This is one hella long one shot story!
Disclaimer : Still belongs to Katou Motohiro-sensei. Have you read his first detective novel? Oh I'd like to have one myself.
I'm very bad at titling. Seriously. *sigh*
Trouble Chocolate
Mizuhara Kana climbed the stairs and glanced from the top of it.
"Eh, not here?"
She looked around once more to make sure but with naught. She tilted her head, confused. Willing to continue looking, she proceeded to go to another possible place.
She opened the door to the library. As always, this place was quiet and barely has people inside. Only a few was in the middle of reading or studying. She glanced around, but the object of her search was nowhere to be seen. She checked every row of the bookshelf, every corner of the library, but once again her effort was nil.
'Geez... Where is that stupid math freak?'
Annoyed, she banged the library door, resulted with loud shushs from inside.
She stomped her feet, really pissed off now. Her mood was likely evident on her face. As she passed, people around her were scattered or moved to the side. Not wanting to piss her off more and become the target of her anger release.
Just when she was about to turn in the corner to her class, a voice of her search called her.
"Mizuhara-san."
She turned her head and shot him a look. A tiger look.
Touma Sou was cowered a little. He wondered what he had been doing wrong that resulted her wrath. He barely had idea.
"What's wrong, Mizuhara-san?" He asked, confused.
A hit landed on his head. That surely would become a bump later.
Angry, he shouted. "What was that for?!"
"You! Where have you been?! I've been looking for you all around the school!" she shouted back.
He was perplexed first, but regained control after. "Why were you looking for me? Do you need something?"
"Umm... Not really. It's just... you're not on the roof as always."
He was silent for a second. He smiled a little. "I'm sorry. I had something to do earlier."
She was about to ask what kind of thing he needed to do, but the bell suprised and distracted her.
"Let's go back to the class." He told her.
They walked side by side to the class room, engaging in little chats while going there. Just when they were about to go inside the class, she noticed the bulging in his left blazer pocket. Unconsciously, her hand approached and about to take it. But then she realized what she was doing and stopped. He turned his head and looked at her.
"What's wrong?"
She shook her head and walked to her desk.
"Touma-kun, you don't have to wait for me today. I'll probably stay longer in the club. We have a meeting after. That's why just go home first." Said Kana when the class was over.
"Hmm... Are you coming later?" He looked at her while saying so.
Kana was thinking. Usually after school, she would come to his house, or he to hers and have dinner together. But today she wasn't sure. The meeting probably would take time and it would be late if she was coming to his house.
"I don't know yet, but I guess I'm not."
He was silent for a moment. Although it wasn't shown on his face, he was disappointed. "Is that so? Well, okay then. See you tomorrow, Mizuhara-san."
"Bye, Touma-kun!" She waved her hand and smiled.
He looked at her retreating figure and sighed. Looking up, he said to himself, "I guess I won't get one." Then walked out of school compound.
Kana literally ran to her house. After going to the convenience store and buying all necessary things she needed, she rushed home. It was 5.30 pm. Evening already. It would take time to do what she intended to do once she arrived home.
Sliding the poor door hard, she shouted, "I'm home. I'm using the kitchen, mom!"
After putting her bag in her room, she went downstairs to the kitchen. Putting apron on, she started processing the ingredients. 'No time to do something complicated, a simple one will do.'
She finally finished. After waiting for the truffles to get hard in the freezer, she packaged it with something easy but pretty and put it inside paper bag. She glanced at the clock, 10 pm. She needed to hurry.
"Mom, I'm going to the convenience store for a moment!"
Her mom replied from living room. "What? But it's late, Kana! Just buy what you need tomorrow."
"It's okay, I'm just going for a minute. Won't take long, just to the one in front of that apartment." Not waiting for her mother's reply, she rushed out of the house.
Once again, she ran full power. In fifteen minutes, she arrived at the mansion. She greeted the guardian. "Good evening, Ojii-san"
The guardian glanced to see who was it. When he saw Kana, he was surprised. "Mizuhara-san! Good evening. Why are you coming so late? It's dangerous for a girl to go alone outside this late."
"Don't worry, I can take care of myself. I just need to see Touma-kun for a while."
After waving to the uncle, Kana pressed the elevator button. The elevator opened with a ding sound. She entered and pressed the third button from the top. While the elevator went up, she remembered her conversations with Kosaka this afternoon. The very same conversations who made her finally decided to do what she was doing now.
"I heard you were looking for Touma-kun this afternoon?"
Kana looked up and saw her close friend since elementary, Kosaka. They just finished the club and was taking a break before the meeting start. "I was. Why?"
Kosaka raised her shoulders. "Nothing. Just curious. Why did you look for him?" She sat down beside Kana and fanned herself with her hand. As usual, the kendo practice was intense. She was sweating and panting quite a bit. Not like the person beside her who was barely shown any sign of fatigue. "Did you want to give him something?"
Kana raised one eyebrow. "Eh? Why are you asking me that? I didn't want to give him anything. I looked for him only to eat lunch together. But since he wasn't in his usual place, I got curious where he went and somehow ended up seriously look for him."
Kosaka looked at her as if she was considering something. "Hmm... Is that so? Say Kana, do you want to know where he was this afternoon?"
"Well, he said he went to do something that time. What is it? Where did he go anyway?"
"I saw him by chance when I was on the way back to class. He was heading to the back yard. Because he rarely goes there, I became curious and followed him."
"You what?!"
"Shh! Listen to me first!" Kosaka put her index finger on her lips, face frowned and eyes shot a serious look. "I have a reason why I did that. When I saw him, he was walking while reading a letter and then he sighed. So I became really really curious. And you know what I found there? He went to meet a girl. It seemed the girl wrote him a letter and asked him to come there. Oh Kana, the situation looked just like a confession! That was why I was hiding and overhearing their talk."
Kana was shocked, but not sure because of what. It might be because the fact her close friend turned out a latent stalker or the fact Touma was confessed to. Probably both.
"And I was right! It was a confession! She gave him chocolate."
"Eh, why gave him chocolate?" Kana cut Kosaka's story again. Totally confused.
"Geez Kana! Don't you know what day today?"
"Wednesday?"
Kosaka rubbed her face and sighed. Frustrated. "Oh Kana, you're so helpless. Today is Valentine's Day! The day where girls give chocolates to the guy they like. It's also a perfect time to confess. And that was what that girl did to Touma-kun. She confessed to him! Although she was rejected. Well, somehow I saw it coming." She said so while glancing at Kana. Then she continued, "But the interesting part was that she insisted him to accept the chocolate. She said she made it the whole night and she would be happy if he accepted it. Touma-kun then bowed his head and apologized that he still couldn't accept it because the chocolate represented her feeling and he couldn't accept her feeling. Then came another interesting part. She said she understood because she had been rejected before by him. Oh my God, she confessed twice! She's so persistent. I bet she really likes Touma-kun. She even said to accept it as Giri* choco instead of Honmei*. She looked desperate there. Touma-kun might think the same because he eventually accepted the chocolate. He probably sympathized with her. What a bad move, Touma-kun. Give her small kindness, she will likely like you even more." Kosaka finished her story, looking wise-like.
Kana just stared at her. Perplexed. Too much information she got from Kosaka's story. Her brain was starting to burn out. 'Touma-kun? Confessed? Twice? By whom?' she thought. "Who is she?"
Kosaka turned to her and looked her in the eyes. "Miyauchi Fuyuki. From class 2-E."
Kana was thinking. Remembering. Somehow the name was familiar. She knew she had seen it somewhere.
Kosaka observed her. Knowing what Kana probably was thinking, she said, "She is in the second place of overall rankings for second years. Yep, if only the genius from our class didn't study here, she would be the first one."
"Ah, that's why her name is familiar! I always see it below Touma-kun's name every term on the board. But which one is she? It seems I never see her."
"Are you sure you never see her? I'm pretty sure you have met her several times and I bet you have seen her many times. After all she is the library's attendant. You see her when you come to library. And I bet Touma-kun see her even more there. After all, he always waits for you in the library while you're doing club."
Kosaka glanced at Kana who was frowning now. 'Good thing if she feels jealous. About time she realizes her own feeling.'
"You know, she's not the only one who ever confessed to him. I once also accidentally saw him got confessed before. I think she is our junior. A cute one. Looked match to Touma-kun. I wondered why he refused her." She continued, intending to put more oil to the fire. "He also has fans among first to third years. You know one of them, the pretty rich lady from third year, Minegishi-senpai. Though as you told me before that she claimed she was no longer interested with him. But there are more who are interested with him. Do you know why he becomes popular now?"
Kana shook her head. Seriously listening to Kosaka.
"From the start, ever since he became a student here, he is already famous. Being a genius who graduated from MIT at the age of fifteen then attending high school once more, who wouldn't be well known? But as we knew, he is famous as a genius weird guy. Others labeled him so probably because he seemed to be from another world than us. Like there were walls separating him to us. But then you came. You made him destroying the walls and eventually blending with us. And we got to know him better. He seemed cold but turned out he is kind and willing to give his knowledge to others. You pushed him-no, I think it's more like force him-to get to know life. To experience life. And we, well at least I do, notice that he is livelier when he is with you. So many emotions I can see out of him when he's with you. And I know very well that he cares for you." Kosaka turned to Kana and looked straight to her eyes. "Now, my question is do you care for him as he does to you? You know I've been seeing you two dancing to each other for quite some time. You two are an item. Shut up! You are!" Kosaka shouted first when she saw Kana opened her mouth to denied what she said about her and Touma-kun. The others turned their head to them, curious to see what happened. But Kosaka ignored it and continued, "Both of you are literally inseparable, yet no clear relationship until now. It's time for you to admit your feeling, Kana. I know you know what your heart tells you. You just don't want to admit it because you're embarrassed, aren't you?"
Kana was astonished. Speechless. She never think about what Kosaka had told her just now. She knew she did cared for him. After all he was important to her. But did her heart was just like Kosaka said? She didn't even know what feeling it was. She was clueless.
"I... I..." Kana stuttered. She had no idea how to answer Kosaka's statements. "I-I do care for him. But I'm not sure I know what I feel for him."
"Then let me ask you, imagine he was with someone else. Imagine he had a girlfriend and you could no longer hang out with him or visit his house as it would make his girlfriend mad and you two became more and more distant, how did you feel about that? Did it upset you? Did your heart yearn because of it?" Kosaka glanced at Kana whose frown became deeper. She smirked, "Then imagine he held her hand while going home together. He held her and kissed her. Well, he might as well make out in his house. Who could forbid him for doing anything he wanted to his girlfriend after all. How do you feel about that?"
Somehow imagining all the things Kosaka said didn't sit well on her. Her heart felt like being squeezed. She imagined how Touma-kun held some faceless girl and kissed her. Kiss?... She blushed but then the urge to hit something won over. She didn't like it.
"You don't want it to happen, right? You hate it, right?"
Kana immediately turned to her. "I don't. I hate it."
Kosaka smiled. "Then now imagine you're the one whom he did all of those instead. How do you feel?"
Kana can picture it easily. As if all the things Kosaka said was already inside her mind. She just needed to play it like a projector in the theater and see the movie. She blushed when she was imagining he held her. 'Oh, wait! But I've held him once. Oh yeah, and after I was so confused and somehow hurt when he acted as his usual self. But as the fat guy told me, hugging like that was a sign of greeting. So it wasn't a big deal, right?' She wondered herself.
"You know, when I said hugging I mean a couple hug. The one which they do during make out. And kiss, well you know what I mean, right?" Kosaka smirked. Feeling good to be able to tease Kana.
Kana was blushing a deep red. She knew what Kosaka meant. The couple embrace and kiss? The image of Touma holding her tight and kissing her on the lips was enough to make her palpitated. She closed her face with her hands. There was no way she would ever do those with him. But somehow she felt like she wanted it to happen. Her heart beat faster and her breath became short. It was hard to breath.
Kosaka touched Kana's shoulder and looked at her. "If your reaction are like this, isn't it crystal clear what your feeling is?"
Kana opened and closed her mouth. She lost words. "But this kind of feeling, I don't know what its name?"
Kosaka sighed. 'Seriously, this girl can be so acutely dense!' She took a deep breath, readying herself and summoning all the patiences she needed as if to explain a hard question of math to an elementary kid. "That feeling is what we call love, Kana. L-O-V-E. Love. I don't really want to tell you this. I wanted you to realize it yourself. But if I left it to your own device, it would take forever for you to eventually did so! And I barely have enough patience left."
"Love?" Kana looked confused first, then her face became red. "Me? To Touma-kun?" Her eyes widened. "Love...?" Her voice became gradually quieter. 'Do I?' She asked herself.
"We have two months left before we become third years. Meaning you only have fourteen months to be with him. We don't know what he will do once he graduates. He might go back to USA. Although we don't know what will happen in the future. But isn't it better for you to tell him your feeling sooner? Then you two can make lots of memory as a couple. You can enjoy your days as one. And today is the perfect time. Give him chocolate and tell him your feeling. Or do you prefer him to be grabbed by Miyauchi-san? Perseverance can slowly destroy the impenetrable wall, you know. We won't know if she can finally make Touma-kun like her back. And even if she wouldn't succeed. There would be another Miyauchi-san, and another, and another. Who knows? As I said before, he's pretty popular now. A complete package like him, how come he isn't one?"
"What do you mean?"
"Well, he is smart, right? Totally smart I must say. And because of it, there's this rumour that he has his own IT company and he is unbelievably rich. Ridiculous one I might say. But some parts are true, right? You, me and our classmates knew that he lives alone in a big mansion in the center of the city. That must be expensive to rent it. That's he's second plus point. And lastly, which usually the more important part, is his look. He's good looking, though he's kinda short for a boy and not my type. Handsome, smart, and rich, oh and kind... complete package you can get on a guy. Well, those must be the reason why, despite you two always sticking together, he manages to have those fans." She finished her explanation with smug look. Then she winced her eyes and looked at Kana. "Now, tell me what do you feel about him? Do you like him?"
"I... don't know. I'm not sure with my feeling. And even if I am, I don't know what he feels toward me. What if I get rejected? Our relationship won't be the same anymore. We will be awkward."
"I'm pretty sure with what his feeling is. I can see it clearly, so do others. You're the only one who don't see it, Kana."
Kana tilted her head, utterly confused. "I..."
Kosaka sighed, again. She didn't know how many times she had done so. "Don't think to hard, Kana. Just ask your heart what you really feel towards Touma-kun. Listen to it and don't deny it or try to put some logics to it. If you finally find the answer, act! Say it. Don't wait any longer. The poor boy has been waiting long enough."
The elevator accelerated fast and not long the ding sound was heard and she arrived at Touma's floor. She pressed the bell and wait. Not long, the door was opened.
Touma was surprised to see Kana. It seemed he was in the middle of something related with computer. 'Probably playing shogi or making new program,' she thought as she saw him still wearing his glasses.
"Mizuhara-san! What are you doing coming here this late?" While moving to the side to allow her to come in.
"Well, I won't take long. I just want to give you something." She said so while coming inside. Her hands were behind her back, hiding the paper bag. She was still standing in front of the door.
"What is it?" He asked.
She was in doubt first whether to give the chocolate or not. After contemplating for a moment and resoluting herself, she decided to go on with the plan and give him the chocolate she made. She was collecting her bravery and finally gave him the paper bag.
"Here."
"What is this?"
"Just take it!" Kana thrust the bag to him.
Touma looked confused but he took it from her hand. "Thank you, Mizuhara-san. Let's go inside." He made a gesture for Kana to walk ahead to his living room.
She walked in front of him. A second later, she said, "Don't look at the bag now, Touma-kun. Open it later when I'm already home."
She turned around to see him. Too late, he already opened the bag and took what was inside.
She put the chocolate into a rectangular box and wrapped it with gift paper and tied it with ribbon. No card attached. Just a glance, it looked like an ordinary present.
Touma looked at the box from all sides and observed it. Somehow he had a slight idea of what it was, but he wasn't sure. So he asked her, "My birthday isn't today."
Embarrassed, she approached him fast and hit his head. "I told you to open it later!"
He frowned and shouted back, "Then you should say it earlier!"
"I forgot!" Instead of apologize, she shot him a look. Inside, she was annoyed with herself and her easy-to-ignite temper. This wasn't what she hoped for. It shouldn't be like this. She was supposed to give it nicely. This wasn't the turnaround she hoped for. She was very disappointed with herself.
Embarrassed and frustrated, she ran away. She passed him and went to the door and opened it. When she was almost out, Touma grabbed her hand.
"Where are you going?"
She looked at his hand, then at him. "Home."
Still holding her wrist, he replied, "I'm coming with you."
"You don't need to. I can take care of myself."
"But it's late, Mizuhara-san! I won't let you go home alone. I'm accompanying you."
Both of them were stubborn. They glared at each other for a while, none of them wanted to give up first. They kept doing it, until Touma closed his eyes and sighed.
He pulled her hand and took her inside again. He looked at her, pleading. "I'm going with you. Wait here please, I'm taking my coat first."
Kana stood there. She deemed herself stupid, stubborn, and tempered. 'Why, for once, I can't do it right?!' She scolded herself while sighing.
A moment later, Touma came back. "Let's go."
Along the way to her house, Kana was silent. She was still upset about herself. She was frustrated.
Touma glanced at her. He wondered what was going on inside her head. He didn't like this silence. Usually, when they were walking together she wouldn't stop talking. She would pick any topic and chatted with him and he would gladly engage in the conversations. Maybe he really angered her earlier. But even when she was mad at him, it would only last for a while and she would still talk to him. There was only one time when she acted strange towards him for days. It was when he went to USA without telling her after receiving a letter from Annie-san's father. When they got back home, he noticed she wasn't herself. She seemed to look like her usual self, but he knew there was something going on with her. For days he tried to fish her reaction, but she seemed aloof. He remembered how he tried his best to start conversation with her, anything would do as long as she reacted as her usual. She still responded him, but it felt like she was holding back. Everything became normal again right after the case with Alan. He remembered how she laughed about something he completely had no idea.
Kana glanced at him and unconsciously sighed. She hated this situation. It felt so awkward. If she knew that everything would end up like this, she would prefer not to give him the chocolate. She felt like hitting herself and Kosaka for suggesting this idea.
"I'm sorry."
Kana turned her head to the left immediately. Her eyes widened, then frowned. "For what?"
"For earlier."
She sighed. It was always like this. It was always him who apologize first. She sighed again. "Don't be. It was me who was at fault after all. I'm just stubborn. I'm sorry, Touma-kun"
He looked at her, then smiled.
'Thank God.' Said both of them inside.
"So, how was the club meeting this afternoon?" Touma asked her, purely curious.
"Hmm... it was fine, I guess."
She barely remembered what the meeting was about. At that time, her mind was full of things Kosaka told her. She contemplated it over and over and tried to figure out her own feeling towards him. She did so until she eventually reached conclusion. The clues, after all, were always there. Scattered in her heart. They just need to be picked up and put together into one and the picture was finally shown. Just like a puzzle. The biggest hurdle was whether she wanted to admit it or not. But, she decided to be honest with her own heart.
"What was it about?" He asked her again.
"Apparently about next term. They voted me as the new captain."
Touma turned, and smiled happily. "Congratulation! Somehow it didn't surprise me at all."
"Thank you." She smiled back at him. "Well, Kosaka and the others also said the same thing. Is it that expected?"
"I guess so. After all, you're the best in the club on term of ability." He replied. 'Also on term of stamina,' he added silently.
They kept talking during the way to her house, and without them realizing they arrived at Kana's house.
"Thank you for accompanying me home, Touma-kun. Be careful on your way back." She said so after turning to him and smiled. She then turned around and walked inside.
She only walked a few steps when suddenly Touma grabbed her hand and said. "Mizuhara-san..."
She turned again and faced him, looking confused. "What's wrong?"
"Umm... the present. Thank you for the present."
She raised one eyebrow. "You're welcome. Hope you'll like it."
"I do!" He replied fast.
She looked confused first, wondering why he reacted like that. But she was relieved in the same time and smiled. "I'm glad."
Still holding her hand, he opened his mouth only to close it again. He was nervous. He didn't know how to say what he wanted to ask her. His heart throbbed and somehow it was hard to breath. Gulped, he braced himself, took a deep breath and finally spoke.
"The chocolate... what is it?"
Kana's eyes widened. "How..." She whispered.
"I... Well, somehow I can guess it. I know what day is today and on this day, present can only mean one thing."
"That was expected and unexpected. Such a fast deduction... Of course you would know. But to think that you're actually aware and care... Well, sure you're aware. But care? I guess having received one would make someone care about it." She smiled, yet it looked cynical.
"What do you mean?" He replied fast and somehow his voice sounded cold.
"You got a chocolate this afternoon, right? I noticed you put something in your blazer pocket. I could see the ribbon." She lied there. There was no way she would tell him that she knew all of those from Kosaka. "Well, as you said, a present on a day like today can only mean one thing. Chocolate. If it's only a matter like this, myself can also deduce it." She smiled, yet inside she felt like crying. "But it's not like I forbid you of accepting it. It's your right after all. You're free to do and receive anything." Oh how her heart hurt saying those words!
Touma looked horrified. He was stunned, speechless. Couldn't bear seeing her eyes to eyes, he diverted his sight to the ground. Although what she said was true, his heart hurt hearing all of that. It felt like being squeezed. 'I didn't intend it to end up like this when I asked her about the chocolate. Why did it turn like now?'
She felt pain in her right wrist. His hold tightened without him realizing. Somehow she could know he was upset right now. Maybe what Kosaka said was true. Maybe he did care for her. She was happy and glad, but also upset. 'I hurt him,' she thought. 'I need to do something to fix this.' She took a deep breath and spoke quietly, "It's honmei."
The effect was evident. Touma immediately looked up. He stared at her eyes, searching for something. He really wanted to ask what she meant by saying that. But he was afraid. Afraid that those words were only his imagination. That he misheard it. It seemed if he asked her, the magic would disappear and he would come back to reality.
"I'm sorry for saying those offensive words. It's just somehow it hurts knowing you got chocolate from another girl. I guess I'm jealous." She smiled, apologetically. But then the smile changed. A simple one yet looked so beautiful and calming. "But then rather than feeling miserable, I've decided to do something on my own. I don't know whether you will still accept it or not after knowing what chocolate it is. Either one, I want to give it to you."
His eyes widened. He was astonished. It felt like his heart had just been freed of a very big and heavy rock. It was so light. The emotion was new for him, but he gladly welcomed it. Feeling very happy, he smiled. "Then, may I subjectively deduce the meaning of it?"
"You may so. But only if you tell me your conclusion."
He approached her and pulled her hand that he had been holding. Her upper body bumped into his and he secured it by embracing her. "Honmei consists of two kanji, true and life, meaning true to your life. But it can be read as true to your heart. With that meaning, it becomes a popular term for chocolate. Honmei choco, the term for 'true feeling' chocolate. Now, the probability is very high that you gave it to me what that kind of intention. Therefore I conclude that your heart belongs to me. I hereby surely say that you... Umm... you..."
He talked full of confidence in the beginning until the middle part, just like when he was explaining the solving part of the case. But towards the end, he stuttered. Embarrassed to say the words.
Kana smiled hearing how he sounded nervous. Grinning, she held him back tight and whispered on his ear, "C'mon, go on..."
He shivered. 'What a sly girl,' he thought. 'Making me say it first. I'd make sure she will do the same on white day.'
He tightened his hold and kissed her shoulder. "I am sure that you like me." He was blushing, pretty embarrassed to say it. He could feel their heartbeats. Smirking, he throw the last blow. He whispered on her ear, "But I hope it isn't only 'like' as I, in a matter of fact, love you, Mizuhara-san."
She blushed. Her heart throbbed so much she could feel it was about to burst. She was so happy she felt like flying. 'Oh, I should thank Kosaka later!' she thought.
He was very happy. He couldn't believe that this day finally came. The day when he could hold her tight like he did now. He smiled widely. 'My days ahead will be wonderful from now on.'
A/N : R&R please! Thanks for reading!
- Giri and honmei choco are very popular Japanese terms. Giri means obligation chocolate, while honmei is confession choclate.
- I can't read kanji, so please forgive if the translation of honmei is wrong. I took it from online dico.
- Tbh, I don't really like putting OC in the story. But I have to, Miyauchi Fuyuki after all served her own purpose in it.
- And, anyone noticed something messed up with the timeline? Wow, you're great if you did so.
About timeline, let's just forget that Minegishi-senpai showed in canon in spring (the class hanami event) and Valentine is on February. So, TouKa weren't supposed to meet her yet. Oh well, let's just pretend they did or they had two chances to spend their second year of high school ;) After all timeline in canon also jumps around here and there. Lol.