There was something more important than that. I had completely forgotten about it until we had a conversation. But when Kir stared, it came to mind.
âIs there something that you want?â
âAre you asking that yourself?â
Kirâs reaction, who quickly figured out the reason, was blunt. But I didnât change the subject because I thought this was the most reasonable.
âBecause itâs best to give presents according to what you want.â
I forgot that there was an important schedule in the middle of counting the date because of studying abroad.
It was Kirâs 15th birthday.
As the next master of the principality, they were preparing for his birthday with quite a fuss outside. I totally forgot because my thoughts were complicated.
I didnât know anything else about Kir, but he wouldnât forgive me for skipping his birthday. How bullied I was when I forgot to pack a present for his birthday that I went to for the first time. He wasnât openly harassing me, but I was even more pissed off by him being cranky and subtly annoyed.
So I made up my mind that I would make sure to celebrate Kirâs birthday, even if he was annoying and mean. And Iâve been doing it without forgetting even once until now.
Forgetting such an important thing, I must have been really distracted about studying abroad. When I urged him with my eyes to say something quickly if he wanted something, Kir answered indifferently.
âYou just pick one for me.â
Such a cheater!
âYou donât like everything I buy you.â
âI like it.â
When I buy you something, youâre busy grunting with a sullen face! Youâve never used anything I gave you!
Later on, I got angry, so I went and gave Kir this and that to his taste, but Iâve never seen him use the gift I gave him. I hated that, so even though I wanted to not give him gifts every time, no matter how grumpy Kir would be, I still kept bringing gifts.
Suddenly, thinking about it makes me felt very pitiful. Still, I put up with it because the birthday present that Kir gives me back is great. But it was true that it was tiring to give gifts to people who werenât happy with anything I bought.
âI donât know. Iâll just get anything.â
âAlright.â
Does that mean he doesnât need my gift? After answering so simply, Kir stood up.
âAre you going already?â
âI can only go out here for a moment.â
Kirâs schedule got tighter as he got older. He separately studied to take over the principality, so he had a lot more classes than I did. He seemed to be following after the Grand Duke in his spare time to learn practical skills.
Still, he came to visit, so I thought the class was canceled, but it was not? Why was he here when he was so busy?
When I asked, Kir said âyou donât know anythingâ, and I stared blankly at him. Kir then smiled. Thatâs the look on Kirâs face when he looks at me like a kid.
As expected, Kirâs palm covered my head and swept over it. Kir has grown so much in the last few years, and I havenât grown much. Was that why? Lately, the respect in Kirâs eyes on me had been fading. Rather, there were times when I felt low because I tried to treat him like a younger brother.
âDidnât you hear that there was a guest, and the class was paused for a while?â
âYes.â
Because of a special guest who came to the Grand Dukeâs residence yesterday, access to the Grand Dukeâs residence was restricted for a while. If I said I would go, they wouldnât say no, and I could go. But I was busy preparing to study abroad anyway, so I didnât feel the need to go that far.
âSee you in a week. Youâre okay then, right?â
âYes. Of course Iâm fine. Itâs your birthday.â
How messed up would he be if I didnât spare the time? I didnât spit out my mind. Then Kir left with a satisfied smile. It was an annoyingly bright smile.
He suddenly stopped studying and came to me. Was there anything else he has been worrying about? What in the world was he here for?