Valentine’s Day

By the beginning of February, rumors concerning Mahiru's "mystery man, possible

boyfriend" finally died down, despite the fact that Amane had carelessly added fuel to

the fire by picking her up from the station.

Even so, the idea of a boy who was not her boyfriend but was still very close to Mahiru

seemed to have taken root instead, and the new rumor was that Mahiru had feelings

for that boy… but Mahiru cheerfully denied it all in her friendly but ultimately

unyielding way, so eventually the stream of gossip dried up.

Amane had heard from Chitose, who had been observing the situation in the hallways,

that "her denial left no room for argument," so it seemed like Mahiru was pretty upset.

He wasn't surprised, but he was a little sad to hear how vehemently she was denying

it. Still, he knew there wasn't much to be done about it. The current situation was

probably driving Mahiru crazy, having to listen to all these wild rumors about a guy

she didn't even like that way.

Amane could do nothing but wear a wry smile.

"So speaking of February…," Chitose prodded.

"Oh yeah, final exams are coming up," Amane said.

"You know, for a teenage boy, you sure lack imagination."

Chitose didn't hide her disapproval at his reply.

She had paid him a visit at his apartment after school—or rather, she had barged in

without an invitation—on the pretense that she had something important to discuss,

though Amane was pretty sure she'd actually come to hang out with Mahiru.

Incidentally, Mahiru was in the kitchen putting on a pot of tea, so Amane and Chitose

were alone in the living room.

"I don't know about other high school guys and their imaginations, but I'd say that's a

reasonable train of thought for any student…"

"A high school guy in the prime of his life should be thinking about Valentine's Day,

don't you think?"

"I'm not in the prime of anything so no…"

"There you go again!"

Chitose was giving him a mischievous look even though she should know better than

most that there was no truth behind the rumors.

Amane glared at her, but her smile refused to crack. "So…," he said with a sigh, "what

did you want to talk about?"

Chitose had made a point to come to Amane's apartment alone. She obviously had

something she wanted to discuss with Amane and Mahiru, but not with her boyfriend,

Itsuki.

"Mm. I wanted to ask you what I should do about chocolates for Itsuki. When we were

in middle school, I made him chocolates out of a kit, the kind where you melt the

chocolate and pour it into a mold, but since we're high schoolers now, I'd like to make

something more sophisticated."

"In that case, Shiina's the one you oughtta ask."

After all, Amane knew nothing about cooking. At most, he might be able to offer some

insight into his best friend's tastes, but Chitose had actually been dating Itsuki for

longer than Amane had known him, so she probably knew what Itsuki liked better

than he did.

"I'm gonna ask her, too, but I thought since you're sorta a guy… you know? Maybe I

could get a male opinion."

"I'm not sorta anything. I'm all man."

"If you were a real man, you'd have made a move on a certain pretty girl by now,"

Chitose said slyly.

"Now, listen," Amane said with a grimace, "I've explained this before—we don't have

that sort of relationship. And besides, a real man is supposed to wait until he's in a

relationship to make a move."

"Oh, how wonderfully chivalrous of you," Chitose teased. "Your mama must have raised

you right."

Chitose might think he was uptight, but Amane didn't see anything wrong with

wanting to take it slow. Sure, plenty of guys could mess around with girls they didn't

even like, but could wasn't the same as should. More importantly, Amane couldn't see

himself doing that, especially if the other party just wasn't interested.

Now, it would have been a lie to say that he didn't have certain feelings for Mahiru.

Spending time with a girl so beautiful—inside and out—would stir up those sorts of

emotions in most any man.

But even then, the foolish idea to try something with had her never surfaced.

Whenever he thought about it, all kinds of other things got in the way—worrying

about hurting her feelings, worrying that she might come to hate him, worrying that

he did not appreciate her enough.

Also, Mahiru had made it quite clear that trying anything would result in serious social

repercussions, as well as grievous physical harm to a certain vital organ, and he did

not think that she was bluffing.

"Well, that's one of your good points, Amane, and I'm sure it's why Mahirun feels like

she can trust you."

Chitose had started referring to Mahiru by a nickname that had a cute ring to it.

Mahiru was listening in from the kitchen, but she didn't stop Chitose from calling her

that, so whether she was reluctant or comfortable with the name herself, she must

have known that she had a nickname now.

As far as Mahiru was concerned, it was better than being called an angel to her face.

"Though sometimes I wonder whether you're really a man at all…," Chitose continued.

"I can assure you, I am. I mean, have you ever seen a girl this flat?"

"Well, you're much too passive. A man is supposed to be a little ferocious sometimes."

"You think a guy like me could pull off ferocious?"

"You'd be fine if you dressed the part like those other times. Honestly, I'd like to see it

for myself."

Itsuki and Chitose had long since deduced that Amane was Mahiru's mystery man, and

he had finally acknowledged it just the other day, so there was no point in hiding it

now. But he wasn't about to get all dressed up just for their amusement.

"Give it up already."

"Come on; it's no big deeeal!"

"I can't spare the hair wax—or the patience, for that matter."

"Cheapskate!"

When Mahiru returned from the kitchen carrying a tray with three cups of milk tea,

Chitose had puffed out her cheeks and was pouting at him. Mahiru smiled as she set

the tray on the coffee table.

Amane sprung up from the sofa and moved to a cushion on the floor, gesturing for

Mahiru to sit down. She gingerly took the now-vacant seat, looking apologetic.

"But if you look good enough to gossip about," Chitose continued, "imagine how

popular you'd be if you dressed that way all the time."

"No way. It's a huge hassle, and I don't even wanna be popular in the first place."

"Whaaat? Not even with Valentine's Day coming up? Don't you want to get lots of

chocolate, Amane? Like, he's just one example, but Yuu's super popular, and it seems

like he gets tons of chocolates. Aren't you the slightest bit jealous?"

"No way. I'd get diabetes."

By Yuu, Chitose must have been referring to Yuuta. Assigning weird nicknames to

people seemed to be one of Chitose's many habits. Fortunately, she hadn't gotten

around to thinking of one for Amane.

Maybe Yuuta—dubbed the prince—did receive tons of chocolate, but there was no

way he could eat it all without getting fat.

"Anyway, it's depressing just to think about the returns," Amane added. "I mean,

between the chocolates people just give out to be polite and the ones people give out

to confess their feelings, Kadowaki's probably on the receiving end of several dozen

gifts, and then he has to pay all those back threefold. That's gotta be hell on a high

school student's wallet."

"How admirable to assume that he's going to pay everything back threefold. Well, I'm

going to give you some chocolate, and you don't need to worry about return gifts or

anything like that. What kind do you like?"

"I'm not really into sweet things, so… something not too sweet."

"Got it; I'll come up with something."

"Don't put anything funny in there."

"It's fine; it'll all be edible."

"Hey…"

Amane wasn't sure what Chitose was planning, but he was definitely expecting

something more than an ordinary box of chocolates.

"Mahirun, who are you giving chocolate to?"

"The girls I'm friends with in my class."

"Not to any boys?"

"…If I give anyone chocolate, even courtesy chocolate, they take it the wrong way, so…"

"Ah-ha."

Amane could easily imagine the uproar among the boys—and the pointless fighting

that was sure to follow. Most of the boys in his class would treat chocolate from the

school angel like mana from heaven, so if word got around that Mahiru was giving out

chocolate, it would definitely mean trouble. Amane wasn't sure whether Mahiru's

popularity or the boys' foolishness was more to blame.

Obviously, it's safer for Mahiru to avoid giving out any chocolate at all.

Amane nodded and smiled to himself.

"Oh, and I'll also save some chocolate for you, Chitose."

"Yaaay! I love you, Mahirun. I'll give you some, too. The real stuff, not like what I'm

giving Amane."

"I heard that!"

Chitose was grinning widely as she squeezed Mahiru tight.

Amane was relieved to see the way she was touching Mahiru didn't constitute sexual

harassment, but he kept a sharp eye on Chitose to make it clear he wouldn't let her get

away with anything.

"I'm just joookiiing. I'm gonna give you the edible stuff, too, okay, Amane?"

"I have a feeling that edible and tasty are two very different things here…"

Amane pressed a hand to his forehead. He could feel a headache coming on. Chitose

was certainly excited about her latest plot. She didn't even try to hide her delight as

she laughed at Amane.

"I'm sure you'll enjoy your present!"

On Valentine's Day, as Amane had predicted, the mood at school was tense. Everyone

was restless; no one could settle down. Many people believed that a guys' social status

depended on whether he received chocolates on Valentine's Day. At the moment, most

of the boys were trying to act like they weren't desperately waiting for something.

"Everyone's all worked up, huh?"

It certainly seemed nerve-racking. Amane, on the other hand, didn't care a bit about

his social standing, so he had the privilege of watching the day pass through the eyes

of a remote observer. His attention turned to Itsuki, who also had nothing to worry

about today, though for a different reason.

"Looks that way," Itsuki answered, staring nonchalantly across the classroom.

"Mr. Itsuki, as a man with a girlfriend—a man who, I might add, appears totally calm

today—we'd like to ask for your opinion on this year's Valentine's Day proceedings."

"Well, Amane, the boys certainly look desperate. Understandable, considering that

whether they receive chocolates today can have major ramifications on their sense of

pride as men in the coming weeks. And let's not forget that approximately sixty percent

of these fine young fellows are, at this very moment, sweating over whether they

might receive chocolates from the lovely lady Shiina."

"…Apparently, she's not giving anything to the guys, not even courtesy chocolate. Since

it would get out of hand."

"Yeah, I guess it would… By the way, do you think you're getting anything from a

certain someone?"

"No idea. At least, I haven't seen any indication that I might."

Mahiru was giving chocolates to the girls but not the guys, so Amane didn't expect that

she was going to give him any. Of course, he would feel grateful if she did give him

some, but he was fine either way.

Honestly, as far as Amane was concerned, Valentine's Day was all just a big sales

promotion cooked up by confectionery companies, so it wasn't something he really

cared about.

Itsuki chuckled at his friend's obvious disinterest. "You sure are blunt, Amane." Then

his attention turned to a particularly lively corner of the classroom. "Now, that… That's

somethin', all right."

Itsuki was gesturing toward a handsome young man with a captivating smile

surrounded by a group of girls all jostling to hand him different bags and boxes of

chocolates.

Class hadn't even started yet, and already the bag that the boy had apparently brought

expressly as a receptacle was stuffed full of presents, undeniable proof of his

tremendous popularity.

"I don't know whether to say 'It figures' or what."

"You can just feel the hatred wafting off the other guys."

The boys shooting Yuuta envious looks or staring hopelessly into the distance likely

had not received anything from anyone yet. The difference between their social

standings was obvious.

It must be a real pain to have to carry home so much chocolate, Amane told himself,

wondering what he would even do with that much candy.

"Popular guys have it rough, huh? What do you think he even does with it all?"

"Yeah, seriously. I'm amazed he doesn't get fat. It's been like this ever since middle

school, but his figure hasn't changed at all."

"You can definitely tell he's a track-and-field guy. Well, at least that's a problem I won't

have to worry about."

"Not so fast. Chitose really outdid herself this time. You'd better prepare yourself."

"Whaddaya mean 'prepare myself'?"

"It's a Russian roulette."

"Knock it off. What'd she mix in?"

Their exchange the previous day heavily implied that Chitose wasn't planning to make

normal sweets, but Itsuki made it sound like she'd used some incredibly questionable

ingredients.

"Let's see, one piece is a three-in-one habanero, wasabi, and hot pepper chocolate.

Another has pickled plum concentrate jelly in it. And the rest are normal chocolate."

"What the hell has she created?"

"Apparently, she wanted to surprise you, Amane."

In a certain sense, he was surprised, but it was mostly in the about to faint sense.

"…Now I'm afraid to eat them."

"Surrender all hope. I've already walked this thorny path."

"I bet you ate them all for a laugh."

"Maybe. As long as Chi makes it, I'll eat anything."

"You two sicken me."

Itsuki might put whatever Chitose offered him into his mouth without a second

thought, but Amane wasn't so trusting.

Chitose wasn't actually all that bad at cooking; the problem was that she always got

carried away with her next grand idea. She was perfectly capable of preparing entirely

ordinary dishes; she just chose to create culinary calamities sometimes.

While her main victim was Itsuki, Amane was surprised to suddenly find himself in

the crosshairs. That said, from the way Itsuki was acting, he didn't think it could be

too terrible. There was probably nothing to worry about, despite the agonized faces

that Itsuki was making.

Still, Amane couldn't help but shake a strange feeling of melancholy.

"Okay, Amane, here you go!" Chitose said, handing him his chocolates. She had caught

up with Amane and Itsuki in their classroom after school.

"…Thank you," Amane replied somewhat reluctantly.

He didn't want to seem ungrateful, though he had to admit he was a little concerned

about the chocolates she had made. He was still going to eat them all, obviously, but

he wasn't looking forward to finding the super-spicy and super-sour chocolates she'd

apparently hidden in the batch.

"I'm sure you've heard from Itsuki, but be ready for something exciting!"

"I don't really like spicy food…"

"It's not that bad, you wuss! I taste tested everything myself. In fact, I thought the hot

one was actually really good!"

"Yeah, but you like spicy stuff…," Amane moaned. "Geez…"

Amane didn't like spicy or sour food. It was like Chitose had gone out of her way to

include flavors that Amane couldn't handle. On the other hand, the rest of the

chocolates were sure to be really delicious, so…

"Oh, and there's also a super-sweet one and a super-bitter one mixed in."

"Thanks for the warning…," Amane groaned. It was just like Chitose to add in a few

extra land mines at the last minute.

The super-sweet one probably featured condensed milk, while the super-bitter one

was probably made of close to 99 percent cacao chocolate. That actually didn't sound

too bad. Amane handled bitter foods better than most.

Apparently, this was the first time Itsuki was hearing this, and his face twitched as he

murmured, "Chi… you're unbelievable…"

Chitose continued smiling. "It'll be fine. There's even a special palate cleanser in there."

"And what might that be?" Amane asked.

"All right, we're going now, bye-byeee." Without answering Amane's question, Chitose

grabbed Itsuki's hand and walked off. Apparently, they had a Valentine's date to get to.

"Good luck, man!" Itsuki offered as he was pulled away.

Amane let out an exhausted sigh and waved good-bye. After watching them disappear

from sight, he pulled on his coat, thinking it was about time for him to head home, too,

and picked up his bag from the hook on the side of his desk.

Amane usually didn't mind being alone, but today he felt out of place among all the

lovesick boys and girls. He shouldered his bag and glanced around the room.

The flurry of gift giving seemed to have finally subsided. Yuuta sat staring vacantly at

the enormous pile of presents on his desk. The other boys in the class could only

dream of such a hoard, and the bag hanging from the side of his desk was stuffed full

of even more treasures.

Amane could guess what was weighing on Yuuta's mind and couldn't help but feel bad

for him. He approached the other boy's desk.

"Kadowaki?"

"Hmm? Ah, Fujimiya. What's up?"

They had been classmates for almost a year, so he remembered Amane's name, even

though Amane didn't have much of a presence in class.

He had never taken the initiative to talk to Yuuta before, outside of a few group

assignments, and the other boy seemed curious about the sudden interaction.

Amane responded to his confusion with an awkward smile, then undid the zipper of a

small pocket on the front of his bag.

"Nothing in particular, just, here—"

From the pocket, Amane pulled out several plastic supermarket bags, folded into

compact triangles, and tossed them to Yuuta.

Mahiru had put them there and told him, "Keep a few of these in your bag. That way

you'll have them whenever you need them." He had imagined he might use them for

garbage or maybe in case of motion sickness, but he'd never expected them to come

in handy like this.

Looking perplexed by the strange bundles, Yuuta unfolded one of the triangles to

reveal a relatively large disposable shopping bag. The plastic didn't look particularly

durable, but Amane decided that Yuuta would just have to manage somehow.

"Did I… uh… read the situation wrong?" Amane asked.

"N-no…," Yuuta replied. "You're right on target, but—"

"Great. Well, good luck with all that." Reflecting on the many hazards of popularity,

Amane waved good-bye and left the classroom.

Later, Yuuta was spotted around the school carrying several shopping bags stuffed to

bursting.

Though it was Valentine's Day, that didn't mean that there was anything special in the

air at home, and Amane went back to his apartment to relax just like always.

It was too early to start making dinner, so he and Mahiru lounged beside each other

on the couch. She didn't seem excited or on edge in any way, and Amane took this as a

sign that she was definitely not planning anything special today.

He didn't mind, since he wasn't expecting anything in the first place, but couldn't quite

dispel the slight disappointment that he chalked up to his manly pride.

"There was a sweet smell hanging over the school today, huh?" Amane remarked.

"It is Valentine's Day," Mahiru replied.

Amane had heard a lot of disappointed grumbling coming from the boys in his class.

Mahiru had only given chocolates to her female friends—she hadn't even handed out

courtesy chocolates to the boys.

Amane wondered why any of them had assumed they might receive anything in the

first place—it wasn't like they had any kind of relationship with her… but nevertheless,

they had high hopes.

"Well, Valentine's Day really only matters to the popular guys anyway. It's got nothing

to do with lackluster guys like me…"

"How very perceptive of you," Mahiru remarked.

"I'm not exactly proud to say this," Amane continued unprompted, "but I've never

received a romantic gift from anyone. Though, I did just get some Russian roulette

courtesy chocolates from Chitose."

"Russian roulette courtesy chocolates?"

"Apparently, mixed in among the normal chocolates are some… exciting concoctions."

It was impossible to tell the super-spicy, super-sour, super-sweet, and super-bitter

chocolates from the rest, and any one of them seemed capable of obliterating his sense

of taste. Amane was kind of afraid to start eating at all.

"Another amazing creation…"

"Well, I'll eat them later, but please show some sympathy if you find me rolling around

in agony."

"You're going to eat them all?"

"The thing is… She sorta made them just for me, so I kinda feel obligated to eat them.

Besides, it's not like they're poisonous or anything."

The chocolates might be extra stimulating, but it wasn't like they would cause him any

real harm, and Chitose had gone out of her way to make and deliver them, so he was

one hundred percent planning to eat them all with gratitude in his heart. Still, the

exciting ingredients made him rather nervous.

"…Is that how it is?" Mahiru muttered.

"Well, it's not like I got any other chocolates, and for a loner like me, Valentine's Day

doesn't mean much besides an excuse to eat some candy."

Amane was perfectly content with a single courtesy gift. He was already worried about

the day one month from now when he would have to repay Chitose's present and

wondered what he should get her.

Mahiru simply stared at him silently.

After dinner, Amane decided to sample one of Chitose's chocolates and ended up

facedown on his desk in agony.

Chitose had arranged evenly spaced partitions containing twelve truffles inside the

box. There were four varieties of "surprise" chocolate. That meant he had a one-in-three

chance of picking something that would give his taste buds the shock of a lifetime.

Among those, the worst was sure to be the super-spicy one. Amane figured that he

could handle the rest without too much trouble, but—

"You found one, didn't you?" Mahiru asked in a sympathetic tone. She had been in the

kitchen preparing drinks and returned to find Amane in obvious distress.

"…I was planning to eat them all over a few days, and this is what I get…"

Amane quickly quaffed his drink, but the inside of his mouth was beyond hot. This

went beyond having a low tolerance for spicy food—he was in real pain here. It wasn't

more than he could handle, but it was still pretty intense.

As the characteristically sharp sting of wasabi shot through his nose, Amane found

himself thinking how impressive it was that Chitose had managed to include so much

of the volatile component. He cursed her name while trying to hold back the

instinctive tears.

The wasabi attacked his nose and eyes, while the habanero powder and hot pepper

burned his tongue. A single nibble of these intense flavors—or rather, intense

torments—was enough to ruin him.

"My condolences," Mahiru said. "But think of it this way—if you make it through hell

first, the rest will be heaven."

Easy for her to say. Amane was still in agony. He heard a soft sigh and then the sound

of something hard being set down beside him.

"Here, this should help."

When he raised his head, there was a mug beside him, filled with a dark-brown liquid,

giving off steam and a sweet aroma.

"Cocoa?"

"Something like that. It's called chocolat chaud. It's French hot chocolate. I made it

fairly sweet. It should help cleanse your palate."

"I'm saved…"

Right now, the only thing Amane wanted to do was to wash away this pain.

As Amane tipped the contents of the mug into his mouth, a rich flavor enveloped his

senses. The liquid had the luscious fragrance of full-bodied chocolate but was actually

not that sweet. It tasted like dark chocolate and possessed a calming flavor that went

down very easily.

"It's great."

"I'm glad to hear it."

Amane slowly sipped the hot chocolate, attempting to soothe the pain in his mouth.

The truffle hadn't actually contained very much of the spicy mixture. It had mostly

been ganache coated in a thick layer of chocolate and covered in powdered sugar. The

weaponized sweet packed a big kick up front, but the impact faded as time went on.

By the time Amane had drained his mug, he was left with only a slight tingle on his

tongue.

"Sigh… She really outdid herself…"

"Was it really that spicy?"

"I mean, it had pepper and wasabi and habanero in it, so yeah. Damn… I'm glad you

made that palate cleanser, but I think I would've died if I ate any more."

"Well, I suppose there's no harm done."

"Good grief."

Even as he cursed Chitose's name under his breath, he knew that she had tried in her

own way to surprise him, so he couldn't really be upset with her. All the chocolates

besides the special four probably tasted normal, so it wasn't like there was any malice

behind it. And she had even tried all the exotic ingredients herself. Amane could do

nothing but smile bitterly.

"Anyway, the hot chocolate was a nice surprise. Usually you stick to hot milk, right?"

"…Yes, well…"

"Did you decide to make this because it's Valentine's Day?" Amane asked hopefully.

Mahiru basically always drank hot milk or milk tea, so the cocoa was unexpected.

"…Maybe."

"Well, thank you. You're a lifesaver."

Mahiru responded with a small nod, and Amane breathed a quiet sigh of relief.

He had gone out on a limb there, and if she had shot him down, he would have looked

like a real idiot. But apparently, he'd been right on the money. Mahiru had wanted to

do something special for Valentine's Day after all. Amane was sure there wasn't any

deeper meaning to it than that, but he was still grateful.

"It was delicious," he said again.

Mahiru seemed uncomfortable.

"Is something the matter?" he prodded.

"…Um, well—"

"Hmm?"

Amane knew that sitting beside her and pressing her for an answer would probably

just make it harder for her to tell him, so he tried to be patient and listen instead.

Mahiru hugged one of the pillows over half her face as she stared up at him anxiously.

She looked like a small and strangely adorable animal, which made Amane want to

smile and reach out and pat her on the head. He continued waiting, but instead of

continuing her thought, Mahiru simply trembled silently.

Then she stood up suddenly and grabbed her bags.

"…I'm… going home."

By the time Amane let out a noise of surprise, Mahiru had already slipped out of the

living room. He was frozen in place as he listened to the sound of her receding

footsteps, then the front door opening and closing, and finally the sound of the lock

turning. In a flash, Mahiru was gone.

He couldn't help letting out a confused noise at this quick work. "Eh…?"

Did I do something wrong…?

His heart was torn between surprise at her unexpected departure and worry that he

had inadvertently driven her away. He stood up, thinking about what he should do if

Mahiru was still in a bad mood when he saw her tomorrow, and went to check the

front door. Suddenly, he caught sight of a light-pink paper bag hanging from the

doorknob of his room. Mahiru must have left it there.

Inside the bag was a pastel-pink box tied with a chocolate-colored ribbon, and there

was a card affixed to the front with a sticker. The handwriting was smooth and neat.

Thank you for always being there for me. Please accept this with my gratitude.

Amane realized why she had left the bag there. Just handing it to him would have been

too awkward, especially after she had decided not to give chocolate to any other boys.

She could have just given it to me…

Smiling gently at how surprisingly timid Mahiru could be in these sorts of situations,

Amane sat back down on the sofa and examined the contents of the bag.

The adorable wrapping paper reminded him of Mahiru's sophisticated yet feminine

style.

Amane figured it was all right for him to go ahead and open it, and with some

apprehension, he slowly unwrapped the box.

Inside were candied orange rings dipped in chocolate, each individually wrapped in

plastic—in other words, orangettes.

The contrast between the bright color and the deep luster of the chocolate was dazzling

to the eye, and the box even included a few with white chocolate coating, and some

used lemon peels instead of oranges. They looked delicious, and Amane appreciated

the variety.

There was a second card accompanying the Orangettes.

You don't seem to like sweet things too much, so I made you something that I thought

would better suit your tastes. I hope you like it.

He recalled a conversation from about ten days earlier.

"What kind do you like?"

"I'm not really into sweet things, so… something not too sweet."

Apparently, Mahiru had remembered his conversation with Chitose perfectly and

picked something that would match his tastes. Amane suddenly felt very self-conscious.

He hadn't expected to receive anything at all, and here she had selected something

especially for him. It was typical of the sensitive, considerate Mahiru. Amane could feel

himself starting to blush just thinking about it.

He reached down and picked up one of the orangettes, appreciating the beautiful

colors as he unwrapped the candy and slowly took a bite. The sugary and astringent

bite of the candied orange peel melded perfectly with the pleasantly bitter chocolate

in his mouth, each flavor complimenting the other in a splendid harmony.

…So good…

Amane marveled at how Mahiru's handmade confections were much better than

anything he'd ever gotten from the store as he took another bite.

Mahiru's orangettes were a little sour, a little bitter—and intensely sweet.

"Hey, Fujimiya, thanks for yesterday."

The following morning, Yuuta casually approached Amane at school. He seemed

cheerful and friendly, but Amane couldn't help but feel nervous talking to him. Even

though they had briefly spoken the day before, Amane never would have expected him

to go out of his way to come say thanks just for that.

A few people shot them curious glances, which only made Amane even more nervous.

He didn't like being the center of attention.

"Oh, don't worry about it. You looked like you were having a hard time."

"Well, yeah…" Yuuta got a faraway look in his eyes

"I bet being a popular guy is really tough, huh?" Amane tried to sympathize.

Yuuta was clearly aware of his popularity, but it wasn't the kind of thing he would ever

flaunt. That was part of why everybody liked him—and why even the most jealous

boys couldn't bring themselves to truly hate him. He was the kind of guy who would

come over and thank you for something as trivial as a plastic bag.

"Anyway, it was a big help. Just wanted to say thanks."

"Don't mention it. Glad I could help a guy in need."

He hadn't offered to help so that Yuuta would owe him or anything. Amane smiled to

show that he thought it was no big deal, and Yuuta smiled back, looking relieved. The

girls in the class all squealed. Amane couldn't help but laugh bitterly as he wished that

Yuuta would save his smile for his admirers.

"What did you do for Yuuta?" Itsuki asked after Yuuta left. Apparently, he had been

watching the exchange.

"Kadowaki had too much chocolate, so I gave him a couple plastic bags."

"Ah. So he ended up with more than he expected. Shoulda come prepared." Itsuki

smiled sympathetically.

The two of them had watched Yuuta pile up the presents and agreed that he would

probably have a hard time making it home with the whole score. Itsuki wasn't

surprised that Amane had decided to help out.

As far as Amane was concerned, it was really just a small gesture. Nothing worth going

out of your way to say thank you for.

"Well, that's all it was. Nothing too important."

"That's just like you, man… But wait, you're keeping a bunch of old plastic bags

around? Aren't you getting a little too engrossed in the domestic life? When I saw you

scanning grocery store ads on your phone, I thought you were somebody's housewife."

"Hey, whose wife is that supposed to be? Last time I checked, I was still a man. Though,

I'll admit that maybe I've been heavily influenced by you-know-who…"

Without a doubt, he could say it was all Mahiru's fault. The two of them were splitting

food expenses, so he had been checking online ads, thinking he had better get the best

deals he could, then suggesting things they could make from whatever was on sale.

Apparently, that reminded Itsuki more of a housewife than a husband. Though he did

leave the cooking entirely up to Mahiru.

"Must be nice to have a partner to play house."

"She's not really my partner. And what about Chitose?"

"Chi? Well, sure. So long as I can keep her from getting carried away with her weird

experiments anyway. I mean, she knows how to cook, for sure."

"…Does she ever make anything that's not weird?"

"That's just part of her charm, all right?" Itsuki's eyes darted from side to side.

"Whatever you need to tell yourself, man."

For better or worse, there was rarely a dull moment with Chitose. She might've looked

like an ordinary high school girl, and apparently she even had some surprising talents

on the home front, but when the mood struck her, she was liable to cause all sorts of

trouble.

"Well, it sounds like she's going to get it together after we're married, so—"

"How long do you think it's going to take to get your dad to accept her…?"

Itsuki's father, who was oddly strict about dating in a way that you didn't see much

these days, had never approved of Chitose. He would definitely have something to say

if he heard that they were planning to get married.

Chitose's parents, on the other hand, were apparently ready to welcome Itsuki into

the family at any time, which always confused Amane… Wasn't it usually the other way

around?

"Well, once we're adults, he'll have to come around. I'll threaten him with not seeing

his grandkids and all that. This is one fight where I can't back down and just do what

my dad wants."

Itsuki made a show of shrugging like he didn't think much of it, but Amane noticed the

serious look in his eyes. He was obviously not planning to budge on this issue.

Amane had always understood the extent to which Itsuki loved Chitose, so he chose to

encourage them, admiring how amazing it was that they were thinking about

marriage even while they were still in high school.

"…Well, I think you're probably not one to back down until you've got a ring on her

finger, so I wish you the best of luck."

"Yeah. And good luck to you, too," Itsuki replied.

"At what?"

"I mean, with you-know-who… Right?"

"…I don't really have that kind of relationship with her. Don't make things up."

Amane turned away sharply, but he could hear Itsuki's bright, cheerful laughter.

Amane purchased everything he needed at the supermarket and headed home. When

he got there, Mahiru was already in his apartment, sitting on the sofa, waiting in her

usual spot. She had her knees pulled up and was squeezing a cushion to her chest. The

position made her look a little childish, but her expression wasn't sulky or dour.

Rather, she looked embarrassed.

Well, thank goodness she's wearing a long skirt, Amane thought as he carefully averted

his eyes and went to put the dinner ingredients away in the refrigerator. When he

returned to the living room, Mahiru was still sitting there waiting for him.

When Amane sat down next to her, Mahiru carefully averted her eyes.

"Mahiru, thank you for the gift yesterday. It was really delicious."

"…I'm glad to hear it."

Amane thought that if she was nervous about what happened yesterday, the best thing

to do was to show her how much he appreciated it. Mahiru continued squeezing the

cushion but didn't say anything else.

"What would you like in return?" Amane asked.

"That's not why I gave it to you…"

"I know that, but well, give a favor, get a favor, right? It wouldn't be very gentlemanly

of me if all I do is take, take, take."

Amane believed that a man should always strive to pay back whatever he received.

Since Mahiru had gone out of her way to make him such delicious treats, he intended

to give her something equally splendid in return. She hadn't made chocolates for any

other boy, after all, yet she had made something special that she knew he would like.

It must have been a lot of work, all for his sake.

"…I already get so many things from you, Amane."

"Actually, I'm pretty sure I'm the one who's been on the receiving end. You're always

cooking for me and stuff. I always feel like I'm just taking advantage of you."

"I do those things because I like doing them. Amane, you probably don't even realize

how much you've done for me. But as far as I'm concerned, I've already received more

than enough, so I don't need anything else."

Amane genuinely could not imagine what he might have offered Mahiru. It seemed

like she was always doing things for him, and he wanted to pay her back for all her

kindness… but the tally was apparently very different from Mahiru's perspective.

"Well, that is that, and this is this. I'll try to think of something you might like."

No matter what Amane might have done for her until now, he still wanted to get her a

White Day present. It was tradition to repay any Valentine's Day chocolates on White

Day, after all.

Amane stared firmly at Mahiru, indicating that he had no intention of giving in on this,

until she nodded, her eyes wandering around the room a bit.

"…Fine."

"All right, so I've got about a month to figure out what to give you. It would be great if

I could find something that you would really like."

"…Do you have time for a search like that?" Mahiru asked, sounding slightly

exasperated. "Next week we have final exams, and then right after, there's the closing

ceremony."

Sure enough, finals were only days away.

There had still been a lingering aftertaste of Valentine's Day at school that day, but

soon it would be replaced with the typical prickly energy of pre-exam anxiety.

Amane wasn't particularly nervous about it, though.

"If the exams go the same as usual," he said, "I'm sure I'll pass, so I'm not going to stress

about them now. Same for you, I bet."

"That's true," Mahiru replied. "I make a point to get my work done with time to spare."

Amane was always diligent when it came to keeping up with his classwork, so he rarely

had any trouble with tests. He knew he could maintain his usual grades without any

last-minute cram sessions. At most, he might spend a little extra time reviewing the

material right before each test.

Mahiru had actually already completed all the coursework in advance, and she was

just as diligent about studying as Amane was, so he had never seen her panic about

schoolwork. Instead, exam days with their shortened schedules were probably like

half days for her.

"Well, don't expect too much."

"…Okay. I'll treasure anything you give me."

"Hey, don't get carried away now."

"I've been taking very good care of Mr. Bear."

"I'm glad to hear it." Amane smiled.

Apparently, Mahiru really treasured the stuffed bear he had given her on her birthday.

He had also seen her using the key holder, and she seemed to be taking good care of

that as well. He had worried a little bit about how the stuffed bear was faring, but…

from all indications, Mahiru really liked it.

Amane could feel his mouth curling up into a grin when he heard Mahiru cutely refer

to Mr. Bear, but he thought she might scowl at him if she caught him smiling, so he put

on his best poker face.

If we're still hanging out when her next birthday rolls around, what sort of thing can I

give her…? he wondered anxiously.

Suddenly, Amane noticed that Mahiru was staring at him.

"…Come to think of it, I don't know when your birthday is," she said.

"Uh, mine? Mine is November eighth."

Guess I never told her, huh?

When she heard his birthday, Mahiru's eyes narrowed… ever so slightly. They had been

spending a lot of time together for several months, so he had come to understand that

expression as the one she made when she was angry or annoyed.

"…Hey, Amane?"

"Hmm?"

"Didn't we already know each other by then?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because you never asked. You didn't tell me your birthday, either, remember? I only

knew because I saw it on your school ID."

"Urk—"

"And we weren't that close back then anyway. If I had told you my birthday, you would

have wondered why in the world I was bringing it up."

Also, Amane hadn't wanted to come across like he was fishing for a present or

anything. That would not have been a good look. So he hadn't seen the need to tell her

about his birthday—they hadn't had that kind of relationship back then.

"…But—"

"You really don't have to worry about it," Amane insisted.

"Fine…," Mahiru said. "But we'll definitely celebrate your birthday properly this year."

As she said that, she turned to him and grasped his sleeve tightly.

Mahiru obviously didn't want this unequal situation to continue. He had never seen

someone so serious about a birthday before.

Amane couldn't help but grin—not his normal, wry smirk, but an honest, happy smile.

After all, nothing could make him happier than hearing that Mahiru felt the same way

he did… and that she was thinking about spending time together in the future.

"So you're planning to stay with me at least that long, are you?" he prodded.

Mahiru's bright, caramel-colored eyes went wide—and then, in an instant, her face

flushed red, and where she had been gripping his sleeve a moment ago, she whacked

him with the cushion, obviously trying to hide her embarrassment. Amane could feel

himself smiling again at how charming she was.

"…Well, I suppose I don't hate the thought… I always feel so calm when we're together.

It's nice."

"Oh really? Thanks."

"But you know I don't really… have any other intentions."

"I knew that already." Amane nodded. "And that's fine with me."

For some reason, Mahiru looked slightly disappointed.