A few days had passed since we’d returned from our summer vacation.

Like most people who had returned from holidays, Althea and I became rather sluggish and unmotivated to continue our daily activities. Unfortunately, one couldn’t make money by being lazy. Gritting my teeth, I returned to the tedious grind of coding while Althea started revising for her mid-term examinations.

There were whispers about a new wave of the virus and that partial lockdowns might ensue. It seems like the summer wave of people flocking to beaches didn’t help curb the spread of the virus.

But honestly, that didn’t affect us one bit.

Over the past few months, Althea and I had grown so accustomed to living together that we were practically a married couple already. To add fuel to the fire, after our relationship had taken a giant leap forward this summer, our stances towards each other had become far more mature.

We didn’t need to go on any extravagant dates. Neither did we need to speak words of affection every single minute. Just by sitting a metre apart while we did our own things… That was enough to warm our lonely hearts.

Going to the movies has been replaced with watching dramas on streaming websites. Going to the arcade had been replaced with console games. Taking a walk in the park had been replaced with simple cuddling on my bed.

It was bliss…

But soon, there was an event that would be a turning point for our relationship…

“Althea, your birthday is coming up soon!”

As the second week of July came about, I suddenly remembered that Althea’s birthday was fast approaching. I had been so busy planning the summer vacation and returning to work immediately afterwards that it had completely slipped my mind.

Regarding this blunder, I could only blame my inexperience in relationships. If it was Len, he would have started preparing for Sienna’s birthday at least three months in advance.

Seriously, what a bad boyfriend…

“Do you have anything in mind for your special day of the year?”

Confused, the girl shot me a perplexed gaze: “Special? What do you mean? We’re stuck indoors anyway.”

“Now, don’t be like that.” I smiled and brought over a notepad and pen. “It’s your twenty-second birthday! Even if we can’t go out, we should make it fun! Tell me, is there anything that you want?”

“Haha, there’s no need to be so serious about it!” Althea waved off my queries like it didn’t matter to her. “I’m fine with anything that you give me!”

“... Okay.”

Why did I even bother asking Althea? If someone asked me what to get for my birthday, I would likely answer in the same manner. As much as I liked Althea’s easy-going nature, it became a headache when I needed to plan a birthday bash for her.

Urgh, looks like I have to bring in the big guns.

A few minutes later…

“... And that’s what she said.”

With Althea being uncooperative, I called the only person I knew who could assist me in girl troubles. On the other end of the line, Len listened attentively to my woes. Bit by bit, he unravelled my current predicament and came to a conclusion.

“Sorry, bud, I can’t help you there.”

“Oh, don’t be like that!” If Len wasn’t able to help me, who else could? “Just tell me, what would you do for Sienna’s birthday?”

“Normally, I would plan an all-day date. We would go to high-class restaurants or breathtaking places just to enjoy the scenery. Maybe we would even go overseas for her birthday. At the end of the date, we would stay in a five-star hotel or a luxury inn.”

“... That’s excessive, isn’t it?”

“If you’re going to date a high-class woman like Sienna, that’s the least you should do.” Len sighed as he reflected on the money he’d spent to make his girlfriend happy.

“That’s also the reason why I can’t help you. Each woman is unique in their wants and likes. I don’t know Althea well, so planning a birthday for her would just be counterproductive. Furthermore, it seems like Althea is totally different from Sienna. For example, Sienna would tell me clearly what she wants, and I just have to plan accordingly.”

Now that’s the major difference between those two girls. Althea was more reserved and forgiving, while Sienna never had an issue voicing out what she wanted.

“That’s why my former date plans might not please Althea as much.”

“Urgh, then what should I do?”

This is frustrating…

Althea’s birthday would likely be a significant milestone in our relationship. It would be one of our major ‘firsts’ after all. The first time we’d met. Our first confession. The first kiss… They were all precious memories that would last for our lifetimes. If I didn’t make it memorable… I might regret it for the rest of my life.

“Wow, you really are crazy for this girl.”

“...”

If it were two months ago, I would have gnarled at Len for teasing me so blatantly. But now, I couldn’t bring up the words to deny his statement.

“Well, if you feel that strongly, maybe you should plan according to Althea’s tastes! Since the number of cases is rising, I don’t think that you should plan for an outdoor date. If Althea is okay with it, why not plan an indoor celebration?”

“Indoor celebration?” I repeated quizzically.

“Yeah,” Len replied brightly. “From what I understand about Althea, she doesn’t like going to crowded places. She likes more intimate places, am I right?”

“Sounds about right.”

Althea didn’t like spectacles. It may have been a consequence of the incident with Paul, but the girl didn’t like being in crowded spaces. Most of the time, she would prefer a personal space where we could just talk and cuddle, which was why we’d spent most of our time in my apartment.

“If that’s the case, why don’t you bake a cake for her?”

“Bake a cake?”

“Yeah, her favourite cake or something. Also, cook all of her favourite meals for that one special day.”

Now that Len had mentioned it, I did promise to make Althea a chocolate mousse cake many months back. When we were shopping for clothes, Althea brought me to one of her favourite cafes, and we had a taste of their famous chocolate cake. Maybe I could use that as a starting point?

“As for the rest of the day, I don’t think that I can help you. As a boyfriend, it’s up to you to decide what to give to make her happy.”

Len was right.

As Althea’s boyfriend, I shouldn’t be relying on external help to make her happy. If I was truly her boyfriend, I should be the one who knew her the most.

If that’s the case…

“Thanks, Len. I know what to do now.”

“Hehe, I look forward to what you’ll be doing.”

With that, our short conversation came to a close. I returned from the toilet, acting like nothing had happened, only to see my tired girlfriend slugging away on the couch. She was scrolling through a summer catalogue, likely one from Sienna’s company.

Fortunately, Althea was too engrossed on her phone that she didn’t realise I was gone for a few long minutes.

Plan based on Althea’s likes, huh?

If that’s the case, her one true love should be shopping for clothes. Now that I think about it, there was this product that my company released two years back… Maybe I could get that for her? With a few coding arrangements, I could change it to Althea’s needs.

No, just that gift wasn’t enough.

Given everything that Althea has done for me, just that one gift would be hardly enough. If I was going to do it, I better do it right.

I must make this birthday the best one she’d ever had.