Chapter 5
This chapter was translated by yuugs and shizuumi, and proofed by kuririn, yuugs, 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 was reminded of someone.
Chizuru Yukimura: "I hope he gets to eat them..."
I dwelled on that thought as I took out the orange I'd candied in sugar.
I added butter to the melted chocolate and whipped some eggs with my spare hand. As I decided which cookie cutter to use, I let out a sigh.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Phew..."
There were so many people who helped me out in Hakuo Academy this past year. If they permitted friendly chocolates, I'd love nothing but to distribute some to everyone.
But… if there were just one person I had to thank, it could be no one but Yamazaki-senpai.
Chizuru Yukimura: "I wonder if he'll be happy to have them."
I wanted to watch the sunrise with him. Just the two of us, like we the way we did before.
As I prepared the cookies, I brewed some warm black tea. Then I started preheating the oven, thinking about nothing in particular.
Well, the real problem was going to be evading the inspections. I didn't know if I could give Yamazaki-senpai these chocolates, either way…
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 parted ways with Osen-chan and Kosuzu-chan, heading home afterwards―
It was Valentine's Eve, just after I had added the finishing touches to my chocolate.
I was leaning on my desk with my chin in my hands, tapping my fingers against my cheeks as I admired the smartly-wrapped package that held my chocolate cookies.
Chizuru Yukimura: "...Yep, all right. Not to toot my own horn, but… I think that these chocolate cookies came out really well."
The mouth of the bag was tied shut by a vivid cherry-blossom-pink ribbon, and the whole thing emitted a faint, buttery scent as well. The chocolate I kneaded into the batter was sweet. I’d baked them just right, and they were nice and crunchy. I got rave reviews from Osen-chan and Kosuzu-chan when they tasted it, too… Honestly, I was so satisfied with the result that I would've eaten it myself if I weren’t giving it away as a gift.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Wonderful! I made it nice and tasty. Now it's just a matter of how to give it to him..."
―Yamazaki-senpai.
I flopped back onto my bed while thinking back to the face he had made.
Chizuru Yukimura: "He's been there for me all this time throughout this past year. I have to make sure I express my gratitude to him clearly..."
Like with my first high school midterms, the summer holidays, the cultural festival, and Christmas. But the moment that left the biggest impression on me was definitely New Year's Day.
When I remembered how we watched the first sunrise of the year together, my cheeks would just go warm.
The first light of the year that had gently brushed our cheeks shone so bright, it was nearly dazzling...
What made me happier than anything else was the fact that I was able to start off such a wonderful year with him. Thinking about it now, that might have been when I started to think about Yamazaki-senpai in this way...
Chizuru Yukimura: "I guess the problem boils down to the usual personal effects inspections, in that case..."
Right.
The inspections that had started the other day were wreaking havoc on the students. Some people had their things confiscated as unnecessary goods every day, for one… And as far as rules for the inspections went, there was even one specifically targeting bringing chocolates to school.
I could only let out a sigh at how high a hurdle I faced.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Maybe I should just give up on giving them to him tomorrow and do it sometime later..."
But Valentine's Day was a precious occasion; an opportunity to make a lot of memories. I definitely wanted to give them to him tomorrow if I could.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Or maybe I could send them directly to his house...?"
Although, even if I wanted to try that, I didn't know where he lived in the first place.
Chizuru Yukimura: "......How about I wait for him somewhere after school finishes...? Otherwise, I could try and give them to him before school starts........."
Chizuru Yukimura: "...Yeah, here goes."
I'd try asking Yamazaki-senpai directly. Deciding on that, I took a deep breath and picked up my phone from the side.
Susumu Yamazaki: 【Hello?】
Chizuru Yukimura: "Oh, Yamazaki-senpai! Sorry for how sudden this is. It's Yukimura...!"
Susumu Yamazaki: 【Yukimura-kun? How unexpected. Did you need something from me?】
Chizuru Yukimura: "Oh, yes, uh..."
It felt embarrassing to say that I wanted to wait for him to give him chocolates… I chewed my lip, stalling, before slowing to a complete stop.
Chizuru Yukimura: "......"
Susumu Yamazaki: 【What's wrong? If it's hard to ask over the phone, you can ask me in person tomorrow...】
Chizuru Yukimura: "A-Asking you in person would be way harder!"
Susumu Yamazaki: 【O-Oh.】
―Honestly, I wanted to surprise him by handing them to him out of nowhere tomorrow… But I'd made up my mind. I spoke up:
Chizuru Yukimura: "I'm worrying about whether I should bring chocolates with me to school tomorrow."
Susumu Yamazaki: 【...! ...Are you serious? I'd imagine that you of all people wouldn't have forgotten about the on-going inspections.】
Chizuru Yukimura: "...You're right. I haven't. Part of me is scared they'll be confiscated."
Susumu Yamazaki: 【Then, why? There's no need for you to be so risky and break the...】
Chizuru Yukimura: "But even so, tomorrow is an important day. I want to hand them over then, no matter what."
Susumu Yamazaki: 【...I...see...】
Chizuru Yukimura: "What do you think, Yamazaki-senpai? Should I give up and bring them another day?"
Susumu Yamazaki:【......】
After a lengthy silence, he spoke as if he'd found a sense of resolve:
Susumu Yamazaki:【...I'll try and do something about the inspections. You should be able to bring your chocolates to school tomorrow.】
Chizuru Yukimura: "Really!?"
Susumu Yamazaki: 【Yeah. You came to me for advice. You can leave the rest to me.】
After sorting out some arrangements...
Chizuru Yukimura: "I'll see you tomorrow, then. I hope it works!"
Susumu Yamazaki: 【Yeah. ...Night, Yukimura-kun.】
Chizuru Yukimura: "Good night! This is great. It seems like Yamazaki-senpai will really take them then...!"
After the call had finished, I felt instantly relieved and looked over at my chocolate cookies. I couldn't wait to give him my chocolates tomorrow. It felt so far away.
‘I wonder what kind of face he'll make.’
Chizuru Yukimura: "I hope they make Yamazaki-senpai happy, one way or another..."
My lips stretched in a wide smile as I put my phone down in my room.
Then.
The weather during the morning of Valentine's Day was very peaceful.
Blue skies, gentle winds.
I slowly walked down the path to school, caressed by the mild sunlight hurrying along the spring flowers that were beginning to bloom.
Chizuru Yukimura: "He told me it'd be okay if I brought them to him directly, but… I wonder if he came up with a good idea for avoiding the checks?"
Maybe he wanted me to give them to him outside of school or something...?
I shook my head free of my doubts just as I'd gotten close enough to see my school…
Sure enough, there were disciplinary committee members at the school gates.
‘What should I do...?’
They would find them at this rate. I had to make sure they didn’t...
[Minigame Victory]
I'd just gotten away from the disciplinary committee members and to the gates. I spotted someone standing a little ways away from them, then waved and shouted at him.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Yamazaki-senpai!"
Susumu Yamazaki: "Shh! Quiet, now."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Huh?"
He looked more intense than I'd expected when he shushed me after beckoning me over.
Chizuru Yukimura: "W-What are you up to...?"
Susumu Yamazaki: "The disciplinary committee's at the school gates. Just come with me this way. Quietly, now."
Chizuru Yukimura: "O-Okay. I got it."
Honestly, even though the first bell had yet to ring, there were a lot of people for this time of day. Even though they weren't far from us at all, the disciplinary committee hadn't managed to find me, either. I followed after Yamazaki-senpai like he said...
After going around the school grounds once, Senpai ended up leading me to the back of the school building.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Um, what are we doing around here?"
Susumu Yamazaki: "Wait for me just a moment. I'm sure it was around here… Right, here it is." To me, he said, "We're going to go through the thicket here. Sorry about this, but follow me as best you can."
Chizuru Yukimura: "That's okay, I can do that, but… What even is this?"
Susumu Yamazaki: "Actually, just before this thicket lies a fence with a hole, through which you can get into the school. There aren't many who know about it, so it's kind of a secret passageway."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Huh...You know, knowing a spot like this makes you kind of seem like a ninja or a spy, almost."
Susumu Yamazaki: "...That's quite a way of putting it," He smiled drily as he kept parting the grass, and I also walked into the thicket after him.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Phew...!"
Susumu Yamazaki: "Great. We managed to get this far without issue."
After going through the hole in the fence, and the thicket, a familiar scenery unfolded before our eyes. Looking up at the cherry tree still hibernating for the winter, I looked back on the path we came from.
Chizuru Yukimura: "To think that we ended up coming out here… I can't tell at all just by looking at it from here."
Susumu Yamazaki: "It's thanks to the grass here that others don't notice. Well, I do think they should close it up soon for security reasons, though."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Are they not going to?"
Susumu Yamazaki: "Sannan-sensei handed down a notice saying something about leaving it for the convenience it provides..."
Chizuru Yukimura: "......"
...What would it even be convenient for...? I couldn't imagine it being used for any reason that wasn't untoward, which felt a little rude to Sannan-sensei.
Susumu Yamazaki: "In any case, we've bypassed the inspections at the school gates with this."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Oh, yes, thank you so much!"
I faced Yamazaki-senpai head-on and took out my parcel from my bag. It held my feelings that I hoped would reach him, and my gratitude as the main ingredient. Along with a small dose of feelings that hadn't quite taken form yet as a secret ingredient.
A smile spread slowly across my lips as I held out the parcel of chocolate cookies to him.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Yamazaki-senpai. Please accept these."
Susumu Yamazaki: "...Right." Yamazaki-senpai took the parcel into his palm, handling it as if it were something precious. Then, he smiled as he gave me his reply, saying, "...You can leave it to me. I'll make sure I send them over."
Chizuru Yukimura: "...............Excuse me?"
Susumu Yamazaki: "So, who is it that you want to give them to? Toudou-kun? Saitou-kun? It’ll be risky if you have a teacher in mind… but for you, I'll find a way."
Chizuru Yukimura: "......Umm... Yamazaki-senpai, don't you think you might have misunderstood this?"
Susumu Yamazaki: "Misunderstood? What?"
As I saw him cock his head in confusion, some of my doubts resurfaced. They quickly grew in size, and I prayed they weren't right as I gingerly opened my mouth.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Um, I'd like to ask... Do you have some idea as to who these chocolates are for...?"
Susumu Yamazaki: "My guess would be Toudou-kun or Saitou-kun, really. It could also be Okita-kun, but he's such a difficult person that I honestly can't recommend him. Well, at any rate, those three are all second-years. That's why you came to me, since I'm in the same year as them, right?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "......"
Susumu Yamazaki: "......"
Chizuru Yukimura: "......"
Susumu Yamazaki: "Am I… wrong?"
Yamazaki-senpai might have grown fearful from how I'd gone quiet, judging by how timidly he had asked.
Oh, boy. I didn't even know whether to laugh or cry about all this...
I averted my eyes as my true feelings made themselves clear on my cheeks.
Chizuru Yukimura: "...I'll ask you one more time. Who do you think I brought these for?"
Susumu Yamazaki: "Wait, I mean, um. Is it Okita-kun, or...?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "The person I want to give this to isn't as mean as him."
Susumu Yamazaki: "Then, Toudou-kun? He definitely isn't mean."
Chizuru Yukimura: "He's quieter and calmer than Heisuke-kun."
Susumu Yamazaki: "Then...Saitou-kun..."
Chizuru Yukimura: "He may even be more dense than Saitou-senpai.......At least, that's what I thought just now."
Susumu Yamazaki: ".........Um, I'm sorry if I'm mistaken, but..."
Chizuru Yukimura: "......"
Susumu Yamazaki: "...Is it...me?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "It is."
It was in the instant that I gave my reply. The color of his face changed. He went slack-jawed in shock, and even seemed to break out in a cold sweat… I wondered if he had realized how he had misunderstood when it finally clicked.
Susumu Yamazaki: "N-No, wait, hang on! There's― There's no way that...! Are you sure there's not some kind of mistake!?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "...You've been so kind to me this past year, Yamazaki-senpai. That's why I wanted to express my gratitude… and made these chocolates for you."
My shoulders sagged a little. It made me sad to hear him say something like that.
Chizuru Yukimura: "...So, please. Don't call it a mistake, or anything like that."
...My feelings for him were probably one-sided. I thought for sure that he would've been happy with the cookies I'd worked so hard to make, despite them looking so small…
My shoulders drooped as I hung my head.
But then...
Susumu Yamazaki: "...I'm sorry, Yukimura-kun."
A warm hand came down on my shoulder. The first thing I saw when I looked up was his face, which was a lot closer than I thought it'd be.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Yamazaki-senpai...?"
Susumu Yamazaki: "You might not forgive me, but I'm apologizing anyway. For doubting the way you felt."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Wha―... O-Oh, no! I should've said so earlier, I… It's because I didn't consider your feelings at all that I ended up making chocolates you weren't even expecting to get―"
Susumu Yamazaki: "―That's where you're wrong." He hadn't told me everything yet. He stopped my words with a finger to my lips before he shook his head lightly.
Susumu Yamazaki: "You may not want to hear my excuses, but I wished I could have your chocolates from the start. I really wanted them. But, at the same time, somewhere in my heart, I also thought...that they couldn't possibly be for me," Yamazaki-senpai showed me a self-deprecating smile with his admission. He went on, "You're like the sun. Even when you don't say a thing, people still gather near you. You're always at the heart of everyone here. I didn't even imagine that you'd bring chocolates for me, before anyone else."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Yamazaki-senpai..."
Susumu Yamazaki: "I just don't have much self-confidence, really."
Chizuru Yukimura: "Please don't say that." I gave a small smile as I gently took his hand. "The person I wanted to give chocolates to first and foremost was undoubtedly you, after all."
Then, I picked up my chocolate cookies… and took senpai’s hand again, placing the cookies firmly in his grasp.
Chizuru Yukimura: "Please accept these."
Susumu Yamazaki: "Are you really alright with me?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "I am. There's no one else I want to give them to but you.... So, I think you could stand to be a little more selfish."
Susumu Yamazaki: "...Thank you." Yamazaki returned a similar smile to my own, and softly squeezed my hand back. "Then, um, this may be a little soon, but… Could I just ask one, selfish thing?"
Chizuru Yukimura: "Anything. As long as it's something I can grant for you."
Susumu Yamazaki: "Then, if you'll grant me it...let's stay like this. Just a little longer."
Chizuru Yukimura: "...Sure."
Yamazaki squeezed my hand a little more firmly.
‘I want to feel his warmth until the school bell breaks this spell,’ I thought to myself, I squeezed his hand back. How would I feel when I gave him chocolates next year? As I thought about that...