Hanabishi Rikka/Extra Episode

I’ve gotten myself into something of a mess, thought Rikka. Messy as it was, however, the situation was far from being an unhappy one for her, which troubled her even more. Tomorrow, the fifteenth of May, was her birthday. That in itself would not be a problem, but ― the problem went back to a conversation after the Council of Nikaea finished the regular meeting a week prior. Everything started when Rikka’s Amitie partner and Council head Shirahane Suoh asked her what she’d like for a present.

‘Rikka-san, about your birthday, is there anything in in particular you’d like this year?’

‘Thank you, but any gift at all from you Suoh-san would make me happy. Fufu, if I say it like Yaegaki-san might, even a toothbrush would make me blush’

While tenderly stroking the hair clip she’d gotten from Suoh three months prior, she responded.

‘I was thinking of holding a birthday party, but do you have anything else going on?’

‘No, of course I’m fr－’

‘That can’t happen this year, vice president Hanabishi!’

As if to cut her off, the head of General Affairs in the council Tsuwabuki Chika came into the conversation. Suoh asked her if there was some business relating to the Council she wished to speak about.

‘Ahem, I think you would do well to learn how to read the room, president Shirahane,’ she firmly replied.

Perhaps she’d understood something with that, because for some reason Suoh apologized to Rikka while blushing. She said that she had suddenly remembered something urgent she had to do with Dahlia-sensei. Rikka thought to herself that she didn’t recall any such issue, but she didn’t think too much of it. Because she trusted Suoh. After everything that happened with Mayuri, the three Amitie partners had deepened their bonds, and now could relax and let their guards down with one another.

‘Chika-san, take good care of Rikka, ok?’

She whispered while leaving, such that only Chika could hear it. Rikka looked at Chika, with an expression that made it clear she didn’t quite understand what was going on. Chika puffed herself up as if to say, don’t worry about a thing, vice-president Hanabishi! and said,

‘Rikka-san, um… I apologize to have butted in like that. But there’s something I absolutely must show you for your birthday, and ―’

She suddenly swallowed her words. Rikka asked, ‘That’s quite alright. You’re also going to celebrate with me, then?’

‘Of course!’ said Chika in response, firmly holding Rikka’s gaze.

While she was of course disappointed she couldn’t celebrate with Suoh and the rest, a certain warmth of sentiment also undeniably excited Rikka even more than that disappointment. After that club activities ended and on her way to the dorms she was intercepted by Hokama-senpai.

‘About your birthday next week, Rikka-san, I wonder if you could come with me somewhere. There’s a special place I want to take you… is that alright?’

There must be a lot of special places in the academy I don’t know about, thought Rikka as she responded. Of course, it was very alright. While she’d also gotten an invitation from Chika, Rikka’s thinking was quite care-free, and the idea of refusing didn’t occur to her. Of course, there’s no issue, she replied proudly.

―and now it was the fifteenth. The meeting place was the gazebo. The time was ten in the morning. In front of Rikka, a sight she’d become quite accustomed to was unfurling.

‘Hokama-senpai, you were sneakily trying to get in ahead of me, weren’t you? That’s unfair’

‘Bukki, you were trying to do the same, so I don’t think you’re in any position to judge, cowardly you are’

It was difficult to tell if they liked or disliked each other, but she understood perfectly well that they both were quite affectionate of her. In the end, Rikka chose neither, she choose both. She laughed to herself, thinking that having a flower in both hands was alright from time to time.

‘Both of you are here to celebrate my birthday, yes? In that case, let’s all enjoy the time together’

‘Of course!’

‘Of course!’

They both said with each other. All smiling, the three of them joined hands and went to the forest, now replenished with fresh green leaves. She went past the roads she’d been on with Suoh and the others before, and eventually the scenery changed to something new. In the open area before her, lay a open field, as far as the eye could see, of her namesake flower, Hanabishisou, the golden poppy ―

‘Rikka-san, happy birthday!’

She took in the two girl’s words of blessing alongside the field of golden poppies, while thanking God that she had been blessed with such wonderful friends－

**Translated by Undene Sich Winden**