Chapter 61: Even?

Asahi, who was not a member of any club, basically went home right after school.

Except for chatting with friends or going out to play, he routinely went home without taking any stops.

It was not that he didn’t like to waste his time, or that he wanted to go home early and immerse himself in his hobbies. It was simply that he liked to spend time alone and wanted to relax in bed.

As he lived alone, the fact that he needed to do his own housework such as cleaning, laundry, and cooking had also something to do with it.

And unusually for Asahi, he stayed in the classroom even though he had no plans for the day.

The reason for this was the special event called Valentine’s Day and the existence of the love of his life, Himuro Fuyuka.

However, there was no longer a reason for him to stay at school if he knew that Fuyuka had gone home.

Asahi left the classroom alone, leaving Chiaki and Hinami to continue their lovey-dovey time.

Then, as he was walking down the hallway toward the shoe box, he suddenly heard his name being called.

“Kagami-kun.”

 

When he turned around, he saw Ryoma standing there.

In the person’s hands were two large paper bags.

“Looks rough.”

“It would be rude to call it rough. But, as you can see.”

With a slightly annoyed look on his face, Ryoma lifted the paper bag in both hands.

The contents were probably all chocolates given to him by girls.

It seemed being the most popular person in the school was not just for show.

Asahi knew enough about his popularity, but after seeing it clearly like this, he felt it was quite impressive.

“That’s more than what one person can eat.”

“Yeah… and excessive sugar intake is prohibited in club activities.”

“What are you gonna do?”

 

“Of course I’ll eat it all.”

“It’s going to take a year. And that’s a lot of sugar.”

“They’ve prepared it for me, and it’s in good faith that I eat it. But I can’t handle it all, so I’ll share it with my family.”

Ryoma gave a small laugh, as if it was natural.

Being popular sure sounded rough.

He was tall, fresh, athletic, and had the perfect personality. And he was also good at his studies and was often relied upon.

Asahi was in a different class and didn’t have much to do with him, but Ryoma stood out so much, so he naturally knew him.

It was like the past “Ice Lady”.

Asahi remembered that this prince-like man had told him that he liked Fuyuka.

At the time, he was dismissive of his feelings for Fuyuka, but he knew that it was none of his business.

However, now he stood in front of Asahi undeniably as a powerful rival.

“Oh, by the way, did Himuro-san give you any?”

“…What do you mean?”

 

“You know what I’m talking about.”

“Look.” Ryoma said, raising his hands in an exaggerated manner.

The gesture was obvious.

“I didn’t get any.”

 

When he answered the truth, Ryoma looked a little surprised.

And right after that came a tiny little smile.

“Then, I guess we’re even for today.”

It seemed that Ryoma hadn’t gotten any chocolate from Fuyuka either.

Asahi naturally felt a sense of relief.

Still, there seemed to be a big difference between Ryoma, who could smile refreshingly, and how he felt.

“Wouldn’t it be enough if you got that much?”

“No way. It may fill your stomach, but it won’t fill your heart. You know that, don’t you?”

 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

 

“Ugh… I’m aware of the embarrassing things I’ve said.”

He was embarrassed, but his appearance and personality said otherwise.

And while Asahi denied it in words, there was a part of him that understood it inside.

In the case of Asahi, a bewildering and unpleasant feeling entered his unfulfilled mind.

Ryoma was still smiling freshly, but Asahi wondered if he felt the same way as he did.

One thing was for sure: they had feelings for the same person.

Asahi came home a little later than usual and took care of the laundry first. Then, cook dinner by himself, ate it, and did the dishes.

And so the quiet time passed without meaning.

The world outside, peeking through the curtains, was completely covered in darkness.

“I guess she’s not coming after all…”

 

As he rolled lethargically in bed, Asahi was still somewhat hopeful.

However, by this time, the possibility was close to zero.

Asahi didn’t expect to be swept away so much over a chocolate.

Perhaps he was somewhat smug that he would get any because of the distance between them.

Caught between his feminine self and his painful self, Asahi buried his face deep into the pillow.

‘Should I just go to sleep?’

It was at that very moment.

“…No way.”

 

As he was trying to escape into the dream world, Asahi’s consciousness was pulled back to reality.　

What became the trigger was an electronic sound that echoed in the silence.

Asahi calmed himself down and slowly stood in front of the doorway.

He turned the key and opened the door to find a girl holding a small paper bag in her hands.