A week passed.
Because of the exams, Aoi only attended the theater club twice.
Then, on Friday, after 5:30 PM-
Aoi left the theater club room without saying a word to anyone.
But behind her, Shinohara called out:
- Aoi... our performance is only a few days away.
- Will you really be okay on stage?
Aoi kept walking toward the school entrance in silence.
Shinohara sighed softly, then suddenly ran ahead of her and stopped directly in front of her path.
Aoi finally stopped.
Her expression remained blank.
- Excuse me, senpai.
- I'll perform normally. I already committed myself to this play.
Shinohara looked at her quietly for a moment.
Then she spoke gently:
- If you go on stage this emotionally frozen... it'll be much worse than simply forgetting a line.
Aoi's eyes sharpened slightly.
Cold.
Serious.
- What are you trying to say, senpai?
Shinohara lowered her gaze for a second.
- When I was a first-year... a senpai who was graduating once told me something.
She looked back at Aoi.
- "When you truly feel the scene with passion, your body overflows with emotion."
Aoi frowned faintly.
Her lips parted slightly-
But no words came out.
Shinohara continued quietly.
- I've spent the last three years trying to understand what that means.
The evening wind passed softly through the school entrance.
- I always read the script seriously.
- I always think carefully about every line... every impact... every emotion I'm supposed to convey.
A faint smile appeared on her face.
Sad.
Small.
- But... I still think I don't fully understand it yet.
Aoi's expression slowly returned to normal.
Emotionless.
Distant.
- I'll... keep that in mind.
Then she walked past Shinohara.
Shinohara watched her back disappear little by little.
And softly said:
- Have a good weekend, Aoi.
Aoi only gave a small nod without turning around.
-
Back at home-
Aoi cooked dinner by herself and took a shower.
A little while later, Yukiko returned from work.
The moment she stepped inside, she let out a tired sigh.
- I'm home...
- Long week, huh, Aoi?
- Yeah...
Yukiko loosened her hair slightly.
- I'm exhausted today.
- You can eat first if you want.
- Okay...
Later-
Aoi quietly ate dinner alone.
Then stood up from the table.
- Mom, I'm going upstairs.
From inside the bathroom, Yukiko's voice echoed back:
- Alright. Leave the dishes for me later, okay?
- Thanks, sweetheart.
- Okay.
Aoi walked upstairs to her room.
Then quietly laid down on her bed while scrolling through her phone.
Her eyes stopped on the old "Eternal Aegis Online" group chat.
Last message: 9 days ago.
Silence filled the room.
She slowly scrolled through the old conversations one by one.
Happy messages.
Screenshots.
Jokes.
Late-night conversations.
Memories of everyone playing together began surfacing in her mind.
The dragon raid.
The final vampire king battle.
Everyone shouting excitedly through voice chat.
Aoi stared silently at the screen.
Then muttered quietly:
- Eternal... isn't even fun anymore...
A pause.
Then suddenly-
Her eyes widened.
She sat up immediately.
- Wait...
A memory surfaced inside her mind.
- I remember now...
Her voice became quieter.
- I saw my father's name in that game's credits...
Her breathing slowed.
- And Takeo's father too...
She immediately opened her private chat with Takeo.
Three unread messages.
"Aoi, I want to talk to you."
"Aoi, are you okay?"
"Is this about the game?"
Aoi blinked several times.
Then lightly scratched her cheek.
- Ah... I forgot about these.
- He sent them at the beginning of the week...
She quickly began typing.
"Hi Takeo. I only saw your messages now. About the game you gave me in Eternal Aegis Online... what did you discover?"
She stared at the screen carefully.
Waiting.
But no response came.
Aoi looked away slightly.
- He's probably angry at me...
She dropped the phone beside her.
Then her eyes slowly shifted toward Hina's game console sitting near the television.
And beside it-
The game Takeo had given her.
Aoi stared at it for several silent seconds.
Then quietly whispered:
- Maybe this game will at least make tonight less boring...
She inserted the game cartridge into the console and turned it on.
A pixel-art title screen appeared.
2D graphics.
And a simple title:
"The Birthday."
Aoi blinked.
- This game looks like it was made only for this console...
A faint feeling of discomfort passed through her chest.
- What a coincidence...
The game started.
There was only one playable character.
A small unnamed girl.
Aoi frowned slightly.
- A protagonist without a name...?
The game began.
A cheerful six-year-old girl appeared on screen, jumping across colorful platforms.
Aoi's fingers slowly froze around the controller.
- This girl...
Her eyes widened slightly.
- She looks like... me...?
She slowly lowered the controller.
Then stood up from the bed.
Her hands clenched tightly for a few seconds while she stared at the little pixel girl standing motionless on the platform.
A strange uneasiness spread through her chest.
She quickly grabbed her phone again.
Still no response from Takeo.
Aoi typed again.
"Takeo, what is this game?"
"Why does this girl look like me?"
Several seconds passed.
No response.
Aoi typed again.
"Please answer me, Takeo."
"Where did you get this from?"
Her hands were trembling now.
Her teeth clenched slightly.
- Just answer already...
After a few more seconds, she exhaled deeply and tried calming herself down.
Then she slowly typed:
"Sorry for acting harsh this week."
A few seconds later-
A notification appeared.
Takeo replied.
"Apology accepted."
"About the game... just finish it."
Aoi's eyes widened immediately.
- You were reading the messages?!
She grabbed her own hair lightly in frustration.
- Damn it, Takeo...
She inhaled deeply.
- Calm down... don't freak out...
Then she typed again.
"Did you make this game?"
A new reply appeared almost instantly.
"No."
"But you need to reach the ending."
"I should've given this to you years ago."
"I'm sorry."
Aoi stared at the message.
Frowning deeply.
- Reach the ending...?
- And he didn't make it...?
She slowly typed one final message.
"Fine. I'll finish it."
"Then we're talking afterward."
She tossed the phone onto the bed and picked up the controller again.
- Reach the ending... right.
She continued playing.
The little girl jumped across platforms, collecting ice cream bars and lottery scratch cards that restored health and increased score.
The stage was bright.
Sunny.
Warm.
Then suddenly-
A dog ran toward the protagonist.
Aoi instinctively jumped over it.
But her eyes widened immediately afterward.
- That dog...
The sprite looked incredibly familiar.
- It looks like the neighborhood dog that died years ago...
Further ahead-
A boy appeared on screen, proudly showing off a toy car.
A speech bubble popped up:
"My toy car is the fastest in the world!"
Aoi immediately dropped the controller again.
One hand covered her mouth.
Her eyes trembled.
- That boy is...
Her breathing became uneven.
- Takeo.
-I'm sure of it...
She quickly grabbed her phone again.
One new message had appeared.
"Please reach the ending."
Aoi stared silently at the message.
Then back at the game screen.
Then quietly muttered:
- Fine...
Her voice shook slightly.
- But afterward, you're explaining everything.
She continued forward.
The protagonist entered a living room.
A woman resembling Yukiko was cooking in the kitchen.
A text bubble appeared:
"I made your favorite food today."
curry rice
Aoi froze again.
Her hands trembled violently now.
Then-
She saw him.
A pixel-art version of Hiroshi sat on the sofa reading a newspaper.
A speech bubble appeared above him.
"There's a surprise for you upstairs."
Aoi's breathing stopped for a moment.
The room.
The furniture.
The atmosphere.
The lighting.
Her lips trembled.
- This place...
Her voice became faint.
- This is my house...
She slowly guided the character upstairs.
At the bedroom door, there was a giant ice cream icon floating softly.
The protagonist entered the room.
Aoi stared at the screen in complete silence.
Every object inside the room was identical to her childhood bedroom.
The old shelves.
The stuffed animals.
The tiny desk covered in colorful pencils.
A pastel curtain near the window moving softly in the wind.
A small rabbit-shaped lamp beside the bed.
Then-
A memory surfaced.
Aoi at six years old.
Running through the backyard with seven-year-old Takeo.
"I'm going to get my doll!"
"Bring that old doll if you want! My ultra-fast car is unbeatable!"
Little Aoi ran inside the house laughing.
Hiroshi sat on the sofa reading the newspaper.
"Welcome back, sweetheart."
Yukiko smiled from the kitchen.
"I made your favorite food. Come eat after you finish playing."
Then Hiroshi smiled warmly.
"Go upstairs, Aoi. There's something for you."
Little Aoi tilted her head excitedly.
"What is it?!"
"You'll have to see for yourself."
The memory faded.
Current Aoi stared silently at the screen.
The protagonist approached a box labeled:
"For Aoi."
The character opened it.
Inside-
A brand-new stuffed rabbit holding a red heart.
The little girl hugged it tightly.
And the game suddenly transitioned to the ending screen.
Aoi's eyes widened completely.
- That rabbit...
Her voice cracked.
-I remember it...
She immediately opened her closet.
Then frantically searched through old drawers and boxes.
Until-
She found it.
A white stuffed rabbit.
Holding a red heart.
Exactly the same.
Aoi stared at it with trembling hands.
Then slowly looked back at the screen.
A message appeared.
"Happy 7th birthday, Aoi."
"Did you like the rabbit?"
"Daddy picked it himself."
"Mommy and Daddy love you very much."
Below the message-
A simple 2D drawing of Hiroshi and Yukiko hugging young Aoi.
Silence filled the room.
Aoi remained frozen for several minutes.
Not speaking.
Not blinking.
Her eyes locked onto the screen.
Eventually-
She gently placed the rabbit on the bed.
Turned off the console.
And slowly walked toward the bathroom.
She turned on the light.
Then splashed water onto her face.
A memory surfaced.
Hiroshi smiling in the living room.
She splashed water again.
Another memory.
Hiroshi carrying her in his arms.
Again.
Water hit her face.
Now her mouth was trembling together with her hands.
Another memory surfaced.
The three of them eating together in the kitchen.
And Hiroshi smiling softly.
"I'll always come home, Aoi."
Aoi suddenly stopped moving.
Water dripped from her face into the sink.
She remained leaning over the counter with both hands gripping the edges tightly.
Several minutes passed.
Then slowly-
She lifted her head.
Looked at her own reflection in the mirror.
Her eyes were blue than usual.
Water still running down her cheeks.
And quietly whispered:
- Dad...
Her voice trembled.
- Did you make this