LOKI

IF THIS was my last day on earth, it wasn't that bad at all. Wasn't it funny? I was gonna die on my birthday. What a cruel joke from fate. At the very least, I felt some thrill before leaving the mortal realm.

My eyes were still closed but I felt everything went black. The lights in the room must have gone off by now.

This was it.

"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday, happy birthday!"

Wait, what?

I opened my eyes and glanced around the room. Was this heaven? Or hell? The room was still dark until something in front lit up. I searched for the source. The light was coming from the projector installed on the ceiling.

"What the hell is this?" My eyes went wide. A candid photo of mine was shown on the screen with the words "Happy Birthday, Loki!"

The door swang open. I couldn't see clearly who entered, but I saw a lit candle on top of a... cake?

"Happy birthday to you!" Rhea started singing along with the students who entered the room. The lights went back. Maggie was the one holding the cake. The students who stood waiting outside before we got in here walked behind her.

"Happy birthday! Happy birthday! Happy birthday, Loki!"

Dumbfounded, I sat in the chair and gawked at the cake that they presented to me. They were singing. They were clapping. My eyes flicked down on the bomb. The display screen only showed "HBD LOKI!"

I twist in my seat to face Rhea whose smile spread across her face. She no longer looked so concerned. Her voice no longer had any hint of worry.

That's when I began to piece together what was going on here.

"Gaano ho ba katagal? Hindi naman ho siguro male-late, 'no?"

"Napansin mo rin ba 'yong mga blangkong papel na pakalat-kalat sa campus?"

"Who in his right mind would cut more than fifty sheets into four pieces and scatter them all over the campus? There certainly must be some sort of message behind this bothersome incident."

When the timer at noon stops counting
Flames would start lighting
And y'all be blowing!

"You set this up?" Those words escaped my lips as my gaze lingered on her. I was still processing everything in my head.

She nodded happily. "I thought of spicing up your birthday celebration kaya nakipagkuntsaba ako kina Maggie at Luthor. I also sought the help of your clients before."

"They wanna thank you for helping them out," Maggie said. "Sana ma-appreciate mo ang effort ni Rhea. Inisa-isa pa talaga niya ang mga client n'yo dati para maging part sila nitong surprise para sa 'yo."

"You did this... for me?" I still couldn't believe it. All the while I thought she had no idea. Which would have been fine to me. She didn't need to arrange a celebration or something. "How did you know that today's my birthday?"

"I became friends with a student aide working in the registrar's office," she explained. "I asked a favor from her, kung pwede niyang i-check ang birthday mo. Ang akala mo siguro, naitago mo na at walang makaaalam, 'no? Well, you're wrong!"

"Luthor then confirmed that today, January 6, is your birthday," Maggie added, still holding the cake. "You thought your brother has already forgotten, but he hasn't. By the way, he's supposed to be here too, but he has an urgent lunch meeting with Emeraude."

I was too confident that no one—except my brother—knew about my birthday. Luthor wouldn't go around whispering that today's my day. He'd keep it to himself. I didn't expect that Rhea would find a way to figure it out. Well, why didn't I see this coming? She's been training under me.

"So our honorable executive committee is also part of this conspiracy?" I asked, my eyes glancing at her bespectacled friend.

"Grabe ka naman sa conspiracy!" Maggie replied, passing the cake to Rhea. "We informed our adviser that we're gonna hold a campus-wide secret activity. I promised that we will clean our mess once we're done kaya napapayag namin siya."

Using the resources of a student organization to pull off a stunt like this birthday surprise, was that okay? I'd say they almost abused their powers!

Rhea moved closer to me, offering the cake. Now that I could see it clearly, it was a strawberry cake. "Make a wish, then blow the candle."

"Seriously?" I scoffed. Birthday wishes are stupid. I still stand by that personal belief of mine. "You want me to conform to traditions and—"

Rhea faked a smile that somewhat frightened me. "Just make a wish, then blow the candle."

Fine! I closed my eyes and thought of something. Something that I wanted to happen. Upon opening my eyes, I blew the flickering flame of the candle. Everyone around me applauded as if I did something remarkable that could change the world.

"Happy birthday again, Loki," Rhea said.

"Thank you, Rhea," I replied, smiling back at her.

***

The party's over. The charade's done. Back to reality.

Half of the strawberry cake was uneaten, so Rhea asked me to eat more when I walked into the clubroom at four. I refused repeatedly, but she still put a slice on a paper plate and shoved it in front of me. First the sandwich. Now the cake. I was starting to think that she wanted me to get fat.

"Naisahan kita ngayong araw," she proudly declared, taking in a forkful of cake. "You're overconfident that no one would know."

"I have to hand it to you." As much as I hated losing, I had to admit defeat this time. She got me. She won. She could rub it in my face all day.

"Iniisip ko pa rin kung bakit ayaw mong ipaalam sa iba," she wondered, her fork in mid-air. "Hindi ako na-notify sa social media accounts kung saan connected tayo. Doon naman sa birthday list ng class n'yo, February 30 ang nakalagay."

"You even asked my classmates about it?" My cake almost fell from my fork. She went through length just to know my real birthday? Her effort was commendable.

She nodded. "Your class president was very cooperative. Nalungkot nga siya noong na-realize niyang mali ang date na inilagay mo."

"They've just realized it now?" I snorted a laugh. "They're really slow."

"Hmm..." Rhea turned her gaze on me, making me slightly uncomfortable. What's with that look? "I think I know why you don't want to share your birthday with anyone."

"Birthdays are reminders that we are one year closer to our inevitable death, so why should I celebrate it?" I shrugged my shoulders. "Not that I don't put a high value in own my life, but I honestly don't see any point to rejoice about it. Well, if you think you know better than me, pray tell."

She adjusted her seat to turn to me, placing her fork back on the plate. "I don't think na ayaw mo talagang ipaalam ang birthday mo. Sa tingin ko, gusto mong malaman kung sino ang mag-e-effort na alamin at makaalala ng special day mo."

I didn't say anything. I don't wanna interrupt someone when they thought they're hitting the bullseye.

"I don't wanna claim that I know you that much, but I think you want someone or something genuine," she went on. "You turned off your birthday notification on social media because you don't want to read insincere messages. You didn't write your real birthdate on your class registry because you don't want to hear hollow greetings. Kapag nalaman ng mga kakilala mo na birthday mo today, they will feel obligated to greet you. And you don't want that. Am I right?"

My eyes averted their gaze as my dry lips formed a smirk. I hate to admit it, but she's right.

I've always believed that everything around me was superficial. Nothing is really genuine—to borrow Rhea's word. People say what they say or do what they do merely out of obligation, not because they're sincere about them. I may not share this view with anyone else, but that's how I see the world. Full of fakes. Filled with pretenses.

"Bakit hindi ka makasagot?" she asked. "Did I hit the bullseye?"

I resumed eating what's left of my slice. "You can think whatever you want about me. I'm responsible for how I act, but I'm not responsible for how you interpret the way I act."

"Hindi mo man i-confirm, pero malakas ang kutob kong tama ako." Her lips stretched in a smile, showing her pearl white teeth. "I've been thinking kung ano ang birthday wish ko para sa 'yo. Wala akong maisip kanina. Pero ngayon, meron na. Do you wanna hear it?"

"Go ahead." My eyes were still looking elsewhere. While I think that birthday wishes are stupid, I wanna hear what she's wishing for me.

"I hope you'd realize that there are still genuine people around you," Rhea said. "Not everyone is insincere. Not everyone feigns their concern. There are still those who care about you."

Silence fell for a few seconds. The fork that was halfway to my lips froze. I didn't expect her to say something along those lines

"Like who?" I broke the awkward silence.

"Like me," she said. "And your parents. Maybe even your brother that you don't like very much."

I giggled. My parents were already given. But my brother? I wasn't sure about him.

Her? Given everything that we've been through, I don't question it. Her lectures to me may be annoying most of the time, but she genuinely believed they're for my own sake.

"Speaking of wish, ano'ng hiniling mo kanina?" she asked.

I shook my head. "Nothing special. I wished that we can solve more cases in the coming weeks. Especially that big case we're working on."

"Seriously?" She arched an eyebrow with a look of disbelief on her face. I could tell she was disappointed. "Wala ka man bang wish para sa sarili mo? O sa ibang tao?"

"I'm already satisfied with what I have." I looked at her. "I don't think I can wish for anything else."

That was a lie, of course. I don't need to wish to solve more cases. With our combined detective skills, that wouldn't be something to wish for.

There's nothing that I could ask for myself anymore. My wish was actually for her.

I wish that I could always keep her out of harm's way.

q.e.d.

Liked this update? Don't forget to share your thoughts on Twitter using the hashtag #PLChronicles!