KagiHira and Thoughtful Gift-giving (Kagiura's Birthday Chapter Analysis)

Belated, but please enjoy a KagiHira holiday-themed post!

In Hirano and Kagiura's serialization, their birthdays are relevant to the narrative and the development of their relationship.

First, Hirano's seventeenth birthday is found in the first KagiHira novel. Days before August 1st, Hirano had lost his earrings. Kagiura learned about this and decided to give his roommate a new pair. At this point, Kagiura's gift wasn't embedded with romantic feelings. I believe he may have wanted to show his appreciation to the roommate that had done so much for him. The chapter hasn't been translated to English, so I don't know the specifics. However, I want to emphasize the usefulness of Kagi's gift: Hirano wears earrings every day, and losing them was troublesome. After receiving Kagi's pair, even after finding the missing ones, Hirano keeps wearing them. Whether or not Kagi was aware, his gift of choice was practical.

In contrast, chapter 4 of the manga focuses on Kagiura's birthday. It begins with Hirano analyzing the earrings he received, thinking it was a unique and personal choice from Kagiura because Hirano wears jewelry while his roommate doesn't. The day they go out together, Hirano gifts Kagiura an alarm clock and tickets to a basketball match. These two presents are specific to Kagiura, who has a penchant for sleeping in and loves basketball. These presents show how much Hirano knows his roommate: Kagi can use the clock instead of his phone to check the time, and he enjoys being involved with basketball.

On the other hand, these gifts are also practical. In the following chapters, Hirano uses the alarm clock to time their study sessions, whereas Kagiura for when he needs to leave to practice. In addition, the tickets were an immaterial present, an experience. Watching a basketball game with Hirano meant so much to Kagiura he bought a crepe to express his thanks. Kagiura's adage for gift-giving is "You should give people gifts when you're grateful" which supports his motivation behind Hirano's birthday gift. Similarly, Hirano's reason to gift something to Kagiura is to make him happy and give back for receiving the earrings.

In conclusion, Hirano and Kagiura show that gifts can be a way to express feelings of appreciation and love instead of being a replacement for them. Gift-giving is a form of nonverbal communication where intangible emotions can be expressed through thoughtful choices. Practical objects or experiences can impact the person who receives them more than big or expensive presents.