Happy Birthday!

Dinner began amidst a lively commotion.

Feiniao's mother brought the curry pot to the table, sat down next to Xiangzhen, and smiled as she watched Huahua be the first to reach for her chopsticks.

Hua Hua picked up a large chunk of curry and mixed it into her rice, stuffing her mouth full, and said in a muffled voice, "Feiniao-chan, your curry is so delicious!"

"Swallow it before you speak," Mother Bird said with a smile, gently patting Flower's head.

Shojin sat at one end of the table, silently scooping rice into his bowl. Nagi Shun sat next to him, quietly picking up a piece of fried chicken and putting it into Asuka's bowl.

Asuka glanced at the fried chicken nugget, then at Nagi Hayabusa.

"Second Brother," said Feibiao.

"Why are you suddenly putting fried chicken on my plate? Isn't fried chicken your favorite food?"

"Don't talk while eating," Nagi Hayato said.

Shojin chuckled beside him, only to be kicked under the table by Nagi Hayato.

Xia Mo sat opposite Fei Niao, quietly eating her meal.

His cello case leaned against the corner of the living room wall, like a silent guest.

The bird would steal glances at the violin case every now and then, then look away and pretend to be eating seriously.

Xiangzhen ate for a while, then put down his chopsticks and glanced at Xiamo.

"How long have you been learning the cello?" he asked.

Xia Mo put down her chopsticks and sat up a little straighter: "Three years."

"What about the piano? How long have you been learning the piano?" Xiangzhen asked again.

"I started learning piano when I was four years old," Xia Mo said.

Hua Hua, with curry still in her mouth, widened her eyes: "Four years old?! That means the same age as me?"

Xia Mo nodded:

"My mom said that when I was three years old, we passed by a music store in a shopping mall and I saw someone playing the piano. I stood at the door and refused to leave, listening for a long time. After that, I would tap my hands on the table every day and hum along."

"My mom felt something was off, so she took me to a piano teacher. The teacher let me touch the keys, listened to me play a few notes, and told my mom, 'This child has perfect pitch; it would be a waste not to teach him.' Then I started formal lessons at the age of four."

The living room fell silent for a moment.

Shojin paused for a moment while holding the bowl, looked up at Natsume, and Nagi Hayato, who was picking up food, stopped in mid-air with his chopsticks and continued to move them after two seconds.

The mother bird put down her chopsticks and said with a smile, "That's really amazing."

Hua Hua swallowed the curry in her mouth and nodded vigorously: "No wonder Xia Jun is so good at the piano! He really has talent."

Xia Mo felt a little embarrassed by the praise:

"It's not that amazing..."

"Don't be modest!" Hua Hua waved her chopsticks. "Even Mr. Sato says your touch has a singing quality! I've been practicing for two years, and he's never praised me!"

Shojin didn't ask any more questions and lowered his head to take a bite of rice. Nagi Hayato, however, spoke up, his voice not loud: "Perfect pitch, is that the kind of talent that allows you to hear all pitches?"

Xia Mo nodded.

"So, when you hear the sound of dishes clattering together, you can also tell what kind of sound it is?" Nagi Hayato asked.

Xia Mo paused for a moment, and before she could answer, Fei Biao interrupted, "Don't make things difficult for him! He's here to eat!"

Seeing his younger sister intervene, Nagi Hayato did not insist any further.

Feiniao sighed, lowered her head, and poked at the rice in her bowl with her chopsticks, thinking about what Xia Mo had just said—

At three years old, he could stand at the entrance of a shopping mall listening to the piano and couldn't move. He started learning the piano at four years old.

She first met him when she was in third grade.

He has been playing for five years.

No wonder he plays so well.

As the meal was drawing to a close, Xiangzhen pushed his bowl away and stood up, saying, "I'll go wash the dishes."

"I'll do it," Mother Bird said with a smile, standing up. "You all go sit in the living room, I'll clean up the kitchen."

Hua Hua jumped up, stacked the bowls and chopsticks together, and carried them into the kitchen:

"Auntie, let me take it over for you!"

Nagi Hayato silently stood up, collected the empty plates, and followed him into the kitchen.

Feiniao stood up from the dining table, walked to the sofa, sat down, and picked up the cushion to cover her chest.

Xia Mo also walked over and sat down on the single sofa on the side.

Hana ran out of the kitchen and pulled Shoma and Nagi Hayato into the living room. Shoma leaned against the door frame with his hands in his pockets, while Nagi Hayato sat on the armrest of the single sofa to the side.

Hua Hua sat cross-legged on the carpet, tilting her head back with bright, sparkling eyes.

The living room lights were a warm yellow, casting soft shadows on everyone.

It was completely dark outside the window, with only the occasional lazy chirping of cicadas, as if to say, "Summer is almost over."

Xia Mo stood up, walked to the corner, carefully picked up the cello case, and walked to the center of the living room.

He opened the cello case and took the cello out.

The dark brown body of the instrument gleamed with a warm luster under the light, and the delicate strings shimmered slightly in the air.

He took the bow out of the case, tightened the bow hair, and then sat down, placing the cello between his knees.

Asuka watched him do all this, her fingers pinching the cushion.

She suddenly felt a little nervous.

Xia Mo lowered her head, placed the bow on the strings, and paused for a moment.

Then he drew the bow.

A deep, slow sound flowed from the strings, like an invisible river slowly spreading across the living room floor.

It's not a bright, lively tone, but a thick, warm one, like the last glimmer of orange in the evening sky.

The bird understood.

It was that song. Before it had a name, she called it "that nice one." Later, Xia Mo told her its name—"Sunny Day."

He said it sounded like rain because it would eventually clear up.

Now, in late summer, I play it on the cello. It's not as crisp as a piano, but it has something gentler than a piano, like someone whispering in your ear.

The melody slowly rises from a low point, little by little, like a person walking in the rain with their head down, then raising their head and seeing a gap in the clouds through which sunlight leaks down.

Feiniao loosened her fingers from the cushion, placed them on her knees, and remained motionless.

Hua Hua sat cross-legged on the carpet, her chin resting on her knees, her eyes fixed on Xia Mo's fingers sliding across the strings.

The last note slowly faded from the strings, like a drop of water falling into a deep pool, ripples spreading outwards until complete silence.

There was a two-second silence in the living room.

Hua Hua was the first to clap, her hands turning red from clapping: "That was so good!!! Xia Jun, you're amazing!!!"

Xiangzhen's lips twitched slightly, and he nodded: "It's alright."

"What do you mean 'okay'? Have you even pooped yet?"

Nagi Hayato complained about his older brother.

The bird didn't clap. She simply hugged the cushion tighter, rested her chin on it, and stared at the cello strings without saying a word.

Xia Mo put down the bow and looked up at the birds.

"How is it?" he asked.

Asuka turned her face away, her voice muffled: "...It's alright."

She felt her heart start racing again.

Shojin straightened up from the door frame and patted Nagi Hayato on the shoulder: "Come on, help clear the table." The two walked into the restaurant one after the other, and Hana ran after them.

Only birds and the end of summer remained in the living room.

Asuka lifted her face from the cushion, glanced at Xia Mo, and then lowered her head again.

"What about your 'secret'?" she asked casually, as if asking something unimportant. "Didn't you say you were going to tell me? Are you done already?"

Xia Mo glanced at her, shook her head, put the cello back in its case, and then slowly, very slowly pulled a light pink envelope out of her bag.

He stood up, walked to the bird, and handed it the envelope.

"Happy birthday," he said.

The bird was stunned.

She looked at the light pink envelope, then at Xia Mo.

"You didn't... already use the cello..." Asuka's voice suddenly became softer, so soft that only she could hear it.

"Why are there still some?"

"The cello is part of the gift," Xia Mo said, without looking at her. "This is part of it too."

Asuka reached out and took the envelope. The envelope read "Happy Birthday to Asuka," written in small, careful strokes.

She squeezed the envelope; inside was a stiff card.

"Can I open it now?" she asked.

"Whatever," Xia Mo said, walking back to her sofa and sitting down.

Feiniao carefully tore open the seal and pulled out a light pink card. The front of the card featured a bear holding a guitar, with a small round button in the upper right corner.

She flipped it over and saw a small microphone hole and a small note.

The note was written in Xia Mo's handwriting, with four words: "Go back to your room and listen."

Fei Niao looked up at Xia Mo. Xia Mo's gaze remained fixed on the coffee table; she didn't look at Fei Niao.

"Why can't I listen here?"

"Because..." Xia Mo touched her ear, "there are too many people."

Asuka snorted, stuffed the card back into the envelope, and carefully placed the envelope into a compartment in her backpack.

"...Thank you," she said, her voice soft but earnest.

Xia Mo nodded and said nothing more.

Hua Hua peeked out from the dining room and saw two people, one sitting on the sofa and the other standing next to the coffee table, with a cello case between them, as quiet as a painting.

Hua Hua pouted, but didn't say anything, and shrank back to continue helping Mother Bird tidy up.

Feiniao zipped up her backpack, then sat back on the sofa and picked up the cushion again.

"Your 'secret' this morning actually had two parts," she said.

"Um."

Why didn't you tell me sooner?

Xia Mo thought for a moment and said:

"I felt that the 'I've seen right through you' look on your face this morning would make you lose face if I told you the truth."

Asuka's face flushed red, and she grabbed a cushion and threw it at him.

Xia Mo didn't dodge; the cushion hit him squarely in the face.

He caught the cushion and placed it aside.

"It doesn't hurt."

"You—!" Asuka glared at him, her lips pouting.

"Happy birthday," Xia Mo said again.

Asuka turned her face away, her voice muffled: "You've said it so many times already."

"I'll say it three times because it's important," Xia Mo said.

Hua Hua's laughter and Xiang Zhen's hushed "Keep your voice down" echoed from inside the restaurant. Fei Niao hugged the cushion back to her chest, rested her chin on it, and looked at the fruit plate on the coffee table.

"I'll listen to what's in that card tonight," she whispered.

"Um."

"You're not kidding me, are you?"

"Won't."

Feiniao didn't ask any more questions. She buried her face in the cushion, her voice muffled and soft, like the puree at the bottom of a strawberry milk drink.

"……Fool."

The night breeze outside the window blew gently, causing the curtains to billow and then fall back down. The warm light in the living room cast two shadows on the wall, crooked and close together.

Mother Bird came out of the restaurant, wiped her hands, and said with a smile, "The cake is here! Who's going to turn off the lights?"

Hua Hua rushed out of the restaurant: "I'll do it! I'll do it! I'll do it!"

The lights were off. The candle flame flickered in the darkness, small and warm.

As the bird stood in front of the cake, looking at the few small candles, it suddenly felt its eyes welling up with tears.

"Make a wish! Make a wish!" Hua Hua urged from the side.

The bird closed its eyes and clasped its hands together.

"I hope I can be in the same class as Xia Mo next year."

She silently made a wish in her heart, then opened her eyes and blew out the candle.

Applause and the chant of "Happy Birthday" filled the living room.

Hua Hua's voice was the loudest, Xiang Zhen's voice was the lowest, Nagi Jun's was hard to hear, and Xia Mo's—Asuka didn't hear him singing, but she saw his mouth moving.

The cake was cut. Hua Hua grabbed the biggest piece first, but Fei Niao's mother laughed and said, "Slow down."

Shoma and Nagi each took a piece and ate it standing at the restaurant entrance. Asuka held a small piece of cake, sat on the sofa, and ate it slowly.

Xia Mo sat next to her, also holding a piece of cake in her hands.

"That card of yours," Asuka suddenly said, "did you record the music yourself?"

"Um."

"What was used to record it?"

"Cello."

Feiniao lowered her head and poked at the strawberries on the cake with her fork.

"Then why did you perform it again on the spot today?"

Xia Mo thought for a moment: "The scene is the scene, and the card is the card. They are not the same."

"What's different?"

"Everyone listened together at the event," Xia Mo said.

"Only you can hear the card."

Feiniao stuffed the strawberry into her mouth, chewed for a long time, and didn't say anything.

In the living room, Hana and Asuka's mother were talking about how to make curry for dinner, while Shojin and Nagi Hayato were discussing when to take out the trash.

The TV was turned on at some point, the volume was turned down very low, and a variety show was playing.

The cicadas outside the window have stopped chirping, and the night breeze blows in, gently rustling the curtains.

Feiniao placed the cake plate on the coffee table, took out the light pink envelope from her schoolbag, and squeezed it.

"I'm going back to my room for a bit." She stood up, clutching the envelope, and quickly walked into her room, closing the door behind her.

Xia Mo sat on the sofa, watching her disappear at the end of the corridor, then lowered her head and continued eating the cake in her hand.

Hua Hua's loud voice echoed in the living room:

"Xia-kun! Have you finished your cake? Have another slice!"

"No."

"One more piece! I want another one!"

"……good."

In Asuka's room, she sat on the edge of the bed, placed the envelope on her lap, and pressed the small round button.

A hiss—a very faint background noise.

Then the sound of a cello came from the card.

It's thin and rustling, like looking through a layer of gauze. But every note is clear, and the sense of breath between the notes is also very clear.

It's that song, "Sunny Day".

It was recorded on a cello at the end of summer.

It was different from what I heard in the living room—the one in the living room was complete, loud, and audible to everyone.

The version on the card has a much softer, thinner sound, as if it were carefully wrapped in a layer of paper, and can only be heard clearly when you get close.

But precisely because of this, it sounds more like it's meant for her alone.

The bird stuck the card to its ear and closed its eyes.

The sound of the cello rang softly in her ears, like someone whispering secrets to her in the night.

The melody slowly rises from a low pitch, little by little, just like her mood throughout the day—

I feel excited when I wake up in the morning, happy when I receive a flower gift, and moved when I hear a live performance.

Now, she felt as if she were standing above the clouds, with the warm sunlight shining on her.

The melody has ended.

Feiniao took the card off her ear and looked at it over and over again.

The light pink card had a picture of a bear holding a guitar, looking silly and clumsy, like someone.

She carefully put the card back into the envelope and tucked the envelope under her pillow.

Then she lay on the bed, buried her face in the pillow, and her lips curved into a smile that she couldn't flatten.

"...Idiot." She said it again.

This time, the sound wasn't muffled by the cushions, but clearly rang out in the room, under the lamplight, and in the night breeze outside the window.

Outside the room, Hana and Shoma were having a contest to see who could eat faster, with Nagi Hayato acting as the referee in the middle, and Asuka's mother sitting on the sofa watching them play with a smile.

Xia Mo sat in the corner of the sofa, holding a second piece of cake in her hand. She didn't eat it, but just quietly looked in the direction of the corridor.

That direction leads to the room where the birds fly.

He knew she was listening to that card. He knew the expression on her face—though he couldn't see it, he could imagine it.

The corners of her mouth are curved, her eyes are bright, and her ears are probably red.

Xia Mo lowered her head, scooped a bite of cake with her fork, and put it in her mouth.

Sweet.