Luke All Year Round Event/Sweet Cake
Overview
- Stage Cost: None
- First Clear Rewards: None
Guide
- Hover to view spoiler content.
Script
Bakery
You decide to make a mango tiramisu for Luke's birthday.
However, the bakery's crash course in baking is already coming to an end, but you...
Baking Teacher: [Player], you've made progress on the cake you made last time. Just need to add some more decorations.
You: Well, my hands start shaking whenever it comes to the decoration part...
Baking Teacher: It's okay. One step at a time. You still have plenty of time. Oh yes, do you want to take a peek at your custom topper?
You: That was fast! Let me see!
The baking instructor nods and takes out the box that contains the topper for Luke's cake.
Looking at the lively figure of Luke that you designed, you feel very satisfied with it.
Suddenly, you feel that all your recent hard work has paid off.
You: It's so cute. I love it!
Baking Teacher: Do you want to see how it looks like on the cake?
You: Yes, please.
The baking instructor places the topper on the center of the cake.
Baking Teacher: I think this topper fits the cake very well.
You: Yeah, but my cake... It isn't perfect yet.
Baking Teacher: Keep trying! Aim to do an even better job with the decorations next time.
You nod and continue practicing cake decoration.
You haven't been in contact with Luke this entire time because you don't want him to catch on to anything...
You: (I don't know how he's doing, if he's busy or not, or if he's taking good care of himself...)
You: (It's not like I want to keep avoiding him, but he's too perceptive in person...)
You: (I hung up on him last time without saying much. I'd better call him tonight, or else he'll get worried...)
Antique Shop
At night, the weary voices of two men can be heard from a closed antique shop.
Aaron Yishmir: For crying out loud, can you let up on the doom and gloom? Maybe Miss [Player] is just busy.
Luke: No. She's been intentionally avoiding me ever since we knitted gloves together.
Luke: I've been thinking about whether I made her angry, but I don't know what went wrong.
Luke: Aaron, help me figure this out...
Aaron Yishmir: Luke, we've been through this eight times! I have to go home and spend time with my wife. How about you call it a day?
Luke: But Aaron, you're the only one among us who isn't single, so you're the only one I can ask for help.
Aaron Yishmir: Okay, okay, okay, we'll go through things one last time!
Aaron Yishmir: First, you saw Miss [Player] knitting gloves. You thought they were a birthday present for you.
Aaron Yishmir: But then she used all kinds of excuses to avoid you... as if she had no intention of spending your birthday with you?
Luke: That's why I think that I'm overthinking things. She might not even remember when my birthday is. After all, I've been gone for eight years...
Aaron Yishmir: That doesn't sound unreasonable.
Luke: She still resents me for "disappearing" eight years ago! I had promised to celebrate my birthday with her...
Luke: But in the end, I didn't even give her a call...
Luke: Knowing her, she stayed up and waited for me. She must've been so angry and disappointed...
Aaron Yishmir: Luke, she knows what you'd been doing for those eight years.
Aaron Yishmir: She's a nice and understanding girl. If anything, she probably feels bad that you didn't make it. She wouldn't hold it against you.
Aaron Yishmir: Can't you be a little more positive? Maybe she's preparing a surprise for your birthday?
Luke: Surprise? Those gloves weren't the surprise?
Aaron Yishmir: Luke, why are you circling back again? Maybe there are other surprises besides the gloves?
Luke: Other surprises?
Luke: But she's so busy that she barely has time off. It'd be too tiring to prepare a birthday surprise for me. I...
Luke's smile freezes, and in the next moment, he's back to worrying. Aaron looks at him and shakes his head.
Aaron Yishmir: Luke, even if I'm not single, you can't torture me like this. Can I go now?
Luke: Thanks a lot, Aaron. I'll see—
Before Luke can finish, his phone rings.
Your Residence
When you return home from the bakery, you're so tired that you collapse on the couch...
You want to call Luke, but your hands are so sore from squeezing cream that you can't lift them.
But thinking of Luke's worried expression, you force yourself to fish out your phone and call him.
You: Luke, been busy lately?
Luke: I'm fine. Mostly been managing the antique shop.
Luke: How about you? Have you closed that case yet? Still super busy? Wearing enough layers? Don't catch a cold.
You: I'm doing fine. The case is... almost wrapped up...
You've thoroughly worn out this "imaginary case" — it's the same case you used as an excuse the last time you called Luke.
Luke: You sound tired. Did you just come home from work? It's already this late...
You: No, no, I've been back for a while. I was just cleaning my room...
Lies sure do snowball...
Luke: Well... The new year's just around the corner. Let me know if you need help with a big clean.
Luke: Don't do things alone if you need to climb up or move heavy stuff.
You: I know. You too. I should come over and organize all the odds and ends you have lying around.
You: Otherwise, you'll leave them around all willy-nilly and lose them.
Luke: Okay, I'll wait for your help.
You: It's getting late, so I'll be going to bed. You should sleep early, too.
Luke: Um... Is... there anything else you want to talk about?
You: W—What else?
You panic and try to assume an air of nonchalance.
Luke: Just that there's a day coming up...
You: What is it?
Luke: N—Nothing.
You: I'll talk to you later, then. Good night.
Luke: ...Good night.
You nearly want to tell him everything after hearing how pained he sounds.
But you can't waste all the effort you put into keeping things a secret this whole time...
Sorry, Luke. Treat this as your "punishment" for disappearing on your birthday eight years ago.
Luke: Aaron, I think she really forgot.
Aaron Yishmir: Luke...
Luke: It's fine. I was the one who didn't keep our promise eight years ago. I can't blame her for forgetting my birthday.
Luke: Guess I'll keep waiting and give her time until she accepts me again...
