Volume 8.5Chapter 5

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Towano Chikai’s Troublesome White Day

“Soon… Very soon…!” I mutteredtensely as I stood in front of the calendar.

The box for the 14th of March hadseveral big, red circles around it.

“It’s almost White Day… And thenI’ll get a present from Onii-chan in return for my Valentine’sDay present…! Ehehehe…!”

Yes, White Day is right around thecorner! I have been waiting so long for this day to come! LastValentine’s Day, I made chocolate full of love for Onii-chan…W-Well, I somehow managed to hand it over to him, let’s just keepit at that. At the time, I called it a way to collect data, and I’vealready received a gift in return, but I’m still hoping that I willreceive something even better during this real White Day.A-After all, my present was full of my feelings for him! N-Naturally,I’m aware that it wasn’t enough to directly show that I actuallyl-l-l-l-love Onii-chan or anything, but he should have at leastunderstood that I don’t hate him! Hence, it should be fine to getmy hopes up to receive something from him as well. M-M-M-Maybe even aconfession out of the blue?!

“I love you, Suzuka… if Onii-chansuddenly said that, just how happy would I beeeeee?!”

When that fantasy appeared in my mind,I flopped onto my bed and started rolling around as I tightly clungto my pillow.

Roll roll roll roll

“I-If that happened, we mightactually get married soon, right…?! Eheheh, it’s still too earlyfor that… But if Onii-chan loves me that much, then maybe…”

Roll roll roll roll

I was a prisoner of my own romanticfantasies for a while after that.

“…Ahh.”

Finally, my energy ran out. When Iregained my composure, a certain uneasy thought came to mind.

“…Onii-chan will give mesomething for White Day, right?”

……

………Hmmm.

……N-No, even if it’s Onii-chan,he surely wouldn’t just forget about it, right?I mean, these days, the topic of White Day tends to come up more andmore naturally, without me having to guide the conversation towardsthe topic. However…

“During those times, Onii-chan’sreaction has never really seemed all that favourable…”

Yes, he didn’t seem all thatenthusiastic about it, and every time I try to hold a properconversation about it, he always just gives vague answers like”Y-Yeah…” and “You’re right…”

“M-Maybe he doesn’t see all thatmuch value in White Day at all…? Or maybe he’s just thinking ofgiving me something simple so that I don’t get mad at him…?!”

N-No, it’s not like I’m hoping foranything expensive, you know? If it was from Onii-chan, I’d evengladly accept pencil lead, and I’dtreasure it for all eternity! However, I want it to have somethingthat really feels like a gift in return for the Valentine’s Daychocolate. If it’s something he gives me with that kind of mindset,I’ll accept anything he gives me with my utmost happiness, yes!

“B-Bu, just a gift for the sake ofgiving a gift… is not good!”

I want Onii-chan to make my heart skipa beat with his White Day gift!

“But… considering how Onii-chan hasbeen acting as of recently, I can’t help but have my doubts…”

If I really want to have such afulfilling White Day, maybe just sitting idle like this and waitingisn’t going to work? With that in mind, I started thinking aboutwhat to do in this situation. Soon after, a certain idea came up, andI immediately started working out the details.

“…Just you wait, Onii-chan. I’lldefinitely make you conscious of White Day!”

*

“Eh? Collecting data for White Day?”

It was a certain evening, and we wereeating dinner. Suzuka suddenly said “I have a favour to ask ofyou,” which stopped me in my tracks.

“I-I thought that I might write abouta White Day scene in my next volume, and I just felt like I neededsome more references… T-There’s no deeper meaning to itwhatsoever.”

…I see. Though it’s kind of amystery as to why she’s suddenly looking away like that, herreasoning makes sense. Well, since I’m her stand-in, I don’t haveany reason to refuse the wishes of the true author Suzuka, but…Collecting data on White Day of all things, huh?

“…Do you not want to?”

“Eh? W-Why would you think that?”

“I mean, you don’t exactly seemmotivated, and you have wrinkles between your brows like you’rethinking all the time…”

E-Eh, seriously?! I panicked ever soslightly and quickly tried to cover it up.

“T-That’s not the case though?!”

Suzuka didn’t seem all too satisfiedwith that, though, and she pouted. Damn it, that was reallydangerous. I heard the words ‘White Day,’ and I just…

“I-It’s to collect data, so ofcourse I’ll help you out as much as I can.”

Those words weren’t a lie. It’strue that I had gone through all sorts of hellish things to gatherdata, but I never once truly hated the idea of helping her out… Butjust as Suzuka said, I might have been a bit hesitant about it. Andthe reason for that wasn’t the thought of collecting data, butrather White Day itself.

To be completely honest, for these pastfew days, my head has been full of White Day. A month ago, Suzukagave me Valentine’s Day chocolate. That being said, it was just tocollect data, sure, but that doesn’t change the fact that I did getsome. I gave her a present back at the time, but I really feel like Ishould give her a present for White Day as well, and I’ve beenthinking about what to give her Even still, I haven’t come up withany good ideas… After all, it’s been years since I’ve givenSuzuka a present for White Day.

And now, it’s the first White Dayafter we finally managed to make up… Now that I’m giving her apresent, I want her to enjoy it. But I have absolutely no clue whatpresent I should give her. That’s been on my mind all the timelately, so I was a bit surprised when she suddenly brought up WhiteDay like that.

“A-And how are you planning oncollecting data during White Day?”

Naturally, there’s no way I couldjust ask her like that, so I quickly tried to clear my mind andchange the flow of conversation. At first, Suzuka started to glare atme, but for some reason, her cheeks flushed ever-so-slightly, and…

“Eh? T-That’s… I wanted to trysomething different from usual, so I need Onii-chan’s assistance atall costs…!”

“Eh, why is that?”

“I-I mean… since I’m planning oncollecting data for White Day, I need a partner to help out, don’tyou think?! Our concept would be that the older brother is going on adate with his little sister as a return gift for the Valentine’sDay chocolate, and I was hoping that Onii-chan could maybe take thelead this time!”

“D-Date?! A-And I’m supposed totake the lead?!”

“Y-Yes. The quality of the datadepends on it, so I’m counting on you!” said Suzuka with a smile.

…H-Hold on! I’ve been havingtrouble thinking about that myself already, so why are you pushingeven more responsibility onto me?!

“Ehehehe, with this, he’lldefinitely remember White Day—Not that! This is all to write aninteresting light novel, so I can only ask Onii-chan for this!”

…Ugh, it’s rare thatSuzuka relies on me this much. I can’t deny her hopes and her trustin me like this…! I really don’t have any other choice here, doI…?!

“…Phew…”

Dinner ended, and after I returned backto my room, I let out a tired sigh as I sank down onto my bed. In theend, we decided to go data collecting just as Suzuka wanted to, buthow can I come up with a good gift for that when I can’t even comeup with one in reality?

“…No, hold on. Isn’t this apretty good chance?” I came to a mental conclusion.

When you think about the gift, althoughit’s just to collect data, redoing it would be very difficult. Ifthat’s the case, I can go out with Suzuka to search for somethingthat she might enjoy, and keep it under the pretense of datacollecting, right?

“Y-Yeah, that’s a good plan!” Isaid to myself. I started to feel excited.

But when I thought about it morecarefully, I realized that I didn’t even know where to startlooking for a gift, which left me in a detached state yet again.Maybe I should keep it orthodox with some sweets? But would thatreally make Suzuka happy?

“…Hmm, what should I do? Would Ifeel happy if I got that…? What would I be happy about? …Maybesomething light novel related…?”

…No, that’s not going to cut it.Even I knew that. If I really gave Suzuka something like that, she’dprobably look at me with dead eyes and say “A light novel for WhiteDay…? You really can’t read the atmosphere.” That would be theend of me! Perhaps I could look for information online—

“Uwah?!”

Just as I thought about that, my phonevibrated. When I looked at it, I saw that it was an incoming phonecall from Mai.

H-Hello, Yuu? I don’t exactly haveany business with you, but it’s pretty close to White Day, right?!

What kind of question is that? I feltlike hanging up instantly, to be honest. But since Mai also gave meValentine’s Day chocolate, I have to give something back to her aswell… No wait, not just her, but Double Peace-sensei, Minazuki-san,and the Kanzaka sisters as well… Oh man, now I have even morethings to worry about…!

T-There’s no deeper meaning to it,but I thought that you might want to know what kind of presents girlslike me would be happy about?!

“I’m really envious of you for thatbrutal honesty, you know?!”

I know that you’re just using this asa way of telling me what kind of present you want! …Really, this iswhy you’re so troublesome… Well, if she directly tells me whatshe wants, then that’ll save me the trouble of coming up with agood present—

“……Ah.”

Then, something popped into my mind.

…Information about what kind ofpresent would make a girl happy?

…Isn’t this the perfect chance tocome up with what I should get Suzuka?

“P-Please tell me!”

E-Eh? What’s with that suddenchange of tune?! Mai was clearly surprised.

But I didn’t pay too much attentionto that. I just started questioning her, hoping that this informationwould lead me to the perfect present for Suzuka.

*

“T-Then, let’s start collectingdata immediately.”

A few days later, Suzuka and I arrivedat a nearby shopping mall. It was no surprise that Suzuka wasexcited, both because of White Day tomorrow, and because of all theadvertisements around us.

“As I told you before, this timearound, Onii-chan is supposed to take the lead to collect data, soplease treat me well!” Suzuka’s eyes were sparkling withanticipation as she turned towards me.

“Y-Yeah, I know.”

On the other hand, I started feelingeven more nervous that I might let Suzuka down on her expectations.Also, since I had to think about how to pull through our datacollecting this time, I felt twice as pressured. I did manage to comeup with several ideas, but they’re certainly not perfect. I don’tknow how useful they’ll be for data-gathering this time, and I’mworried if Suzuka will really be happy about it.

“Ehehe… With this, I can expectsomething good for White Day—Excuse me, some good data for the nextvolume…!”

There’s no other choice but to try itand hope for the best!

“Um, so let me check this one moretime. Our current situation that we’re collecting data on is thesiblings going on a date on White Day. The older brother is going tobuy a present for his little sister as thanks for the Valentine’schocolate… Is that right?”

“Y-Yes. That’s why you have tosearch for the perfect present to make the little sister as happy shecan possibly be. I’ll play the part of the little sister who canbarely hold back her excitement and anticipation for said present. Somuch so that she couldn’t sleep at all last night!”

“…That sure sounds detailed.”

“I have to plan at this high of alevel, or the data might be corrupted! A-Anyway, please play along!”Suzuka said. She clung to my arm with a flushed face.

When I felt that softness assaultingme, and smelled the incoming sweet scent from her, my heartbeatnaturally accelerated… No, calm down, me! Our data-gathering hasalready started! It’s to collect data on a date, so doing this sortof thing is only natural! Also we’ve done this countless timesalready, and it’s my little sister, so why is my heart beating thisfast?!

“Ehe… Ehehehe… And what kind ofreturn gift are you thinking about, Onii-chan?”

“Y-Yeah, let’s see…”

This is to collect data…! —I constantly reminded myself as I tried to keep my thoughts in place.If I can make this data gathering a success, I can find out whichpresent would make Suzuka the happiest. So to start…

“Umm… Ah, that place over therelooks good.”

When I looked around at mysurroundings, I found a store that perfectly matched the idea that Ihad. When the two of us approached said store, Suzuka muttered thefollowing.

“An accessory store?”

“Y-Yeah, I thought that lookingaround here might be a good start,” I commented. I glanced atSuzuka out of the corner of my eye.

Both data collecting and gatheringideas for my present all depend on Suzuka’s reaction. The momentshe shows a negative one, I can ditch the idea.

“A-Accessories…! T-That soundsreally nice!”

Thankfully, Suzuka’s face lit upimmediately… Ohh, so I made the right choice on my first try?!

“S-So, Onii-chan is thinking of anaccessory as a return gift on White Day?!”

“Y-Yeah… is it no good?”

“T-That’s not the case! I thinkit’s a wonderful idea! I was just expecting that you would presentme with some new light novel release.”

“Eh?! ………W-What if I did that?”

“I would have gotten mad. Reallyreally mad.” Suzuka smiled at me, which sent a wave of cold sweatdown my back.

…T-That was close…! How does sheknow me so well?!

“Now then, let’s hurry inside.”

While I was busy being confused, unsurewhat to say next, Suzuka pulled on my arm. A-Anyway, let’s justcalm down and see how this turns out.

“Wow… There’s so many accessorieshere. S-So, what kind of accessory where you thinking of giving me onWhite Day?”

“Let’s see… How about somethinglike this?”

I pointed to the pendant right next tome.

“I-I see, a pendant! That can go withany piece of clothing! And it reflects the meaning of always wantingto be with the other person!”

“Ehhh?! U-Umm, I didn’t choose itwith that in mind, though…?!”

I really just thought that this mightlook good on Suzuka, that’s all…

“Ehehehe… You’ve finally managedto naturally act in character, Onii-chan!”

…Now she’s admiring me for somereason?

“So what other ideas did you have asa return gift?”

“U-Umm… Let’s see, that necklaceover there is also very pretty, don’t you think? It looksaffordable as well.”

“A-A necklace! That also soundswonderful! It shows everyone around us that your little sisterbelongs to you and that she always has your attention. Right,Onii-chan?!”

“I never thought about it like that,though?!”

I once again had just picked it outsince it looked nice, and she’s giving it some deep philosophicalmeaning?! …Well, she’s acting as the little sister in her lightnovel, so I can’t blame her for that… Then again, she seems happyabout the idea, so it wasn’t a complete failure. Even if she’spretending to be the little sister from her novel, this present initself shouldn’t be too bad for the real Suzuka, either. Thinkingthat this data-collecting might end fairly quickly and safely, I letout a relieved sigh.

And, just then, I spotted yet anotheraccessory that seemed plausible.

“A pendant and a necklace aren’tthat bad, but how about this ring here?”

“A-A ring?!”

Suzuka’s eyes opened wide when Ipointed at the shelf.

“I thought that the present could bea ring in the first place, but—”

“Ehh?! S-So basically you werethinking of giving me an engagement ring for White Day?!”

“Ehhhhh?! N-No, I wasn’t thinkingthat!”

“I-In return for the little sister’schocolate, filled with all her emotions, the older brother presentsher with an engagement ring…! ‘I loved you all this time!”Onii-chan…’ they would say as they look at each other. Theolder brother would suddenly start putting the ring on the littlesister’s finger…! And then, the two of them are connected… Andthe story is finished, right?!”

“Wouldn’t it be pretty bad if theseries ended there?!”

“I don’t think there is any problemwith that, though?!”

Her eyes were sparkling… No, thesparkle might be there, but her eyes were dead serious.

“I never imagined that Onii-chanwould come up with a present this amazing…!”

“I-It looks like you’re happy,which is perfectly fine with me, but I didn’t think about the ringbecause of marriage or anything, so could you not jump to conclusionslike that…?”

“I-I know that, but to think thatOnii-chan would still…! Ehe… Ehehehehehe…!” Suzuka startedmuttering to herself as she hugged her own body, shaking furiously.

Man… She really is way too good atacting in character…

“U-Um, then, can I take it that aring would be a good idea?”

“Naturally! There wouldn’t be anygirl who could hate a present like this!”

…Alright, that was a quick end to ourdata collection. And now I’ve decided upon Suzuka’s present aswell!

“Thank God… I’ll have to thankMai later,” I muttered to myself.

…It never occured to me that thisphrase might be problematic. However—

“Eh?”

The very next moment, Suzuka’sexpression froze, and her happy-go-lucky mood from before vanished inan instant, as I felt the atmosphere around us getting colder…W-What happened?

“…D-Did I just hear you saysomething about this being thanks to Himuro-san?”

“I-I did say that, yes…?”

“W-What is this about? …D-Don’ttell me, did the idea of going to an accessory shop like this comefrom her in the first place—?”

“Y-Yeah, it was Mai’s idea,” Icarefully responded. Suzuka’s small stature suddenly startedshaking furiously.

“…I…”

“I?”

“I want a detailed explanation forthat!!!”

And thus, Suzuka forced me to give athorough retelling of my conversation with Mai the day prior.

“ You want to know about good WhiteDay presents that would make a girl happy? I-I-I-Is that for me?!”

“W-Well, that’s also a part of it,but there is also a scene about White Day in the next volume, so Iwanted to hear your thoughts. I was hoping that it might turn intosome good reference material—”

“ I want the right to be able toobserve you 24/7!!! Naturally, that involves me staying over at yourhouse whenever I want—”

“The only person that would be happyabout that is a stalker like you, though! I want something that wouldmake a normal girl happy!”

“ W-What? I was really gettingexcited there… Well, whatever. There’s still the chance that Ican get something similar…”

“Your real intentions are totallyleaking through, here… But anyway, could you just tell me now?”

“ …Let’s see, maybe some kindof accessory would be fine?”

“I see. An accessory, huh…? Butthose can be pretty expensive, right?”

“ Who cares about that? Whetherit’s cheap or not, what matters is that it’s coming from you…O-Of course only since you’re Towano Chikai, though?!”

“I know that… But… accessories,huh…? Thank you, I’ll try that.”

“ I-If that works out, you’dbetter give me something as thanks. And there isn’t any deepermeaning to it, but I really like rings…””

“Well, they’re cheap, so that’s agood thing, but why a ring?”

“ I-I told you that there’s nodeeper meaning to it! I just thought that it might be nice, that’sall!”

…And that’s how things went down.

“This is the advice that I got fromher…”

While I explained, Suzuka was justlistening in silence, and then her body started twitching ever soslightly…

“S-So it was Himuro-san’s idea…!”She muttered to herself.

“U-Umm… is there some problem withthat?”

“N-No, the very act of receivingadvice isn’t a problem in itself, but from listening to yourconversation, it sounds like you’re planning on giving Himuro-san aring as a present for her White Day gift…?”

“Y-Yeah, that’s what I promisedher, after all.”

And her advice did help me out a lot,so of course I was planning on keeping my promise.

“Y-You can’t!”

But for some reason, Suzuka wasstrongly opposed to the idea.

“Eh? I mean, I did promise her, so…”

“Only if the data collection ends upas a success, right?! I-It’s a shame, but it’s not quite perfectyet! Accessories, and rings in particular, aren’t a good present atall!”

“Ehhh?! B-But weren’t you justagreeing with me just a few minutes ago?!”

“That was because I didn’t knowabout your promise with Himuro-san…! A-Anyway, we have to changeour way of thinking about it! Rings aren’t a good return gift atall! T-There is the ever-present danger to consider, so we’rebetter off thinking of something else!”

N-No way…?! J-Just when I thoughtthat I could finish this quickly…!

“Uuuu… What a waste…!”

For some reason, Suzuka looked just asdisappointed as me… Why are you acting like that, after all youjust said? Still, if the author Suzuka says so, then I can’t sayanything against it. I gave up on getting an accessory for her.

“…I-It’s a shame, but with this,we’ve averted a worst-case scenario. So let’s continue to collectdata, Onii-chan! What’s the next idea for the return gift?”

When we stepped out of the store,Suzuka once again clung to my arm as she asked me where we were goingnext… Damn it, it was going so smoothly just a few minutes ago…!But there’s no helping it now, I have to look for something else.

“Umm… Next is…”

Walking through the shopping mall, Ilooked around at the shops, until…

“Alright, let’s try this next.”

“That is… Umm… a fashion store?”

I spotted a women’s store. Theinterior of the store was overflowing with cute-looking items, andthe female guests were gleefully looking around the assortment ofgoods.

“I think that finding something thatwould be good as a present should be doable here, so how about welook around for a bit?”

“I-I see, that sounds like a verygood idea. And it really feels like a date. Ehehe…” Suzuka said.She clung to my arm even more fiercely.

…I-It seems like this might be achance as well.

“W-Well, looking around is fine andall, but I really want Onii-chan to take the lead. That way, it feelsmore like you’re actually escorting me on a date.”

“Y-Yeah, leave it to me. I’ll comeup with something… Um… How about this stuffed toy over here?” Isaid, as I pointed at a bunny stuffed toy on top of a shelf close tous.

“Y-Yes! It’s very cute! So you didremember that I like bunnies…!”

“Yeah… What else…? Ah, they havesome porcelain bunny-themed things over here. What about those?”

“Those are also very cute! They wouldlook fantastic in my room!”

“And there’s these mugs here!”

“How nice! And since there’s two ofthem, Onii-chan and I could have a matching set, right?!”

It’s probably because she was actingin character, but Suzuka was saying some really embarrassing stuffthere.

“What happened, Onii-chan?! Yourtaste is very nice today, like you’re a completely differentperson!”

…Ugh, so she’s saying that mynormal taste is pretty bad? There’s a lot of things I’d like tocomment on here, but I’d rather not mess up Suzuka’s immenselygood mood, so I’ll just keep quiet. Collecting data is moreimportant.

“U-Umm… How about one of these as apresent? Can I call this a success now?”

“Y-Yes! You knew your little sister’slikes and combined that with a good present! And it’s fun thinkingabout which one to get!”

When I saw that Suzuka was thisdelighted, I let out a relieved sigh. Although the first one was afailure, I’m glad that it worked out the second time.

“Alright… So have you decided onwhich one you want?”

“N-No, let me think a bit more.”

“Ahh, sure. Then I’ll go buy thisstuffed toy over there.”

“Yes! ………Eh?”

As I was about to pick up a stuffed toythat looked like a god, Suzuka’s expression suddenly turned graveas she turned around to face me… H-Huh? Did I say something wrong?

“W-What happened, Suzuka?”

“…T-That is what I am supposed tosay. What exactly is that stuffed toy for?”

“I-It’s a return gift for thechocolate I got from Minazuki-san…”

Before I could even finish my sentence,I could feel the temperature around me drop drastically. A-Again?!

“A-A return gift for Minazuki-san…?D-Don’t tell me…!

“Um, Suzuka-san…?”

“Explain yourself right thisinstant!!”

W-Why?!

I was surprised that a similardevelopment had occurred just like before, so I explained yet again.

“ A gift from Sensei for WhiteDay?! Make Sakura your little sister, please!”

“I’d really appreciate it if youcame up with something easier to achieve, and not quite asridiculous!”

“ Ah, right, you were asking me forideas because you’re data-collecting! Hmmm… Sakura thinks thatmaybe something cute would be nice? Like small things you can put inyour room… a stuffed toy, for example!”

“I see, small things or a stuffedtoy… That sounds like something a girl would like…”

“ Yes, Sakura really wantssomething like that! If your data collecting is a success, then giveSakura a stuffed toy! Like a dog!”

“I see. If it works out, I will.”

“ Yay! Sakura will name it afterSensei!”

“Please don’t!”

“That’s how it went…”

“So you got this idea fromSakura-san?!”

I mean, I thought that asking morepeople would get me better ideas, so I asked everyone I could thinkof.

“Then, the present will be…!”

“Yeah, it was Minazuki-san’sadvice, so if it turns out to be a success, she’ll get a stuffedtoy that looks like a dog—”

…Hold on, why are you glaring at menow?!

“What are you thinking, Onii-chan! Ifyou give her a stuffed toy like that, she’ll be petting it andhugging it like it was you!!!”

“E-Eh, really?!”

“It’s common sense! That’s whateveryone does with their stuffed toys!”

Umm… I don’t think that sounds likecommon knowledge…

“Of course, I’m not thinking ofdoing that in the slightest, but Sakura-san will definitely do it! Iknow it for sure!”

“What’s with that confidence?!…B-But, I did promise her, so now that the data-collecting was asuccess, I really have to—”

“I-It’s not a success atall!”

“…Huh? Ehh?! H-Hold on, didn’tyou just say…?!”

“I-I had the wrong idea! This issomewhat incomplete as a present!”

“W-Why…?! After all that highpraise you gave me…!”

“I-I mean, if you gave that as apresent to Sakura-san, then…! A-Anyway, things like stuffed toysand so on are denied because they lack impact! Think of somethingelse!”

“N-No way…!” I sighed and hung myhead.

…Ugh… Two times in a row I thoughtI was so close, and it ended up being a failure…?!

“…Uuu, another waste… Even thoughI wanted something like this from Onii-chan so badly…! But I can’tallow Sakura-san to receive a stuffed toy from Onii-chan…! She’lljust hug it and kiss it all day long…!”

Yet again, Suzuka held her head in herhands as if she was depressed about something, even though I shouldbe the one doing that right now.

“O-Onii-chan, next! What is next…?!”

Naturally, she wasn’t done quite yet.This is what makes it so tough being her stand-in. But now that it’scome this far, I have to pull through…!

“T-Then, next would be something likethis.”

“A clothing store, is it…?”

The place we arrived at next was awomen’s clothing store. This time, I was planning to look forclothes that would look good on her,and present her with them for her White Day gift. When we wentinside, things went well for a while, but then…

“…L-Looking for clothes together isa wonderful idea, and your fashion sense is weirdly good today, but…This isn’t anybody else’s idea, is it…?” Suzuka asked as sheturned towards me.

W-What’s up with her now…?

“S-So what if it is? I did ask theKanzaka sisters, and they told me this might be a good idea… Andthey taught me a few tricks for how to choose matching clothes for agirl, as well.”

“Oh really?! So, you’re planning ongiving Haruna-san western clothes as a return gift?!”

“Y-Yeah, that was my plan if thisdata collecting here is successful…”

And it would save me the trouble fromhaving to think of a present for each and every person, so it’s twobirds with one stone, but…

“Wha—?! I-I thought so…! Thenclothes are also a no-go!”

Why this early into the game?!

“Are you kidding me?! You totallyseemed like you enjoyed the idea of it!”

“I mean, if Onii-chan did that, andshe put on those clothes, it would be the same thing as you embracingher…! A-Anyway, I don’t like it,so next!”

How ridiculous can you be?!

While I was busy being flustered atSuzuka’s weird form of denial, I remembered something that theyounger Kanzaka sister had told me.

“ …Haruna, something normal andordinary won’t do.”

“ Woah?! D-Don’t just barge in,Onee-chan!”

“ Sensei, if you’re thinkingabout a gift for White Day, a strong impact has to be important. Ifyou want, I can gladly teach you my opinion. Just for reference, ofcourse. Fufu.”

…And like that, Ayano-san also gaveme some advice. Since the younger Kanzaka sister’s idea ended infailure, maybe it would work even better now with the current Suzuka?

“T-Then, what about these clothes?!”

I randomly pointed at some clothes thatwere in my field of view, but…

“W-What are these revealing clothes?!The skirt is way too short as well… What are you showing me,Onii-chan?!”

But I was shot down immediately, asSuzuka complained about them being too tight-fitting… M-Maybe Ipanicked a bit too much there…

“Wait a second. Was this someoneelse’s idea as well…?”

“Y-Yeah, Ayano-san’s…”

“And if it worked out, you wereplaying on giving something like this to her?!”

“I-I wouldn’t have done that?!”

But Ayano-san did ask for it, though!Just this once I’m glad that it didn’t work out…!

“W-What is this about, askingeveryone for advice like this…? And if I gave the OK, you wouldgive those things to them…?! T-That won’t do! It’s unfair!”

Yet again, Suzuka shot down my hopes offinishing things here.

“Isn’t there anything else?! Thiscan’t be—Wait a moment! You asked Himuro-san, Sakura-san,Haruna-san, and Ayano-san, so you must have also asked DoublePeace-san, right…?”

“T-That’s…!”

“I thought so! And what did shewant?! Hurry up and tell me!”

Suzuka closed in on me, leaving me noroom to run away… I-I did receive some advice from DoublePeace-sensei, yes, but…

“I don’t think you want to hearit…”

“W-What do you mean by that?! Justtell me! It might be something that would make me incredibly envious,after all!”

“No trust me, you wouldn’t getenvious at all!”

“I will decide on that! Now, tellme!” Suzuka gave me a tough glare, leaving me no other option butto spill the beans.

Ahh, I must look completely pathetic,right? But I can’t help it, okay?! That just shows how strong mylittle sister is! I can’t win against her!

“U-Umm… Underwear…”

“…Eh?”

“S-She said that she wanted panties!If possible, the grown-up type…”

“P-Panties?!”

While I was busy feeling like I wantedto crawl away and die in a hole, I remembered back to my discussionwith Double Peace-sensei.

“ If I got some sexy,erotic-looking panties from Sensei on White Day, my happiness gaugewould be at max level, desu!”

Just by remembering it, my head startedto hurt.

“…And are you still envious aboutit…?” I asked Suzuka.

“Ah… Wha—?” she muttered, asher mouth opened and closed like a fish. “W-Were you actuallyplanning on giving Double Peace-san something like that? J-Just howmuch of a perverted overlord do you have to be—?!!!” She screamedat the top of her lungs.

Really, weren’t you the one whowanted to know? I hung my head, unable to say anything in return.To sum the rest of the day up, everything I had proposed was denied,rendering all the advice and ideas I had received useless.

“I-Is there really nothing that youcould have come up with by yourself, Onii-chan?” Suzuka said with aglare.

After that, Suzuka finally calmed downa bit, but her mood was still as bad as ever… Even if you say that,the reason I asked for advice was because I couldn’t think ofanything myself… I really can’t come up with anything that wouldmake Suzuka happy.

“W-Well, maybe some sweets…”

The idea that came to mind wasn’tanything special, and I could only think of sweets because of anearby sweets store that was just selling White Day stuff.

“Sweets… It’s not anythingspecial, but that should do it. There is no need to rely on theadvice of other people. A-And I would take anything as long as it’sfrom Onii-chan…!” said Suzuka, as she bashfully averted her gaze.

She says that she’s fine with it, butI’m guessing that her muttering means that she’s clearly notsatisfied yet… But since I had no other choice right now, weentered the sweets store and looked around.

“Umm… which ones would you like?”

“O-Onii-chan has to decide on that orit won’t work.”

I mean, I want to at least picksomething that I know you’d like… However, Suzuka wouldn’t evenmake eye contact with me at this point, so I could only act of my ownaccord.

“…Listen, is this fine for yourpresent for tomorrow?”

Collecting data is important, sure, butI want to get something proper for her present as well. That’s whyI asked her about it, but…

“I-Isn’t that fine?!”

Suzuka still wouldn’t look me in theeye when she responded… She probably doesn’t think too highly ofit. But I really can’t think of anything else, so I have to go withthis. Letting out a faint sigh, I started picking out some cookiesand candy that looked really delicious. While I was at it, I alsopicked up some sweets for Mai and the others.

“Eh? O-Onii-chan, are these forHimuro-san and the others…?”

“Huh? Y-Yeah they are…?”

Although their advice didn’t workout, I still had to get something as a gift for White Day. However,Suzuka heard my response, and…

“S-So everyone will get the same asme…! I won’t receive anything special…!”

“S-Suzuka-san?”

Why is your body shaking like that?!

“I-I take it all back! I don’t wanta present like that!”

Her next words completely threw me off.

“Ehh?! Why?! Then what should I dofor your present?!”

“I-I don’t know! A-Anyway, I don’twant this! …I’m going home!”

“Going home?! H-Hey, what about ourdata-gathering?!”

“T-That is cancelled!” Suzukaroared as she stormed back towards our home.

It took me a few seconds to comprehendwhat had just happened. After that, I quickly purchased some sweetsfor Suzuka as well and hurried after her. Suzuka for her part was asdispleased as could be. When I tried to call out to her, I got noresponse, and she wouldn’t even let me get closer. Even after we’dreturned home, she avoided me the entire time. The only thing I knewfor sure was that I somehow managed to anger her concerning the giftfor White Day.

“W-What should I do about this…?”

After returning to my own room, I wasstill lost deep in thought because this was clearly a dangeroussituation. If I don’t find something good to cheer her up, thingsmight get awkward between us again.

“…Ahh, how did things end up likethis?”

Even if I wanted to regret mydecisions, I didn’t know what the problem was… A-Anyway, firstand foremost is the gift for White Day. I have to come up withsomething to fix her mood by tomorrow… But their advice wasn’t ofhelp, and if orthodox sweets aren’t going to cut it, then what elseis there for me to pick?

“N-No, I can’t give up…! It’sthe first White Day after all these years…! I have to findsomething to make her happy…!”

In my head, it turned into less of awish and more of a duty that I had to fulfill no matter what. I wantto see Suzuka happy—That’s why I wracked my brain for the longesttime until White Day finally arrived…

“…Haaaa…”

A long, heavy sigh escaped my lips.Today is the 14th of March, White Day. In return for the Valentine’sDay chocolate, filled with my love for Onii-chan, that I had givenhim, I am going to be lovey-dovey all day long with him… Or that’show it was supposed to be. Contrary to my hopes, though, I wascurrently sitting all alone in the living room, on the couch to beprecise, and just gazing at the clock. The time had already passedthe point where the sun had set. Even so, I haven’t receivedanything from Onii-chan yet. Indeed, he hasn’t even returned fromschool yet.

“…Uuu, but that result might havebeen expected…”

Yes, after what had happened yesterday,who could blame Onii-chan if he didn’t feel like giving me a WhiteDay’s gift? After all that I said to Onii-chan yesterday… Eventhough Onii-chan picked out a present just for me, I went and said ‘Idon’t need it!’ Of course, those weren’t my true feelings backthen. After all, a gift from Onii-chan is something I would sacrificeanything for! However… Although it might sound like an excuse, Iwasn’t thinking rationally.

When I thought that all the presentsthat Onii-chan had come up with were someone else’s idea, not tomention an idea of rival of mine, it hurt more far than I thought itwould. That even included the sweets that he had offered me. Althoughthey surely were a bit less good than the other gift candidatesbefore that, they were something that Onii-chan chose for me, so Iwould never have complained… However, when I realized that thosesweets would be the same ones that Onii-chan would give out toeveryone else, it utterly destroyed my hopes and dreams of receivingsomething special, so I went and did something as irrational asthat…!

“Uuuuu…! I’m an idiot…! I’msuch an idiot…!”

I just can’t help but regret whatI’ve done. Maybe Onii-chan is completely fed up with me now. Maybe…just maybe, he is currently handing out the other gifts to Himuro-sanand Co, being lovey-dovey with them. When I thought about that, Ifelt a sharp pain in my chest. I felt frustrated at my ownfoolishness, and lonely that Onii-chan wasn’t with me…

“Onii-chan…”

I am sorry! Forgive me, Onii-chan! Iformed a fist with my hand, trying to withstand the sadness that wasassaulting me. However, that didn’t hold for long, and I was aboutto break out into tears, when…

“…Suzuka.”

“…?! O-Onii-chan?!”

I heard the sound of the door opening,and when I turned around, I saw Onii-chan stepping inside the livingroom. W-When did he come back? Wasn’t he supposed to be being alllovey-dovey with Himuro-san and the others…? N-No, that doesn’tmatter right now! Onii-chan is right there. That is all that matters,and I felt like crying out of pure joy just because of that fact. Atthe same time, I knew that I had to apologize to Onii-chan right now.For yesterday, for the fact that I can’t be honest with myself, foreverything. I was about to stand up and lower my head in apologywhen—

“I’m really sorry, Suzuka!”

“……Eh?”

In that moment, Onii-chan got the jumpon me. Not to mention that he looked more apologetic than ever… Eh?W-What is the meaning of this?

“W-Why is Onii-chan apologizing tome…?”

…Shouldn’t it be me instead? Icouldn’t comprehend what was happening. But Onii-chan continued,with his head still lowered.

“The gift for White Day… I couldn’tcome up with anything in the end…!”

Suddenly, he brought up the White Daygift again.

“W-What are you talking about?”

“I-I was trying to look for somethingup until the very end, but I couldn’t find anything that you wouldlike, so I had to give up…!”

“F-For me…? Weren’t you supposedto be enjoying your time with Himuro-san and the others…?”

“With Mai and the others…? Ialready gave them their gifts. What do you mean by ‘enjoying mytime’…?”

“Ehhh…? T-Then why are you solate…?”

“T-That’s because… I went to theshopping mall again to search for something that I could give you…but since accessories, stuffed toys, clothes, and sweets are all nogood, I couldn’t find anything… That’s why I have to apologizeright here right now…” Onii-chan had a bitter expression on hisface.

………

…………Um, so does that mean…H-He was out all this time, just for me…?!

“Why…?”

“Huh?”

“W-Why are you going so far for me…?”

“T-That’s…”

Before I realized it, that questionleaked out of my mouth. In response, Onii-chan’s cheeks started toflush ever so slightly, and he awkwardly averted his gaze before hecontinued.

“…After all these years, I finallygot some Valentine’s Day chocolate from you, you know? So I justfelt like I had to give you something back no matter what… It hadto be something that you would be happy about—Ah, but there’s nodeeper meaning to it or anything, though?!”

I didn’t even pay attention to thatlast part anymore. After all… I was so happy that my thoughtprocess couldn’t keep up!

“F-F-For me…?!”

You workedso hard, just to make me happy…?! So even after what happenedyesterday, you still…?! He was working hard all this time…?!

“T-That’s just…!”

…I-I can’t even describe with wordshow happy I am!!!

“Ah?! D-Don’t cry, Suzuka! I knowthat what I’m saying probably sounds pretty disgusting, but pleasedon’t start crying here!”

All my sadness was wiped away in aninstant, and my whole body was filled with indescribable happiness,which apparently made Onii-chan panic… B-But, how could I stop thetears now…?! I’m just too happy…!

“Uwahh… I-I’m so sorry…! I’llgive you anything you want, so please forgive me…! I’ll go buy itimmediately, so just tell me…!”

However, I can’t keep going likethis. At this rate, I’ll really trouble Onii-chan for good. What Ishould be doing right now is focusing on how to make the rest of thisWhite Day a success for the both of us.

“You’ll give me anything I want,right…?” I wiped away my tears. “Then—”

Although traces of tears remained, Imustered the greatest smile ever and spoke from my heart.

…Around an hour later.

“U-Um… Are they done…?”

A warm, sweet aroma was filling thekitchen, and Onii-chan and I were facing each other. Between the twoof us were barely finished, plain cookies.

“It’s fine, Onii-chan. They’rereally delicious.”

“But even though you were guiding me,this is the first time I’ve made sweets like this…”

Yes, these cookies are hand-made bynone other than Onii-chan himself! What I wished for was nothingother than homemade sweets from Onii-chan. Although they’re simplecookies, made with just the ingredients we happened to have at home,that isn’t any problem at all. Just because Onii-chan was the onewho made them makes them worth more than anything! N-Not to mention…!

“It’s fine. Then, l-let’shurry…!”

“A-Are we really doing this…?”

“T-This is all to collect data!”

“…Ugh, I can’t say anythingagainst that… Here, open wide!”

“A-Ahhhhnnn…!”

Onii-chan is feeding me the cookies!

“Ehehe… Ehehehe… They’redelicious…!”

When I tasted the cookies, I could feelmy cheeks loosening up… T-This is the best White Day ever…! Ehe,ehehe… ehehehehehe…!

“B-But are you really fine with this?You could have asked for anything, you know?”

However, Onii-chan still looked a bitworried… Even though I’m not holding back at all, and I’m being100% selfish right now, having Onii-chan do all this for me…!Still, since it would be too embarrassing to say that, I justmuttered a flustered “T-This is more than enough…!” beforelooking away. After watching me for a bit, Onii-chan seemed to beable to finally relax a bit, and he let out a small sigh.

“Well, if you’re fine with it, thenI’m happy,” he said, as he fed me yet another cookie. Whilegladly accepting that, I thanked him inside my heart. Thank you,Onii-chan, for all you did today. I will definitely repay you on thenext Valentine’s Day!

“Ehehe…”

And, after thinking that, anotherthought came to mind.

—Onii-chan, I love you so much!