Chapter 14: My Ei
Eirin blinked her amber eyes three more times before realizing something. ’Birthday! That’s right. It is my birthday today,’ she thought as she gulped and stared at her best friend.
"Don’t tell me you forgot your birthday?"
Eirin tried to deny it, but the answer was evident due to her facial expression, making Ava laugh out loud. "I can’t believe you," Ava said while holding onto her stomach, and almost dropped herself to the floor. "Who forgets their birthday?" she said while snorting.
’Must be because I escaped death three times. It feels like every day’s my birthday,’ Eirin thought while laughing awkwardly. Her eyes soon widened upon realization. ’Was that also the reason why grandma prepared too much food this morning?’ she thought as guilt swallowed her after not even eating much as she was distracted by her thoughts earlier.
Instead of feeling happy, Eirin’s chest tightened as she stared at her best friend. "Did you go to school today just because you wanted to greet me?" she asked. It was not impossible for Ava to feel weak but still go out of her way to make Eirin happy.
’This is the reason why I can’t stop worrying about her.’ Eirin sighed.
"I’m not lying when I said I’m feeling fine. I really do," Ava said after standing up and even spun around. "See? Completely healthy."
’If that is true, how come the more I look at her, the paler she becomes?’ Eirin thought. "Why don’t we go to the infirmary just to make sure?"
Ava pouted and tucked her silky, short hair behind her ears. "If we go and the nurse says nothing’s wrong, will you enjoy your birthday?" She leaned to Eirin with her round black eyes twinkling like a puppy’s, making Eirin unable to retort.
After eating lunch, the two went to the infirmary and the school nurse greeted Ava. They have become closer due to Ava’s medical needs, making her a regular in the infirmary.
"I don’t see anything wrong with your vitals today. You’ve eaten already, right?" Ava nodded. "You shouldn’t forget to take your vitamins after eating." The nurse added before the two left.