February 14th, Valentine's Day.
Izumi Chihiro had just arrived in the classroom.
"Um, Izumi-kun, please accept this!"
A cute little girl came up to him and handed him a beautifully wrapped gift box.
Clearly, these were honmei chocolates.
He was a bit surprised, not expecting that even though he had always kept a low profile, his extraordinary temperament and handsome appearance had still captivated this girl.
"Thank you, this… uh."
Izumi Chihiro took the gift box, wanting to thank her but realizing he couldn't remember her name, which was quite awkward.
"Izumi-kun, baka!"
The little girl showed a wronged expression, then turned and ran out of the classroom.
He sat back in his seat and opened the gift box, finding a note inside.
"Izumi-kun, I like you! It started with that smile on the day we were on duty… But I know it's impossible, so Izumi-kun, you don't need to respond to me."
Reading this, he remembered something: there was a time when they were both on duty together, and it was probably then that she fell for him.
"Although you're cute, you're not my type, sorry."
Izumi Chihiro chuckled and closed the gift box.
"Wow, Sawamura Student, look… Izumi-kun was just confessed to."
The girl next to her called out to Eriri, looking excited.
"Mm, I know."
Eriri smiled politely, then turned her head away.
In fact, she had noticed it early on, because that girl had specifically asked her last week if she would mind if she confessed.
Of course, she couldn't say she minded!
Otherwise, the next day there would only be one rumor throughout the school: Sawamura Student likes Izumi-kun!
Although… but…
She really wasn't mentally prepared yet.
Eriri silently took a small gift box from her desk drawer, then pushed it back in.
What should she do?
She had already prepared it; wouldn't it be a waste if she didn't give it to him?
But if she gave it to him, wouldn't that mean…
"My head hurts so much!"
She clutched her golden hair, distressed.
Why isn't this something the boy does! Dammit!
Inside the meeting room, the two sat next to each other.
Eriri secretly glanced at her childhood friend's face from the corner of her eye, then after a few seconds, shifted her gaze to her bento box, going back and forth, hesitant to speak.
Until Izumi Chihiro had finished his bento.
"So, Eriri, why did you ask me to come today?"
Izumi Chihiro tilted his head and looked over.
"Um, uh... you know today is Valentine's Day, right? Actually, yesterday, by chance, Kasan had some leftover chocolate when she was making some for Father, and to avoid wasting it, she let me try making some myself. After I made it, I thought and thought and realized I had no one else to give it to, so I guess I'll just give it to you... out of obligation."
Eriri's face was flushed the whole time, and she emphasized the last part.
"Aunt Sayuri is so romantic? She's already in her dozens."
Izumi Chihiro raised an eyebrow, his gaze playful.
"Who knows what she's thinking."
Eriri's eyes flickered.
"This packaging..."
Izumi Chihiro glanced at the packaging style, which clearly looked like 'honmei' chocolate, and he raised a question.
"This was also made with leftovers, don't worry about it!"
Eriri said loudly.
'Can't she just be a little more straightforward, this girl?'
He sighed inwardly.
He opened the package, and inside were small star-shaped chocolates. He reached out to pick one up, then suddenly paused.
"But, you said you made these yourself. Are you sure they'll be okay?"
Izumi Chihiro asked with concern in his eyes.
"Don't worry, it's not poisoned, it won't kill you!"
Eriri said fiercely.
'How dare he question me? Kasan lectured me so many times for this!'
Izumi Chihiro, with some apprehension, ate a piece of chocolate.
"It tastes pretty good, the ingredients are quite normal."
His expression relaxed considerably.
"It's just so-so. Even though it's 'giri' chocolate, I wouldn't be perfunctory."
Eriri looked smug, her little fangs showing.
After school, while picking up Mashiro, Shiina Mafuyu also gave out a 'giri' chocolate.
"I also wanted to try the feeling of giving chocolate, and incidentally, thank Chihiro for his help. The short yuri novel I reposted earlier made my blog's follower count skyrocket."
That's what she said.
"Oh, right, something like that did happen."
When Mashiro saw this, she suddenly remembered the chocolate she had made, and gave it to him after they returned home.
"This is a thank you for the baumkuchen."
Although it wasn't a confession, Mashiro's initial understanding of 'equivalent exchange' and 'gratitude' made him quite happy.
Mashiro was becoming more and more like a real person, rather than that overly ethereal feeling.
After he returned home, Yamada Elf and Kani Nayuta, who was temporarily staying at her house, also followed him.
He tasted each of them, and the two of them started acting up again.
"Senpai, my love is even sweeter than chocolate, would you like to try it yourself?"
Kani Nayuta grabbed his wrist, making his heart flutter with her touch and alluring words.
"Eat it, and become Miss Elf's captive!"
Yamada Elf said imperiously, looking down at him.
"Hey, Miss Elf, don't interrupt me!"
Kani Nayuta frowned, her expression displeased.
"I'll do whatever I want!"
Yamada Elf responded defiantly.
"Hmm?"
The two of them glared at each other.
After a good while, the farce finally ended.
The sky darkened.
After seeing Yamada Elf off, Sagiri took out two gift boxes from her closet; the different packaging represented different meanings.
"Ah, which one should I give!?"
The girl racked her brain, finally making a decision.
Knocking on the door, Izumi Chihiro was a little surprised to see what Sagiri had in her hand.
He had thought the day was over.
"Ni-san, please accept Sagiri's gift. I've always relied on Ni-san, so I've always wanted to thank him..."
Sagiri's eyes seemed to be filled with tears.
"It's nothing, it's my duty to take care of you. I promised Mom and Dad..."
Izumi Chihiro was deeply moved, not expecting Sagiri to remember his kindness so much, but in reality, it was nothing.
The door closed again.
"Ah, ah, ah... I'm such an idiot! We're not really siblings or anything..."
Sagiri returned to her room on the second floor and immediately burst into tears.
This time, he had misunderstood what Sagiri's tearful expression was conveying.
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💯 PS = 2 bonus chapter