Chapter 216.5 White Day Special*
Chapter 216.5 White Day Special*
(Yuu’s PoV)
“Reina-!” Mai started exclaiming.
“Wait, Mai!” I hurriedly grabbed Mai’s hand before she got too close to Reina… This was close. She was about to invite Reina to go home together with us.
Mai was surprised by me suddenly grabbing her hand, so I let go of it, “Ah, sorry!” and apologized.
“Ah, it’s alright… Is everything okay?” She asked me.
We were both rubbing our own hands now… It was a bit awkward.
Nonetheless, even if this is very embarrassing, I have to get the courage and say it! Let’s do this! “Today… Would you like to go home with me? There’s a place I want to stop by.” I told her.
“Oh? Alright.” Mai’s expression broke into a smile, “Then, I’ll just call Reina and-”
“Ah, no! I mean… I’d rather have just the two of us…” I stopped her again.
Then, we both went silent… Wait, no! That’s not how this was supposed to be going! What’s up with this awkward mood!?
I couldn’t look at her face right now… This is so embarrassing…
“Then, uhn… Shall we go?” Mai asked me.
“Ah, y-yes…” I replied.
“Okay…” Mai said.
After yet another small while of silence, I remembered to point out something important, “Ah, this is not a date, okay…? Like uhn… It’s just…”
“I know, idiot.” Mai cut me off with those words… She also kicked my knee.
“Ah, right… Of course.” I replied.
Then, we got our bags and left the classroom together.
******
(Yuu’s PoV)
“Yummy…” Mai happily commented as she took a bite of the shortcake in front of her. That relaxed joyful expression is one that she never shows at school.
“Is it good?” I asked her.
“Yes! Absolutely delicious!” She exclaimed.
I could feel as if flowers bloomed behind her with each of her smiles, it was quite the wonderful sight… I’m glad I took her here.
“So, what did you do anyways? Did you break one of my things, so you decided to buy me a cake as an apology?” Mai asked.
“Eh? No! It’s nothing like that!” I hurriedly replied.
I mean… There were cases like it before, but this was not it this time around.
“Really…?” She asked.
… I wish she wouldn’t glare at me like that, especially not while holding a fork in such a menacing way.
“It’s true… It’s just that… Well, today is White Day, you know?” I told her honestly.
“Oh, White Day… You’re right on that.” Then, she stabbed the shortcake with her fork, while giggling a bit to herself, “I wasn’t expecting anything from an unpopular otaku, so this was a pretty nice surprise.” She mocked me.
But you know… You’re not the only one that knows how to mock the other, “I’m deeply thankful for the grace of spending some time with the Saintess.” I told her.
“Oh, come on! Don’t bring that up!” She embarrassedly asked.
“Alright, alright…” I obediently withdrew.
“Ah, Yuu, you have some cream there.” As Mai said that, she reached her hands out to my lips, scooped up some cream that was dirtying my mouth, then put it in her own mouth, “I just can’t leave some delicious cream lying around like that, right?”
“Ah…” I couldn’t quite react to this one properly… So embarrassing… I averted my eyes from her.
“What? You aren’t okay with being treated like a child even though you referred to me as Saintess?” Mai giggled.
“Ah… Uhn… Huh?” I couldn’t reply to that one at all, but I could see that Mai was grinning.
“Well, it’s White Day, so I’ll forgive you. Consider it my blessing.” She giggled once more as she said that.
“Ah… Thank you, I appreciate it.” I somehow managed to reply.
She really got way too close this time. It feels hard to think properly… Though I’m also happy. It’s nice that we can still talk like this even after so many years passed since our first meeting.
But it is kinda frustrating that we can’t talk at school… Huh? Now where did those thoughts come from? This isn’t like me. I shouldn’t tarnish Mai’s reputation by letting people know that she mingles with an otaku like me.
“Is something the matter?” Mai asked me. I guess she noticed that I was being troubled over my thoughts.
“Ah, it’s nothing…” I replied. I’d rather not have her worry about this kind of thing… What can I do to get her mind off of it?
Oh, right, there’s this, “Mai, you also have some cream there.”
Then, I did the same thing that she did. I put my fingers on her lips, picked up the cream, and brought it to my mouth.
My hand was trembling the whole time, but… Somehow, I managed to make the whole movement in one swift motion.
My heart was beating way too loudly right now, and I felt as if all sound had disappeared from the store… Can she hear how fast it is beating?
In order to not look at her face, I drank a bit of tea, but I couldn’t even taste it.
“Ah… Eh… Ah… Te… Eh?” Mai murmured this incomprehensible thing.
Is she alright? I was a bit worried… Taking another sip of the tea to get some courage, I stole a glance at her face.
“Y-Y-Yuu… D-did you just…?” Mai muttered this while covering her lips with the back of her hand.
… Her face was beet red right now though. I was surprised Mai could make this kind of expression.
“W-what is it?” She asked me.
“Ah… N-no… Nothing.” I averted my gaze again as I said that.
I can’t quite see my face right now, but I’m sure I too am beet red right now, so I’d rather avoid letting her see me…
We stayed silent for a small while… What an awkward mood…
“Ah… I need to go home soon. My parents won’t be home today, so I need to cook dinner.” Mai suddenly told me.
“I-is that so…?” I asked her.
While still in this awkward mood, Mai slowly started packing her things, since she had already finished eating.
I tried to avoid letting her notice what I was thinking, but instead ended up making things super awkward… I should be more careful in the future.
I couldn’t even look at her as she got up and started leaving…
But then, just as she was moving past me, she stopped for a second and whispered on my ear, “Your ears are quite red, you know?”
“Eh!?” I exclaimed. I was hoping she hadn’t seen it, but somehow…
I could only slump on my chair, while Mai giggled, then left the building.
Seriously… I stabbed my fork into the shortcake that was still in my plate… What am I even supposed to do right now?
And yet, I could notice that there was still a faint smile on my face, even after all that.
******
(Mai’s PoV)
This was way too dangerous… What was that reaction from Yuu? Since when can he behave like that?
And that bashful face of his was… I wonder if it was too petty of me to leave while pointing out that I noticed it.
——
*Translator’s Note: White Day is a Japanese Holiday that happens on March 14th, a week after Valentine’s. In it, it is expected that men give chocolate to the women that gave them chocolate on Valentine’s.