Simple Sweets

“Hey, hey... Have you tried that chocolate..?” a girl asked.

“Hmm? Oh, from the new cafe across the streets? Yeah, it's so sweet...! But I like the macaron more!” another answered.

It's the corridor of her Tokyo high school. Suzuha is carrying books to her chest as she walks through the crowd. 

To her right, a group of boys are jokingly pushing one another, asking to play some basketball, while a group of girls to her left are excitedly showing each other their pictures and talking about who's their boyfriend.

“Chocolate…?” she whispered to herself. “Sweets…?” Suzuha looked down at the few coins in her hand, money from her part-time job. “I guess I can buy one…”

She stood in front of the upscale new cafe after school. The same students who had been laughing in the hallway were inside, all bright and warm with all of her friends.

She looked to the two 100-yen coins in her palm. "Is this even enough...?"

She looked at the menu in the windows. The most affordable chocolate truffle was priced at 280 yen.

“Guess not, huh…” she sighed, the familiar feeling of a closed door settling in her chest. 280 yen… almost an entire dinner. 

Rice, egg, maybe a pack of discounted vegetables if she can find it.

She stepped away from that expensive place and headed down the street toward the cheap place, convenience store.

It's a place where she usually buy stuff. Here, having enough money to buy what you wanted was more important than who you were.

“Maybe they have chocolate…”

She headed straight for the candy section, choosing the simplest, least expensive option, ignoring all the colorful and expensive boxes. 

"Found it..." A chocolate bar that costs 100 yen, no label, no nothing. She barely had enough left for the train ride home.

After coming out the train, she didn't eat it straight away, she searched for a small park bench that overlooked a small stream. In here, no one would notice her... hopefully.

She unwrapped the bar carefully, “Hmm? Is this supposed to be eaten like this?” She broke a small piece and slowly placed it in her mouth.

“This…”

Her world stopped.

It was sweet. Impossibly, wonderfully sweet. It melted on her tongue. Smooth and rich flavor she had never experienced in her entire life of instant noodles and plain rice balls.

So this is what they were all talking about… 

This simple thing that everyone else took for granted.

She closed her eyes, smiling brightly until, 

“Suzuha-chan?”

Suzuha’s eyes snapped open. A girl was standing in front of her.

"Haru.. na?" It was her neighbor, her school bag slung over her shoulder.

“Is that… chocolate?”

Suzuha looks down and nodded slowly, “I heard girls talking about this and I wanted to try one…”

Haruna chuckles, walking closer, “When they say chocolate, it probably means that café you know! That one…”

Suzuha looks away, “I know… But…”

Haruna's cheerful demeanor faltered slightly at the weak and defeated tone.

Suzuha is that girl, always at the top of the class, always studying, and always by herself.

Everyone assumed that she was simply superior in everything. 

"Oh, come on." Haruna tried to lighten the mood by gently teasing, 

“Don't tell me a rich girl like you actually prefers the cheap convenience store stuff? Are you trying to see how us commoners live?”

The joke landed differently for her. Suzuha flinched, "I didn't..."

It was the same tone they used in middle school when they laughed about her torn skirt... I moved here thinking it would be different...

She just… wilted, looking down at the half-eaten chocolate bar in her hand as if it were something shameful, "I just want to..." her small moment of happiness now completely shattered and her eyes teared up, she thought she could have a moment of happiness but it looks like the world just doesn’t allow it.

Haruna saw the reaction and her heart immediately sank. Confused, her gaze dropped from Suzuha's sad face down to her feet. And then she saw something…

Suzuha's school loafers… It were worn out. The leather was scuffed and cracked, the sole on one shoe was starting to peel away at the toe, she looked down at her own, it’s perfectly polished, brand-name shoes every other girl in their school wore.

The realization hit Haruna with a wave of guilt so strong it made her feel sick. “Suzuha-chan!” She snapped.

She flinched again before looking at her, “What..?”

Haruna’s mind raced, desperate to fix the situation without embarrassing Suzuha further. She had to undo the damage.

“You know what, though? Just wait!” Haruna said suddenly, her voice bright and sincere. She walked over to the convenience store, then came back a moment later with her own 100-yen chocolate bar, different brand this time.

She sat on the bench next to the still-silent Suzuha. “The ones at the cafe are too rich. They’re all for show. But these… these are the real deal. Simple and good.”

She unwrapped her bar and broke off a piece. “Can I try some of yours? I say it will tastes better when you eat it with a friend. Here, try mine also!”

Suzuha finally looked up, eyes wide with unshed tears. She looked at Haruna’s kind, smiling face, then at the peace offering of cheap chocolate in her hand.

"For... me?"

Haruna nods, "Yeah, try it!"

Hesitantly, she also broke a piece of her own chocolate bar and held it out. 

It was a small gesture, but it was everything for Suzuha.

“What do you think, Suzuha?”

“It's good, Haruna…” 

She reached for her again but she ended feeling a cold sensation. 

“Thank you…”

Slowly, she opened her eyes to the silence of the barracks. Maren lay on the bed next to her, still huddled against her side like a metal cat. 

It was this sword who she was actually holding.

Anna rubbed the sleep from her eyes, “Damn it… is it because I sleep in a new place? This is not the right time to have such weird dream…” out of habit, she pulled up her internal status.

[ Anna ] Mana: 21,422,456 / 25,825,000

She let out a soft sigh, gently nudging the sleeping sword. “Maren,” she whispered. “Wake up.”

Maren’s light pulsed slowly as she awoke. “Mnnh… five more minutes…”

“We’re at 25.8 million,” Anna murmured, more to herself than to the sword. “It’s going to take forever to get to fifty million at this rate…”

“Just as I say mnnaaaa, it’s impossible…”

“Maybe we should..”

But as she spoke, a strange heat began to hit the center of her chest. It wasn't painful yet it felt… electric. A high pitch sound started in her ears, and the blood in her veins began to tingle.

“Anna?” Maren’s light flared with concern. “What’s happening, mnnaaa?”