Valentine’s Trio.

I went to the food court with Honoka.

“Hey, are you sure a food court is okay? We could go to a proper cafe or a restaurant, you know,” I said.

“It’s fine,” Honoka replied brightly. “I mean, Isshiki-san, you’re already full and probably can’t eat much more, right? So I thought the food court would be more comfortable.”

As I bought a coffee, Honoka ordered a pizza.

“I’m surprised you’re actually being considerate of me.”

“There you go again, looking at me in a bad light~” Honoka pouted. “I pay attention to my surroundings too, you know. In a girls’ school, if you don’t read the room, you become a target in an instant.”

“I heard you were pretty resilient to that kind of thing, though?”

“Well, I have a higher tolerance than the average girl. But still, there are times when the atmosphere just feels… painful.”

While saying this, Honoka rummaged through her bag and pulled out a beautifully wrapped box.

“Here. This is a Valentine’s chocolate from me.”

It looked like quite a fancy box.

“Don’t tell me there’s a laxative inside as a prank?” I said, half-joking as I accepted it.

“It’s fine. I only kneaded in some chili paste.”

“Seriously?”

“It’s a joke, obviously! Don’t take me so seriously. It’s store-bought, so you can eat it without worrying.”

Looking closely at the wrapping, I saw it was Godiva.

“This must have been expensive, right?”

“Kinda. But unlike Meika, I can’t make handmade chocolates. So I have to compete with price tags, you know?” Honoka gave a wry, slightly frustrated smile.

“I’m happy just for the sentiment. Thank you.”

I placed her chocolate into the paper bag Meika-chan had given me earlier.

“By the way, Honoka, there’s something I want to ask.”

“Wh-at? Like my three sizes?”

“Like I’d ask that! Idiot!”

I spat the words out, making Honoka laugh.

“What has Toko-san been up to lately? I haven’t been able to see her at all this past week.”

“This past week? About Onee?” Honoka said, putting the straw of her juice into her mouth. “Come to think of it, she has been going out a lot lately. And coming home late. I wonder where she’s going?”

Going out a lot lately? Coming home late?

This was news to me. A sudden wave of anxiety washed over me.

“Is that true?”

I instinctively glared at Honoka with a serious expression. She gave a mischievous grin.

“Lies, lies! Just kidding.”

“…You…”

I was genuinely annoyed. I can’t stand this part of her personality. But Honoka’s eyes turned serious as she looked back at me.

“Isshiki-san, you’re the one at fault for saying that. Asking about another girl during the precious time we have alone… even though I’ve clearly told you my feelings… it’s cruel.”

She looked genuinely sad. When she put it like that, I couldn’t stay angry.

“I guess it can’t be helped since I’m the only one who has feelings for you right now, but still…”

Honoka turned her head to the side, her gaze drifting into the distance. In profile, she looked remarkably like Toko-san.

“About Onee… she’s mostly been cooped up in her room. It feels like she’s studying for exams. She goes out occasionally, but she’s back in two or three hours. As soon as she finishes eating, she goes straight to her room. I was wondering what was up, since exams are already over.”

“Really?”

“Isshiki-san, didn’t you have plans to meet Onee today?”

“No. That’s why when she contacted me yesterday, I totally thought she was going to say ‘let’s meet today.’”

“And instead, your expectations were betrayed by us?”

“N-no, that’s not what I meant.”

“It’s written all over your face. ‘Why am I with these two?’ Were you making that face when you were with Meika too?” Honoka said, sounding offended.

“No, I don’t think I was…”

“I can handle it, but don’t show that face to Meika!”

Ugh… I didn’t look that disappointed in front of Meika-chan… did I? Probably.

After that, Meika-chan joined us again, and we played for a while at a “sports-themed arcade” where you could enjoy batting, soccer, and basketball. Both Honoka and Meika had good reflexes; if I wasn’t careful, I felt like I’d lose. Plus, they were high schoolers with plenty of stamina. Afterward, we played table tennis and spent some time being healed by animals at an animal cafe with cats and owls. It turned out to be quite a fun time.

Eventually, it hit 5:00 PM.

“Ah, it’s 5:00 already. Onee made it a condition that we ‘be back by nightfall.’ I guess this is the end of our time with Isshiki-san.”

Honoka said while looking at her watch.

“So, is Toko-san coming here after this?” I asked.

“I wouldn’t know. She didn’t tell me anything. Haven’t you received any messages? You’ve been checking your phone constantly, after all.”

Ugh… she noticed. I had been trying to check for messages from Toko-san without them seeing.

And so, I parted ways with Meika-chan and Honoka.

The days had gotten noticeably longer since the end of the year, but even so, the surroundings darkened rapidly after 5:00 PM.

…I guess I won’t be able to see Toko-san today after all…

Even I was starting to feel a bit miffed. Ignoring your boyfriend on Valentine’s Day? That’s just too much. Especially since it’s our first Valentine’s since we started dating.

“She has been going out a lot lately. And coming home late…”

Honoka’s words came back to me. She had said “just kidding” immediately after, but was it really a joke?

I had heard before that couples don’t always feel the same level of affection at the same time. And if the man is head-over-heels while the woman isn’t quite there yet, there’s a high probability she’s weighing him against other guys. Apparently, from the woman’s perspective, this isn’t “cheating” because she hasn’t fully committed to the “dating” feeling yet. Plus, meeting other male friends (potential boyfriends) can’t exactly be proven as infidelity.

Besides, Toko-san is popular. Until now, people held back because Kamokura was her boyfriend, but now there are surely guys who think, “I can win against a guy like Isshiki,” and approach her. Heck, even Kamokura himself doesn’t seem to have given up.

…Could Toko-san be meeting Kamokura, or someone else?…

I couldn’t suppress my anxiety. I was close to my house, but should I head to Toko-san’s place right now? I decided to call her first. I tapped on her contact.

“Hello?”

She picked up after two rings.

“Um, hello? It’s me.”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Can’t we meet today? Are you busy, Toko-senpai?”

“…”

After hesitating, I finally asked the question.

“Where are you right now? If you’re home, can I go see you?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Toko-senpai said in a bright tone. A black mist erupted in my chest.

“Because I can already see you. If you go to my house now, you’ll miss me.”

Startled, I looked up. Standing in the park where Honoka had been before was a woman in a red coat.

It was Toko-san.

“I’m busy because I’m meeting with Yu-kun now.”

She said it over the phone at almost the exact moment I started running. I sprinted the hundred or so meters at full power, and I was out of breath when I reached her.

“…Toko-san…”

“You didn’t have to rush like that. I only just got here. Honoka messaged me saying she just left you, so I headed out immediately.”

She laughed. She looked happy.

“Why haven’t you met me at all this past week?” I asked, my voice tinged with resentment.

“I’m sorry. But I really wanted to make this.”

Saying this, she pulled something white out of the tote bag she was carrying. It was a muffler. It was quite long; Toko-san wrapped one end around my neck, and then wrapped the other around her own.

“It was my first time knitting in my life, so I really struggled with it. I was worried if I’d make it in time for Valentine’s. I pulled an all-nighter yesterday, too.”

Now that she mentioned it, her eyes looked a little red. She probably hadn’t slept much.

“Th-thank you so much.”

“I brought chocolates too, of course. I didn’t have time to make them by hand, though.”

But I was still a little dissatisfied.

“But still, couldn’t you have told me the reason we couldn’t meet? I’ve been really anxious this past week.”

“I’m sorry. But if I told you, it wouldn’t be a surprise, right? Besides, there was a chance I wouldn’t finish it in time.”

Toko-senpai offered her second apology and looked up at me.

“I’m glad Honoka didn’t spoil it. I told her specifically that I wanted to surprise you.”

Her cheeks were flushed pink—perhaps from the cold, or perhaps from the joy of seeing me. The moment I saw Toko-san’s face, I felt an overwhelming sense of affection. Slowly but firmly, I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her into a hug. Without a word, I leaned in. Toko-senpai didn’t say anything either, surrendering herself to me. After several minutes of kissing, we gazed at each other.

“But this muffler is too long for one person. If you hadn’t made it this long, wouldn’t you have finished it sooner?”

“It’s fine. It was my dream to walk like this, sharing one muffler with two people. And besides…”

She made a light motion as if tugging on my end of the muffler.

“If Yu-kun ever cheats on me, I plan to strangle you with this!”