Miyuki was in a dilemma. Last year, her brother had few close female acquaintances, but this year, their high school alone was teeming with girls who harbored feelings for him.
"How can I ensure Onii-sama eats my chocolate first?" she murmured, lost in thought.
Tatsuya would eat anything she gave him, but Miyuki was scheming to make hers the first he tasted.
"Having him eat chocolate first thing in the morning feels a bit much…" she mused.
"Miyuki, it's time to go," Tatsuya called.
"Oh, yes! I'll be ready in a moment!" she replied, snapping out of her reverie.
"Something on your mind?" he asked, noticing her distraction.
"N-No, it's nothing! I'm sorry for worrying you, Onii-sama," she said quickly.
"As long as it's nothing serious," he said, shrugging.
And so, the morning of February 14th at the Shiba household unfolded as usual for Tatsuya, while Miyuki grappled with her whirlwind of thoughts.
Before parting with Miyuki at the school entrance, Tatsuya noticed a buzz in the air.
"What's going on?" he asked.
"I think you're not entirely unrelated, Onii-sama," Miyuki said with a knowing smile.
"I doubt I'm that involved," he replied, skeptical.
Tatsuya wasn't particularly attuned to romantic attention, so he assumed he was peripheral to the commotion. He'd soon learn how wrong he was.
"Shiba-kun, here," Sayaka said, handing him a chocolate as if she'd been lying in wait near the school gate.
"Thank you, Mibu-senpai," Tatsuya replied politely.
His sharp eyes caught Kirihara nearby, holding a similar gift—likely an obligation chocolate.
"It's handmade, you know. I think it turned out well," Sayaka said, her face flushed.
"Should I share my thoughts later?" Tatsuya offered.
"No need! Just eat it!" she said, her cheeks burning as she hurried away.
As if a dam had burst, a swarm of female students rushed toward Tatsuya.
"Well then, Onii-sama, good luck," Miyuki said, her tone teasing.
"Hey, wait—" Tatsuya called, but she slipped away, avoiding the crowd.
Laden with an armful of chocolates, Tatsuya arrived at his classroom slightly worn out.
"Morning, Tatsuya-kun! Here," Erika said, thrusting a chocolate at him.
"Thanks," he replied.
"Tatsuya-san, from me too," Mizuki added, holding out her own.
Tatsuya accepted both, but his calm response to receiving chocolates from two of the class's most popular girls drew glares from jealous classmates. However, knowing his feats at the Nine Schools Competition, none dared act on their hostility.
"Oh, and this is from the other girls in class," Erika said, handing over a collective gift.
"Why you?" Tatsuya asked, puzzled.
"Talking to you takes guts, you know?" Erika said with a grin, turning to the class. "Right?"
The girls blushed in unison, some fleeing to the hallway in embarrassment.
"You've already got a ton, huh?" Erika noted, eyeing his haul.
"Why am I getting so many? I don't remember doing anything special," Tatsuya said, genuinely confused.
"Tatsuya-san, not all of them might be obligation chocolates," Mizuki said. "I mean, Miyuki's around, but you're technically single, right?"
"Mizuki, Miyuki and I are siblings. Her being around doesn't change that I'm single," Tatsuya said, exasperation creeping in.
Mizuki's face turned scarlet as he called her out.
"Found you!" a voice shouted.
"Amy? Rare to see you here," Tatsuya said.
"I'm here too," Subaru added.
"Satomi, huh," Tatsuya acknowledged.
First-course students rarely visited second-course classrooms, but Amy and Subaru were carefree enough to drop by casually.
"What's up?" Tatsuya asked.
"This is from the first-year Nine Schools team," Amy said, handing over a package.
"Somehow, we got stuck delivering it," Subaru said with a sigh.
"And this one's mine!" Amy added cheerfully.
"Here's mine. I'm not much of a cook, so no guarantees on quality," Subaru said.
"Thanks, I appreciate it," Tatsuya said sincerely.
"By the way, Honoka and Shizuku's aren't in there. They'll probably want to give theirs personally," Amy said with a mischievous grin.
Tatsuya shook his head with a weary "yare yare."
"Mr. Popular," Erika teased.
"Aren't there guys who'd kill for your chocolate?" Tatsuya shot back.
"Mine don't come cheap," Erika said with a smirk.
"I'll keep that in mind," Tatsuya replied, his expression suggesting he valued her gift highly.
Unbeknownst to him, Erika's chocolate was meticulously crafted, far beyond a mere obligation gift. It might even have been a genuine confession…
At lunch, Tatsuya planned to meet Miyuki and head to the student council room, but Honoka and Shizuku beat her to the meeting spot.
"T-Tatsuya-san, please accept this!" Honoka said, thrusting a chocolate at him, her voice trembling with nerves.
"From me too," Shizuku added, her usually flat tone betraying a faint blush.
"Thanks," Tatsuya said, accepting both.
Honoka was visibly tense, and even Shizuku's red cheeks revealed her embarrassment.
"Well, well, if it isn't Shiba-kun~" a voice called.
"Yasutomi-sensei," Tatsuya greeted.
"Here's a Valentine's chocolate. My first time giving one to a student, so I'm a bit nervous," Reimi said, handing it over.
"You don't seem nervous at all," Tatsuya observed dryly.
"Oh, I am! Listen—can you hear it?" she said, pulling him into a hug to let him hear her heartbeat, oblivious to the fact they were in a school hallway.
"I get it! Please let go!" Tatsuya said, flustered.
"Wow, you're surprisingly shy~" Reimi teased.
"It's to avoid trouble," he muttered.
Honoka and Shizuku were already glaring daggers at him.
"I'll make something fancier next year," Reimi said, winking as she left.
"Onii-sama, care to explain that behavior?" Miyuki asked, her voice icy as she appeared.
"Sure, no problem," Tatsuya replied calmly.
His nonchalance surprised Honoka and Shizuku, who hadn't noticed Miyuki's presence. Tatsuya had sensed her all along, but they had no way of knowing.
After lunch in the student council room, Tatsuya struck up a conversation with Suzune, who was unusually present.
"Aren't you and the other seniors busy with exams? I didn't expect you here," he said.
"We're retired, so we hesitated to use this space, but Nakajou-san kindly allowed it," Suzune explained.
"By the way, Tatsuya-kun, here's an obligation chocolate," Mari said, handing him one.
"Thank you, Watanabe-senpai," Tatsuya said.
He noted Mari's usual boldness, but both she and Suzune seemed fidgety, shifting uncomfortably.
"Something wrong?" he asked.
"W-Well, Tatsuya-kun… here!" Mayumi stammered, thrusting a chocolate at him.
"From me too. You helped a lot with tuning guidance," Suzune said, offering hers.
"What's with the nerves? Tatsuya-kun's probably numb to getting chocolates by now," Mari said, laughing.
Her point was fair, but Tatsuya wasn't entirely unaffected. Still, Mayumi and Suzune were clearly more nervous than he was.
"Oh, and from me too. You've helped me a lot, and this is also thanks for the other day," Azusa said, handing over her chocolate.
"Thank you, Nakajou-senpai," Tatsuya said.
As he expressed his gratitude, he couldn't help but notice Miyuki, sitting quietly nearby. Normally, she'd be radiating magic-level intensity in such a situation, but her serene demeanor felt almost eerie to Tatsuya.
After school, as Tatsuya and Miyuki headed home, they found a familiar woman waiting at their doorstep.
"Lieutenant?" Tatsuya said.
"Hey, Tatsuya-kun. Welcome back," Kyoko greeted.
"Want to come in?" he offered.
"No, I'll stay here. Here's your Valentine's chocolate. I meant to bring it yesterday, but I got busy," she said, handing it over.
"No worries. I know you're busy, and today's the actual day," Tatsuya said.
"Oh, and this came by delivery. I happened to be here and accepted it," Kyoko added, handing him a package.
It was from Ishikawa—likely chocolates from Airi and her group.
"I should go. If I stay too long, the head over there might kill me," Kyoko said, glancing at a spot nearby.
"Don't act like I didn't notice," Tatsuya muttered.
"Takkun!" a voice cried.
Unable to hold back any longer, Yotsuba Maya rushed toward Tatsuya, pointing dramatically as she closed in.
"Let's get inside! I've got something special prepared for you, Takkun!" she said.
Tatsuya gave a wry smile, wondering why he felt so reluctant to enter his own home.
"Here! Eat this with Miyuki-san," Maya said, presenting a cake.
"A cake?" Tatsuya asked.
"It's a bit early for Miyuki-san's birthday, but it's made with love for you both!" she said.
Miyuki's birthday was over a month away, but the excuse was clear enough.
"I have to head back now," Maya said.
"Thank you for coming all this way," Tatsuya said.
"Yep! See you, Takkun. You too, Miyuki-san," Maya said, waving.
"Thank you, Auntie," Miyuki replied.
Once Maya was out of sight, Miyuki snatched all of Tatsuya's chocolates and stuffed them into the fridge.
"Onii-sama, please wait a moment. I'll prepare dinner shortly," she said, her tone clipped.
"Uh, sure…" Tatsuya replied, sensing her pent-up frustration.
Resigned to her mood, he figured she'd finally snapped. While working in the basement lab, he got a call from Miyuki via the intercom. Dinner was ready. He headed to the living room.
"Onii-sama, please eat me!" Miyuki declared.
There she stood, covered in chocolate, her face flushed red even through the sweet coating, waiting for him…
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