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“I feel like an idiot.”
Both boys turn their attention to Nobara. She pouted as they stared at her, walking over to Megumi’s bed and slamming her full body down into the mattress. She groans into the pillow.
“Can you not do that to my bed?”
Nobara snaps her head up and glares at Megumi.
“I’m in the middle of a crisis!”
“Maki-senpai accepted the chocolate, so what’s the issue?” Yuuji asks. He’s sitting at his desk, patiently sorting through the different variations of chocolates he had received.
“The issue is the intention, and that she didn’t get my intention!”
“Then you should have specified you got her honmei chocolate,” Megumi says, before biting into a piece of dark chocolate, savoring the bitter flavor.
Nobara’s lips curl at his words. “You know, I’m the one who got you that chocolate, and I can take it back just as easily.”
“That’s rude! I won’t get you anything for White Day if you do that,” Yuuji chimes in.
Nobara rolls her eye. “Whatever, so do you guys think Maki-san thought I gave her tomo chocolate instead?”
“What exactly did you say when you gave it to her?” Yuuji asks. He tosses some of the sorted chocolate Megumi’s way.
“Uh…” Nobara pauses before biting her lip. “Well…I might have just shoved it into her hands and ran off.”
“How smooth,” Megumi snorts.
“Fuck off, I was nervous! She’s your cousin or whatever. What do you think, Fushiguro?”
Megumi sighs, resting his hand on his cheek. “She might think it was giri chocolate.”
“No!” Nobara gasps. “Don’t mess with me. Maki-san knows we’re friends, so she couldn’t—”
“If you just tossed it at her without a word she might think you just felt obligated.” Yuuji shrugs. “I guess you’ll find out in March.”
“I want an answer now!”
“Then go find her and explain why you took off like a weirdo,” Megumi says, his eye twitching from Nobara’s outburst.
“Was our chocolate tomo or giri?” Yuuji asks, licking melted chocolate from his fingers.
“I can’t believe you’re asking that,” Nobara huffs. She stands up and heads to the door. “Obviously that’s tomo chocolate. You’re not just my classmates.”
“Where are you going?”
“I need to find out how Maki feels or—or at least explain the chocolates to her.”
Nobara isn’t paying attention when she almost barrels into her two senpai.
“Careful, Kugisaki-san!” Yuuta exclaims. He grabs her steady with his free hand. The other hand is currently occupied in Toge’s grip.
What’s the rush? He signs, tilting his head.
“Uh, have you two seen Maki-san?”
She stares at the two of them. She must have interrupted one of their tender moments. They were clearly on their way to Yuuta’s room.
“Well, I think she’s at the training grounds with Panda-san.”
“Of course she’d be training on Valentine’s Day,” Nobara grumbles to herself.
She was looking for you earlier.
Nobara’s eye widens. “What? Why?”
Yuuta tugs at his collar awkwardly. “Well, she seemed confused about…”
“The chocolate, of course! I’m such a moron.”
Maki’s the moron. Toge giggles as he signs.
“Hey, that’s not nice. Maki-san’s just a little slow when it comes to people.”
“Ugh!” Nobara stomps her foot. She won’t deny Yuuta’s claim. Maki is an intelligent woman, but when it comes to other people’s feelings, she tends to fall short. “Sorry for interrupting your date, senpai!” Nobara calls as she runs past them.
“Do you think we should have told her Maki-san forgot what day it is?”
No. It’s funnier this way. Toge laughs as he pushes Yuuta in the direction of the dorms.
Nobara’s out of breath by the time she makes it to the training field. Panda and Maki are nowhere in sight.
“Shit,” she mutters to herself. Maki is probably showering now, if she had to guess.
Feeling slightly dejected, she turns around and drags herself back towards the dorms.
She’ll feel horrible if Maki thought that the chocolates she got her were just out of obligation. Sure, that’s what she gave Toge, Yuuta, and Panda, but those are her senpai! Maki has to know that she values her way more than just as a mentor figure, right?
She walks right into a taller figure. Someone who is also not paying attention to what’s in front of them.
“Ow! Can’t you pay attent—”
Nobara looks up to see the person she’s about to yell at is Maki herself.
“I could say the same to you,” Maki chuffs.
“Maki-san! I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention, and my head was in the clouds, and—”
“It’s fine, Nobara. I wasn’t paying attention either.”
“Oh…” Nobara gives an awkward nod, then she remembers why she was looking for Maki in the first place. “That’s right! The chocolate!”
Hearing those words, Maki blushes. It’s hard to pick up across her scarred face, but Nobara noticed the subtle shift in color.
“Nobara, I meant to—I’ve just had a lot on my plate, so…” she runs a hand through her hair, exasperated.
“Huh?” Nobara furrows her brow, not quite sure what Maki is getting at. “I just need you to know that—that the chocolate I gave you is my true feelings!” She blurts out.
Maki’s eyes widen for a fraction of a second. Then, she laughs.
“Don’t laugh, you asshole! Just give me a proper rejection!” Nobara snarls out.
“No—shit, sorry. I knew it was honmei chocolate.”
“Then why are you laughing?” She asks with a pout.
“Because I forgot what day it is. When you gave them to me earlier and just took off, I panicked.”
“Wait, why?”
Maki lets out a sigh before reaching into her bag. “Because it means I almost forgot to give you these.” She produces a fancy package, similar to the package of sweets Nobara had given her earlier. “And, for the record, I didn't run out and buy them just now,” she adds, unsure if it’s to reassure herself or Nobara.
“Maki-san… You mean?”
“Be my girlfriend? I really don’t want to have to wait until White Day for a response.”
Nobara beams at Maki. “I was supposed to ask that first!”
“Well, you shouldn’t have run away after giving them to me.” Maki sticks her tongue out.