109 – A Special Birthday #5
Melinoë and Melinoi staring at each other like this. In my old worldview, this was absolutely impossible. Why? Because I thought they were the same person! But apparently not.
"Who the hell is this freakish nymph who looks like she'll make me burst out laughing just by existing?"
"For an utterly in.com.plete and immature goddess, you sure don't know when to shut up...!"
"Ha? Calling someone as perfect and beautiful as me incomplete and immature. Fitting for a short little nymph with her eyes at ground level—your gaze must be as low as your standards. But I'll forgive you. Because I'm a grown-up."
"This Melinoi wants to grow up fast and become a businesswoman...! But I don't wanna become an adult like you...!"
Melinoë and Melinoi glared at each other, growling low. Pure hostility. Then, with a loud hmph, they whipped their heads away in opposite directions at the same time.
And then Princess Melinoë grabbed my hand.
"Come on, Jo, everyone must be waiting. Let's head back to the party."
My mind, which had been floating off into space like some interstellar voyage, snapped back to reality. The problem? Melinoi had latched onto my other arm.
"Joinoi promised to celebrate this Melinoi's birthday...! You said you'd spend today with me...! So you have to stay with this Melinoi...!"
Riiiip—.
With both Melis yanking my arms from either side, I felt like a condemned prisoner being drawn and quartered. I was losing my mind.
If my life was someone else's entertainment, this is probably what the prompt would look like.
You stand at a crucial crossroads in life.
I've been through my share of ups and downs. I knew better than anyone that crises often turned into massive opportunities.
Let's think this through. If I go with Melinoë, what happens...?
I might get praised for pulling off the party so well, boost my reputation, and earn mad respect from the heavenly crew. Self-flattery aside, that's exactly how things had gone before, so it'd probably happen again.
On the flip side, if I go with Melinoi? Princess Melinoë would be pissed, no doubt. Might dock a few points with her.
That's exactly why it's worth the risk.
Decision made.
"Princess, sorry, but I promised Melinoi we'd spend today together earlier. She said she's never had anyone celebrate her birthday before."
"...Jo."
The light in Melinoë's eyes flickered calmly behind her mask. I couldn't read her expression, but the disappointment was obvious.
Melinoi, on the other hand, was over the moon.
"Really...? You'll stay with this Melinoi...? I've never been this happy before...! No other nymph could be happier than this Melinoi...!"
Bounce, bounce—.
Melinoi shook her shoulders, breaking into her joyful nymph dance. Melinoë snorted at the sight.
"Never celebrated a birthday? Poor, pitiful nymph. A perfect goddess like me never bothered with birthdays anyway. No choice, then. I'll step aside."
# # #
Hooo, hooo...!
Hoooo...!
I roamed Pandora Market with Melinoi. Ghosts partying everywhere you looked. But Melinoi was scared of them.
"Eek...! So many ghosts...! I can't tell what they're thinking at all—it's scary...! This Melinoi hates ghosts...! Shoo, get lost...!"
Hooo, hooo...!?
Hooo...!
Hates ghosts? That was weird. Melinoë loved them. They loved her back. So Melinoi should too, right?
Hooo, hooo...!
"Eek...! What did that one just say...!? It totally declared it'd grab this Melinoi and scare me silly...!"
She couldn't even understand ghost language. At this point, I had to wonder if they were really the same person.
"Let's get outta this scary ghost-infested street quick...! Just a bit farther, and we'll reach this Melinoi's most treasured spot...! Joinoi will love it too...!"
Melinoi led me to a hill rising beyond Pandora Market's north gate. The moment we crested it—pop pop bang!—fireworks exploded.
"Such pretty fireworks...! This spot's the absolute best for watching them...!"
It was prime fireworks-viewing real estate, alright.
"This Melinoi always comes here on my birthday to watch... I know those fireworks and cheers aren't for me, but..."
But behind her mask, Melinoi's eyes weren't on the fireworks—they were on the laughing, chattering crowds below.
They probably didn't even remember her. Why was that? Even Melinoë didn't like Melinoi. Rejected by everyone. Even herself.
Thinking about it made the little nymph in front of me seem so heartbreakingly pathetic.
"This was meant for someone else originally."
Whoosh—.
To cheer her up, I pulled a coin pouch from my pocket. It looked pathetically shabby for a trophy from battling the Demon King's eye, but Melinoi lit up.
"Ahh—! Isn't this the wallet this Melinoi lost ages ago...!? I searched everywhere and couldn't find it...! I'm so happy...!"
Drip, drip—.
Tears started welling up in Melinoi's eyes.
"This Melinoi thought being born was a mistake 'cause no one ever celebrated my birthday... That I was a weirdo nymph... But getting a gift makes me feel berry good...!"
"Melinoi, no one's a mistake for being born."
"Really...?"
"Everyone does their best with the life they've got. Like those folks down there enjoying today to the max, even though it's not their birthday."
Whoosh—.
I reached out and ruffled her hair wildly. I'd hate it on a weirdo nymph, but everyone deserved a birthday celebration.
"This Melinoi has decided...! Someday, I'll become CEO and change the company rules so everyone in Soul Society gets delicious cake on their birthday...!"
"Cake?"
"Everyone's birthday deserves celebrating...! This Melinoi wants to be a grown-up CEO who can celebrate even the outcasts...!"
If everyone got free cake on their birthday, it'd be a small thing, but probably pretty damn nice.
"Good idea... Huh?"
Then something weird happened. I blinked, and Melinoi was gone. Like I'd been alone here from the start.
And that wasn't all. Morning sun was blazing down on me now, blindingly bright. I squinted against it.
"Jo, you're awake."
Someone was looking down at me. That's when I realized my head was pillowed on Melinoë's lap—and I jolted upright.
"Gah... Melinoë!"
What the hell? Last night felt like a half-remembered dream. I remembered giving Melinoi the coin pouch and chatting, but why was goddess Melinoë here?
Melinoë spoke.
"Falling asleep in a place like this. You must've been exhausted prepping my birthday party. It was such a grand, spectacular event, after all. No wonder your stamina tanked."
"Did the party go well?"
"Thanks to you."
Damn it!
"More than that, I didn't expect to find you here. This hill's my favorite spot. Instead of partying on my birthday, I come here to watch the people."
"Really?"
"Best view of the fireworks. And seeing folks maxing out a day that's not even theirs... it makes me wanna give my all too."
Déjà vu city. As I racked my brain trying to pin it down, Melinoë brushed her hair back against the whoosh of the breeze.
"Standing here reminds me of one reason I wanna be CEO. Cake."
"Cake?"
"Soul Society's full of people who can't fully enjoy their own birthdays. When I become CEO, I'll hand out delicious cake to everyone on theirs. That's my dream."
That was the exact convo I'd had with Melinoi. So they were the same person after all. No idea how they'd split last night, but picking either path led to the same future.
Un-fucking-believable.
I was about to tear my hair out in frustration when—
"And I never dreamed you'd prepare such an amazing gift for me. This coin pouch. It was my long-lost treasure."
Whoosh—.
Melinoë showed me the beat-up pouch I'd given Melinoi.
"I'd stashed about 20% shares inside. Losing it broke my heart. If I'd found it sooner, Zagreus wouldn't have gained on me."
20%? With her current ~25%, pulling that out would give her 45%. Neck-and-neck with Prince Zagreus's ~50%.
Was that 'miracle item' the pouch?
A random pickup turning out to be the one-in-millions jackpot? My head spun.
What the Happy World!
"Once the party's over and the share absorption settles, I'll call an executive meeting and clash head-on with Zagreus. All thanks to you. So this is... my thanks."
Melinoë spread her arms toward me. Curiosity mixed with sudden dread—what was she—
Squish!
She pulled me into a net-like embrace. First time in a woman's arms besides Mom—my brain short-circuited—
"What the—! You two! I came 'cause there was post-party business, and—get apart! Get apart!"
A woman with a crescent moon headband appeared outta nowhere, wedged between us, yanked Melinoë's arms, and shoved her behind her back.
"Melinoë! Rumors you were dating had me worried sick, and look what I find! Mel, you're being tricked! By that wicked man!"
It was the virgin goddess Artemis. Of all people, caught secret-dating by Olympus's most notorious man-hater?
...Actually, this could be a golden opportunity!
"Lady Artemis, how about I prove I'm worthy of Melinoë? Test me. If I fail, I'll take responsibility and back off."