A Normal Girl’s Confession

Championship of Those Who Confessed

Yume Irido

“Akatsuki-san...do you have any plans for Valentine’s?” When it was just the two of us, I worked up the courage to bring up a certain topic.

Akatsuki-san raised her eyebrows while looking at me as if she’d realized something. I half expected her to say, “Aha!”

“Aha!” Wait, she actually did. “Let me guess: you want to make Irido-kun some homemade chocolate, but once you looked it up online and got scared that you wouldn’t get it right, so you want someone who actually knows what they’re doing to teach you? Yeah?”

“I-I didn’t say any of that.” But also, that’s pretty much it.

Ever since the cat had gotten out of the bag about my relationship with Mizuto, it felt like Akatsuki-san was trying to be considerate of me, but sometimes she’d be so on point it was scary. Mizuto was very perceptive too, but Akatsuki’s guesses made me uncomfortable for some reason.

“I gotchu! I was already planning on making some myself, so let’s do it together! I’ll teach you everything from how to melt the chocolate to how to put your hair in it! I’ll make it easy to understand!”

“Uh, I don’t have any plans to put anything inedible into my chocolate...”

She’s kidding, right? She ignored me and continued. “Oh, in that case... What would you say to adding another person?”

“Another person?”

“Yep! You should know her. There’s a person who won’t make obligatory chocolate unless you remind her, right?”

During lunch break, we went to Higashira-san’s class and asked someone to call her out for us.

“Chocolate for Valentine’s...?” Her eyes were misting over with confusion. “Oh, right. I suppose that tradition does exist here...”

“What do you think Valentine’s Day is?” Akatsuki-san asked.

“Well, isn’t it a day when a lot of art of beautiful girls professing their love is posted?”

I’m not even surprised anymore. This is to be expected for someone who isn’t very in touch with their romantic side. I doubted that she had ever exchanged chocolates with friends either.

“Well, Mizuto’s been helping you out a lot, right, Higashira-san?” I said. “Making him some chocolates to thank him for everything shouldn’t be too bad, right?”

“Oh! I like the attitude, Yume-chan! You’ve really got the aura of the true wife!”

“Don’t make fun of me!”

Higashira-san furrowed her brow in deep thought. “Though I find your reasoning to be sound, I have a deadline I must make...”

“A deadline? For what?”

“A picture I’m posting on Valentine’s Day.”

“Isn’t making a Valentine’s gift for some unknown people instead of the one right in front of you putting the cart before the horse, though?” Akatsuki-san said in exasperation.

In my mind, their work was probably more important than some chocolate.

Higashira-san tilted her head. “I’ve completed the line art; however, I’m still having difficulty with the expression. I wish someone had filmed me asking out Mizuto-kun.”

“You really think of your high school experiences as nothing but reference material, huh?”

“Why don’t you ask Irido-kun? He was the one right across from you.”

“According to Mizuto-kun, it’s futile because the characters I draw bear absolutely no resemblance to me.”

It’s true that the characters she drew more than often looked like completely normal girls. They were the opposite of Higashira-san, who was the epitome of abnormality. It was a strange phenomenon.

“Oh, a light bulb has gone off in my head,” Higashira-san said.

“Hm?” both Akatsuki-san and I reacted.

“You two can assist me merely by showing me your expressions when you asked out your respective crushes!”

“Huh...?”

“After that, I’ll be able to participate in the chocolate making!”

U-Uh...what? How did an invitation to Higashira-san become something we had to bargain with her on?

“Mm...okay fine.”

While I was thinking a very valid question, Akatsuki-san easily accepted Higashira-san’s proposal. “Ahem,” she began by clearing her throat.

With both Higashira-san’s and my gazes on her Akatsuki-san glanced at me and made a meek expression. She began playing with the tip of her ponytail and tried to desperately quell her anxiousness.

“I...I kinda...like you. Is that...okay?”

As soon as we saw this, both Higashira-san and I lost our breaths. The way she’d practically whispered... That vulnerable expression she wore, which contrasted her bright and energetic personality... It all was all more than enough to make our hearts pound despite knowing it was just an act.

“That was extremely adorable! The absolute best I could ask for!”

“Heh heh. Thankies!”

Higashira-san was straightforward with her high praise and Akatsuki-san sheepishly accepted it. I’d always known she was quite skilled, but I’d never thought that she would be so good at acting. Or maybe she was pulling from something real...?

“Your turn, Yume-chan!” Akatsuki-san said, looking at me with a grin.

I flinched. “W-Wasn’t that enough for your reference?!” I asked Higashira-san.

“The more the better, right, Higashira-san?” Akatsuki-san said.

“I wholeheartedly agree!”

“I can’t act as well as Akatsuki-san!”

“Don’t worry about it! Just give it your best shot!” Akatsuki-san said, grinning widely. “You’ve already asked someone out, haven’t you? You’ve got a boyfriend, don’tcha??”

Is this what she’s trying to do? Make me gush about my love life? “N-No, I...” In an attempt to escape from any follow-up questions, I looked away and covered my mouth with my hands to hide my expression.

“Hmm?”

And then, while fighting back my embarrassment, I spoke. “He...was the one who asked me out.”

Back in middle school, I’d relied on a love letter. Though he had accepted, the words to ask him out hadn’t come from my own mouth.

Before I knew it, both Akatsuki-san and Higashira-san had completely frozen, as if their souls had floated out of their bodies.

“Wh-What happened?”

“N-No, it’s just...” Higashira-san said, clutching her face. “It’s difficult to process my emotions after being struck with cuteness, followed by you boasting about your love life...”

“I-I’m so sorry! This wasn’t something I should’ve said in front of you!”

While I was freaking out, Akatsuki-san nodded deeply. “I really get it, Higashira-san... I felt that damage too...”

“Why did you?!”

So it goes, this is how the three of us decided to make chocolate together.

Those Left Behind

Aisa Aso

I stared at Ranran with a serious expression as she munched on my homemade chocolate like a squirrel.

“How is it...?”

Ranran swallowed and then opened her mouth. “Well, my findings are that...”

I audibly gulped in anticipation.

“I ate too much and have no clue.”

Chocolate wrappers were piled up on the table like a mountain of corpses. Every last of them was a sample of my homemade chocolates that I had poured my heart and soul into. Of course, I’d tried tasting them myself, but I thought guys and girls might taste things differently, so I’d asked Ranran to try them since she was close enough. It definitely wasn’t because I didn’t have any other friends.

“Though you call these ‘homemade,’ they’re just melted store-bought chocolates, so that flavor’s still there. Is there really a point in making so many samples when they all taste the same?” Ranran asked while wiping her mouth with a tissue.

“You really do say boyish things, Ranran! You don’t even know how much trouble it is to melt down the chocolate and form it into a shape!”

“Maybe you should try to emphasize the difficulty of it? I’m sure Hoshibe-senpai won’t ignore that.”

“Fair point, but...” I put my elbows on the table and rested my chin in both of my hands, slightly frowning. “He’s graduating soon, right? Which means he’s off to college soon. There’s gonna be a bunch of college girls around him. Don’t you get the sense some floozy’s gonna latch onto him?”

“I suppose it’s not too hard to envision, especially with a real life example sitting in front of me.”

“You’re calling me a floozy?! The very same person to whom you owe a debt for recommending you to the student council?!” Not that I mind. “Anyway! I need to make sure that I remove any potential of some rando coming along and tricking him! That’s why I need the strongest Valentine’s chocolate ever!”

“I see. So you’re fighting fire with a dumpster fire.”

“Ranran?” First you call me a floozy, now a dumpster fire?! Aren’t you being a little rude?

“I understand where you’re coming from, but could I ask a question?”

“Hm? Shoot.”

“Do you not trust Hoshibe-senpai?”

“Can you not sound like a guy who’s sick of his clingy girlfriend?!” I crashed to the desk and relaxed my cheeks. “I can’t help it. I’m anxious. I get the feeling that he’s getting further away from me than ever before.”

“Hoshibe-senpai seriously has it rough if his own girlfriend is randomly getting anxious over him. He must be exhausted from how clingy you are.”

“Rude! What’s with the thorny attitude?!” She’s pretty much an enemy that I damage myself on if I attack her with physical moves!

“I hope for the best,” Ranran simply said before pulling out a textbook from her bag, opening it on the desk and beginning to study.

I looked up and watched this familiar scene while continuing the conversation. “You don’t have anyone you’re gonna give chocolates to?”

“You really think I would?”

“It doesn’t have to be someone you like. It could just be like a guy in your class.”

“Wouldn’t that just earn me the ire of other girls who think I’m making moves on a guy I’m not even interested in?”

“Rrgh! Your words are cutting so deep!”

“That sounds like a you problem,” Ranran said while quietly moving her pen across the paper.

This Is What Happens When You’re the Only One with a Boyfriend

Yume Irido

“Listen, Higashira-san,” Akatsuki-san explained, “a lot of guys will harp on girls, saying that melting chocolate and putting it into a shape doesn’t count as it being homemade, but the shaping part is what the girls of the world pour their blood, sweat, and tears into.”

“I’m not so sure about putting bodily fluids into chocolate...” Higashira-san said.

“I wasn’t being literal! I was just talking about the effort put in!”

We were currently in Akatsuki-san’s kitchen, completely prepared and equipped. We had all the ingredients and were wearing aprons—the spitting image of homemakers...or at least, Akatsuki-san was. Higashira-san and I looked like we were just playing dress-up.

Since last year, I had gotten a lot more used to cooking. I could quickly make simple recipes off the internet. I had even tried making omelet rice! I will neither confirm nor deny that I succeeded, though.

Either way, we followed Akatsuki-san’s instructions. It seemed that Higashira-san really wasn’t used to cooking, because when she was asked what her best dish was, she answered with “instant noodles.” If that’s really the best you can do, you need to get a job.

In any case, we made sure to keep the kitchen knife away from Higashira-san, leaving the chopping of the chocolate to me and Akatsuki-san. We couldn’t let Higashira-san’s precious artist hands get hurt. It was overwhelming at first, but after getting the steps down, it got a lot easier.

“So how’s it goin’, Yume-chan?” Akatsuki-san asked while carefully watching the temperature of the water.

“How’s what going?” I asked, tilting my head. Her question was too vague for me to know what exactly she was implying.

“Your relationship with Irido-kun, silly! Things are probably going well enough if you’re makin’ him chocolates. I rarely get the chance to ask you about things with him.”

Mizuto and I were generally keeping it a secret at school that we were dating. The only ones who knew were Akatsuki-san and Kawanami-kun—who’d found out not too long ago—Higashira-san, and President Kurenai. Haba-senpai might’ve figured it out, but I couldn’t say for certain. Aso-senpai knew I had a boyfriend, but she didn’t know who.

“I’m curious as well!” Higashira-san’s eyes lit up. “It’s already been a month, hasn’t it? And the two of you are living under the same roof, so there are plenty of opportunities for...you know...”

“Totally, Higashira-san.”

“Indubitably, Minami-san.”

The two of them looked at each other, dirty grins on their faces. I could more or less tell what they were thinking. If I were in their shoes, I’d probably want to know too. Whether I would ask the person straight up was another story, though.

“Nothing has happened, of course,” I said, continuing to work. “We may live together, but we live with our parents too.”

“Oh, what? There’s all sorts of things you guys can do, as long as you’re sneaky about it.”

“There must be a lot of pent-up feelings.”

Akatsuki-san’s face made it clear she was in a teasing mood while Higashira-san began to breathe heavily. It went without saying that there were occasions when we’d slip out of the sight of our parents and do more boyfriend-girlfriend things, but the mood was never right since we couldn’t be certain we wouldn’t get caught. We made plans to hang out outside of the house, but being in public didn’t leave us many options either.

“Both you and Irido-kun are so straitlaced.”

“Mizuto is the embodiment of rationality,” Higashira-san said. “If he thinks something shouldn’t happen, he won’t act on it.”

Coming from a person with a huge chest like Higashira-san, the statement had a certain weight and believability.

“It’s okay, though,” I said. “It’s proof that Mizuto’s really thinking about me.”

“Sure,” Akatsuki-san said, “but as a girl, don’tcha just want him to go all crazy over you every now and then?”

“Isn’t it also magnificent when the guy resists with every fiber of his being until the final strand of his will snaps?” Higashira-san suggested. “I truly believe that Mizuto-kun’s that type of guy!”

“Oh, I love that!” Akatsuki-san agreed. “His cool persona is ripped away and replaced with desperation, making him like a different person entirely.”

“Heh heh... Heh heh heh. I can picture this. How attractive.”

“Can you two stop dirtily talking about my boyfriend like that?!”

That being said...the idea of Mizuto of all people becoming desperate like that... Oh god. Oh my god! I tried to cool down, but as I did, I realized that Higashira-san was closely examining my body.

“Yume-san, this might be the perfect opportunity to do a certain cliché.”

“Oh, that?” Akatsuki-san said, clapping her hands together as if she’d telepathically received Higashira-san’s thoughts.

I had no clue what she was talking about though. “Explain?”

“You know, wrapping yourself in a ribbon!”

“And then putting some chocolate on your body!”

Higashira-san and Akatsuki-san put their hands together and gave me a slovenly look. “And then you tell him, ‘Eat up’!” they said in unison.

“Absolutely not.”

“But it’d be so cute!”

“Very erotic, indeed!”

“Why are your thoughts, by default, the same as prepubescent guys’?”

Out of Moves?

Suzuri Kurenai

I nodded after trying one of the test chocolates I’d made. “That should do it.”

I’d already researched Joe’s preferences last year. The chocolates I’d made this year had the same sense of obligation to them as last year’s, so I’d tinkered with their shape a bit, but the taste shouldn’t have been different. I hadn’t messed up at all. I was certain that Joe would accept them without any fuss.

Is this really okay though? Maybe I should try wrapping a colorful ribbon around me, like I read in one of my reference materials...but I’d feel like dying if he ignored me. In that case, maybe I can make a heart-shaped chocolate and sandwich it in between my breasts— Wait, no. That’s not possible with what I’m packing.

I sighed as I glanced over from the bright kitchen to the dining room shrouded in darkness. I’d tried to appeal to his inner lust so many times already. I’d gotten on top of him in nothing but my underwear, I’d embraced him and whispered into his ear, and I’d even casually pushed my breasts against him.

Going at him using those kinds of tactics wasn’t going to cut it at this point, but I couldn’t picture anything that would. I was no longer sure what to do. Was it because I was still a mere child? If I were an adult with more experience, could I draw his attention cleverly without having to rely on a more pragmatic approach? I was out of ideas. I’d done everything I could at this point. Now, there was only one thing left to do...

The Third Valentine’s Day

Mizuto Irido

“Here ya go, guys. One each!” Yume’s friend (Sakamizu?) tossed out cheap chocolates as if she were feeding pigeons. In response, some guys complained, others thanked her, and some pretended like they didn’t care but still crowded around her like pigeons.

Handing out chocolate wasn’t limited to the people inside our classroom—I saw lots of girls exchanging chocolates with their friends in the hallway too.

I wonder when the tradition of giving your friends chocolates began. Big Chocolate must be happy about that.

February 14th—Valentine’s Day—wasn’t a proper holiday. It was a day of commemoration that I didn’t pay any attention to until I was a first-year in middle school. After all, I’d had a girlfriend two years ago. Even now, I can remember it clearly. Early in the morning on our way to school, she looked at me and gave me chocolates. I spent the entire day with them in my bag.

I felt a sense of superiority over the guys in my class lamenting that they hadn’t gotten any chocolates, and I was shocked I felt this way. When I returned home, I ate them in secret so that dad wouldn’t notice. Then I painstakingly got rid of the empty box.

The following year, nothing happened, which made it painfully obvious that our relationship was on the rocks. And now one year after that, Valentine’s Day had come once again, and through some weird happenstance, I was with the same girl as I had been two years ago.

I wondered how my past self would react, knowing I had started dating Yume again. He might’ve cried tears of joy, or maybe he would’ve sneered at me with pity. But based on what I’d learned over the past year, I felt as if this outcome had been destiny. Maybe it was just pride, but I felt as if this were no accident, simply a result brought about by my own will. Well, I guess I haven’t received any chocolates yet.

Two years ago, I’d gotten them at our meeting place on the way to school, but there was no way that she was gonna give chocolates clearly intended for a boyfriend to me in front of our parents. Plus, she apparently had student council duties in the morning, so she left the house a lot earlier than I did.

With Yume’s personality, I could be certain she’d give me chocolates; the only question was when. Lunchtime? After school? Spending the day knowing that I was gonna get chocolates but not when made me restless. But getting all giddy about something like this felt kind of pathetic. I needed to relax so that when she did present them to me I would be calm and collected.

When school ended for the day, I had still received no word from Yume. Is she going to sneak them to me before our parents come home? Just as I was getting my things together, I got a message from Isana.

Izanami: Please come to the usual spot in the library.

What does she want? It’s been a while since we’ve met up there. I might as well go. Yume’s gonna be home late because of the student council anyway.

I took my bag and left the classroom, heading to the library. There was about a month left until the finals for our freshman year, but most of the students who were studying by themselves used the study rooms, so the library was still pretty empty. I passed behind some students reading hardcover books in the reading area while making my way to the window.

When I arrived, I found Isana leaning back against the air conditioner unit. Days were shorter in winter, so the sky was already tinged red from the sunset. The light made Isana a fiery red, but it also made her cast a cold black shadow.

“It’s been a while since we’ve hung out here.”

“Indeed,” she said, standing up. As she did, I realized that in her hands, slightly hidden by the long sleeves of her sweater, she was holding a box with a pink ribbon wrapped around it. “Mizuto-kun...” Her face was a warm red from the sunset. “Please...accept these,” she said, slightly embarrassed and hesitant as she offered me the box of chocolates. I couldn’t help but remember when Isana asked me out, but my thoughts were quickly interrupted. “What are you doing, Mizuto-kun? Please, hurry up and take a picture!”

This atmosphere had made me envision her professing her feelings for me, but it was dispersed in an instant, leaving nothing but the sight of Isana staring at me. My head went blank.

“Take...a picture?” I asked.

“For reference materials! I will use it for next year’s Valentine’s Day picture!”

O-Oh...okay. That’s what’s going on. Going off the vibe she was giving and based on her recent and past behavior, I thought that maybe she was...

“Oh? What’s this?” Crap. I made my relief too obvious. Suddenly, she looked closely at my face. It was obvious from her expression that she’d entered a teasing mode. “That’s no good. You can’t allow yourself to have your heart disturbed by this level of antics. I might need to report this to Yume-san.”

“Please don’t. Anyone would’ve had the same thought in this situation.”

“Is there anyone crazy enough to ask someone out who got a girlfriend but a month ago? How shameless of a girl do you believe I am?”

“I honestly never know what you’re gonna do. Who knows? You might’ve done a complete one-eighty from January.”

“Are you calling me a horrid girl with double standards?!”

“I said absolutely none of that.”

Then Isana sighed, relenting. “I’m going to do it again, then. Please take a picture this time, okay?”

“Yeah, yeah.”

She proceeded to redo the entire routine, and so I took pictures. After doing different poses and patterns of the confession scene, she finally handed the chocolate over.

“Thanks. What do you want for White Day?” I asked.

“Well...if you could do some nude modeling for me, then...”

“Got it. Cookies from the convenience store.”

“I suppose that’ll make me happy as well.” Isana frowned, making me wonder how serious her initial suggestion had been.

Well, it was true that just drawing pretty girls limited her. I was hoping that she could learn to draw guys soon. Maybe White Day would—

“Oh, right.” I walked towards the nearby bookcase with light novels on them and picked out one of them. “Let’s take this opportunity to talk about your picture for White Day.”

“Yes, please! I’m no longer able to envision anything that isn’t dirty...”

How to Make Your Troublesome Girlfriend Happy

Tohdo Hoshibe

The ball swished as it dropped through the net.

“Phew...” I watched, out of breath, as the ball bounced high underneath the hoop. I think my instincts are back.

I walked over to where the ball had rolled and picked it up. There was nobody else on the outdoor court in February with the cold winter wind blowing. Even so, it was perfect for whipping myself back into shape. I got the feeling that the difference in temperatures between my warm body and the cold winter air made my reactions sharper. That being said, my fingers felt frozen. Maybe I’ll just go another two or three times and call it a day.

I gasped, glancing down at my watch as I positioned myself away from the hoop. It had gotten a lot later than I’d realized. Looking up, I noticed that the sun was setting and the eastern sky had already gone dark. Crap. I’m gonna be late.

I quickly went to my bag on the side of the court, pulled out my towel, and swiftly wiped off the cold sweat. I can still make it. Just gotta hurry. Wait, before I do that... I looked at my outfit, which consisted of a worn-out tracksuit drenched in sweat.

“Can’t meet her like this...”

I was impressed by my growth. The fact that I was able to make decisions like this was praiseworthy. It’s okay; I came prepared. I swung my bag over my shoulder and ran to a public bathroom to change into pants and a button-up shirt. Then I put a blazer and a jacket over that and ran out, and got on my bike.

We were meeting up a little bit of a distance away, but I could get there in a flash on my bike. After all, a bike was the fastest way to get around Kyoto. Even so, I ended up being a little late.

“Took you long enough!” Aisa greeted me with puffed out cheeks in her school uniform. “You made your cute girlfriend wait in a crowded place like this? I could’ve been hit on!”

“Well, you weren’t, right?”

“Not important!”

Got it, so it’s all in your head. I’m not sure I’ve ever actually seen anyone get hit on, honestly.

Aisa eyed me as I brought my bike with me with an exasperated expression. “Senpai...I can’t really say I appreciate my boyfriend bringing his bike along to meet up with me.”

“Sorry, I didn’t have the time to park it.”

“All right. I’ll just chalk this up to you prioritizing spending time with me and forgive you.”

“Look at you bein’ all optimistic. Nice.”

In this clearing between two arcade streets, there were a lot of other people meeting up with friends and such. We’d probably be in the way if we kept standing here and talking, so we began walking through the shopping district, completely blanketed in a Valentine’s Day atmosphere.

Aisa slightly bent over and grinned at me as we walked. “Senpai, I like your outfit today. It’s pretty chill. Really has adult vibes to it.”

“Yeah, thought you’d like it.”

“Oh, you really get me!” Yeah, I was made to get you, thanks to a certain someone’s thorough training. “But...” She playfully rubbed her shoulder against me. “It feels like we’re doing something wrong, you know, with me in a school uniform and you in your street clothes.”

“Wow, look at the time. Fun date. I don’t wanna lose my college recommendation, so let’s just call it here.”

“H-Hey! Wait! Sheesh, you’re as rude as ever.”

I lightly patted Aisa on the shoulders to soothe her as she frowned.

That wasn’t entirely a joke. I’m gonna be a college student in a month and a half, but you’re still gonna be in high school for another year or so. As soon as she leaned against me, Aisa brought out a gift wrapped in Valentine’s colors.

“Here you go, Senpai.”

“Thanks.”

She’d offered them to me so casually that I couldn’t help but casually accept them.

This’ll be the second time I’m getting chocolates from her, but she gave them to me so naturally. It’s hard to think this is only the second time. 

Aisa looked up at me quizzically as if gazing deep into me looking for an answer.

“Senpai...?” she asked hesitantly.

“Hm?”

“Did you...already get chocolate from other girls?”

“Huh?”

I looked at her and saw that there she was anxious. I couldn’t help but snort slightly. “Hell no. Third-years aren’t even obligated to go to school anymore, remember? You’re the first person I’ve seen today.”

“Oh...”

She still seemed a little uneasy, so I decided to follow up with a question of my own. “What’s the matter? What’re you so worried about?”

“Well, you’re a popular guy. I keep thinking about how you’re gonna get so much chocolate from girls when you’re in college...” Aisa seemed upset.

She’s really getting jealous over something a year into the future? This goes beyond cute and jumps straight to Crazyville.

I did my best to hold in the sigh itching to escape my mouth and instead began thinking of different things to say. Hm...I’ll go with this.

“If Valentine’s Day falls on a weekday, then I’ll probably get some chocolates in the afternoon.”

“Yeah, I get it. You’re popular!”

“So that means my last chocolate of the day will be from you.”

Aisa’s mouth hung open, making me smile.

“So do your best to blow them all out of the water,” I continued. “Being cute and captivating’s your thing, isn’t it?”

It seemed that my words had been perfect. Her face immediately brightened, and she excitedly wrapped her arms around my shoulders.

“Okay! Then let’s get started on our date, looking forward to next year!”

“Go home, idiot! I’m not walkin’ around at night with a high school girl in her uniform.”

“Meanie!”

Multiple-Choice Valentine’s Day

Kogure Kawanami

When I got back home, I saw my childhood friend in my kitchen, still in her uniform and with an apron on, making chocolates.

“Oh, welcome home!” Minami turned to me as she slowly mixed the melted chocolate in a bowl. As she did, the tip of her ponytail and the hems of her apron and her pleated skirt swayed simultaneously.

I tossed my bag onto the couch in the living room while questioning her. “What are you doin’ here?”

“Making chocolates. It’s Valentine’s Day, after all.”

“Don’t you usually do that the day before and give ’em out at school? Not after school’s already let out for the day?”

“Ah, it’s fine. These’re for you anyway,” she said, scooping out the chocolate with her finger and tasting it.

How can she say that so brazenly? Then again, at this time of day, there was only one person she could make and give chocolates to—me.

“Actually,” she continued, “I’d made yours before when I was with Yume-chan and Higashira-san, but I accidentally ate ’em all!”

“Can’t you just remake them in your own house, then?”

“We already had plans to eat here today anyway, so it makes more sense for all the cleanup to be here, right?”

I sat down on the couch and glanced back at Minami in the kitchen. Some guys complain about so-called homemade chocolates being nothing more than store-bought chocolates melted into different shapes, but that process was a lot more involved and annoying than it sounded. Despite all the effort, girls didn’t give up and simply pass out store-bought chocolates, because they wanted to pour their effort into the chocolates.

I held back a wave of nausea and looked up at the ceiling. Dammit. I’ve gotten so self-conscious. I miss being a fresh, innocent middle schooler, not knowing what’s goin’ on at all.

“Phew,” Minami grunted as she sat next to me, still wearing the apron.

I turned my attention from the ceiling to her. “You done?”

“Just gotta wait for them to cool down.”

Wow, she’s gotten good at this. How long has it been since she started giving me chocolates...?

Minami reached across the couch while looking at me. “We’ve got time. Wanna play a game?”

“Sure...why not?”

“Or would you prefer to fool around?”

“Urp.” I could feel the nausea that I’d had under control suddenly shoot back up. Minami shot me a playful smile. I exhaled deeply to calm myself down. “Listen, can you not do that anymore?”

“I gotta keep tryin’ exposure therapy every now and then.”

“How do you expect me to eat chocolate if I’m on the verge of barfing?”

Suddenly her eyes flew wide open before she closed them halfway and began looking at me as if she were examining something. “Oh? Mm-hmm...”

“What?”

“Sounds like you’re lookin’ forward to ’em. Kinda unexpected.”

“It’s nothin’ to be surprised about, especially takin’ into account how much time and effort you spent on them.”

“I like that about you.”

“Urp! S-Seriously, stop!”

If she stayed this close to me any longer, I was definitely gonna hurl. I stood up and tried to run away to my room.

“Hey, stop!” Before I could escape, she forcefully pulled me back.

“Agh!” I lost my balance and fell over. I twisted my body and tried to reach out to stop myself from crashing down, but Minami’s body was in the way.

“Eek!”

Her youthful face was all I could see. My arm flung out into the couch, right where her ponytail was. Her brightly colored hair wrapped around my wrist. She stared at me for a bit, covered by my shadow before her thin lips arced seductively.

“Before you eat the chocolate...how about an appetizer?”

I couldn’t breathe.

“It’s okay,” she said. “Let’s start by having your body remember.”

Her slender fingers undid the ribbon around her neck. I could get a glimpse of her porcelain neck from the button on her collar being undone. There was a slight shadow in the space between the ends of her clavicle. I had no clue why, but my eyes were practically sucked into it. I gulped down the breath stuck in my throat. Right as I did...

“Aha ha ha!” Minami suddenly burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. “Just kidding! Sheesh, you should see your face! You look so serious!”

“Wha... Y-You!” My face twitched as she cackled like a witch. Minami, you little...!

Minami curled up into a fetal position, still cracking up. “You lettin’ it out? Not too pent up? Need some material? I can send you some selfies.”

“Your shrimpy body’s not gonna be any help, idiot.”

“Hard to believe you with how wide your nostrils got. You love my small frame, don’t you? Perv.”

“Urgh!” I had no defense.

“Heh heh. I guess I’ll let you off the hook with this.”

She easily slipped off the couch and skipped over to the kitchen. Then she opened the refrigerator and pulled something out and put it on a silver tray before bringing it over.

“All righty, here’re your obligation chocolates!” she said, putting the tray down onto the table.

Huh? That’s weird. I looked down at the chocolate that was about as big as a pudding you could eat in a single bite.

“They’re already done cooling off?”

“This is the obligation chocolate, remember?” She took off the apron and from behind the couch, she whispered into my ear. “I’ve left the other kind in the kitchen. Eat it when it’s ready, okay?” I panicked and quickly moved away, covering my ear. Seeing this, she smiled again. “Would you prefer an obligation chocolate, a romantic chocolate, or maybe...” she said, putting a finger to the loose neckline of her blouse.

I’m not falling for this again. I grabbed the chocolate on the tray and loudly declared my answer. “Obligation chocolate!”

A Normal Girl

Joji Haba

I wasn’t exactly sure when, but before I realized it, Kurenai-san and I were the only ones left in the student council room. Aso-san had left early because she had plans with Hoshibe-senpai. Irido-san had finished all her work flawlessly and then left. Asuhain-san had been the only one who’d stayed late, but Kurenai-san told her that we’d do the rest, so she’d left about five minutes ago.

There wasn’t much time left until students weren’t allowed to be at the school anymore. Now that it was February, it got dark extremely early, meaning that it was already pitch-black outside. It was as if our windows had been dyed by black ink. The lighting in the room was extremely bright in contrast.

The school, which had been so bustling with life in the afternoon, had become silent, as if we’d been left behind. Furthermore, it was just me and Kurenai-san here in this world. It was too good to be true, so much so that it felt manufactured. I didn’t consider myself to be dense. If anything, I felt like I was overly perceptive to the point that it left me in troublesome situations.

“The school will be closing shortly. All students, please leave the premises.”

Even after hearing the announcement over the PA system, Kurenai-san didn’t reach for her bag, which she’d already packed a while ago. I knew why—after all, I had yet to receive a certain item. Kurenai-san wasn’t one to renege on something she had previously declared.

“Joe.”

After the announcement finished and silence returned to the room, Kurenai-san quietly tottered in front of me. I couldn’t help but straighten up.

How are you gonna come at me?

She’d thrown down the gauntlet. I wouldn’t be surprised no matter what she did. She might’ve suddenly taken off her clothes and told me that she was my Valentine’s chocolate. It’d be completely on brand for her. In that case, she’d probably come up with a way to give them to me that the likes of me could never even think of.

“Here,” she said, without any pomp or circumstance.

Seeing her present the heart-shaped box confused me. “H-Huh?”

“What are you so surprised about? They’re chocolates for Valentine’s. I told you I’d be giving you some, didn’t I?”

I accepted the chocolates wrapped in red, still confused. “Th-Thank you...”

It was extremely anticlimactic. Could she have possibly reflected on her previous approaches and finally decided to give up on the reckless seductive antics of hers? I’d be extremely happy if that were the case, though she had also declared that she’d make me fall for her more conventionally. But maybe there was some kind of trap rigged to this box? If so, then opening it here wasn’t the best idea.

“Okay... Let’s get going,” I said. “We need to leave before they close the gate.”

I put the chocolate away in my bag and began moving towards the door. Though this was certainly a surprise, I preferred it over her usual forceful antics. If she was going to actually give me chocolates without any unnecessary indecency, then I had no complaints. I was by no means disappointed by how she’d mellowed out.

“Wait.”

Just as I went to put my hand on the door, I felt her firmly gripping my arm. I wasn’t sure why, but I felt electrified from the force of her hand. I slowly and nervously turned around. What was waiting for me was a sight of a single girl, her shoulders shaking from nerves. There was no trace of the prodigy or the perfect human being people thought she was. She was just a normal girl.

“Ha ha... Sorry. I know I’ve done a lot, but somehow, when it’s go time, I’m hopelessly anxious.”

I knew. My needlessly good instincts and my memories showed a common point. The way Kurenai-san looked like now greatly resembled Aso-san when she had tried to tell Hoshibe-senpai something really important on the trip to Kobe.

“Valentine’s has always been this kind of holiday. So I decided to throw away any superficial tricks and silly strategies.”

I got the feeling that her forceful grip wasn’t just to keep me from running, but herself as well. She then took a deep breath and then looked at me, a decisive sparkle in her eyes.

“I like you. Please go out with me.”

She hadn’t been lying. She’d ditched all tricks and strategies. She’d come right out and said it. This was a straightforward confession of love. I’d known for a long time that she wanted to tell me how she felt. It wouldn’t make sense otherwise that she’d bring me to an empty classroom, get on top of me wearing nothing but her underwear, or rendezvous with me wearing nothing but a bunny suit. I knew better than anyone that those weren’t things you’d do to someone you felt nothing for. Even so, I’d never truly believed her.

I’d made up excuses that she was only interested in my peculiarity or that she only wanted me as her plaything. Even though I knew that she wasn’t like that, I couldn’t erase these doubts. After all, someone like me couldn’t hope to understand what was going on in her head.

But... But when someone comes out and tells you their feelings, there’s no running away. It becomes too clear—clearer than explanations in children’s textbooks. That’s why I probably knew from the beginning that Suzuri Kurenai was being serious. The girl in front of me was seriously and earnestly in love with the likes of me.

I failed to say anything. My head was too much of a mess. It wasn’t arousal; that was far too simple an emotion. Usually, nothing could stir my heart, but it was like deep inside my soul, the sea I’d been floating on had been rocked by an intense storm. It had no form, rules, or name.

Why had I ever thought of myself as perceptive? I’d just been ignorant. All of this was just the same kind of thing that someone felt when they began to get used to something. They felt on top of the world—invincible. But it was only because I was so ignorant that I could feel this way. If it were someone else, I could’ve come up with the answer immediately, but when it came to me, I couldn’t. I was clueless.

In the midst of my confusion, Kurenai-san said, “There’s still a month until White Day. You can take your time thinking over your answer, but...” She was still blushing. I was sure that this wasn’t something she wanted to show to others if she could help it. Even so, she didn’t run away and continued to declare something, looking straight into my eyes. “This took a lot of courage. If nothing else, I want you to understand that.”

Then she let go of my arm, put her bag over her shoulder, and quickly left, leaving me by myself in the brightly lit room as if I was a lost child. I was a person without a presence. I could only be the background character in other people’s lives. For Kurenai-san, the main character to end all main characters, there was no way that I could be allowed to stand next to her.

Her confession rang in my head, making me think again. But...when she said that, Kurenai-san was... I had no words. All I had was one month. Just one month.

Romantic Chocolate

Mizuto Irido

“Here, for you, Mizuto-kun.”

After dinner, I casually got my chocolates from Yume. Four chocolate cookies packaged in a transparent plastic bag. I could tell at a glance that these were nothing more than obligation treats. This was further evidenced by the fact that dad had gotten the same exact thing from her just a few minutes ago. Actually, rather than being out of obligation, it was specifically meant for family.

It was in the same category as getting something from your mom. In Japan, it was probably the lowest tier of chocolate you could get, and after waiting an entire day, that’s what I got from my girlfriend.

“O-Oh. Thanks...” After a pause, I thanked her and accepted them.

“What’s the matter, Mizuto? Are you that touched at getting your first chocolates from a girl?” dad asked.

“Now that I think about it, you’ve mostly hung around guys, haven’t you?” Yuni-san said.

“True, but this year you have Higashira-san, right? I’m sure you got something from her, didn’t you?”

Our parents smiled and I tried to avoid them and hold back the huge shock from a completely unexpected situation. Is this...really it? No way. This is our first Valentine’s since the winding nine-month road that led to us getting back together. There’s no way she’s only going to give me the same exact chocolates as dad.

But contrary to my expectations and maybe desires, even after I took a bath and waited later into the night, it didn’t seem like I was getting anything more from Yume.

“I’m going to bed.”

Near midnight, or right as Valentine’s was about to end, Yume finally said this and began to go back to her room. Internally, I was freaking out, but I kept my calm demeanor as I stood up and followed her.

“Me too,” I said.

As I followed her up the stairs and into the hallway, Yume turned around. “Night,” she said.

Is this...really it? Is our Valentine’s Day really going into our respective rooms and nothing else? But there was absolutely no way I would do something so pitiful as bringing up the topic of romantic chocolate.

“Yeah. Night.” It took everything in me to say that.

I disappointedly watched Yume as she disappeared into her room. I guess that’s it. Maybe I was idealizing the Valentine’s that we had the first time we dated. We’d been inexperienced middle schoolers who were both dating someone for the first time. We’d interpret anything—even the smallest thing—as something grander than it actually was. But two years had passed since then. We’d lived together for ten and a half months. We’d reached the point where couples entered into a mature relationship.

In that context, something like Valentine’s wasn’t a big deal at all. But it kinda pissed me off that Yume was ahead of me emotionally. I began to enter my room, unsatisfied with the state of affairs, when I noticed an unfamiliar gift bag on my desk.

“Oh...”

Before I knew it, I’d already walked over to my desk. The bag was tied up in cute ribbon, and inside was a big heart-shaped chocolate with “Happy Valentine’s” written on it with white chocolate. Suddenly, I sensed someone behind me. The person who’d appeared at my open door whispered a declaration so quickly and quietly that I might not have heard it if I wasn’t paying attention.

“Just for you.”

Just as I turned around that very same person shut my door and ran back to their room.

“She got me...” I muttered, but I could feel the corners of my mouth rising.

To be able to lead me around by the nose like that really pointed to how much she’d grown over the past two years. I pulled out my chair and carefully unwrapped the ribbon and took a bite of what was inside. It was sweet, but something about it made it somehow even sweeter.

The next day, as soon as I saw Yume in the living room, I boldly declared something to her. “Thanks for the chocolate. It was good.”

Dad and Yuni-san were also in the living room, but I had no problems saying that to her. After all, everyone here knew that she’d given me some. The only difference was that not everyone knew that I’d received something out of obligation and something out of romance.

Yume smiled pleasantly. “No problem. I look forward to White Day.”

“Yeah, don’t expect too much.”

Neither of our parents found anything strange with what was happening. After confirming that, Yume and I secretly traded glances and snickered.