Chapter 70 - Valentine's day (1)

Chapter 70

Valentine's Day is the day when every student in Japan would be welcoming the spring of love if they succeded. It is because chances for girls confessing their love while giving a box of chocolate to the boy she likes was high.

Those chocolates with the feeling of love poured inside called 'Honmei'. Naturally, it doesn't mean every girl will give a honmei chocolate.

Besides that, they also give some variety of feelings poured in the chocolate likes a grateful expression to a friend who has been with them this year. There is also someone who gives chocolate to her classmates because it's a kind of obligation. These kinds of chocolates categorized as 'Giri'.

Right now I just entered the entrance of the school. On our way to school, we can see many boys acting cool in front of their classmates or girlfriend. It is natural because they have an expectation that classmate to give them chocolate even if it's Giri.

In my case, Nanaka and the girls told me to not peek them in the kitchen yesterday. Of course, I know they are making hand-made chocolate for me. Looks like they're planning to give me the chocolate they made one by one.

"Are your fingers fine, Kaori? Why not heal it?" I worriedly asked.

"Hehe, it's fine. This is proof I work very hard to make chocolate for you." Kaori said with an affectionate smile.

"Fufufu, that's true Izu-kun. You should be prepared because we're going to give our chocolate together with a surprise." Nanaka said with a teasing smile.

"Hee, I'm looking forward to that," I answered eagerly.

"Hehe, you should!" Kaori said with a beaming smile.

*Duk* *Duk* *Duk*

When I opened my locker, boxes of chocolates falling down from inside. My locker was full of chocolates, and letters caused my hallway slippers can't be seen. It also made me wonder how the heck the last girl put her chocolate inside.

"Hohoho, as popular as always. The numbers even increased." Kaori smirked and said.

"Ara, is this happen often even in middle school?" Nanaka looked at the mountain of chocolates with an amazed expression and curiously asked.

"Obviously, but the numbers were higher than before. I guess being model showed its perks." Kaori smirked and said.

"Hahaha... Good thing I bought a few goody bags for today..." I smiled wryly and put the chocolates in the bags carefully.

There are many types of chocolates sent to me and not a few of them were honmei. Every year I made sure to eat their chocolates. Because even though I can't answer their feeling, as there is a chance they made these chocolates with their hand with care.

"Hehe, what a busy white day you will have from now on, Izu." Kaori laughingly said.

"What can I do, there is no way I can simply ignore them right?" I said with a wry smile. Of course, I will let magic help me to write letters to answer while giving them sweets on a white day.

"Fufufu, do your best Izu-kun. Don't worry, we can help you too." Nanaka said with a gentle smile.

"Indeed, in the end, Shiori-chan and me always helping you with that," Kaori added with a smile.

"*Chuckled* What a lucky man I am," I said with an affectionate smile.

After that, Nanaka went to her class in the third-year hall while we head to our class. Some girls from the second and third years stopped us on our way to the class and giving me chocolate. This kind of situation will likely happen in the lunch break and after school too.

---

As expected, I got more chocolates in the lunch break and even some that miraculously appeared on my table when I came back to the class.

This year there are three girls bravely confessed their feelings directly. I rejected them politely and gave the cheering words with a smile that made them smiled with reddened cheek.

"Kitahara-kun, please come to my office after this." Natsuki, who was about to go out of the class, said.

"Okay sensei!" I answered.

"I'm going first, okay? Hehe, I think someone will give chocolate to you after this. Meanwhile, I'm going to help someone who still embarrassed to give you chocolate" Kaori said with a smirk.

"*Chuckled* Okay, see you later Kaori." I kissed her cheek and said.

"Nn! See you later Izu!" Kaori also kissed my cheek and promptly went out of the class.

While walking to Natsuki's office with two bags of chocolate, Kei and Ai-chan texted me. Ai-chan asked me to meet her at the park near Kaguya's house and Kei asked me to meet at the rooftop of the middle school division at five.

I looked at their text with a gentle smile knowing what they were going to do by asking to meet and accepting it. As always when I arrived at Natsuki's office I went inside directly without knocking and as Natsuki already waiting on the sofa, I also sit in front of her.

"What's up today, Natsuki-chan?" I asked.

"...Here..." Natsuki looked at me with her cheeks slightly reddened and gave me a box of chocolate.

"Pfftt, what's with that shy expression. Our usual banter was more embarrassing than this, you know?" I laughingly said as I take the chocolate and carefully put it on my school bag different from the others.

"Can't be helped, this is the first time I do something like this..." Natsuki calmly said but the blush in her cheek has not faded.

"It is an honor for me to be your first, oh my cute assistant," I smirked and said.

"... Don't worry, you will be the first and the last. Because I intend to give only to you every year from now on until the day I can't give you again. We're going to be together for a long time right?" Natsuki looked away for a bit then said with a charming smile.

"Ugh, okay you win this one. But please stop saying until you can't. Because I assure you, it will be forever" I looked away and said with a serious expression.

Even though she said that to tease me, her eyes showed me she has that intend to give only to me. Saying such a phrase while showing that kind of eyes and charming smile was a seriously critical hit.

"I know... and I believe you..." Natsuki said with an affectionate smile. But I can see a bit of sadness in her eyes.

She has not told me what is about the prophecy that she said. About the choice and the sadness she made when she saw me sometimes.

Even if I asked, she likely will just say 'You will know when the time comes' and changed the topic. But it's fine because I only need to prove I can defeat anything she scared of. So, she can laugh happily without worry beside me.

---

After that, I went to the Kendo dojo with two bags of chocolate in my hand. On the way to the dojo, the joyful and bittersweet scene of the boys who got chocolate from the girls can be seen either in their class or in the hall.

One of those scenes was someone who I knew very well, Miyuki-chan. He was given obligation chocolate from Maki on the back of the school that I passed by when heading to the dojo. I stopped my step to watch the scene while hiding my presence.

The face he was made when Maki gave him chocolate to him was kind of casual. But I know very well how happy he was after gotten chocolate from Maki. Added with his reaction after Maki went away for quite a distance.

"WOOOOOOOOOOO!" Miyuki lifted his hand that holding a box of chocolate triumphantly and shouted.

'Good for you, Miyuki-chan. But... you didn't even shout in the bathroom this time...' I looked at Shirogane like a father who see his son grown up.

When I arrived at the dojo, it was empty. Not even Shishou nor the students was there to train. The club members likely still waiting for chocolate or currently with their partner joyfully. I entered the dojo and meditate because I have the duplicate key from Shishou.

After half an hour meditating, a presence approached the dojo. The presence didn't go in and just peeked from the window. It was Chika. She stopped peeking after a while and waited in her previous position until I finished meditating. For that reason, I stopped meditating and head to her.

When I opened the door and looked at the left, Chika was there leaning her back on the wall with her hand in the back seemingly holding something.

"Chika-chan, you waited here again? You can just come in you know?" I asked and said with a smile.

"Hehe here is fine, Izumi-san. I can't disturb you who were meditating peacefully." Chika answered with a gentle smile.

"*Chuckled* It is fine. Next time just went inside, Okay? Wait, I have said this before." I said.

"That's true. It was the first day we met when I asked for your signature." Chika said with a smile while reminiscing the scene.

"Yep, I remember. I also remember giving a kind of advice. After that, you went full attack on us and taking us everywhere." I added.

"Hehe, I'm sorry about that, Izumi-san," Chika said with a sad smile.

"Hora, why are you giving me a sad smile. Even though we tease you some time, we always followed you, right? If we hated it, we would decline you at that time. I am sure Kaori and Kaguya also think like that.

Moreover, you know Kaguya's personality right? She will definitely decline with a cold face. That's why, please keep being yourself from now on and take us everywhere. Don't worry, we will always be your friend." I gently caressed her head and said with a gentle smile.

"...Hehe, this is the second time, Izumi-san. You are an extremely unfair person, Izumi-san." Chika said with a dazzling smile.

"Eh? Why am I unfair?" I asked.

"The way you often tease me and being kind afterward is unfair. Even more at a time like this. That's why you are unfair, Izumi-san." Chika said with a gentle smile.

"If you are smiling like that it means you like that part of me. Then I will keep being like that from now on." I said with a smirk.

"Nn! I'm fine with it. And this is for the unfair Izumi-san. Thank you, please be with me from now on." Chika gave me a box of chocolate and smilingly said.

"Thank you, Chika-chan. But is it a confession?" I smirked and said.

"I-It's not of course! I-it means please be my friend from now on! At any rate, I have something to do so I'm going first. Bye-bye Izumi-san!" Chika said with a reddened cheek and hurriedly run away.

"Oh right, Izumi-san! Please treat me well from now on!" After some distance, Chika looked back and shouted then continue running away.

"Yare yare, what a clumsy and bubbly girl." I looked at the back of Chika who is running away and smilingly said.