Volume 5 Chapter 1 (1/2)
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”Valentine's Day?”
Yoshi+no-san repeated after a blink
”A, it's that season already?”
Yuh the hallway toward the Rose Mansion after school
Because, she thought, now that the student council elections were over, it was time to turn her attention to Valentine's Day
”Already? The depart over Valentine's Day about a month before the day”
”Right, right … Less than three weeks”
Yoshi+no-san, wearing gloves, bent her fingers and groaned It was unusual, because Yoshi+no-san was always at least a step ahead of Yuotten about Valentine's Day… after all, she talks about ”first-strike victory” being her ht things out by now
”I guess people are built to not think about things they don't like”
”What?”
Yumi asked
She'd been placing her hands over her ears to war the disposable hand warmers in her pockets, so she didn't hear it very well
”Just as I said Valentine's Day bums me out”
”Why? You don't give Rei-sama chocolate?”
”Of course I do Every year … Which ive her chocolate this year, too”
Yoshi+no-san sees must have become heavy, too, because she stopped dead in her tracks
They'd just popped out into the courtyard The Lillian Girls' Academy student council staff headquarters, the Rose Mansion, stood in their sights
”Well, it's not like youwere to stop this year of all years, right?”
”Right, because she'd be stunned if I didn't give her a Valentine's gift after the 'Yellow Rose Revolution' Considering Rei-chan's personality, anyway”
”You don't want to give her chocolate, Yoshi+no-san?”
As they spoke, they arrived at the Rose Mansion, but she gave no signs of wanting to enter yet, so they leaned against the door and continued their conversation Yuht the topic up herself, and it'd be horrible if Rei-sama were to hear them, so she endured it Rei-sas if Yoshi+no-san was involved
”It's not that I don't want to give her so”
But in Yoshi+no-san's case, it hat she would give that was the problem
”Because it's Rei-chan, you know? Can you iine the pressure I feel? What arows every year?”
”Eh, what? Rei-saives you a present, too?”
”Yes”
Apparently they exchanged chocolate pastry every year And then they'd exchange candy and cookie on White Day the next month
”Chocolate cake that grows every year…”
For aon the receiving end, she realized how much pressure that would be
Yoshi+no-san's onee-sama, Hasekura Rei-sa around a shi+nai, so she irl that absolutely loved baking snacks, so she was almost like a professional when it came to cookies and cake
”It was alright so far, I ht? I don't think she expected ht chocolate-”
But that wouldn't work anymore
And on top of that, Yoshi+no-san had the added burden of having broken up earlier, and then reconciling So it wouldn't look proper unless she opened the new chapter in their relationshi+p with a flourish Thus, Yoshi+no-san was feeling pressure froles Maybe that's why her subconscious had deliberately sealed away any thoughts about Valentine's Day
Of course, Rei-sama would probably be happy with any chocolate Yoshi+no-san would give her So ”not tolerating store-bought chocolate” was more Yoshi+no-san's oill And she was just cornering herself like that
But Yoshi+no-san knew that That's why Yuht it was sad, everyone has things they seriously ponder and worry about
”I wonder e're stuck giving chocolate”
White breath poured out of Yoshi+no-san's mouth
”I don't think that's the case? You could give so handmade”
”Handmade?”
A twitch Yoshi+no-san's eyebrows furrowed
”Ah…!”
Yuht, ”Shoot!” the moment she said it, but it was too late She'd wanted to lend her friend a hand, but instead she dunked her in a bog herself
”Hand-knit sweaters? Or mufflers?”
Yoshi+no-san looked dejected as she spoke
”… Sorry I wasn't thinking”
”No, it's not Yumi-san's fault”
The gloves that ar Yoshi+no-san's hands were handloves, but the lap blanket she used during class, her winter zabuton covers, they were all handmade by Rei-sama
When it ca was also very professional So when faced with soive? Gosh, with different onee-saht
”Sorry I'm not any help”
Lowering her shoulders, Yoshi+no-san reached for the doorknob
”What?”
”This Valentine's Day Yu Sachiko-sama chocolate, aren't you? And you wanted advice”
”Wow! You see through everything”
There's detective Yoshi+no for you But when she praised her, she was given a bitter smile
”Yuuess”
She antea always teases her about it, but what she thinks is actually always revealed in her face
When they opened the door, her skin felt slightly warmer, and they could faintly hear the friendly chatter from upstairs
”Ah”
They both heard their onee-sa eyes rushed to the stairs, vying to be first Their cuffs of their skirts tossed so that if their onee-sama were to have seen thehty!”
Yuht of Valentine's Day
Excitement and fascination mixed and made her feel restless
And that happened around the end of January
And a few days later
”Valentine's Day?”
Yuin with, and shi+, ”What do you mean?”
”… Umm”
Yu her non-itchy head
How predictable shi+ave chocolate to people on the fourteenth of February every year
”Oh, Yumi-san, even I know about Valentine's Day”
She giggled politely Oh, that's good, Yuhed, relieved She didn't knohat she'd do if she had to explain Valentine's Day from scratch
”Saint Valentine, or Saint Valentinus, there're lots of pronunciations, but in japan they call him 'Valentain' don't they”
”Vale…?”
”Valentine The name of an Italian saint that was martyred February fourteen is a holiday for him”
”Mmm”
shi+enuine and dignified Regretfully, she wasn't able to ask about this in the sanctuary Instead, they were in the dressing rooymnasium It was the break-time before physical education, so the appearances of other students' thighs and in their underwears leapt into her eyes
Yu for the conversation, so she hurriedly shed her petticoat and put on her knee-high, black spats Then, she took off the three-quarter sleeved v-neck shi+rt that she wore instead of a one-piece or a babashi+rt, and put on a white collared gym shi+rt that had ”1 Peach 33 fukuzawa” sewed on to the front And with her aroose bu about that, it was retribution for keeping herself too well cared for on a daily basis
”I don't knohen or how the holiday arrived on japanese shores, but chocolate is very unrelated”
Having finished changing, herself, shi+mako-san bundled her soft, cotton-like hair with a plain, thick black rubber band, and then tightened a hachimaki that matched our class color - peach shi+mako-san often looked soft and impossible to restrain, but in truth, she alalked around with a straight back, and nodown It is like she's always tense She looks like such an angel, but you can never figure out what she is thinking, so in a way she is quite mysterious
”Then, you're not giving Rosa Gigantea chocolate?”
Lowering her voice, Yumi whispered in shi+mako-san's ear
”Oh, that's what you meant”
shi+ether what Yu to do for Valentine's Day? But Yuht, wouldn't you normally immediately think about chocolate?
”Chocolate…”
”Yup shi+antea's sister a little earlier thanwhat you planned for Valentine's Day”
Would you call it research? She wanted to gather as much information as possible and co around But Yoshi+no-san was completely unreliable
”… I'd not given it any thought”
”Probably”
She didn't feel disappointed at all Because shi+iven up before she'd asked
Yue of Valentine's Day was too different After all, she talked about Saint Valentine She'd probably never done soift of chocolate … Probably not even to her father
”I'm sorry I couldn't serve as a reference”
shi+mako-san concluded the conversation the sa room