Late March.

One afternoon, with spring break just around the corner.

The three of us—me, Aoi and Anju—were enjoying the warm spring weather on a bench in a nearby park.

"By the way, you two. Do you have any plans for the 25th, the day after tomorrow?"

"The day after tomorrow? I’m free anytime."

"Me too! If I can hang out with you, Shizuku-chan, I’ll definitely go!"

Seeing their eyes light up as they nodded, I lightly pressed my hands together.

"Ah, sorry. I wasn’t asking to hang out. It’s my birthday the day after tomorrow, so I’m going out with my mom. Just thought I’d mention it."

From my past life perspective, it was just a casual, offhand remark like saying to coworkers, ‘Oh yeah, my birthday’s tomorrow.’

After turning twenty, birthdays are just another day where you get a year older.

For me, it wasn’t really something worth making a fuss over.

But, the moment they heard that casual statement, the two sitting beside me froze completely.

"...Eh?"

"...What did you say?"

Aoi and Anju stared at me like they’d just seen a ghost.

"Um, Shizuku-chan... what did you just say?"

"Y-You said... the day after tomorrow is... your birthday?"

"Yeah. I turn twen—seven on the 25th. Time flies, huh."

The moment I casually slipped up and took a sip of juice—

"”You should’ve told us earlier!!!”"

Their simultaneous scream echoed through the park, sending pigeons flying into the air.

"W-What’s with you two all of a sudden!?"

"Why would you tell us something so important only two days in advance!? Even if we mobilized the full strength of the Hojo family, importing from overseas wouldn’t make it in time!"

"Sh-Shizuku-chan’s birthday... I haven’t prepared anything! Not a cake, not a present, not even words of love..."

A tsundere panicking while clutching her head, and a yandere muttering in shock with a pale face.

In this world, ‘the birthday of someone you love’ is on par with—or even more important than—Valentine’s or Christmas.

Apparently, being told just two days in advance was a level of despair beyond my imagination.

"Hey, it’s not a big deal! I wasn’t asking for presents or anything. I just mentioned why I couldn’t hang out—"

"”Be quiet!!”"

Glared down with overwhelming intensity, I immediately shut my mouth.

"...Sebastian!? Yes, it’s me! Contact every maison across Europe right now! Spare no expense! Within three days, secure the finest—!"

"...Mom!? Take paid leave from the dentist clinic! Right now! It’s Shizuku-chan’s birthday! I’m pulling an all-nighter to make a present, so help meee!"

Still on the phone with their respective support units ‘butler and mother,’ the two of them dashed out of the park like startled rabbits.

‘...They’re like a storm.’

Left alone, I finished my juice on the bench, thinking offhandedly, ‘Girls really are intense about events.’

* * *

And then, March 25. My seventh birthday.

After finishing lunch out with my mom—yakiniku—I returned home in the evening to find the living room covered with a red carpet and decorated with a huge number of balloons hanging from the ceiling.

"Happy birthday, Nanase-san!"

"Happy birthday, Shizuku-chan!"

Standing there were Anju and Aoi, out of breath and somehow radiating an aura of complete exhaustion.

After two days of total sleepless preparation, faint dark circles were visible under their eyes.

"H-Hey... you guys did all this? And what’s with you two looking so worn out?"

As I stared in surprise, Anju stepped forward unsteadily and handed me a heavy box.

"Hehe... we received permission from your mother to decorate... and for the present, we used the Hojo family’s wealth, influence and even a private jet to somehow make it in time... This is from me."

When I opened the box, inside was a high-end branded ‘snowboard wear custom black and purple color’ perfectly tailored to my size.

"Whoa! This is seriously high-performance gear! And it’s my exact size... No way, Anju. This must’ve been expensive, right?"

"I know you love the snowy mountains. Every time you wear it, just remember me."

With a smug look, Anju puffed out her chest, and I smiled sincerely.

"Thanks, Anju. I’ll treasure it."

Then, Aoi shyly stepped forward.

"F-From me... this. I want you to keep it with you, Shizuku-chan."

What she handed me was a ‘silver ring’ threaded onto a leather cord.

It had a simple design, but inside was engraved a small star and the initials ‘S & A.’

"This... you made it, Aoi?"

"Yeah. I used a silver clay kit... baked it in Mom’s oven and polished it all night until it shined. So it’s one of a kind."

I put the cord around my neck and checked that the ring rested against my chest—right over my heart.

"That’s amazing, Aoi. The size and design are perfect. It kind of feels like a charm. It’s calming."

"...♡ Y-Yeah..."

Receiving their overly passionate presents, I turned to face them properly.

As a former salesman—and as someone being celebrated—I had to express my gratitude perfectly.

"You two only had two days, and you still did all this for me... thank you, seriously."

I placed my hands on both their heads and gently, affectionately patted them.

"But you know, the best present for me is having you two here like this, rushing over just for my birthday. Having two princesses who try so hard for me makes me the happiest person in the world."

With a soft expression, narrowed violet eyes, and a husky voice delivering that unconscious killer line—

At that moment, the exhaustion and anxiety of the past two days in their minds transformed into intense catharsis and pleasure, melting away completely.

And so, my seventh birthday ended peacefully as a warm, homey gathering where we all ate hand-rolled sushi made by my mom.

* * *

[Anju’s Perspective]

That night.

Back in her room at the Hojo mansion, Anju collapsed onto her bed, covering her flushed face with both hands.

...The best present is having you two here...

‘Ah, honestly... why does she smile like that…’

A two-day time attack.

She was confident she had prepared a perfect gift, but that one sentence from Shizuku blew away the value of even high-end branded gear.

'...How frustrating. Next year’s birthday won’t be this rushed. Yes, next year, I’ll buy out an entire snow resort for Shizuku’s birthday and reserve it just for the two of us... I’ll leave Aoi stranded at a lodge at the base!'

The competitive tsundere young lady had already begun planning her next massive project on a scale far beyond that of a seven-year-old.

* * *

[Aoi’s Perspective]

Meanwhile, at the Hoshikawa house.

Aoi gazed dreamily at the ‘silver ring ‘her own matching one’’ on her left ring finger under the nightlight.

'...Shizuku-chan wore the ring I made on her neck. I made it just the right length so it would rest over her heart.'

If the bracelet from White Day was ‘chains binding the wrist,’ then the ring she gave now was a ‘mark of ownership over Shizuku’s heart—her life.’

'And... Shizuku-chan doesn’t know that a tiny bit of my blood is mixed into that silver clay. I cut my finger while filing it all night... but since it worked out, I just baked it like that.'

Aoi pressed a kiss to her left ring finger and smiled in ecstasy.

'Hehe... now my blood and Shizuku-chan’s heartbeat are connected through that ring forever… Shizuku-chan’s life belongs entirely to me.'

Turning off the nightlight, Aoi sank deeper into her dark, sweet fantasies.

'Next year’s birthday... I’ll mark you somewhere even deeper. Somewhere no one else can ever see... a place only for us. Be ready, my prince♡'

* * *

What started as simply forgetting to mention her birthday—a fatal mistake by a former top salesman—ended up planting an overwhelmingly heavy, year-long curse in the heroines, ‘Next year, we definitely won’t let you escape.’