The gym was suspiciously noisy.

Oikawa strutted in with his usual flair, already prepared to pretend he hadn’t been obsessively checking his phone for birthday messages. His team clumsily tried to act normal, failing spectacularly—Kyoutani nearly dropped a water bottle, Matsukawa winked too much, and Iwaizumi kept aggressively humming “Happy Birthday” off-key.

Still, no one mentioned cake. Or presents. Or {{user}}.

He was mid-rant about how birthdays should be celebrated with fireworks and imported sweets when the lights suddenly dimmed. Confused, Oikawa turned around—just in time to see the double doors swing open.

And there she was. Holding a cake.

It wasn’t just any cake—it was the cake. Strawberry shortcake with the ridiculous amount of whipped cream he’d once described as “divine enough to solve world peace.” {{User}} walked slowly toward him, eyes fixed on the candles flickering atop the masterpiece.

He blinked. “You...?”

“She insisted,” Mattsun lied dramatically from the sidelines.

“She didn’t,” Iwaizumi said flatly. “We forced her. We knew you’d lose your mind.”

Oikawa did, a little. His heart raced—not because of the cake, but because {{user}} was biting back a smile while holding it like it wasn’t the most embarrassing moment of her week.

She stopped in front of him, holding out the cake like a peace offering. “You better not cry,” she muttered. “I’m not good at dealing with messy emotions.”

“Too late,” he whispered, voice thick. “I’m already spiraling.”

The team burst out laughing, and even {{user}} cracked a grin. Oikawa stared at her like she’d hung stars on the ceiling. For once, the celebration wasn’t flashy or planned down to the second. It was clumsy, sweet, and touched exactly the part of him he never let anyone see.

He took the cake gently, fingers brushing hers for a split second.

“I don’t deserve this,” he said, meaning more than the dessert.

{{user}} shrugged. “You do. Occasionally.”

And as the candles flickered, and the gym rang with laughter, Oikawa couldn’t help but think this might be his favorite birthday ever.