.

"Still," Yusaku continues, in a more serious tone, "I would like to meet that boy some time, so that I can thank him properly for helping my daughter."

This makes Iryna think. Does this sound like a common scenario in romantic comedy, where the girl's father have a talk with his potential son-in-law? That thought makes Iryna curl up even further, as if to prevent steam from coming out of her head and her parents asking her if she has a fever. She wishes she could be an armadillo right now.

When the family reaches home, and Katsura proceeds to open the large wooden doors for them, Yusaku notices the same mysterious smile from before on the butler's face. Filled with anticipation, he steps in, alongside his dear wife and daughter.

[Fuukami Haruka]

Even though she had spent two days nonstop planning for Iryna's surprise birthday party, Haruka had to begrudgingly decline the invitation to a highly anticipated adventure movie. Haruka loved adventure movies, so it pretty much broke her heart to decline, but she knew that the smile on Iryna's face will be worth all the while once she sees the delectable Russian special Bird Milk's Cake, now made with glazed chocolate ganache and honey buttercream. What isn't there to love?

Still, the adventure movie... In order to keep her mind off of it, the three had decided to have a lovely yakitori dinner but Haruka and Grishin worked together to create a cauliflower soup with chicken broth, chopped red bell pepper and sliced roasted almonds. Secondly, potatoes were roasted accordion-style, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and rubbed with herbs and spices. This was prepared just in case if Haruka and her nuclear family were hungry after doing all the preparations for the party as well as if Iryna and her family had built up an appetite after the show. The meal looked absolutely delicious, and there was no doubt as to why the Fuukami family wondered why Haruka refused to investigate her own cooking skills. Perhaps she would cook more, as her mother and father suggested and even Grishin a bit early on. He looked on at the cake and soup and potatoes with pride before ending his shift.

Maya and Shinjirou were very careful to make sure the chef and Katsura, the family butler, were as secretive as possible about the surprise party. This, of course, guaranteed them a just slice of cake as well. For now, though the family hid, hiding amongst the chairs and tables of the dining hall, just visible after entering in from the main door. When the other side of the family arrived, they were in for quite a surprise. Certainly, the employees were part of the plan but they were in actuality a very small part of a very, very big plot to make sure that the half-Russian, half-Japanese girl had the best birthday of her whole entire life, courtesy of Haruka.

As the dark-haired girl and the house chef cooked, with her parents watching patiently and fascinatedly, soon all her worries about missing that great movie faded away. She simply lost herself in the cooking, indulging in the aromas wafting throughout the air.

Perhaps, all the bragging her family gave went to Haruka's head. But she is careful to try and avoid that, being modest and downplaying her cooking ability.

"In all honesty, Grishin did most of the work. I guess I really enjoyed it though. Maybe I could do it again, just for the two of you, Mom, Dad." Haruka gave them a small smile.

Instantly, Maya and Shinjirou's faces lit up with delight, hoping to taste the soup at least soon.

When the soup simmered down, Maya carefully takes one spoon and uses it to take a sip of the cauliflower puree soup, enthralled by the juicy flavor of the sweet bell peppers mixing with the delicate taste of the broth and subtle essence of the roasted almonds. She then returned the spoon to its rightful place on the dishwasher.

"Darling, the soup is wonderful but I think you need to add more peppers. It really adds the feeling the soup needs."

Shinjirou shook his head. He wasn't too sure if Maya was on spot with that. Still, his wife was pretty intuitive about those kinds of things.

"I'm sure it could be even better but for now, it's fine. Plus I can already hear the engine of Yusaku-niisan's car."

The freshman couldn't help but giggle at her parents' idle banter. They too beamed, knowing that what they debated was out of jest. They loved stimulating their partner's mind with fresh and open ideas.

"Everyone, we must get in order now that they are here," gently said Haruka, hiding beneath a chair and gesturing for them to take cover behind the dining room table. They followed her beckoning gestures and did so. "Alright, on a count of three breaths, we are to pop up and wish Iryna a happy birthday!"

Soon all should go accordingly to plan. Everything has happened so far to make this party run smoothly. Surely, it had been lonely without her redheaded cousin but this party was for her. Iryna deserved a celebration after all the hard work she put on the ice and into her family life. The click of the door made Haruka realize it was finally showtime.

One...
Two...
Three..

"Happy Birthday, Iryna-neechan!"
"Welcome back, everyone! Happy birthday to you too, Iryna-chan!"
"Are any of you still hungry from your trip to the movies? We've prepared some soup and potatoes just in case. Oh, and just wait until you see the cake! It is to die for, I'm sure!"

Winking at the butler, Haruka and her family gesticulated for Yusaku, Iryna, Maria, and Katsura to come in and have some food. Grishin and Haruka had put so much effort into finding the ingredients and making the food. They even went to the trouble of getting two bottles of kvass from the local market.

[Fuukami I. Iryna]

"So this is what you meant, Katsura. Not that I didn't see it coming.", says Yusaku to his butler in an amused tone, complemented a grin that mirrored the butler's earlier. "Good job, though, thank you."

And then there's his brother's family. They really put a lot of effort into making this "surprise" party. Usually, it's Yusaku who likes to throw surprises on Shinjirou ever since their childhood, so Yusaku is amused to see his younger brother, being rather serious by nature, return the favor. Even though Yusaku thought it would have been better for the two families to celebrate together right from the start, he still have to appreciate the effort Shinjirou's family put in this party.

Iryna rushes to her favorite cousin right away, chastising the brunette half-heartedly:

"Geez, Haru-chan. Why didn't you tell me about this party? We could have made some arrangements for us to enjoy ourselves together!"

However, this is the best way to keep her mind of the white-haired boy she recently admitted to liking. Any more of that embarrassment and she might explode. Tomo-chan jumping in delight asking about the show amuses Iryna, and makes her feel more at ease. And that dog just keeps running around and bark in delight, making the atmosphere more like a carnival.

"Too bad, Haru-chan, that you didn't get to see that movie. I have never seen a pirate movie like that before. Fun, but can be quite scary. And the male lead is funny, even though he's quite a jerk."

That adventure movie is definitely something Iryna wants to share with Haruka right now. It is about a bunch of pirates who got cursed by the gold medallions they stole. When exposed to moonlight, they will turn into walking skeletons. Iryna nearly jumped from her seat when she saw those pirates' undead form the first time. On the other hand, the movie has many funny moments, especially from the male lead. He is really eccentric, he is not above dirty tricks, but somehow still strangely likable. In overall, the movie is very enjoyable, even though it is more than two hours long.

Time to take the flame out of those candles and make a birthday wish. Iryna wishes to improve her skating skills, and win major trophies. Even though getting along more with that boy came to her mind, she shakes that thought off immediately. She has to keep him out of her mind for the time being.

After blowing the candles, Iryna proceeds to enjoy what is beneath them. The cake... Iryna can't find a word to describe it. It's just... terrific. Chocolate and buttercream makes a great combination, and Iryna loves the sweetness spreading in her mouth. Even though she has to take care of her figure, Iryna knows today's the time to indulge. She gives Grishin her thanks. This is impressive from him even though cakes are not one of his specialties. Also, she never though her aunt and uncle actually took part in this too. There will never be enough thanks for them. The other food is nice too, and the kvass is awesome to quench her thirst gained on the way home.

It's been a while since the last time the two families got together like this, and Iryna will enjoy it to the fullest.

[Fuukami Haruka]

With a wide grin, Shinjirou cut out slices of the cake for the chef and butler first before dividing the rest up for the whole entire family. He reserved only the best for Iryna though, knowing that that was what everyone had in mind for the day's schedule, now that the surprise was not so much of a surprise anymore.

This was sort of a sweet revenge for all the times Aniki had pulled tricks on him during his childhood, but it wasn't even a revenge in the slightest. The party was nothing but sweet. "The element of surprise is rather nice, but Maya and I had originally wanted to tell you two first. Haru-chan really had to put a lot of effort into persuading us to keep it a surprise; she didn't even tell little Tomo-chan," he admitted to his older brother and sister-in-law.

"Sheesh, Aneki! Why wouldn't you let me in on the plan? You know I'm great with parties!" Tomoka asked her older sister while petting Kaoruko, their pet chocolate lab. Gripping tightly on the puppy's leash, she let the canine romp around before laughing as Kaoruko energetically rushed up to Iryna and gave her a celebratory birthday lick/kiss(?) on the cheek.

"I admit you're often the life of the party, but now it's Iryna-neechan's time to shine and I was afraid you'd tell Yusaku-ojisan and Maria-obasan in all your excitement." Haruka herself smiled coolly as her young pet wished Iryna a happy birthday with a good ol' lick, which surprisingly wasn't too slobbery.

Suddenly, though, when Iryna approached the first year, her smile became sheepish.

"Geez, Haru-chan. Why didn't you tell me about this party? We could have made some arrangements for us to enjoy ourselves together!"

"There's nothing I enjoy more than spending time with you, Iryna-neechan, but a surprise party is more fun! Plus, I think you forgot to mention that you also wanted to invite your special someone too, right?"

Without making a sound, Haruka's lips mouthed out Mi-zu-ka-mi to tease her half-Russian cousin, but she was more considerate than she looked. Glancing around the vicinity, the brunette took extra care to make sure her mother wasn't in earshot before mentioning the white-haired boy. Thankfully, Fuukami Maya and her husband were too busy chatting with Tomoka, Kaoruko and her in-laws. If Haruka's mother heard even a single word. everyone's attention would be drawn to the subject at hand before anyone knew it.

In response to all the chatter about the new movie, Haruka replied, "Yeah... It was too bad we missed it while helping Grishin-san make the cake, but now that the birthday girl is back she can tell Tomo-chan and me all about the movie! Won't that be fun?"

"Yay!" Tomoka piped in.

In all honesty, Haruka had been dying to go see the Pirates of the Caribbean, but when she found out Iryna-neechan was going to see it, her heart dropped down to join her stomach in her disbelief and envy. Distracted by shopping and helping Grishin make the food, Haruka managed to get by. In fact, the movie was probably the second most prevalent reason as to why she decided to help the chef out. The first was Iryna's birthday, but the need to get her mind off that movie was pivotal in her decision. Now that Iryna is back and that the birthday party is in full swing, though, Haruka's disappointment in missing the movie has mellowed out for good.

Again, her attention was captivated, this time by the traditional candle-blowing ceremony. Haruka and her entire family sang the Happy Birthday song to Iryna. Tomoka then started the chant of asking how old the birthday girl was and listing the years past until most of the family got tired of listening (but too polite to show it) and Haruka had to put a gentle but firm end to it.

Haruka took delight in eating the birthday cake too, but she didn't mention she helped in making it again because her mouth was stuffed to the brim with honey buttercream and glazed chocolate ganache. Mmmm! Even Iryna, the perfectly fit figure skater, cannot resist the decadent temptation of a finely made cake made from a rather tasteful recipe, if Haruka said so herself. Maya and Shinjirou equally love the cake, but being adults, they eat their pastries with refinement and grace, sitting together as close as ever. Being not too experienced with love, Haruka turned away to give her parents some privacy while sipping some refreshing kvass. Kvass was the best thing that comes out of having a Russian chef, or so she thought.

It had been too long since the family had enjoyed a good cup of the drink. Equally, it had also been too long since the entire family got together. Thus, Haruka also found it wise to enjoy the party while she could.

[Fuukami I. Iryna]

Iryna, while enjoying the feast, heartily tells her relatives about the pirate movie she just watched. Her parents joined in too. Even though many says that telling people a movie's plot before they even watch it is not a "right" thing to do, and quite a number of those guys take it very seriously. However, Iryna believe that due to how unique and entertaining that movie is, Haruka and her parents will still be able to enjoy it with excitement despite knowing the details beforehand. Iryna is quite amused at how Tomoka shudders and cling to her elder sister's arm when Iryna describes the skeletal undead pirates in full detail. It's not surprising since Tomo-chan is not even twelve yet. However, seeing the usually spunky little girl, who loves exploring nature and is not even afraid of bugs or strangers, acting scared like that is quite a rare occurrence. Iryna does recall Haruka telling her about Tomoka kept insisting on sleeping in the same bed with Haruka due to their parents being out of town one night. Guess everybody has a weak point. Iryna can't help but imagine a teenage Tomo-chan clinging to her boyfriend's arm in a cinema when a scary moment occurs.

But, speaking of boyfriends, why did Haru-chan have to bring that guy up now? Today is just about the Fuukami celebrating together. Besides, even though she did invite him to stay for dinner on her father's birthday, Iryna was so thrilled about the fact that she can enjoy this day with her parents that she just simply forgot about him. She have always wanted her father to spend a bit more time with his wife and daughter. Furthermore, since that "confession" the other day in the pool, she hasn't brought herself to face him again. Admitting to liking him has one hell of an effect on her mental state. She has to realize her "feelings" for him is love. And she has never fallen in love before. Even though she has seen school dramas before, she is still confused. How should she approach him now? Try to act normal? That may be the best solution but she's afraid that her emotions will burst. There's also that trip to Okinawa, too. She invited him so that she can get closer to him. But the pigtailed girl didn't expect to admit her romantic feelings for him this early. She already promised him, so cancelling the trip is out of the question. Iryna can feel heat rushing to her face again, so much that she worries if this will affect her blood circulation. She has no choice but to keep eating in order to hide her face from her parents and other relatives' eyes.

While the parents are enjoying themselves and engage in various kinds of banter, Iryna decides
to pull Haruka to one side and have a conversation of their own, with the volume being just enough for the two of them to hear.

"Haru-chan, it's fine that he's not here right now. If I had actually invited him, who knows what our parents would have done. There's no way I can handle that. And, after what you made me do the other day, can you give me some advice on how to face him without my heart feeling like it's going to burst? If I can't talk to him face-to-face, we won't be able to go on that trip, remember that."

Haruka is looking forward to the trip to Okinawa, and bringing it up now may be a good way to coerce her to help Iryna getting out of her current emotional dilemma. The pigtailed girl has to solve this problem as soon as possible, or she won't even be able to concentrate on skating.

[Fuukami Haruka]

Haruka, her parents and Tomoka thoroughly enjoyed as Iryna and her parents detailed the plot of the new movie they had just seen. Iryna had made a rather astute observation about how even if they knew what happened, the plot was still fun and special enough to continue entertaining people for years to come. After, what mattered was how the events occurred, rather than what. The way things went determined the amount of amusement people would get from the movie. For instance, Tomoka was scared and now clinging to Haruka, who consoled the little girl with a pat on the head, but if the family ever went to see the movie themselves, chances are Tomoka might even be more scared, in spite of the child being such a bold girl. It was expected since she was quite young but then again, she had always been superstitious and afraid of monsters. It saddened Haruka slightly that it was likely her little sister could develop an early understanding of mortality when she got a bit older, but she needed to think more positively. However, there was no way that little Tomo-chan, even as a teenage girl, would like horror movies. That was not to say she wouldn't have a tough skin, though.

Enough about that, though. Haruka smirked smugly as she received a satisfactory response from Iryna as a result of her teasing. It was a good thing the first year did something to remind Iryna of that white haired boy; otherwise, the girl wouldn't even have a thought about him. Considering that Iryna and her parents needed to spend more time together, maybe that was not necessarily a bad thing to begin with. Regardless, repressing the issues regarding Iryna's private confession of love would do nothing but cause a messy explosion. Thus, the bespectacled brunette took it upon herself to assist her dearest cousin in this endeavor. Forget about Narukami; Mizukami was a well-known entity for years. His close relationship with Iryna only made it imperative that the half-Russian, half-Japanese girl sort her feelings out, but that was a job for her and her only. However, the threat of something disastrous was imminent. It could not be ignored any longer. Besides, love wasn't all that bad. Maybe thinking about Ayumu and fantasizing about happy times with him would put the redhead in an even greater level of elation. That wasn't definite though; she was pretty shaken and bewildered after her confession, even though it wasn't traumatic. Still, sacrifices had to be made, Haruka supposed. Although she couldn't confess for her older relative or meddle in too much like locking them in a linens' closet, she did have to somehow make sure of Mizukami's true feelings for Iryna. She did not want to get Iryna's hopes up or force her friend into a situation he did not want to get into.

A lot had to be done in little time with great effort and a very slim chance of success. Love was so complicated. In all honesty, the 1-B class rep didn't want to have to put up with it until a very long time, but she had a feeling Fate wouldn't have mercy on her.

"Haru-chan, it's fine that he's not here right now. If I had actually invited him, who knows what our parents would have done. There's no way I can handle that. And, after what you made me do the other day, can you give me some advice on how to face him without my heart feeling like it's going to burst? If I can't talk to him face-to-face, we won't be able to go on that trip, remember that."

"That's a good point, but if your parents were curious, you could tell them he was your friend. Mizukami-senpai is nice from what I heard from you. I don't think he'd leave a bad impression. So theoretically, if they didn't mind him being around, you might enjoy spending time with him because he's a friend first, a crush second. And all I can say is that you need to practice, have courage and think of his feelings first. That's what love is all about anyway, although it doesn't just apply to romance. It applies to the bonds within family and friends too. Keep a distance until you're ready for now to keep yourself comfortable, but try to reassure him if he gets worried about you. If he's really your friend, I'd think he'd understand. I want to go on our trip, but I understand that these things take time. You can't legislate your heart but you can manage how you respond to your feelings."

It wasn't like Haruka did not understand Iryna didn't want to talk about this a lot; she would drop the subject once they got a plan of action. But she knew how jittery her cousin could get and it could possibly impair Iryna from doing the things she loved to do. And that would be a problem. Solving it would take many, many steps, however.

[Fuukami I. Iryna]

Haru-chan has a point, Iryna thinks. It's not like Ayumu did something that might upset her parents. In fact, it's the contrary. Maria was so impressed at him "escorting" her precious daughter home that she invited him to stay for dinner, which he declined. Yusaku has not expressed anything other than gratefulness for the boy. It's just that Iryna cannot handle embarrassment. She feared that her parents might try to dive a bit too much into their daughter's relationship with that boy. Maybe that's one of the reasons she wanted to go to Okinawa without her parents. However, Iryna admits that most of that problem lies within herself.

Because sooner or later, she has to overcome that emotional barrier in order to get closer to Ayumu, and eventually, confess her love to him. The thought of "love" makes her heart race, but Iryna soon realizes that this feeling is not so much different than stage fright. Maria taught her about how to deal with the latter. Deep breaths. They helped a lot during Iryna's early days as a competitive figure skater. Maybe it can be applicable to this case as well.

Iryna proceeds to do just that, which ends with what looks like a long sigh, and catches Tomoka's attention, who voices her concerns with puppy dog eyes matching the little girl's Labrador. The pigtailed girl reassured her little cousin, tell her to go keep her parents company, and replies to Haruka:

"Sure, I think I can handle the situation. I will try to see him again. Though it may be even better if you can come with me, so that you can have a chance to know him better before our trip."

It's time to change the topic, just to lighten up Iryna's state of mind:

"I'm impressed with how much effort your family put into this party, Haru-chan. You even got our employees to cooperate. Did you ask Grishin and Katsura to get the ingredients?"

It is just a random question, but Iryna is still curious about the party preparations nonetheless. Maybe she can use the info to return the favor.

[Fuukami Haruka]

Iryna's tendency to get embarrassed in front of Mizukami Ayumu was no rare thing. A lot of the times, whenever the redhead thought about him, Haruka could read her like a book; their parents not so much. But Haruka's uncle and aunt were very good natured about the white haired boy, Maria praising him for escorting her beloved daughter home and Yusaku was simply thankful. But they were intelligent adults and very analytical ones too, as all parents were. Perhaps, Haruka's ice skating cousin couldn't handle the pressure that came with it. It was a struggle not even the brunette could help fight. It all depended on Iryna's inner strength, but she believed in her cousin, knowing that this first love was easy to mess up but a great learning experience.

The emotional barrier was a great feat to defeat. If Haruka ever had to face it, she wasn't sure she could. Thankfully, she usually was a frank girl, sometimes even more so than she had liked. She supposed honesty was a trait she and Narukami shared, and that would hopefully lead them to becoming friends. The class rep could never get enough of those, if she were to be reelected next year or perhaps even brought to a higher position, but she wasn't the kind of gal to use popularity like that. Haruka would certainly admire her friends for being who they were, nothing else.

When Iryna's sighs caught the attention of little Tomoka, Haruka pat her sister's head and then the dog's head too just to make sure before offering even more reassurance, telling her this was something that she would be able to talk about when she was older. For now, Tomoka had to enjoy herself before her first crush came.

"Yes, please take me with you to see him as soon as possible. Although, I would also like to talk to him in private. Do not worry; I won't ruin your confession or anything but I will try and find out what kind of girl he likes and a guess at what he feels about you."

After quickly wrapping up the topic, Iryna highlighted her interest about the party preparations.

"Ah, yes, my mother was great about all the streamers and party decor, and my father really helped out with the surprise part, after all the surprises Yusaku-ojisan gave him. I actually brought the groceries home, with the assistance of an upperclassman by the name of Narukami Akira. He was very kind. Then, Grishin and I and everyone else worked together to make the cake and the rest of the food. The kvass is store bought, and we even managed to do some decorating when you were all in the house too, thanks to Katsura."

It was only natural for the birthday girl to be curious about the preparations of her surprise birthday party, but she gave off an air that was a little odd. Unfortunately, the bespectacled brunette could not pinpoint properly the cause for that.

[Fuukami I. Iryna]

Good thing Haru-chan agreed to help. Being a cautious, reliable girl she is, she won't do anything out of hand... At least that's what Iryna hopes.

Even though both Katsura and Grishin are officially employees of Iryna's family household, they seem to have become quite close with Haruka's as well. Grishin, being a jovial Russian cook hailing from Vladivostok, really enjoys Haruka sampling his dishes, as the brunette's fine taste buds can help him improve his skills. And today, he's extremely glad when Haruka's family decided to enlist his help in throwing a surprise party for his young little mistress. Despite cakes not being his specialty, he decides to search for various recipes so that he can please his masters on their birthdays. Therefore, his blue eyes gleamed brightly when Haruka gave him the recipe of a Bird's Milk Cake she found, he was more than delighted to give it a try. Katsura, as far as Iryna knows, pretty much follows the path of his father, who used to serve Iryna's grandfather. He also used to be in the JSDF, hence with his skills, one can say he also functions as a bodyguard. Katsura, like his father, is extremely loyal to the Fuukami household, especially Yuusaku, who is his master, his confidant, and his "brother". Those two, despite not related by blood, surely are important members of the Fuukami family.

Then one name strikes Iryna's mind: Narukami Akira. Narukami... That's the name Ayumu mentioned to her when he contacted her to accept her invitation on that trip. That guy Haru-chan met, he's going to Okinawa too? She remembers discussing him with Haruka for a while in the pool the other day. Iryna beams at the thought, thinking of how to tease her cute cousin using that guy.

"Oh, from what you said, looks like he's the one Ayumu will bring along to Okinawa with us. Glad you actually met him. Seems like he's a real gentleman for helping you with the groceries. What is he like?"

Sure, that Narukami guy may or may not be interested in Haru-chan. But it's not important to Iryna right now. What the pigtailed girl wants is to return Haruka the "favor". Iryna-chan just does not like losing, and she will counter at any chance she gets.

[Fuukami Haruka]

When Haruka decided to finally help out with Iryna, of course she'd be as cautious and reliable as she could, but it was up to her to gauge whether certain risks were appropriate or not, and with a boy that might not take action, Haruka was forced to improvise her plan.

Sampling Grishin’s foods was something Haruka had loved to do ever since she could eat solid food. He had quite a talent, and she heard that he might have been famous back at home in Vladivostok, but that was only but a rumor. The chef, now in his late 30’s, was rather handsome in his late twenties, with his blue eyes and blond hair. Truth be told, the brunette had a crush on him when she was very young and it faded away in junior high. But it was still really embarrassing because he was the talented chef her aunt and uncle hired and not just anyone. Now, she just treats Grishin as if he were an older relative, and comes to him for advice often, but of course, she also offers him recipes to try, including the Bird’s Milk Cake she had found, plus the glazed chocolate ganache that the class rep had totally become enamored with. Food is her only true love, or so she thought. Katsura was almost like a brother to the Fuukami group, and almost like another uncle for her. He was deeply respected by the young girl, although she is still rather affectionate with him as she is with the rest of the family and staff, even though her father hadn’t even hired them in the first place.

Before, Haruka was a little embarrassed by talking about Narukami, having Iryna constantly referring to him as a prince, but after seeing he actually didn’t like that title, it didn’t bother her as much. It made more sense for her and the black-haired boy to just refer to each other as otherwise. They had just met after all. The most they could be even after the Okinawa trip were friends. If they were to become intimate, they had to build up more trust and become close friends: just not best friends. That would probably cement a platonic relationship, not that the brunette would even mind that. Even if some people were attractive, sometimes dating them wasn’t the only way to go, at least in her mind.

"Yeah, it was really nice of Narukami-senpai. Even though he expects nobody to return the favor or reward him, I think that in return for his help, I'll probably pay for one of his lunches when we all get to Okinawa. But as for what he's like: he's into aikido, he's pretty honest, and he's kind. Although he’s not a stick-in-the-mud, either.”

Haruka decided to be blunt with Iryna, feed into her interest, give her an opportunity to tease right before reminding her older cousin that Haruka didn’t really have any shame in admitting crushes anymore. Surprisingly enough, she was more of a romantic as a younger girl, having crushed on others easily, and now she is more honest with herself than she was before. Although she certainly had Iryna’s stubbornness.

[Fuukami I. Iryna]

Iryna is intrigued by Haru-chan's words about that fellow male student named Narukami. From what Haru-chan told her, he looks like a very chivalrous individual. One who is willing to help. Iryna has heard the concept of chivalry as one of the ideals the male population tend to aim for, and an important part of honor. However, most of the male peers Iryna's encountered seem more subservient than chivalrous. She feels that they do things as she says just to please her, nothing else. Even though she likes to take advantage of that fact once in a while to make life more convenient, she finds those guys rather distasteful and troublesome. She is proud of her own cuteness, but hopes that she does not attract certain kinds of dangerous people.

Even with all the ideals, a male student who was willing to help Haru-chan unconditionally like that is still quite difficult to believe. Did he help out just out of compassion, or was there any other reasons? Like trying to get closer to Haru-chan? She is a lovely girl after all, and Iryna thinks boys tend to like the idea of saving a damsel in distress, which is so common in fiction. Even so, Iryna acknowledges that his help was truly valuable to the party Iryna is having. If he really is a kind soul, and honest like Haru-chan said, he will definitely be good to have around.

Haru-chan also mentioned that Narukami practiced Aikido. A martial artist. No wonder he's strong enough to carry Haru-chan's groceries. Iryna wonders how good he can be. If he's good enough, he may serves as a bodyguard. And maybe she can have him carry her luggage too, Iryna snickers at the thought. That will also reduce Katsura's burden.

However, Iryna had to meet him to see what kind of person he really is.

"Narukami seems like a very nice guy. A knight in shining armor, even. He can be useful when we go on that trip. I can make him do lots of things for us. If he's kind like you said, I think he won't mind. And, did he ask anything about yourself, Haru-chan? Did he express any interest in you? I have a feeling that your looks might have compelled him to help you."

Iryna just can't help trying to tease Haru-chan now, after that sneak attack at the start of the party. Haru-chan, a reserved princess, meeting a chivalrous prince, it's like something out of a fairy tale. Iryna hopes that Narukami really is a stand-up guy, so that she won't have any worry other than the boy she loves during the vacation in Okinawa.

[Fuukami Haruka]

All the younger girl could do in response to her redheaded cousin's interest was smile gently, more so smiling about the warmth that a family shared when they spent time together. It seemed that their little ice skating star wanted to indulge in a romance between the freshwoman and the boy who had helped carried the groceries. Such a scenario was comparable to the relationship between Westley and Buttercup in the Princess Bride where she pretty much ordered the farm boy around, though Haruka just tried to grab the boy's attention in a rather interesting way. But the brunette was not one to dream of romance so much. While she appreciated when a gentleman had his manners, it didn't automatically mean she'd register him as a love interest. However, it did mean she would be intrigued by the idea, but more so by starting a friendship first.

Though, honestly, Iryna was right that only by astronomical odds would an upperclassman like Narukami decide to help the first year. Remorse filled her heart slowly when she remembered when she had first met him. At first it was a little funny (okay, maybe it was very funny} and then she realized it was cruel, even though she probably would have said the same thing to a girl if she deemed the girl attractive enough. On the other edge of the sword, it meant that she felt Narukami Akira was attractive enough to tease like that. Such a conclusion stirred up enough ease to drive out all of the regret.

That certainly didn't improve the sensation by any standards. However, maybe she confused herself by thinking he was attractive. He was more strong; it didn't make him any less attractive, but Haruka would have preferred to remember him distinctly from his strength. Seeing him carry all those groceries removed whatsoever doubts she had of him. But a new worry would arise out of his strength: whether they'd take too much advantage out of it.

"Yes, Narukami is a nice guy, and please don't do that. It's a short trip so we don't have too carry much. And I guess he's the kind of boy who likes doing favors for girls, but what if Mizukami-senpai followed suit and made him carry his luggage too?" She rolled her eyes just imagining it. "And to answer your last two questions, not really to both of them. He mostly asked about you; I think he, being an athletic guy, would be more into you. Though he did tease me by saying a girl was waiting for him at home. Turns out it was his cousin." At least he had a sense of humor. Haruka did her best to hide her dismay with that joke by covering up her words with as much nonchalance she could possibly muster.

"Anyway... Do you want to meet him?" Haruka asked plaintively.

The worst was yet to come though, she thought, now that Iryna-neechan has decided to release her wrath and vengeance upon the younger girl. She had to be ready and prepared for all ambushes and surprise attacks. Thankfully, the redhead had less leverage than Haruka because she had only just met Narukami. On the other hand, there was tons of ammunition against her competitive cousin seeing how much time Iryna had spent with Ayumu, even if it might have been against the white haired boy's will.

[Fuukami I. Iryna]

"Hey, Haru-chan, I'm not a slavedriver, you know, and I'm sure Narukami is not a mule, either." Iryna's can't help but retort with a chuckle at how vivid Haruka's imagination is. That girl tends to overthink things at times. It's good that she likes to be organized and all, but Iryna only meant it as a joke. Still, Iryna can imagine that boy saying "As you wish" to the girls he's willing to help. If he really is a good guy, that is. On the other hand, his strength may come in handy if there is something heavy involved.

That aside, Iryna's brows shifts a little after hearing that Narukami was asking about her. Another fan of hers? Iryna does not really like that notion, because if that's true, he may not be so different than the member of that fanclub of hers. A potential nuisance. But for now, she will give him a benefit of the doubt.

"Really now? I guess that Narukami has heard about me. If he wants my autograph, it's fine. As there is already a fanclub of mine at school, it's not strange that he knows a bit about me. Did you feel uncomfortable by his questions?"

By that last question, Iryna wants to make sure that Haruka was not dogged by a loony fan. The pigtailed girl does not want her loved ones to be bothered by her fame; even though it's not as much as those up-and-coming baseball stars, but it's still there nonetheless.

On the other hand, sure, maybe Narukami, being into sports, is into athletic girls like Iryna. But who can be so certain about that? Furthermore, opposites attract too, not just common interests.

And then there's another interesting info Haruka just disclosed: Narukami teased her a bit about a girl waiting at home for him. Iryna has to admit that it's a nice way to get a girl's reaction, as she have heard that line being used from time to time by men who are married or in a relationship. It can catch a girl off guard, for sure. Even if that girl does not have any interest in the guy, she will be curious. Guess that's one of we girls' weak point. There may be more to this Narukami than meets the eye. And Iryna becomes more, yes, curious about that guy. Time to launch another attack into Haru-chan's opening:

"Oh, Haru-chan? Maybe he is interested in you after all. Or he's a womanizer. Otherwise there's not many reasons for him to launch that sneak attack on you. Tell me, how did you feel when that happened? Truthfully. Now I'd really like to see him to see who he is."

Sorry, Haru-chan, but it's payback time.

[Fuukami Haruka]

Raising a brow, Haruka quipped back with a sharp retort of her own, "Really? From how hard you push yourself on the rink, I would have guessed otherwise. Though you do need to give yourself some rest; it really is a good thing we're going to Okinawa." Haruka, was always fairly serious, though if she ever found the right chance, she could crack a joke. But to be honest, the brunette was worried about Iryna's skating because she knew about all the concussions, other dangers, and issues that came with not having properly fitted ice skating shoes.

Iryna's brow-raising wasn't exactly inconspicuous, and the train of thought was fairly obvious. No, Akira wasn't a dogged fanboy in the slightest, but it did look like he had admiration and respect for the redhead, which was important if he were to get along with her once they met, but for now, Haruka had to reassure her dear cousin.

"Well, I don't mean to say he's one of your devout fans. He was just interested in the sports magazines you appeared in. And I guess I was a little bit uncomfortable, but that was because it was hard to find a proper topic to discuss."

Afterwards, the younger girl thanked Iryna for her concern, knowing that she was only being considerate of how her reputation affected the family. Ice-skating wasn't exactly the most prestigious or popular of sports, but Haruka understood that a talented ice skater who won several awards and was close to winning many others would have some fame.

Opposites attract was a popular phrase that people in love with love used, but Haruka would honestly need to see for herself. Sometimes total opposites didn't work out. If a couple wished to compliment each other, then they would need to find common ground where they could cover each other's edges with their own graces.

Oh, look here, the bespectacled girl thought dryly, it seems that Iryna-neechan has become impressed with Narukami's attempts to catch me off guard. While it is a worthy feat, it was probably just for kicks, but I'm sure she knows this. Still, it was good that she had something to entertain the half-Russian with. Certainly, it was tiresome dealing with a prude like Haruka for the other girl. It wasn't that the class rep couldn't get embarrassed; she just didn't find it as difficult to confront as Iryna, or so she'd like to convince herself. But maybe she kept on denying all of this because Haruka knew that romance could be a drag. It was reasonable for her to avoid it. On another hand, Haruka just wasn't a romantic. if Akira thought he stood a smidgen of a chance, then it would do him good to understand that flashy, extravagant gestures wouldn't work.

"I'm pretty sure that he just has a sense of humor. It is pretty funny leading someone on like that without delivering the punchline. It was also kind of annoying because it made me confused why he'd call me lovely and help me if he already had a girl back home, and then it became even weirder when he said she was his cousin because I was expecting him to be a full-on teenage Casanova-PSYCH!" She laughed with a charmingly absurd tone, knowing perfectly well the insincerity of the last part of her statement.

The freshwoman's voice became gentler but also more serious.

"How do you know these things? Like I said so before, I've only just met him. I don't know him well enough to be a true friend, much less romantically involved with him. The reverse is true as well. A few minutes with a person isn't enough time to decide that you'd experiment with them in love, at least for me. While I can't speak for Narukami about these matters, I do want to get to know him better, though. Besides, you've still not answered my question. Would you like to meet him?"