CH 63

First, on Valentines in Japan, women are supposed to give chocolates to guys. Sometimes it’s out of courtesy (obligatory chocolates/giri choco) and sometimes an expensive or homemade one for the person you actually like (forrealz chocolates/honmei choco). It’s also not too weird to give them to friends as a sign of affection (friend-chocolates/tomochoco).Don’t ask why. It’s some marketing thing, like how people buy diamond rings for weddings now.

Shimazaki Touson is the pen-name of Shimazaki Haruki, a Japanese author, active in the Meiji, Taishou and early Shouwa periods of Japan. He began his career as a romantic poet, but went on to establish himself as a major proponent of naturalism in Japanese fiction.First LoveWhen I saw you under the apple tree

With your hair swept up for the first time

I thought you were the flower

In the flower comb you wore in front

When you gently extended your soft white hand

And gave me an apple

It was the very first time I loved someone

With the pale red of the autumn fruit

When my sigh unknowingly

Passed through the threads of your hair

I drank of your passion

From the cup of my tender love

The narrow, natural path

Under the trees in the apple grove

Who first trod this path?

Whose steps left the first traces?

You asked, you lovely, I thought

Taken from the Columbia Anthology of Modern Japanese Literature

Now that Aira-sama and Yurie-sama had gained entry into the schools they wanted to join, all that was left was waiting for their graduation.

Since Yurie-sama won’t be coming to the salon once she graduates, Kaburagi has been secretly depressed under his mask of composure. It seems that he was hit pretty hard by the even greater difficult of a middle schooler dating a university student. But no matter how hard you try, you can’t really do anything about an age gap.

I heard from Aira-sama that Yurie-sama was spending more time around him out of consideration.

Still, on days when Yurie-sama is too busy to come, Kaburagi just sighs as he looks out the window.

I wonder if he’s going to start writing poems again. Maybe I should teach him flower divination.

Ah, and I also know a good matchmaker shrine, okay? The fortunes are really accurate. You should go too, Kaburagi-sama.

*妹*

*妹*

Speaking of poems, Class Rep made no progress at all despite his daring show of his love.

I had been sure that he would confess after that, but since he showed no signs of it, I went and asked him. He replied that he was too embarrassed to try.

I really don’t get how this guy’s criteria for embarrassment…

Thinking this, I asked him why he did such a thing… and he replied that he was influenced by Shimazaki Touson, and had done it before he realised. That disease really is terrifying.

Apparently he actually wanted Miharu-chan to realise his feelings through that poem.

You think that because ‘Miharu(美波留)’ has ‘waves(波)’ in it, she’d realise because you drew a picture of a sea? Who the heck would!

If you were in the same class and were close to begin with, then sure, maybe, but considering the situation she’d be a total narcissist if she thought it was her.

In the end he asked me for advice on his next moves, so I suggested that he give her Valentine’s chocolate. In the end I guess he really liked the whole ‘reverse Valentine’s chocolate’ idea because he went and prepared something expensive.

Not only that, but apparently he was too embarrassed to give it to her, so he came and asked me to do it instead. Just how much of a maiden are you.

I even told him to at least include a card with a message or something, but in the end he didn’t have the courage for that either.This would have been the time to use the poem. Hm, or maybe follow Touson’s example and draw a picture of an apple or something?

In the end, for some reason I ended up giving it to Miharu-chan as a friend-chocolate. She was surprised at the sudden gift, but I was troubled too, okay. I just gave an obviously passion-filled chocolate to a girl I’m not even that close with. What if she misunderstands me and weird rumours spread.

Well, she actually did misunderstand, but in a completely different way. Somehow the story in her mind became one where I actually had somebody I really liked, but gave the chocolate to her because I lacked the courage to confess.

Miharu-chan looked at me with understanding and nodded, “Try your best next year, okay?” in a completely unnecessary consolation.

How are you going to take responsibility for this, Class Rep!

And now Miharu-chan thinks I like someone!

As for Class Rep, he was incredibly moved when I passed her White Day present onto him.

I’m getting the feelings that he’s transforming further and further into a maiden. I wonder if I can start treating him like a girlfriend already.

*妹*

*妹*

One day, I received a bit of news from Serika-chan about Tsuruhana-san.

“Tsuruhana-san got ear piercings.”

“Eh-”

Piercings in middle school!? What a delinquent!

Isn’t that forbidden by the school regulations? Ah, well, I guess a drill-hair like me can’t speak.

“Some of the other girls have gotten piercings too.”

“Unbelievable. It’s unacceptable.”

Kikuno-chan and the other girls started joining in too.

Unlike other schools, Suiran is filled with kids from good families, so image is a huge deal to them. Thanks to that, the school regulations on personal appearance is strict too.

Dyed hair is basically banned. But well, I hear some girls secretly use just a tiny bit so that it looks natural.

And I’ve got my curled hair too.

But piercings, huhh. I wonder if they’d even do it for a middle schooler without their parents consent. Does that mean her parents are fine with it?

Or perhaps, surprisingly, she pierced them herself.

If that’s the case then she’s really bold. Leaving perms and dyes aside, a lot of traditional families frown upon piercings. Okaasama told me that she wouldn’t allow it either.

Anyway, Tsuruhana-san’s group is getting more and more overbearing. My group is still higher than theirs, but the day that changes might be close.

Serika-chan and the others began a sneaky discussion about whether or not to tattle on them.

I really hope they’d stop. Our group has weak points like my curled hair too.

“Let us watch them for a little longer. I do not think it would be a good idea for us to inform the teachers.”

I somehow managed to calm everyone down, but maybe things are going to get even more heated once we become third years.

Gosh, I’d hate that. For some reason people think of me oddly highly, but I’m actually the first to run when it comes to a cat fight. Girls are scary.

*妹*

*妹*

While all this was happening, I heard that Kaburagi attended the high school graduation ceremony with lilies (yuri).

Class Rep, Kaburagi, why are all these guys turning into maidens? I was a little envious.

But lilies, huh. Could it be that he saw the time Oniisama brought me uraras, and actually really liked it?

Actually, there was the time when he danced the waltz with Yurie-sama too.

Leaving Oniisama aside, perhaps Kaburagi should become Imari-sama’s disciple or something.

The other day, Imari-sama came over for the first time in the while, and he gave me some boxed flowers.

Boxed preserved flowers. Super stylish. Great for Valentine’s and Christmas.

So stylish! As expected of Imari-sama!

Kaburagi, apparently men can’t stick to just bouquets, like a one trick dog!

*妹*

*妹*

Around the time cherry blossoms began to fall in full bloom, we all advanced into third years.