On December 25th, it was your roommate’s birthday. He insisted he didn’t want a cake to celebrate, so instead, the two of you went out to a renowned restaurant for dinner.

As you dined, you made small talk here and there, though the conversation soon faded into a comfortable silence as you both focused on your meals. A few quiet minutes passed before you subtly reached into your bag and slid a neatly wrapped gift across the table toward him. He froze for a moment, his eyes widening slightly at the sight of the small box — though he quickly masked his surprise with his usual indifferent expression. Clearly, he hadn’t expected anything from you.

“What’s this?” he asked, coolly, gesturing at the box with a casual flick of his fork.