#collar x malice aesthetic

[bunnillas]

[ur-mousey]

Rant Masterlist ~

Other pieces of media will be added in time. All future rants will be on movies, games, and anime. You can request topics!! Request rules and other masterlists are here.

Ghibli Movies + Other Films

..............................

My Neighborhood Totoro

Fuck my Life

Four year old Mei and her ten year old sister, Satsuki, moves to a small town with their dad. They discover the wonders of the home and the land around, meeting Totoro and friends. Throughout the movie, the sisters struggle to be close through their fears of losing their mother who is ill in the hospital.

Howl's Moving Castle

Made me a Simp

Sophie is an eighteen year old orphan who owns a hat shop passed down by her father. One day, Sophie runs into Howl and a new world is opened to them when a jaded witch curses her to be a ninety year old woman. To reverse the curse, Sophie embarks on a journey upon Howl's Moving Castle.

Princess Mononoke

I Found my Ideal Man and Dream Milf

A feral demon boar attacks the village of Ashitaka, the young warrior prince. With his own strengths, Ashitaka single-handedly killed the boar. However, in the process he gets cursed to die via a fatal wound on his arm. Ashitaka must travel west to learn more of the demon and this curse.

Through his journey, he meets San, the princess of the wolves, and her battles against Iron Town.

KIKI'S DELIEVERY SERVICE, PONYO, CASTLE IN THE SKY + SUZUME *IN PROGRESS*

Collar x Malice

..............................

General Summary:

This Otome game features a dystopian Shinjuku, Tokyo where under threat of a terrorist organization, citizens are forced under lockdown and given easy access to firearms. No more can normal civilians tell friend from foe. Crime runs rampant and distrust of the police grows. Especially as there are no conclusions to the 'X-Day' incidents.

Adonis has started a countdown to the rebirth of Japan. It began in May when four officers were kidnapped and murdered the following month on livestream (IX). Now, approaching 0 in December, you get to venture into this twisted world as rookie cop, Ichika Hoshino. Who is kidnapped on her way home, and forcibly collared.

Can you navigate the cases?

~ links ~

Y'all Don't Understand (I'm obsessed)

Thoughts on Ichika Hoshino and Kazuki

Ponytail and Stalkers

Thoughts on Okazaki Kei and Shiraishi Kageyuki

The Coffin of Andy and Leyley

..............................

COMING SOON

[vampfucker666]

trying out collar x malice. remembering why i don't tend to go for otomes.

[rainbowdonkee]

These are all the otome games I have for the Nintendo Switch!

Below you can read my hopefully brief rant about each game ☺️

I bought my first otome game (Collar x Malice) in 2020 during the pandemic. It’s interesting but I really struggled with it and I just don’t know why. Sasazuka and Kei are my favs <3 but sadly I’ve never done more than those 2 routes 😅

I bought Olympia Soirée on December 2022 and absolutely loved it! The concept was interested although a little silly at times and ironically enough it made me deep dive into Japanese mythology due to the story heavily mentioned Japanese deities. And I’ve never recovered from seeing Tokisada’s bad endings like I 😧

Jack Jeanne is THE BEST otome game (Sui Ishida my GOAT!!!) and I’m so happy I trusted my gut and bought the collectors edition - it made my Summer ‘23! I had the most fun playing the game and loved the rhythm game aspect plus the characters were just so amazingly written! Fumi and Sou-chan are my everything!

I bought Winter Wish on October 2023 and honestly don’t know when I’ll play it bc I impulsed bought it after I lost one of my pets (had to somehow get serotonin…) 😕 it’s a historical fiction amd that’s all I know about it so I’m most likely going to like it since I was OBSESSED with Hakuoki.

Bought Virche Evermore 3 days before released and I currently have 2 routes finished (Matthis and Lucas get behind me bby bois) - this game has me screaming and crying 😭 I heard so many otome fans say this was THE dark otome game to get into and saw so much hype when it was revealed for localization. I’m so glad I bought it last minute and now I’ll be searching for any merch online.

Black Friday crazed got me and I saw a physical copy of Radiant Tale in GameStop and although there was no sale - this game is litera sold out on AKSYS official shop soooooo had to get it 😩 I LOVE CIRCUS AESTHETIC AND I BLAME THE SHOW FREAKSHOW FROM AMC. Once I can start playing this game I’m immediately going for that clown boy and nothing will stop me😤

[otomedetective]

Aromanticism and Otome Games

I am an aromantic who loves otome games. It may seem incredibly contradictory, especially since the common perception of otomes is that they are wish-fulfillment games for people to insert themselves into a story where they date attractive men. There's definitely nothing wrong with playing them in that way, and many people get a lot of enjoyment out of them, but that isn't the only way to play an otome game. In fact, many otome game players prefer not to self-insert at all and I’m one of them!

My personal experience being aromantic means I do not feel romantic attraction to anyone, and I do not desire or need a romantic relationship to feel fulfilled in life. I’m perfectly happy with my platonic bonds and my perpetual singleness! That’s how I experience it, but there are many different ways to be aromantic, and there’s no one universal experience that defines how all aromantic people live their lives. Some are repulsed by romance and its overbearing presence in nearly all forms of media, and others are comfortable seeing other people experience romance despite not experiencing it themselves (though these, of course, are not the only two groups). I personally lean more towards the latter category. I love romance stories! 

For me, playing an otome game is like watching a romance movie where I get to decide who the heroine ends up with. It's like a shipper's dream! I don’t self-insert because I am not comfortable putting myself in romantic situations, but by observing a fictional couple, I can safely explore the romantic plots and experiences that interest me. And let me tell you, I love a good romance plot. Especially one with drama.

A comparison I like to make when people don’t seem to get it is that I also really, really love murder mysteries and tragedies, but I do NOT want to actually experience them myself. What I want for a character and what I want for myself are two completely separate things, so there’s really no contradiction! 

In fact, playing otome games was a big part of my aromantic journey in the first place. I never had crushes as a kid that weren’t forced or peer pressured. When people talk about the characters in their childhood shows that they had crushes on, I can never relate. To me, there were only interesting characters and stories. I’ve never really wanted anything more than that. 

So when my second-ever relationship ended and I was wondering whether I really felt romantic attraction at all, I decided to try otome games. 

I chose Collar x Malice as my first game because, as I mentioned earlier, I am a huge fan of mysteries and tragedies, and the premise intrigued me. Then, throughout my exploration of various otome games (and as I quickly became hooked on them) I tried some games with less developed heroines, specifically made for self-inserting, and found that I couldn’t handle them. Separating myself from the heroine helped me enjoy the games more as I realized that I didn’t actually want to be in these romantic situations myself, but only wanted to enjoy the story.

So what was the point of this whole post? I guess just to share my own personal experiences as an aromantic otome-lover and address the contradiction. Otome games aren’t necessarily mainstream-popular, but they certainly have their dedicated fans, and I’ve really enjoyed the interactions I’ve had so far with these fandom spaces. 

Sure, the primary focus of the games may be pretty boys who you can date, but otome games can also be so much more than that! It’s a genre I’m glad I decided to try. 

I’m happy to be an aro along for the ride to read some good stories, puzzle out the right route choices, and look at some aesthetically pleasing character designs along the way! :)

[theinternetdemon]

— hey hey !!! i'm monika but u can call me moni, this is my blog dedicated to my interests which you can check in the tag section under the cut ! no DNI except for the basics ( though you should avoid me if youre mean, especially over fandom discourse ) check pronouns page btw

shane from sdv is my f/o btw not sharing my blorbo /srs

— TAG DIRECTORY !

#rentry graphics : main graphics for rentry, not favicons and stuff

#fanart : self explanatory ! will often be paired with a fandom and / or character tag

#layouts : cute layouts for any social media profile

#moni.txt : posts my brain produced

#random : stuff i cant rlly tag (?)

#resources : web graphics ! often paired with the type of graphic they are, blinkies, stamps, gifs, whateva

#art : art i find cool that don't necessarily belong to any fandom i'm in

#media ✿ archive : def not spoiler free, there i'll talk ab media i watched recently and give my thoughts on it / make notes

#fashion : anything fashion related (mainly coords), may also be related to the #menhera #yumekawaii #yamikawaii #mori kei or #lolita tags

#stickers : transparent stickers

#yume ✿ shane : stuff related to self-shipping overall and my f/o (shane)

#silly : funny haha

#💐 flower : anything related to disability/mental health positivity, resources and info

#🎀 bow : aesthetic purposes (?)

#manga : manga in general / to read

— FANDOM / INTERESTS !

#mp100

#genshin

#NSO / #needy streamer overload

#HSR / #honkai star rail

#okegom

#r1999

#cats / #dogs / #raccoons

#collar x malice (watchlist)

#cardcaptor sakura

#vocaloid

#pjsk

#utauloid

#wrist cut warriors / #menhera-chan

#menhera-chan 2 (the other menhera chan)

#dead plate

#yakuza

#sanrio

#muse dash

#ddlc

#corpse party

#tuyu

#stardew valley

[strawberrywreckme]

[suntzunotapun86]

[labyrinthofleah]

Started Collar x Malice!

Yanagi: hey r u ok *at MC-chan, half-dead on the ground* don't go towards the light

Me: oh I know who I want to play firs--

Walkthrough: guess who you have to unlock and therefore can't play first

Me: yeppp figures

[kikichuuu]

♥ takeru is a donut eating cutie~ I wasn't sure how I felt about a guy calling me 'idiot cat' all the time but I really love his voice especially when he argues with mineo and says 'baka.' his blighted love ending made me so sad but the short story made up for it ♥

[otometrash]

♥ Episode #5 is up! So many cool things to talk about! Watch it and comment what you’re most excited about this month! Also, thank you for the support! We really appreciate it! Keep the otoge love coming! ♥

[bunnillas]

yanagi icons w/ gif backgrounds !?

[sweethurtss]

I think I’m going to start with Piofiore - I think I like the aesthetics of their LIs the best so far tbh, and I  hear the angst is quite good. Then Collar x Malice because the plot and MC seem pretty cool. And then I’ll do Cupid Parasite, I think this one has the most fun MC designs and the plot premise sounds super fun; it just feels like one of those games where I end up loving the MC the most based on the little I know so far.

[intomybubble]

im excessively tempted to get collar x malice unlimited bc i watched takeru’s route and i loved it but im also thinking about hashihime bc the story seems really interesting (bl groundhog day murder mystery in the taisho) and several cgs have a really nice aesthetic going on

too bad the switch version cuts out the spice but someone posted the full pc ver of the game to youtube so i dont really mind. the main dude is a bit annoying but quite frankly, seeing how he interprets the events seem like it’ll be really interesting

[midithi]

🍄

midi / mori 

♡ they/she (femme-presenting enby) ♡ twenty-one  ♡ audhd w/ anxiety ♡ bi/acespec  ♡ engaged (april 4, 2020)

aesthetics: hermitcore/gremlincore, babacore, grandmacore, etc.

i also have an elderly crested gecko named sir kennedy and his favorite food is the “fig and insects” food supplement by pangea :} i also recently adopted a rescue pup, a four/five-year old chiweenie whom i named acorn!

♡ tv/media ancient magus bride, my hero academia, higurashi, star wars: the clone wars, star wars: the bad batch, buffy the vampire slayer, berserk, marvel cinematic universe, a lot of k-dramas (esp. all of us are dead, girl from nowhere, business proposal ...) critical role, etc. ♡ video games resident evil, red dead redemption, fire emblem, the elder scrolls, rpg horror, animal crossing, stardew valley, story of seasons/harvest moon (esp. trio of towns, a new beginning, and friends of mineral town), cattails, devil may cry, dragon age, baldur’s gate 3, undertale, grim dawn, otomes (esp. collar x malice, sweetcore brews, etc.) ♡ etc/misc click sites (flight rising, pokefarm, dragcave, neopets), calico critters/sylvanian families, fiber arts, littlest pet shop, monster high, webkinz, geology, botany, reading, plushies (mostly jellycat, build a bear, and others), thrifting, etc. i tag most things, but i won’t cw/tw food - its simply tagged as “food”.

[muwi-translates]

Collar x Malice予約特典ドラマCD「HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR……」

Collar x Malice Yoyaku Tokuten Drama CD - HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR...

Word count of 4712, approximately 35 minute long track. Spoiler free. Just a note that I used a Chinese translation as my main source, and did some light cross-referencing from the original audio. I guarantee there will be some inaccuracies.

**Please don’t move this translation or claim it as your own.**

---

Shiraishi: This is Yanagi Detective Agency. 

From cat hunting to investigating extramarital affairs, all kinds of complicated cases aren’t refused. This is an agency where detectives specialising in different fields live together. 

Eh? Shinjuku quarantine? Nonsense, nothing that shocking has happened here. That must have happened in another world’s Shinjuku. 

In short, the members of the Yanagi Detective Agency are Aiji Yanagi, the director, and the investigators; Mineo Enomoto, Takeru Sasazuka, Kageyuki Shiraishi, and… 

[Knock knock]

Okazaki: Good morning, detectives of Yanagi Detective Agency, here’s today’s request~! 

Enomoto: You again, Okazaki?

Okazaki: Yup, me again. I’ve already become a regular here. I’m coming in~

Enomoto: But we just finished your request not that long ago.

Okazaki: And thanks for always helping.

Enomoto: You probably don’t even need detectives for your request. It’s always something that you can do yourself.

Enomoto: You even asked Yanagi-senpai to make you food a while ago.

Okazaki: It’s because I’m disastrous with housework. Plus, Yanagi-san’s homemade food is so delicious~ 

Shiraishi: It’s because Yanagi-kun is particular about the details.

Sasazuka: That said, Yanagi-san, even though that guy said it was because he made a request, don’t you think he comes in and out of here too often? 

Yanagi: Ah, it’s because he pays generously. Maybe he’s scam-- no, he’s definitely a regular customer. 

Sasazuka: Maybe he’s planning something? It wouldn’t end up being something like “he’s actually from the police force” right?

Yanagi: Enomoto and I can’t do anything, if you and Shiraishi just look into him then we’ll be able to see his true colors. 

Sasazuka: Don’t act like it’s none of your business, aren’t you the director? This should be a joint responsibility. 

Enomoto: Well? What’s it going to be today? Cleaning your house? Repair the roof? Walking the dog? 

Okazaki: All of those are attractive, but it isn’t about me today. Actually, I wanted you guys to help plan Ichika Hoshino’s birthday party!

Everyone: Hah?!

Okazaki: Eh? Why’s everyone so surprised?

Yanagi: Let me just confirm first… Hoshino is a member of our agency, you do know that… right? 

Okazaki: Mhm, of course I know. You’ve been looking after me the whole year, after all.

Yanagi: So why exactly are you asking us to help you plan her birthday party?

Okazaki: Eh? Isn’t it obvious? I want to get along with her more.

Enomoto: Hey, you dumb gourd. Don’t tell me the reason why you keep coming up with requests-- was ‘cus of her?! 

Okazaki: …Of course not~ ⭐

Sasazuka: What’s with that unnatural reply?

Shiraishi: I see, I suppose ‘a moving effort’ is a nice way to put it. 

Enomoto: No matter how you look at it he’s one step away from being a stalker. 

Yanagi: Okazaki, if you’re going to do this to our staff--

Okazaki: Ah, if it’s about the payment, I already prepared it.

Yanagi: …!

Okazaki: I’ll pay for the full cost of the birthday party. I think… this should be enough? 

Yanagi: W-With this amount, this month’s rent…

Enomoto: W-Wait, Yanagi-senpai! I can see dollar signs in your eyes! 

Yanagi: Food expenses have gone up recently too...

Enomoto: Nonono, you can’t sell your conscience like this! If we don’t have enough money, you can just borrow some from Takeru!

Sasazuka: Don’t joke around, you won’t get even a cent from me.

Enomoto: HEY! You’re the one who’s upping our food expenses!

Sasazuka: I’ll only pay for my portion. 

Shiraishi: Now, now, it’s not a difficult request, let’s just accept it. It’s just her birthday party, nothing bad.

Yanagi: But…!

Shiraishi: As long as we keep watch, even if Okazaki plans to do something weird, we can stop him before that happens. 

Okazaki: So mean, I already said I won’t do anything weird. I’m not Shiraishi-san.

Shiraishi: Ahaha, I hope that you’ll acknowledge that everyone thinks you’re more dangerous than me, hm?

Yanagi: Well, fine. We’l...l accept your request. 

Okazaki: Really? You’re a great help~ I already promised Ichika-chan that I’d throw her a birthday party.

Enomoto: Hah?!

Sasazuka: Oi, when the hell did you-- 

Okzaki: It’s a birthday party, right? If you don’t tell her about it and she doesn’t come then there would be no meaning, right? You should schedule these things ahead of time! 

Shiraishi: As expected of Okazaki, you move quickly.

Okazaki: Hehe, compared to Shiraishi-san I’m still a long way off.

Sasazuka: You two, you’re making it feel colder here with those smiles. 

Yanagi: As long as we’re able to keep Okazaki and Hoshino from being alone together we can avoid any issues. 

Enomoto: That’s true… as long as we can protect her from Okazaki’s claws then--

Okazaki: It feels like you guys have some sort of misunderstanding about me? I’ve been officially introduced as a pure-hearted airheaded man who’s completely harmless, you know.

Sasazuka: You’re just saying that yourself.

Enomoto: A guy who pretends to be an airhead is the most dangerous of ‘em all!

Okazaki: So mean… well, fine. Then, let me explain my request again from the top.

Okazaki: I want you guys to investigate to see what will make Ichika-chan happy, and help throw a wonderful birthday party~ 

Okazaki: After all, her birthday is only 5 days away. 

Yanagi: I got it. It’ll be faster if we split the responsibilities. We need someone for the gift, the food, and the cake, and… let me think, if we’re going to have a surprise party, we need someone to be in charge of that too. Since it’s a surprise party, we should also take into account how to make Hoshino happy.

Sasazuka: I’ll take the cake. 

Enomoto: You’re deciding yourself?! 

Sasazuka: Because I’m not going to eat a cake that tastes bad.

Enomoto: So you just care about eating it yourself…

Yanagi: If Sasazuka chose it himself then there probably won’t be any problems. Next, the cooking--... I guess it’s me. 

Okazaki: Yanagi-san makes the best food, after all! I’m looking forward to it! 

Enomoto: Okayokayokay! Me! I’ll do the presents! 

Sasazuka: Hah? You?

Enomoto: That’s right, I’ll use my high aesthetic sense to make her happy! 

Shiraishi: Haha, indeed, Enomoto-kun does have “good” sense in a way. But if you’re going to go while wearing those clothes, then I don’t think you have the right aesthetic sense that will please girls. 

Enomoto: Heh, Shiraishi-san. I don’t want to hear that from a guy who’s almost thirty years old who wears cat ears. 

Okazaki: Hehe, that’s true. 

Shiraishi: Hm…? Enomoto-kun, you see, I don’t often get angry, but just then, I felt just a little mad. 

Enomoto: Guh…! I-I didn’t say anything wrong, I-I’m not scared of you! 

Sasazuka: You’re shaking though, and your voice is getting smaller.

Okazaki: Hey, hey, should I be in charge of the present too? I want to give her some sleeping goods, so my gift to her will be the gift of the most comfortable sleep! What do you think? 

Enomoto: Aren’t you the client? Why are you taking part?

Yanagi: A present, huh… well, at Hoshino’s age, wouldn’t accessories be more appropriate? When it comes to women, they’d be happy to receive those. 

Okazaki: Accessories? I’ve already decided to give those to her when the opportunity is right. 

Enomoto: When the opportunity is right? 

Okazaki: It’s customary to give an engagement ring when you propose, right? Ah… a birthday proposal doesn’t sound like a bad idea. 

Enomoto: E-E-E-E-Engagement?! A birthday perpozal?!!?!

Shiraishi: Enomoto-kun, Enomoto-kun? You’ve gone from disbelief into speech impediment territory.

Enomoto: Shiraishi-sanwhatareyousayingIdon’tunderstand!!

Shiraishi: I meant you were saying words that sounded right but also mangled almost beyond recognition.

Enomoto: Oh, yeah, right!

Sasazuka: Hey, Okazaki, what you just said… are you being serious? 

Okazaki: Eh? Why wouldn’t I be? I wouldn’t joke about these things. 

Sasazuka: Hm...

Enomoto: Yanagi-senpai, is this okay? Our own staff member is gonna get taken by this guy--

Yanagi: [Sigh] ...Calm down. Okazaki just said he’d do that when given the opportunity. And he never said he was talking about Hoshino. 

Enomoto: Oh… I see… Yup! That’s true! I was overthinking too much! Ah, got all surprised for nothing.

Shiraishi: Well, I just think he wasn’t saying it clear enough. 

Okazaki: Haha, that’s true.

Enomoto: W-Wait, what’s with that secretive dark smile?! Don’t tell me this guy… is planning to do something!!? 

Okazaki: Hm? That’s why I said I wanted to give her a birthday present, it’s why I came to make my request today. 

Sasazuka: Tch, that stupid cat. Don’t just be all nice to people whenever you want, god dammit. 

Enomoto: Arghhh… alright, Okazaki! Come out! To the roof! 

Okazaki: Huh?

Enomoto: We’ll decide with a contest who will get the gift! It’s a duel! And it’ll definitely be me, the great Mineo Enomoto, who shall be victorious!! 

Yanagi: No, no, Enomoto, wait a second-- 

Enomoto: Don’t stop me, Yanagi-senpai. There are moments where a man has no choice! Yoooooooooooooooooo--!!

[Door slams]

Okazaki: ...He left...

Yanagi: Good grief, did he forget that this was Okazaki’s request? 

Shiraishi: Isn’t this a good thing? It’s all in good fun. If there wasn’t a contest, then Enomoto-kun wouldn’t have accepted it. 

Yanagi: You say it like that but...

Shiraishi: Then Okazaki-kun, Enomoto-kun, Yanagi-kun and I will be part of the contest. It looks like Sasazuka-kun doesn’t plan on doing anything else other than picking the cake, so could you be the referee? 

Sasazuka: So annoying, I want to hurry up and pick the cake. 

Okazaki: Hehe… a contest? I’m getting all excited. 

Yanagi: Huh? Me too?

---

Sasazuka: Let’s start, who’s going to buy the present? Fight for it. Tell me what gift you’re getting for that stupid cat. The most suitable gift for her will be in charge of the gift. That is all. Anybody going to raise any complaints? 

Enomoto: No problems here but… did we really have to take this to the roof? 

Enomoto: So cold… who was the one who wanted to do this up here? Ah. It was me. 

Yanagi: Enomoto…

Enomoto: Guh… I’m sorry...

Yanagi: You need to be more observant of things around you. 

Enomoto: I’ll keep that in mind…

Yanagi: Well, the roof isn’t bad. [Lights a cigarette] I can smoke here.

Enomoto: …! Yanagi-senpai! I’ll follow you for as long as I live!! 

Yanagi: Ugh-- don’t get so close, it’s disgusting… 

Shiraishi: You two get along so well, even though it’s a little suffocating.

Sasazuka: If I had to say, it’s a little cold. It’s not really a feast for the eyes if it’s Mineo and Yanagi-san. 

Enomoto:  Hey, don’t say stuff that people will misunderstand! In my heart, I’ve already decided on a partner--

Sasazuka: Whatever, talk about it later. Let’s hurry up and get this over and done with. 

Enomoto: Okay, okay. 

Yanagi: [Sigh]

Sasazuka: Then let’s start with Shiraishi.

Shiraishi: Can I? Let me think… I want to give her a pair of cat ears like mine. 

Okazaki: A pair like Shiraishi-san’s...

Sasazuka: …Cat ears. 

Shiraishi: Ah, hers won’t be the same as mine. I’ll make sure they’re high-tech. I want to install a security system that will protect her in any crisis. Ah, of course, I’ll manage the 24 hour surveillance, so there won’t be a problem at all.

Enomoto: What do you mean ‘no problem’?!!!!

Okazaki: It’s like putting a fawn in a lion’s cage. 

Yanagi: Shiraishi, no matter what you say you’re obviously out. 

Sasazuka: Don’t even need to think about it. Rejected. 

Shiraishi: Ehh…

Sasazuka: Isn’t that completely just restraining her? Next, Mineo. 

Enomoto: Okay, leave it to me! If it was me then I’d make her a homemade protection charm! 

Sasazuka: Next. 

Enomoto: HEY! Wasn’t that a quick rejection?! This is going to be my masterpiece so at least listen to ‘till the end! 

Shiraishi: Even if he does, it probably won’t change anything. 

Enomoto: In the protection charm, I plan to put my own original prayer for her happiness. And, I’ll pair it with a charm of my own in my own design-- 

Sasazuka: Rejected, next.

Enomoto: So tell me why?!! Give me a reason! A reason!!!

Shiraishi: That protection charm or whatever, isn’t it a bit too serious? I can already roughly imagine what you’ll write on the prayer. 

Okazaki: Ah, I know, he’ll curse her by writing “I hope Ichika-chan will fall in love with me”, right? 

Enomoto: N-N-N-NoOO!! And don’t call it a curse!

Yanagi: Calm down, Enomoto. All you’re doing is confirming their suspicion.

Enomoto: Yanagi-senpai, you can’t go talking about suspicion or whatever too! 

Sasazuka: Plus as soon as you said it was going to be a pair I’d heard enough. As long as I know that they’re a pair, I’m rejecting it.

Yanagi: Maa-- it’s best to try and avoid hiding personal feelings as much as possible. 

Sasazuka: Next, Okazaki.

Okazaki: Hm… it has to be those sleeping goods I talked about earlier. High quality sleep is good for health, right?

Yanagi: Well… that’s true.

Shiraishi: Coming from Okazaki, that’s a decent thing to say.

.Okazaki: If she uses the sleeping goods I choose, she’ll definitely be able to fall into a comfortable, deep sleep, regardless if there’s an explosion or fire, it’ll be a top quality item that you’ll be able to sleep in~ 

Enomoto: Nonono… isn’t that way too much? That’s like… coma-level sleep. 

Shiraishi: Aha, so it wasn’t decent after all.

Okazaki: Eh? Is it no good?

Yanagi: Okazaki, you know you’re supposed to be the client, right? Why are you even participating? 

Okazaki: Ahaha, that’s true. Ahaha… I got a little careless. 

Enomoto: You forgot…?

Sasazuka: Good grief, all these ideas are horrible. If you’re all going to be like this then don’t participate to begin with. You’re last, Yanagi-san.

Yanagi: Didn’t I say accessories were good before? They’re a bit too expensive to buy herself, and rings and necklaces are a bit too heavy, so I think a bracelet would be nice. 

Sasazuka: As expected of Yanagi-san, reliable as always. Let’s go with that. 

Okazaki: Wow! A decision’s been made? The title “When You Have Trouble Go Find Yanagi Aiji” wasn’t given for nothing, huh... 

Yanagi: Where did that come from? Never heard of it… 

Okazaki: It’s like saying it’s okay to rely on Yanagi-san even in the main story. They say you’re as reliable as a certain cat-shaped robot [1]. 

Yanagi: Don’t talk about the main story. And, don’t compare people to service tools. You lot are just too unorganized. 

Enomoto: Eh? Wait… if Yanagi-senpai’s handling the gift, then who’s in charge of the cooking?

Sasazuka: We can have Mineo or Shiraishi-san do it.

Enomoto: Eh….? But Yanagi-san’s full course spread… 

Shiraishi: I’ve never done anything like cooking before, I’d rather plan for the surprise. 

Yanagi: Shiraishi doing the surprise? …I’ve got a bad feeling about that… 

Sasazuka: The stupid cat might die if you screw up. 

Okazaki: It’s okay, I’ll eliminate any threats that come her way.

Shiraishi: Why don’t you guys trust me? I’ll scare her properly. 

Enomoto: That’ll be bad for her heart… I’m sure of it.

Yanagi: Shiraishi, we’re doing a normal surprise. 

Shiraishi: Okay, okay, I’ll keep that in mind. 

Sasazuka: The cooking duties will be on Mineo. 

Enomoto: Me…? Well, if it’s for her then fine… 

Yanagi: Then let’s start preparing. That’s all for today. Disperse. 

---

Sasazuka: Five more days until that stupid cat’s birthday.

Attendant: Welcome~ Please let me know when you’ve decided on something. 

Sasazuka: I’ll have your best looking, best tasting, if a person were to receive it they’d be the happiest ever cake. 

Attendant: E-Eh…? Um… uh, I-I’ll get a pamphlet for you… please wait a moment. 

Sasazuka: Mm. 

Sasazuka: (As always they have the good stuff, as expected, I’m not mistaken. There should be something that will satisfy me in this shop. It’s rare to be able to buy a cake with company allowance, should definitely buy one that’s good. Nothing will go wrong if I pick her cake out myself, plus it’s not bad to see that stupid cat’s happy expression.

Getting a cake that will make her happy is nothing, it’s easy. When she does her work well enough once in a while, she’ll wag her tail when I give her sweets as a reward-- is she a dog? Well, it’s not bad to see. And it’s entertaining. 

Besides, she’ll be happy then, because I gave her sweets— no, because I praised her. Even I know this much. Let’s not think about the outcome for now, even I know how hard that idiot works all the time. If I tell her “I don’t hate this idiotic side of you”, then she’ll definitely be happy. 

Heh, not bad. There’s a limit on how unlike me I can be though.)

---

Enomoto: Four more days until that one’s birthday. 

Hmhm, today’s special is… oh, bean sprouts are on sale. If I grab these then next month’s rent will be a little easier-- wait, no, no, no, no, how could I do something Yanagi-senpai would?! I don’t have to pay attention to what’s on sale if I’m cooking for a birthday! 

Hm… homemade… feels celebratory… is a bit luxurious… okay! Let’s go with the great Enomoto special chirashi sushi[2]! That’s that~ 

When it comes to chirashi sushi, there should be shrimp, and… I’ve read that girls like refreshing food more than greasy ones. Speaking of, does she like eel? … Grilled eel isn’t usually something she’d be able to eat, she’ll definitely be excited for that!

Dammit, if only I could ask her what she likes… 

Oh! What about cutting carrots into star shapes? Hoshino likes childish things, she should be happy with that.

Hehe, her smile’s gonna be taken by the great Enomoto! 

Hm, no, maybe heart shapes would be better.

Guh, no! It’s not like I’m showing her my feelings! I’m not planning to say something like “please accept my feelings” or anything!! 

Uh… what am I saying to myself, I should confirm the menu first. 

If the most important flavours aren’t good then there’s no point making it. I’ll definitely make her say it’s delicious!

---

Shiraishi: Three more days until her birthday. 

Now then, after some thinking… my head hurts. I’ve never been to a birthday party, nor have I seen one before.

[Clicking and typing]

What exactly is a birthday party?

Even though it’s work, a case that isn’t stimulating is just bothersome. 

Well, as long as I understand it well, it’ll be useful in future psychoanalysis, so I’ll deal with it. 

Hm~ I see… I mostly understand what a birthday party is, it wasn’t too far from what I expected, next is about the surprise…  [Clicking] He~eh? A classic surprise is a trap? And… putting a blackboard eraser in the crack of a door??

Heh, being able to see her surprised reaction wouldn’t be bad at all. She’s so open, seeing her expressions one by one will be amusing. Ah, but.. this is a birthday celebration so I shouldn’t... make her angry.

Even though it’ll be fun to see her angry, I’ll bear with it this time… this time I should try to make her smile?  

Hm… what can I do to make her smile? ...How strange, usually these things are easily known just by observing them, but when it comes to her, it becomes more and more difficult to find the correct answer… 

But, when I imagine how she’ll laugh… it’s nice, it’s not bad at all. 

It’ll be nice to see the real thing once in a while, the smile she always shows when she’s happy. 

---

Okazaki: Two more days until her birthday.

Mm! I got it, I’m glad the preparations are going along smoothly. Thank you. I’m counting on you to keep this up until the day! 

[Beep]

Everyone’s working so hard, it’ll definitely be a wonderful birthday party. But, I can’t just leave it to everyone else. I also have to think about what will make her happy. 

Yanagi-san was chosen to handle the gift we’re giving her… hm… if it was her, no matter what we give her, she’ll probably say that she’s happy. 

If that’s the case, I hope she can be happy from the bottom of her heart. 

When it comes to things that won’t be forgotten, memories are best. 

Ah, maybe I’ll take her out to see the wonderful night view after the birthday party. 

Hehe, a helicopter date sounds good too. 

Hu… I actually wanted just the two of us to celebrate together… I really wanted her birthday to be a special day. I think about it a lot. ...But, you told me you’d be happy to spend time with everyone… when you say it like that, you make people want to make your wish come true.

But, it’ll be a little frustrating for me to tell them that, so this will be a secret.

Next year, I want to celebrate with just the two of us. 

---

Yanagi: One more day left until her birthday.

How weird… how did it turn out like this? How did I end up being in charge of the present when I was obviously more suited for the food? 

Attendant: Welcome, please take your time looking.

Yanagi: It’s been years since I went into a jewelry store. No, wait, have I ever been in one? I’ve never chosen a gift for a woman before. Hm... 

Attendant: If you’re having a hard time, I can give you my recommendations. Is it a gift for your girlfriend? 

Yanagi: Ah- no- it’s for a coworker. [Small voice] A coworker, right? [Normal] A coworker… I… think. 

Attendant: In that case, how about something from this series? It’s not as bold as some of the other ones, but it has a cute design, and is popular among women. 

Yanagi: A-Ah...

Attendant: If you have any questions, please feel free to ask. 

Yanagi: It’s not too luxurious, but not too simple either. It’s not conspicuous but the design is quite good, it’s not bad. I feel like it’d suit her. This is already the tenth store, I should pick one out soon… if she knew I picked it out what would she think? 

“It doesn’t seem like something Yanagi-san would do”... or something like that. … Well, I’m thinking of the same thing about myself anyway.

(That one’s always doing her best. Our office is full of men, not to mention we all have unique personalities. It’s obviously difficult for her to be able to keep up with us. But she never gets discouraged and she thinks about clients more than anyone else. There’s not much I can do for her, but I want to make her happy as a woman just once…)

Attendant: [Laughs] You’ve been thinking about it for a while now, you must be giving it to someone very special. 

Yanagi: Uh… ah… yeah. 

Attendant: For you to be able to think of her that much, I feel jealous just watching. 

Yanagi: (I see… so being this hesitant means that I value her that much. Then let’s keep thinking about it until the last moment. 

In any case, I don’t want to choose carelessly.)

---

Enomoto: Is this enough? 

Sasazuka: It’s tilted, idiot. 

Enomoto: Seriously? Where? 

Sasazuka: Why do you have to make that much noise when you’re just putting up flowers?

Shiraishi: Mm~ it looks good.

Yanagi: Shiraishi, why have you been walking around for a while now? 

Shiraishi: I’m checking on the surprise. 

Okazaki: Are spears going to fall from the sky? Or an explosion? If the office explodes I won’t be able to protect you.

Shiraishi: So annoying, how could you think of me like that? Today’s a birthday celebration, right? A frightening surprise like that would have a negative effect on her heart. I’ve avoided those properly, okay?

Shiraishi: I safely recreated a trick, don’t worry. Hehe, when I see what kind of expression she’ll make… 

Yanagi: You? A trick?

Shiraishi: I properly researched it, read all the information, and practiced it several times. I worked so hard, I hoped you guys would praise me. 

Enomoto: Ehh, Shiraisai-san? Kinda surprising.

Sasazuka: Speaking of surprising, it’s the same for Mineo. 

Enomoto: I-I worked hard, you know! 

Sasazuka: It’s the opposite, I didn’t expect you to be able to make a decent dish. 

Enomoto: …!  Y-You praised someone? Is it going to snow today?! 

Okazaki: The chiraishi sushi is made well! The colors are beautiful, the carrots cut into stars are also really cute. I just stole a small bite earlier and it was delicious! The rice was cooked well too~

Enomoto: That’s because I practiced at home so many-- ha?! Y-You ate some?!!! 

Okazaki: Eh? Yup! A heart-shaped carrot, it was delicious!

Enomoto: HEEEEY!! That was the ONLY special carrot that I put there!! Besides, why are you eating before the birthday girl?! 

Sasazuka: Shut up, what a bunch of idiots.

Shiraishi: Haha, speaking of, as expected of Sasauka. The cake looks both high-quality and delicious. 

Sasazuka: I looked a few highly reviewed cake shop, narrowed it down to a small range and decided to eat all the candidates before I decided. It’s impossible for it to taste bad. Should also suit the stupid cat’s tastebuds. 

Enomoto: You ate them all… how many did you eat? 

Okazaki: And the present Yanagi-san chose fits her image perfectly. Hehe, I’ll be glad to make her happy.

Shiraishi: It looks like you struggled a lot too?

Yanagi: Something like that.

Okazaki: I remember you said you were hesitant about which one to buy for a really long time? I heard you went into every single jewelry shop in Shinjuku. 

Yanagi: First of all, just entering one takes a lot of effort. 

Shiraishi: No matter how you look at it, you don’t suit jewelry stores at all. It would have been amusing if I was there to see you in person.

Enomoto: Maa, it’s great we managed to finish preperations safely. The interior decoration and the dining table setting are also done. Now all we have to do is wait for today's protagonist to come! 

Yanagi: We’re finally here, fortunately nothing bad happened… 

Shiraishi: It’s because everyone was doing things their own way~ 

Enomoto: I don’t want to be told that by Shiraishi-san… 

Okazaki: Hmhm! I agree with Mineo-kun.

Shiraishi: How surprising, I care less about the atmosphere more than I do things my way. 

Yanagi: The only reason why we’re all willing to assist is because it was “for Hoshino”, huh? No wonder everyone’s been so united... 

Sasazuka: I want to hurry up and eat the cake. Is she coming or not?

Okazaki: I think she’s almost here...

Enomoto: Oh! She’s coming!

Shiraishi: Hu… then shall we start the birthday party?

Okazaki: Everyone, are your poppers ready? 

Yanagi: Yeah.

Sasazuka: We were ready ages ago, just hurry up and let her in. 

Enomoto: Then I’m gonna open the door!

Everyone: ⭐Happy birthday!⭐

---------------------------

Yanagi: So you’re a year older now. The age difference between us is smaller by a year for now. You’re happy? Haha, I guess I am as well. I really appreciate the day that you were born, from the bottom of my heart. 

---------------------------

Okazaki: I’ve always wanted to celebrate your birthday. I wanted to have you all to myself on your special day. Hehe, it feels like I’m happier about this than you, huh? Next time, can I celebrate my birthday with you? 

---------------------------

Enomoto: Um… you know, I thought about it a lot. About how to make you happy. This might sound stupid but-- when it comes to how I feel about celebrating your birthday, I won’t lose to anyone!

---------------------------

Sasazuka: Ah? You’re surprised to see me celebrate your birthday? You’re my plaything, so it’ll be weird if people other than me celebrated your birthday. Alright, don’t be so loud, let me talk. You just need to wag your tail and be happy. 

---------------------------

Shiraishi: I don’t really understand it but, today is a really important day for you, isn’t it? Then, that means it’s an important day for me too. Haha, yes. Because you’re special to me, in every sense of the word. If this kind of thing can make you smile that brightly, then birthdays aren’t so bad. 

--------------------------- Translator’s notes: [1] ‘certain cat-shaped robot’ - Doraemon. [2] Chiraishi sushi - Called ‘scattered sushi’ in English, think of a rice bowl but with sushi rice and sushi toppings.