One week after the school music festival.
Today was February 14th, the acclaimed day known as Valentine’s Day. I feel like the boys have been antsy since the break of dawn. I mean, there are several guys here who’d make you go, “Huh? He doesn’t normally get to school at this time.” Don’t mysteriously loiter around in the classroom! Me? Oh, uh, well, I just happened to wake up early...
“Goood morning everyone!” Uta cheerfully greeted us as she strolled into the room after morning practice.
Okajima-kun nonchalantly whistled as he walked in front of her. You’re being too obvious, dude.
She shot him a strange look, a question mark practically floating over head, and then placed her bag on her desk.
“Guess what? I made chocolates for everyone!” she said, holding up the paper bag she’d been holding.
The boys whooped with excitement.
“Gimme one!”
“Me too!”
Uta stuck her tongue out at them and said, “Girls get priority,” then joined a group of girls. As expected of the holiday, a lot of girls had made friendship chocolates and were exchanging them with each other. It looked like they were having fun.
“Don’t take your eyes off of Sakura... Types like her throw chocolate to the crowd, so we’ll get something for sure!”
“Yeah! The difference between zero and one is as vast as the distance between heaven and earth! It doesn’t matter if it’s just to fluff the number!”
Okajima-kun and Tachibana-kun stared at Uta, their eyes blazing with tenacity. Terrifying.
“Good grief.” Reita sighed. He sat at his seat with his legs elegantly crossed and shrugged. “Chocolate isn’t a tool to one-up others with.”
There was already a pile of chocolate—likely the kind that came with heartfelt feelings—on his desk. It was a cruel display of dominance. Of course Reita would show off like this.
“Y-You bastard...”
“So friggin’ annoying... Actin’ like that just because you’re popular.”
Okajima-kun and Tachibana-kun weren’t the only ones; other boys in the room were glaring resentfully at Reita.
“Right, Natsuki?” Reita patted my shoulder.
“Why’re you dragging me into this?! Don’t throw me under the bus!” I’m not like you!
“Tsk. Look at Mr. I’ve Got a Girlfriend...”
“That jerkface! Guess taking our Hoshimiya-san away from us wasn’t enough for him.”
“I’ll never forgive him.”
Look! Now they’ve locked onto me! I haven’t gotten a single piece yet! “Reita, do the girls who gave you those have crushes on you?”
“Who knows. There was just a line of them waiting for me after morning practice.”
“There’s no way they gave it to you because they felt obligated, then.”
“Well, everyone knows Miori and I broke up.” There was a hint of loneliness in his tone.
Hikari and I are a well-known couple, so I doubt I’ll receive as much chocolate as Reita. I might accept it from people who give them to anyone, though.
“Okay, I’ll give one to any boys who want one now!” Uta said after she’d finished exchanging chocolate with the girls. She was quickly swarmed by boys.
“It’s only a matter of time before she runs out, huh,” I remarked.
“Are you not going to ask her for one?” Reita questioned.
“It’d be a problem if I jumped into that crowd.”
He stared at me, his eyes narrowed slightly, and then forced a smile. “Figures.”
“’Sup!” Tatsuya walked into the room, glanced at the flock of boys around Uta, and then dropped his bag off at his seat. “Hey, Natsuki, you know that manga you lent me the other day?”
I was about to respond, but Uta yelled over me.
“T-Tatsu!” She pushed her way past the crowd and ran up to him. “Here, this is for you!” She held out a paper bag that looked slightly different from the ones she’d been handing out.
Tatsuya blinked at her in surprise.
“It’s just obligatory! Don’t get the wrong idea!” she warned, pointing her finger at him. All the boys who’d been hounding her for chocolates watched mournfully.
“Mm-hmm,” Tatsuya said after a beat of stunned silence. His expression softened into a smile. “Thanks.”
Uta nodded and then returned to the swarm. “Okaaay! I’ll finish handing out my chocolate!” She went back to her charity work, puzzled as to why the boys seemed a bit less excited now.
“Good for you, Tatsuya.” Reita grinned at his friend who was gazing at the bag Uta had handed him.
“Natsuki, how many chocolates have you gotten?” Tatsuya asked after a pause.
“Oh, shut it. Zero,” I replied crabbily.
“Really? Looks like I’m winning right now.” He smiled triumphantly.
Oddly enough, I didn’t feel bad about it.
✦ ✦ ✦
After that, our classmates trickled into the room one after another. Because it was the morning of Valentine’s, things felt more convivial than usual. The girls made merry and doled out chocolate to their friends. On the other hand, the boys were vying for dominance via the number of chocolates they received. Some bragged about their chocolate count, some preached about the difference between chocolate given out of pity and chocolate given out of romantic affections, some argued the chocolate they received from their mom should count, and some (Reita) were convinced they were a king—there were all sorts of people here.
H-How unsightly.
Uta and Fujiwara were the only girls who’d brought obligation chocolates to give to the boys, but apparently they hadn’t brought enough for everyone. Those who didn’t receive any wore glum expressions. It was around that chaotic time when Hikari and Nanase arrived.
“Good morning, everyone!”
“Good morning. It’s awfully boisterous today.”
They placed their bags at their seats and immediately came over to mine. I had an inkling of what they wanted with me. Hikari had her hands behind her back, hiding something.
“Natsuki-kun, this is for you!” She gave me a radiant smile and handed me a chocolate in the shape of a heart.
The girls squealed gleefully while the boys aimed dark stares at me.
“Thank you, Hikari.” There’s a ton of attention on us... This is really embarrassing. Nonetheless, my girlfriend gave me homemade chocolate! I’m on cloud nine! I hadn’t planned to join the battle for dominance among the boys, but I felt like I’d won with this one gift.
“Come on, Yuino-chan, you too! Didn’t we make these together for this?!” Hikari urged her fidgeting friend and shook her shoulder.
“What? You want me to give it to him h-here?!” Nanase asked, flustered at being in the limelight.
“If you don’t give it to him now, you’ll miss your chance and never give it to him, won’t you?!” Hikari replied forcefully.
Having no retort, Nanase timidly held out her hand. On it was a square box, wrapped and tied with a ribbon. I didn’t need to open it to know that there was chocolate inside. I took it from her.
“Erm... This is a token of my appreciation for helping me. That’s all it is!” Nanase blurted out rapidly, her face bright red.
I feel like this is going to revive everyone’s misunderstanding. “I should be thanking you for this. Thanks, Nanase.”
Hikari watched over us with a bright smile.
“That bastard...”
“The hell? He’s got a flower in each hand?!”
“What’s with that gross smirk on his face? Can I punch him later?”
As per usual, the boys were trash-talking me. I can hear you guys. You’re not even trying to do it behind my back anymore! You guys are simply insulting me to my face! Oh well, I know they’re not being serious.
“Reita-kun, Tatsuya-kun! I have some for you both too! Here!” Hikari gave them homemade chocolates as well. Unlike the one she’d given me, theirs were star shaped. Evidently, mine was special.
“I also made one for you, Nagiura-kun,” Nanase said, handing him a chocolate.
“Huh? Oh... Thanks.”
“Wait... What about me?” Reita pointed to himself, confused.
“Shiratori-kun, there’s no need to give you one too, no? You’re going to receive plenty enough, after all,” Nanase said.
“N-No way... I can’t believe I’m being treated like this just because I’m so popular!” Shocked, he cradled his head in his arms.
Oddly enough, I felt no sympathy for him.