Volume 1 Chapter 13 If The Reason You Hesitate Is The Price, Then Buy It. If The Reason You Buy It Is The Price, Then Don't. A Gift Of Gratitude Should Be Of Appropriate Value
Summary of the previous chapter: TDL is fun if you plan properly.
Now, we have enjoyed our desired attractions and finished taking commemorative photos and getting greetings from characters in the fantasy zone, which was the purpose of the orientation. We only need to go back now, but we still have some time left.
So, I took out my schedule book and decided to ask everyone about their birthdays.
"We still have some time before the meeting, so if it's okay, could you tell me your birthdays now?"
When I said that, Hirose-kun tilted his head and asked me again.
"Birthday?"
"Yeah, I think we'll spend the three years of high school together as this group. After all, if I forget to ask about your birthday and can't celebrate it this year, I thought it would be a bit of a shame. If I know, we can have a simple party and I won't forget to prepare a birthday gift or a birthday card."
"Oh, I see. Hata-kun, you've really thought about it."
In the past, when I used to work in the adult entertainment industry, I learned that it's important for maintaining relationships to properly celebrate a girl's birthday and to remember who gave what on Valentine's Day and give an appropriate return gift.
A girl would be happy to receive some kind of celebration on her birthday, unless she really dislikes the person.
And the one who first told me their birthday was Shinonome-san.
"As expected... Hata-pippi, you're so attentive. By the way, my birthday is on July 10th."
"I see, maybe that's around the time when the end of term is near."
I make a note in my schedule book for Shinonome's birthday on July 10th.
"Don't say anything to bring me down, okay?"
"Yeah, yeah."
Next, Saikachi-san also told me about her birthday.
"I was born on November 13th."
"I see, Saikachi-san, November 13th."
I wrote down Saikachi-san's birthday on November 13th in my schedule book.
"And Hirose-kun?"
"I was born on June 25th."
"Got it."
I also wrote down Hirose's birthday on June 25th.
"So, Hirose-kun goes first then. Oh, by the way, mine is on October 10th. Well, my birthday party was just with my family at home, so I thought it would be nice to celebrate my friends' birthdays. And I've only ever received chocolate from my mom on Valentine's Day."
"Valentine's Day, huh... It's hard to believe, even when I see you now, Hata-kun."
"No, I made up my mind to change from my middle school self when I entered high school, so I've been trying different things, you know."
When I said that, Saikachi-san looked surprised and said,
"Is that so? Hata-kun, were you really plain-looking in junior high?"
"Yeah, luckily in high school, I didn't know anyone, so I decided to completely change my image. It was like a high school debut, you know."
With a relieved expression, Saikachi-san continued,
"Hata-kun, you were the same, huh? Actually, I was too. In junior high, I was plain and serious, and that seemed to be my only charm. I didn't like being that way, so in high school, I'm trying my best to act cheerful."
"Oh, Saikachi-san, you were like that too."
"Hehehe, actually, me too."
Surprisingly, Shinonome-san too. But, I can relate to that.
"Oh, but I do have a feeling that it took Shinonome-san a little longer to approach us."
"Well, actually, that's true. Beside, isn't it pretty difficult to interrupt when two people are talking alone?"
"Well, that's certainly true."
"So, I thought it was a chance to join the conversation when Hiro-pon is also involved. But, even though Hata-pippi can do this, it's hard to believe that Hata-pippi was called a quiet loner in middle school, right?"
"It's the same as if I look at Shinonome-san now. When you ask someone if I was a plain dark guy in middle school, they wouldn't believe it."
"But, you know, I was originally seen as a gal-like. Even though I didn't intend to be like that."
"It's a fact that people tend to judge personalities based on appearances."
Well, with this, I've got everyone's birthdays covered, so I won't forget to celebrate or give presents on their birthdays.
I try to follow the principle of "if the reason for hesitation is the price, then buy it; if the reason for buying is the price, then don't; If you want to maintain relationships, send appropriately expensive birthday and thank-you gifts" as much as possible.
If something is sufficient, I try to buy it from a 100-yen shop, but for ballpoint pens and detergent, which have quality issues, I buy proper ones even if they are a bit more expensive from stationery stores or drugstores.
After all, I once had a bad experience with a ballpoint pen where the ink suddenly spilled out, and with 100-yen detergent, the stains didn't come off at all, so I had to redo the laundry.
I think the saying "you get what you pay for" is true.
The clothes my mother and Yayoi-chan bought for me, including outerwear, tops, and bottoms, cost 20,000 yen in total. This is not a very high price for men's clothing, but it's definitely not cheap either.
I could have spent around 13,000 yen if I had cut corners, but both of them wanted to dress me in decent clothes because they understood my desire to be fashionable.
When it comes to casual wear for social occasions, I think it's still better to buy something decent.
But it's understandable if someone doesn't feel a strong sense of importance when meeting others in cheap attire.
I mean, those who criticize politicians and others for dining in expensive places lack understanding.
And it is important not to be stingy when expressing appreciation and not to hesitate in returning the favor as a gesture of gratitude.
Money is just a tool for exchanging value, but it helps to gauge the meaning and sentiment behind a gift by considering how much money was spent on it.
Of course, the price of a gift does not determine its value, and it is also important to consider the needs and preferences of the recipient.
Some people may think that not returning a Valentine's Day gift or simply saying "thank you" is not enough, which can lead to negative perceptions.
While the thought and sentiment behind a gift are important, the effort and cost invested in the gift also hold significance.
If there's something I really want, I'll go to great lengths to buy it, even if it means pushing myself beyond my limits. But if I think something is too expensive, I won't buy it.
The same goes for relationships.
In the end, if you don't waste money on cheap unnecessary things, you'll save up to buy the expensive things you truly want. And if you skimp on the minimum amount of money needed for socializing, people will gradually drift away.
However, it's foolish to try to keep people connected to you by throwing money at them unnecessarily. I believe that if there's someone you really don't want to be separated from, you should spend money and time on them without hesitation, but there's no need to spend money on someone who isn't like that.
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