(II) Back to Partners Arc - Episode 15

[Ｈａｎｄｍａｄｅ]

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－ ＦＥＢＲＵＡＲＹ １４ －

𝟐𝐧𝐝 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐇𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥

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Hayami was waiting at the gate of Tokyo Tech High School, gaining looks especially from the boys, when Chiba rushed his way to her.

"I'm sorry. I was caught up with something," he told her as he panted, catching his breath.

Her eyes fell on the bulge on his coat pocket. Her mouth curved up playfully. "Some girl gave you chocolate?"

When his jaw had tightened, she knew she hit the spot.

"Yeah," he replied guiltily – who wouldn't if you just received a home-baked honmei chocolate, the one tucked inside his pocket, from another girl besides your girlfriend?

A group of students, then, passed by and halted beside them. "Is she your girlfriend, Chiba?" asked Fumio Yamamoto, the drummer of the Light Music Club.

When Chiba had nodded, Daisuke Tanaka – the one playing the electric guitar – exclaimed, "She actually exists?!" before sustaining a smack on his head from the vocalist, Asami Sasaki.

"Of course she does. Why would Chiba lie about having a girlfriend?" she pointed.

With a pout, Tanaka rubbed the back of his head.

Chiba turned to Hayami and pointed his finger towards the rowdy group as he introduced to her his fellow club members one by one.

"And this is Hayami Rinka," he said as he looked back at the members. "She is my classmate in junior high."

Tanaka sneaked closer to Hayami. "Did you come here to give him your chocolates?" he asked with a teasing grin.

Because she didn't want to expose her full intentions to Chiba, she simply ignored him. And Sasaki, having sensed that, grabbed Tanaka by his collar and dragged him away.

"We really should get going," Chiba said, thinking that it would be bad if Hayami stayed out too late.

"Okay, see you next week!" Yamamoto proclaimed cheerily while the other two waved their hands.

"Take care."

"Hey, tell me if you get chocolate from your –"

After throwing Tanaka a glare, Sasaki locked his head under her armpit in a flash. "Will you quit it?!" she barked afterward.

During their walk, Chiba noticed that Hayami was brooding over something. He knew that it wasn't because of the chocolate; it would take more than that to make her jealous. But she did mention that she was going to give something today. It was why she had insisted on coming to his place.

Could it be that it really was about chocolate? Maybe she forgot to bring it?

After arriving in the apartment, they began to do their homework together without adieu. He would now and then steal glances at her, wondering about the 'something' that she has yet to give him. Usually, she would be direct and quick about these things so why was she taking her time?

Of course, she must have not brought it with her.

With that settled down, he refocused himself on the task at hand. Later on, he arose from his seat while Hayami trailed her eyes on him as he went to the bathroom.

When he was out of sight, she averted her gaze to his school bag. She bit on her lip. 'So this is what the others must have felt when they were about to give a honmei chocolate,' she thought.

***

As soon as the night had set in, Chiba came in the door of his apartment after escorting Hayami to the bus stop. He shoved his hand into his pocket and felt the chocolate he got earlier in school after club practice.

He placed it inside the refrigerator without giving it much thought since it was not her who gave it. He was not disappointed though. He was not expecting anything from her anyway.

Well, that's what he would like to think.

He plopped down the floor before turning to his bag to put back the stuff he had used. Upon zipping it open, he paused.

On top of the things inside there lay a pink box with a note, which has a cat sticker on it and a word in her handwriting spelling out, 'Respect'.

A smile slipped on his face as he lifted the lid, chocolate truffles inside. After popping a piece into his mouth, he chuckled to himself. It was bitter, yet sweet – just the way he wanted.