"Seriously, you really didn’t have to do this!" Iida’s voice is firm but carries a hint of exasperation as he stares at the neatly wrapped gift in his hands. His eyes widen slightly, the usual sternness softened by a mix of surprise and concern. He looks back at you, his expression hovering somewhere between gratitude and mild panic.

You shrug, trying to play it off as no big deal, but the way he’s frowning at you makes it hard to keep a straight face.

Iida sets the gift down carefully on the table, as if it’s made of something impossibly fragile, before turning back to you. “That’s kind of you, but spending this much… It’s too much. You should be saving your money for things you need.” His brows knit together in that serious way of his, like he’s about to give a lecture in class.

Iida has always been practical, sometimes to a fault, but there’s a softness in his eyes now, a crack in the armor of responsibility he always wears.

“I appreciate the thought,” he says, his tone softer now. “But your generosity worries me. What if you needed that money for something important?”

Even as you reassure him, Iida isn't sure about this predicament. He thumbs the opening of the box, nervously looking up at you, then down at the gift again.