Chapter 106: Valentine's Day, or Valentine's Disaster?
The topic came too suddenly.
Lina couldn't react immediately, but after pondering for a moment, she naturally refused.
Even though she was grateful that Mahiro would say such things—in fact, this was the first time since they started interacting that she had heard Mahiro speak words that showed concern for her.
And Mahiro didn't press the matter.
Moreover, as agreed, he didn't do anything to Lina either.
The relationship between them gradually shifted from the previous ambiguous intimacy to a calm, ordinary classmate relationship.
Every day, he went to and from school with his usual group of friends, chatting, laughing, and playing around.
It was as if Lina had truly become an ordinary high school student, no longer the formidable Strategic Class Magician who bore the name "Sirius."
Even though Erika would occasionally bring this up to tease her, either openly or subtly.
Each time, however, Lina's complaints were directed at Erika, not at him.
There was no helping it—after all, he had long ago disclosed Lina's information to everyone.
Days passed like this, one after another.
Soon, they were about to approach a particularly important and special day for young boys and girls—
"Valentine's Day..."
This term felt incredibly unfamiliar and distant to Mahiro.
Needless to say in this life, even in his previous life, his experience with it was zero.
What exactly should he do?
"Minami, what do people do on Valentine's Day?"
"Huh?"
At his question, Minami, who had been cleaning in the living room, suddenly stopped moving. Her amber eyes blinked.
She seemed both confused and thoughtful, then ventured a guess:
"Probably giving chocolates, right? That's what everyone says."
Well, it seemed Minami was just as clueless about Valentine's Day as he was—her knowledge limited to giving chocolates and flowers.
"So, Minami, is there anything you'd like?"
"M-Me?"
The girl seemed flustered.
Originally, she wanted to refuse, since she had already received body-enhancing potions from Mahiro. But when she saw his direct gaze, she couldn't bring herself to say it.
"Forgive my rudeness! Whatever Mahiro-sama gives me, no matter what it is, Minami will love it!"
A lovely blush spread across Minami's face, and she replied in a slightly strained voice, almost like a whimper.
After saying this, she quickly scurried away from his presence and continued cleaning the house.
Well, it seemed that path with Minami was a dead end.
Still, he genuinely wanted to give Minami something. After all, she had taken care of him at home for so long. Even if he didn't have romantic feelings for her at the moment, Mahiro still regarded the girl as family to some extent.
But as for what exactly to give her, that was something he would have to figure out on his own.
...
"...Izumi, tell me, what do you think older sister is doing?"
"I think... she's probably making chocolates."
"Is that really it? Why do I feel like older sister is making poison to kill someone?"
At the Saegusa residence.
The Saegusa sisters, Kasumi and Izumi, craned their necks to peek into the kitchen, whispering quietly to each other.
"Probably... not, right? Sister said that was meant to be a gift for Mahiro..."
"But that doesn't seem quite appropriate, does it?"
In their line of sight was Mayumi cheerfully melting chocolate using a double boiler.
Though cheerful, that smile was absolutely not the kind a lovestruck girl would wear on the eve of Valentine's Day.
That smile felt more like an old witch from a fairy tale stirring her cauldron of magical brew, especially with the thick, pitch-black chocolate swirling in the pot, making the resemblance all the more striking.
Adding the new chocolate was like sprinkling poison in preparation for murder, making the twins turn to look at each other with pale faces.
"Kasumi, the chocolate that sister just used was...?"
"Ah... it should be the 95% cocoa unsweetened chocolate..."
Although they once sold a product claiming to be 99% cocoa, it was taken off the market due to being too bitter.
So the materials Mayumi was currently using were the bitterest chocolate available on the market.
Once melted, it could be called cocoa paste.
"And... that bag over there...?"
"That's instant coffee powder, right...?"
"Did big brother Mahiro do something to make sister angry?"
The two exchanged glances, then shook their heads.
They didn't know.
But the only thing they were certain of was that their older brother Mahiro was about to be in big trouble.
On Valentine's Day.
Mahiro had already decided what gifts to give them.
He gave Minami a bracelet inlaid with amber-colored four-leaf clovers, which he had handmade using alchemical formulas. Each four-leaf clover gem contained powerful magical energy.
Whenever she encountered danger, it would automatically activate defensive spells, with effects already comparable to some holy relics.
It had to be said, this alchemy was truly a versatile tool.
And Minami gave him chocolate in return.
However.
What he hadn't expected was that the first chocolate besides Minami's would come from Fujibayashi Kyouko.
"Fujibayashi-sensei, this is...?"
Before he could even enter the school gates, he was stopped halfway and pulled into a car, then saw Kyouko take out a beautifully packaged, slender small box from her handbag.
"Of course, it's obligatory chocolate."
Delivered with such ease and straightforwardness that it didn't allow for any expectations.
Moreover, the packaging was very fashionable. Although not homemade, it was clearly a high-end product.
But the problem was...
"Obligatory?"
He had thought it was romantic chocolate.
Though he wanted to say this, he held back.
"Could it be that you're dissatisfied with the obligatory chocolate I gave you, Yotsuba-kun?"
Kyouko showed a mischievous smile.
She seemed to want to see him blush, but unfortunately, this alone wasn't enough.
"It's not dissatisfaction. I was just wondering where exactly I earned this obligation from Fujibayashi-sensei."
"So you don't know... Well, if you don't know, then let's just consider it from the 'vampire incident' last time." Kyouko smiled meaningfully.
Mahiro: "..."
It made perfect sense, but he still felt something was off, especially since it was chocolate from his teacher.
After thinking about it without reaching any conclusion, he decided to swallow his pride and accept it for now.
"But Fujibayashi-sensei, I didn't prepare any return gift for you."
"Hehe, then remember to make it up to me next time."
Fujibayashi Kyouko smiled charmingly and playfully winked at him.
What a strange person.
Clearly, his interactions with this woman weren't that many, or were they limited to just teacher-student relations?
Still, the chocolate was quite delicious, it even had nuts inside.
Probably Belgian-made, right?
Next time we meet, I'll ask her where she bought them and bring some for the children of Arcadia, as well as for Seitenshi and Kisara.
From the moment he stepped into the school gates, Mahiro began to suspect he might develop diabetes.
The entire day.
He never stopped having chocolate in his mouth.
It all started when Sayaka suddenly ran to his classroom to give him a "true heart" chocolate, and he gave her a ring in return. After that, the girls in his class became restless.
They presented him with various styles and flavors of chocolate, all handmade.
It would be impolite not to accept them.
But if he accepted, he had to at least taste them.
Just like that, by the end of the morning, his mouth was left with nothing but the rich taste of cocoa.
But that wasn't the end of it. At noon, when he was about to go for lunch, Honoka suddenly called out to him.
"Um, Mahiro-kun! Could you spare a moment?"
Honoka seemed very reserved; even through her clothes, it was easy to see her entire body was tense.
It wasn't hard to guess that Honoka also intended to give him chocolate.
Though he was already quite full, he nodded and said, "Of course, no problem."
He did his best to put on a gentle and kind smile, hoping the girl wouldn't be so nervous.
"Please... follow me this way."
Like a secret agent, Honoka stealthily and quickly made her way to the backyard, trying to avoid drawing attention. Mahiro followed behind.
However, the place they ended up was the school's famous confession spot—under the tree behind the machine research club's hangar.
Uh... this was a bit awkward.
The moment he stepped into this area, he knew what was about to happen, but he didn't recall being particularly close to Honoka.
If he had to compare, his relationship with Shizuku was actually better.
Just as he was thinking this, Honoka had already stepped in front of him and quickly handed over a neatly and beautifully wrapped small box with both hands.
"Um, Mahiro-kun! Please accept my tru... chocolate!"
She stumbled over her words.
Even though it hurt so much that tears welled up in her eyes, she still held out her hands, frozen in place.
Her long hair, tied at neck level in two sections, couldn't hide the tips of her ears, which were flushed red.
Looking down at her face, even the forehead visible through the part in her bangs was bright red.
Unable to move, unable to speak, wanting to advance or retreat but unable to do so, Honoka's hands trembled slightly, and her eyes were tightly shut, as if she were afraid of being rejected.
She was adorably clumsy.
"Thank you, Honoka."
Looking at this girl who was as cute as the girl next door, Mahiro instinctively reached out and patted her head. Then, he gently took the box from her hands, careful not to damage the wrapping.
Finally, he leaned down and whispered softly in her ear, "Thank you, Honoka, for liking me."
"Huh?"
Honoka's eyes snapped open, and she looked up in surprise.
Seeming to feel the tears still at the corners of her eyes, she hastily wiped them away and forced a somewhat strained smile.
"...Y-You're welcome."
Was this considered a rejection?
Honoka couldn't help but think that.
But then, Mahiro spoke again, "Now that I've accepted your chocolate, may I give you a small gift in return?"
Still dazed, Honoka instinctively nodded.
"Then please close your eyes."
Following his request, Honoka closed her eyes.
At this point, she didn't hold any particular expectations, only hoping that Mahiro wouldn't reject her too directly.
But the next second.
She suddenly felt as if she was enveloped by a warm breath, followed by the sensation of her tied hair coming loose, slowly cascading down her shoulders.
To be honest, Honoka with her hair down had a unique charm, less cute but more gentle and delicate.
However, although this looked nice too, he still took out a new hair accessory and helped her tie her hair up again.
"You can open your eyes now."
Honoka slowly opened her eyes and saw a mirror appearing before her, while she held her old hair tie in her hand.
"Mahiro, what you gave me... is it a hair accessory?"
"Mhm, how does it feel?"
"It's beautiful."
Honoka blinked, looking at her reflection in the mirror.
She could see several sparkling crystals hanging from the hair tie, and inside the crystals seemed to be a small white flower?
"That's Gardenia. I think this flower suits you well, just as beautiful as you are, Honoka."
"Ah..."
Honoka gently covered her mouth, letting out a small gasp.
As if realizing something, her face instantly turned bright red, and she quickly bowed to him:
"Thank you, Mahiro! I understand!"
After saying this, Honoka ran away with her face still flushed.
But from her retreating figure, one could tell she was very happy.
This should be enough... or so it should have been.
"Hehe, what a playboy."
At that moment, from another corner behind the school building, a golden figure gracefully walked toward them.
Gardenia, also known as Cape Jasmine, carries the flower meaning of "eternal love and promise." The girl knew this well, which was why she uttered those words.
"Is that so? Even if I'm a playboy, I'm still better than some transfer student who likes eavesdropping, right?"
"You... nonsense! I was just passing by!"
As if hit where it hurt, the golden-haired girl—Angelina—immediately became flustered.
With her movement, the impressive swell on her chest couldn't help but bounce twice.
They're really ridiculously large...
At the very least, only Kisara could definitively surpass this size, and they felt quite comfortable when held in hand.
"Where are you looking, you pervert!"
Lina noticed his gaze and quickly covered her chest with both hands.
"Tch, if you have them, aren't they meant to be seen? If you have the ability, hide them so people can't look," Mahiro murmured sarcastically.
"You..."
"Alright, rather than such trivial matters, let's get to the point. Why are you following me? Are you feeling unsatisfied?"
Mahiro waved his hand, cutting off the words Lina hadn't managed to voice.
But it was true—Lina had been following him the entire way.
She'd been trailing behind him since they left the classroom, and her tracking skills were as terrible as ever, just like back at the shrine.
It was impossible not to notice.
"You're the one who's unsatisfied!"
Lina shouted angrily, then added in a whisper-soft voice:
"And how is it trivial... Here, this is for you."
She pulled out an exquisitely wrapped gift box from her person and shoved it into his arms. It even retained the warmth of a young girl and her distinctive fragrance.
"Oh? I never thought you'd give me chocolate too."
Mahiro teased lightly, unwrapping it right in front of her.
"By the way, is this obligation chocolate, or confession chocolate?"
"Of course it's obligation! Who would give you confession chocolate..."
Lina stiffened her expression, turning her head away displeased.
"Obligation, huh... If it's obligation, I'd rather weigh those two lumps of flesh on your chest again. I prefer that over chocolate, and you know perfectly well our bodies are more compatible anyway."
At his words, Lina's face flushed bright red! She shouted indignantly:
"You bastard, so you really only think about that kind of thing...?"
She turned her head back just in time to see Mahiro holding the gift box she'd given him, popping the chocolates inside one by one into his mouth.
"You... you're just eating them like that?"
Lina's voice trembled, as if she couldn't quite believe it.
"Yeah, isn't chocolate meant to be eaten? But you made these yourself, right? The texture's a bit off, but the flavor's good. Especially the light cream inside—I really like it."
"...Aren't you afraid I might have poisoned them?"
Although her vampire-hunting mission was complete, her investigation of Yotsuba Mahiro and assassination mission were still ongoing.
She had told Mahiro this early on.
Yet now, he was eating what she gave him without any hesitation.
She had fully prepared herself for him to throw the chocolate away.
Is this guy an idiot?!
"Poison? I don't think someone with your proud personality would do that. And even if you wanted to poison me, could you really bring yourself to do it?"
"Hmph, I'd be better off poisoning a bastard like you sooner rather than later!"
Lina turned away, taking a deep breath to calm her emotions.
"I'm heading back now!"
"Hey, wait, I haven't given you a return gift yet!"
"No need! Keep it for yourself!"
Lina stubbornly refused to look back, but the next second she suddenly felt a gust of wind rushing toward her from behind.
She instinctively turned around, reaching out toward the source of the sound, and an item landed perfectly in her hand.
"A bracelet?"
It was a silver bracelet with a sky-blue crystal embedded in it.
But...
"There's actually a magic formula stored inside this crystal?! Is this a sacred relic?!"
"Mhm."
Mahiro snorted lightly, "Consider it something to save your life. If you accidentally encounter another monster as strong as me during your next mission, the enchantments inside should at least keep you alive."
"...How could there be terrifying monsters like you everywhere in the world?"
Lina pursed her lips and muttered under her breath.
But her gaze never left the bracelet in her hand.
...
"Oh, Mahiro-kun, do you have a moment now? I'd like to borrow some of your time."
In the evening.
Mayumi pretended to coincidentally run into him and, as usual, extended an invitation with a beaming smile.
Naturally, he had no reason to refuse.
But the arranged location turned out to be a corner of the school cafe, in an area partitioned off into several simple meeting rooms with dividers.
Even through the partitions, however, the rich aroma of coffee filled the air.
Mayumi urged him to "sit, sit" while she casually took the seat directly opposite him.
"Here, this is for you."
As soon as Mahiro sat down, Mayumi handed him a box.
Though not particularly large in size, it was surprisingly heavy—at least five times heavier than a chocolate bar of the same dimensions.
Not only that, but he also detected a strange scent wafting from the box.
Coffee?
Despite the strong aroma of coffee beans permeating the area, he could still distinguish it.
"Senpai, what is this...?"
"Hmm~ It's my true feelings chocolate, of course."
"...I'm really happy to receive it, but senpai, are you sure this is chocolate? Not something else?"
He almost blurted out the word "coffee."
"Of course, I made it myself."
Hearing this, Mahiro understood the truth.
It made sense that it smelled like coffee—after all, he was well aware that Mayumi-senpai couldn't cook.
"Hey, try some."
"...Let me ask first, is this considered attempted murder of your beloved?"
"How could it be?"
Mayumi tilted her head and flashed a mischievous smile. "I just specially made chocolate for you, Mahiro-kun, and wanted to hear your thoughts."
"Tch..."
There was no avoiding it.
With a strange mix of emotions, Mahiro tremblingly unwrapped the box.
Inside were rows of neatly arranged black chocolates.
In terms of shape and texture, they looked perfectly normal, except for the overwhelming scent of coffee and dark chocolate that hit him.
As if facing execution, Mahiro picked up a piece of chocolate, put it in his mouth, and chewed.
"Hmm~ It tastes pretty good!"
Mahiro's face immediately lit up with delight after eating it.
His reaction completely exceeded Mayumi's expectations.
"Eh? Really?!"
But she had used 95% pure dark chocolate, melted it, and added nearly half a jar of instant coffee powder—without a single drop of water or grain of sugar in the process.
Skeptical, Mayumi picked up a piece and, under Mahiro's watchful gaze, put it in her mouth.
"Wah~~~~ It's so bitter!"
Mayumi's delicate features instantly scrunched up.
"How mean, Mahiro-kun, you lied to me!"
"Haha! That's called reaping what you sow~"
Mahiro laughed heartily.
The moment it was eaten, the flavor was simply indescribable. The inherent bitterness of coffee, combined with the bitterness of dark chocolate, multiplied the bitterness several times over, not to mention the burnt, charred taste mixed in.
That he could still manage to smile was a testament to his mastery of facial expressions.
However, Mayumi, feeling quite defiant, picked up another piece and popped it into her mouth.
Then she rose from her seat, plopped directly onto his lap, wrapped her arms around his neck, and pressed a sweet kiss to his lips, forcibly transferring the chocolate into his mouth.
As the bitter taste gradually spread in his mouth, it was accompanied by a hint of the girl's sweetness.
It was a long while before Mayumi released him, her cheeks faintly flushed as she glared at him and said:
"This is your punishment for being unfaithful!"
"Mm, I accept the punishment."
As he spoke, he wrapped one arm around Mayumi's slender waist, pulling her delicate body completely against his, and kissed her again.
This time, Mayumi gradually lost herself in the bittersweet sensation.
But then she felt a cool touch on her neck.
Click!
A sound like that suddenly rang out. Mayumi jolted awake, and after parting from his lips, she discovered a necklace around her neck.
It was a pendant.
Set with an emerald-green gemstone, the scene reflected within the gem seemed to swirl slowly, like the breath of life.
"This is...?"
"A gift for you. Do you like it?"
"Thank you."
Mayumi clutched the pendant at her chest, then took two more pieces of chocolate from the box, put them in her mouth, and offered her cherry lips once more.
The two kissed again.
Mm, this flavor... it really is so bitter.