The perspective is that of a chemistry club advisor who doesn’t appear in the main story.
February 14th is a day when high schools buzz with activity.
Our school is no exception, and today the girls have one, or sometimes even three, extra paper bags with them.
…Valentine’s Day, they say it’s called in the world. Me? Yeah. I’m involved, it seems.
“Teacher! It’s Valentine’s, so!”
…See, there it is.
“Ooh, thank you. Write your name and class here, please.”
“Hehe.”
…High school girls are tough, giving chocolate to an outcast teacher like me, looking forward to March 14th.
…I’m relatively young, so I tend to be a target.
…Every year, it becomes a trouble thinking about what to give back…sigh.
And then, there’s a place completely unrelated to such a flirty atmosphere.
“Alright, just like last year, the start of the dark game.”
The time is after school. I accidentally witnessed a fresh exchange between a boy and a girl in a corner of the courtyard from the hallway and was kinda in that mood, but as soon as I entered the laboratory, this is what I found!
Everyone formed a circle, swallowing hard while each wearing a sly grin. …I want my pure mood back!
“…What are you guys doing?”
“Ah, teacher. Good afternoon. Please join us.”
…Maito extended a box toward me.
Inside are…ganache, huh? Neatly packed in the box like tiles.
Well, anyway, there’s bound to be something fishy mixed in, but I guess I’ll take one for now. I pick one with a toothpick handed to me and put it in my mouth.
…Oh.
It’s quite delicious. The bitter taste of chocolate with a hint of orange flavor spreading gently is impressive.
“Right. As you see, the normal ones are normal. …Teacher, it would have been nice if you had drawn a loser…”
“…By the way, what’s the loser?”
“It’s spicy with chili.”
…I thought as much!
“And, the ratio of chili is Valentine’s Day-themed.”
“Meaning?”
“I was thinking of making it 2:14, but that would make the chili ratio too high.”
Wait! It wasn’t 14 chilis to 2, but the other way around!? …That’s terrifying!
“We decided to make it 28:2 instead.”
…Well, that’s a reasonable ratio, isn’t it?
“So, who wants to join the dark game as a challenger?”
“Ah, I’ll go first then. Draw!”
With a good spirit, it seems Toriumi is ready to draw even knowing there’s a loser.
“Ah, it’s a hit.”
Moreover, it was a hit.
“Alright, my turn next. Draw!”
Hariu put a piece of ganache in his mouth and seemed to enjoy it normally, so it seems to be a hit.
“…Then, me too.”
Kadomi hesitantly picked one up and ate it. …It looks like another hit.
“Next is me then.”
Just as Suzumoto reached for a toothpick, Hariu stopped him.
“Suzumoto, you got something, didn’t you!”
…Well, that’s to be expected of him.
“But it’s just obligation, right?”
“That’s not the point!”
…Ah, yes. He’s facing quite the backlash.
“It can’t be helped! I can’t just refuse to accept it.”
“Wow, that’s some sarcasm there.”
“Sarcasm, indeed. Wow, ‘it’s just obligation,’ such sarcasm.”
Well, with this group, it figures.
“Basically, there must be others besides me who received something. Like Kariya.”
…The classroom fell silent.
“Ah…yes. I did receive something. Um, from a library committee member, out of obligation.”
Ah, yes, I understand. I have an idea of the library committee member who might distribute chocolates to him. Probably Hanamura from the first year?
By the way, I’ve already spotted that guy running around with a big pack of Tirol chocolates.
“And Hagasaki-kun.”
“…No, I didn’t receive any.”
“Lying isn’t good. I saw it, right? It was in your bag.”
Reacting to Suzumoto’s words, Hariu peeked into Hagasaki’s bag.
“Captain! Found it!”
“I’m the club president, not the captain, but well done.”
What Hariu raised was a cookie in simple wrapping.
“…No, that’s not from a girl.”
The air froze at his words.
“Ah, could it be Shidou? I received one too.”
…Ah, different then. That’s good.
According to Toriumi’s explanation.
Shidou is one of the few male members of the drama club…and so, he’s definitely going to receive chocolates from the girls in the club.
However, fearing he might forget to return the favor on White Day, he bakes cookies for Valentine’s Day and immediately returns the favor when he receives chocolates, it seems.
Yes, I think Shidou’s approach is commendable.
…And probably, he received those cookies because there were extras.
One can’t help but wonder if it’s good luck or bad luck.
Afterward, Suzumoto, who reached the conclusion with the other members that “So, in the end, Suzumoto is the only one who decently received something!” was thoroughly teased, decided to fight back.
“No…you guys, thinking about it. …Do you even want it?”
“No, not at all.”
He was immediately and decisively rejected!
“I also agree with President.”
“I don’t want it either. It’s troublesome to think about what to give in return.”
These guys would rather spend money on their hobbies than on return gifts.
“Then it’s fine! Whatever I receive and from whomever!”
“That’s a different matter altogether.”
“See, if you draw a loser, you’ll be forgiven, right?”
Just as I was starting to feel sorry for Suzumoto, Maito offered him a toothpick and the box.
Suzumoto also ate one, but this seemed to be a hit as well.
“…Huh, I’m sure I put losers in there…”
Maito worriedly looked into the box, but since it’s her, she probably didn’t make it obvious which were the losers.
Knowing this, she quickly gave up on trying to identify them.
…And then, Hagasaki, President, Kariya, and Katori, one after the other, didn’t draw any losers.
“I did put them in, right…?”
Then, when Maito ate one.
“…”
Without a word, she made a somewhat sad face, then rushed out of the lab at incredible speed toward the sink.
“Did she draw one herself? …Is she an idiot?”
After bringing them herself, drawing a loser, and then being mocked by Hagasaki.
…Well, it’s somehow…pitiable, in a way.
And after another round, Maito apparently drew the second loser as well.
At this point, all you could do was laugh, and she herself rushed to the sink with a wry smile.
“Man…peaceful, isn’t it?”
“Yeah.”
It seemed they decided to play a game of Daifugo until Maito returned, and everyone began spreading out their cards.
Shouldn’t you guys be doing something more Valentine’s Day-like?
…Curious, I decided to go see what was happening at the sink.
“Ah, teacher.”
“Looks like you’ve had it rough.”
“Drawing your own loser, that’s really something, huh?”
Watching Maito drink water, I understood.
“And that’s for a loser that doesn’t even exist, right?”
I hit the nail on the head.
Maito looked at me with an incredible expression. Well, as a girl, I’m not sure about making that face, you know?
“Just give them normally.”
I thought they would happily accept if given normally.
When I suggested it, I received a decidedly reluctant look.
“I don’t want to.”
“Why’s that?”
“…I don’t like the idea of making or being made to feel awkward.”
Certainly, if it’s done in that manner, there wouldn’t be any obligation for reciprocation.
“But you’re giving them anyway.”
“I’m distributing them to female friends as well, so the effort’s the same. Plus, it’s a special day for exchanging sweets at school, so it’s no fun not to participate.”
But to say it’s not fun, huh.
…Well, yes. Considering who they are, they probably wouldn’t do it unless it was fun, and if it wasn’t fun, they probably wouldn’t be themselves.
“By the way, the first one was actually a dud.” (T/N: Meaning, the second one is real. Haha)
Yeah. …I kind of like this guy, you know?
When I returned to the laboratory, I found Kariya doing a bridge on the desk.
“What are you doing?”
“I became the absolute loser…”
…These guys, really, they’re having a good time…
๏ผ๏ผ๏ผ๏ผ๏ผ๏ผ๏ผ๏ผ๏ผ
And it seems like they have more fun the day after, anyway.
“Going shopping!”
“Wait, what shopping spree are you planning?!”
I caught Hariu and Katori as they were casually trying to leave.
“We ran out, so we’re buying effervescent bath bombs.”
…True, they are currently experimenting with rockets powered by a certain effervescent bath product.
“The real reason?”
“We’re buying chocolates that got cheaper after the 15th.”
Yeah, the moment the two biggest sweet-tooths of the club went out together, I had a hunch!
After a while, I heard cheers from the laboratory and went to look.
On the desk were chocolates.
Some were the pricey types not usually bought, and others were funny, novelty ones.
…Are you guys high school girls? Oh, one of you is a high school girl. Still, the rest are high school boys!
“Would you like some, teacher?”
Maito offered me one of the pricier-looking chocolates, so I tried it.
Yeah, it’s quite rich in liquor, isn’t it? Not that I mind, being somewhat of a drinker myself.
“Yeah, this is good.”
I liked it so much I took another.
Delicious.
…Feeling everyone’s grinning gazes on me, I looked up to find Hariu happily stating,
“Teacher, since you ate, you’re splitting the cost with us.”
…Ah, I got played!
With a mentality of “might as well enjoy it,” I boldly continued, and we all indulged in chocolates together.
We had a sort of tasting session, saying things like “This one’s really good,” and “Even joke chocolates can’t be underestimated,” and had a pretty fun time.
Yeah, not bad, this kind of thing.
…But you guys, make sure you also get your experiments done, okay?
