Episode 24: Speaking of February Events!?
If you were to ask me what I consider as the biggest event in February, I would say only one thing. Yes, Valentine’s Day. It’s a big event with all sorts of conspiracies made by chocolate and candy makers, and a day of bloodshed for men who don’t receive any.
It was lunchtime in the middle of the week, the third day since I started going to school with Kaede. The four of us were having lunch in the classroom with Shinji and Otsuki-san, which had already become a daily routine.
As usual, since rumors somewhat lasted around 75 days, I could feel the buzz and the stares of curiosity and jealousy lingering around me. But this time, it seemed that I was not the only one who realized this.
“It seems that there are really fans of Yuya-kun after all. There are several female students who are looking at you…”
“You’re not just imagining things, are you? I’m a rather unremarkable person, you know?”
I’m just a soccer player covered in sweat and mud. Since I’m always hanging out with Shinji in class, I’m far away from the rest of the rowdy group of girls. The only girl I know is Otsuki-san and even that was through Shinji. How could I ever be popular? You’re kidding, right?
“Seriously…. this is why Yuya-kun… you should be more aware of your own attractiveness. Listen. How you are, Yuya-kun, is very wonderful. The way you are so dedicated to one thing, the way you work so hard, the way you never give up. The casual kindness that you sometimes show. Rather than a good face or something like that, Yuya-kun, your inner self is very charming. Please realize that there are many women who are attracted to that.”
“Yes, yes… I understand.”
She gave me a powerful lecture while pointing her finger at me. I wonder if that’s how things really were. But since Kaede says so, I’m sure she’s right. Still, I was quite embarrassed to hear her say it. I couldn’t help but look away.
“Mouu. Why are you looking away? I’m trying to tell you something important. Please look me in the eye.”
Don’t grab my head and move it and don’t try to force me to look you in the eye! I struggled to resist, struggling against my neck, but Kaede became more and more defiant, her cheeks puffed out as she tried to move my head. Help me, Shinjimon (Footnote: Not sure, but probably a reference to Pokémon or Digimon.)!
“Hey, Shin-kun. Why don’t you stop her? Yoshi’s quite in trouble, right?”
“Yes, but this is quite funny, so I’ll leave it be. Don’t you want to see how Hitotsuba-san reacts when she comes back to herself, Akiho?”
“Yeah… I might want to see that. Kaede-chan, I don’t know if you’re bold or dumb. It’s amazing how natural she is.”
Hey, you stupid couple! Don’t just stand and watch from the sidelines! Sure, I’d like to see Kaede’s face turn red when she comes back to herself, but now is not the time to look forward to such things!
“Don’t… resist, please…! Or can’t you look me in the eye and talk to me, Yuya? Don’t you want to …… talk to me?”
“That’s not true! It’s just that, you know, Kaede. Can you please stop clenching my face? What else should I say? It’s …… embarrassing.”
As Kaede made a sound like she was about to cry, I reflexively looked her in the eyes and denied it. This action was a surprise to her, and although she was probably too absorbed to realize it, there was hardly any distance between us and her face.
“Oh… well, this is… well… well…”
“It’s not that I don’t like to make eye contact with you or anything, it’s just that I was embarrassed that you suddenly said I was nice and everything. Please don’t misunderstand me.”
“Yes… yes… I understand…”
Hey, Shinji. You’re muttering about the birth of the second couple, but I can hear you just fine, okay? We’re still not together, okay?
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yoshi, leave it at that. Hey, hey, Kaede-chan! Kaede-chan, have you thought about what you’re going to do for Valentine’s Day next week?”
“Of course. I’m planning to make a chocolate cake for Yuya-kun to eat over the weekend.”
It was actually last night that we talked about this. It was coming up the following week, and Kaede asked me what I would like. I casually mumbled something about a cake, and that’s how it came about. But, is cake even something easy to make?
“Waow…. I can’t make a cake”, Otsuki-san said. “That’s amazing, Kaede-chan!”
“No, no. I just want to make his wish come true since he said he wanted to eat it. It’s my first time too, so I am worried that I might fail…”
I told Kaede that she didn’t have to force herself to make the cake, but Kaede refused to budge, saying that everything was a challenge. Since that was the case, all I could do was to eat the cake she made. That would be my way of rewarding Kaede for her hard work.
“Yuya, you’re so loved.”
Shut up. It kind of pisses me off when you say that. Are you what people call being a veteran who already has a girlfriend? Or are you just being sarcastic about my ongoing history of not having a girlfriend?
“Yes! How about we make chocolates together at Kaede’s house this weekend? We won’t be making obligatory nor friend chocolates anyway, so wouldn’t it be better to have them eat it the same day we make it!”
Hey, I don’t think so! Otsuki-san, don’t say such a thing! If you’re going to Kaede’s house to make chocolates, that means you’re going to find out that I’m living with her! I really hope that Kaede is aware of this, but I can’t be so sure.
So, I made eye contact with Kaede.
‘You know what to do, don’t you, Kaede? You’re going to say no, right?’
‘I understand, Yuya-kun. Please leave it to me.’
‘Phew. That’s a relief.’
“I like that idea. Let’s make it together!”
“Wow! That’s Kaede-chan for you! She understands me a lot!”
Oh, hey! Why did you do that! This is the part where you’re supposed to say no! Just why are you giving me a thumbs-up with a face like you did a good job! No, you’re totally wrong, Kaede!
“If that’s the case, can I go to Hitotsuba-san’s house too? Maybe we can all… have dinner together that night?”
“That’s right. I’ll make chocolates while Yuya-kun and the others are away for club activities, prepare dinner and wait for them. Please let me know if you have any requests.”
“Yes! Yes! I want a Hamburg steak again! I want to eat Kaede-chan’s homemade Hamburg steak!”
“Okay. I understand.”
The conversation went on and on, leaving no room for me to interrupt. It’s all over now. They will soon find out that we live together.
“I’m looking forward to it, Yuya.”
“…Yeah, I guess so.”
My best friend’s confident smile was so incredibly annoying.
Episode 24: Speaking of February Events!?
If you were to ask me what I consider as the biggest event in February, I would say only one thing. Yes, Valentine’s Day. It’s a big event with all sorts of conspiracies made by chocolate and candy makers, and a day of bloodshed for men who don’t receive any.
It was lunchtime in the middle of the week, the third day since I started going to school with Kaede. The four of us were having lunch in the classroom with Shinji and Otsuki-san, which had already become a daily routine.
As usual, since rumors somewhat lasted around 75 days, I could feel the buzz and the stares of curiosity and jealousy lingering around me. But this time, it seemed that I was not the only one who realized this.
“It seems that there are really fans of Yuya-kun after all. There are several female students who are looking at you…”
“You’re not just imagining things, are you? I’m a rather unremarkable person, you know?”
I’m just a soccer player covered in sweat and mud. Since I’m always hanging out with Shinji in class, I’m far away from the rest of the rowdy group of girls. The only girl I know is Otsuki-san and even that was through Shinji. How could I ever be popular? You’re kidding, right?
“Seriously…. this is why Yuya-kun… you should be more aware of your own attractiveness. Listen. How you are, Yuya-kun, is very wonderful. The way you are so dedicated to one thing, the way you work so hard, the way you never give up. The casual kindness that you sometimes show. Rather than a good face or something like that, Yuya-kun, your inner self is very charming. Please realize that there are many women who are attracted to that.”
“Yes, yes… I understand.”
She gave me a powerful lecture while pointing her finger at me. I wonder if that’s how things really were. But since Kaede says so, I’m sure she’s right. Still, I was quite embarrassed to hear her say it. I couldn’t help but look away.
“Mouu. Why are you looking away? I’m trying to tell you something important. Please look me in the eye.”
Don’t grab my head and move it and don’t try to force me to look you in the eye! I struggled to resist, struggling against my neck, but Kaede became more and more defiant, her cheeks puffed out as she tried to move my head. Help me, Shinjimon (Footnote: Not sure, but probably a reference to Pokémon or Digimon.)!
“Hey, Shin-kun. Why don’t you stop her? Yoshi’s quite in trouble, right?”
“Yes, but this is quite funny, so I’ll leave it be. Don’t you want to see how Hitotsuba-san reacts when she comes back to herself, Akiho?”
“Yeah… I might want to see that. Kaede-chan, I don’t know if you’re bold or dumb. It’s amazing how natural she is.”
Hey, you stupid couple! Don’t just stand and watch from the sidelines! Sure, I’d like to see Kaede’s face turn red when she comes back to herself, but now is not the time to look forward to such things!
“Don’t… resist, please…! Or can’t you look me in the eye and talk to me, Yuya? Don’t you want to …… talk to me?”
“That’s not true! It’s just that, you know, Kaede. Can you please stop clenching my face? What else should I say? It’s …… embarrassing.”
As Kaede made a sound like she was about to cry, I reflexively looked her in the eyes and denied it. This action was a surprise to her, and although she was probably too absorbed to realize it, there was hardly any distance between us and her face.
“Oh… well, this is… well… well…”
“It’s not that I don’t like to make eye contact with you or anything, it’s just that I was embarrassed that you suddenly said I was nice and everything. Please don’t misunderstand me.”
“Yes… yes… I understand…”
Hey, Shinji. You’re muttering about the birth of the second couple, but I can hear you just fine, okay? We’re still not together, okay?
“Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yoshi, leave it at that. Hey, hey, Kaede-chan! Kaede-chan, have you thought about what you’re going to do for Valentine’s Day next week?”
“Of course. I’m planning to make a chocolate cake for Yuya-kun to eat over the weekend.”
It was actually last night that we talked about this. It was coming up the following week, and Kaede asked me what I would like. I casually mumbled something about a cake, and that’s how it came about. But, is cake even something easy to make?
“Waow…. I can’t make a cake”, Otsuki-san said. “That’s amazing, Kaede-chan!”
“No, no. I just want to make his wish come true since he said he wanted to eat it. It’s my first time too, so I am worried that I might fail…”
I told Kaede that she didn’t have to force herself to make the cake, but Kaede refused to budge, saying that everything was a challenge. Since that was the case, all I could do was to eat the cake she made. That would be my way of rewarding Kaede for her hard work.
“Yuya, you’re so loved.”
Shut up. It kind of pisses me off when you say that. Are you what people call being a veteran who already has a girlfriend? Or are you just being sarcastic about my ongoing history of not having a girlfriend?
“Yes! How about we make chocolates together at Kaede’s house this weekend? We won’t be making obligatory nor friend chocolates anyway, so wouldn’t it be better to have them eat it the same day we make it!”
Hey, I don’t think so! Otsuki-san, don’t say such a thing! If you’re going to Kaede’s house to make chocolates, that means you’re going to find out that I’m living with her! I really hope that Kaede is aware of this, but I can’t be so sure.
So, I made eye contact with Kaede.
‘You know what to do, don’t you, Kaede? You’re going to say no, right?’
‘I understand, Yuya-kun. Please leave it to me.’
‘Phew. That’s a relief.’
“I like that idea. Let’s make it together!”
“Wow! That’s Kaede-chan for you! She understands me a lot!”
Oh, hey! Why did you do that! This is the part where you’re supposed to say no! Just why are you giving me a thumbs-up with a face like you did a good job! No, you’re totally wrong, Kaede!
“If that’s the case, can I go to Hitotsuba-san’s house too? Maybe we can all… have dinner together that night?”
“That’s right. I’ll make chocolates while Yuya-kun and the others are away for club activities, prepare dinner and wait for them. Please let me know if you have any requests.”
“Yes! Yes! I want a Hamburg steak again! I want to eat Kaede-chan’s homemade Hamburg steak!”
“Okay. I understand.”
The conversation went on and on, leaving no room for me to interrupt. It’s all over now. They will soon find out that we live together.
“I’m looking forward to it, Yuya.”
“…Yeah, I guess so.”
My best friend’s confident smile was so incredibly annoying.
