The Café Between Worlds

The day of Kazuha’s birthday arrived, and the café was transformed into a cozy celebration spot. Balloons hung from the ceiling, streamers were draped across the walls, and a small cake sat on the counter, decorated with delicate frosting flowers. Ren had outdone himself with the decorations, and he couldn’t wait to see Kazuha’s reaction.

Kazuma and Yusuke were already there, of course, contributing their own brand of chaos. Kazuma had somehow managed to string up the balloons in a way that made them dangle awkwardly, while Yusuke had taken it upon himself to taste-test the cake—multiple times.

"Hey, Ren, are you sure this cake’s safe to eat?" Yusuke asked, his mouth full. "You might want to give it another taste, just to be sure."

Ren rolled his eyes, snatching the plate away from him. "You’ve already eaten half of it, Yusuke! Leave some for the actual party."

Kazuma snickered as he tied the last balloon. "At this rate, we won’t have any cake left for Kazuha. And that would be a real tragedy, don’t you think?"

Ren shook his head, though he couldn’t help but smile. Despite their antics, he was grateful to have Kazuma and Yusuke around. They added a certain energy to the place, and he knew the party wouldn’t be the same without them.

Finally, Kazuha arrived. As she stepped through the door, she was greeted with a chorus of "Happy Birthday!" from the three guys, along with a flurry of confetti that Kazuma had somehow rigged to explode at just the right moment.

Kazuha blinked in surprise, then burst out laughing. "You guys… this is amazing! I didn’t expect anything like this."

Ren stepped forward, his heart racing a little as he handed her a small, neatly wrapped box. "Happy birthday, Kazuha. I hope you like it."

Kazuha’s eyes sparkled with curiosity as she carefully unwrapped the gift. When she opened the box and saw the delicate leaf necklace inside, her breath caught in her throat. "Ren… this is beautiful. Thank you."

Ren smiled, relieved that she liked it. "I wanted to give you something that reminded us both of our time together. You know, back when we used to collect leaves in the park."

Kazuha’s expression softened, and she gently touched the necklace. "I remember. Those were good times. Thank you, Ren. This means a lot to me."

Kazuma, not one to let a sentimental moment linger for too long, clapped his hands together. "Alright, enough of the sappy stuff! Let’s get this party started!"

And with that, the chaos ensued.

Yusuke had somehow found a karaoke machine, and within minutes, Kazuma was belting out an off-key rendition of a popular anime theme song. Yusuke, not to be outdone, grabbed a tambourine and provided some questionable backup vocals. Ren and Kazuha watched in amusement, unable to stop laughing at their friends' antics.

At one point, Kazuma attempted to perform a magic trick involving a deck of cards, but it ended with Yusuke accidentally spilling juice all over the table. The two of them bickered like an old married couple, much to Ren and Kazuha’s amusement.

Despite the chaos, the party was a success. The café was filled with laughter and music, and for a while, it felt like they were just a group of friends enjoying a normal day together—forgetting, if only for a moment, that they were in the afterlife.

As the evening drew to a close, Ren found himself standing outside with Kazuha, the cool night air a welcome contrast to the warmth of the café. They leaned against the railing, looking up at the stars.

"Thank you for today, Ren," Kazuha said softly, her voice filled with gratitude. "It was perfect."

Ren smiled, feeling a sense of contentment settle over him. "I’m glad you enjoyed it. You deserve a good birthday, Kazuha."

She looked at him, her expression thoughtful. "You’ve always been there for me, you know? Even when things were tough back in the orphanage… you were always the one who made me smile."

Ren’s heart skipped a beat, but he quickly covered it with a playful grin. "Well, someone had to keep you entertained, right?"

Kazuha laughed, shaking her head. "Yeah, I guess so."

They stood in comfortable silence for a while, the stars twinkling above them. And though neither of them said it out loud, there was a shared understanding between them—a connection that had always been there, even before they had found each other in the afterlife.

Eventually, they headed back inside, where Kazuma and Yusuke were still bickering over who had won the karaoke contest. The birthday party might have been chaotic, but it had ended in the best way possible—with friends, laughter, and Kazuha is smiling.