Chapter 301: Valentine's Day Arrives!
Valentine's is a day full of a sad atmosphere.
Ishigami Yuu thought so. The couples gathering made him remember a few days ago, when suddenly the number of unexpected confessions skyrocketed—as if someone pressed a key that forced people to fall in love, truly frightening.
Even though the country has a declining population, among students who fall in love, 80% don't end up married. Life really has many awful people.
Valentine? Yare yare daze, why must I endure this pain today? – Ishigami Yuu quotes.
Downstairs in the classroom area, Ishigami opened his shoe locker. As expected, there was no chocolate—of course, for an otaku like him, with a bad reputation from middle school, who would give him anything?
The morning passed and Ishigami hadn't received anything, not even giri.
...
Lunchtime.
"Hey, Ishigami, I'll give you this." Onodera Rei carried a whole pile of chocolate, handing him a piece.
"Uii~" Ishigami wiped his tears.
"You're really disgusting, I didn't even want to give you anything. Stop crying, just take it." Onodera lightly scolded.
The first chocolate of the day, Ishigami Yuu suddenly wanted to cry.
...
Ishigami held the chocolate Onodera gave him, planning to eat it in the student council room.
On the way: "Ishigami, this is for you." "Ishigami-kun, will you take this?"
After receiving several chocolates in a row (among them Chika, who was trying hard not to laugh at Ishigami's delighted face), Ishigami began to wonder — 'Could it be I'm entering a popular phase? I have to brag to senpai!'
At the student council door.
"Senpai!!! I got…" Ishigami opened the door, smiling brightly, but when he saw two piles of chocolate on the table, his smile froze.
"Eh?" The amount was overwhelming. Sakurai-senpai and Myuu-senpai had mountains.
"What is this?" Ishigami's face darkened.
Sakurai and Shirogane turned: "Ishigami, perfect timing, we were just about to deal with all this chocolate."
Ishigami's smile vanished. But the smile didn't disappear completely—it shifted—shifted to Shinomiya Kaguya's face.
"Ishigami-kun, surprised?" Kaguya, brewing tea, covered her mouth, laughing. She knew he'd planned to boast.
Too funny—the expression of Ishigami-kun falling from heaven to hell.
"Shocked!" Ishigami gaped. A chocolate pile like a mountain! Are Sakurai-senpai and Myuu-senpai that popular?
Do girls only like handsome guys? Hmph, woman! Ishigami muttered a stupid joke.
"Just happened to meet more students, that's all, this year's busier." Shirogane scratched his head. "All giri."
Could there be frog meat or bugs inside?
Fujiwara, when she giving him, had that suspiciously bright smile—she must be plotting something, Shirogane thought.
Sakurai picked up a piece: "I got a lot last year, and even more this year."
They probably don't know he hates sweets—if they knew, maybe they wouldn't give them.
"So jealous!" someone said—definitely not Ishigami.
"Don't treat the girls' kindness as something to brag about, Ishigami-kun!" Kaguya brought over the tea and lectured him. After a year together, their senpai–kouhai relationship now felt like mother and child—clear progress.
"Yes, ma'am!" Ishigami automatically sat up straight. Recently forced to study in the dark room by Kaguya, he'd developed a reflex—whenever she scolded, he straightened up like Pavlov's dog.
Though that pet-like habit might not be good, whatever—his grades were clearly improving, Ishigami consoled himself.
"What do we do now? All these chocolates without names—how do we return them on White Day?" Shirogane looked troubled.
"No name means no need to return," Sakurai nodded. "Many who gave me chocolates didn't leave names either."
Kaguya handed over the tea, sitting to Sakurai's right: "As for President Shirogane's situation, I'm not sure. Maybe they're teasing you, especially Fujiwara-san—she loves those pranks."
Exactly; a few days ago Chika made a bunch of weird-flavored chocolates—very likely some are in Shirogane's and Ishigami's piles, Sakurai thought to himself.
"But for Sakurai-san, I understand."
"Put yourself in another's place."
"They want that person to know 'someone likes you,' 'someone is willing to give to you,' 'I quietly watch you—look at me,' but since that person already has a girlfriend, they can only stuff their frustration into chocolate. I understand that feeling." Kaguya showed a trace of sadness.
She understands?! Understands what!
If she were really the secretly-in-love girl, would she dare to secretly kiss me?
Sakurai didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"Shinomiya-senpai, do you have someone you like but who doesn't return your feelings?" Ishigami asked curiously. Does Shinomiya-senpai have a lover?
Kaguya shook her head: "No, I'm just putting myself in someone else's place."
"I get it. Shinomiya-senpai gets lots of chocolate every year, love letters every month—someone not returning your love is unbelievable!" Ishigami exclaimed. The words sounded polite, but in his heart he was cursing.
Kaguya is a tiger inside! Being liked by her would doom you for life!
Sakurai felt a chill down his back; in the heat he broke into a sweat.
'Is someone cursing me?'
A few minutes later, they returned to the original topic.
"About the chocolate, Shirogane, you could take some home for Kei-chan," Kaguya suggested.
"She gets more every year than I do," Shirogane sighed. So many guys like his sister—unacceptable! As her brother, he must protect Kei-chan!
"Give some to Miko-chan. She eats a lot." Sakurai had just said that when the student council room door opened.
Iino Miko stepped in shyly, her face adorably bashful.
"Eh?" she gasped. "Why is everyone here?"
Iino Miko had just asked Class A and heard that Sakurai-senpai was in the student council room, but she hadn't expected so many people to be there!
Miko-chan's secret plan to give chocolate—failed!