Unlasting World

How… Did I get here?

This position… this scene.

… How did it become this horrible…?

I never… asked for any of this…

Why did it turn out like this?

…

My finger reached for the light switch, and flicked it upwards. The lighting in my dorm room was turned on, and everything inside was shown to me.

Everything, and everyone.

"""Happy Birthday, Rize!!!"""

Every single face in the room, I recognized them all.

Manda, Jericho, Maneil, and two new classmates that I just met in the second semester, Verida and Leony. Every one of them is wearing a cheering expression as they pop the dozens of confetti in their hands as I turn the lights on. Not just that, behind them are the decorations they had placed while I was gone, including a large sign saying 'Happy Birthday Rize'.

How… touching.

They looked happy, but the look on my face doesn't look quite happy. They became confused when they saw my annoyed expression.

"W-Was it not your birthday?"

Manda asked carefully, and I let out a sigh.

What day is it… 10th of Manussi?

I don't even remember my own birthday. If I'm not wrong, that is indeed my birth date in this world's calendar.

But… seriously…

I turned my gaze back to them and grinned madly. Seeing the wide grin, everyone looked scared instead of happy.

"You guys are cleaning this up, right?"

I asked… Very… calmly. 

They all nodded immediately, and I quickly clapped my hand.

"Then let's party!"

They all stared at one another awkwardly, and laughed.

Everything slowly became tidier as they cleaned up the confetti from the floor, as well as the wall decorations. I simply watched them do it as I made myself a coffee using the hot water I brew.

After they finished cleaning up, I stared at them while folding my arms as they sat on the floor, looking downwards.

"I know you guys mean well, but my room is off limits... Understand~?"

"""Y-Yes…"""

"... Come on."

I let out a sigh, and tilted my head to the door. Everyone followed me outside, and we headed to the park instead.

"Rize, do you even celebrate your birthdays?"

Jericho asked me when we arrived on the alley between the classes building and the middle building, and I pondered for a while.

Everyone else was still quite apologetic for messing up my room, but Jericho didn't care. She was always the most barbaric out of everyone, at least after me.

"Not really. I never bothered. What's the point, anyway?"

Hearing my answer, Jericho looked quite surprised. She turned to Manda for help, and Manda quickly pitched in.

"W-Well, you can make it into a special day! You know, like the day to spend a lot of money, just to make yourself proud."

"Not sure… I spent tons of money everyday… I am quite proud of doing it though, so what makes it any different?"

Manda was shocked by that answer. Seeing the frozen Manda, Verida helped in.

"What about eating out with your family or something? Celebrating with your family like a norm on birthdays, you know?"

Manda and Jericho, who knows the truth, immediately stared at Verida with shock and worry. Seeing the two suddenly turn to her, Verida became confused.

"W-What…?"

"You see, Verida…"

Verida turned to me, and realized the smiling expression I am wearing.

"That is just not an option."

"O-Oh…"

Looks like she knows what's up. She immediately found another idea, and voiced them out.

"I-It doesn't have to be close family members! It can be your uncle, or your grandfather, cousin-"

"Yep. Still not possible."

"… Are you born in an orphanage or something…?"

Listening to her giving up like that made me laugh loudly, but everyone else gave her the sharp glare for the grim joke.

Well, that was indeed quite funny.

Noticing that everyone is 'very' caring for me, I stopped my walk and turned to face them.

"Okay, okay, I get it. You all pity me for never celebrating my birthdays."

"It's not like that! We just wanted you to be happy…"

"But I am happy. I have everything I need right here!"

I lifted both of my hands and waved them to the sides, as if presenting everything around me. They all knew what I meant, and nodded.

Except… for Jericho.

"We could just go to a famous restaurant."

Everyone turned awkwardly to Jericho. Nobody is disagreeing, and nobody is saying anything. I ended up breaking the silence by telling what I felt.

"I like that. Let's do that."

We ended up sneaking out of the academy with Jericho's flight ability and went to a super expensive restaurant on Xyphon. The most expensive one, where even the plate and tools are made out of gold.

The place was very empty in the middle of the day. It's probably because all the rich people only eat here during dinners, and I can understand that.

Seeing the price written on the menu, I became quite shocked. But then the others who came with me said that they would be treating me, which actually made me quite happy.

Everyone relied on me to pick a fancy dessert, and I ended up picking a super fancy dessert that was made out of fruit slices. I had no idea what it was, because there were no pictures. All I know is that I ordered a super expensive one that costs around seven hundred Jules.

Seven hundred Jules worth of fruit slices. A single Jule is a gold coin. And there's Seven Fucking Hundred of them. For a whole portion of fruit slices.

It's the payment for a Yellow ranked mission in Mazino, and that's only if you go Solo because everyone has to complete a high ranking mission with a team and split the prize afterwards.

That's how balding (is that a word?) this menu is.

When it came, everyone placed their bright eyes on it.

I recognize some of the fruits that were used to make the dessert. Mangoes, apples, strawberries…

Wait, are those fucking tomatoes?

The glass that was holding the fruit slices intact was made out of gold, and the spoons to eat it were also made from gold. Not enough, the waitress arrived with a large tea pot filled with some liquid inside. When she poured them on top of the fruit slices, we could see the golden milk slowly fall down from the pot.

But in the end, it's just fruit slices. 

Everyone picked up a golden fork, and we all grabbed one slice each. I picked up the apple slice, and I stared at it for a long while before eating.

"We'll eat them at the same time. Ready?"

Manda counted down, and we all placed them inside our mouths. I hesitated for a while before finally eating it.

How tasty can it be? Especially not with the tomatoes on them-

My eyes became watery.

Everyone covered their mouths, trying really hard not to gag. Even with watery eyes, I can see Jericho grabbing a lot of tissue and spewing the slice out of her mouth. Leony forced herself to gulp it down, but she failed and ended up puking them into a stack of tissue.

Manda and Verida succeeded in gulping them down, and they tried to breathe. Everyone shook their heads at one another, and they noticed me still being silent.

"Rize?"

I was closing my eyes, because I don't want them to see the horrified expression I'm wearing. I stood up from my position, and a blue fireball was lit on my hand.

"I'm burning this place down."

"""Wait!! WAIT!!!"""