Chapter 93: A Sweet and Bitter Day

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Translator: Soafp

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The classroom in the morning was more chaotic than usual. It was still before homeroom started, and the students were enjoying their conversations, the air in the classroom feeling somewhat lighthearted. It didn't take long to figure out what they were talking about.

“Hey, do you think anyone's gonna give you chocolate?”

“Hmm, maybe there's a chance?”

“Seriously? Lucky!”

Valentine's Day was the topic of conversation everywhere. Listening to this, I sat at my desk and pulled out my textbook from my bag. I put it in my desk as usual, preparing for class. But in the back of my mind, something began to nag at me.

…That's right, today's Valentine's Day.

I hadn't really thought about it until yesterday. But recently, I felt like my distance with Marin, Kagura, and even Miyabi and Aoi was shrinking little by little. Maybe because of that, I had secretly started to hope that maybe, just maybe… I could receive something.

But even so, just because I hoped for it didn't mean it would actually happen…

I sighed quietly, trying to push down my thoughts. But then—

“Good morning!”

A lively voice from the doorway reached my ears. It was Miyabi and Aoi, entering the classroom. They casually greeted their friends as they came in, but instead of heading straight to their seats, they made their way directly toward me.

Eh…?

The moment they started walking towards me, the atmosphere in the room shifted. I could feel the conversations around me stop, and everyone's eyes turned toward us. It was clear just how noticeable it was for Miyabi and Aoi to be walking toward my desk. But more than that—

Miyabi, taking a small breath, pulled something from her bag.

It was a small box wrapped in a cute ribbon.

“This… um, since it's Valentine's Day,” she said, her face reddening as she gently placed the box on my desk.

“I also… want you to take it. W-we're not just giving you a token gift, okay?” Aoi added, blushing as well, pulling out another wrapped box and placing it beside the first one.

Eh… eh…!?

My brain couldn't keep up. My heart was pounding loudly. I could feel the eyes of everyone on me. I could hardly believe what I was seeing.

Miyabi and Aoi, both shy but glancing at me for just a moment, then hurriedly returned to their seats.

Left standing there, I stared at the two boxes on my desk.

This is really… for me?

Just as I reached out, a strong arm grabbed my shoulder.

“Why are you getting chocolate from those two?!”

“Huh!? What's going on? Are you going out with either Miyabi-chan or Aoi-chan?!”

“I'm so jealous!!”

The boys crowded around my desk, shaking my shoulders and making a ruckus. The whole classroom was buzzing as if something huge had happened.

“Wait, wait, no, no! It's not like that!” I tried to deny it, but the boys wouldn't listen.

“Well, both of them were blushing, and they said it wasn't just a token gift, right?”

“Seriously… I'm feeling the unfairness of the world right now…”

“So, which one are you gonna choose?”

“It's not like I'm choosing between them!!”

This is impossible. My face was burning. No matter what I said, the misunderstanding just kept growing.

“Alright, alright, enough with the noise! Sit down!” The bell rang, and the teacher entered the room. Finally, the boys reluctantly returned to their seats.

I sighed as I carefully placed the chocolates into my bag.

—I really got chocolate from them.

Miyabi and Aoi gave me chocolate.

Even as I tried to suppress the swirling emotions inside me, I could feel a warmth spreading deep in my chest.

The teacher started the lesson, but I couldn't focus on anything except for the events that had just happened. Even when I opened my notebook or held my pen, all I could think about were Miyabi and Aoi. I never imagined I would receive chocolate from them, let alone that it wasn't just a token gift. I still felt the stares of my classmates lingering on me, and I couldn't settle down.

Before I knew it, the lesson ended, and the bell for lunch rang. I exhaled deeply.

At that moment—

The classroom door opened, and Marin and Kagura, who had arrived late, appeared. Both of them casually looked toward me, their expressions suggesting they had something to say.

—Could it be that these two also…?

I could feel the atmosphere around me change. The boys started to fidget. It made sense—Marin and Kagura, two popular girls, had arrived on Valentine's Day.

As if to fulfill the expectations, Marin smiled and searched through her bag, pulling out a small package.

“Here, chocolate. Please take it.”

With a broad smile, she began handing out chocolates to the boys in the class.

“Whoa! I got chocolate from Kousaka-san…! I'll treasure it forever!”

One of the boys who received the chocolate shouted in joy. But it was only a moment—

“It's just a token gift.”

Marin casually said this, and the boy's expression immediately fell.

“Ugh…!”

The boys around him, too, had their brief happiness crushed as they went from joy to despair. Some tried to stay positive, thinking, “Well, at least I got something,” but most looked on, their faces full of sorrow.

Meanwhile, Marin was also handing out chocolates to the girls.

“Wow, thank you so much!”

The girls received them happily, their faces bright with smiles, while the boys looked on, dejected.

Ignoring their lamentations, Marin finished handing out the chocolates. She glanced in my direction, but didn't seem to do anything else.

And then, Kagura briefly made eye contact with me, but nothing happened after that.

…Haha, I guess I was being overly self-conscious.

Just as I thought that, my phone in my pocket vibrated.

A message notification.

I looked at the screen, and the sender was—

Kagura.

“Come to the rooftop of the west building.”

A flutter of excitement mixed with confusion stirred in my chest.

…Huh?

As I looked up, Kagura and I made eye contact. She winked at me subtly, making sure no one else noticed.

Could it be—

Before I could think any further, I quietly stood up from my seat and, trying not to draw attention, slipped out of the classroom, heading toward the west building.

I climbed the stairs and stopped in front of the door that led to the rooftop. My heart was strangely loud, and I took a deep breath before slowly opening the door.

The cold wind blew through, rustling the hem of my uniform. I stepped forward, slowly walking.

The view before me was a vast blue sky, and I could see the roof of the school building in the distance. The rooftop, empty and quiet, felt like a different world compared to the bustle below.

I walked to the railing, resting my hand on the cold metal as I took another deep breath. The winter air chilled my cheeks.

I heard faint footsteps, and the silence of the rooftop was broken.

At that moment—

The door creaked behind me.

My heart skipped a beat.

Was it Kagura? Or—

Confusion and anticipation mixed, and I turned around.

And then—

“Konatsu…-chan?”

I couldn't believe my eyes. I never expected to run into her here. According to what Miyabi and the others had said, she had been absent from school for a while.

The first time I'd seen her in so long—yet, she smiled as if nothing had happened.

My throat tightened for a moment. I wanted to speak, but the words didn't come.

Konatsu continued to look at me, taking one step, then another, getting closer.

“It's been a while, Hajimei-senpai…”

Her hair swayed in the wind, and despite the cold air, her expression remained unchanged. What she was hiding behind her eyes—I still didn't know.