It wasn't quite trial and error, but it took shape. I melted a commercially available chocolate bar and used it as a raw material to make moist chocolate, relying on information on the Internet. It was a good learning experience for me, since I do not make sweets.
I will give this to him.
It was my first attempt, so I was a bit nervous, but I heard that boys are often attracted to handmade chocolates, so I'm sure he'll be fine with it. I know I'm a bit peculiar, though.
Of course, I don't remember that I gave a valentine to anyone on Valentine's Day.
Even in the third grade, when I can just barely remember, I never made or gave a valentine to someone. Needless to say, I have no memory of anything before that. I might have given it to one or two people, considering the other me's good-natured nature, but there was no such record in my notebook, so I am sure that I did not give it to anyone.
In high school - that is, in the last year - I did not give it to anyone. At that time, I did not have any classmates that I could point to as 'this person'. I remembered most of the names, but that was it. This may be the first time in my life that I'm going to give a chocolate to someone.
To be honest, I was nervous.
As soon as I arrived at the classroom and organized my belongings, I could hear the girls whispering to each other.
Hey, who are you going to give it to?
Let's see...
I already gave it to him!
Here they come!
And so on.
They have prepared for each other.
I'm very popular, though I'm considered egomaniacal by my own s*x. I'm extremely popular.
That's why I was really tired last year. The boys were strangely close to me. I don't know if they were trying to make their presence known, but they were desperate to get my attention. I couldn't help but feel depressed thinking that it would be the same this year.
I think the best way is to hand them casually and naturally. If I said something unnecessary, depending on the contents, I might wriggle with shame and kill him. If that happens, there is no way to save him, so I think I should keep it to silence or a minimum 'give'.
The problem is timing.
If I give the comet to him in public, I am sure some boys will try to harm him. I have a habit of stabbing or hitting him, but I really don't want to cause him any trouble. I mean, I don't want to.
(Hmmm... ......)
As I was on my way to the restroom, wondering what to do, I saw Comet staring at a bulletin board in the hallway. The poster was a truly horrifying one, reminding me of the famous U.S. Army recruiting poster, in which the head of the newspaper club posed holding out a chocolate in his hand, with an English sentence meaning 'You can have my chocolate.
The comet was staring at it so intently that I thought this was what is commonly referred to as the "bieru" genre. I would like to believe that this is not so.
I quietly approached and stood next to the poster and looked at it myself.
(Oh, this is not just a poster for recruiting newspaper club members.)
It was written in the lower right corner.
'This guy. Is he gay?
I couldn't find the words to start a conversation, so I said the obvious. How do I get him to talk about chocolate from here?
'I'm just trying to recruit new members, so don't worry about it.
I know that. That's not like you to respond in such an ordinary way.
I take one look at his face. His color was perfectly normal.
We should start talking about chocolate.
But how do I tell him to give it to me in a natural way? Oh, I don't know anymore. But if I give it to him here and other boys see us... - Oh, there's already a boy watching us. Die.
Ugh, no. It's not a good time! If we give it to him, I'm sure he'll be overrun by the boys. Chocolates are everywhere! You guys should be licking granite!
''So.''
I can't! This is all I can say.
I couldn't stand it any longer and ran to the classroom.
When I got to my seat, a boy who smelled of perfume approached me out of nowhere.
'Alina-san, you're not going to give it to him, are you?
High school boys acting like gentlemen is just cheap. They are empty lumps of flesh with little life experience. I almost laughed at him.
I am not so generous as to waste my time on such a guy, so of course I ignored him. Most boys give up and fly away like flies if you ignore them.
Sure enough, he quickly moved away from me. Get away from me. You smell like perfume, you guys. Go swim in the sewers and neutralize it.
But I still have to give it to him. I made it.
I'll feel bad for the other girl who sacrificed herself by lying like a fool to get an excuse to make chocolate.
The danger is that the other one will switch places and talk to the comet. I'm sure he'll say at least a word of thanks, and if the other one tilts his head at him, it's the end. I'll die of embarrassment.
I'll write it down. Together.
Bathroom break again.
I wander down the hallway, daring to tell him when to give it to me. A noisy beggar asks me for a chocolate, so I give him the middle finger and warn him about the comet, but he doesn't show up. I am forced to return to the classroom because I know that if I go any further into the hallway, I will be surrounded by boys who smell of perfume again.
At the next bathroom break, I did the same. But he did not appear. So I glanced into his classroom.
Comet was at his desk, absentminded. I couldn't help but let out an 'eh' sound.
He was sitting shallowly, his back was straight, his eyes were level, and he was staring at the blackboard. It was an exemplary sitting posture, if I may say so. But he did not move from that position. He looked like a sheep staring at a wolf.
I went to check on him during a bathroom break before the start of fourth period. He was still in the same position. I wonder if it was the same in class. I wonder what he's fighting with. I had no idea.
It was lunchtime, and Shirana and the other students opened their lunch boxes. As we ate, the smell of perfume became stronger and stronger. Flies seemed to be attracted from other classes.
'Alina, that's great ......'.
Shirana muttered with a drawl.
'This is worse than last year. I'm sorry.
'Everyone wants to get one from Alina. But that doesn't make girls want to give it to you. ......'
'Right.'
I wish they would have at least gone away during the meal. It was so frustrating that I wanted to stir all their guts with a rice spoon.
'Does Arinan give chocolate to comets?
Unaware of my state of mind, Yuri suddenly made a remark. I was so upset that I scooped up some rice with my chopsticks and dropped it back into the sea of rice.
'Yuri. Have you ever jumped rope with your small intestines? I have.'
'Scary.'
I don't care. It doesn't matter that I'm going to give it to you in secret, because it's always been my intention to do so.
After a while, Shirana put down her chopsticks and started rummaging through her bag. She went to hand two small paper bags with cute patterns to Comet and Makoto Takane who were at the door.
Why don't I take this opportunity to give them to them?
That's what crossed my mind. No, you can't let them see you. Besides, I just told you I won't give it to anyone. I continued the girl talk with Yuri and Ran without looking at them.
The lunch break went by in a flash.
I'm starting to get nervous inside. I really might not be able to give it to him. I wanted to give it to her, but it seemed impossible to escape from the stares of the other boys. I'm so angry!
I thought about sending a message. But he's the kind of guy who'd probably tell someone, and even if I did, there's no way I'd be able to get a chance to be alone with him.
Time passed me by in a cruel and selfish way, and I was left after school with nothing to do. I had no plans to meet him after school. He will be home soon, as he seems to be a homecoming student. Then it's over.
You're going home?
(Then why don't I just go to the school gate first and wait for you!)
You don't have to hand it in on campus. How could I have been so caught up in such a simple thought? I guess the boys are not stalking me on my way home and have given up on me. Perfect.
As soon as I finished cleaning, I packed my bags and ran out of the school building. He might have already left the school since he is a homecoming student. If he doesn't show up within an hour, I'll go home. So I decided and waited at a little distance from the school gate.
I waited for a few minutes.
He came out of the school building.
(What's with that face? ......)
As he walked toward us, he had a sharp and determined look on his face. I felt his passionate conviction like a boy who is about to embark on a new journey was overflowing from him.
When he stepped out of the school gate, he stopped and put his hand on his chest. What is this guy? I was a bit puzzled by the sunset, but I thought it was my first and last chance, so I called out to him.
'Oh, hey. I've been waiting for you.
Alina Hiba was there.
Why was she at the school gate? Was it an ambush? When the hell did they put a tracking device in me?
What? What are you doing?
No way. No way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way, no way.
'I've been waiting for you. Let's walk.
Walk.
Right foot out, left foot out. Go forward 70 centimeters. Walking, walking. Gushion.
I've never found walking so difficult in my life. I had no idea that walking on two legs was so difficult. I'm grateful to the human race for keeping life going.
Contrary to my nervousness, Alina walked with her usual cool expression and her beautiful hair swaying like a stream. She seemed to have been waiting at the school gate for a long time because the tip of her nose was a little pink.
Ugh!
A strong shock hit me on my right side. My body bent limply, and I saw the Sanzu River for a moment. This was probably the second time. There was another dead pet on the other side.
I heard the sound of paper rustling, and I looked at Alina's outstretched left hand, which was holding a paper bag with a red abstract design on it. It was clamped in my side.
I gave it to her. A token of my appreciation.
She said this while looking straight ahead. She seemed to be trying to hide her embarrassment.
I took it gratefully.
Thank you. I really didn't think I'd get it. I'm going to use this as an opportunity to become a messenger of peace.
''So.''
To tell you the truth, I was so happy I almost had a mental breakdown. I've been rushed, rushed, rushed, and now I finally have what I wanted. Oh, I'm going crazy. I can make the desert green now. It's great, it's great.
I want to scream, oh, I want to scream. I wanna scream in the center of the world. What? Cauliflower!" . I don't know why cauliflower. Maybe because it sounds good.
'If it's homemade, is it ......?'
'Yes. Taste it.
'Oh ...... creatures of the universe ......'
I felt that Alina was wrapped in a cuteness that I could not believe she was human. Ugin is losing it. That's how cute she is.
I can't wait to open it and eat it, but I'll wait until I get home. Eating while walking would be a capital offense, and taking it lightly would be foolish.
Alina's eyes are fluttering and she keeps staring ahead. She seems emotionless, but the fact that she doesn't seem to notice that she is dragging her scarf, which has been sticking out of her bag like a tail, on the street suggests that she is not in a normal state of mind either.
The low buzzing sound of her phone's ringtone echoes in the background. She puts it in her pocket thinking it's me, but it seems to be Alina.
Alina.
Just looking at the letters, it looks like a caveman getting excited. I called out to Alina, thinking about nothing else, but her ears seem to be in a tunnel and not reaching her brain at the moment.
I grabbed her shoulders and shook her. The three-dimensionality of her collarbone, sinful .......
'No! s*xual harassment!
'Alinas maho maho.'
What is it?
'Alina smartphone smartphone'.
'Hmm? Oh my'.
She finally realized and picked up the phone.
It seems to be her mother. Meanwhile, I was thinking about what to give her for White Day.
Should I return a handmade gift with a handmade gift? Or should I buy expensive chocolates?
I don't know. I don't know as much as Chinese literature. If you're a proud Alina, would you go with the price? I have a feeling that the angel Alina would be quite pleased with a handmade one. Hmm, if we should prepare for both Alina the tongue-tied and Alina the angel ......? But the glamorous body is one. No, no, no, there are two souls that taste. Well, well, well? Shouldn't we call a philosophy teacher?
When I came to myself, Alina was not there. I didn't realize that she was also a cat-shaped traveler through time and space.
When I turned around, Alina was standing still with her phone clutched to one ear. She was still looking ahead, but a little different. She focused on my eyes.
'What's wrong?
I go back and ask Alina. She remains frozen.
'Did you forget something? You look like a statue.'
Alina pulled the phone away from her ear and looked as if she had lost her mind. The screen of the phone in her slumped hand was still showing the incoming call screen and was still connected.
I pointed my finger at it and said, 'It's connected,' but she wouldn't listen. When I thought something was wrong, she opened her mouth.