Vol 4 Chapter 6 (1/2)

Story 6 - The Case of the Hand-made Chocolate

1

Today, it is coe that there is e, it is i unable to consider the opposite viewpoint But then again, if you take this one step further, that would mean that while we are under the is around us like they were flesh and blood, we just can't say for sure, and that is exceedingly bad for our psychological stability So instead of pursuing the truth, we go for plan B, which is not looking into the authenticity of things above a certain depth, or in other words, we believe This e can finally shake off the evils of duality and lead a perfectly normal life

But recognizing everything in one's surroundings yet disregarding all inquiry would be a totally different proble is unavoidable, we should not accept things blindly This is also coivable Whilethat belief, I wouldn't look down on people who do

This was ue-tied Satoshi+'s lame excuses in this crucial moment We were at a stairway entrance in Kaburaya Middle School after the day's lessons had ended It was a little late, so there were only a few sparse figures of students It had already turned dark on the other side of the open glass door, and the cold February wind blew in intermittently Satoshi+ turned to look at ave me a thumbs-up

”Ah, Houtarou, you do understand, right? The phrase 'To not accept it is unforgivable' was really interesting Because, look, what if it were home-made cookies? You can't simply buy some cookies over the counter, decorate it with fresh crea and say, 'Voila, hoht? That's why, I basically, um, don't harbor any ill intentions, but”

It was not every day that you could see so cause Satoshi+ to be so incoherent fukube Satoshi+ He's someone I've known sinec I entered middle school, and our friendshi+p is quite deep He's short, gives off a weak ith in the slightest, but in reality he's quite a courageous guy But not this ti

The person who had ambushed and cornered Satoshi+ was a small female student who could pass as an elementary school student Her name is Ibara Mayaka She has been in the sarade in elementary school This is only ed one bit in the nine years I've known her, if you discount the changes in her size In addition, while we ed close to zero words with each other Even now, Ibara doesn't listen to my words With her head cast doards, her left hand on her waist, and her right hand holding a present wrapped in red wrapping paper, Ibara let out a sigh and spoke in a low voice

”Basically, you're trying to say this: For so to be called home-made chocolates, they have to be made from cacao beans A chocolate plate that is melted in hot water and reshaped is not counter as home-made chocolate So my Valentine chocolate is not hoht?”

It was the 14th of February, 2000 AD Saint Valentine's Day It's the day when chocolate sales skyrocket, and it is absolutely ordinary for advertisements to beit in February is a smart move I'm sure that many people would like to believe that the last chance to confess one's love is right before the season of farewells[1] They certainly wouldn't think that this arrangement was planned

This wasn't Ibara's first tis to Satoshi+ In each of her previous attempts, Satoshi+ si Valentine's Day, that was i been hit by Satoshi+'s careless words, she was seething with anger

Her deht those downcast eyes were holding Those were eyes that would even scare off a fierce God, I thought, but then again, I'hts because I' the person concerned, took the full brunt of Ibara's stare, but he still ive a reply

”I wouldn't go that far, but”

”But that's what you wanted to say, right?”

”Well, put simply, yes”

Ibara raised her head, as her rage spewed forth

”I see! So that's what you're trying to say! I, I took all that trouble Just for Valentine's Day! Fine! I get it! If that's what you want”

Without pause, she ripped apart the red wrapping paper in one breath to reveal a heart-shaped chocolate wrapped in cling fil film, opened her small mouth as wide as she could, and choone hard due to the cold February wind With a crack, the pointed bit at the bottom of the heart was bitten clean off and chewed noisily by Ibara

”I'll definitely do it, got that?”

Both of us were taken aback by Ibara's unexpected actions A few male students who just happened to pass by peered at us, probably curious about as happening, but then soon retreated, knowing full well to let sleeping dogs lie With the chocolate she had taken great pains to lared at Satoshi+ She now had a scary expression that was neither anger nor sadness, just pure burning combativeness Ibara thrust the broken heart at Satoshi+

”Remember this, fuku-chan, I mean, fukube Satoshi+!”

”Wha-What?”

Stunned, Satoshi+ asked without thinking Ibara replied with a sonorous declaration

”Next year! The 14th of February, 2001 AD! I'll make a ht into your face! You better remember it!”

Beginning to cry, Ibara rushed down the corridor Her retreating figure faded at the staircase and soon disappeared When I looked back, I saw that Satoshi+ had an aard expression on is face, but he shrugged as if that was usual I asked,

”Is that alright?”

”Perhaps I was a little mean”

”Wasn't she crying?”

”Mayaka? Nah, she'll be fine”

Satoshi+ said as he reed, deciding to forget about Ibara Her caustic words were probably just a channel for her to vent her grief, I thought, but then again, I'm not involved in this matter

More iive Satoshi+ home-made chocolate next year, but I wonder if that would really work out After all, there are only a few days to the high school entrance exah School, but if one of them messes up, they'll be separated, and as they say, out of sight, out of mind However, I also have to prepare for the exams, and I don't have the luxury to worry about the me to shi+ver uncontrollably

2

That's what I remembered about what happened last year

Cohtly more indifferent about it last year compared to this year It's ed at that time, so it couldn't be helped

All three of us graduated froether without a hitch Then, for some reason, all of us chose the same club activity I think of Satoshi+ as a friend, and Ibara obviously liked Satoshi+, but the three of us are fundaether The fact that all of us entered the less Classics Club one after another would be, if put poetically, a practical joke of fate; if put prosaically, the end result of a course of events

Speaking of the club known as the Classics Club, just the three of us would be absolutely inadequate for its activities In the Geography Lecture Room, which the Classics Club borrows, there are four members The last one is the most hard to please

That difficult person raised her voice, breaking

”Eh? What did you mean by that? I'm curious!”

I turned back, and the first thing to co, black hair I couldn't see her face since her back was facing me, but I could still tell what facial expression she was having right now When she says the usual ”I'e eyes, the only part of her that betrayed the impression of a Yamato Nadeshi+ko [2], would widen even htly red Thanks to her extreme curiosity, the Classics Club has been able to function as a club without boredom over the last year Since I would actually prefer boredom to work, that troubled me to no end

Chitanda was having a face-to-face conversation with Ibara in the h a book nearby, but probably thinking nothing ofwords at their usual volume If I hadn't shi+fted my attention to thethe contents of their conversation Not that I wanted to eavesdrop, but I could hear Ibara's reply

”I mean, chocolate remained as a drink for 4,000 years not because the South American people did not have any ideas, but because they lacked the technical means”

See about chocolate this whole ti Chitanda, though That's probably the reason why I suddenly remembered about Valentine's Day last year Last year, yes, about one year has passed since then It was now February in the year 2001 AD To conserve electricity, the heaters in school could not be set about 16 degrees, leaving much to be desired While Icold

But as if thrusting aside the cold, Ibara was talking with ever-increasing amounts of enthusiasm

”After the Spanish conquistadors brought chocolate to Europe, sorocery ite cacao beans, all that could be produced was a sticky liquid with more than 50 fat content In a time when coffee was readily available, they didn't want to drink so like that”

”I cannot tolerate caffeine, so I cannot drink coffee, but”

After a short pause, Chitanda continued

”A drink with a 50 fat content does not seeood”

Well, it see mayonnaise before

”It was actually quite bad for digestion”

”But it still spread, right?”

”It becaar to it It even becalish Moreover, because of its high caloric content, it was often used for e at the time”

”It was used as medicine?”

”Yes, as an aphrodisiac”

I could sense Chitanda tilting her head

”Eh? How do you spell that?”

Ibara was about to answer, but then she stiffened, and the conversation stopped temporarily I raised my head, which was buried in my book, to take a peek at Ibara's expression, and noticed a distinct flush on her face She was having a hard tiht up without thinking

”To hold a [3], then”

”To hold a , then?”

”Anyway!”

Ibara forcibly changed the subject I was about to laugh at her disconcerted ed to stifle it I kno to spell it, I think

”For the chocolate drink to be edible, it wasn't enough to simply squeeze the oil out A method to add an alkali had to be developed in order to neutralize the acidic content and cause the oil to break down”

This technical discussion seems to have piqued Chitanda's curiosity, so Ibara's atte the subject was a success

”Alkali? I've never heard of adding that to food except for Chinese noodles”

Ibara continued in a somewhat relieved manner

”However, even after doing that, the beans still had a crunchy texture, causing it to be distasteful, so they had to be crushed even rains are?”

The diarains? I've never considered it before The book inabout Ibara's question, but I couldn't iine how small they would be

In contrast, Chitanda hummed quietly and answered the question

”I see I've only heard this from the people who sell what at home, but the diameter of wheat flour is 40 to 50 micrometer Are chocolate beans that small?”

But Ibara shook her head as if she prided herself on having this knowledge

”I've heard that they're actually 20 micrometers in diameter!”

” That's a!”

Is that a figure I should be surprised at? With no means of comparison, I could not understand at all Is 20 micrometers that different from 50 micrometers?

Ah, is it because there's a difference of 25 times?

Chitanda nodded a few tier admiration

”That sounds like a difficult number for a mortar and pestle”

”Just like how you can't make ice cream without an ice cream machine, it's i household equipment”

”That's a shaht?”

Ibara let out a s those words

”I didn't know last year that chocolate was so difficult to make, but neither did fuku-chan, so it's fine”

”It's fine, you say”

As Chitanda gave her reply, a s kind To exaggerate, it would be so like this: ”As her throat rumbled, I shuddered, and couldn't stop cold sweat fro on my back A dark enthusiasm caused twisted pleasure to spread on her lips” With clenched fists, she looked up at an oblique angle and announced,

”I' to make the best home-made chocolate ever! If fuku-chan still complains, I'll lock him up and slowly explain all this to him with additional data If that doesn't work I'll just shove it into his mouth!”

One shouldn't incur a woeneralize about women, then I would say that I wouldn't want to provoke Ibara's resenterated, but they can't be treated as a joke Unfortunately for Satoshi+, the little joke that he used to reject the chocolate last year is still hanging over his head, and now it has turned out like this Well, as they say, you reap what you sow

As expected, Chitanda had also been pulled in by Ibara's tenacity, and was using her hands to soothe Ibara She then asked a question to return the conversation to its original track

”So what are you ? I know many types of candies you could make with chocolate, but”

Having decided a long tio, Ibara answered immediately

”I plan onone with a heart-shaped mold”

”Eh? But that's”

”I know that it's quite plain, but last year's was a failure I' to make sure he accepts this time”

Just when they had finally gotten to the main point, Ibara suddenly leaned forward Chitanda also responded by drawing closer, such that it was as if their foreheads were about to collide

”So, I want to s from a Western-style confectionery Chitanda, do you know of any shops that sell that kind of stuff?”

For some reason, Chitanda lowered her voice and answered,

”Let's see There should be a store that sells ingredients for professionals near the wholesale market We could try that place”

Ibara also replied in a small voice

”Could you take me there?”

”Of course Would this Sunday be fine?”

”It's settled, then and make sure you keep this a secret from fuku-chan”

”My lips are sealed”

And thus the two girls shared an unbreakable promise

I'uy, and on top of that I'm also Satoshi+'s friend If they dee Satoshi+, I certainly wouldn't feel bad about it, but either way, it seems that I wasn't counted as one of the rooht, Ibara called out, as if having just noticed my existence

”Ah, Oreki”

” Yeah?”

I answered as if I had also jut noticed Ibara Without entle smile

”Make sure you don't say anything either”

”Sure”

”If you do”

I already agreed not to! So please, stop staring at me with those eyes!

After school the next day Ibara and Chitanda were holding another discussion about chocolate in the Geography Lecture Roo to eavesdrop, I decided to head home

I exposed the front of my trench coat to the February wind and joined the flow of people going home from school Come to think of it, last year, when I was still in middle school, I would immediately start my journey home after school, no matter how early the lessons ended My everyday life was devoid of purpose I would reach ho to do I tried to think of ways to spend the tiards to the characteristic of a daily life lacking in purpose, this year was exactly the same as last year

Following the crowd to the e and entered the shopping district The winter sun, which eak at the best of ti only now did I realize that the figures of rown sparse It's probably not because of the cold, but there were si past continuously

With a sidelong glance at a dry goods store, a boutique, and a hairdressers', I proceeded along the tiled ay The sound of the floas a past when I suddenly realized so Out of all the bicycles lined up outside the shop, I recognized one of them There was no doubt that this rip, belonged to Satoshi+

I checked a to my motto, which is ”If I don't have to do it, don't do it If I have to do it, make it quick”, there was only one course of action I should continue my journey home

But the autolass door in front of me suddenly opened, and out came Satoshi+ He probably noticedhis usual inextinguishable smile, he lifted a hand

”Yo!”

”Hey”

Taking a glance at my expression, Satoshi+ spoke

”Hmm, you don't seem to be in a rush”

Since that was obvious, I didn't reply Satoshi+ pointed at the game center

”You passed at just the right tiame for old times' sake? I've created the sure-kill Satoshi+ Special, but it just isn't the saainst the CPU”

He was challenging ame I yawned

”I haven't played for such a long tih”

”Me too But Houtarou, according to a report by the Central Education Coames all the time If so, it would be a educational probleames as a child”

Shrugging at that joke, I advanced to the shop I had no reason to refuse

The ga tiht, as if that was part of their plan to proarette smoke, but there didn't seee, there were also fewer people around The small ertheir weight around in the center

It's been a really long ti it's been since the last tiame center on my own That would mean that the last time I came here, I was most likely with Satoshi+ We used to play here often last year, no, it o years ago

I didn't recognize all those games displayed on the monitors Well, it's understandable for soae land, lance at ion of the shop, and turned around when he reached a game machine

”How about this? You reht?”

Satoshi+ had chosen a game that even I had seen before To be precise, I used to play it with Satoshi+ quite often There were two ned to look like cockpits placed next to each other It was a game that sier period of time, this machine was still here Satoshi+ held both his hands wide and raised his voice

”Spraying shells and shooting beams! This is definitely a man's kind of romance, so I can't invite Mayaka”

”She probably wouldn't join you even if you invited her to soh I don't think I can control it well”

”Nah, you'll reo easy on me”

With those last words, Satoshi+ sure into the cockpit Shortly thereafter, I could hear stirring technofrom inside the machine

I placedoutside the ht, and entered the other cockpit I inserted a 100-yen coin into the slot, and challenged Satoshi+ to a match Satoshi+'s robot was the sao, a robot which specialized in mobility and was exceptional in aerial coht ar out of its body I also chose a robot that I used in the past, one that followed the Battleshi+p Giant Cannon Principle[4] It was a bulky ravity It held a suns on its shoulders[5]

After the two machines had been displayed on the e It was the deck of a flying aircraft carrier According toit disadvantageous for Satoshi+, whose robot was based on evading attacks Well, that still doesn't make up for my two-year handicap

”Get ready,” a synthesized voice announced The interface consisted of two joysticks and five buttons ”Go”

The match was made up of three rounds In the first round, Satoshi+ was probably showing some consideration, and I was somehow allowed to spend the first half of the allotted tiet used to the controls When there were only ten seconds re, I pressed a button at random, and a laser unexpectedly scored a direct hit on Satoshi+'s robot, which was in e sounds like ”Pikyaa” or ”Higyaa”[6]coht be no other custo Satoshi+'s light-ar the hit, and the round was over

Before the second round began, Satoshi+ quickly eed from his cockpit and thrust his face into mine

”So how is it? You still got it?”

”Yeah, I reo”

”OK, I won't go easy on you!”

I heard Satoshi+ slip into his seat as the second round began Satoshi+'sthat he was serious now At that instant, I made my machine move forward, and a blue flame erupted at my previous position I rotated around to search for the eneure appear right behind, and fired the cannon on the right aret disappeared froain His machine's speed was incomparable to mine

Yeah, it was always like this, I recalled as I took evasive action for the ti my machinein the sky Machine gun bullets rained down like in an air strike It's alright if I get hit, though, since my robot has thick armor

When ere ht to end My inning of the round, or Satoshi+'s mobile robot would run circles around my machine until the time ran out Satoshi+ would win h and say, ”You were trying to end the match too quickly, Houtarou”

For an instant, I could see the ene in the sky With the situation worsening, I naively ai the laser While I was in the firing position and unable to est beam cannon It was, of course, a direct hit He then took the initiative and sprayed ht

The third round

As the metallic voice shouted, ”Go”, I immediately dashed forward to reduce our distance Satoshi+, in an unguarded moment, retreated without a plan If I took this chance to continuously fire the smooth-bore cannon, I should at least hit once That would deal a fair bit of dae to Satoshi+'s weakly armored robot

But Satoshi+ was not the average player I thought that he was focused on escaping, but he actually stood his ground and fired his beam cannon Our distance was too small, so I couldn't react in time My robot took a shot and toppled over

While I was trying to get up, Satoshi+ seized the opportunity to boressive play I could either dash out of the barrage or use my thick armor to withstand it

”Hmm?”

As I hurriedlywas off Was it like this when I played with Satoshi+ the last time?

No, it's clearly different

Satoshi+'s play style wasn't like this Noere wearing out each other's armor with our respeective firepower, as only a small it of ti dodge on my cannon shot At thatthe distance between us I could see a slender form approach rapidly on my monitor

But with that straightforward movement, I could easily hit his er At that moment, I remembered

That's right, Satoshi+'s play style was ”Victory Above All” He would do anything in order to win, and when he was in a disadvantageous position, he would retreat and wait for an opportunity When he could win just by stalling for time, he would only run away, but when it was his turn to attack, he would go all out That's not all He would also sos Anyway, Satoshi+ was a person who only wanted to win When he lost, he would blae, and be really sore about it The reason why I distanced ely Satoshi+'s implacability, but it would be unpleasant if I told him that to his face

What's the e, then?Could it be a trap?

But I had realized it too late I had already squeezed the trigger, causingposition If Satoshi+ stopped, escaped to the skies and fired his beaame, set and match

But Satoshi+ didn't take that course of action Instead, all I could see onout of his ht are at me from so far away to try to cut me down

Before the blade scythed down e Satoshi+'s machine flipped and was bloay

The set count was 2-1 I won

Before the words ”You Win” disappeared from the monitor, Satoshi+ unexpectedly peered intowhat kind of expression he would have on his face, but it was just an anti-climatic, usual smile He talked on and on excitedly

”Man, that was a good game Was it really two years since you last played, Houtarou? That was so back there They say you'll never learn how to ride a bicycle, swi a robot should be added to that list too, right?”

That's how Satoshi+ is, always having so, I smiled

”I really hadn't played in such a long tiain That victory was just luck”

I replied

As the winner, I was given the right to play against the co for ame I played half-heartedly and lost appropriately

With a backward glance at the Game Over screen, I was about to exit the cockpit when a can of coffee appeared beforeposture and noticed that the owner of the hand holding the coffee was Satoshi+ He said,

”Here's your prize Enjoy!”

That can of coffee was a can of hot black coffee Without hesitation, I accepted it and pulled the pull tab

”What's up with the generosity toady?”

”It's also co you to accompany me”

”Were you really concerned about that?”

”As if!”

A can of coffee would definitely be hot, but I's I leaned on a nearby ue

Satoshi+ wasn't being unnatural at all Rather, he was in a good mood However, that Satoshi+-like behavior ran contrary to ame Why that was the case, I had no idea at all

”Hey, Satoshi+ At the end of the third round”

”Hot me there”

”Why didn't you fly up? If you had attacked o melee?”

Satoshi+ shrugged in a frivolous manner

”When using giant robots, ood when you see the countered by a giant laser also ood picture, so I'm satisfied with the result”

Satoshi+ spoke nonchalantly If that was true, Satoshi+ chose romance over victory or in other words he lost in the name of fun

That was a Satoshi+-style loss A suitable defeat for a spurious man of the world who pursues fun instinctively It's not at all strange for the Satoshi+ I knew

But then as that recollection I had earlier?

”Right,on to the Satoshi+ Special 2! I'll show you the legendary yakuman[7] 'Iipinraoyue'!”

I continued slowly sippinggale-colored hand[8], two ies appeared in succession at the back of my mind

One was of Satoshi+ hitting thea can of coffee to the winner

3

Judgment day had arrived, even as many humans fervently wished for its delay Time doesn't stop, and neither does the calendar If you refuse to accept it, you could just travel at the speed of light No one's stopping you

It was the 14th of February The phrase ”Saint Valentine's Day” ritten clearly as the day's event on the calendar that I had received from a nearby shrine on New Year's Day I woke up in theand noticed a decorated box placed outsidethat it was another of my sister's lame jokes, I opened the lid and found a bar of chocolate, as well as a note with untidy scrawl inside the box I read the memo ”I present to you one bar of chocolate From Oreki Tomoe arm and tender pity”

Out front kick I gave the box a good kick towards my room and headed to school

There was no change froh School Since students were allowed to wear their cold-weather clothes, the road to school looked livelier co coats and jumpers I entered the school, which was not filled with the smell of sweets It was a calm start to the fateful day

During lunch, I was thinking about buying soigantic crowd of people After securing the last loaf of bread, I escaped from the crowd, and that hen I noticed that Chitanda was also buying soardless of personality, her looks fulfilled the conditions for a daughter of a wealthy fa to see hernoticed h the ed and called out to me

”hello, Oreki-san”

”Hey”

As Chitanda adjusted her scarf, I noticed that all she had in her hand was a drink in a paper pack Although I should mind my own business, I was interested, and asked,

”Chitanda, is that all you're having for lunch?”

Chitanda cast her eyes down shyly

”No, I had prepared a bento It's just that recently, I have been quite hooked onto this

She held it out for reen tea e combination, I wonder if there's any caffeine, which Chitanda cannot take, in green tea I suppose there's the placebo effect I should keep quiet about this

It would be a bother for us to loiter in front of the canteen in the middle of the chaos, so alked away Our classrooms were just next to each other

In the tedious walk back, I asked about Ibara

”So what happened to Ibara's chocolate in the end?”

A slight smile surfaced on Chitanda's face, as she answered with pride

”We decided to use Cote D'or I thought using Nestlé would be good enough, though”

We continued walking in silence for a while Seeing that I wouldn't be getting an explanation, I asked,