Chapter 109: Valentine's Day Middle Schooler
Kousuke's best friend Sho has a little sister, as you know—Nozomi Tachibana (14).
Nozomi is a famous girls' tennis player in the prefecture for a middle schooler.
But usually, she's just an ordinary middle school girl.
Today is Valentine's Day, and both boys and girls are all restless!
At Shinkawa Middle, a rural public school, a lot of kids have been together since elementary, or even kindergarten, so everyone knows each other's faces and names—and honestly, most even know about where everyone lives, that's how many are childhood friends.
Nozomi is cheerful and (just in appearance) cute, so she's popular with both boys and girls.
Even if she gets confessed to, she rejects them instantly, but she's so straightforward that she doesn't get awkward or distant with people after turning them down.
She's selfish, spoiled, and oddly serious—a quirky, gluttonous girl.
Nozomi: "Did you give chocolates to someone?! Kyaa!"
Even Nozomi, who cares more about food than romance, gets all excited with the other girls on Valentine's Day.
Yuta: (Nozomi-chan... could she be giving chocolates to someone?)
Yuta can't sit still.
He is Yuta Mishima. He's Satsuki Mishima's little brother, but what matters is he likes Nozomi. Really likes her.
He really wants to find a way to ask her!
Yuta: "...Tachibana-san, are you giving chocolates to someone?"
Not subtle at all! He wants to call her Nozomi-chan, but she shot that down.
Nozomi: "That's none of your business, Mishima-kun."
Nozomi dislikes Yuta. Actually, she really dislikes him.
Because Yuta is a total sister's boy, always talking up his sister and down on Kousuke, who she likes.
Nozomi: "These chocolates are so good! Seri's chocolates are great!"
Seri: "...Nozomi! Don't eat so much!"
Nozomi, laughing and chatting with her friends, stands out brightly.
All the boys keep sneaking glances at Nozomi like she's dazzling.
Every break, Yuta checks on Nozomi, but she just keeps eating chocolates—there's no talk of her giving any away.
After lunch break, Yuta finally can't hold back anymore—he's about to do something borderline... no, actually over the line.
Yuta: (Let's check Nozomi-chan's desk or bag...)
Nozomi seems to have a thing for Kousuke.
She brought chocolates? No way am I letting her give them to anyone but me!
I'll search her desk and bag... Worst case, I'll just swap in my own chocolates!
Yuta smirks. Today, he came prepared with Valentine's chocolates!
I'll get Nozomi-chan's chocolates! And she can have mine instead!
Yuta rummages through Nozomi's desk, planning to switch out the chocolates if he finds any.
Her desk is a mess, huh?
Surprised by how unexpectedly sloppy his crush is, Yuta digs through her desk.
...Chocolates? No, not it...
He feels relieved and disappointed at the same time.
What he's looking for just isn't there...
Clatter!
Nozomi: "So, anyway—huh? Mishima, what are you doing?"
Crap! The girls came back!
Boys and girls have separate activities for PE!
Yuta hurriedly shoves his chocolates into the desk!
Nozomi: "The boys should still be changing, right? What were you doing, Mishima?"
Nozomi looks at Yuta like he's a total creep.
Normally, just having Nozomi look at him would make him float, but today—just today—this is bad!
Nozomi presses him for answers!
Yuta tries to play dumb!
It's painful! Yuta is suffering!
Because the boys always finish up after the girls, so there shouldn't be any boys here—so why is Yuta, still in his gym clothes, in the classroom?
Just with circumstantial evidence, he could be found guilty!
Yuta desperately wants to cover it up!
Yuta comes up with an idea! Even if it's embarrassing, it's a way out!
Yuta: "...Actually... I wanted to give someone Valentine's chocolates...!"
Nozomi: "...?"
Nozomi looks thoughtful.
There's no way Yuta can admit he hid chocolates in the desk as a swap, or that he was rummaging around for that reason.
Even if it's a little embarrassing?
Valentine's Day is for showing appreciation, right? Apparently, there are even "friend" chocolates or guys giving them sometimes. That's it.
Nozomi: "...Because you were embarrassed? You snuck out of PE? To put chocolates in a desk?"
Yuta nods.
The girls all look at Yuta, totally intrigued.
"I knew it! I thought so!"
"Well, that's fine, right?"
"Wait, I had no idea!"
Seri: "A perfect match, huh? So romantic."
Yuta: (The girls are all rooting for me and Nozomi-chan as a couple! Even Seri, her best friend, is supporting us!)
Yuta is grinning, the girls are grinning, and Nozomi just crosses her arms and tilts her head.
Yuta, sweating nervously, says it's okay to check the desk.
Nozomi's best friend Seri apologizes, then reaches into the desk and immediately pulls out chocolates.
Of course, none of the girls in class have any idea what's going on.
Yuta: "...It's embarrassing, but I wanted to give chocolates, so I snuck out of PE and hid them..."
Even if it's embarrassing, some of the students already know he likes Nozomi-chan, right?
...And more than anything, he can't let anyone find out he was going to swap chocolates if he found them!
Right after his confession, the boys come back.
"Hey, Yuta? Is your stomach okay?"
"Stomachaches are rough, huh?"
And then, the class musclehead, Suzuki-kun, comes back.
Suzuki: "Did you need something at my desk?"
?!
In an empty classroom, Yuta got the seats mixed up!
It was the seat right in front of Nozomi's—it was Suzuki the musclehead's seat!
The girls go wild!
"...So it really exists, huh? Boy and boy...!"
"Yeah, you couldn't say that out loud."
"The feelings you hid in his desk during PE...!"
Seri: "...So romantic."
The girls excitedly explain the situation to Suzuki-kun.
Kyaa! The girls stare at the two of them with sparkling eyes.
Suzuki: "...I appreciate the thought, but... sorry."
"""Ehh?!"""
On Valentine's Day, Yuta snuck out of PE to give chocolates to a guy, only to get rejected—earning the girls' deepest sympathy.
Nozomi: "...Did I make chocolates? Nope, I'm just here to eat them!"
Best friend: "Huh? I told you we should exchange, like, a million times?"
"You ate that much and didn't even bring any?!"
Seri: "...Nozomi-chan, go home and make some now."
As expected, for Nozomi, food comes before romance!
*The chocolates were enjoyed by Suzuki-kun!*