Episode 99: It’s all this face’s fault. Yui-san, you idiot

Though winter’s chill still lingered, the days were gradually lengthening, and the season had arrived when chocolate advertisements caught the eye everywhere.

This year, while seriously scrutinising a magazine feature over tea with Yuri at a café, wondering what chocolate to give Yui-san, the girl sitting opposite me suddenly spoke up.

“Kanata, you mentioned you’ve been cooking more lately to prepare for moving in together, right? Why not try making the chocolate yourself this year? I reckon your senpai would be absolutely delighted.”

Homemade? I lifted my gaze from the magazine and shot her a reproachful look, but Yuri just smiled teasingly.

“That’s impossible… I mean, shop-bought is definitely tastier.”

“Isn’t it the thought that counts?　Besides, chocolate’s just melting and setting, isn’t it? Simple, I reckon. Not that I’d know.”

She said it so irresponsibly that I sighed and snapped the magazine shut. Honestly, Yuri doesn’t understand a thing.

“Listen, Yuri. If it were just about melting and setting, there wouldn’t be renowned pâtissiers or luxury chocolate brands in the world. …I’ll pour all my feelings into it later, so it’ll be fine.”

It’s not that I’ve never considered making something “homemade” myself.
But I just can’t shake this feeling that, since it’s such a special occasion, I want Yui-san to have delicious chocolate.

I lift the teacup to my lips. I’d been so engrossed in the magazine I’d forgotten to drink, so the tea had gone lukewarm.

“How exactly do you plan to put your feelings into shop-bought chocolates?”

Yuri, apparently intent on continuing this teasing line of questioning, propped her cheek on her hand and looked at me, grinning.

“Well, you could attach a message card, or add a little gift… or, hmm…”

As I considered the options, counting them off on my fingers, Yuri let out a soft chuckle.

“Wh-why are you laughing?”

“Oh? I just realised you haven’t changed a bit since school, Kanata. You really do adore your senpai, don’t you?”

Struck right on the mark, my cheeks flushed. What Yuri said was undeniably true, but the thought that it must look that way to others too suddenly made me feel terribly embarrassed.

“…Stop teasing me, will you?”

To hide my blush, I gulped down the lukewarm tea in one go.

　Today, I’d arranged to meet Yuri at eleven and treated her to lunch at our company hotel’s buffet. Employee discounts through benefits really come into their own in situations like this.

The moment I stubbornly insisted on paying today, Yuri must have realised my scheme.

Once we left this café, I planned to drag Yuri around all day to pick out chocolates for Yui-san.

“Right then, I suppose I’ll indulge a lovesick maiden today.”

Yuri said teasingly, downing the last of her coffee in one gulp.

Knowing about my relationship with Yui-san, Yuri accepted it without a shred of prejudice. Her presence means the world to me.
I doubt I’ll ever meet another friend I click with this perfectly again.
　Choosing a Japanese university and returning alone certainly had its hardships — yet I now truly believe the things I gained from university life have become irreplaceable treasures in my life.

That day, I ended up dragging Yuri around until evening, sampling every kind of chocolate imaginable, before finally deciding on a bitter-tasting chocolate — not too sweet, just to Yui-san’s taste.

＊＊＊

And so February 14th arrived. Valentine’s Day had finally come.
Today is the day when women give chocolate to their beloved and express their affection.

I’ve heard that this event became established in Japan because a certain chocolate company launched an advertising campaign as a sales strategy.
Whether that’s true or not, I don’t know, but Valentine’s Day in foreign countries and Valentine’s Day in Japan certainly have slightly different cultures.

But I really liked Valentine’s Day in Japan.

　Unlike Yui-san, I’m not particularly adept at expressing my feelings directly with words. For someone like me, having such an event promoted so widely provides a perfect opportunity to convey my feelings without feeling too embarrassed.

Leaving home, I walked along my usual commute route. Waiting on the platform for the train, I gripped the handle of the bag slung over my shoulder tightly. Inside, I had tucked away the chocolate I intended to give to Yui-san.

　It was truly fortunate that today was Friday. I had plans to spend the evening with Yui-san, so my steps towards the office felt light, as if I had wings.

Arriving at the office, I passed through the security gate at the entrance and waited for the lift.

The morning lifts were all in full operation due to the high number of users, shuttling repeatedly from top to bottom. Yet during the crowded rush hour, it took a little while for my turn to come.

　Even when I finally got on, it was packed like sardines, making it a struggle to get off at my floor.

Yui-san’s ‘Good morning’ message came earlier than usual today, so she must already be in the president’s office.

Just as I was about to scan my ID at the office entrance terminal, a woman’s voice I didn’t recognise called out, “Aosawa-san”, making me turn around.

　The person who had called out to me was a young female employee. Her face didn’t immediately jog my memory of her name, but I did manage to recall her department.
She was the girl transferred from the Sales Department to the General Affairs Department during the autumn personnel reshuffle. I remembered she was about my age.

“…Er, good morning.”

I offered a greeting for the time being, then hurriedly scanned my ID at the terminal first, not wanting to be late. After that, I turned back to her.

“I’m terribly sorry to interrupt you so suddenly. Um, is the President in today, by any chance?”

Seeing her clutching the handle of a red paper bag tightly against her chest, her cheeks slightly flushed as she fidgeted, gave me a rather unpleasant feeling.

I hoped my hunch wasn’t right, but when I glanced at the paper bag, I immediately recognised it as belonging to a chocolate brand.

“She’s scheduled to be in the office all day today. Is there something you need from the president?”

“No, well, this… If it’s alright, I was wondering if Aosawa-san could give this to the president for me?”

I forced a smile, stifling the urge to snap, feeling the veins in my temples throb.
Knowing full well the paper bag in her hand contained chocolates, I deliberately asked:

“…Is this from everyone in the General Affairs Department?”

Perhaps it was just chocolate being distributed to all employees. Clinging to that sliver of hope, I asked, but she flushed even more bright red and shook her head.

“No, it’s from me personally… Oh, it’s not what you think, you know? Actually, the other day, I was trying to change a fluorescent light when the president happened to walk by… She said it was dangerous and did it for me instead. I was so grateful, I just had to thank her somehow.”

Oh, a thank you gift? Such expensive chocolates as a thank you gift, eh? My face nearly twisted into a grimace, but I plastered on my best smile and tried to look cheerful.

“…I see. Very well. I’ll pass it on for you, then.”

Taking the paper bag, I cut the conversation short before it could escalate further and promptly turned my toes towards the president’s office. Puffing out my cheeks, I hurried towards the president’s office.

—Why on earth do I have to deliver chocolate from another girl to Yui-san!?

Yui-san, why do you always go and charm girls like that? I love that kind of kindness in you, but… I wish you’d choose who you’re kind to more carefully.

That girl definitely has a crush on Yui-san. It’s infuriating. I’ll give her a piece of my mind. Thinking this, I grabbed the door handle to the president’s office.

“Good morning.”

Upon entering the president’s office, Yui-san was already seated at her desk. She looked up from her monitor and smiled happily at me.

“Good morning, Kanata.”

Immediately, my eyes fell on the several paper bags scattered across her desk. Oh dear, just as I thought. They were all bags of chocolates. Seeing her smiling so cheerfully made me feel annoyed.

　I placed my bag on my own desk, then strode purposefully over to Yui-san’s desk. I deliberately plonked my paper bag down on top of hers with a thud.
I glared at Yui-san, who looked up at me, wide-eyed and bewildered.

“These are from the girls in the General Affairs Department. They say it’s a thank you for changing the fluorescent lights. So, Yui-san, you’re hitting on girls at work whenever you get the chance, aren’t you? What on earth is this mountain of chocolates?”

“Eh?”

“…Cheater.”

I glared at the paper bags lined up on the desk as if I could burn holes through them. Then, Yui-san, who had been staring blankly at my exceptionally bad mood this morning, frantically shook her head from side to side.

“N-no, Kanata. It’s really a misunderstanding. This isn’t that sort of thing, there’s absolutely no special meaning behind it!”

“Hmm. But if you get this much chocolate, it’ll take ages to finish it all. You probably don’t need any chocolate from me, do you?”

“Eh!? W-wait a minute. Why? Kanata, you’re not giving me chocolate? But I was really looking forward to it today!”

She puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms.

I thought I knew how popular Yui-san was at work. But seeing her still so visibly popular like this really rubbed me the wrong way.

At times like this, I find myself regretting we’re the same sex. I want to shout it out loud: “This person is my girlfriend, so please don’t approach her.”

Yui-san hurriedly stood up from her desk and wrapped her arms tightly around my sulking, turned-away body from behind.

　That alone made the flames of jealousy scorching my heart flicker down to a low simmer.
Holding me tight, Yui rocked my body soothingly.

“Kanata. I’ve never actually flirted with anyone else. Cheating is absolutely impossible, it’s a misunderstanding.”

“Hmm. But Yui, you’re not particularly fond of sweets, are you? Getting so much chocolate must be a bit of a bother, surely?”

“You can have all of this, Kanata. Please? Come on, cheer up. I’d love some chocolate from you.”

Even back in university, Yui-san received loads of chocolate. She’d try to brush it off as “just obligatory gifts,” but I remember the adorable little message cards that came with them.

I absolutely refuse to let Yui-san eat any heartfelt, special chocolates.
I simply couldn’t bear the thought of her accepting them, so back in school days, I devoured every single one myself without giving her a single one. Perhaps Yui-san still remembers that.

It wasn’t purely out of gluttony, wanting only delicious chocolate, that I took all her chocolates. Whether she realised that feeling or not…

　I spun her round in my arms to look into her face. Her cheeks were dimpled in a troubled pout, and I pinched them firmly with both hands.

“…Then promise me you won’t be too kind to the others. Understand? No looking them in the eye, no smiling either. It’s all this face’s fault. Yui-san, you idiot.”

It’s the fault of this face and smile – so infuriatingly beautiful it ensnares women everywhere.

“That hurts, Kanata.”

“You’re far too kind, Yui-san. At this rate, all the female staff will end up liking you.”

“Eh? I don’t think that’s true…”

“It absolutely is!”

Yui-san was born with a gene that captivates people regardless of gender.
She was born under that star, a pure-blooded womaniser.

Yui-san seemed not quite to grasp what I was saying. She tilted her head in puzzlement, rubbing the cheek I’d released with her hand.