Chapter 104: Birthday (Part 2)
—Thursday, February 9
When I woke up in the morning, something felt off.
“Huh? …Alicia?”
There was no reply to my call. Normally, Alicia would greet me back in the morning. But right now, I couldn’t feel her presence inside me at all.
“Is today a day off…? No, that’s not right…”
I sat up and searched my hazy mind for memories. I clearly remembered having a day off yesterday. Today is Thursday… the day we were supposed to have the birthday party.
“Alicia… good morning?”
Just to be sure, I called out to her again—but still, no response.
Left alone on the bed, I felt like I’d been abandoned.
“…Could this be some kind of surprise?”
If that were the case, maybe the rest of the family knew something.
With that thought, I decided to head downstairs to the living room like always.
“Morning. Alice, Alicia.”
In the living room, Yuna was eating breakfast and greeted me just like she always did.
“Good morning, Yuna.”
But unlike usual, there was no follow-up greeting from Alicia, and Yuna seemed to notice that something was off right away.
“…Huh? Where’s Alicia…?”
“She didn’t come back this morning. Yuna, did she say anything to you?”
When I asked, Yuna frowned slightly and replied.
“I didn’t hear anything…”
So it probably wasn’t a surprise, then.
“Alice, is that true?”
Mom, who had been working in the kitchen, stopped what she was doing and came into the living room.
“Y-yeah. This has never happened before… I wonder what’s going on.”
“…Even Alicia can have off days. I’m sure she’ll come back once she’s feeling better.”
“Maybe… But she was really looking forward to the party today…”
“Is there no way Alicia can come back before the party?”
“Once we’ve severed the synchronization, Alicia can only resync while I’m asleep… Hey, Mom. Can I skip school today? I want to stay in bed so Alicia can come back when she’s feeling better.”
“…I suppose there’s no helping it. Just for today, okay?”
“In that case, since I’m worried about Alicia too, I’ll—”
“No, Yuna. You’re going to school.”
“…Thought so.”
Yuna’s attempt to ride the excuse and skip school was shot down instantly by Mom. She gave a shrug.
“Oh well. I’ll make sure to pay attention in class for both of us.”
"Thanks, Yuna."
"Tell sleepyhead Alicia I said hi, okay? Well then, time to scarf this down and head to school."
Yuna went back to eating. I sat down at the table and started breakfast too. Since I wasn’t going to school today, there was no need to rush like usual.
After quickly finishing her meal, Yuna placed her dishes in the sink and headed to the washroom to get ready.
I kept eating slowly, watching Yuna flit around like she always did. Even if it was for Alicia’s sake, skipping school when I wasn’t even sick left me feeling a bit guilty.
"I'm off!"
I heard her footsteps clattering down the stairs, followed by her voice from the hallway. Mom and I both called out, “Take care!” almost in unison, and right after that came the sound of the front door slamming shut. The morning rush faded in an instant.
It felt strangely quiet, being on the outside of that everyday hustle for once.
"I made some hot cocoa. Go ahead and drink it, then get some rest, okay?"
Mom placed a mug in front of me as she spoke.
"Thanks, Mom."
I’d just finished eating. Holding the cup with both hands, I took a sip. The sweet aroma drifted up, and the warm, gentle flavor filled my mouth—it was comforting, almost nostalgic.
“…If Alicia were here, she’d be over the moon.”
Alicia absolutely loved chocolate and anything sweet.
With Valentine’s Day decorations up all over town lately, she’d been in high spirits.
"But that super dark chocolate we had the other day… she took one bite and let out this long, bitter sigh..."
Thinking back on it made me chuckle without meaning to.
…Not that I was any better—I made quite the sour face myself when I tried it.
After finishing up, I offered to do the dishes. If I was going to skip school, the least I could do was help around the house a bit.
Once that was done, I stopped by the washroom and the toilet before heading back to my room.
As soon as I got there, I flopped face-first onto the bed.
Wriggling under the covers that were still half-kicked aside, I tucked myself in. The blanket still held a faint warmth, and I could feel my body sigh in relief at the familiar comfort.
"School must be starting right about now, huh…"
And here I was, curled up in bed, about to drift back to sleep.
That slight sense of guilt only made the comfort feel more indulgent—like a little added spice.
"Nnnyaa… ’Night, Alicia…"
Bathed in the morning sunlight streaming through the window, I let myself melt into the soft warmth.
Thinking about how I’d tease Alicia once she came back… wondering what I’d say to mess with her just a bit…
…But.
When I woke again sometime after noon, Alicia still hadn’t returned.
I went down to the living room and told Mom that Alicia still wasn’t back. She tried to reassure me, saying she’d come home eventually, but even she looked worried.
After a light lunch, I went back to my room.
“…Can’t sleep.”
I had been asleep until just a little while ago.
But now, the unease I’d been pushing down ever since I got here was starting to leak out.
…What if Alicia doesn’t come back?
Until now, whenever Alicia cut off our synchronization, she always came back just like she said she would.
So why not today…?
Alicia is still inside me. If I close my eyes and focus inward, I can still feel her presence.
Has something happened that’s making synchronization impossible?
What if she never comes back like this—
Lying here awake in bed, doing nothing, my mind fills with all kinds of bad thoughts and my chest tightens.
This isn’t good.
At this rate, I won’t be able to sleep. But I need to sleep if I want Alicia to come back in time for tonight’s birthday party.
“Is there anything I can do… Ah…”
One idea came to me.
But skipping school and doing something like this in broad daylight—is that really okay…?
“…It’s to help me sleep, so I guess it can’t be helped.”
Once the thought crossed my mind, my body started to ache. That’s when I remembered—it’s just before my period.
I felt guilty—doing this at a time like this. But I also gave myself the excuse that it’s for Alicia’s sake.
“If I just touch lightly over my underwear…”
I’m wearing a pad just in case, so even if I fall asleep like this, I won’t feel uncomfortable afterward.
I touched my body through my clothes. My left hand went to my chest, and my right slipped inside my pajama pants.
“Nn… mmm…”
I let myself drown in the feeling.
Because in that moment, I didn’t have to think about anything.
As a result, I went harder than usual and came multiple times.
Eventually, the tiredness and drowsiness washed over me, and I gave in to sleep.
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