#16: Extra: Little Sister and Cocoa

A quick Valentine’s special, scribbled on short notice. It doesn’t link to the main story, so please take note.
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Today is Valentine’s Day.

Yeah.
It’s the day the heroines give you chocolate filled with love.
For a protagonist, it ought to be a wonderful day.

“Kurumi’s place—yo! Morning, Norio.”

“Morning, Meg-chan.”

“Morning, Megucchi. Braving the cold in a school swimsuit for my sake again today—what a cute childhood friend.”

“Yeah yeah, I’m sick of hearing ‘cute.’”

“And the way you blush while saying that is cute too.”

We trade the same morning greetings as always and the three of us walk together.

“By the way, Megucchi. You’re carrying a lot today?”

“Ah, right—this is for you too, Norio.”

With that, Megucchi pulled a wrapped bag from her tote and handed it to me.

“There’s one for Kurumi too.”

Kurumi got a smaller bag than mine.

“Ah! It’s Valentine’s! I totally forgot!”

“Good grief, that disqualifies you as the protagonist’s little sister, y’know? Hey—cut it out! Don’t silently kick your big brother’s butt!”

Seriously, Kurumi. Try taking a page from Megucchi once in a while.

“By the way, Megucchi, is this chocolate?”

“Uh-huh, I made chocolate muffins.”

“Heh, not bad, Megucchi. As expected of my childhood friend.”

“Right? I put ten in for you, special.”

“For real!? Then let’s eat them together later.”

“Um, I’m the one who made them. If I eat them, doesn’t that defeat the point?”

“It’s fine. I want to eat them with you.”

“You’re kinda gross today, Norio… You’re just hyped because it’s Valentine’s, aren’t you??? There’s no one besides Meg who’d give you chocolate anyway! You, expecting anything—so embarrassing!”

“Wow, listen to the old man—delusions of grandeur. So annoying.”

Heh.
Talking like that to the protagonist? You two are the ones getting carried away.
No muffins for either of you now!

Yeah.
I’m a dangerously charming man, Norio.

And then, after school.

I stuck it out in the classroom until the very last go-home cut-off, but just as Megucchi predicted, I didn’t get chocolate from anyone but her.

“Clearly everyone was too awed by my protagonist aura to hand it over, even if they wanted to. Being a protagonist is such a burden, good grief.”

An announcement urged students to go home, so I left the classroom.
I even checked the shoe lockers thoroughly, but there was nothing.

“Maybe… the kittens put chocolate in there, and some jealous guy stole it!? Damn it! Who stole my chocolate!!!”

“Hey, Mizumoto! Get going already!”

While I was fuming by the entrance, Kyouko-chan, making her rounds, scolded me.

“Kyouko-chan, I haven’t gotten yours yet this year.”

“What are you even talking about?”

“Chocolate. It’s Valentine’s today, right? You didn’t know? Good grief—that’s why no one wants to marry you.”

“You little—!”

In place of chocolate, Kyouko-chan gifted me a headlock.

I got home later than usual.

“Geezer, you’re late! I’m starving to death over here!”

“Look, your big brother’s pride as a protagonist is wounded right now. I’m in no mood for dinner.”

“Huh? What are you on about?”

“Megucchi was the only one who gave me chocolate! This wasn’t how it was supposed to go! It’s wrong! Why didn’t anyone else get me chocolate!?”

“Shut up, geezer! Make dinner!”

Kurumi legit snapped, so I quietly started cooking.

Over dinner, Kurumi got pretty serious about how to abolish Valentine’s. She finally concluded we should introduce a chocolate tax like with cigarettes, ban eating chocolate indoors, and segregate chocolate-eating seats in family restaurants—systemic persecution and all.

After we ate, I was in my room doing homework while snacking on the chocolate muffins from Megucchi when the door banged open and Kurumi planted herself there.

She was holding a mug. “Geezer. Instead of chocolate. Here.” She handed it to me.

Warm cocoa.

I took a sip. No sugar—totally unsweet.