Chapter 71: The Prince’s Troubles (2/2)

“Understand what?”

“Well, you’re delicate and gentlemanly, and will casually help others out.”

“That was just a coincidence.”

“It was, but you helped me out. That bag the last time, for example.”

Once again, Kadowaki showed a hearty smile to express his thanks, and Amane found himself strangely bashful.

It was not anything important, yet it appeared Kadowaki remembered. Amane always had a shopping bag, and did not intend for Kadowaki to owe him a favor.

“…Anyway Kadowaki. You done eating all the valentine chocolates?”

Amane asked Kadowaki, partially to hide his embarrassment from being thanked so openly, and partly to answer his own doubt. Kadowaki then gave a grim look.

“Ah…don’t mention it to others, okay? I ate all the ones that were bought.”

“You didn’t eat the handmade ones?”

“…The handmade ones? Well…hmm, they did put in effort, but.”

“They aren’t delicious?”

“No, some added hair, and some added stuff that obviously should not be inside chocolates.”

“What sorcery is this…?”

It was understandable if they were accidentally mixed in. From Kadowaki’s tone however, it seemed to have happened a few times, clearly deliberately.

Amane had an impression that certain spells of the past included body parts. If the same idea was applied for chocolates, it might be unbearable to those who were forced to eat them.

“I do receive some complimentary ones too…this always happens to me, and it’s scary, so I always insisted not to accept handmade stuff. People still give them to me though, so I would accept them before returning. As for those who disguised it as bought stuff though, I’d just have to say sorry…I guess.”

I can’t accept handmade stuff when so many have weird things mixed in. Kadowaki muttered away with a sad, hopeless face. Amane too had to sympathize.

“…Being a popular guy sure is tough huh?”

“It’s unbearable how I’m still envied because of this…not like I want to be the popular one. I’d rather not be popular than suffer through this.”

“Man, I agree.”

“It’s scary right? Smiling girls giving me sweets and food with strange stuff mixed in them?

Amane nodded as it was really reasonable.

Typically, a girl’s handmade item was really valuable, but it represented fear to Kadowaki. It was pitiful how many times he experienced what was supposedly a rare event.

“Maybe the best solution is to get someone, so that nobody will chase after me…but I’m scared that she’ll get bullied.”

“…Envy sure is scary.”

“Haaa…”

Kadowaki seemed to be at wits end as he dropped his shoulders. It appeared he was completely worn out.

His standing posture really invoked much sympathy, so Amane grabbed a large packet of potato sticks from a nearby crane machine, and gave it to him.

“Well…you can look for Itsuki and me if you need to talk. Eat up. Cheer yourself up.”

“Thanks for that…it’s tough…”

Kadowaki clearly looked frustrated, and Amane truly felt that it was not easy being popular, nor was it something to be simply happy about.