Chapter 5
This chapter was translated by yuugs, shizuumi and minib0ss, and proofed by kuririn, yuugs, shizuumi, kittensparkles, and dei-hime!
One day...
The moment I opened the classroom door that morning, the students inside stopped talking all at once and turned to look in my direction. Even when I just stood up from my seat and started walking, I could feel everyone's gazes following me.
...Now that I thought about it… The atmosphere at Hakuo Academy had been sort of weird since this morning.
We were well into the new semester. The unforgiving chill of winter was finally beginning to let up. Since the start of February, I'd grown used to rubbing my shaking hands together while walking to and from school.
After completing the most arduous class of the week― Monday first period―I frowned, thinking about the odd feeling that had been growing since that morning.
Chizuru Yukimura: "......"
Classmate A: "......"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Um... Do you have a minute?"
Classmate A: ‘!! W-What is it, Yukimura? Oh, do you wanna tell me something? Whatever it is, you can tell me!"
Chizuru Yukimura: "...No. Sorry. It's nothing, actually."
Seeing the jumpy, nervous state my classmates were in made me frown even more deeply. And it wasn't just my classmates, either. Everyone I passed by in the hallways, all the senior students...absolutely everyone had been acting downright strange since that morning.
Classmate B: "......"
I'd lock eyes with people, and they'd quickly look away.
Classmate C: "......"
The opposite happened, too. People would shoot me an earnest look whenever I said something inconsequential. Honestly, just what in the world was going on with everyone...?
And then, during the lunch break after morning classes, I just couldn't stand how everyone was staring at me anymore. I rushed out into the hallway as soon as the bell rang. When I first enrolled, I got a lot of stares as the only female student, but even so...
Chizuru Yukimura: "I feel like people are staring at me even more than they did back then..."
In the courtyard. In the corridor outdoors. I grabbed my bento and walked off, hoping to get away from all the stares. I looked for anywhere I could go where no one else would be around. The place I finally settled on was the quietest room in the school.
Chizuru Yukimura: "―Excuse me."
Keisuke Sannan: "Oh? What an unexpected guest to have."
Susumu Yamazaki: "Yukimura-kun? What's wrong? Are you feeling sick?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "No, I feel fine, thank you. Actually..."
[time skip as she explains]
Keisuke Sannan: "...I see. You feel as though you're drawing even more attention than usual."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Yes. I may just be being overly self-conscious, but I feel like there's always someone who's looking at me. Is there anything...strange about me today? Like my appearance, or..."
Maybe I had bed-head, for example. Or maybe my jacket was buttoned wrong. As I spun once in place to show them how I looked, Yamazaki-senpai quickly averted his eyes.
Susumu Yamazaki: "......"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Oh, something must be out of place then, huh? Is it my clothes? Or my face...?"
Susumu Yamazaki: "No, there's nothing wrong with your face. You look as good as you alw― um, you look like you always do!" Yamazaki-senpai hurriedly shook his head for some reason.
Sannan-sensei smiled wryly and said:
Keisuke Sannan: "I haven't seen the situation firsthand, so this may be mere conjecture, but… could it be that all the students in your vicinity look restless and agitated?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Ah, yes. Now that you put it that way, I think that's right. Someone nearly jumped out of their skin earlier when I called out to them. I wonder if I did something wrong without noticing, somehow...?"
Keisuke Sannan: "I suppose. You may be correct, in a certain sense."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Huh...?"
Keisuke Sannan: "Hehe, in short, you are at fault for being too attractive."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Whaaat...!?"
Keisuke Sannan: "I think you will come to understand what I mean soon enough. Isn't that right, Yamazaki-kun?"
Susumu Yamazaki: "...I do not understand why you're trying to drag me into this."
Sensei had called me 'attractive'... Could it be that he was teasing me...? I reflexively shot him a reproachful glare, but he showed no signs of noticing. He gave me a sweet smile and spoke again.
Keisuke Sannan: "Ah, more importantly, it seems as though you have yet to eat your lunch."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Yes. I couldn't stand to stay in the classroom any longer, so I didn't eat there."
Keisuke Sannan: "Well, then, why don't you eat here? It seems you brought along your bento."
I felt that he had deftly dodged my questions somehow, but… I decided that I'd take him up on his offer for now and gave a little nod. I ended up staying much longer than I'd intended to. By the time I left the infirmary, I had very little of my lunch break remaining.
Chizuru Yukimura: "I'm pretty sure that my first afternoon class is math with Nagakura-sensei..." Maybe it was because I had had a good meal, or because I had talked with those two, but I felt a little less anxious. "...But, for the time being, I need to find somewhere to kill a little more time."
Then, as I walked off, away from where math would take place, a huge obstacle blocked my path and my vision.
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Whoops! Where are you off to, Yukimura-kun? Don't you have math in just a bit? If you wanna skip my class, then I don't wanna hear about it!"
Chizuru Yukimura: "No, I wasn't intending to do that..."
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Hm? Well, where are you going then? Toilet?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "......" Nagakura-sensei sometimes was a little...lacking in tact. "No, that's not it. Actually..."
[time skip as she explains]
Shinpachi Nagakura: "So your classmates are acting kinda weird, huh? I see."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Do you know something about it?"
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Well, that's, you know… It's just that time of year." He folded his arms, nodding sagely to himself as he replied. "The day that men both dream of and dread… Valentine's Day!"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Oh..."
I hadn't been consciously aware of it because there were still a couple of days left before the 14th, but now that I thought about it, it was already February. Valentine's ads usually flooded the city around now. That would more or less explain all the attention I had been getting since that morning. It was actually a bigger mystery that I hadn't noticed sooner...
Shinpachi Nagakura: "You're the only one in the whole school who can do something for Valentine's Day, Yukimura-kun. Who does the school idol's heart belong to? Anyone would be interested in finding that out."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Please stop. This is so embarrassing… Incidentally, how about you, Nagakura-sensei? You sound like you're excited for Valentine's Day."
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Of course. This year, I'm definitely going to get chocolate from some beautiful ladies for once!"
Chizuru Yukimura: "'For once,' huh..." I was sort of wondering if he'd ever gotten any before, but I decided not to ask for the moment.
Shinpachi Nagakura: "Well, I think that there are tons of guys who are hoping to get chocolate from you, but… If you feel obligated to go around and give some to every one of 'em...no matter how much you have, it'll never be enough. It'll at least be peaceful around here until the 14th, so just forget about it for now! C'mon, let's head to class!"
After he had explained what was going on, Nagakura-sensei started walking, leading the way to the classroom.
Would it be easier for me to go back in if he was there with me...? I decided to follow after him.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Valentine's Day, hmm..."
Now that he’d mentioned it, I realized I really did need to start thinking about it. The holiday was inching closer and closer.
‘What should I make this year...?’
My afternoon classes felt like they'd lasted longer than usual, but they were finally over. A feeling of freedom came over me as the final bell rang. School had finished for today. The moment homeroom ended, I left the classroom.
Thanks to the chats I had during lunch break, I knew the reason why everyone was acting like that, but that didn't change how uncomfortable it made me. On the contrary, now that I knew what everyone was expecting from me, I felt more and more like I couldn't stand to stay there a second longer.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Phew..."
As the sun began to set, the shadow of all those chocolatey expectations caused my face to fall. Soon enough, the day that gave women the courage to confess their love would roll around. A day where girls gave both chocolate and their hearts to the object of their desires, hoping to start something.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Who in the world should I give―" I was shaken from my thoughts by some sort of commotion going on right in front of me. "What's with this crowd...?"
There was a throng of people, all crowded around some sort of notice board affixed to the hallway wall. I spotted some people I recognized amidst the crowd and called out to them.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Amagiri-senpai, Shiranui-senpai!"
Kyuuju Amagiri: "Oh, it's Yukimura-kun. Are you on your way home?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "I was, but… What's going on over here?"
Kyou Shiranui: "Don'tcha think it'd be faster just to see it? Hey, you―move it or lose it!"
I stepped into the space Shiranui-senpai had made for me and began to read the bulletin aloud.
Chizuru Yukimura: "'Announcement― Beginning tomorrow, students will undergo random personal effects inspections for a week. Entertainment and gaming systems, as well as unnecessary food and drink, will be confiscated’...!?"
Kyuuju Amagiri: "Starting tomorrow and lasting for one week. In other words, until Valentine's day. The perfect plan to eliminate any potential chocolate-giving."
Kyou Shiranui: "And the only person nasty enough to think this up… Well, you can take a guess, yeah?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Don't tell me...it's Kazama-senpai?"
Kyou Shiranui: "Naw, it ain't our boss. He's aiming for the opposite, actually."
Kyuuju Amagiri: "Yes. Contrary to this announcement, Kazama-sama is impatiently awaiting his chocolates."
Chizuru Yukimura: "So, if it's not him, then it's..."
???: "It hurts to be called ‘nasty,’ you know?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Kaoru...!"
Pushing his way through the crowd, Kaoru strode swiftly up to where we were standing.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Kaoru, what does this mean? Is this notice from the disciplinary committee?"
Kaoru Nagumo "Of course. It's our job to correct any disruptions to order within the school."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Why are you doing such a thing...?"
Kaoru Nagumo: "Why? Isn't it obvious? If we take no preventative measures, the riffraff won't have a shred of shame coming to pester you for obligation chocolates. But if it's banned from the school grounds entirely, everyone will have to give up, right? You should be grateful to have such a kind older brother."
Chizuru Yukimura: "But, if things are like this now, if I happen to bring romantic chocolates, won't they end up being confiscated, too...?"
Kaoru Nagumo: “! ...R-...Romantic chocolate, you say? Hmph, well, say whatever you like. If I recall… You don't have anyone you want confess to in the first place, right?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Well..."
Kaoru Nagumo: "Or...don't tell me you intend to confess to someone like Toudou or Okita, or even Saitou...!"
Chizuru Yukimura: "I-I didn't say anything like that...!"
Kaoru continued to rattle off a rapid-fire stream of questions while completely ignoring my objections. How should I put this...? I had had no idea he was even capable of looking as frustrated as he did now.
Kaoru Nagumo: "Anyway, you're still too young! You absolutely can't bring any chocolate! Got it? You absolutely cannot!" Kaoru went to the trouble of reminding me twice before he briskly marched away. I was left dumbfounded in his wake and turned around to face Amagiri-senpai and Shiranui-senpai.
Chizuru Yukimura: "...Amagiri-senpai, Shiranui-senpai. I'm sorry you had to see such a shameful display."
Kyou Shiranui: "I mean, I don't mind, but… What even was that?"
Kyuuju Amagiri: "It seems that the inner workings of an older brother's mind are just as mysterious as those of a woman's..."
After that, I parted ways with Amagiri-senpai and Shiranui-senpai and passed through the front gate on my way home. Even if I set aside the random inspections for now, I couldn't escape the fact that Valentine's Day was fast approaching.
Chizuru Yukimura: "I really don't have a choice. I need to start thinking about what chocolates to make… And the person I want to give chocolates to, huh?" My mumbled words turned to white fog as they left my mouth, floating up out of anyone’s reach in the pink sky.
Just one week left until Valentine's Day.
I wondered whether anyone would accept these sweet, aching feelings in my heart…
I wanted just a little more time.
But time still marched on regardless, and the days couldn’t very well get longer just because I wanted them to…
Before I even knew it, the calendar already read mid-February.
I spent my Saturday afternoon preparing for Valentine's Day, which was fast approaching…
I visited the Hakuo Academy cafeteria with Osen-chan and Kosuzu-chan over the weekend.
Sen Suzuka: "This is Hakuo Academy's cafeteria? I saw a little bit of it during the cultural festival, but it really is spacious."
Kosuzu Suzuka: "Ours is a little bit smaller. Lots of people bring bento lunches anyway."
Usually, I was the only girl here, so it felt really strange seeing other girls in school like this. The two of them looked at the unfamiliar menu and grinned.
Sen Suzuka: "Look, Kosuzu! Doesn't this pudding sound delicious?"
Kosuzu Suzuka: "Osen-san, we're not here to eat or anything..."
Well, Kosuzu-chan was right. We didn't come here today to eat...
Genzaburou Inoue: "I hope you three weren't waiting long. Everything's ready now."
Chizuru Yukimura: "That must have been a lot of work, Inoue-san. Thank you so much."
Kosuzu Suzuka: "But is it really alright? For people who aren't students here to borrow your kitchen like this?"
Genzaburou Inoue: "You've already gotten permission, haven't you? Besides, you're from Shimabara Girls' High School. There's no need to be shy."
Sen Suzuka: "Well, we'll take you up on your offer, then… So? How about we get started? Time to make chocolates!"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Yeah!"
Genzaburou Inoue: "Now, I don't want to get in the way of you girls, so I'll stay in the back and leave you to it. You're free to use whatever equipment you need in the kitchen. Just be careful with the stove."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Sure thing! Thank you so much!" After thanking him, we first lined up all the ingredients we had brought in a row.
Chizuru Yukimura: "...Fresh cream. Unsalted butter. Cocoa powder..."
Kosuzu Suzuka: "Wheat flour, eggs, baking powder..."
Sen Suzuka: "Chocolate to use, more chocolate to use. Oh, and some chocolate to use."
......
Chizuru Yukimura: "...Um, Osen-chan? Are you making a life-sized chocolate statue?"
Sen Suzuka: "Huh? What, Chizuru-chan, would you be the model for it?"
Kosuzu Suzuka: "It's surreal to imagine that being eaten..."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Absolutely not!"
Sen Suzuka: "Oh, boo... Well, we're not even making one big chocolate in the first place anyway. We'll be making lots of smaller ones."
Kosuzu Suzuka: "Osen-san has a large circle of friends. She also needs to prepare some for her relatives."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Ohh, I see..."
Sen Suzuka: "It must be nice for you two. You look like you're making chocolates to give to your special someone."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Huh!?"
Sen Suzuka: "Well, I don't know if you have anyone like that to give chocolates to, Chizuru-chan… But lately, Kosuzu's gotten close with that Ibuki-kun guy we met at the pool, see."
Chizuru Yukimura: "S-Since when...!?"
Kosuzu Suzuka: "I-It's not really like that… These chocolates are just friendly ones..." With her ingredients cradled in hand, Kosuzu-chan's expression softened tenderly, her muttered protests weak. I felt a bit jealous seeing that, but I also found myself making a similarly fond face.
Sen Suzuka: "Now, then, how about we make those chocolates?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Yeah! Let's do this!"
I wondered if I'd ever make such a tender face as I put my heart into what I made. But either way, I had to do my best making them...!
Before anything else, our first step was to warm things up. The chocolate we heated inside the bowl slowly started to melt.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Now, next is..."
With the chocolate's sweet-smelling fragrance, it was only natural that I would think of someone.
...To be honest...
Although the girls encouraged me to give someone Valentine's chocolates, a part of me was still hesitant. I knew so many great people among my friends. I'd give all of them chocolates if I could. But, if Valentine's Day chocolates were things that meant that you wanted to grow closer to someone, then...
Chizuru Yukimura: "...I'd like to give them to Kaoru, I suppose."
It would soon be a year since he and I had reunited. But even though we met face-to-face, we started arguing a lot, and even now it didn't feel like he opened up his heart to me.
As I chopped up the chestnuts and almonds, I mentally reviewed the recipe for chocolate brownies in my head one more time.
Chizuru Yukimura: "He likes me. Kaoru's my twin brother. I'm sure he likes me."
...I may have been pushing it, just a little.
But, I really hoped in my heart that this would be the spark that would have him open up to me.
Chizuru Yukimura: "The real problem has to be the fact that he's in the disciplinary committee..."
He had pressed the personal effects inspections to prohibit people from bringing any unnecessary items. He was the conductor of it all. And it also felt like giving him any at school would be impossible in the first place anyway...
Hmmmm...
While I thought about that, at the end of the day… Even with the tasty chocolates prepared, I wasn't even sure that I could bring them to school in the first place...
Chizuru Yukimura: "Hmmm..." Maybe I could trick the Disciplinary Committee one way or the other during the inspections...
Osen-chan and Kosuzu-chan cocked their heads a little at me. Maybe because they realized that I'd stopped working at some point.
Sen Suzuka: "What's wrong, Chizuru-chan?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Nothing, I just don't know if I can bring these to school, even though I've made them."
Kosuzu Suzuka: "...What do you mean?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "The truth is..."
[Transition while she explains]
Sen Suzuka: "That's what the inspections are for...? What the heck!? That's so mean of them!"
Kosuzu Suzuka: "The fact they're doing it now means they're totally targeting Valentine's Day."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Yeah..."
Hearing the situation, the two were infuriated. They stopped making their chocolates and looked ready to run over and give the Disciplinary Committee a beating right this second. I shook my head in a hurry at them.
Chizuru Yukimura: "C-Calm down, you two. It's already been decided anyway..."
Sen Suzuka: "But, isn't that just totally tyrannical!? Maybe if I go and give them a complaint or two..."
Kosuzu Suzuka: "Osen-san. You'd be sure to cause havoc if you did that, so try and bear with it. ...Although, even though it's definitely unfair, I feel like there is some point to it. Speaking practically, you have fewer boys to worry about wanting chocolates from you thanks to that notice."
Chizuru Yukimura: "You...have a point, but..."
Sen Suzuka: "Mm..."
Kosuzu Suzuka: "You can't really do much seeing as it's already been decided, and if there's someone you want to give chocolates to, you could just do it on your way home, right?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Yeah..." Honestly, Kosuzu-chan might've been right. Even if I wanted to give chocolates to someone, there wasn't any reason I had to bring them to school...
Sen Suzuka: "...I think that’d be a waste. I mean, Valentine's Day alone is a whole page in this chapter of our lives as high schoolers, right? There's meaning in giving chocolates to the person who you want at school, plus you'll make memories that way, too."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Y-Yeah... I guess that’s true too..."
Sen Suzuka: "If there's someone you wanna give them to no matter what, then this is the one chance you get this year! You can't give in to the rules!!"
Kosuzu Suzuka: "But I think it'd be really sad if you got your chocolates confiscated as a result."
Sen Suzuka: "...Well, whatever you end up doing, it’s all up to you, Chizuru-chan."
What was the right thing to do? I thought about that in the back of my mind as I finished preparing my chocolate dessert.
I somehow managed to finish making my chocolates, and Valentine's Day had finally arrived.
A cold winter wind blew through the streets as I made my way to school.
I'd been wracking my brain all morning.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Whew... So, I have my chocolates with me, which is good, but… the problem is that I doubt Kaoru will accept them without making a fuss about it."
I secretly hid the chocolates in my bag where nobody would find them, and let out a sigh that rattled my own ears.
At any rate, Kaoru was contrary, and stubborn to a fault. Not to mention, he was also the one who spearheaded the inspections as a disciplinary committee member.
Chizuru Yukimura: "...Giving them to him off school grounds would be best, if possible..."
Circumstances meant that, this time, the inspections enforced by the committee were part of the school rules. And if I had to take my pick, I'd much rather not break the rules. Which was why I didn't want to bring any chocolates to school at all, initially… I'd just planned on inviting Kaoru to my house after school via text and giving him his chocolates then.
Despite that, mainly because of how he'd replied...
【Kaoru, do you have a minute? Would you mind coming around to my house after school tomorrow? If you're free, that is. 】
Kaoru Nagumo:【 Well, this is pretty sudden. Sure, I could pop by, but I don’t have as much free time as some people, you know. Also, is that any way to ask someone for a favor? As my sister, you should― 】
Chizuru Yukimura: "...I don't think I can be blamed for clamming up after that." I’d made some excuse about having to be somewhere and beat a hasty retreat with my bag in tow.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Well, if I can't give him any outside of school......Yeah. I'll make him take the chocolates as a surprise attack, then leave before he can say anything."
This was clearly the best way to go about all this.
I had that vague plan in mind as I got closer to my school. But then, sure enough, there were disciplinary committee members by the school gates.
‘What should I do...?’
They were definitely going to find them at this rate...
[Minigame Victory]
I'd finally run away from the disciplinary committee members and arrived at the gate when it happened.
???: "Whoops."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Agh!?" I bumped into someone from behind and ended up falling spectacularly onto my rear. "S-Sorry about that! I spaced out a little there..."
???: "I don't mind. I mean, hey, I got to watch a pretty funny show, I must admit."
Chizuru Yukimura: "...Eh?"
That voice. More importantly, that sound of a shutter going off could only be...
Souji Okita: "You hurt, Chizuru?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "O-Okita-senpai!?"
Souji Okita: "You look alright, at least. Hey, here. I'll help you up." The strange grin on his face gave me a bad feeling, for some reason. I took his proffered hand and stood, and his grin grew.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Th-Thank you."
Souji Okita: "You're welcome. By the way, you’d better pick that up pretty quick, I'd say."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Huh...? Ack!?" I followed Okita's line of sight, and spotted my bag that had fallen on the ground.
My parcel, wrapped up all pretty and pink, ended up rolling out next to it.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Y-You saw that...?"
Souji Okita: "......"
His grin was so scary...!
Souji Okita: "That's chocolate, right? The Valentine's Day kind."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Um..."
Souji Okita: "Who's it for? Me?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Ngh..."
Souji Okita: "...As if. You wouldn't have tried to hide it desperately if it were. Which means it's actually for..."
Chizuru Yukimura: "......"
Souji Okita: "......"
Chizuru Yukimura: "...I-It's for Kaoru."
Souji Okita: "...Well, well, well..."
When I resigned myself to fessing up, Okita-senpai narrowed his eyes at me. He was clearly displeased, yet a corner of his lip was still raised in a smirk… I couldn't tell whether he was enjoying himself, or just mad. He was scary either way.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Why are you making that face...?"
Souji Okita: "Well, at the end of the day, he does act like a brother, more or less. And it’s up to you who you give chocolates to... but, honestly, it's pretty surprising."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Surprising...? Me giving chocolates to Kaoru?"
Souji Okita: "Yep. 'Cause, really, that Nagumo's sulky to the core, underhanded, contrarian, has a sister complex and a foul mouth, and is positively armed to the teeth with cynicism… Normally, it’s fine to give chocolates to your brother, but Nagumo's far from normal. I thought you wouldn't feel like giving him any."
Chizuru Yukimura: "...I mean..." Just like Okita-senpai said, I also thought Kaoru wasn’t very straightforward. He complained so much about me, to me, as well. A lot of what he said would usually hurt a person’s feelings, too.
But, all the same...
Chizuru Yukimura: "...It's true that he can say mean things and isn't honest with others. But, when I stayed out too late, he worried about me like a brother should…"
Chizuru Yukimura: "...And when I tripped and couldn't walk, he lent me a hand like a brother should."
Chizuru Yukimura: "He's easily misunderstood and always expresses himself in a really roundabout way, but I think he has his kind moments, too."
Souji Okita: "......" Okita-senpai looked dumbfounded at my words.
I didn't think I’d said anything particularly weird, though...
Souji Okita: "...Man. I knew you were a kind soul, but to think you can be that positive about someone like him. You’ve got to be the only person in the world who can look at Nagumo and come up with the word ‘kind’."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Th-That's not true at all. I think..."
His smirk gradually deepened, and he eventually shrugged. Then, the moment he did―
Kaoru Nagumo: "―Hold it, Okita! What're you doing with my sister!?" The man himself came bursting in on our conversation.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Kaoru..."
Kaoru Nagumo: "Chizuru, you okay? Not letting him brainwash you with his crazy ideas again, are you?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "No, nothing like that. We were just talking about you..."
Souji Okita: "Mhm, just bad-mouthing you and...well, that's it, really."
Kaoru Nagumo: "What the hell...!?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "I wasn’t badmouthing you!"
Kaoru's suspicious gaze was piercing, like he was trying to dig the truth right out of me…
Eventually, he stood in Okita-senpai's way as if to protect me.
Kaoru Nagumo: "I'm telling you now, Okita: I won't let you lay a hand on my sister as long as I live."
Souji Okita: "......" He looked at Kaoru, who'd wedged himself between us, and stood there silently for a while. Then, he grinned, turning his back on us. "Nagumo. Can I say something?"
Kaoru Nagumo: "What."
Souji Okita: "Yeah, see, I've been thinking about it again, and the results are in: I hate your guts."
Kaoru Nagumo: "Wha―...!? W-What the hell's with that!? What kinda person ups and says they hate someone out of nowhere...!? And you don't need to make an announcement out of it! I hate your guts!"
...I'd had an inkling of it for a while, but... Kaoru’s and Okita-senpai’s chemistry wasn’t just bad―it was downright lethal.
Kaoru cursed at Okita-senpai for a little while as he walked away… but he seemed to calm down after a few moments. After gathering himself, he turned to me.
Kaoru Nagumo: "Chizuru. Were you really talking about me behind my back just now?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "I wasn't!"
Kaoru Nagumo: "Hmph... Sure you weren't. Well, anyway..."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Oh. Before that, Kaoru, could you hear me out? I actually―" I put my hand in my bag to pull out my chocolates before Kaoru could get a word in edgewise. These chocolates were filled with a year's worth of gratitude. There was still a distance between us, and to close it, I wanted to give him these chocolates filled with―
Kaoru Nagumo: "Right, Chizuru. Today's Valentine's Day, but I hope you didn't bring any chocolates, of all things, with you. You didn't, right?"
―He'd beaten me to it before I could get them out. I flinched out of surprise, then froze up.
Chizuru Yukimura: "U-Uhh...um..."
Kaoru Nagumo: "...Hold on. You mumbled something just now, right?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Uh, no. I didn't mean anything by it...!" I lost my opportunity to give them to him, and I averted my eyes.
He seemed to have misunderstood me then, as his expression grew stern.
Kaoru Nagumo: "No, don't tell me you actually brought some to school...!? Who are they for!? Let me see your bag for a second!"
Chizuru Yukimura: "S-Stop! Let go! And listen to what I have to say! I'll explain everything about the chocolates when there are less people around...!"
Kaoru Nagumo: "Like I'd fall for that excuse! Hand over your bag if you don't want to get any strikes!"
Then, by accident―
Chizuru Yukimura: ―!?
We both dropped my school bag, and my small, wrapped parcel rolled out of it… One look, and anyone could tell it had chocolates inside.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Ah...!"
Kaoru Nagumo: "Ugh, and you gave me such a hard time about it… You did bring chocolates after all!" Kaoru held up the chocolates, a great hunter with his butchered trophy. As soon as he did, a commotion broke out around us.
Male Student A: "Those are...chocolates, right?"
Male Student B: "Yukimura has someone special to give 'em to? Where's the lucky bastard at!?"
Chizuru Yukimura: [soft sobbing] ‘Th-This is so humiliating...!’ Finally, I spoke up: "K-Kaoru! Just give them back, please!"
Kaoru Nagumo: "Give them back? No way. Bad sisters like you need to be punished. Honestly... just who were you planning on giving these to, anyway?"
Even as I jumped and tried to snatch them back, Kaoru easily side-stepped me every time.
...I wanted to cry.
Kaoru Nagumo: "Who was it? You couldn't have had a teacher in mind, right?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Ugh..."
Kaoru Nagumo: "We've already come this far, so say it. Who were they for, really?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "............ ...'re for...y..."
Kaoru Nagumo: "Huh? What was that? I can't hear you."
Chizuru Yukimura: "I'm telling you...it's you! I said, these chocolates are for you, Kaoru!!"
With my scream, the whole world froze. I might as well have doused the crowd with a hose, they quieted so fast. The still silence finally broke with one dumbfounded syllable from Kaoru.
Kaoru Nagumo: "............Huh?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "They're yours."
Kaoru Nagumo: "Wha― No― hang on..."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Your chocolates. Those are."
Male Student A: "Hey, did you hear that just now?"
Male Student B: "He put all those rules in place, and now he's the one getting chocolates...?"
Male Student C: "Even for siblings, how close can you get...!?"
It seemed like people's feelings had flared back up, and with them, so did their noise. I was so desperate, I didn't know whether to get angry or cry when I started speaking again:
Chizuru Yukimura: "Those are the chocolates I made for you, Kaoru. Please give them back."
Kaoru Nagumo: "Uh..huh..." All the fight had left him. He trembled as he gave them back to me. Then, finally coming back to his senses, he looked around at the raucous crowd, then at me… "―C’mere!" He said, and grabbed me by the arm and broke into a dead sprint.
We snuck our way through the courtyard and past it. When Kaoru finally stopped, we were in the rear courtyard, and not another soul was in sight.
I had to catch my breath because of how we kept running, and the first thing he said to me was:
Kaoru Nagumo: "You little...! You just had to embarrass me, didn't you!? It's all your fault!"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Wha―...!?"
Kaoru Nagumo: "We could've skipped all this if you just said they were for me! But you said it with that...! And with timing as terrible as that...!"
Chizuru Yukimura: "I tried telling you, but you weren’t listening!"
Our faces went red from shouting at each other beneath the cherry blossom tree whose buds were on the verge of blooming.
Chizuru Yukimura: "What about you, Kaoru? Why did you show off my chocolates and mock me like that!?" I couldn’t tell if I was angry, shy, or straight up embarrassed. Unsure even exactly what we were arguing about, we shouted at each other.
Kaoru Nagumo: "H-How was I supposed to know they were for me!? That's not my fault!"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Why didn’t you think they might be for you!? Of course I'd give you chocolates! I mean―" I paused, "...You’re my brother, after all........."
Kaoru Nagumo: "......"
The words might well have been magic. With them, a silence fell between us.
Kaoru Nagumo: "Your brother, huh...?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "You are, aren't you?"
Our argument up until now felt kind of stupid, all of a sudden. We looked at each other and shook our heads, smiling at the absurdity of it all.
Kaoru Nagumo: "Sheesh... Whatever, I forgive you. Since I am your brother, in the end."
Chizuru Yukimura: "...Sure, sure."
Chizuru Yukimura: "So, Kaoru. Do you want the chocolates? Or not?"
Kaoru Nagumo: "Can’t be helped. I’ll take them off your hands for you."
He gently reached for the chocolates I held out for him. Despite all he had said, he took care in taking them―like they were fragile little things he had to keep safe―as he gave a broad grin.
Kaoru Nagumo: "You better remember White Day's coming up, because I'll be paying you back plenty for this."
Chizuru Yukimura: "...That'll be you thanking me. Not getting your payback." He just couldn't be honest with himself at all, could he. I smiled as I glanced at the cherry blossom tree standing there.
―Only a year had passed since Kaoru and I had reunited for the first time in a decade, as cherry blossoms drifted down onto our heads.
Our father and mother had passed away and we were adopted into separate households. When I’d seen him again after so long, Kaoru was changed from how I’d remembered him. He’d gotten a little… no, actually, he'd gotten a lot meaner. I’d almost found myself thinking he was like a whole different person altogether.
Chizuru Yukimura: "But..."
Every time we spoke. Every time we crossed swords over pointless arguments like normal siblings did. Each time, I felt the distance between us shrinking, little by little.
Chizuru Yukimura: "......"
Kaoru Nagumo: "...What."
Chizuru Yukimura: "No, nothing."
Kaoru didn’t brush me off, feigned indifference instead when I gripped the hem of his shirt.
'We aren't apart anymore,' I murmured silently to myself while I looked up at the fresh cherry blossom buds on the tree’s branches.
I hoped our days at Hakuo Academy would be so full that I could all but forget the time we spent apart...