Ever since that chaotic day, I and Emily both agreed to not go out at the same time ever again. We would always tell our plans ahead of time, and would schedule our day in a way so that we were as separated as we could. Despite all the effort we went through, I still find my mind distracted by her words. What she talked about, what she was interested in, everything she said, everything she felt. 

I found myself wanting to know everything about her. I didn’t get what was going on, I failed to understand. Every little thing about her, I want to know.

Days passed within the blink of an eye. Evenings felt more fun now that I could spend it with Emily. Unfortunately, to reach those evenings, I need to go through the day first, where I need to act with Emily in mind. Emily’s comfort, her presence, was at the forefront of my mind. It was probably the same for her. Living in the outside world while being glued together with someone wasn’t fun.

Unfortunately, that was the reality we needed to live with. 

The calendar on my phone showed the date, the seventh of November. Birds chirped in the distance, their sound audible from my balcony. Wet puddles were scattered along the road stretching beside my apartment. Luckily for me, the rain had stopped. I checked my schedule for the day. Thursdays were relatively busy when compared to some other days. In the morning, we had a two-hour art history class, while in the afternoon we had a three-hour class related to storytelling through the visual medium. 

History was a hard subject for me, but not because I hated it. I struggle to get the years right. I could remember the names of people, but not the years and eras. Seeing me looking out my balcony, Emily let out a snicker. I glanced her way. 

“What was that for?”

“I hope you remember everything I taught you last night.”

She said with a smirk, hidden behind her hand. It was embarrassing to admit, but I asked for her help with some lessons. Being the history buff she was, I had asked her for help in studying for a quiz today. Quizzes, unlike exams in high school, tend to have less effect on the overall score for the subject. But, since I have a choice, I would rather not take it lightly. Thus I roped Emily into my subject which was totally unrelated to hers. It did look funny seeing just how excited she seemed to learn history, despite the subject being entirely unrelated to hers. 

As usual, she was already prepared for university. She wore a navy blue buttoned shirt with long sleeves, combining them with long black pants, making a very formal look. She returned to her bed and turned away, allowing me to start my morning routine. Not wanting to keep her waiting, I jogged toward the bathroom to take a shower. After showering, I immediately changed into my outdoor clothes, and only after then, I did all my other routines. It has been a habit for both of us to prioritize certain activities before others thanks to our circumstances. 

Seeing me already wearing my outfit, she decided to depart early. I ate my breakfast which consisted of a simple cereal and milk combination as she made her way to university. 

And yes, I’m a part of the cereal before milk team. 

As I enjoyed my meal, my mind wandered off. I start reminding myself of all the things I learned last night with Emily. 

Being friends with a history buff really does have its perks. 

I could only imagine how different my high school life would have been had we stayed in contact. Would she help me with studying as well? She probably would, although I have doubts in my ability to understand everything.

“Emily, why didn’t you go for something related to history instead?”

I asked. Emily looked around her, probably making sure that no one was within hearing distance of her, and remained silent. A few seconds later, she finally replied. 

“I want to be a programmer. History is a hobby for me.”

“Damn, that’s one heavy hobby.”

There were times when I wished I liked school subjects. School would probably be a lot more enjoyable for me if I didn’t have to stuff my brain with math, sciences, or all those other stuff. I chose social sciences in high school, which was slightly lighter for me compared to natural sciences, although not by much. I still struggle through it, but eventually, through hard work and a few lucky chances, I managed to pass with decent grades. 

Not many of those things I used in university, though, all thanks to the major I chose, not that I wanted to see those things ever again. I then checked my phone, finding the date on top of the locked screen.

Christmas is coming… wait…

For a moment, I was thinking about what I wanted to do for Christmas and New Year vacation. Since we have some free time, I planned to take on a project, but then my mind hit something. 

Emily’s birthday!

As expected, I had completely forgotten about it. It sent me into a panic, as with two days on the calendar, I needed to find something for her. To make matters worse, the one-day shipping service I planned to use only accepted items until two in the afternoon. I need to find something by tomorrow, pack it, and deliver it by tomorrow afternoon. I racked my brain to find something that she would like while at the same time fit my budget. 

I thought of a natural way of asking her what she wanted, but nothing came to mind. With two days on the calendar, she would surely suspect a thing if I asked her directly. I thought about buying her some history-related books. She did just mention that she liked it as a hobby, but since she liked it as a hobby, there was a chance that she had said books already. 

She never specified which kind of history she liked, either. Maybe she just enjoyed learning something new, but not actively searching for it. 

Ah, and I had the test as well. I now need to focus on two entirely separate things. I felt frustrated with myself for somehow entirely forgetting about it. 

A gift… a gift…

As her childhood friend, I knew a lot of things about her. The anime she liked, the food she liked, the activities she enjoyed. But the question was which of those things remained the same, and which of them she didn’t have already? I didn’t want to send her a second chessboard, after all. She could also afford everything I could buy for her, so I would rather give her something that couldn’t be given a price tag. 

Something homemade?

I thought of asking Tina for some references. I typed in the message, since I couldn’t speak to her directly. She didn’t reply, probably preparing for the day ahead of her. Thinking that I couldn’t get any lead by staying put, I prepared myself and headed out.  

 

“A gift a boy would like, but money couldn’t buy?”

Even after entering campus, I still didn’t receive an answer. Tina also hadn’t arrived at the class. Yohan and one other boy that I wasn’t close with were the only ones before me. 

“A gift for a high school friend, but he’s rich so I think he already has the things he wanted.”

I couldn’t wait any longer, so I thought that twisting the circumstances would be the best way. Emily seemed to be interested in my words, as she sat on her desk, her hand supporting her chin, her eyes looking toward me. 

“We men are simple creatures. Just say happy birthday and he’ll be happy.”

“Don’t lump me in the same category as you.”

“You’re a man, are you not?”

He asked while pointing at me with a sly grin. 

“I am, but not all men are the same.”

“You’re not a man, then.”

“Hey.”

“But still, a gift for those rich kids… A Fastborgini?”

He said, as if I could afford a supercar in the first place. Besides, I doubt Emily liked those things… unless she changed. Actually, maybe she did like those kinds of things. I could afford a toy version of the car, so maybe she would be happy if I bought her matching toys?

I pulled out my phone and typed in the question. Naturally, she asked why I was asking. 

“My friend says girls don’t like cars.”

“Well, I certainly don’t care.”

She replied, only to then make a list of fast Japanese sports cars that she liked, along with a single German sports car for some reason, all while saying that these are ‘exceptions’. Well, I guess she didn’t like supercars in the end. 

“I actually wanted a Corsche for daily driving, with a Pupra for the track. Or maybe a KTR?”

She started mentioning all these things that I didn’t understand. Well, I could just search for them online, then buy an appropriate toy, but would she really be happy with them? Besides, I was under the assumption that she didn’t have toys and models of them in the first place, defeating the entire point of getting her something without a price tag. 

It also showed just how far we had been in the three years of high school. I had no idea she liked cars in the first place.

“You’re not asking him, are you?”

“If I am, why would I be asking you in the first place?”

“Good point… Hmm… Since he’s rich, I think he’ll appreciate whatever you gave him. You know what they say, the thought that counts.”

“I wish there’s something more concrete than that… still, thanks anyway.”

Just then, Tina came into the room. 

“Morning.”

She greeted us.

“Good morning.”

We replied. I locked eyes with her, but she didn’t seem to put much thought into it. I returned to my seat and checked my phone, finding that she hadn’t read the message yet. She then pulled her phone and looked at me. 

“A ring.”

She yelled from across the room. 

Her answer made both me and Yohan cough, the unfortunate classmate stuck between us. 

“What the, I don’t know-”

“Huh? He asked me for a gift for a girl?”

“A girl…?”

Yohan stared at Tina, then nodded.

“I see, a wedding ring sure sounds nice. Don’t forget to send me the invitation, okay?”

“No, you got it completely wrong!”

I answered, searching for a way to get out of this situation without telling Emily any information. But, if I mention a female friend, I fear that it would tick something in Emily. Emily stared at me from her seat right of me, investigating me with her eyes. I was lucky she couldn’t hear anything but my voice. I couldn’t imagine how things would have gone had she heard their answers.

“What recommendation did you give him?”

Tina asked Yohan.

“I don’t know what he said to you, but he added the detail that he’s a rich friend, so I told him that the thought is what matters.”

Tina then turned toward me. 

“I agree. If you’re dealing with rich people, the thought is the thing that counts. Think about what matters for them, and if all else fails, you can always fall back on the ring.”

Realizing that I wouldn’t be able to squeeze any useful information from them, I let out a sigh. 

 

Classes went as expected. With no further hiccups, I found myself heading back to my apartment. I decided to stop by the mall in hopes of finding things I could give Emily. I went to several different variety stores, but none caught my eye. Maybe I should really make something handmade. I checked Emily’s social media account, in hopes of finding something as a guide, but I couldn’t find anything useful. I then moved to the department store.

“Where are you right now?”

Emily suddenly asked. 

“Outside. What’s wrong?”

I replied through Fine.

“I see. Nothing, you just seem to be searching for something.”

Oh dear. 

“Nah, it’s nothing.”

Should I really buy her a ring?

I wouldn’t buy a wedding right, obviously. But, if the thought was the thing that counts…

No, buying her a ring would mean the opposite. I didn’t understand her to the point that I would rely on such a mainstream gift. If accessories and clothing were out of the question, what else should I give her? Should I settle for a model car? Just then, something sparkling caught my eye. 

It was a beautiful pearl necklace. I took it and examined its details. It was pretty well made, and the price was affordable for someone who was saving like me. I could give her this… but it would go against my very thought of not giving her accessories. I wonder if she liked them. It would be fine if she liked them, but in the case she didn’t, it would only show just how terribly unprepared I was. 

But then my eyes caught something else displayed not far from it. I looked that way, finding a row of hats displayed. It gave me an idea. I then made my way toward it. 

 

The most tense part of giving a gift, in my opinion, is the wait for the reaction. 

“A package from you?”

Emily asked as she held a box in her hand. I nodded. 

“Can I open it?”

“Sure.”

I felt my heart thudding loudly in my chest. I watched as she put the box down on the floor and used scissors to cut it. She opened the top, taking something from inside. As a general rule, I could see all the clothing she wore, and I never saw her wearing something on her head so…

“Thank you.”

She said with a smile while knocking on the item. 

In the end, I decided to go with a cycling helmet. Emily cycled to university, and I never saw her wear a helmet. It may be because of this phenomenon doing its thing, but I decided to take the bet. She put it in her head, and as it turned out, it was because she never wore anything in the first place. Her helmet became visible the second it rested on her head. 

“It looks awesome.”

Seeing her smile made me happy. 

“I’m glad you like it.”

I noticed the straps tingling around her neck, so I reached out. She was startled when she saw me approach, but remained in her place. I took the straps and attached them together. I couldn’t hear the click they usually made, but I could feel the force in my fingers. 

“Don’t forget to strap those together when you cycle.”

“Thanks, a lot. I really appreciate it.”

She looked delighted. I felt a weird sense of happiness well up in my chest. 

I want to see her smile.

I watched as she playfully knocked on her helmet. 

“Happy birthday, Emily.”