"Tanjoubi omodetou! Heppi basudee!" Kenta leapt joyfully from the stool by the kitchen counter when he saw his cousin merrily walked in, her steps bouncy as she skipped like a puppy whose owner has dangled a milk bone. "I wish you all the best today and the days beyond. May the blessings of kami-sama continues to rain down upon you! Oh hey, is that a new dress?"

Akira smiled and twirled around in a long-sleeved yellow gown that matched her orange gerbera tiara. Her dark chestnut hair, which was usually tied in two ponytails, was hanging loosely and as she kept on twirling it moved like a festive ribbon waving from a bamboo branch.

"So you noticed my dress! Yeah, Oka-san sewed this for me herself. I was so surprised when I found this in my wardrobe this morning, along with a handwritten note from her about wanting me to look like a princess on my birthday. I'm way past my princess obsession phase but that's still so nice of her. Kenta, stop smirking!" the girl mocked a pout. "Nothing to smirk about."

"Sorry, I was just thinking back to that time when I used to call you Aki-hime. You'll always be a princess to Auntie Chiharu, don't you know that? I bet if I were a girl she'd make me a dress too so that we can be two princesses. Actually, I wouldn't mind wearing a dress right now."

"You in a dress? I'd pay to see that!" a woman's voice and a soft giggle came from behind the two teens. "Morning, son. Are you still making yakimeshi in addition to your muffins?"

"Oka-san!" Kenta whined at Shiori's teasing. "I was only saying that because it's Akira's special day. And yeah, yakimeshi is on the menu. I got everything here but I think we're out of tomatoes. Should I just leave them out of the recipe or should I substitute with other veggies?"

"I can get you some from the greenhouse." Shiori said with a wink. "In exchange, please impress me. Your yakimeshi better be something fitting for a queen or I'll cast you out of this kingdom."

"Oh, I'm the royal chef now?" Kenta let out a laughter. "I understand, Your Highness."

"Your mom never fails to brighten the room." Akira remarked once Shiori was out of the kitchen. "I wish my own mom still crack jokes but with her disease eating her up I'd be lucky just to see her smiling at me. Her sewing a dress for me must have been exhausting. I'll make sure to do a favor for her in return. Any idea of what I can do to repay my mom, Kenta?"

"Hmm. Maybe you can compose a beautiful song? You can stage a heartfelt performance for her and I can be on my drum. When was the last time you played trombone for her? Last year?"

"Yeah, last year, on my parents' wedding anniversary." Akira sighed. "What a simpler time."

"Is Auntie Chiharu still stubbornly refusing to go through with the kidney transplant idea? I talked to her but she didn't seem to take me seriously." Kenta asked while stirring the rice and adding in a sprinkle of dried chicken bouillon. "She said it's kind of weird waiting around for a cadaver to get a kidney from. To paraphrase her, it's like wishing someone is dead so that she could live. When she puts it like that, it does sound strangely unnerving, doesn't it, Akira?"

"There's no need for the kidney to come from a cadaver, though." Akira said while helping him fold the omelet and cutting it into thin strips to garnish the rice with. "When it comes to kidneys, a living donor is possible. I would donate mine if only I wasn't a minor. Being a minor sucks."

"Ah, it's only three more years before we turn eighteen." Kenta gave her a fist bump. "By the way, what did Johan say about coming to this party? You sent him an e-mail last week, right?"

"Yup! He replied right away, saying he's coming. Let's hope he doesn't back out."

"Looks like he isn't backing out." Kenta smiled when he faintly heard the ringing of the front door's bell. "That's him, isn't it? Mind the stove for me please, I'll open the door for him." He took off his apron and took a deep breath. "Do I look okay, Akira? No rice sticking on me?"

"You look like a Crimson Yeast. Calm down, I bet he's gonna be happy you're the one opening the door." Akira was grinning from ear to ear. "Go! Say hi to Benvolio, you Romeo Montague."

"Benvolio? Isn't that Lord Montague's nephew? Eww Akira, I don't wanna think of Romeo dating his own cousin. But I get it. We need a male version of Juliet. Hm, maybe Julianto."

"Yeah, yeah, Julianto, Julianno, whatever. Just go and say hi to Johan, you shy mouse."

---

Johan was wearing a party hat and so did the twins, who rushed to give Kenta a hug as soon as he opened the door. Chuckling, Johan reached behind his back to pull something from his slung bag. Kenta couldn't help smiling when he realized the boy was pulling another party hat.

"You're so prepared for the party!" he commented. "And I'm glad the twins are here too."

"Is there going to be a huge cake?" Nardhia asked as she held out her hands, wanting Kenta to pick her up. He did just that and the little girl cooed happily. "I bet Onee-chan will have cakes."

"Yeah! Onii-chan, please say there's cake! Even better if it's chocolate cake!" Nardho squealed.

"Sorry, kids, no cake but I'm baking honey-vanilla muffins. You've ever had muffins before?"

"Muffins!" the twins clapped their hands. "Muuuffiiiins!" they looked up to Johan with huge doggy eyes. Their older brother shook his head and winked to Kenta who winked back shyly.

"Come inside and get your muffins fresh out of the oven, then." Kenta ushered the three guests in. Before he could close the door behind him, a bespectacled guy hugging a cat dashed madly. "Oh, my. Is that Ezekiel and... wait, are my eyes deceiving me? Is that Baz's cat with him?"

"K-Kenta, hi!" came Ezekiel's breathy greeting as he panted. "Am I late to the party? Sorry if I am, had to catch a train I almost missed it because I went to the wrong platform. By the way, Aiden couldn't come because his dad insisted on taking him to a baseball game and Baz also couldn't come because he got invited to audition for a music school, but I bring Sebby along."

"You smuggled a cat onto a train? Wow, you're gutsy." Johan's jaw dropped. "Hey, kitty."

"Purr!" Sebby jumped down from Ezekiel's arm and rubbed his head against Johan's leg.

"Kitty!" Nardho crouched down to pet Sebby. "What a good ca---Aaachoo!"

"Aww. His cat allergy is acting up again." Johan looked at Kenta and Ezekiel apologetically before picking Sebby up and putting him away from a sneezy Nardho. "Hey, bro, I know you like cats but don't go around petting one out of the blue, okay? At least not without taking your antihistamine first. Here," he pulled a bottle of capsules from his slung bag. "Swallow this."

"Thankies!" Nardho said in between sneezes. "I hate that I'm sneezing around cats. Oh lookie, here comes another one!" he pointed at Miyuki, who was walking toward Sebby in curiosity.

"Fluffy!" Nardhia gave the tailless white cat an ear scratch. "I wish I could take her home."

"Ah, my aunt won't be too happy about you kidnapping Miyuki!" Kenta chuckled lightheartedly and Johan chuckled with him. "Oh, here comes the birthday girl!" he said as he heard Akira's footsteps. "Look, Akira! Miyuki and Sebby are becoming fast friends. Kitty friendship, yeay!"

"Hey, Ezie." Akira nodded toward Ezekiel. "I take it that Baz doesn't know you're stealing his cat? Where is that green-haired friend of yours, anyway? Too busy being an organist to party?"

"Yeah, you could say that about Mr. Green Hair and his organ. He's so good that a recruiter from Eastern Silver Pine Ludwig Conservatory is coming to interview him. I bet he'd get in easily. If he does, he would be the first profoundly deaf student of that conservatory in like two centuries."

"And I bet he's playing some Beethoven sonata to impress the recruiter." Johan remarked with a hint of envy in his voice. "My family is into music too but none of us are musical prodigies."

"Don't listen to Johan being too humble!" Nardho smacked his brother lightly. "He plays harmonica and he's been teaching Nardhia and I too, although we find that instrument difficult."

"Look at your brother bragging for you!" Akira gave Johan a grin. "We should start a band."

"Oh yeah, we seem to have a bunch of gifted musicians in our midst." Ezekiel nodded toward Kenta. "I can be the band manager or something. Let me think up a catchy name for you guys."

"Deafies United!" Akira suggested. "Oh, wait, that's kinda like fetishizing your disability."

"Nah, I don't think it's a fetish, more like a marketing ploy and a tool to educate the public that deaf musicians do exist." Ezekiel said while adjusting his hearing aids. "I like how it sounds."

"Ezie, you have hearing aids now?" Kenta came closer to the boy's side to get a better look at his ears. "I'm happy for you. How are they? Do they work well for you? Not too loud?"

"Well, these are your cheap and bulky standard government-issued hearing aids that you could buy over-the-counter, not the ones you have to order from an audiologist's office. These are better than nothing, yeah, but since they're not fine-tuned to specifically accommodate my type of deafness it can get uncomfortable wearing them. I only wear them for a few hours a day."

"You're not one of those people who wants to cure their deafness, are you?" Kenta asked. "Not that I'm policing what others think of their own disabilities, but I've read so many debates about curing deafness that I'm curious what your stance on this matter is. My parents instill on me this view that I'm not a charity case just for being deaf and that my deafness isn't an obstacle to overcome. I wonder if your mom or Aiden's dad also taught you that kind of view, Ezie."

"They'd be happy if there's a cure for deafness but personally I don't care that much." Ezekiel shrugged. "I am who I am and my deafness makes me unique. If you take my deafness away, it's like you're taking my uniqueness away. Sure, it's not all there is to me, but it's still me."

"I see. Well, it's time for muffins!" Kenta changed the subject and disappeared into the kitchen.

"So, why muffins and not a birthday cake?" Johan asked Akira once Kenta was out of sight. "Is that simply because muffins are relatively easier to bake and can be individually pre-portioned?"

"You got it." Akira gave him a thumbs up. "By the way, Johan and Ezie, would you like to maybe watch a movie? Don't worry, we have some kid-friendly ones, Nardho and Nardhia can choose whichever they like. Most of them are in Japanese but have English subtitles available."

"Do you have The Adventures of Angelic Sienna and Kuroneko Ren? I looove Sienna! I wish I could control air and water like she does! I also want cat ears like Ren!" Nardhia tugged on Akira's sleeve. "Nardho said he prefers Ren's brother Utarou, though, for being funny."

"Oh, that series by the animator Crystallea Sauvonne? Yeah, Kenta and I love the series too! Are you caught up with all the episodes? My cousin and I are in that episode where Sienna finally found out why Jeanne Delano's been so mean to her and the Kuroneko brothers. It's touching."

"Oh, Jeanne is finally on Sienna's side?" Nardho's eyes grew huge. "Ah, in that case we should watch something else. I don't want any spoiler, Onee-chan. What other movies do you have?"

"Believe it or not, my mom and dad are weirdly interested in remakes of 20th and 21st century movies so those were what Kenta and I grew up watching. There's this one called Lassie, with a cute shepherd doggie. I think Lassie is a border collie. Anyway, it's kind of a tear-jerker but it's so cute it's worth all the tears in the universe. Just make sure you stock up on tissues."

"Collie? I'm in!" Nardhia jumped up and down. "C'mon, Johan, let's watch Lassie!"

---

The Kinoya's family multimedia room was set up like a mini version of a fancy amphitheater, complete with six reclining chair and state-of-the-art audio system. The chairs came with foldable tables, on which Kenta had put his trays of honey-vanilla muffins and some paper towels. The boy grinned when he saw Johan walked in with his siblings, Akira, and Ezekiel in tow. Without saying anything, Johan immediately took a seat behind Kenta, smiling warmly at him and gesturing at the muffin. Kenta nodded wordlessly and Johan took one of the muffins.

"Just make sure we don't leave any crumbs on the floor." Akira said as she finished setting up for the movie and took a seat next to Ezekiel. "My dad won't be happy if we make this room dirty. I mean, sure he can hire a cleaner to come make this room spotless but he's always ran this household with a policy that everyone has to clean up after themselves, no maids allowed."

"That's some good policy." Johan said thoughtfully. "Your family really isn't like any other rich families I know. Actually, when I found out you live in a big dojo I thought I'd be in for a typical scene of rich kids lounging around while a dozen of obedient servants attend to their whims."

"Yeah, no. I'd rather cut my hair into a buzz cut than growing up relying on servants." Akira shuddered. "That sounds fun in the short run but in the long run I can't imagine how any kid can grow up not knowing how to do basic household chores. Oh, the movie is starting! Quiet now."

The teens and the two little kids watched in awe as the movie started with a scene of an scrawny-looking elementary school-aged boy jumping from a school bus and crouching down to receive a slobbery kisses from a collie. The boy and the collie walked together toward a modest farmhouse on a pasture, passing a brook with many big stepping stones and a tree stump with a heart carved on. Akira glanced toward Kenta, who not-so-secretly grimaced at the sight of the carving.

He must have thought that trees can feel pain. Yeah, that's a very Kenta thing to think about.

The scene changed to show the collie accompanying her young owner as he checked on his family's flock of sheep. Some of the sheep already had their wool sheared while some were still as cotton-y as clouds. Soon, the multimedia room echoed with the sounds of sheep bleating.

"Baa baaa!" Nardhia pointed at the screen. "Hey Johan, does sheep make milk like cows do?"

"Well, if they're female sheep. The ones in that movies don't look like they've got any milk."

"Does someone say milk?" the automatic door to the multimedia room screeched, revealing Chiharu and Lee, who brought a jug of strawberry milk and some paper cups. "I thought you guys could use some milk with your muffins. Here, my treat!" Chiharu beckoned Nardho and Nardhia over. "Look at you!" she held out a hand to the twins, initiating a handshake. "You two remind me so much of Kenta and Akira when they were your age. Don't you agree, Lee?"

"Yeah. They were just as energetic, running around wanting to know about the world and never stopped asking their whats, whys, and hows. Children are like sponges, absorbing everything they come into contact with such gus—"Lee stopped talking when a loud thud reverberated through the room. Just steps away from the door, Chiharu was writhing like an earthworm under a blazing sun, her face contorted in her distress and beads of sticky sweat trickled down her cold forehead. Lee frantically called her name but Chiharu didn't give him any response. 

"Chiharu!" Lee gathered his wife in his arms. "Hang on, I'm calling the family doctor."

"Otou-san, what's wrong with Oka-san?!" Akira screamed from her seat and ran toward her mother. "She didn't skip her medicine this morning, did she? I hope her blood pressure—"

"She had her medicine. I don't know what's wrong. Oh no, that can't be..." Lee put a hand to his mouth. "The doctor did caution me that one day Chiharu-san's body could develop resistance to the medicine but there's no exact timeline. Oh kami-sama, why now out of all possible days?"

"Oka-san, don't leave us!" Akira sobbed as she hugged Chiharu's unconscious body. "It's my 15th birthday, we're supposed to celebrate together. Not like this, not like this! Oka-san, please!"

"I'm so sorry, Akira." Ezekiel put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "But the doctor's on the way, right? Your mother is gonna be alr—"

"No! You don't know that! Don't give me empty promises!" Akira ran out of the room. Kenta was ready to chase after her but Lee held him back, telling him to give his cousin some space.

"I don't think we should go back to watching movies." Johan said to Nardhia and Nardho, who was hanging onto the end of his shirt tightly. "Kenta, should my siblings and I go back to the hotel? I don't want to infringe upon your family's private affairs so perhaps---"

"No, please stay, Johan. You too, Ezekiel, stay." Lee said before his nephew could offer any respond. "I believe Kenta could use some friends while I'm taking care of his aunt. Okay?"

"If you insist, sir." Johan nodded. "So, are we going to your room, Kenta, or—"

"Y-Yeah," Kenta said while hiding his tear-streaked face in his hands. "Let me lead the way."