Horikita Suzune was unaware that Kaoru was presumptuously analyzing her mental state.
All she knew was that as Valentine's Day approached, the atmosphere around her seemed to be growing subtly peculiar.
At first, she hadn't noticed this restless stirring - like the announcement of spring's arrival, with bees fluttering their wings, coveting fragrant nectar.
The faint vibrations hidden in the air caused some people's gazes to inadvertently intertwine for a moment.
Sudo began inquiring about Horikita Suzune's Valentine's Day plans.
When he heard her say it had nothing to do with her and that she wouldn't be giving any chocolate, he clearly showed disappointment.
Indeed, Horikita Suzune subconsciously never considered Valentine's Day relevant to herself.
She had never even given obligation chocolate before, let alone accepted anyone's chocolate.
It wasn't until after school, when Kushida approached her with a smile and told her she must give Kaoru love chocolate, that Horikita Suzune finally understood.
"Ahaha, you don't have to give it, but then I'll make sure he disciplines you thoroughly."
Horikita Suzune wasn't particularly concerned about this threat, but she was puzzled.
"I'm curious, how are you all planning to spend Valentine's Day?" she added. "If you're all planning to go on dates with him, my presence shouldn't matter, right?"
Since it was Valentine's Day, it should be a holiday for couples.
Horikita Suzune considered her relationship with Kaoru to be one of debtor and creditor, so Valentine's Day didn't apply to them.
The thought of following behind Kaoru like a little girlfriend, this feeling of blind obedience, made Horikita Suzune uncomfortable. She felt her own affairs were more important.
"Hehehe, keep pretending," Kushida pursed her lips. "Anyway, come tomorrow night. Even if we have a sound party, you'll be the main attraction. You can't escape!"
"Has your brain become completely filled with nothing but vulgar thoughts?" Horikita Suzune expressed her dissatisfaction as well.
Honestly, she was quite bothered by the idea of going together with Kushida.
Kushida snorted coldly - she really couldn't stand this girl.
"Can't be bothered to argue with you. Just know we'll all be waiting for you tomorrow."
...
"Masumi, this is your chocolate."
Kamuro watched as the man beside her took out an expensive-looking chocolate, her pretty face remaining cold and indifferent as she didn't immediately accept it.
"Has no one told you that boys are supposed to return the favor with chocolate next month?"
"I know, but I had a feeling Masumi wouldn't give me any chocolate today, so I had to be the one to give some."
"…"
As if he heard her click her tongue in annoyance, she turned her face completely away, then tilted her hand slightly, shoving a chocolate rather aggressively into Kaoru's line of sight.
"This is…"
"I picked it up on the street. The convenience store was packed with people buying chocolate today, so I just grabbed one for you."
Though her tone sounded impatient, her cheeks and neck were faintly flushed.
Kaoru took the chocolate from Kamuro, unwrapped it, and found it to be just an ordinary piece—not even heart-shaped.
"Masumi."
"What? If you don't want it, give it back."
"I'm going to keep this chocolate as a memento. For now, let's share mine—it has a heart on it."
"Don't you dare keep it. Eat it right now."
"No way. Its value as a keepsake far outweighs its edible value. I suggest we eat mine instead."
Kamuro glared at him fiercely, suspecting he was deliberately teasing her.
When a girl gives chocolate to a boy, of course, she hopes he'll taste the feelings she put into it.
But before she could say anything, a familiar, crisp sound tapped against the floor.
"May I have a taste?"
A hand reached over and naturally picked up the chocolate from Kaoru's grasp.
Of course, it was his chocolate she took, not Kamuro's.
"So sweet."
Sakayanagi Arisu frowned, then took another piece. "So this is the flavor you carefully selected, Mitoma-kun?"
"Shouldn't you offer your own chocolate in exchange when you take someone else's?" Kaoru glanced at her empty hands.
"Just thinking about how you'll get to taste so many different chocolates today made me not want to prepare any for you."
Sakayanagi Arisu unwrapped a piece of chocolate. "I thought Masumi-san felt the same way, but it turns out she secretly prepared some for you."
Kamuro retorted, "It's obligation chocolate. Giving it to him is no different from giving it to anyone else."
"Hehe, I was talking about obligation chocolate too."
Sakayanagi Arisu brought the chocolate in her hand to Kaoru's lips. "If you're free today, this one's for you."
Both of them froze for a moment at the scene, especially Kaoru, who hadn't expected her to actively feed him.
If he had thought about Sakayanagi Arisu's words a little, it would have been easy to catch her underlying meaning—asking if someone is free on Valentine's Day itself carries ambiguous implications.
However, Kaoru said quietly, "Arisu, the same tricks won't work on me."
With that, he decisively opened his mouth, taking in the girl's fingertip along with the chocolate, letting it melt in his mouth.
The heated sensation left the girl rooted to the spot.
"Wh-what are you doing?!"
The first one to lose her composure was Kamuro, her eyes wide and face flushed.
After the initial shock, Sakayanagi Arisu seemed to snap out of it, as if she had stumbled upon something incredibly amusing.
With a smile, not only did she not pull her finger away immediately, but she began to playfully tease Kaoru's tongue.
The slightly bitter chocolate quickly dissolved in his mouth, the creamy milk filling blossoming forth.
The girl's fingers carried a faint milky fragrance.
"Aha, Mitoma-kun is truly a disgusting man to the extreme."
Like a little devil teasing her pet, Sakayanagi Arisu looked at Kaoru with playful indulgence, her twisted tastes no less perverse than his depravity.
"You two! Unbelievable!"
Kamuro could hardly continue speaking.
This despicable pair before her were absolutely made for each other!
Kaoru grabbed Sakayanagi Arisu's wrist, slowly pulling the sticky fingers out of his mouth.
"Should I say 'thanks for the treat' now?"
Sakayanagi Arisu smiled faintly: "You're welcome, though it's really disgusting."
"You call it disgusting, yet you didn't hesitate to stir your fingers in someone else's mouth. You're plenty disgusting yourself," Kaoru said. "Do you feel no revulsion toward me now?"
"Before that, I should ask you - will you feel any revulsion toward me?"
Sakayanagi Arisu countered.
Kaoru didn't answer.
Sakayanagi withdrew her hand, took a handkerchief from her pocket, and carefully wiped it clean.
This chocolate would likely leave a deep impression, both for him and for Sakayanagi Arisu.
Only Kamuro watched them with a hopeless expression, clearly greatly shocked by what she had witnessed.