While having lunch by the stairs, Yuki informs Shou that results were released yesterday and she got in the college. Narration: “It has been a week since that successively disastrous college exam day. Naruse’s cold is also finally over. Afterwards, it’s just waiting for the cherry blossoms to bloom.”
Shou congratulates her. She thanks him. He pats her head and says, ‘good job’[/otsukaresama]. She blushes a bit and says, ..ya. Shou says on the other hand, she can now make Valentines’ day chocolates without distractions. Yuki looks at him and asks, chocolate?
After lunch break, Abe groans about being tired to death. A girl asks if he feels tired. Abe says that it is because he always uses his brain during February that he wants a bit of sugar replenishment. He asks what about Shou. Looking at his cellphone, Shou apologizes for he is totally not listening.
Abe is furious for he was seriously talking with him and unlike Shou, 2 days before Vday, the pressure is so big that he couldn’t sit still. Another classmate says that it seems that Shou is lost in thought more than the usual. Shou denies it.
Then, he recalls Shizuka admitting that he likes Yuki. It causes a mini popped vein on his face. At a chocolate store, Yuki looks at a box of chocolates and thinks that she was whole-hearted thinking of passing the college exam that she totally forgot about it.
“Unexpectedly, there are only two days left before Vday. Besides, this year—it is our first Vday since we had gone steady.” She recalls Shou telling her that like this, she can make Vday chocolates without distractions. She looks at some girls who are happily talking about making chocolates.
Yuki suddenly bends down and slams the glass display with her hands. She thinks that she couldn’t do it. She had already drummed up a large amount of courage to give him the bento box but chocolate, Vday chocolate!? After the exam has ended, this kind of thing suddenly comes up so what is she to do..
Glancing at the box of chocolates, she thinks that’s right, she must go and thank Shizuka. She decides to buy a big box of chocolates so that he can share it with his team. She was able to get in college smoothly and it is thanks to Shizuka’s help. “On the day after the college exam, I basically plan to tell Shou the sequence of events of what happened since that guy likes to consider ‘silence’ as ‘cover up’..”
Flashback: “Shou confronted Yuki and said that he heard yesterday from Shizuka that he brought her to the college. While tensely saying yes, Yuki wondered how much do Shou knew but if he can understand, then that’s fine. Shou asked what Shizuka told her.
Puzzled Yuki asked tell her what. Looking at his fingers, Shou said that if Shizuka didn’t say anything then forget it. End flashback. Yuki thinks that Shou doesn’t have the usual abnormal nagging and it seems like he is vaguely confused over something. It is such a totally subtle reaction that Yuki wonders what he is randomly assuming.
At Misuzu gym, Shizuka calls for a 10 minute break. While he is resting, he recalls telling Shou that he likes Yuki and about trying to cover it up and force himself to forget about it-type of thing, he won’t do that again.
Shizuka thinks that even if he said that, he knows it with utmost clarity that right now, there is already no possibility for him to get an opportunity to intervene. There is also no dubious [/shameful] thing that happened between him and Yuki.. Just when he is drinking some water, a teammate calls out to him that a certain Yoshida is calling for him. Shizuka promptly spits out the water.
Wiping his mouth with a towel, Shizuka asks why, she..!? Yuki apologizes for interrupting him during practice. She originally planned to wait for him outside but she doesn’t know what time their practice will end. The other guys say isn’t she from Ryuhoku, are they going steady, got to tell Kira.
Shizuka tells them that it isn’t so and stop it already. He got Yuki at the hallway and closed the gym’s door. Yuki tells him that this is her thank you gift regarding the incident before so if it is okay, share it with everyone. Shizuka tells her that there’s no need to give him that kind of thing and he is just a bit late that’s all. She says, but the hives..
He asks what hives, he was curious about that before. She asks didn’t he have that illness wherein upon touching something disgusting.. Wondering if she was always thinking of that, Shizuka says he never mentioned that. He says that he’ll accept her gift since ‘obeying is one’s sincerest form of respect’. [<- it’s rude to refuse]
Yuki informs him that thanks to him, she smoothly got in the college. Thinking that’s great, Shizuka congratulates her and asks that it is Ohsaki, right. [guesswork from 央崎] She says yes, and it seems that school’s basketball club is very amazing.
He asks if she plans to become a manager-type there. Yuki says that she won’t in college because not only basketball, there are all sort of things that she wants to learn. She bids him goodbye. Shizuka calls out to her and says that after she goes to college, she’ll definitely become very busy. “Do not force yourself too much.. gambatte.”
She thanks him and starts to walk away. Shizuka takes a deep breath then goes back to the gym and shouts, okay, practice starts again! The others are surprised by that. Yuki thinks that college exam is over, thank you gift has been given, she bought the chocolates, so what’s left is waiting for spring to come.
On the night before Vday, the twins are holding a bowl, heart chocolate mold and a spatula. They tell Yuki that they make Vday chocolates together. Yuki is on the computer. [<- seems to be looking at houses for rent] She closes her laptop and says okay, what do they want her to help them with.
The twins say not help, she must also give Shou homemade chocolates. Yuki says no, she already bought him.. Sae grabs a shopping bag and starts throwing down the boxes of chocolates. She calls Yuki a big idiot. While eating the chocolates, Sae shouts if the chocolates that Yuki is going to give her boyfriend and younger brothers are the same, does she want to resolve it by buying chocolates.
She scolds Yuki that if she doesn’t have enthusiasm, then simply don’t become Shou’s girlfriend. Rin tells Sae to calm down and give her some chocolates. Yuki just scowls and thinks that she’s eating the chocolates.
Rin tells Yuki that isn’t this the last holiday of one’s high school life and doesn’t she have any feelings that she want to convey to Shou. Yuki mutters that there’s no need to exaggerate it.. When she is about to pick up a chocolate box, Yuki looks at the charm on her bag.
She recalls Shou assuring her that if it is her, she can definitely get in college. Yuki thinks that’s right, her college exam was a success was not only because of Shizuka’s contribution, all the more it is because Shou is always beside her to encourage her, and he is probably always enduring because of her.
“Thank..I definitely have to thank him. Before graduation-- I definitely have to properly convey this gratitude.” Soon, Yuki is making chocolates with the twins. After it is finished, Yuki is stunned for the chocolates are small teddy bears and hearts.
Taking one of the teddy bear chocolate, aghast Yuki thinks that even if they did it in accordance to the instructions but then, isn’t these too cute. While Sae is happily showing the chocolates to Shintarou who doesn’t care about it, Yuki imagines giving it to Shou.
Shou would hold the bag and laughs for it is teddy bears, which doesn’t suit her. Yuki nervously thinks, ‘no good, no good’. On V-day, a couple of girls call out to Shou who is walking with his friends. When Shou turns to them, they immediately put something in his pocket while telling him ‘good work’ on his morning practice.
After the girls ran off, Shou takes out what they put inside his pockets and says that it is chocolates. Abe got angry over Shou’s lame response and he should express a bit of gratitude. He tells Shou that the guys in this world aren’t like him who inevitably receives chocolates. He asks Noda isn’t it so.
At the side, Noda is receiving chocolates from some girls who hope that he likes sweets. Noda thanks them. This causes irked Abe to wish for Vday to disappear. A friend comments that Abe is becoming like Shouji-senpai. Abe screams about wanting to become popular.
Watching all that from the corner, Yuki thinks that even if she is used to it every year but the offensive ability of the girls in this world is so strong. While some more girls are screaming for Shou to give him chocolates, Yuki thinks that it is bad for her courage is gradually disappearing.
Yuki felt that in the end, she should have gotten that chocolate she bought for what kind of expression should she have when she gives him these brassy teddy bear chocolates? Recalling Rin telling her about being grateful, Yuki decides to pull herself together. She writes Shou a message that she has something to give him after the club activity is over. She tells herself not to run away.
Later on, near the shoe lockers, Yuki thinks that the third years can already freely go to school [if they want to] so there are fewer people compared to the usual. She wonders if it is okay to give it in school or perhaps, it is safer if it is outside school.
She starts to think of finding some place to kill time while waiting for Shou. Just then, Shou calls out to her. He puts his chin on her head and asks where is his chocolate-? Yuki exclaims what he is doing, what about practice. He reminds her that today is Wednesday so there is only morning practice but then, he just remembered it just now.
While opening his shoe locker, he says that there aren’t many people here so they can go home together. And, a lot of chocolate packages fell down from his locker. Yuki thinks that it is the first time she saw this shoujo-type of scenario.
Shou comments that he always doesn’t quite comprehend the culture of putting food in a shoe locker. Yuki mutters, ya. Yuki asks if that is a rabbit-shaped cookie. Shou says yes, and it seems she really like this kind of thing which doesn’t suit her. Yuki immediately became dark.
Shou turns around and Yuki immediately hides her bag behind her. She starts to run off. Shou goes after her. She shouts for him not to chase after her. He tells her not to run away. She denies that she is running away. He says that she obviously is, and wasn’t she going to give him something. She tells him that she forgot it in the classroom.
She goes in a classroom and slams the door. <- 100% dash. Shou is aghast and speechless. <- 20% He asks her what’s up. Yuki says that she wants to thank him. “Before the college exam, you always cheer me on.. Getting qualified in the exams absolutely has a part of your contribution. So.. about that.. I.. want to make you chocolates but.. I failed.. Possibly, it is a failure..”
Yuki is surprised when Shou puts his hand in and asks her to give it to him. She angrily says that she told him that she failed so she’ll re-do it. He tells her that it is fine since she made it especially for him. “It’s alright. No matter how strange or yucky it is, I want it.”
Yuki is moved by that. She asks him not to laugh. After a pause, he says, ya. She says how come he hesitated. He tells her that he absolutely won’t laugh. She gives him the chocolates. He looks surprised to see the teddy bear and heart chocolates. He asks if she made them. Bending down and bracing for his reaction, she darkly says, yes..is he unsatisfied.
To her irritation, Shou let out a laugh. She shouts so she said, he’s not allowed to laugh.. The door suddenly opens and Shou is hugging her. He says that he didn’t laugh. “It is only because I’m so happy that the corner of my mouth went up, that’s all.” Embarrassed, she angrily says that he obviously laughed.
Yuki wonders how come no matter how long it has been, she is still very scared. “Am I going to be ridiculed by him? Am I going to be doubted by him? Am I going to be hated by him?”
While looking at a teddy bear chocolate, Shou says that he feels that each of these things is [/looks] like her. Yuki says that it is totally not so. He says that if they look like Shizuka, he would earlier on devour it all. Yuki says, what the hell, why Shizuka..
After blushing a bit, Yuki says about that..just in case, let her clarify it one more time, during the day of the exam, it is better to say that until now, nothing is going on between her and Shizuka. He looks at her and says, then, can he kiss her.
Aghast Yuki asks why right now and what’s with the ‘then’. He says that it is because she wants to ‘thank’ him, right. Yuki is hesitant that he urges her to quickly close her eyes and take the kiss. Yuki nervously closes her eyes.
To her surprise, she had kissed a chocolate that Shou held on her lips. Shou laughs and says that he made her heart beat fast. Yuki angrily thinks that no matter how it has been, they still probe out each other and becomes anxious. Yuki says that is enough, she’s leaving. He asks what, she got angry.
Yuki denies it. He holds her face and turns it towards him, then, he kisses her. He asks isn’t it better than the teddy bear’s..? Before they continue to kiss, Yuki tells him that he’s noisy to death. Narration: “No matter how long it has been, I’m still driven round and round by this person’s every movement.”
Comment: And, that is Yuki’s last Vday as a high school student. It might be easy for other girls but for Yuki, this is a major struggle. It doesn’t help she can already imagine Shou’s reactions to those chocolates. ^^; Still, good job for her in managing to pull it through even if she tried to run away.
Thinking about it, I suddenly realize if that is part of the reason why Yuki and Shou’s relationship isn’t revealed to the others yet. The mangaka might be avoiding the usual fangirls vs girlfriend scenario. In most cases, fangirls won’t easily back off when a guy is taken. Nevertheless, I guess Yuki believes that fangirls is part of the package being with a popular guy like Shou so she isn’t that jealous. Well, most shoujo leads are like that.
Shou is still unhappy with what Shizuka said yet he isn’t going to rock the boat. After all, Shizuka isn’t making any moves which speak louder than words. Yuki seems to be still clueless too. Both guys seem to prefer it that way. Hm..does that seem like ‘closure’ between Shizuka and Yuki?
It seems to be but then, Yuki mentioned the school where she’s going to study has basketball club. If the mangaka is still going to base things with Slam Dunk, I can almost imagine Shou and Shizuka in the same college basket club as teammates rather than opponents yet still competing with each other. And, like Slam Dunk, there’s a girl involved. =P
As for the twins, even if they mean well, I have a feeling that they might continue on dictating on Yuki on how to be a girlfriend to ‘their’ Shou. ^^; Anyway, we got some lovey-dovey in the end. Since this is Vday, will the mangaka also draw about White Day? Maybe Shou has a gift which is perhaps jewelry as Yuki is about to graduate. ^^ Scans by 红莲汉化组
Quote of the day:
No duty is more urgent than that of returning thanks. ~ James Allen