Honmei-choco / Giri-choco (part 4)

The sun was setting as they walked out of the café.

“That was nice,” he said. “I’m glad you brought me here.”

“Me too. I hope we can go here again sometime.”

“I would love that.”

Mai smiled, grabbing his hand. They continued down the sidewalk, enjoying the cool breeze and the view of the city.

They walked in silence for a while. Ryota was nervous, but he didn’t want to speak. He wanted to enjoy the moment. The date, the city, the air... it was all so wonderful. He had never felt this way before. He forgot about everything else and enjoyed the view.

He forgot why they were there in the first place, about his plans, and why he asked her out. It was just the two of them now, and he loved it.

“Um...” He stopped walking, staring at the ground.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“Nothing,” he mumbled. “I just...”

He looked up, glancing around. Tall buildings enclosed them as nightfall approached.

“Um... should we get going? We should head back soon.”

She nodded. “Yeah. It’s getting late.”

He started walking, and Mai followed him. Neither of them could believe that they had spent the entire day together.

It had been a perfect day, and he didn’t want it to end. But he knew it was only a matter of minutes before they reached their destination.

“Can we stop by the park first?” she asked.

“Um... I...” He struggled to think of an answer.

“It’ll only take a few minutes,” she said. “I want to look around.”

“Sure. I guess we can do that.”

They walked into the park, where the sun was still visible on the horizon. They could see the city, and Ryota enjoyed the view. The city lights, the sunset... they were beautiful. Nothing came out of his mouth, however. He didn’t want to spoil the moment.

“You know, I wanted to do something like this a while ago.”

He glanced at her, surprised by her words.

“Oh, really?”

She nodded. “Yeah. I always wanted to go out with you and do stuff like this. Since elementary school, maybe.”

“Oh, I did not know.”

“I know. It was a secret. Hehe!”

He smiled, walking by her side. They continued until they reached the center of the park.

“Look,” she said, pointing at the lake. “Do you see that?”

He looked at the water, trying to spot what she was pointing at.

“I... see nothing.”

“It’s a firefly,” she replied. “See?”

He followed her finger, and his eyes widened when he saw a glowing light moving across the water.

“It’s amazing,” he whispered.

“Yup.” She smiled, staring at it. “It’s pretty.”

“Yeah.”

“We went to different schools after we entered junior high. So I was always by myself,” she said. “But we met again during high school. And then...”

“And then?”

She looked back at him, her eyes shining in the light.

“I started the Whimsical Matchmaking Brigade.”

“One day,” she continued. “I’m wondering if I’ll be visiting the clubroom as someone who needs help, not as a member.”

“...”

“I hope not,” she said.

“...”

“What kind of expression is that? Why are you looking at me like that?”

He blushed, realizing that he was staring.

“Nothing. It’s nothing.”

“Oh, I almost forgot,” she said. “Tomorrow is Valentine’s Day.”

“Valentine’s Day?”

“Yup.”

She took out a small red box from her bag. The white and pink lace covered it with a tiny heart on top.

“This is for you,” she said, handing it to him. “I wanted to be the first one to give you one.”

“For me?”

He opened the box and saw a small red bag filled with chocolates. Attached to it was a card with a bright yellow smiley face drawn on it.

“It isn’t like you’re gonna get chocolates from anyone else.” She giggled. “You should consider this as an empathy gift.”

Mai humphed and folded her arms, smiling at him.

“Tsundere?”

She pouted, looking at him with narrowed eyes. “I’m not a tsundere.”

“Really?”

“Shut up and take it!” She grabbed the bag, shoving it in his face.

He chuckled, taking the bag. The chocolate smelled good, and he opened it to take a bite. He couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed by this.

“Geez, I am going home!” she yelled.

She started walking away from him.

“Wait,” he said, running after her.

“What?”

He stopped in front of her, staring at the ground.

“Thanks,” he mumbled.

She looked at him and giggled.

“That’s it?”

“No. Um... thanks for coming with me today. It was fun.”

She smiled, taking his hand.

Ryota felt her icy hand wrapping over his. He could feel his face flush. His heart was pounding, and he wondered if she could feel it.

“You don’t have to thank me,” she whispered. “I came here because I wanted to.”

“But, prez...”

“Prez?”

Mai stopped and turned to him. Their faces were inches apart. She stared into his eyes. A dead silence filled the air between them. A blank look filled her face.

Ryota didn’t understand what happened, but he knew he couldn’t stay silent. He looked down, struggling to find the words. He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.

Slowly, Mai let go of his hand and took a step back.

“That chocolate,” she said. “Is Honmei-choco!”

Without waiting for his reply, she ran away.

“Mai...” He sighed, watching her disappear into the distance.

He didn’t know what happened.

But he was sure of one thing: He had made a mistake.

He stared at the bag of chocolates in his hand, wondering what to do next.

“Aah!” he sighed, staring at the cat sitting on the ground only a few feet away. “Why is this so difficult?”

The cat meowed and stared back at him as if it wanted him to go on. He leaned closer, petting its head.

“She left you behind, didn’t she?”

Author's Note: Honmei-choco is a Japanese term that refers to "chocolate of love" given on Valentine's Day. It's a type of chocolate gifted by girls to boys they have romantic feelings for.